The Monkees - "Sweet Young Thing": "I've been reading a book on the Monkees (Monkee Business) that my friend Stephanie gave me - and also helped lay out - so I've had a lot of their songs in my head recently. This is one of the great early ones - agressively rocking yet somehow slightly country, all in under two minutes, making it more complex than they usually get credit for."
Placebo - "Slave To The Wage": "'Spite & Malice' first popped into my head this morning and was originally going to be the topic of today's post. Unfortunately, as much as I like the song, the 'rap' part doesn't hold up so well now and I realized this song was the better pick, especially since I'm posting from work right now! :)
[And, as I mentioned long ago, this may be the best (if only) song to sample Pavement, and one of the best Pavement songs at that.]"
Elliott Smith - "Alphabet Town": "Nick inspired this post with his own Elliott Smith post and totally agree with the late-night quality of it. Some of the lyrics seem determined, but they feel broken. Is it weird that it's my favorite Elliott Smith song when it feels so strangely hopeless?"
I Was a King - "The Wylde Boys": "The intro could be Rocket From The Crypt, with the horns and the full on rock drumming, but suddenly the chaos breaks and it's 60s style pop somewhere between Lilys (in their own 60s pop phase) and Olivia Tremor Control. The chorus is pure money and my only complaint is that the song ends too soon."
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Bang": "Like yesterday's song equation, but switching the handclaps for drums...and it gets a lot messier, but it gets a lot more electric too. It's a rough and tumble number, but really the first thing anyone heard from the YYYs, so it's funny to think about how big they got down the line."
The Kills - "At The Back Of The Shell": "So minimal that it could be a demo, but I really don't see what you would want to add to this song. It's simple boy, girl, guitar and handclaps and that's all it needs."
The Spinanes - "Valency": "Hearing songs like this, I am instantly reminded of my near-obsessive love for this band (and frontwoman Rebecca Gates) in the mid/late-90s. They could rock like this, but Rebecca always sounded so laid back and - dare I say it - sultry, or at least casually welcoming. I miss them so much."
Momus - "Nikon 2": "This song kept popping into my head in France, when I meant to post it, so I'm just catching up now. If you don't know Momus, you should catch up too."
Nine Inch Nails - "The Only Time": "I haven't listened to this in ages...so of course it makes me flash back to when I first heard it. I always loved the drum part around 02:42 - and, in fact, often used my time on a real kit at drum lessons to figure out the part for myself. Kind of funny to think back that far, to remember I ever played the drums (sorta)...and realize how (sadly) old this record is. At the time it felt edgy, but it's so much lighter than anything that followed from NIN - but who would have known that at the time?"
Nancy Sinatra - "You Only Live Twice": "One of my favorite James Bond movie themes and for a solid Bond movie at that. R.I.P. Bond composer (and co-composer of this theme) John Barry."
Queens of the Stone Age - "Auto Pilot": "...as in: I am, today, given the degree of jetlag I'm working with, not because I want to be."
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Heart In Your Heartbreak": "The last few songs I heard from TPOBPAH, released after their last album, seemed to suggest the band was going in a lighter, twee-er direction...one that I wasn't particularly excited about. This new single is a welcome pivot - still very airy and sweet in parts, but a little more guitar and drums to give the song a a touch more punch, a little tartness in the saccharine. Very nice."
Small Black - "Photojournalist": "Subtly catchy within it's synth-powered wall of sound, this is the kind of textured dreampop that's admittedly my catnip."
Lene Lovich - "New Toy": "Arty but poppy, classic new wave without sounding totally dated...but, really, it's just fun. And they used to play it on the radio! Guess all those (new) cool songs like this find their exposure out on the internet now..."
Wire - "A Flat Tent": "33+ years in, Wire really have no business sounding this good. This track (from their brand new album, Red Barked Tree) certainly recalls Pink Flag, their debut, but blends in fresh elements to create a fully modern interpretation of their original sound. And, have no fear, the whole album has an array of sounds and moods, so they're no one trick pony here, nor a simple rehash of their older selves."
