Fool's Gold//The Dive

I am getting married in one month minus one day. At this moment, my life roughly breaks down into these percentages:

30%: Doing Wedding Shit/Obsessing About Doing Wedding Shit/Not Sleeping While Thinking About Wedding
29%: Sleeping
26%: Day Job
6%: Eating
4%: Playing Music
3%: Obsessing in a Debilitating Way About Everything Else I Need to Get Done
2%: Exercising

Not that I'm losing it or anything. Not losing it. I am not losing it.

On another note, those glorious days of summer have reached their peak and are now descending, as they do each year, into earlier and earlier darkness. It's not over yet, but the time has come where we remember that the end is near. Not that that means anything here in California, where I see girls walking city streets in bikinis and cover-ups at all times, regardless of temperature or season (on cooler days, these outfits are often, curiously, paired with Uggs).

This song has been on heavy rotation on KCRW. I think it serves as a good reminder to capture as much of that late summer light as possible.

From what I can tell, LA's own Fool's Gold sound like what Vampire Weekend would sound like if they were a little less lame and a little more experimental from time to time. African-inspired guitar licks paired with indie rock guitar tone. Big hooks and muddy vocals. Feeling weird and confused on a bright, sunny day.

Apologies for the fact that this track cuts off. This album isn't out yet. But I'm sure you'll want to buy it when it comes out, which you can do here. Coincidentally, these guys play LA for FYF Fest, which just happens to be…you guessed it…the day of my wedding.



The Dive.mp3

Is motion the only thing real?

Midlake//Roscoe

Wow. Between now and last we spoke, I rode some roller coasters and turned 28. Well, that wasn’t all…but those are the highlights.

I’ve also become something of a road warrior, making the 45-mile-per-way quest from Costa Mesa to Los Angeles each day for work. Intense commute times are particularly fertile ground for album obsession and that is exactly what has happened here.

I heard this song while listening to KCRW (another maintaining-sanity-whilst-driving mainstay). At first, I didn’t think much of it. The awkward lyrics were kind of a turn off…but then, a few hours passed and I found that I still had it in my head. I looked it up and found that it was by a band called Midlake from an album called The Trials of Van Occupanther.

The sounds and structures of the songs on this collection conjure a pleasant mash of a few bands I never exactly got hooked on (Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Jackson Browne) and then re-contextualizes in a way that I love. Of course, all with a dash of Radiohead. Radiohead: the spice of life?

I really hope you love this as much as me. But if you don't, that's ok.



Roscoe.mp3

The village used to be all one really needs.
Now, it's filled with hundreds and hundreds of chemicals
That mostly surround you--you wish to flee
But it's not like you so listen to me, listen to me.

Joy Zipper//Check Out My New Jesus

OK, so I know I'm a few days late on this...ok...a week and a half. But I really wanted to post this song in honor of Easter. Because I think we all deserve a new Jesus at least once a year, regardless of our religious upbringings/beliefs.

As a person of Catholic and Jewish lineage, I have the maximum amount of guilt humanly possible encoded into my DNA. This is why one year I gave up guilt for lent. This year though, much like this Jesus post, I totally messed up my give-up-something-for-lent timing. Anika and I are currently not eating processed sugar, which is proving to be...let's just say...rough.

Seriously, did you know that there's sugar in EVERYTHING? I mean everything. Yogurt? Sugar. Tomato sauce? Sugar. All breakfast cereals besides Shredded Wheat? Sugar.

Back to Jesus, this song is about...well...it's about getting a new Jesus. Joy Zipper is a sweet little couple band from The Island. I guess someone compared their songs to a candy apple with a razor blade inside, which seems about right to me. Actually, most of my favorite music falls into this variety, or something like it. If it's not a candy apple/razor blade then it's a something else with a something else inside. Catch my drift?

Anyway, now I've waited so long to post this that another holiday has eclipsed the holiday about which I've been writing. Thanks, Cinco De Mayo. I hope you have fun drinking Coronas and eating Churros, two things I can't have due to obvious sugar content.



