Show went well. I've been lacking on the pre-on-air post, but that's only because so much more time has been dedicated to the playlist... right? I'm also gonna try to scrounge up some news on this blog again.
Let's talk song selection.
"M79" - Vampire Weekend
I've been talking about these guys since the summer. In July, an intern for NPR's "All Songs Considered" played the now over-indulged-on "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," and I fell in love. Putting aside all the classifications - upper westside soweto, African pop guitar, early Talking Heads, Paul Simon's Graceland, preppy tribal ripoffs, bastards of the classical, Pitchfork 8.8 - (it's quite a lot to put aside), one simply has to admit that Vampire Weekend play infectious tunes. True, maybe they are calculated tourists in the sea of genres they splice and garner, but it sounds fresh... and fun... so, let's not think too hard about it. The full-length debut from these Columbia grads is still new enough, and I only just acquired my hard copy, hence this solid B-side.
"Black Like Me" - Spoon (zshare)
Enough praise can't be given to this Texas band lead by Britt Daniel. They play a fantastic live set (wearing killer shades), they released one of the best albums of 2007 (5xGa made my top five), and they've been doing amazing things with indie rock since 1994 (you know I rocked Telephono on my iPhone when I was 8).
"Black Mirror" - Arcade Fire
The remixes made me crave the original. Why not play a cut off an even greater '07 record? I did. You loved it. Nothing more to say really... what don't you know about the most blogged about band on the planet?
"Party Crashin'" - Evangelicals
I've posted on this band before, but that doesn't mean I can't expound upon their amazingness. This song in particular sounds like a horror movie (acid trip?), drenched in synths, falsettos, distortion and bass. Well, it is about death, drugs, parties, heaven, friends, life and drinking. Still, I feel like I just heard CYHSY, Menomena, TVotR and Sonic Youth frollicking in a dark electric mist. Long, spooky and anchored by some solid drumming and catchy repetitions both from the synths and guitars, "Party Crashin'" is a great sample of this Oklahoma band's sound and the many turns it can take. It's gotta be so much fun singing like that.
"One Pure Thought" - Hot Chip
To be honest, I simply couldn't play "Ready for the Floor" again. Lucky for me, Hot Chips third studio album, Made in the Dark, has a handfull of lazy and danceable catchiness. Digg that opening guitar solo. Totally makes it seem like an indie rock jam for a second. Then we get into that melancholy, heart-on-the-sleeves Hot Chip we love, full of bubbling blips and neat percussion clicks. Diggin' that guitar's presence.
"Hotdog" - Simian Mobile Disco
I don't think I can go a whole show now without getting into some serious electronica. Hooked. SMD are some of the best too. Just how blatantly accessible is this song when your inhibitions are let down? Sahke your rump already.
"House Music" - Cadence Weapon
No true rap afficianado is going to claim that Rollie Pemberton of Cadence Weapon is a dope word smith. It's more like chanting mature content in a school yard delivery. However, his uniquely dischordant and thumping electronic production is unprecedented and therefore, as CW is clearly aware, perfect for the club. This makes the title of this track all the more appropriate. "I just rap about it \ So the kids can clap about it," he claims... yeah, kind of...
"Go Go Gadget Flow" - Lupe Fiasco
Dude can spit. His sound is crisp and his beats are sick, yo. But, in all seriousness, the poetics at work in this track are pretty stunning. Then you have that string-heavy backing of distorted guitar and sampled violin that give off this off-kilter, yet head bobbing vibe. Plus when that organ hits, I get a little shiver. Drum machine ending also gives you a feel for the complexity of the rhythm. Lupe is good, y'all. Hopefully, he won't retire after his third album drops. The Cool should keep you busy 'til then.
"Lately" - The Helio Sequence
I'll be honest; today was the first time that I really listened to Helio Sequence. Tell you what though, I really like the dreamy pop at work here. Touching lyrics against that twanging guitar, all amidst the swirling mass of electric sound and unobtrusive percussion - it's both forlorn and blissful. With such dichotamy, there must something truly organic at work here, which makes that lump in your throat all the more difficult to explain. Pertinent song.
"It Moves" - Bodies of Water (myspace)
Awkwardness does present itself whenever this band gets a bit religious. Yet, there are so many aspects of their music to make up for that. First of all, everything feels epic. The harmonious "Ohs," steady drums, sporadic organs and fitful guitar chords all shift into, what feels like, miniature movements. Bodies of Water capture the energy of their flux perfectly in the ways that The Arcade Fire, Besnard Lakes and Polyphronic Spree do. There's a sonic naturalness too, like it's taking place in a field while a scene from some war movie is being played out behind them. That's how I like my music these days: intense - full of emotional peaks.
"So Sorry" - Feist
Leslie Feist was pretty much Ms. Indie '07. Although that iPod commercial put her on the pop charts, she's been around way before that. Feist released two other studio albums before The Reminder, she's also been a member of Broken Social Scene, she's shown up on Kings of Convenience tracks, and she used to live and tour with Merrill Nisker aka Peaches of all people. Now, Feist has made a name for herself through delicately skillful acoustics and soulfully beautiful voice. Her brand of jazzy folk pop is soothing, to say the least. Take a listen to "So Sorry" and hear Feist coo those heart-rending words.
"Cherbourg" - Beirut (yousendit)
This song seems like a reprise to "Nantes" on The Flying Club Cup, but it's a tragically wonderful one at that. Zach Condon pours his soul into the pleaful "And a fall from you is a long way down / I know a better way." The Mediterranean gypsy sound heightens emotions as Zach hits the precipes of his despairing words with all the sincerity and drama of an opera singer, yet with the controlled accessability of a street performer. The various forms of percussion that jump in as mournful horns resound are glorious footnotes to the significance Zach has given his moving lyrics. In context, "Well it's been a long time / Since I've seen you smile / ... / And I'll sleep away, oh, sweep away / What I don't {know}," these lines cannot be matched.
"Stick With Me, Kid" - The Broken Remotes (myspace)
Solid, straightforward indie rock, with a welcomed punk twang. That organ sounds pretty damn cool too. I love sing-shouting to this track while I mosh in my chair. It's uplifting, if only because it sounds fun, but Jon Leahy has incorporated some commentary on this "kid" who seems to have quite a few contradictions going on. "You're so gracefully falling apart." Who isn't?
"Eyes Are At The Billions" - Cortney Tidwell
This song is subtle and mystical, which are two very important qualities with this type of music. The acoustic guitar's start and stop approach works well against the continuous organ. Then it hits that upswell where the drums and airy electric guitar (a la Radiohead, TVotR) come in, creating a gorgeous etherealness. Feel free to float along when Cortney starts her cooing "oh."
... Alright, at this pace, I won't have a life... damn, too late...
Either way, I can't afford to discuss much more. They're watching me. So... uh... here's everything else, I guess:
"Ode To LRC" - Band Of Horses
"Little Brother" - Grizzly Bear
"Because Tonight" - The Besnard Lakes
"For Reverend Green" - Animal Collective
"Get Innocuous!" - LCD Soundsystem
"Pogo" - Digitalism
"Miss Broadway" - Glass Candy
(wanted to play:) "Say Hello" - Jay-Z
Maybe I'll update this post later, but seriously, I'm only one man.
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