Tina Turner & Barry White - "In Your Wildest Dreams": "Listen to Tina and Barry try to out-sex each other with suggested panting and thrusting in this a/c slow jam. It's a little too radio-polished and borders on cheesy in moments, but it is nice to hear two legends having some fun...and, for the most part, it works. For some reason, Tina also says 'hearts' as one would say 'Chassidic', with the hard 'ch', which has amused me ever since the first time I heard this song."
Class Actress - "Journal of Ardency": "80s synth shuffle updated with a more modern aesthetic. Simple, but it's what's been helping me get through the last few days."
Those Bastard Souls - "Spaced Out" (Demo - Darla 100 Version): "I was trying to find a song to end 2010 and kick off 2011 and I just couldn't find anything that summed things up, other than songs I've already posted (i.e. Breeders "New Year" or Walkmen "In The New Year"). So, instead, here's a mostly-solo rendition of "Spaced Out" (as otherwise performed by both The Grifters and Those Bastard Souls, full band). It's perhaps a little rough, but it has a certain naked straightforwardness to it."
Teena Marie - "Lovergirl": "A slightly belated R.I.P. for Teena Marie. Such sad news!"
Soul Coughing - "Screenwriter's Blues": ""It's funny how much I disliked this song when it came out - I think my thought was "who are these self-indulgent NYC snobs who think they're King Missle?" - and how much I love it now. It apparently just took some time for me to come around to it, probably sometime after "Down To This" made me give them a second look. While it kind of fails as a poison love letter to Los Angeles, it does paint a pretty good picture of tongue-in-cheek sweetness as cynicism. It also contains one of what became one of my favorite song lyrics: "We are all in some way or another going to Reseda...someday...to die." That's a comment on life and/or The Valley - and I'm not sure which, but it works either way."
Bear In Heaven - "Ultimate Satisfaction": "There's a certain intensity from the busy drumming and the the looping keyboards during the verses that is almost overwhelming, but that just leads to the jazzy (if not almost prog) openness of the chorus and a sudden feeling of drifting in water. The contrast helps to heighten each section of the song. Spacey and powerful."
Ryan Bingham - "Depression": "Not the downer song you might expect it to be, even if it's certainly rough in ways, generally earthy in others - that's what makes it just feel natural, more than anything else. Also, I'm not posting it for an particular reason, so don't fret - even if the holidays do seem to have a hectic, overwhelming quality to them this year."
The Smiths - "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before": "One of my favorite songs of all time. Restrained in delivery, but bubbling with dark emotions just under the surface; I'm not sure if it's bitterness or pain or what exactly, but when Morrissey sings "I still love you / but only slightly less, slightly less than I used to" in a way that only he can, it speaks volumes. It shares a similar vibe with another of my favorites - Michael Penn's "Out of Its Misery" - also a dark/rocker number - but this song also has the classic bike-riding video that makes it almost iconic."
Electronic - "Disappointed": "The Smiths' Johnny Marr, New Orders' Bernard Sumner and Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tenannt? It was magic 80s nostalgia before enough time had even passed for it to have set in. Still, this is one of my favorite Pet Shop Boys songs that technically isn't."
Starflyer 59 - "Play The C Chord": "This is just how I'm feeling today."
Better Than Ezra - "Alison Foley": "I think that my liking of this song comes from it's less-mature-but-more-rocking Michael Penn vibe. I normally wouldn't call a song like this under-appreciated, but I feel like BTE is pretty maligned for their accidental role in the late 90s co-opting of 'alternative' radio by crunchy radio pop as it all rode it into the mainstream, so it's worth pulling out something so truly catchy for a bit of re-appreciation. (I'll even go a step further: Semisonic and Fastball had some really good songs too.)"
Daft Punk - "Derezzed": "Okay, I admit...I am excited for the new Tron movie. Shocker, right? (This is a track from the soundtrack.)"
INXS - "Suicide Blonde": "Just woke up with this song in my head but I have no idea why...I haven't heard this song in a while, at least not that I was consciously aware of..."
Missy Elliott - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)": "Seriously, does it have to rain everywhere I go? Enough, already!"
