The forthcoming 5-song EP from the YYY is a slight return to the sound of their earliest releases. What I’ve heard of it is darker, grittier, and a bit less inviting than the sunny-in-comparison Show Your Bones and frankly, that’s how I prefer my Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Have a look at the video for the tune and decide for yourself.
The members of Canadian collective Broken Social Scene have too much talent to restrict themselves just to one musical endeavor. Following in the footsteps of Feist and Jason Collett, another BSSer is giving us a solo release this fall. If this first taste of “Spirit If…” is any indication, fans of the band will have no trouble getting comfortable with his efforts.
When you load up Kevin’s website right now, you get footage of him eating a bowl of cereal and watching porn. Perhaps that’s all he has left to do when everybody he meets is just “too beautiful to fuck.” His already soft voice becomes almost a whisper when he hits that repeated line in the chorus, as if it is a secret or something he knows shouldn’t really be shared. Instead of seeming crass, it instead comes off as tender and truly genuine. I can’t stop playing this one on repeat and look forward to the album’s release in September.
Joe Long - The Magic Numbers - “Take A Chance”, from the CD Those The Brokes.
Sometimes I hear a pop song for the first time and it instantly smacks me around. That was exactly the case with this one from The Magic Numbers. While their album, Those The Brokes, has been available on import for nearly a year, it finally sees a proper US release next week from Astralwerks Records. This song has that instant pop hook that I will bet you enjoy right away if you are ever a victim of such songs. Check out the video for it below.
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I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want….and I got it! You know, I never had a problem with the Spice Girls. They were what they were: a hand picked, pre-packaged pop group fronted by some attractive 20-somethings. You could even make an argument that their ‘Girl Power’ slogan at least gave their young fans something to think about. Still, we’ve become culturally ADD so pop groups of the Girls’ ilk are more disposable than ever. It’s probably a good thing that they’re only reuniting for 11 shows in the world’s largest cities. Any longer, and any interest may have died off by the time they got to your town.
So, it’s summer and with new releases at a low ebb at the moment, let’s take a loving look back at the five Brits who put a little Spice into 1997. Misty water colored memories…
My latest musical obsession is a 20-something lad from Scotland who sounds a little like Rick Astley filtered through James Murphy. The more I listen to his debut disc, the more I find it hard to resist. How can you hate on a song that says “I’ve got hugs for you if you were born in the eighties”?
His acclaimed album, “I Created Disco”, is being released domestically this September by the Almost Gold label (who already successfully introduced Peter Bjorn & John to a US audience). This video is intentionally awful, as were most of your favorite early 80’s videos.
Joe Long - Spoon - “Don’t You Evah”, from the CD Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.
One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums so far this year. The new album from Spoon is a great piece of pop mastery in my opinion, and this song, “Don’t You Evah” is one that stands out in an accomplished field. It is really just another classic Spoon cut that I would imagine belongs on a best of if the band ever decide to do something like that. Britt Daniel’s vocals and lyrics are on point and you gotta love the constant egg shaker setting the pace through the song. Yet another song that will likely find it’s way onto a summer mix as well for me.
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Song Of The Week is Back! After a hiatus last week, Mike, Shiv and myself are back at it with our choices for the week of June 22nd. As always we welcome your opinions…..
Mike Taylor - The Lodger- “Many Thanks For Your Honest Opinion”, from the CD, Grown-Ups
To me, much of the music coming out Britain seems to be the last wave of the garage-rock revival of a few years ago. Remember, The Strokes, for whatever you think of them, play arenas over there. While Arctic Monkeys produced a solid second disc, The Fratellis are merely The Libertines with more of a T. Rex vibe and Maximo Park’s latest was a great disappointment. All came with varying degrees of hype which can potentially saddle a band with unneeded baggage. So, what a relief to stumble across this unheralded trio from Leeds whose brand of Britpop comes without any extra gloss or hype. Their sound is nothing groundbreaking but with hints The Smiths, Buzzcocks and Wedding Present, it’s refreshing to have a true indie band from Britain arrive literally unannounced, and turn out to be a welcome visitor.
