20 Songs Of Spring ‘09
Whew, it’s summer and here in LA the June gloom has finally faded. Here’s the soundtrack to my crazy ass season:
20. Metric – Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)
The only thing sexier than Emily Haines singing “hold my arms down, I’ve been bad” is her singing it in front of a danceable beat.
Another one of my local favorites, Casxio are on the rise and about to enjoy success with their funky/soulful/playful/sexual tunes. Boiling Point may not be their immediate single like “seventeen”, but its more actually stronger, takes it’s time and builds in a fashion that many mainstream acts couldn’t wrap their heads around. Check out the video as well…amazing.
18. Rumspringa – Birds of Paradise
While I’m on the local kick, here’s a great 2 piece blowing up in the Silver Lake/ Echo Park region who whip up a good old garage White Stripes sound complete with solid thick drums and front-man Joey Steven’s multi-layered guitar struts. Their album is in the process of being mixed and will hopefully surface later this year or early next.
17. Math the Band – Tour de Friends
Couldn’t really tell ya why, this song just really does it for me….like a strong ass cup of coffee…makes me miss Atom and His Package though
Oh sweet jesus The Antlers….where do I start? This is a recent discovery for me, and “Hospice” has almost entirely took over my life at this point. An unfair yet intriguing comparison would be to say the Antlers sound like Okkervil River meets My Bloody Valentine. Intrigued? good. But that’s still doesn’t convey how strong “Hospice” is lyrically, atmospherically, or dynamically. ”Kettering” is the second track and the delicate, mopey piano serves as a confessional for Peter Silberman’s delicate summary of basically what’s to be explained throughout the rest of this brilliant album.
New Sonic Youth album = Hells Yes. All the songs are good and have that usual enjoyable Sonic Youth quality to them, so I just grab bagged one and threw it up here. Great tune though.
14. Harlem Shakes – Strictly Game
These fun New Yorkers album “Technicolor Health” has a positive, healthy vibe to it that I just find quite enjoyable. This song in particular is relevant for its uplifting lyrics in a era where we are all “Making a little money, taking a lotta shit.”
13. Portugual. The Man – People Say
This Alaskan/Portland project that come out of the ashes of Anatomy Of A Ghost are dropping “The Satanic Satanist” next month and People Say is a great taste of it. Upbeat, folkey (also country), and perfectly narrated, Portugual. the Man are sure to gain some serious buzz after this album.
12. Passion Pit – I’ve Got Your Number
Oh god here we go. Passion Pit. The hype sensation…the blow out act! The “can’t live up to their bullshit hype” act. Really the best part about “Manners” for me was finding out about their “Chunk of Change” EP which had their best tracks on it. I’ve Got Your Number is too damn catchy to deny and electronically original, very lo-fi and grating yet somehow charming…
11. Phoenix – Lasso
Phoenix phoenix phoenix pheonix. ”Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix” is the fuckin’ shit, and I think everyone knows that now. Lasso has all the best examples of a single – under 3 minutes, to-the-fuckin-point-catchy, heavy and soft dynamics that play like chess moves. Fuckin’ killer.
10. Modest Mouse – Satellite Skin
Ok, so Modest Mouse is back. Sweeeeeeeet! So we all saw this go down on Conan or some shit months back. Isaac gained some band members and some weight, and dismissed Johnny Marr. The good news is his lyrics are as strong as ever in Satellite Skin, and the country twang really actually works for MM. I like to call it the country version of Fly Trapped In A Jar.
9. White Rabbits – Percussion Gun
ummm…..Cold War Kids + The Walkmen x Spoon = White Rabbits
This song will easily transcend into next season and probably should have been a summer release ala Phoenix. The steel drums and kick pulse give the chorus its single worthy spirit and vocalist Lexy Benaim has an interesting timbre that is enjoyable to listen to.
7. Phoenix – Countdown (Sick For the Big Sun)
The back-half of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is for lovers. Is that too much for a t-shirt? Regardless, “Countdown” doesn’t necessarily hit you in the face like “1901″, but it’s a true grower, building formally with Thomas Mars delivering at his vocal prime. The dynamics (though compressed to modern standards) hush and yell, transitioning from tasteful, wet percussion to full band tone nirvana.
6. Silversun Pickups – The Royal We
I had some high expectations for Swoon after feeling like they could go both ways post-Carnavas. Wasn’t terribly let down nor terribly excited…they played it a little safe but the effects are satisfying. ”The Royal We” is dark, punishing, and for a lot of us makes us think of The Big Lebowski. But this track, seemingly about war and abandonment is the boost I wanted from these local Rock Stars. The production is absurd yet oddly appropriate, with defining drum sounds that will no doubt be endlessly mimicked. The intensity is focused, and all necessary vocal range Brian Aubert(Daniel Farraday) can produce is at least sampled throughout.
Ya, you’re gonna hear this song a lot…get over it. I wish someone would have told me that when I overindulged in “Kids” by MGMT when it first dropped. Goddamn this song is good. I wish I wasn’t so into it. But I am…and I’m coming to terms with it. This is why this song is better than shit from Manners: This song is actually quite untraditional…there is not real consistent drum track, just occasional vocal loops, claps, and thud kicks. The chorus is just a monophonic “million dollar winning” synth line. The verses are just a dude screaming god knows what against washy chimes and vocal squeals….it’s fucking brilliant. And then its over.
4. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Indiana
Cymbals Eat Guitars were quite unexpected…and you know what, I think they stole some of my Sonic Youth craving for the year. When The Eternal dropped I enjoyed, but already had so much noise driven, sprawled out, guitar-jangy bliss from these newcomers. ”Indiana” is the best song on Why There Are Mountains, and proves there already solidified in there progressions, moving from one idea to the next and connecting them by lyrics that seem far too advanced for these truly gifted youngsters.
3. Modest Mouse – The Whale Song
Being that Modest M0use was basically my way out of Punk Rock in high school, every release they have these days makes me excited and nervous. ”The Whale Song” is more than welcomed however, containing elements from all of MM’s varied styles while simultaneously sounding like nothing they’ve ever done. The guitar line is of course something to talk about (and its about 10db louder than anything else,) but Judy’s slinky bass line and Isaac’s muffled, multiplying vocals are what really bring this song over the edge.
Phoenix have gotta be cheating. They gotta be. The tones on this albums are too clean, too fitting, and too pure. ”Rome” especially, you just cannot turn up that tremolo enough while Mars spouts “Rome, rome, rome, rome, rome, rome” blended perfectly within everything else, creating a musical atmosphere so lush that you can almost physically insert yourself in there….but then you’d never wanna leave.
Rarely do songwriters write lyrics these strong anymore, and especially while keeping a steady flow and experimenting with different dynamics. The Antlers album Hospice is unfuckwithable, and “Two” is the epicenter of this. While it never explodes, it builds on a soft falsetto and a high end layered guitar, vocally painting a hospital scene, finding objects in the hospital hallway to set the emotion. Drums faintly (yet somehow powerfully) emerge with soft synth and extra guitars as Peter Silberman’s vocals become more clear and directed. After a first refrain he reflects on a troubled past with this person who now sits in that hospital bad, creating the best 2 verses I’ve heard all year before returning to the refrain that does “bear repeating.” It’s a beautiful song that could be easily overlooked if you don’t listen closely, but once you do you can’t imagine being without it.