Helium - "Pat's Trick": "This is a belated 'thank you' to Doug H for playing an awesome Matador Records DJ set at the SF Eagle the other weekend, including this excellent Helium tune, in celebration of the Matador Records Vegas weekend. Not to be dopey, but it's so nice to have good friends at a good place listening to good music!"
The Apples in Stereo - "High Tide": "Jangly and pleasantly mellow, but the high point (no pun intended) is when frontman Robert gets into his higher register to sing 'will the years roll out on tide?', particularly as he's joined with harmony vocals as the chorus repeats. Good stuff."
Julio Iglesias - "Drive": "I don't know what I like better - Julio tackling The Cars - or that he does it on his album Romantic Classics. Decir lo que???."
Arcade Fire - "Ready to Start": "This definitely shook out as my favorite song on the new Arcade Fire record. I've read around that this is supposed to be an uplifting song (I suppose the 'now I'm ready to start!' ending), but the song - and the chorus in particular - read really dark to me, outside of that one line. There's something really sad about the 'if I was pure / you know I would / and if I was yours / but I'm not' lyric, but it still comes together as a really powerful song and that's why I like it."
Best Coast - "When I'm With You": "Take a bunch of Aislers Set girl group lo-fi and mix in a touch of Giant Drag sharpness and you get this Best Coast song. It pulls off a great blend of sass and melancholy, the way the best 60s girl group rock songs do."
Jane Krakowski - "Muffin Top": "It's from 30 Rock, so of course I love it."
Sonic Youth - "Sweet Shine": "I remember the first time I heard this song -
I was shopping at Tower Records (R.I.P.!) in Orange County and the store had an advance copy of this album they were using for in-store play. Someone must have scratched the CD because the track would make it through to a certain point before skipping back near the beginning...only to make it back to the scratch and skip backwards yet again. It didn't sound so bad, given the sleepy nature of the track, like hopping around in a dream. This must have gone on for twenty minutes before someone stopped the CD but, by that point, the song was burned into my head, especially the part where Kim Gordon hoots 'wooo-hooo!'. Kind of funny that I remember that so specifically, but I do."
The Jealous Sound - "Hope For Us": "Yeah, I guess it's kind of emo, in the more classic sense, but damn it's good."
SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Culture Club - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" (Original Post Date: 07.08.09): "I think it says volumes about me that some of my more vivid and excited posts draw from videos I saw as a kid in the early days of MTV, either in inspiring me to the post - or, like this one, where I try and recap the video...in my own way."
SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Two Versions of Yo La Tengo's "Blue Line Swinger" - Your Choice! (Original Post Date: 06.03.08): "This is deeper music analysis than I usually employ in the blog, but the two versions compelled me to take the dive."
SOTD 5 Year Lookback: Olivia Newton-John - "Physical" (Original Post Date: 10.25.06): "The only thing better than this post is when I played "Physical" at top volume from my phone while walking around in SOMA earlier this year after a bit of, um, partying. Check it out."
SOTD 5 Year Lookback: James Brown - "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine, Pt. 1" (Original Post Date: 2.28.06):
"Kicking off this look back at five years of this blog, it's Mr. James Brown. This post is kind of a cheat, since it references two JB songs, but it makes me want to listen to them both. Check it out."
Joy Division - "These Days": "So it's been five years to the day that I started my 'song of the day' blog. While hardly daily in posting, I've racked up almost 900 rants, raves, stutters and random thoughts in that time...and, somehow, it keeps chugging along. My first post was New Order, so it seems fitting to offer some Joy Division to mark the anniversary. Hardly the band to pop open some fancy champagne to, I suppose, but this isn't a champers kind of blog anyway. Instead, raise your drink of choice and peruse the archives (they're all there, on the right side of the page), perhaps starting with the blog introduction, also from 11/1/05.
I'll be spending the rest of the week highlighting some of my favorite entries from the years, so stick around!"
Elliott Smith - "Ballad Of Big Nothing": "Years ago, when I worked at getmusic.com, we had been trying to get Elliott to do a performance and/or an interview for the site but - after some time - when it finally came through, I was unable to go to the taping. I seem to recall that I could have pushed some commitments around to make it, but didn't - and I wish I had, since this was obviously something I wouldn't have the chance to do later, but there was no way to know that then. At least I had the pleasure of seeing him several times in LA and NYC, both solo acoustic and full band, and there are his wonderful records still around.