“The Midnight Room” is the 2nd album for Italian rockers Jennifer Gentle. While they’ve been as a big as a 5-piece band playing live, the core of the group is down to just one guy — founding member Marco Fasolo. On this record he plays every sound you hear by himself, caught live in an old house in Northern Italy. This is just one example of a song from the record that sounds so authentically retro that you would be forgiven for thinking it was recently unearthed in a time capsule buried 50 years ago. The simplicity of the song is striking, but the layers of instrumentation do sneak up on you with repeated listens.
Joe Long - 1990s - “You Made Me Like It”, from the CD Cookies.
Ok, so imagine yourself in a small but trashed house party. Complete with beer drenched walls, garbage flung about, and a wide variety of people, smells and clothing also filling the place. Now, imagine that you have had about half a dozen of your favorite drinks. This song is the soundtrack to the scene I have just described, and it comes from the Glasgow trio 1990s. It’s probably worth putting on should you ever find yourself in a similar environment. The album from 1990s is due out at the end of July here in the states, but is already floating around across the pond.
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This week for our song of the week we are giving Mike the week off as he is on vacation. To fill in, one of our favorite bloggers, from just down I-75 in Lexington, KY Matt Jordan from You Ain’t No Picasso fills the void. Enjoy!
Cassettes Won’t Listen (aka Jason Drake) has earned as much attention in the blogosphere for the remixes he’s been producing as he has for his own music. While continuing to work on his new full-length album, his recent remixes
for EL-P, Midlake and Asobi Seksu have been getting a lot of online love. His latest effort is no exception as he’s taken on one of my favorite tunes from DOP’s “Hallelujah Sirens” disc. Sometimes when you’ve lived with a song for so long, it’s really cool to hear it in a new light.
Here, the rock elements of “Car No Driver” are stripped away and take a backseat (as it were) to a new bouncy drum track and some very New Wave-influenced keyboard action. Drake’s interpretation helps give this song a new life just in time for your summer mixtapes.
Joe Long - LEVY - “King James”, from the CD Glorious.
For those of you that listen in to Nothing But New at 6pm, you know I have been giving this song regular spins. LEVY is a New York based band that sound like they should instead be from the UK. With some heavy Brit pop influences their music would be just as comfortable on a Verve album as their own.
This song, “King James” begins with some piano keys that make you think a lullaby is in order, only to wake you from that comfortable place with some percussion and a guitar riff reminiscent of that 90s brit-pop sound I mentioned already. And don’t confuse the song’s title for an ode to the Bible translator, LEVY clearly states that the king in this song refers to himself. “I’m the King, I’m the King of this town, and you folks trying to take my thrown down.” The second full length from LEVY is not due out till September, but this should tide you over till then.
The story of my love of all things Wolf Parade (Dan Boeckner included) is one of me being dragged, fingers scratching into the dirt, towards something beautiful. I was hesitant to listen to their Sub Pop full length because I was so in love with the sound presented in their CBC Radio session and had been disgusted with Isaac Brock’s production on their preceeding EP. And now my fear of “solo” works nearly kept me from hearing one of the year’s best releases.
Boeckner’s newest outfit, Handsome Furs, have a few songs on Plague Park whose themes bleed over onto one another. The most notable is one summed up by their song title “Handsome Furs Hate This City.” It’s echoed again on “Sing! Captain,” but given a glimmer of familial hope: “We hate this place here / But it’s our home.” The whole song trudges on nobly, questioning God and life, before exploding into cries of “sing, captain!” like a glitchy Okkervil River.
Stream “Sing Captain” from Handsome Furs.
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Air’s Moon Safari is one of my ‘desert island’ CD’s, but I’ll admit it’s been frustrating remaining a fan with their seemingly hot & cold output since then. The second CD from this Pittsburgh band takes me back to the refreshing mix of experimental electronica that the French duo introduced on their debut released, can you believe, 10 years ago. Dandelion Gum sounds like kind of lo-fi, experimental take on Moon Safari, with heavy use of synthesizer-based instrumentation and distorted vocals run thru a vocoder. Truly, this isn’t a record for everyone but if you’re a fan of Air and wish they’d try something a little more experimental, then check out Black Moth Super Rainbow.
