So, things have been pretty quiet over here at DFTD. We know this, and we are sorry.
HOWEVER, it’s mostly because we’ve been busy behind the scenes working on a flurry of end-of-the-year posting wonderfulness. Trust that things will get much, much better very, very soon, but in the meantime allow us to tide you over with the single most ridiculous musical thing we could find: the Literal Video Version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
Kisses. See you soonish…
“Beach Comber” - Real Estate (from Real Estate)
Well damn, kids. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Mea culpa. I fell in a hole last week and have had one hell of a time trying to dig myself out. Turns out there isn’t very much music in a hole. Go figure.
Anyway, I’m out (mostly) and have snagged myself a copy of Real Estate’s self titled debut. They’re a promising new indie pop band from New Jersey who make the sort of hazy music that sounds exactly like a late summer evening. So what if it’s mid-November?
“Dead Ends” - Headlights (off of Wildlife)
I’ll be honest - the only thing I know about Headlights is what I’ve read about them on the Internet: they’re from Champaign, Illinois, Wildlife is their fifth album, and they have two lead singers. I then used my inferences to figure out that they’re yummy. Headlight’s penchant for dreamy, billowy pop and their boy/girl dynamic makes them reminiscent of bands like The Rosebuds, Stars, and Mates of State, and Wildlife is a quiet, sad, immensely pretty album. So, if any of those things pique your interest, then for you, I recommend.
“Ballad of Big Nothing” - Elliott Smith (from Either/Or)
For as much as I love and follow music, very few artists have connected with me as deeply as Elliott Smith. Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of his death, and I had the best intentions of commemorating it, but then I left work with a 101 degree fever (Which is high for me, since I run cold. This comes as little surprise to those who know me, I’m sure.) and, well, I just plain forgot. Nonetheless, I’d still like to share one of my favorites with you. I’ve never met him or even saw him perform live, but I love his music so dearly that I felt as though I lost a friend on October 21st, 2003. It’s as hard to believe that it’s been six years since his passing as it is coming to grips with the fact that he’s gone, but wherever he is now, I hope that he’s well.
“Nowhere Lullaby” - Built to Spill (from There Is No Enemy)
Since my last post was on something I hated, I figured I’d do readers of DFTD a solid and quickly post on something I love. That something is the new Built to Spill album, There Is No Enemy.
Pitchfork has dubbed it their best album of the decade, and while I often find myself at odds with their reviews, this is a case where I am in firm agreement. Although it appears there’s still plenty of old-skool indie rock jammin’ left in these guys, There Is No Enemy proves that this old band still has some new things to say, and “Nowhere Lullaby” - a beautiful, dreamy little ballad - is wonderful evidence of that. So, whether you’re a long-time Built to Spill fan or a Johnny-come-lately, enjoy.
Hating On: “Horchata” - Vampire Weekend (from Contra, due for release in January of 2010)
I’ve been biting my tongue on this since the song became available for free downloading earlier last week, but I’ve decided to just finally come out and say it: I’m pretty sure I hate the new Vampire Weekend song.
Vampire Weekend is a band that folks either seem to love or hate. And although I’d never call myself a MASSIVE fan, I enjoy their sound, choose to ignore their pretentious Ivy League persona, and approve of them breathing new life into Afro-pop, a genre that folks like Paul Simon, David Byrne and Peter Gabriel have taught me to love.
But this particular VW song? Don’t like it. No good. Ick. (Horchata the drink, however, is delicious. Trust.) It commits the ultimate sin - it’s a pop song that MADE ME FORGET TO DANCE!
Even so, a quick look around the Internet tells me that I’m firmly in the minority on this one. Your thoughts?
“11th Dimension” - Julian Casablancas (from Phrazes for the Young)
I haven’t really cared about The Strokes since 2002, so I’m a bit surprised at how much I’m anticipating the release of Julian Casablancas’ solo album. From what little I’ve heard, it appears the former Strokes frontman has traded guitars for synthesizers, and while I’m sure some fans will find this confusing, I’m thinking it’s something I can get behind. It’s fun. I like fun.
And speaking of fun, if you haven’t yet seen this Converse ad featuring “My Drive Thru” (featuring Casablancas, N.E.R.D, Santogold, and produced by Pharrell), then you should. I know it’s a commercial, but it really is fairly rad:
“Long Way to Go” - Liam Finn featuring Eliza Jane (from the Champagne and Seashells EP)
I’m a pretty big fan of Liam Finn, so when I heard he had released a new EP I was all over it. Finn is the son of Crowded House’s Neil Finn, a multi-instrumentalist, singer-song writer, a maker of bright and dreamy folk-pop, and a man who somehow makes a shaggy beard look adorable. If you like the songs on this EP, then you’ll love his 2008 full-length I’ll Be Lightning. In fact, you should probably just go pick it up now. (I’ll wait.)
Two Eels Videos for Your Saturday: “In My Dreams” and “That Look You Give That Guy” (from Hombre Lobo)
Although I hate to admit it, I’m a pretty fickle fan of The Eels. I loved Souljacker but had very mixed feelings about Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, and when I first heard Hombre Lobo (released in June of this year) I was downright ambivalent. However, my husband recently brought the videos for “In My Dreams” and “That Look You Give That Guy” to my attention, and I like them both enough that I’m willing to give Everett’s new album another chance.
This first one stars Padma Lakshmi (of Top Chef fame) and a dog wearing a top hat:
And this second one (my favorite of the two) depicts an adorable werewolf boy helping a pretty woman who’s lost her pet frog:
You’re welcome.
The Antlers - ”Kettering” (from Hospice)
Hospice was released way back in March (ancient history in the Indie rock world, I know) and is already buzzing around many “Best of 2009” lists, so I’m hardly being cutting edge by writing about it here. However, this melancholic, darkly beautiful album is much more fitting for the crisp fall than it was for summer, so I guess it makes a certain sort of sense that I’m just now coming around to it. The album is about a man having to witness the slow death of a loved one to cancer so it’s not exactly the stuff of sunshine and rainbows; however, a little darkness every now and then can be a lovely thing too, no?