I am also making this my Halloween post because of the time I saw Elliott in NYC, just before Halloween that year (internets saying this would be 10.29.00) and he closed the show with a cover of BOC's "Don't Fear The Reaper'. A little creepy in retrospect but, at the time, it was a lot of fun."
Royksopp - "Poor Leno": "At Brandy's suggestion, although this will always remind me of being jetlagged and watching this video in the middle of the night on MTV Netherlands from my hotel room in Amsterdam. It was the first time I had seen the video and my travel-mate Brendan and I both rooted on the 'leno' to escape capture. I've been a fan of the song ever since."
Les Savy Fav - "Sleepless In Silverlake": "These guys are such NYC stalwarts, it's hard think that they're doing anything other than taking the piss out of L.A., but it sounds so good, it doesn't matter. Besides, I'm more disturbed that it's been a decade since I first saw LSF wildman/frontman Tim Harrington literally climbing the walls at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Where did the time go?"
The English Beat - "Best Friend": "It's interesting how mixing and mastering can change a song. I'm used to hearing this track on the excellent (and sadly out-of-print) What Is Beat? English Beat retrospective - which is admittedly 80s mastering on CD or cassette - as opposed to this modern-day digital master. It's a great song either way, but this mix sounds 'nicer', if slightly more soft and jangly, bringing out all the different elements into a more distinct mix, as opposed to the general blended noise of the 80s master that feels a bit more agressive."
The Breeders - "Mad Lucas": "On hour after hour of conference calls today, watching the traffic going back and forth on the 80 freeway out the window..."
Portishead - "Strangers": "As I did my Shawn of the Dead zombie march to work today (it being a Monday morning and all), this song was the only thing that helped to amp up my shuffle, even if it still was a zombie shuffle. Granted, there's nothing nice about this song, but it did keep me moving along and the music switch at the 02:11 mark is a nice, 'wake up' slap in the face. Besides, I don't know if I need to be nice today, so much as I need to be productive.
On a different note, I am still in love with this entire record, more years on from its release than I'd like to admit. I don't want to sound like a curmudgeon, but I wish there were more records like this coming out, ones I love from start to finish, the way I used to think there were."
LCD Soundsystem - "Yeah (Crass Version)": "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah."
The Walkmen - "Juveniles": "The Walkmen still have a certain 60s quality to them, but they feel much more modern this time out. There's a certain lazy afternoon (or early morning?) charm to this tune, between the solitary, sadly playful guitar lead and the dragging drums."
Film School - "p.s.": "I know it's a bit weird to post this track, from Film School's first EP, right around the same time they're putting out a new album that sounds so different, but I guess that's just my way. This tune suggests a certain shared vibe with American Analog Set, mixed in with a bit of the languid pace of Lilys' Eccsame The Photon Band and some slight indie brattishness to the vocals, but also with a slight, steady build as the song goes along to keep it interesting."
Bettie Serveert - "Tom Boy": "I had the pleasure of seeing Amsterdam's finest, Bettie Serveert, last week in SF. Not only did they sound great, but they seriously rocked, with a great energy flowing through their whole set. Everything from their new album sounded great, but it was so much fun getting hear old favorites like this."
Aimee Mann - "Guys Like Me": "I recently had the pleasure of seeing a stripped-down Aimee Mann set, with Aimee on acoustic guitar and backed only by bass and keyboards on most tracks. While she bypassed many of Lost In Space's obvious choice tracks ("Humpty Dumpty", "Pavlov's Bell"), she surprised me with this subtle, yearning tune instead. I didn't expect her to play it, in the midst of her fairly large catalog, but maybe it just fit better with her more minimal arrangement - and, either way, I was sure happy to hear it, as this song has oddly always struck a chord with me. I particularly love the guitar solo in the second half of the song."
