Oh, wherefore art thou, Kajagoogoo? Despite VH1's Bands Reunited best efforts: dead as Dillinger. But their once meticulously-mulletted singer, Limahl, lives and breathes and is never Too Shy to sing his silly little pop songs. His legacy, one might say, is NeverEnding.(And please don't be alarmed by the fact that he sounds exactly like Yaz's Alison Moyet.)
[MP3] "Tell Me Why" [radio edit]
[My time is short today, but I do not wish to leave you tuneless. Thus, I must regrettably resort to plagiarizing myself...]
"For today's offerings, we once again travel to the Kingdom of Sweden -- enchanted land of Saabs and ABBA. Smorgasbords. Socialism. Suicide. And such pretty, pretty people that Hitler secretly dreamed he was Swede."
"The band Kent formed in the early '90s, released their first record in 1995, and have been big sellers in their home country since at least 1997. Alas, they are little known in North America, no doubt getting lost amongst the countless other one-word, post-Radiohead types (Travis, Coldplay, Doves, Elbow, Paloalto, Starsailor, Muse, etc.). Muse may well be the most accurate comparison, though Kent is generally more mellow; their singer less prone to shrieky hysterics. Also, Kent sing most of their songs in Swedish, so be forewarned."
From the EP Hjarta & Smarta, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "Ansgar Och Evelyne"
From the LP Vappen & Ammunition, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "FF"
BONUS TRACK >>>
[MP3] "Nalens Oga" [2006]
One of my favorite discoveries in recent weeks is the Long Island, NY band Nightmare of You and their 2005 self-titled debut LP. This is pretty much straight-up pop-punk (with perhaps some stray echoes of emo). Lo-fi, it isn't. These guys are utterly unafraid of the over-the-top chorus or the been-done-before-but-it's-new-to-them hook. They take a certain amount of shit from some quarters for hewing a little too close to the Smiths and the Cure, but I'm not sure that those are the first groups that come to mind when I listen to them.
Regardless, I'm a sucker for unabashedly exuberant pop hooks (even those of the "been-done-before" variety), which may be why I chose to include two Nightmare of You songs on my recent "Best of September" mix. Here are two more...
[MP3] "In the Bathroom is Where I Want You"
[MP3] "The Days Go By Oh So Slow"
Nightmare of You on MySpace.
Nightmare of You on tour...
Oct 4 9:00P/Knitting Factory/New York, NY
Oct 5 9:00P/Bill's Bar - Paper (Brandon DJ Set)/Boston, MA
Oct 6 8:00P/Middle East (downstairs)/Boston, MA
Nov 3 7:30P/Landmark on Main Street/Port Washington, NY
Wolfmusic isn't a record label, nor is it the latest next-big-thing band with "Wolf" in its name. It is, in fact, just a guy from Europe who enjoys writing and playing music -- low-key, bedroom-type music -- as inspired by some of his favorite artists. Radiohead and R.E.M. are two of those artists. Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens are two more.
On the track "Where I Wanna Be," in particular, Mr. Wolf's low, raspy baritone reminds me ever-so-slightly of Steen Jorgensen, lead singer for the Danish band Sort Sol (with just a touch of Gordon Lightfoot in full-on seafaring mode). For the most part, though, these are slow, dark, "horizontal" tunes that press on relentlessly, as opposed to building to orgasmic climax (the way that many of the best Radiohead and Arcade Fire songs tend to do).
All of Wolfmusic's tunes can be streamed and/or downloaded from this page right [here].
And would-be wordsmiths are invited to get in touch with him if interested in striking up a creative collaboration. Wolfmusic, you see, doesn't do lyrics. Like these, courtesy of me, just because why the hell not...Standing on the corner/Of Sodom and Gomorrah/Waiting for temptation to take me/Someplace I've only ever seen/On cheap motel-room TVs
[MP3] Wolfmusic/"Where I Wanna Be"
[MP3] Wolfmusic/"All the Way Back"
[MP3] Wolfmusic/"Down the Line"
BONUS TRACKS >>>
[MP3] Sort Sol/"Holler High"
[MP3] Gordon Lightfoot/"If You Could Read My Mind"
I really can't imagine that anyone who regularly visits MP3 blogs doesn't know exactly who and what the Decemberists are by now. Sure, I could give you a bio on Colin Meloy & Co., but what would be the point? You already know their history or you don't. Or you don't give a damn. You either love the Decemberists' music or you hate it. Or maybe you're on the fence. You find Mr. Meloy's lyrics smart and literate or obscure and precious. His voice makes you smile (you get the joke) or cringe (you think his voice is a joke). You consider his band the American Belle and Sebastian and that's a good thing in your book or you consider his band the American Belle and Sebastian and you'd just as soon burn that book. Right along with the Decemberists' new album, The Crane Wife, which is out on Capitol today -- to be loved, hated, or ignored. Do as you will.
