I've never been a huge fan of Athens, Georgia's Now It's Overhead. It seems as though I should like their songs more than I do, seeing as I tend to appreciate the individual parts of those songs. But something about how Andy LeMaster & friends string things together has always turned me off. Or, at the very least, has always managed NOT to turn me ON.
That pattern seemed to be holding true as I listened to their latest LP, Dark Light Daybreak, yesterday afternoon. Certainly, the songs seemed to have some sharper edges than in the past (which was welcome), but there remained a certain unsatisfying drone... a certain lumbering quality to the note and chord progressions....
But then, lo and behold, certain of the tracks started to come together for me. Before I knew it, I was liking a full half of the album. Time will tell if more listens will unlock some of the other tunes to these still somewhat skeptical ears, but I'm glad I stuck with this one till the end. And I have no qualms whatsoever about recommending the songs below...
[MP3] "Day Light Daybreak"
[MP3] "Believe What They Decide"
[This'll probably have to be it for today, folks. I'm off to my brother's to eat White Castles and watch the Lions embarrass themselves on national TV. Just like last year. And the year before that. Etc. Ad infinitum.]
Recently, I've been listening to some older albums that slipped under my radar back in the day, rather than focusing so heavily on 2006 releases. One such LP was The Soundtrack of Our Lives' 2002 effort, Behind the Music.
Though hailing from Sweden, TSOOL don't play the slick and/or sophisticated pop game that so many Swedish artists excel at. Instead, they've made a career of being magpies and shape-shifters, albeit always with one collective foot firmly planted in '60s psychedelia. While I'm not familiar enough with the band at this point to compare this particular record with their other efforts, I can certainly raise my voice in praise for Behind the Music's impressive range of influences and moods (not to mention: tempos). I've tried to provide you with a few examples of that range below, so step on up to the smorgasbord....
This December, the Soundtrack of Our Lives will be Down Under >>>
Dec 1 8:00P/The Tote/Melbourne
Dec 2 8:00P/Corner Hotel/Richmond, Melbourne
Dec 8 8:00P/Annandale Hotel/Sydney
Dec 9 8:00P/Meredith Music Festival/Meredith
Dec 12 8:00P/The Tote/Collingwood, Melbourne
In the meantime, you can find them on MySpace.
[MP3] "Sister Surround"
[MP3] "Nevermore"
[MP3] "In Your Veins"
I guess we'll stick with the "white" theme and offer up a couple songs from the Lawrence, Kansas band, White Whale. I only recently discovered their first album, WWI, which was released on Merge back in July.
The band's nautical references might seem to harken to the Decemberists, but the lead singer's voice puts me more in mind of Ed Harcourt. The group South also comes to mind -- sort of subtle and pretty for subtle and pretty's sake. And, on "The Admiral," there's a bit of an Arcade Fire-like vocal ramp-up toward the end.
[MP3] "What's an Ocean For?"
[MP3] "The Admiral"
[This week may be a bit erratic, posting-wise, what with the American holiday and my general desire (and need) for a break. Will still try to keep some music coming, though....]
For a change of pace from some of the poppier fare of recent days and weeks, here are two great songs from Jim White's 2004 album, Drill a Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See. As that title might suggest, Mr. White often writes from a Southern gothic perspective, and fans of Tom Waits and Vic Chesnutt would do well to give him a listen.
[MP3] "Static on the Radio"
[MP3] "That Girl from Brownsville Texas"
Are the Like the new Wilson Phillips? Heaven forbid.
BUT... they are ARE three young women with fathers of... shall we say, "elevated"... status in the music industry. Deja vu? Bite your tongue.
Okay, here's how the musical/horticultural/nepotistical/family-tree stuff breaks down: Charlotte Froom is the bass player and also provides backing vocals. Her father is Mitchell Froom -- uber-producer to such artists as Crowded House, Los Lobos, and Suzanne Vega, amongst others. Tennessee Thomas is the drummer. Her proud papa is Pete Thomas -- a drummer for such artists as Elvis Costello, the Finn Brothers, and Amos Lee, amongst others. Finally, Z. Berg is the lead singer and plays guitar. Who's HER daddy? Why, that would be Tony Berg -- one-time session guitarist (for such artists as Air Supply, Debby Boone, and the Muppets, amongst others), producer (for such artists as Michael Penn, Edie Brickell, and Aimee Mann, amongst others), and famous A&R guru at Geffen Records, where he worked with such artists as Beck, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and At the Drive-In, amongst others. Oh, and the Like's record label? That would be Geffen Records. Coincidence? Don't even go there, girlfriend.