F*cked Up - "Son The Father": "If I have to pick a 2nd MVP of the Matador Lost Weekend, behind Ted Leo, I think it's Damian from F*cked Up. Not only did he blaze through a riotous live set on Friday night (complete with crowdsurfing and a live version of this track that's way better than on the record, which is great already) but FU did double duty by coming back out even later on Friday night to face off with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists in a virtual covers-off. While all the hard work was out of the way after that, Damian still stuck around and was seen running around all weekend, going to all the shows - with his young son in tow in a stroller - clearly excited by all the bands and music there was too see. Ever the good father, his kid was wearing industrial-strength headphones, which was a good move, as all of us with hearing damage can attest. Anyhow, good job, Damian!"
Guided By Voices - "My Son Cool": "The last time I saw Guided by Voices was in NYC, during their (2004?) goodbye tour (with special opener Chavez, who reformed for one night then too) - but I have to admit I never saw them during the Alien Lanes/Under The Bushes period, or at least with that band lineup - until now. Drunk as ever (except for Tobin Sprout, who could still stand upright) but charmingly so, GbV flashed a neon "The club is open" sign and plowed through dozens of lo-fi hits, including this one. So much fun. They still had so many songs they didn't play, I hope they make it `round one more time before they call it quits again."
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Chavez - "Unreal Is Here": "Back to my Matador "Lost Weekend" recaps -
While I've already celebrated the pummeling drums of Mr. James Lo in previous posts - which were also a real highlight of the live show for me - Chavez was so tight in all ways, they also delivered mightily on this arena-ready ballad. You wouldn't know that this was basically their first show in a half-decade and one of their only in the last decade overall. Guys, remind me why you're not together full-time anymore? Ask the folks who were in Vegas and almost everyone will agree this was one of the best sets of the weekend."
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Debbie Harry - "Feel The Spin": "Don't worry kids, more Matador weekend highlights still coming - it's been a busy week since I've been back - but just a simple TGIF song for today. Pretend it's an 80s dance party!"
Weezer - "Hang On": "No offense meant by this, but is it weird that I can totally hear Taylor Swift doing this song? And that this thought occured to me during only my second listen to this tune? Weird. Don't know what it means."
Ted Leo - "The Mighty Sparrow": "There will be lots of Matador "Lost Weekend" Recap posts to come, but I have to start off with Ted Leo. Ted was definitely the MVP of the weekend, rocking all the way from Night One to Night Three. Starting off with a late night, pseudo-Battle-of-the-Bands with Fucked Up, both bands threw down some great (mostly punk) covers, but Ted had a choice entry with a solo, electric version of Liz Phair's "Fuck and Run"...which he then dueted with her on during Night Three. Night Two saw Ted showing up at the Karaoke Underground party, where he did Beat Happening's "Cast A Shadow". Night Three also saw Ted perform a blistering set of mostly Ted Leo originals during the main night's showcase, but still popped back up to take some good-natured abuse from MCs Sharpling & Wurster during one of their introductions. In other words, he was in it to win it.
I ran into Ted's drummer this morning and told him how great they were, but now I'm taking the news public. Good job Ted and keep up the good work. (You too, Pharmacists!)
Almost forgot to mention - even though it's one of the songs he didn't do this weekend, "The Mighty Sparrow" is the great lead-off track from the equally great new album The Brutalist Bricks. Check it out."
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Soundgarden - "Birth Ritual": "I love love love Chris Cornell's high-pitched wail in 'ritu-aaaaaaaal!!!' I think more hard rock/metal needs higher register singing like that, especially when paired with the deeper, heavier riffs."
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It's Friday - Rock It Out
The Rolling Stones - "Miss You": "Who doesn't know this song already? And if you already know it, you know the Stones get away with their disco strut largely based on Mick's swagger, which falls just on the amazing side of ridiculous, not to mention his eyebrow-raising (and equally awesome) falsetto. For a frame of reference on what's on the other side of ridiculous, check out the 'video' version where Mick shows what happens when less restraint is applied to his delivery.
Double bonus: the extended version with extra choice lyrics like 'girls will come and go / they're just like streetcars!'. Nice one, Mick."
Broken Social Scene - "World Sick": "The long instrumental fade-in and fade-out make the song feel kind of epic, but the key parts are really the quick, reverbed guitar leads during the laid-back verses and the drama of the chorus, led by almost marching-band strength drums and a small chorus of singers. As always, BSS shows that its group of rotating members isn't a gluttony of excess, but a tasteful arrangement of all its various member parts."
