Nov 30, 2013

Top 20 Songs: Low - Stay - 2013


After performing Rihanna's "Stay" at the Pitchfork Music Festival this past July, Low was inspired to record a proper studio version to help raise funds for Pitchfork Festival charity partner Rock for Kids. Rock For Kids (http://www.rockforkids.org/) provides music education to underserved children in Chicago.


All along it was a fever
A cold sweat hot-headed believer
I threw my hands in the air, said show me something
He said, if you dare come a little closer

Round and around and around and around we go
Oohhh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know

Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay

It's not much of a life you're living
It's not just something you take, it's given

Round and around and around and around we go
Oohhh now tell me now tell me now tell me now you know

Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay

Oohh the reason I hold on
Oohh cause I need this hole gone
Funny you're the broken one but I'm the only one who needed saving
Cause when you never see the light it's hard to know which one of us is caving

Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay... Stay...
I want you to stay, oooooooooooh

Nov 29, 2013

the thermals - never listen to me




I'll give you all that I have
I'll tell you everything
Love me all of my life
Never listen to me ~ the thermals

Maria Taylor - Something About Knowing - 2013


“This record has the spirit of ‘This is how I feel now, and these are all the elements that brought me here,’” Maria explains. “I listened to my previous records and went in the studio wanting to take the best elements of each of them…I feel like I really conquered something on this one.” Something About Knowing’s spirit of “coming home with confidence” extends from Maria’s personal and artistic peacefulness to the team she picked to surround herself with while making this album. She enlisted producer Mike Mogis, an essential creative foil on her first two records. Her brother Macey Taylor played bass on every song as well as keyboards and piano. And her old high school music pal Brad Armstrong co-wrote, played on, and recorded two tracks in his garage. “There we were back in his garage, only now we both had kids running around, it was really special,” Maria says. Longtime friend and collaborator Andy LeMaster mixed these two songs. One of the most profound influences on “Something About Knowing” is the life-changing joy and newfound responsibility of being a first-time parent. “I worked on the album in bursts, when my son was napping,” Maria recalls. “Instead of taking a shower during those times, I’d run downstairs with the baby monitor and write and demo up songs.” The album beckons with the opening track “Folk Song Melody,” a mesmerizing acoustic-with-celestial-atmospherics track crafted around a wordless singsong passage that’s instantly familiar. “That section says everything without words and the rest of the record fills in the emotions,” she says. And the emotions brimming on “Something About Knowing” are bliss and contentment.



Nov 24, 2013

10 OF THE CATCHIEST INDIE SONGS OF 2013



Traditionally, indie music has been celebrated for reasons other than pure catchiness. Sure, there have always been catchy indie songs, and that's always a draw for some people, but there's also a stigma attached with huge hooks and songs so immediate that you're singing along by the end of the first chorus. Lately, though, it seems like indie pop is having something of a moment. Embracing the massive hooks and addicting melodies, indie artists are figuring out how to use production, style, and delivery to make even though most instantly gratifying songs interesting enough to maintain indie credibility and staying power. We're not complaining. Here are 10 of the catchiest indie songs of the year so far.



EvanIvan - The Distance EP - 2013


EvanIvan is a Canadian band that makes sweet, charming, and uplifting pop tunes that are sure to warm your heart and get your toe tapping.

Postscript is one of my favs… 



The latest 2 song ep… Pretty good tunes… 



Deluxe Top 100 Albums 2013

Nov 20, 2013

Dunbar Hunter - Act Your Age EP - 2013



Dunbar Hunter is the songwriting project of Jon Kriz and Ian Richards. EP now available for digital download.
This time out Dunbar Hunter's music has evolved so sweetly, I have enjoyed the sounds mucho. The music is subtle and clean, every gesture adding a nuance, pushing it slowly to it's ultimate sleepy climax... then quiet once more, as the build rests itself. The vocals are distant, much more lo-fi than the rest of the production, and the harmonies are wonderful, adding a real flow throughout the EP; 
reminds me of Califone meets Smile Smile.
Well done Dunbar Hunter, for another set of songs that will speak to the ever aging indie hearted dudes out there.

