Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Superchunk - "Untied"

Superchunk - "Untied": "This popped into my head tonight as I was cleaning up after dinner, although I'm not sure why. I'm almost more distracted by Mac's Hemingway-strength use of "and" in the first verses than when I first heard the song, but the guitar melody deserves to be in the Indie Rock Hall of Fame - it's that classic - and the simple sentiment of the song is about as complicated as it really needs to be. I love it and I still can't imagine my life without Superchunk."

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Naked and Famous - "Eyes"

The Naked and Famous - "Eyes": "Overlooking some moments that veer into synth-led 80s rock territory, I prefer the majority of the song, which resembles a more aggressive version of M83's 'Kim and Jessie' (also recontextualized here via joint male/female lead vocals) - which is just fine by me.
(I missed them at SXSW too, so I'm not giving this post the 'SXSW 2011 Recap' tag. Also, thank you Nick.)"

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Toro Y Moi - "Light Black"

Toro Y Moi - "Light Black": "I have to admit that, when I saw them live, it was hard not to be struck primarily by the breezy 70s quality of the music - enjoyable if with obvious influences. (I kind of pictured them knife-fighting with Phoenix over the retro-swinging vibe.) Still, I like how they can mix it up with tunes like this, which echoes Stereolab with an extra touch of psychedelia and chaos.
[3.18 @ Klub Krucial / SXSW]"

Saturday, March 26, 2011

DOM - "Living In America"

DOM - "Living In America": "Lo-fi electropop, blending fuzz with bouncy keys, plus a catchy (if probably tongue-in-cheek) chorus. I'm bummed that I missed these guys at SXSW - despite them playing 8 times, I swear - but hope to make up for that at some point."

Friday, March 25, 2011

BONUS SONG: Starflyer 59 - "The Big Idea"

BONUS SONG: Starflyer 59 - "The Big Idea": "I already did a song of the day today, so consider this the song of the afternoon. It's rocking and a little abrasive (if not a little mean: 'you come on like a feeling that I never wanted') - from the harder side of SF59 - but it's where I am right now."

Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"

Washed Out - "Feel It All Around": "What would you call this - a new wave dream pop slow jam? That kind of does sum it up. Their sound and their set kick out the new wave space jams - plus this song is the theme to IFC's 'Portlandia', for those of you who have seen that.
[3.12 @ The Mohawk - Ning Party / SXSWi]"

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Telekinesis - "Car Crash"

Telekinesis - "Car Crash": "Music so energetic you'd never know their frontman wasn't pogo-ing around with his guitar if you never saw them; but he's actually the drummer. I don't know if the album captures the energy of the live show (though it's still very good), but the blend of power pop with new wave elements is solid and the 'whoa-aooh's in songs like this make it irresistible.
[3.18 @ The Parish - Merge Night / SXSW]"

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

James Blake - "To Care (Like You)"

James Blake - "To Care (Like You)" - "One of the buzz artists at SXSW this year. Vocals that start out in the vicinity of Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons), except often digitally processed and pitch shifted, accompanied by piano and skittery drums - all things that wouldn't seem to work live - but, in the intimate setting of a church at 1 A.M. (!), it not just worked - surprisingly - but it was hypnotic.
[3.17 @ Central Presbyterian Church / SXSW]"

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Small Black - "Search Party"

Small Black - "Search Party": "I already loved their tune "Photojournalist" going into SXSW this year, but when they played our Rhapsody Rocks Austin party (and totally RULED), I fell in love with this song too - and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since. It's bouncy without being saccharine and it's been putting me in a damn fine mood.
[3.18 @ Club De Ville - Rhapsody Rocks Austin / SXSW]"

Monday, March 21, 2011

Starflyer 59 - "When I Learn To Sing"

Starflyer 59 - "When I Learn To Sing": "Wistfully hopeful or perhaps just wishful - another gem from the softer side of SF59."

Friday, March 11, 2011

My Bloody Valentine - "Sometimes"

My Bloody Valentine - "Sometimes": "For the times where I want to say this album is overrated, no matter how much I love it, I come back to songs like this in the middle of the night and I am overwhelmed by their simple elements, translated into waves of sound, yet washing out as a plaintive, emotional tune. Wow."

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Ringo Deathstarr - "Kaleidoscope"

Ringo Deathstarr - "Kaleidoscope": "RD continues to be a chameleon of shoegaze-inspired bands from days of yore. If the abrasive roughness wasn't so relatively dialed down, I'd swear this was from the first, self-titled Starflyer 59 record - which is not a bad thing, it's just surprising to hear."

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Calla - "Play Dead"

Calla - "Play Dead": "Nice dramatic flow coming from a subtle start-and-stop groove paired with a bit of brooding and it's no surprise why these guys used to play shows with Interpol (mostly in NYC) some years back."

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Soho - "Hippychick"

Soho - "Hippychick": "I see dirty hippies in SF all the time, so who knows why this song popped into my head this time. Points if you actually remember this song, or just the "no hippychick!" chorus."

Monday, March 07, 2011

On - "When The World Is Running Down"

On - "When The World Is Running Down": "Failure's Ken Andrews (under his On moniker) takes on the bouncy Police tune, spinning it into something subtly darker, slinkier and certainly edgier. Arguably, it now sounds closer to a Gary Numan paranoia track than Sting, but such is the magic of Ken Andrews."