Miles Kurosky - "An Apple For An Apple": "This song kind of goes all over the place, with all sorts of different musical segments, but at it's core, it still has that old Beulah magic, as one would hope from Miles Kurosky, it's former frontman. It's a little sharp, a little sad, a little simple, a little adorned - all in different parts, so it's kind of a roller coaster, but a fun one."
David Bowie - "Beauty And The Beast": "A key track in Bowie's Berlin trilogy, in my book. From the processed punch of Dennis Davis' drumming to the heavy and often distorted synthesizers, there's definitely a strange (Eastern?) European detachment amidst the dramatic delivery. Each musician in the band plays their hand strong without being overwhelming, which is why this Bowie lineup feels so cohesive to me (this lineup is in place, largely, from Station to Station through Scary Monsters). There's a touch of the paranoia found on "Blackout" and the melodrama of "The Secret Life of Arabia" (both also from "Heroes"), but, here, Antonia Maas' backing vocals blend in a unique female counterpoint."
Torche - "Face The Wall": "A great slice of heavy from the new Torche EP. A moody, weighty wall of sound punctured by powerful drums, with slightly brooding vocals floating in the middle, all building in intensity as the song progresses. Totally awesome."
Superchunk - "Everything at Once": "Wow, I love this. It reminds me of Superchunk's earlier Here's Where The Strings Come In and Indoor Living vibe, but with a more mature quality - perhaps because of the atmospheric intro or the cool "ooohs" that pepper the song - although it still makes me want to pogo, as the best Superchunk always does. It scares me to think how long they've been around (and, thus, how long I've been a fan), but it's super-satisfying that they can still develop their sound without leaving any of their mojo behind."
Stars - "Elevator Love Letter": "Stars have a lot of gorgeous songs and this is one of their best. The interplay between lead vocalists Amy and Torquil is lush and a little melancholy, with a really strong keyboard part creating a great textured melody behind them."
Pixies - "Bone Machine": "Yes, Doolittle is an amazing album. I love it dearly. But Surfer Rosa is the religious experience for me. It's the sound of a band going completely in its own direction and it sounds revolutionary every time I hear it. It's hard not to be blown away by an album that starts of like this - from the pounding drum/bass intro, leading into Black Francis' screams (have you listened to the lyrics? crazy and amazing!), later off-set by Kim Deal's sweet counterpart vocals. I'd think they sound like they have a cocky swagger in what they do here, but I think it's closer to dorks who don't know that they're dorks, so they have no self-awareness in what they're doing and there's nothing being held back, which makes them all the more awesome. Does that make sense???"
The Human League - "Love Action": "Is there a day that can't be made better with a little of Human League frontman Phil Oakey? I think not! Here, you get 100% of your daily Phil, as he even references himself in the song! 'This is Phil talking, I wanna tell you what I found to be true'. Yes, do!!!"
Barcelona - "Bugs": "Is this a song about computer problems or a love song? Either way, it's definitely optimistic - and, even if it wasn't, the song is so damn bouncy that it would still feel positive. I'll always be thankful to Nick for introducing me to Barcelona (and thankful for Nick as well)."
Adam Franklin - "Yesterday Has Gone Forever": "For a key frame of reference, Adam Franklin is the frontman of Swervedriver and, although this track is way more mellow than anything from that band, it still has some of that band's key qualities, particularly the guitar effects that reverb and shimmer. Luckily, it doesn't sound like a carbon copy, but an updating of their core sound. In other words, if you like Swervedriver, you are probably going to like this too."
Interpol - "Lights": "From the new, self-titled Interpol album out today. Many of you have already heard this song when the band pushed it out on the internet early with a strange, Matthew Barney-esque video involving fluids and costumes, but it's also really standing out on my first listen of the album. It starts out spare and brooding - some drama without theatrical tics - slowly gathering steam instrument by instrument, until it becomes a full-on rock song."
