Mixtape Friday

Here are some rowdy tracks for your weekend. Let me know what you think of them.  I saw some of these bands at SXSW this year and was definitely not disappointed.

NEW ALBUM REVIEW

PHANTOGRAM - VOICES

All you night owls out there:  are you looking for the ideal album to provide the soundtrack for your hip late-night soirees, your explorations of urban landscapes, or even you solitary ruminations about life and romance?  If so, then Voices has a collection of tunes ideally suited to your needs.  Phantogram takes the nocturnal stylings and trip-hoppy goodness of the band's 2009 release Eyelid Movies (and subsequent EPs), tightens the songwriting focus, and adds a sheen of cinematic style to deliver a stunning set of remarkably catchy songs.

The album starts out strong with "Nothing But Trouble," which establishes the band's M.O.:  propulsive, hypnotic beats; densely layered synths; Sarah Barthel's captivating vocals; undeniably bold hooks.  The opening track's slightly foreboding tone is matched by the excellent follow-up, "Black Out Days," whose soaring vocal hooks knock the ball out of the park.  The mood then lightens on the album's third track, "Fall in Love," which incorporates elements of 70's soul pop to delightful effect.

After such a strong start, one could be excused for wondering if the band has the legs to maintain such a staggering pace until the finish line.  I'm happy to report that the remaining tracks largely match, and in many cases exceed, the standard set by the opening trio, whether it's the guitar-driven "The Day You Died," the rhythmically entrancing and seductively enticing "Bad Dreams," the rapturous keyboard hooks of "Celebrating Nothing," or the languid beauty of "Bill Murray" (which is an ideal candidate for a future Melancholy Monday post).

It's still early in the year; so it's premature to declare that Phantogram's latest will end up as one of three or four best albums of the 2014.  But certainly it will be a contender, and there's no question that Voices will remain a fixture in my late-night rotation for many moons to come.

"Fall in Love"

"Bill Murray"

Melancholy Monday

Well its been a while since my last post.  I got back from SXSW a week ago but it seems like I just got back.  It took me a week to get back into the swing of things.  So last Monday should have been a true Melancholy Monday coming off of that whirlwind weekend, but it was my birthday so it was pretty good.  This Monday seems like I'm truly coming back into the regular long week.

Here's a little diddy by a band that has plenty of melancholy gems.  This one in particular fits my mood perfectly.

 "Illumination" by Broadcast.

Melancholy Monday

Saturday was a lovely day: radiant sunshine, crystalline blue skies, temperatures in the mid-60's. I wore shorts as I helped coach my son's little league baseball team, and a whiff of optimism hung in the air. A mere 36 hours later, however, this is the scene I woke up to:

Nothing like 8-10" of snow to brighten up your St. Patrick's Day! Apparently, this is the third largest March snowstorm on record for the DC region (and the biggest since 1942). Needless to say, the thick blanket of white stuff makes for another Melancholy Monday.

Though today's a bit of a downer, there's reason not to sink into despair. Temperatures should climb back into the 60s within a few days, the official beginning of spring is on the 20th, and most importantly, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tourney gets underway this week (March Madness, baby!).

So my selection for today captures a sense of longing and wistfulness but does so against a backdrop of insistent beats and a propulsive bassline. In other words, it captures a pensive present but hints at better days around the bend. Here is "Blinking Pigs" by Little Dragon.

Little Dragon — "Blinking Pigs"

 

New Music Tuesday

Painted Palms

I discovered these guys as I have been preparing to go to SXSW tomorrow.  I've created a list of every show that I'd like to go to.  I've been researching what bands will be playing, what time and where.  Nevertheless, its become a very time consuming process.  During this time, I noticed Painted Palms on a number of showcases and decided to check them out.   I've really enjoyed what I've heard from their new album that came out earlier this year.  This psych-pop duo from San Francisco gives a summery, warm performance, unlike the time of year it came out.  It melts the ice and snow away and allows the flowers to bloom a little.  I wanted to post my favorite track, "Too High" but I can't find it, so here's the softer and fluffier "Carousel"

Melancholy Monday — Late Edition

Another weekend fades into the mist; another work week looms on the horizon. Yes, it's another melancholy Monday. And today's featured song is the one that turned me onto the band Real Estate — "It's Real." This masterful tune creates an almost ineffable sense of wistfulness, melancholy, romanticism, and nostalgia. Its ethereal tone and unfaltering melodicism make it the perfect tune to get you through what's left of this Monday.

Real Estate — "It's Real"

 

 

Throwback Thursday

Juliana Hatfield's "Universal Heartbeat" is easily one of my five favorite songs from the 1990's.  Boasting a sturdy melody, a killer guitar-laden chorus, vocals dripping with cool attitude, and awesome keyboard noodlings, this song leaps from the speakers and wrestles you to the ground in a musical half nelson.

Juliana was at the forefront of the wave of assertive female musicians in the 90's who found in expression in, among others, the Riot Grrrl and Lilith Fair movements.  Hatfield was a founding member of the beloved college rock band The Blake Babies and continues to be a prolific musician to this day.  But in her impressive musical career,  "Universal Heartbeat" (at least to my mind) remains her crowning moment of musical glory.

Juliana Hatfield - Universal Heartbeat    

Whatever Wednesday

The Ocean Blue

As with grunge music I was a little late to the game listening to certain bands of the 80's....namely The Ocean Blue.  Growing up with older siblings that exposed me to the best that the 80's had to offer, I didn't think at the time (2002) that I was missing anything.  Once I heard the song, "Between Something and Nothing" I was hooked.  I immediately wanted to get my hands on everything the band ever produced.  That repetitive guitar hook never stops being amazing no matter how many times its repeated. The Ocean Blue is definitely under the radar as far as good late 80's\early 90's bands go, so you should check them out.

Melancholy Monday

Along the same lines as last week's Melancholy Monday, we stay in the 90's.  For some reason I was late to the game with some of the 90's music.  I hated grunge when it was popular with the exception of a few songs.

I think it had something to do with me being a bit nerdy, with gold rimmed glasses, braces, jean shorts and Timberland shoes, looking at these big dudes with long hair parted down the middle, flannel shirts with shorts down to their ankles, smoking cigarettes and having these low man voices even in Junior High school.....all of which loved grunge music.  All the girls loved these guys including a girl that I had a major crush on....so I naturally had to resent it and love nerdy music like They Might Be Giants instead.  Anyway, the song "Drown" by Smashing Pumpkins I didn't like until 2001, well past the release date of 1992 and long past its popularity.  I listened to the song whenever I was in a melancholy mood and I've continued to ever since.  The full version is a bit long...I usually change the song or repeat the song as soon as it hits minute five but sometimes get lost in the endless guitar solos and let it play through.  It's all about that guitar riff though, so catchy, it gets stuck in your head.

  I might as well stay in the 90's for the next several weeks because I've got a lot of songs that I listened to when I was a moody teenager.  I could take at least a couple months on The Cranberries alone.