Check Out My New Jesus.mp3

Check out my new Jesus.
He talks and he walks if you want him to.
Nevermind the thorns.
They're only there to confuse you.

Eureka Birds//That Mountain is a Volcano

This is not a Monday, it's a volcano: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

Yesterday's news provided one of those moments. You know, the kind where you used to call up your friends, but now you just watch your FB/Twitter feeds for clever things people are posting online? There were links to Al-Jazeera live feeds, NYT articles, Family Guy clips, Star Wars references, declarations of general anxiety about killing anyone for any reason, even an Obama macro that featured the kind of badassness that we haven't seen since the 2008 Election. I, myself, posted this:
"So this is like that part in Lost when the alternate reality rejoins the actual reality?"
Nobody liked it. Actually, one severely awesome Sarah G. liked it. But nobody else. Thanks, Sarah, for saving my FB pride.

I'm not going to go into the cliche that is, "let's think back to 10 years ago and reprocess," because the fact of the matter is, just cause we killed some guy doesn't mean we can close the Pandora's box that is terrorism. It also doesn't mean we can undue the mortgage crisis or the credit crisis or the Iraq War or the Afghanistan War or the Japanese nuclear disaster or Katrina or any of the other dozens of truly shitty things that have happened between 2001 and 2000now. There are still people signing up to be Scientologists and dedicating their lives to actualizing The Singularity. What's done is done and the world is weird. I still feel like we're in a particularly precarious place both culturally and environmentally.

A few months ago, Justin, a member of Eureka Birds, sent me a new EP along with a shoutout:

Even though we're from Baltimore, we recorded the whole thing with production help from Tyler of Margot and the Nuclear so and so's out in Indiana.

This particular song, which describes various ways the world might end (volcanoes, rogue waves, earthquakes, tornadoes, environmental disaster) reminds us that we probably won't know what's going on when the big one blows. So let's all celebrate that we managed to find and kill OBL before the 10 year anniversary of 9-11 (though we still haven't managed to rebuild WTC)...then, let's not forget that some guy hiding out in a million dollar house in the suburbs of Islamabad isn't our only problem.



That Mountain is a Volcano.mp3

Maybe we'll never see it coming.

Wolfie//Rachel Carson

So, a few days ago, I was out to Dim Sum with some friends. You should probably know that I am OBSESSED with Dim Sum and am feeling sad about losing my favorite spot for it, Jing Fong, when I leave NYC in Jan. So, I’m trying to squeeze as much Dim Sum in as possible right now.

I was explaining to Ethan and Emily about how our friends Sharon and Jon couldn’t come along on this particular outing last minute. I said, “Boing Boing wrote up their Etsy and now they have to stay home all day babysitting the laser.”

“Did that sentence really just come out of your mouth?” quipped Ethan.

“I know, it’s ridiculous, right?”

But it’s true. Keeping in the spirit of yesterday’s post, I want to tell you about Sharon and Jon’s awesome project, Heroes of Science, which, yes, was written up on Boing Boing.

When this project was in its early stages, I was over brainstorming about a Kickstarter video with Sharon (more on that later). They showed me their original designs and I immediately started humming this song.

“Rachel Carson” is by a band called Wolfie. It’s not actually about Rachel Carson all that much. Wolfie broke up about 10 years ago and never really had any hits. Still, I fucking love this track. It’s a perfect little nugget of pop.

As you can imagine, there is a Hero of Science ornament featuring Rachel Carson, although you might have to wait a few days to order—pretty sure Mr. Eavesmade and his giant laser from the 90s is a bit overrun at the moment. Lucky for me, I got sent home with a prototype.



Rachel Carson.mp3

Rachel Carson, she wrote a book
Informed everyone all about the past.

Yo La Tengo//Autumn Sweater

Hi pals. Can you believe I've never posted this song before? Can you believe it's fall already? Can you believe it's actually mid-October? You know once we hit Halloween, it's all totally over. Time becomes a complete and total vacuum until New Years. Whoa. I am not really ready for it yet.