Tears for Fears - "Pale Shelter": "Yes, I know Roland pretty much writes everything, but my favorite TFF songs tend to be the ones that Curt sings, like this one and 'Change'. I love how the acoustic guitar plays against the chilly synths, even better when the synth handclaps come in at the end. (Yup, real or fake, I'm always a sucker for them handclaps.)
I'll also always remember the first time I saw the video as a wee lad, with the alligator climbing into a swimming pool that a lady's swimming in and thinking...'whoa, lady, watch out!' It doesn't hold up as well as I'd like, but I still love watching it today."
Tokyo Police Club - "Big Difference": "Spirited (and slightly snotty) Brit-styled post-punk - from Canada, no less - but it's the guitar lead that makes the song: ringing, echoey, jagged, great."
Admiral Radley - "Ghosts of Syllables": "There are some AM Gold moments in this tune - and I mean that in a good way - but it still feels fresh. The "aaahs" are particularly pretty and I love when Aaron declares 'I'm out of sync, yeah it's nothing new / and loneliness I am nothing to'. Folks, if you still don't know, this band is Grandaddy + Earlimart together and you need to love it now, particularly if you liked either band before!"
Autolux - "Transit Transit": "The title track of the new Autolux album is kind of the opposite of what you'd expect after their first album. Sigur Ros-style high-range vocals backed by simple piano and skittish drum programming (the effect of which recalls later-period Radiohead without actually sounding like them) create an almost calm counter-balance to the excellent unease of their debut. As horns burst out at the end of the song, the tune ends with a muted majesty. Welcome back, Autolux. My only complaint is that there's not enough of Carla Azar's amazing drumming on this record, but I'm getting used to it.'
Land Of Talk - "Summer Special": "This song just popped into my head today for some reason and since SF is finally experiencing actual summer, it seemed appropriate to post today."
Queens of the Stone Age - "Born To Hula": "Pummeling. From the pounding drum intro, through the heavy riffs to the extended jam at the end, the whole song is just pummeling, in the best way possible. It's one of my favorite QOTSA songs, despite being a b-side (and a re-record of an earlier Kyuss song, at that)."
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It's Friday - Rock It Out
School Of Seven Bells - "Windstorm": "Definitely clearer-sounding than their debut record, tracks like this still have the pleasantly woozy quality that made their first record such a shoegaze-y win."
Rebecca Gates - "The Seldom Scene": "Ex-Spinanes frontwoman moves beyond the raw indie rock of her previous band and channels her inner chanteuse on this solo debut, particularly on this jazzy, sultry - yet grounded - lead track. I don't know if it sounds more like a calm Sunday morning or the middle of the night, but it's warm and sweet either way. Rebecca, where have you been in the nine years since you put this out??"
Superchunk - "Forged It": "Classic Superchunk on what's really a b-side from the On The Mouth sessions. It's rough, it's rockin' and it's damn catchy. More forging, please!"
Florence & The Machine - "You've Got The Love": "I first heard this in Australia earlier this year, where the track was a single. All the recent Florence hullabaloo made me remember it and check it out again. It's a really nice slice of lush, but not staid, AC pop with forceful vocals."
Lindstrom and Christabelle - "Lovesick": "This tune is minimal Euro-disco and it's bad-ass. I first heard it when Bear In Heaven covered it live (apparently as a counterpart to their own tune "Lovesick Teenagers") when I saw them live the other week, but it took my west coast pals Andy & Cas to point me at the original."
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - "Everytime I'm With You (Feat. Jason Lytle)": "The creepy carnival organ sets the mood and the drawling lyrics about getting dysfunctionally trashed sound almost equally ominous, but it's a totally captivating song, taking the best of Jason (Grandaddy) Lytle's hushed vocals and Danger Mouse's foggy atmosphere soaking in Mark (Sparklehorse) Linkous' tune."
Roxette - "Joyride": "I have no idea why this came into my head today, although I do chuckle at that part near the end where they yell out "Roxette!". I always think it's so funny when bands call themselves out in their songs..."