Nov 17, 2013

Hotel Cinema - 2013



Los Angeles based group Hotel Cinema was formed in 2012 by Mark Hadley & Keeley Bumford. With intricate orchestration of electronic and organic elements beneath alluring melodies, Hotel Cinema has crafted a unique cinematic sound that weaves in and out of reality. 



from BC - Michael Reilly; A great 6-track album with a stylish indie pop feel. The highlight for me is the mixing of Keeley Bumford's vocals with the lush orchestration, which elevates many of these songs beyond the norm. 
Favorite track: All You've Ever Known.

Nov 16, 2013

Dash - Into The Sounds - 2012


bandcamp

Catchy synth-pop out of Wilmington USA…

Timberhawk - Tears, Sweat and The Sea - 2012



A four piece rock/indie/folk outfit from Pensacola, FL., Timberhawk is a band that loves to mix the old with the new. The songs feature catchy melodies with beefy grooves and ballsy solos, and a vibe that goes back to the 1960s and punches it in the mouth. Imagine watching 'The Band' on crack.

Nov 14, 2013

Joanna Gruesome - Galaxie 500's Tugboat - 2013


I don't know if I'll ever come around on the name, but U.K. band Joanna Gruesome's cover of Galaxie 500's "Tugboat" is a nice, calming distraction this morning, and "I just wanna be your tugboat captain" strikes me as a very nice sentiment for most mornings. [Pitchfork]

Clearance - Greensleeve (7", 2013)



Mike here from Microluxe Recs in Chicago. Clearance - yr lo-fi lads from Chicago via Ann Arbor - have got a new 7" EP called "Greensleeve" coming out around the new year. This follows their debut 7", "Dixie Motel Two-Step," which won favorable comparisons to Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, and early Flying Nun (Clean/Chills/Bats, etc.) A recent review from Byron Coley in The Wire mag (UK) even swears "Julia Cafritz [Pussy Galore] would dig it."

A new track from the record, "Drive-Out!", can be streamed from their Bandcamp page now. It's also available for download with pre-orders for the upcoming 7".

The North - Broken - 2013



Love these guys... new video just out - thanks for thinking of iibyw

Nov 13, 2013

Ings - Dog Physics EP - 2013



I'm feeling the love off of this release, absolute sweet indie pop

Fresh from the comfy confines of a bedroom demo, sole songwriter and ukulele player Inge Chiles culled together a band of guitar, bass, synth, piano, and drums to record Ing's debut EP. With a soft focus on her lyrical meanderings, this collection establishes a unique concord between intimacy and pop. 
Full-length debut coming in 2014.

Har-di-Har - more over forward - (single, 2013)



experimental dream-pop intricately composed and played the way three-legged contests are won




Nov 6, 2013

Melan! - Bless 40 - 2013



This is as simple as it gets; some might love this rustic recording of Renat Tuktarov [ Melan! ] private meanderings of folk sentimentality… Bare bones recording in a single room Russian room; And besides Russian singing folk songs in English is fuckin priceless.

Coyotes in the Room - Preach - 2013



Sweaty dark psychedelic music bubbling out of Kentucky.  

Nov 2, 2013

Nathaniel Rateliff - Nothing To Show For (Live, Sideshow Alley) - 2013


Nathaniel Rateliff is a superb song writer and this live roof top performance is evidence to the power of a true musician.

New Album:


Falling Faster Than You Can Run

If you want to see some more of these Sideshow Alley performances head on over to their TV channel to see some other great artists preform.