Some of you may have noticed that this blog has gotten a little...uhm...less reliable. This fall-to-winter period is bringing a lot of ch-ch-ch-changes to my life. As a result of some of these, I am sad to say that this blog is going to get a bit more sporadic. It's weird and sad for me too, but as I manage freelancing, a bi-coastal move and general life upheaval, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to post an update everyday. Don't get me wrong--OSS is NOT over. It's just different. It's going to become more like your best friend who shows up without calling than your cousin who works as an accountant. It's been really fun to hang out with you guys EVERY SINGLE WEEKDAY, but we can still have fun hanging out when we both feel like it. With so many good songs in the world, we'll never run out of opportunities.

This song is the best fall song ever. It sounds like fall. It's about fall. It's lyrical focus is a girl and her sweater. It's by Yo La Tengo. It's a hipster cliche from the dawn of the hipster age, but it's still awesome. It's completely quintessential.

I've seen Yo La Tengo (one of Jersey's proudest musical exports along with Patti Smith and The Boss) twice. The second time was awful. The first time was magical and was the result of finding free tickets in a balloon emblazoned with an image of Tori Amos. But that, friends, is another story for another day.

Enjoy your sweaters before they become coats. I am enjoying mine.



Autumn Sweater.mp3

We could slip away,
Wouldn't that be better?
Me with nothing to say
And you in your autumn sweater.

The Lemonheads//It's A Shame About Ray

So, funny story.

Last night dear friend Michael Beauchamp came to town to play a show with his new band, Red Tail Ring (more on that later). The show was fun. We hung out for a while and then went to fetch the band's van. Problem: they couldn't exactly remember where they'd parked.

We walked around Alphabet City for a solid 40 minutes with a shitton of equipment searching for it. No luck. Finally, I said that I would watch the pile of gear we had stacked on the corner of 4th and A while they searched for the vehicle unencumbered.

A few minutes passed before a dude and some ladies drunkenly stumbled by.

"HEY!" he exclaimed, "you're in a band! What do you have here? A banjo? A hammer dulcimer? COOL!"
He's checking out the gear.
"Yeah," I say, "I am in a band...but not this one--I'm just babysitting gear while the band finds the car."
"Oh, awesome," he says, "I'm in a band too. We just played Mercury Lounge...we're called The Lemonheads. Hi. My name's Evan."
He shakes my hand and jauntily skips away as I yell, "The LEMONHEADS!? Evan Dando!? I know your band!"

A few minutes, Michael and Laurel return.
"Hey," I say, "you just missed The Lemonheads. They like your gear."
"Like...Evan Dando!?" says Michael.
"Yeah, Evan Dando."
"Shit."

So, as I desperately try to find cool things to look forward to in LA, let's not discount the awesomeness that is the quintessential New York moment.

Also, you guys do realize what this means, right? Evan Dando just got a bit part in my life!



It's A Shame About Ray.mp3

I've never been too good with names,
But I remember faces.

Redstone Hall//Get Back Jack

Another Reason to Love LA: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

Hi guys. I don’t know if I’ve told you this yet, but this blog is soon to be a Southern California-based affair. Since I am an East Coaster/New Yorker through and through, I’ve been doing my best to think of reasons why living in Southern California might be cool. It hasn’t been easy by any means. Here’s what I got so far:

1. Be back with the girl I love
2. It’s warm everyday!
3. Uhm…ok…I know there’s more
4. Shows at Café Largo
5. My one awesome friend in LA
6. SF/Awesome friends a short plane ride/long car ride away
7. Which means Noise Pop Fest is also a short plane ride/long car ride away
8. Medical…uh…nothing
9. Swimming pools!
10. Fresh avocados!
11. Driving cars everywhere means listening to music in cars
12. Tech companies that need wordy nerds?