Starflyer 59 - "Cry Me A River": "Starflyer 59 is back! They're still very much in the mellow-yet-rocking vein of their last album (no radical sound shifts this time around), but that brings more gems like this one. It takes the harder riffs of I Am The Portuguese Blues, mixes in some of the T.Rex-isms from Old and blends it with the laid back sheen of Dial M. If you dig the SF59, you'll get all that."
Guided By Voices - "Dodging Invisible Rays": "An amazing melancholy pop song, this time from Tobin Sprout. Was this release really relegated to a vinyl EP?"
Star Ghost Dog - "Plus de Vaches": "I stumbled onto this band opening up for another band in NYC over a decade ago and was immediately taken by this song. Who is this girl doing this tough-yet-cool-yet-vulnerable delivery (a la Mary Stuart Masterson) of a faux-disco/rock song about getting coked up, dancing and hot tubs? It's completely tongue-in-cheek, but it was catchy enough to make me check out the album later, which was as good as I remembered. In fact, the rest of the record might actually be better, but this song definitely has the hooks."
The Cardigans - "Good Morning Joan": "You could find this song sunny and Nina's vocals sweet, but if you listen to the lyrics, you'll realize neither is the case and it's a beautiful poison pill instead. The clincher is when Nina sings, soaringly: 'If you were less like me, I'd save you from this, if I could / if I was less like you, God knows I would...but you are just like me, so I quit.' The whole record (Super Extra Gravity) is very much like this and you have to wonder what darkness is influencing the lyric writing..."
Liz Phair - "Polyester Bride": "I don't like the overly produced nature of this track (particularly the programmed percussion) and the verses are a little awkward but the chorus is pure gold - it makes the whole song."
Admiral Radley - "Chingas in the West": "Grandaddy is awesome. Earlimart is also awesome. Luckily, the combination of the two is still awesome - melding some of the best of both bands into one - as Admiral Radley. You can hear both bands in this song, which sounds like a Grandaddy slow burner, but is fronted by Aaron from Earlimart instead - a nice blending."
Built To Spill - "Three Years Ago Today": "Got to see Built to Spill last night for the first time in years and I'm happy to report that they're as tight as ever. Even better, they really played songs from their entire catalog, including this one, from their oft-overlooked first album, Ultimate Alternative Wavers. A really surprise - and pleasure - to hear."
Charlatans U.K. - "Can't Get Out Of Bed": "How have I not blogged this song before when it's kind of my theme song? Well, the song title is, anyway. That aside, it's a nice little brit-pop number with bluesy touches from the underappreciated Charlatans U.K."
New Order - "5 8 6": "First off, please skip straight to the 1:53 mark. There's an instrumental introduction to the track that you really can do without. Once there, you may think that this is a bit of a "Blue Monday" redux - and perhaps even feel like the track is a bit dated, 80s club sounding - but I think it's a great dance track with Peter Hook's bass (as usual) providing the muscle in the middle of a new wave synth party."
Helium - "Baby Vampire Made Me": "Mary Timony brings balanced sweet-but-tough vocals over a slow-but-pummeling rock track. Even when the song detours into something soft and lulling near the end, it works because it's a complete counter-point to everything before it (and a great transition into what follows it on the EP). You really couldn't ask for a better kick-off to a completely solid debut EP than this.
Mary, wherefore art thou now? You are missed!"
Nada Surf - "The Agony of Laffitte": "Nada Surf take on Spoon's song about being dropped by Elektra Records (essentially)...which is quite appropriate, since Nada Surf were also on Elektra and had huge problems with the label around the same time that Spoon did."
764-HERO - "Stained Glass": "This album still blows me away - especially since it's 764-HERO's first with a bassist (all prior recordings were only guitar/drums). It's still only three instruments, but each one is so active and full, playing well of each other instead of just being overwhelming. You can easily hear that on this song, a tight little rocker with a great riff."
Guided By Voices - "Don't Stop Now": "Subtle, but one of the more adorned GbV tunes - is that a cello I hear? That's not a bad thing - the different elements provide a textured melancholy that leads to a triumphant bursting when the full instrumentation kicks in."
Land of the Loops - "Growing Concern": "Indie pop meets low-key electronica in the subtly charming Land of the Loops. Strange samples - like the intro here, from a books-on-tape version of Brave New World - compliment the package."
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