Valentine’s hugs, kisses, and extra strong martinis from your friends at Don’t Forget to Dance.
(Image via franticmeerkat)
“Something Someone Jr.” by The Growlers (from Are You In or Out?)
The Growlers take bits and pieces from everything that was ever cool about the 1950s music scene - surf rock, rockabilly, psychedelic rock, blues - and douse it all with a heavy dose of reverb, organs, echoing vocals and shuffling beats. I hadn’t heard of these guys prior to catching them open for Dr. Dog at The Pike Room in Pontiac, MI, but I’m glad they’re on my radar now. My husband pointed out (and, I suppose, rightfully so) that there isn’t a tremendous amount of diversity in their catalog, but I’m not sure how much I care about that. They make fun, throwback party music that I can listen to all day long. That and their firm commitment to wearing funny hats on stage makes them aces in my book.
Titus Andronicus - “A More Perfect Union” (from The Monitor)
An album I did not expect to be enjoying as much as I am is Titus Andronicus’ upcoming release The Monitor. While I’ve enjoyed parts of their debut album, The Airing of Grievances, the overt angst in it made me only able to listen to it in small doses.
There are obvious changes to be heard in their sophomore album: songs are longer, the sound is more polished, and the kids seem less angry. I should also point out that this is a concept album centering around the Civil War, so history buffs can get extra excited. The above track is my current favorite, with its requisite Bruce Springsteen reference. If you really want to hear a departure from their previous work, go listen to “To Old Friends and New”.
The Monitor is due out March 9th. Again, I figured I’d like a song or two off of it, as I did their first record, but I really kinda love the whole thing.
OK Go! - Skyscrapers
They’re back with a catchy little tune! From the Album: Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky. I just miss the treadmills. They should make a video on elliptical machines for this song.
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Yeasayer. Experimental. Brooklyn-based band. Sophomore album. Odd Blood. Official release in February 2010. Dig this, hard.
Bonus: Live version of “Tightrope” which isn’t found on either of their albums.
Broken Bells - The Mall and Misery (from their self-titled debut)
There have been several albums that have piqued my interest in 2010, but the first that I’ve been meaning to talk about here is Broken Bells. Broken Bells is the collaboration between The Shin’s James Mercer and Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton). The word is that this is not just some solitary musical experiment, but a new band that both members have future plans for.
And it basically sounds as good as you’d think a combo of The Shins and Danger Mouse could sound. I could definitely get used to more of this. The album is due out in March, but it has already leaked (and you can find it in the usual places).
“Floating Vibes” - Surfer Blood (from Astro Coast)
Recently, I’ve grown a bit frustrated with 2010, at least musically speaking. I keep coming across glowing reviews of new albums, but each time I try them out myself I find myself either wondering what the fuss (see: Spoon’s Transference) or just not getting it (see: Owen Pallett’s Heartland, These New Puritans’ Hidden, and several other things that aren’t immediately coming to mind).
However, Surfer Blood I like. Surfer Blood I get. Surfer Blood, I see what the fuss.
Surfer Blood is also a group of young Floridians who make fun, guitar-based rock music. The songs on Astro Coast don’t have full orchestras, they would never be described as “challenging,” and there isn’t even the smallest trace of pretension. It’s classic indie guitar rock a la Pavement and Built to Spill, and it’s appealing as hell. I didn’t realize how much I missed unpolished male rock until people stopped making it, but these boys are bringing it back in spades. Oh, la.
“from africa to malaga” - jj (from jj n° 2 )
2010 may have already provided several notable new releases, but before delving into any of those I first feel the need to post on something I overlooked from 2009 - jj’s jj n° 2 . Honestly, I know very little about this band other than that they’re from Sweden and have made some curious choices regarding marketing their album. Truth? I’d read much about jj from a variety of reliable and trustworthy sources - and all things positive - but the combination of their annoying album name (jj n° 2 ? Seriously?) and the giant cannabis leaf blasted across the album’s cover led me to pass them on by.
I now freely and publicly admit my mistake. My husband (who, thankfully, is less judgmental than me), has recently been playing this album on repeat, and imagine my shock when I heard that this beautiful, ambient sound was made by the very same band I had long since dismissed. jj’s sound is world music meets trip-hop meets blissfully lovely electro-pop, and it would be a shame to ignore them on the basis of a pot leaf. It’s surprisingly sophisticated fare, fantastically chill and incredibly easy on the ears. So, give ‘er a listen.
(Bonus? jj is set to tour with xx this March. Because, well, of course they are.)
Introducing The Mad Iranians! - Change My Ways
Quick to be named 2010’s hottest new act, The Mad Iranians have released their much anticipated first single of what is probably the most talked about EP release since Radiohead’s In Rainbows. Inspired by perfection, the band is truly a product of DFTD and includes members: Matt Gross (guitar, backup vocals), Joe Nisanov (Banjo, backup vocals), Victoria Abrami (lead celestial vocals), and Shawn “The Hammer” Mulder (ukulele).
Check in regularly on their homepage www.themadiranians.com for status updates on their self-hyped EP. It should be coming out sometime in the next while.
Washed Out - New Theory
Washed Out is a one-man synth-dreamy-pop-home-brewed-whatever-the-f*ck-you-want-to-call-it entity. Straight out of Georgia, Ernest Greene’s Life Of Leisure album calms the nerves and may even put you to sleep with a smile on your face. The only other thing I can think of that can put me to sleep with a smile on my face…
…is a krispy kreme donut, you pervs.