Now, I can also add this band, Redstone Hall (too bad about their name—“I know…let’s name our band after our dorm?”), to the roster. Something about the lead singer’s voice turns me off slightly (a little too earnest--I'm such a jerk, right?), which is why it’s a testament to how awesome this song is that I decided to post it anyway. Seriously, it’s super catchy solid pop. I love that lead guitar tone. I love those keys. I’m listening on repeat.

The band features Brian LeBarton aka Beck’s keyboardist, another good sign. I also hear a little inspiration from my favorite, and yours, another East Coaster turned LA’er, Jon Brion.

Naomi from Blink Interactive says:

Steven Rothstein and Zack Hall, the band’s principal songwriters, were both born and raised in LA. “I've been singing and performing as long as I can remember,” Rothstein says. “My parents were cool, so I started organizing jam sessions in my garage before I could even play guitar.”

Hall was raised in Beverly Hills. His mother introduced him to classic rock when he was a child. “She played albums by The Stones, Doors, Jimi Hendrix, and The Band. When I heard Phish, I started writing songs that broke out of traditional arrangements.”

The players were still in high school when Redstone Hall started. They evolved rapidly from a jam band to a more focused pop outfit, drawing on the sounds of the classic soul and rock of the 60s and 70s. They were soon getting noticed for the strength of their performances, with critics calling attention to Rothstein’s gritty vocals and Hall’s guitar prowess.

So while you’re driving around listening to this, could guys think of a few other cool things about LA. What are they? Any help much appreciated.



Get Back Jack.mp3

Been asleep at the wheel for so long,
Trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
Each day is another in a series of a soul crushing disease.
Gotta get back in stereo.

Lou Barlow//Gravitate

Gone solo: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

Lou Barlow is basically an all-star indie rock hero. He’s been a founding member in a number of amazing/high influential projects including Dinosaur Jr., Folk Implosion and Sebadoh. He’s also been putting out solo material more recently.

Jessi from Goldest Egg emailed a while back to let me know that Barlow was going to be on video series, Dirty Laundry. She said:

This week on Dirty Laundry host Malia James is joined by indie rock jack of all trades, Lou Barlow. Barlow, a member of Dinosaur Jr. and founding member of Sebadoh and Folk Implosion discusses scoring the soundtrack for Harmony Korine film Kids, his departure from Dinosaur Jr. in the late 80s and the godfather-esque J. Mascis.

You can watch it here.

Although I enjoyed his first solo release, Emoh, I really LOVE this track from his second release, Goodnight, Unknown, which features lots of guest appearances, including one by (COINCEDENCE!) Lisa Germano. Indie Folk, you’re a small, small world after all.

Barlow’s got this amazing knack for turning dark feelings into something you can actually hear, into something you actually want to hear. Soundscapes and song structure come together in “Gravitate,” to form a song that’s at once catchy and full of despair. Not an easy feat.



Gravitate.mp3

I’m way more trouble than I’m worth.

Wild Sweet Orange//Wrestle with God

Allow your mouth to water, because it’s Sweets Week.

I don’t know about you guys, but my family has a series of weird phrases that nobody else in the entire world seems to use anymore. I think a lot of these originated with my paternal grandfather. For example, does anyone you know say, “hold onto your girdles, girls,” when driving around particularly harsh curved highway on-ramps? Nope? Didn’t think so.

One of these phrases is, “sweet as sugar, sweet as sugar.” This is one you can say when eating a piece of fruit that is, well, as sweet as sugar.

Wild Sweet Orange, a band from Alabama, is also as sweet as sugar…just as you can imagine actual wild sweet oranges would be.

This song hit the blogs a few years back and I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, looks like the band is currently on hiatus.



Wrestle with God.mp3

Is that the wind blowing through the tops of trees?
Are the cars humming through the streets?
It’s the moment passing right through me,
‘Cause the past is the only thing I see.

Wild Sweet Nothings :I’m kind of a freak, but I don’t like Watermelons. I get a lot of shit for this every single summer, so I make an effort to keep trying the much-beloved fruit. It’s not the flavor, it’s the texture. Give me some strawberries, give me some raspberries, give me a peach, give me a mango!