There’s something instantly familiar in this track from Mary’s fourth solo album (which is also her debut for the Kill Rock Stars label). Fans of her former band Helium will find a lot to love about this new record. On tracks
like “Sharpshooter” her vocals get layered so that she’s backing herself. Even though they are low in the mix, this track also has some very cool, almost prog-rock keyboard action.
I couldn’t put my finger on it at first, but the more I listened to the song I started to realize that the main guitar riff here kind of sounds like the old MTV top-of-the-hour liner from 80’s. Now you HAVE to hear it, don’t you?
Joe Long - Mocean Worker - “Shake Ya Boogie”, from the CD Cinco De Mowo.
As Song Of The Week dives into summer, my first choice was to be something with some extra warmth and kick. And the first song from the upcoming Mocean Worker album, Cinco De Mowo (due out later this month) has plenty of that to go around. Mocean Worker (pron. “Motion Worker”) is mostly the work of DJ Adam Dorn, who also happens to be the son of famous jazz and R’n'B producer Joel Dorn.
This song, “Shake Ya Boogie” begins with some big bands horns and makes me feel like I’m right in the middle of a 1920’s jazz club on a black and white television. Then the beat kicks in and the club in my mental picture transforms into full color, complete with Hawaiian shirts, drinks with umbrellas, and an undeniable desire to, well, “Shake Ya Boogie.”
This week instead of a new Song Of The Week we would like to look back at the first 2 months of our Friday tradition, (has it been that long already?). Here are the songs all of us have chosen in the first two months to catch you up. Think of it as a SOTW Mixtape………
Song of the Week for May 17th sees Shivvy taking a much deserved vacation. He will of course be back at it next week. Filling in for him is the more than competent Torr Leonard. Torr is not only a part of the team with the great folks at Filter Magazine, but also runs a kick ass music blog of his own. Check below for this weeks choices.
Mike Taylor - The Muggabears - “Dead Kid Kicks”, from the EP, Night Coreography.
Here’s a song we’ve actually been spinning for a few weeks but has really grown on me with repeated listening. Right smack in the middle of their new 7-song EP, “Dead Kid Kicks” has a dark groove with some wonderfully gritty guitar work that reminds me of something I might have heard in a dingy basement bar (Shorty’s Underground, anyone?) in the early 90’s. Traces of Sonic Youth and other no wave bands can be heard in the song, and I’d say they wear their influences well. Not too bad for a self-described trio consisting of an architect, a full-time temp, and a girl who’s unemployed, all originally from Norman, Oklahoma.
Here’s the song to check out but as the band released the CD themselves, consider ordering a copy from insound.com or your favorite independent retailer.
Joe Long - The Maccabees - “Precious Time”, from the CD Colour It In.
Brighton’s The Maccabees just released their debut full length album, Colour It In, and while the verdict is still out on the album as a whole, this tune, “Precious Time” made me sit up and take notice. It’s hard not to separate this one from the same bouncy guitar pop that Maximo Park makes when they are at their best, and has some Klaxons like sounds as well.
Comparisons aside though, this is the perfect fun song to place into a weekend mix cd. It’s fun and catchy as hell, and has to be part of the reason the band just landed an opening slot on tour with Bloc Party. Enjoy what is an equally fun video for the song, “Precious Time.”
Torr Leonard - Goodbooks - “The Illness”, from the CD The Illness
Remember what you hoped Bloc Party would sound like? You know, the same love-sick spirit but with a bit less herky-jerky guitar, and a lot less Robert Smith-like yelping. Kent, England four-piece GoodBooks (note the lack of space) may just well be what you were really searching for.
Combining post-punk guitar riffs with Keane-esque heart-on-sleeve vocals, it’s the sort of band that will never be “cool”… thank god. On “The Illness” the band’s brilliant follow-up to their debut cd single “Leni” the band show that when their full-length is released in June it’ll be the sort of album worth dolling out import-prices for.