Playlists: For Ex-Lovers Only - 2013


YEAR: 2009
My Personal Compilations (Re-Up)

TRACKLIST:
01 - Champagne Riot - Scandinavian Warfare
02 - Girl Alliance - Jaded
03 - The Parallelograms - Dream On Daisy
04 - The School - I Want You Back
05 - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Stay Alive
06 - Pocketbooks - I'm Not Going Out
07 - Celestial - Preston Park
08 - Thunder Power - Take A Hike
09 - Sexy Kids - Sisters Are Forever
10 - Tiac - It's Always The Same Anyway
11 - Crystal Stilts - Love Is A Wave
12 - Dum Dum Girls - Catholicked
13 - The Manhattan Love Suicides - Last Stand
14 - Fireflies - Butterscotch
15 - The Bridal Shop - Fragments
16 - Stars In Coma - Amelie
17 - Panache - Every Floor Is A Dance Floor
18 - Hari And Aino - Second Song
19 - (((S))) - Mesmerized
20 - The Airfields - Happy And Safe


YEAR: 2009
My Personal Compilations Re-Up

TRACKLIST:
01 - Liechtenstein - Reflections
02 - The Legends - Dancefloor
03 - Amida - Class Of 2000
04 - Memory Cassette - 50mph
05 - Camera Obscura - French Navy
06 - The Hermit Crabs - I Don't Know How
07 - Eux Autres - The City All To Himself
08 - The Morning Paper - Fingers Crossed
09 - Tartans - Cats Of Cameford
10 - Slow Down Tallahassee - Candy
11 - Balcony - Now Power
12 - Summer Cats - Wild Rice
13 - The April Skies - Rise And Rise Again
14 - The Tough Alliance - First Class Riot
15 - Twig - Please Don't Turn Me Into A Murderer
16 - Burning Hearts - Various Lives
17 - My Laundry Life - Sons & Guns
18 - Hiawata! - Fightz
19 - Boat Club - Warmer Climes
20 - Je Suis Animal - Secret Place


YEAR: 2009
My Personal Compilations Re-Up

TRACKLIST:
01 - JJ - My Life, My Swag
02 - The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
03 - Cor'delle - Summer 17
04 - Pants Yell! - Magenta And Green
05 - The Felt Tips - Boyfriend Devoted
06 - Strawberry Fair - I Can't Do Anything
07 - The Pale Corners - Steve Buscemi
08 - Cats On Fire - Letters From A Voyage To Sweden
09 - Japan Air - September
10 - Fitness Forever - Probabilmente
11 - Bubblegum Lemonade - Ten Years Younger
12 - Bye Bye Bicycle - Westside
13 - The Electric Pop Group - I Could See The Lights
14 - My Little Pony - Skipping Down The Street
15 - Ultrasport - Nothing Can Go Wrong
16 - Minisnap - Rehash
17 - Astrolab - The Deep Secret Of Clouds
18 - Montt Mardié - We're All The Pirate Bay
19 - The Radio Dept. - Freddie And The Trojan Horse
20 - The Crayon Fields - Potholes


YEAR: 2009
My Personal Compilations (Re-Up)

TRACKLIST:
01 - God Help The Girl - Come Monday Night
02 - The Sweet Serenades - Die Young
03 - The Finders Keepers - I'm Sure I'm Sure I'm Sure
04 - Silver Screen - Little More Each Day
05 - Dreamdate - How Low Are You?
06 - Butcher Boy - Clockwork
07 - Hello Saferide - Anna
08 - Annemarie - Apple (Suicide On Your Stereos Set)
09 - Knight School - Maggot
10 - Starflower - Dance Til Morning Light
11 - The Charade - My Song To You
12 - Vapnet - Brunflovägen
13 - The Lodger - The Conversation
14 - Pelle Carlberg - Nicknames
15 - The Boy Least Likely To - Be Gentle With Me
16 - The Little Hands Of Asphalt - The Future
17 - Tullycraft - Twee
18 - Days - The Simple Thing
19 - Matador José - Still It's There
20 - Klaus & Kinski - La Mano De Santa Teresa De Jesús

This blog posts the most excellent playlists... Heavy into Scandinavian pop, twee pop, jangle pop, chamber pop, shoegaze and the likes. I have been enjoying them immensely. They are a bit dated, but the author posts many personal playlists - go over and explore....