Okay then... time to lower the snarkiness quotient just a nudge....
The truth is, the three ladies of the Like started making music together while still in their teens. They released three EPs on their own [no help from Daddy(s)] at local shows, etc. Then, in 2005, they procured that Geffen contract and released their first album, Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?. And it's a pretty damn solid record, actually. Pop with pseudo-punk accents (see: the first song below).
[Now, I'm tired of typing. I owe the Like nothing, though I actually LIKE the Like. But I drink like a fish, and snarky is as snarky does. Or, at least, isn't that what Tom Hanks says while sitting on that park bench in that movie where he's as dumb and in love with his mother as George W. Bush? More music later... I hope....]
The Like on MySpace.
[MP3] "What I Say and What I Mean"
[MP3] "The One"
It used to be (and sometimes still is) that the very idea of "side-projects" induced a sort of collective "eyebrow-raising effect" in music listeners everywhere. If you were a fan of the original artist/band, you would naturally worry that said side-project might be the beginning of the end for that entity. At the very least, the artistic integrity of said entity (must stop writing "said"; must stop writing "entity") would necessarily be compromised, what with time and creative constraints, etc.
Lately, though, it seems that there have been a number of successful collaborations and crossovers. Certainly, the various members of the New Pornographers have proved quite adept at juggling their responsibilities both within the group and without. Ben Gibbard has somehow found the requisite time and energy to drive a cab for Cutie (whoever the hell "Cutie" is) while simultaneously moonlighting for the Postal Service. And, of course, Dave Grohl will happily serve as monkey-drummer to any organ grinder who comes a courtin'.
Well, now it's Torquil Campbell's turn.
"Uh... Torquil WHO?" you may ask. That would be Torquil Campbell, who, along with the better-known Amy Millan, serves as front-person for the Canadian indie-pop group Stars. Mr. Campbell linked up with American Chris Dumont back in 2003 to form Memphis, a highly pleasant electronic/folk/pop amalgam that's less interested in knocking your socks off than in peeling them off you, inch-by-inch (which is not to suggest that they have some sort of foot fetish or anything, but... well... never mind....). Anyway, Memphis released their first record, I Dreamed We Fell Apart, in 2004, but, outside of Canada (and maybe even INSIDE of Canada), I'm not sure that all that many people heard it.
That can potentially be rectified with the upcoming American and European release of their second album, A Little Place in the Wilderness (look for it in early 2007, or, if you live or are visiting Canada, pick it up in your local record shop right now). Fans of Stars should understand that Memphis does the music-thing just a little bit differently. There's less emphasis here on verse-chorus-verse songcraft and more on gentle-but-never-static soundscapes. Apparently, the LP was recorded during a Canadian winter, and it has that feel to it. The instrumentation and arrangements may be subtle, but they're hardly sparse. And the music, in general, may have a cool efficiency to it, but there is an undeniably warm subcurrent to the work that seems -- dare I say -- downright "hopeful." Seems safe to say: Canadians and Americans alike long for those first green leaves of spring. This is the soundtrack to that longing.
Memphis on MySpace.
[MP3] "I'll Do Whatever You Want"
[MP3] "A Little Place in the Wilderness"
It was almost exactly a year ago that I first declared my budding love for the then-unsigned Lucky Soul. Long before I laid ears on such '60s revivalists as the Pipettes, I had high hopes that this London quintet would eventually land itself a record deal and break on through to the other side (of the Atlantic) (and otherwise).
Well, it's finally happening (as reported by Torture Garden). Lucky Soul's first album, The Great Unwanted, will be out in March '07, and they'll be releasing an EP on December 11 featuring the songs "Ain't Never Been Cool," "I Gots the Magic," and "Struck Dumb." You will find the last of these below.
To hear more from Lucky Soul, visit them at MySpace or see them up close and personal at the following locales >>>
Nov 18 8:00P/NEW POP REVOLUTION, THE METRO/LONDON
Nov 23 8:00P/SPITALFIELDS MARKET ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS OPENING/LONDON
Nov 28 8:00P/THE FLY NEW OXFORD STREET/LONDON
Dec 5 8:00P/BARDEN'S BOUDOIR STOKE NEWINGTON/LONDON
Dec 15 8:00P/THE DEBASER/STOCKHOLM
Dec 31 8:00P/LS NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY @ THE HOPE & ANCHOR/LONDON
[MP3] "Struck Dumb"