How about some feedback this week. What is your song of the week? Or just comment on our choice…..
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Another guest contributor for Song of the Week for this installment. This time from WOXY.com Lounge Act Sound Engineer Brian Niesz. Check out all of our selections below….
Mike Taylor - DJ Dolores - “De Dar Do”, from the compilation CD, 20 Ways To Float Through Walls.
You know I love my indie rock but sometimes, weekends especially, I need to cleanse the palate. My wife Jennifer & I like to take in some live jazz or I’ll just reach for something that I may not hear as much during the week. To that end, I’ve been digging on this new label compilation from Crammed Discs that samples their artist lineup of primarily world music. Hey, summer’s almost here and I’m a huge fan of mixing the beats with the outdoors.
Remember our old World Beat program? This tune from the Brazilian turntablist DJ Dolores would probably have been in its heavy rotation and hits all the right notes for me. If you’re OK with an artist like M.I.A., then check out this compilation or try this remix on for size. Now, I’m off to book my next trip to the Caribbean….
Matt Shiv - Rufus Wainwright - “Going To A Town”, from the CD Release The Stars
Canadian troubadour Rufus Wainwright is now sober and monogamous, which leaves a lot more time for reflection. The songs on his upcoming fifth album range from fantasy (”Tulsa” details an imagined fleeting affair with Brandon
Flowers of The Killers) to impassioned fury in the first single “Going To A Town.” Here, Rufus struggles with the religious right (”Tell me, do you really think you go to hell for having loved?”) and the American government
for their slow response to Hurricane Katrina. Lamenting “I’m so tired of you, America” is not going to earn this song much radio play, but it’s a bold, beautifully orchestrated track.
Check out the video for the track, by visionary director Sophie Muller:
Joe Long - Fields - “If You Fail, We All Fail”, from the CD Everything Last Winter.
The five-piece from the UK best known as Fields are have my choice for SOTW this week. The band is ready to follow up on the excellent debut EP from 2005, 7 From The Village. Since then, Fields has been busy sharing the stage with the likes of TV On The Radio, Bloc Party and Snow Patrol. The new record, titled, Everything Last Winter is their first for Atlantic Records and was recorded in Dublin. The song, If You Fail, We All Fail explores a vast landscape of sound and texture. It begins with a pounding drum beat that sets the tone for the song. The harmonious vocals take the baton next carries this one all the way to the finish line. Check out a download of the tune below.
Brian Niesz - J Roddy Walston & The Business - “Used To Did” from the CD Hail Mega Boys.
Sometimes you can hear a song for the first time and feel like it was already one of your favorites; that you’d heard it a thousand times before and that you’d hear it ten thousand more. “Used to Did” is one of those. These guys hit me out of the blue when they came into the WOXY Lounge last week (I mean this figuratively, but we did have a dodge ball match the next day where they hit me literally). Their unapologetic, kick-ass rock n’ roll left me hooked. Their debut and self-released full-length, Hail Mega Boys, is sweet but their hair-swinging, amp-climbing live set is even sweeter. Bottom line is: This is the record you’ll hear blaring from my ride all summer when my windows are down and the sun is out.
This week we welcome the first of many guest contributors to our Song of the Week feature. Kari Wethington, the local music editor for Cin Weekly was kind enough to contribute this week, check out our picks below……
Mike Taylor - The Veils - “Not Yet”, from the CD Nux Vomica
After The Veils well received debut album was released in 2004, the London-based band split due to creative differences. Lead vocalist and main songwriter Finn Andrews (son of XTC’s & Shriekback’s Barry), returned to his native New Zealand to regroup, literally, reforming the band with two high school classmates.
Last year saw the UK release of Nux Vomica, the band’s sophomore release, which finally hit US record shelves this week. Even though the band may have technically shrunk, there’s a very big sound to the record and with Finn’s vocals taking more center stage, it’s easy to draw comparisons to bands like The Waterboys or even Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Check out the opening track, “Not Yet” which echoes elements of both bands: Mike Scott’s vocals mixed with the Bad Seeds dark noir. The result sets The Veils up as something much more substantial than a latter-day Britpop band that their debut disc had them pegged as.
