Gee, it’s been awhile. What is it about the summer and unlimited free time that makes me forget to sit around and waste some time? But speaking of summer, Tennis (a band that’s mad buzzin’ right now on the biggest time waster of all - the Internet) is a great band for the current season. Tennis is a married couple who bought a sailboat and spent eight months sailing around the East Coast. They wrote some songs about their experience, and the result is some terrifically catchy, instantly endearing, 1950s/60s era surf pop.
Unfortunately, they only printed 300 copies of their first 7” and it’s already sold out, but with all the buzz I’m sure they’ll print more. In the meantime, enjoy “Marathon”, which would make a great addition to any summer playlist.
I am completely enamored with Wolf Parade’s third album, Expo 86 (set for release on June 29). Their sophomore effort, At Mount Zoomer, felt so disjointed and rambling that it left me (and most critics) a bit cold, but the band with more side projects than should be possible seems to have found a way to come together and produce another focused, solidly great rock album that’s almost as good as their debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary.
I read somewhere that Spencer Krug’s main concern with writing and choosing songs for Expo 86 was whether or not he could dance to them, and it’s a benchmark that served them well. For the most part, the songs on Expo 86 are up-tempo toe tappers, and surprisingly sunny for a band that tends to skew dark. (And that album cover? Awesome.)
It occurred to me today that we have not yet posted on Local Natives, which is a bloody shame because they’re fantastic. Gorilla Manor is the debut, and if you have not yet procured a copy of it for yourself then you damn well better. Their sound is a little orchestral pop, a little afro-pop, highly percussive, and drenched in beautiful, three-part harmonies. My music collection is not exactly small, but this one album has been playing on repeat in my house for weeks. Get around to it.
Their previous album, Boxer, made me fall head over heels in love with The National, so I’ve been foaming at the mouth a bit at the prospect of their newest release, High Violet. (It’s not due for release until May 11th, but you can get your hands on it early if you’re scrappy and don’t abide by hard and fast rules of right and wrong.) And from what I’ve heard, High Violet is probably going to be a firm contender for one of my favorite albums of 2010. They aren’t necessarily breaking new ground here, but when a band can produce such beautiful, well-crafted songs as these then why mess around with the formula? Get excited for it, folks.
I’m on vaca so I’m keeping this uncharacteristically brief (for lo, brevity is not one of my strengths), but I’ve finally gotten around to giving the new The Morning Benders album a proper listen and am finding it to be pretty freaking terrific. And not just the first two singles either - from front to back Big Echo is full of catchy chamber pop, laid- back chill vibes, and a great many hidden delights that ensure it will grow on you with each subsequent listen. Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor is a co-producer, a fact that becomes glaringly obvious by the time you hit “Pleasure Sighs”, and yet it’s not at all derivative. In fact, it’s pretty legit.
In short, I like it. And if you’re a fan of Grizzly Bear, The Shins, et al, then I’m bettin’ you’ll probably like it too.
I liken Joanna Newsom to anchovies: for some people they are the best part of the Caesar salad, but for other people they render the entire thing inedible. I like anchovies. I also really, really like Joanna Newsom.
I guess it’s not really surprising that Newsom’s back catalog has left listeners pretty firmly divided. Y’s in particular had plenty of moments for haters to roll their eyes over, what with the harp, her penchant for arcane language, and Newsom’s often screechy and squeaky voice carrying listeners through epic, 17+ minute long songs. But I loved Ys, unabashedly and unapologetically, so I suppose it’s not much of surprise that I also love Newsom’s newest release - the massive, sometimes unwieldy triple album, Have One On Me. However, Newsom’s newest release is enough of a departure from her previous work that I bet she can win over some folks who had previously considered her annoying and ridiculous.
OnHave One On MeNewsom’s voice is more controlled, her songs are more streamlined, her harp is more of an accessory than a musical focus, and the result is an album that will please traditional Newsom fans while making her more palatable for a wider audience. The musical likeness that keeps popping up in reviews is Joni Mitchell, so if you’re looking for a point of comparison then that’s a pretty apt one.
Have One On Mehas been met with fairly unanimous critical acclaim, and I believe all the praise is absolutely deserved. The album is massive, a bit all over the place, and fairly pretentious, but it’s also brave, lavish, and uniquely beautiful. I had a hard time picking a song for this post - “Soft as Chalk”, “Good Intentions Paving Company”, “Esme” and “On a Good Day” are also personal favorites, but I settled on “‘81” because the audio file was too large for all those other songs and Tumblr wouldn’t let me post any of them. (Ain’t technology grand?)
But as a bonus, I’m also posting Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold covering “On a Good Day” because it’s absurdly lovely. A duet please?
When Joe suggested we share some of our favorite hometown bands, my mind immediately went to several Detroit bands that I love and who definitely deserve wider publicity and appeal; however, when I caught wind of the upcoming release of Dearly Beloved, an album from father-son duo Brad and Scott Allen (of Thunderbirds Are Now!), I knew that was the one I was going to go with. See, while there are many great “Detroit” bands, these guys hail from the very ‘burb I call home: Livonia, Michigan. And since precious little cool comes from Livonia (myself excepted, of course), I figured coolness must be highlighted and celebrated when it is discovered.
So, yes - Arranged Marriage is new, and from what I’ve heard I like them quite a bit. They draw very heavy inspiration from Elliott Smith, recorded their album in their home in “The L”, and their album will be available for purchase on April 20th in both digital and vinyl forms. A few lovely samples below (via Motor City Rocks).