Oct 17 8:00P/Crystal Ballroom/Portland, OR
Oct 18 8:00P/Crystal Ballroom/Portland, OR
Oct 19 8:00P/Warfield Theater/San Francisco, CA
Oct 20 8:00P/Warfield Theater/San Francisco, CA
Oct 21 8:00P/Wiltern Theater/Los Angeles, CA
Oct 22 8:00P/Rialto Theater/Tucson, AZ
Oct 24 8:00P/Stubbs/Austin, TX
Oct 25 8:00P/Gypsy Ballroom/Dallas, TX
Oct 26 8:00P/House of Blues/New Orleans, LA
From the LP The Crane Wife, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)"
[MP3] "The Perfect Crime #2"
From the LP Picaresque, 2005 >>>
[MP3] "We Both Go Down Together"
[MP3] "Eli, the Barrowboy"
From the LP Her Majesty, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Billy Liar"
From the EP 5 Songs, 2003 >>>
[MP3] "Shiny"
From the LP Castaways and Cutouts, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "July, July!"
[MP3] "The Legionnaire's Lament"
Five months after the release of their second LP, Without Feathers, the Stills are touring the U.S. with their Montreal brethren Land of Talk. Personally, I found the follow-up to Logic Will Break Your Heart a disappointment -- much preferring the earlier record's slick, dark vibe (and Tim Fletcher's lead vocals). Nevertheless, "The Mountain," "Halo the Harpoons," and "Baby Blues," all made it onto mix CDs for me, so it wasn't a total loss.
Seems the band has recorded a new song with the aforementioned Land of Talk called "Monsoon." It's yours for the taking below.
Also, if anybody is interested in attending the October 13 Detroit show at the Majestic Theatre, just be the first to e-mail me @ mikarr785@aol.com with "THE STILLS" in the subject line and your name and city in the body of the e-mail, and I'll have the good folks at Vice Records put you and a hot 16-year-old congressional page of your choice on the band's guest list. Hop to!
Oct 3 8:00P/Soma Sidestage/San Diego, CA
Oct 5 8:00P/Independent/San Francisco, CA
Oct 7 8:00P/Dante's/Portland, OR
Oct 8 8:00P/The Showbox/Seattle, WA
Oct 11 8:00P/Station 4/Minneapolis, MN
Oct 12 8:00P/Logan Square Auditorium/Chicago, IL
Oct 13 7:00P/Majestic/Detroit, MI
[MP3] The Stills/"Monsoon"
BONUS TRACK >>>
[MP3] Land of Talk/"All My Friends"
[Well, it's been a veritable school-shootings-palooza of late -- putting yet another dent in today's efforts to be bright and "golden." But can you believe that they're pulling this stuff in Canada and Amish country now? I mean, Colorado, sure -- this sort of thing's going to be figuring into their license-plate slogans soon enough. But Montreal? Lancaster County, PA? Where the hell's Harrison Ford and Lukas Haas when you need them?]
Goldenboy is the Elliott Smith-inspired moniker taken up by L.A. singer/songwriter Shon Sullivan. Along with his drummer/percussionist buddy, Bryan Bos, Sullivan makes laid-back indie folk-pop that's pretty and serene in the extreme. You'll hear the Elliott Smith influence in "Summertime" (below), as well as Morrissey and "To the End"/"Best Days"-era Blur in "Motorbike."
Goldenboy's new album, Underneath the Radio, will be released tomorrow by Eenie Meenie Records. Guests on the record include Lisa Germano, Neil Finn (Crowded House), Matt Sharp (Weezer, the Rentals), and Scott McPherson (Sense Field).
Finally, Goldenboy will be playing a live internet set tomorrow night at 8 PM on Music Plus TV. Check out their MySpace page for further info.From the LP Underneath the Radio, 2006 >>>
[MP3] "Motorbike"
[MP3] "End of Forever"
From the LP Blue Swan Orchestra, 2002 >>>
[MP3] "Summertime"