Matt Shiv - The Clientele - “Bookshop Casanova”, from the CD God Save The Clientele.
Alasdair MacLean has one of those voices that can just make me stop whatever I’m doing and get lost in the music when I hear it. On the band’s new single, a lush string arrangement is layered onto a Donna Summer-esque disco backbeat. OK, this is not exactly “Bad Girls”, but it’s nice to hear them pick up the pace a little bit. “God Save The Clientele” is released through Merge Records on May 8th.
Joe Long - St. Vincent - “Now Now”, from the CD Marry Me.
Annie Clark is St. Vincent, and it is about time she burst out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Clark has already played supporting roles for the likes of Sufjan Stevens and The Polyphonic Spree, and is now very poised to join the ranks of other great female folk / pop singers.
The album from St. Vincent, titled Marry Me is out July 10th from Beggars and the first song to see the light of the web, Now Now is more than just a teaser, it’s an introduction to the beautiful vocals and complex sound of Annie Clark.
Kari Wethington - Mark Ronson - “Oh My God” feat. Lily Allen from the CD Version.
British super producer/DJ Mark Ronson has worked with everyone from Christina Aguilera and Ghostface Killah to indie pop star du jour Lily Allen.
On his latest disc, Version (out now in the UK), he again teams up with Allen, as well as Amy Winehouse, Kasabian, Robbie Williams and more.
In this sample track, “Oh My God,” Ronson and Allen cover fellow British cool kids the Kaiser Chiefs, from the band’s 2005 release Employment. Replacing the original guitars and post-punk drama with bright horns, a funk-fueled beat and Allen’s softly sassy vocals, the song is reinterpreted here as less rock, more dance-party jazz.
This irresistible song, and others from the disc, would make great additions to any summer soirée’s playlist.
It’s Song Of The Week time again, and this may just be the best batch yet……enjoy!
Mike Taylor - Working For A Nuclear Free City - “Rocket”, from the EP Rocket
Sometimes, it happens to even us here at WOXY.com: we miss a new release. Despite a 7.8 score from Pitchfork, the self-titled debut from Manchester’s Working For A Nuclear Free City never crossed our desks upon its release by the UK indie Melodic last October. The band have quickly followed that up with a new 4-song EP Rocket that, while still available as an import, you can get via digital download services like iTunes and eMusic domestically.
The title track from the EP is awash with swirling dreampop-like guitar work and mixed with a flourish of electronic touches that you might find on a Beta Band record. The song ends with a big crescendo that leaves you wanting more. Definitely a song that will have me ordering their debut disc ASAP. Keep your eyes & ears on this band….
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Matt Shiv - Patrick Wolf - “The Magic Position”, from the CD The Magic Position.
The time for another ambiguous, multi-instrumentalist pop star has been long overdue. While it is likely that Patrick Wolf will only flirt with mainstream success here in the states, his 3rd album has already produced 3
terrific singles in the UK and is getting critical raves stateside in advance of its May 1st domestic release.
Building on the more experimental nature of his first two albums, “The Magic Position” marries Patrick’s eclectic instrumentation and classically-influenced songwriting with a poppier sheen. While it is still early in the year, the title track from this new record is a forerunner for best single of 2007.
Joe Long - Maximo Park - “My Velocity”, from the CD Our Earthly Pleasures.
The first single off the second full length from Newcastle’s Maximo Park was an easy choice for SOTW for me. After a few listens I was reminded how much I loved “Apply Some Pressure”, from their 2005 debut. And despite how much I enjoyed that song, this track actually could be the best song I have heard from the band. The quintet manages to pack every ounce of energy into the the three minutes and twenty seconds of sound. The urgency of the simmering keyboards drive the tune but it’s the incredibly catchy chorus from Paul Smith that won me over. Check out the video for “My Velocity.”
Mike Taylor - Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Down Boy”, from the EP, Is Is
Matt Shiv - Kevin Drew- “TBTF” from the CD Spirit If..
Joe Long - The Magic Numbers - “Take A Chance”, from the CD Those The Brokes.
