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."
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