Little Gold//Completely Fucked!

Starting the Week Off Right: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

It’s Monday and completely fucked is how I feel. You guys?

Jessi from Goldest Egg wants you to know:

Former Woods songwriter and Meneguar member, Christian DeRoeck is back with the Completely Fucked! 7", his second release as Little Gold. Vastly different from the melancholy country of debut LP On the Knife (2009), these two songs are brimming with fuzzy guitars, sweet harmonies, and what sounds like youthful exuberance. DeRoeck's lyrical content is morose as ever, but on this record it comes packed in two and a half-minute pop songs. The most immediate difference is the addition of Brian Markham on bass and Pat Broderick on drums, both of Brooklyn psych-rockers Ancient Sky, and Broderick of beloved DC hardcore outfit Majority Rule.

Released in an initial run of 300 on NYC label Heart Break Beat (Beach House, Vincent Black Shadow, Virgin Forest) this record is a taste of what’s to come. Little Gold heads back into the studio this year to record the follow-up to On the Knife.

Remember Expletive Week? Maybe it’s time for Expletive Week Redux. But seriously, any song called “Completely Fucked” that can sound as shiny and happy as this is a winner in my book. Now, Tuesday, can we get on with it?



Completely Fucked!.mp3

Little Gold’s on tour. Tour dates here.

The Sea and Cake//Midtown

The Sea and Cake makes music that is so pretty and, for lack of a better word, pleasant. Like a mellow breeze on a warm summer day, there's something calm and easy about their jazz-tinted vibraphone-soaked indie rock. It's perfect chill music.

A misunderstanding of a song-title, "The C in Cake" by Gastr del Sol, lead to their band name. Members include Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt, who have each also maintained successful solo careers in addition to their work with the band.

I love all the tracks on 2000's Oui, especially this one, called "Midtown," which also happens to be my all-time least favorite part of NYC.



Midtown.mp3

I don't let on that you done wrong.

One Sweet Song//Northside Showcase

Local Music Showcase
What's up with Local Music Fridays?

I know what you're thinking: SLACKER!!! For once, it's not true! Au contraire, OSSers, I have been busting ass to organize something VERY COOL with Karl Sturk and today we are kicking if off with four, COUNT 'EM, FOUR sweet songs. Read on:

One Sweet Song and the ever-awesome Karl Sturk are curating a showcase for next week's Northside Music Festival. Guys, this is going to be a really, really good time. As FIPS says, you've gotten really good at this whole blog-reading thing--maybe it's time to try coming to a show. Shake hands, drink beer and hear awesome music. Oh, by the way, tomorrow's my birthday...this gives you the perfect opportunity to buy me a drink!

The Glorious Details:

One Sweet Song and Karl Sturk Showcase
Sunday 6/27
Public Assembly in Williamsburg
Doors 7:30, Music at 8
$7

Featuring the Amazing Sounds of:

11 PM :: Ribbons [Myspace]



Jenny Logan, Sam Roudman and Jeff Ciprioni tear it up with a sound that's fast and energetic while also retaining something dark and brooding. This is their last-ever NYC show, so catch them while you still can.

"...delightfully reminiscent of the golden age of that dark weird post-punk." - OSS

"...the stripped-down fever-shivers and uneasy fidget of classic post-punk--think Joy Division, Orange Juice, Durutti Column, etc. But these two Cali transplants can also play the shit out of their instruments." - The Village Voice

Mp3: Screens.mp3


10 PM :: Palmyra [Myspace] [Official]



The unlikely combination of a fuzzy acoustic guitar, a retro analog synth, a trumpet, a jazz drummer and a detroit-style garage rocker take on well-made rock and pop songs.

"100% shameless self-promotion" - OSS

"The City, On Repeat, is a gorgeous set of songs with a warm, homey feel. " - Tandem Shop

Quiet Color

Mp3: Suicidal Female Poets.mp3


9 PM :: The Long Eye [Myspace]



Karl Sturk and Patrice Scinta expertly combine finely crafted songs with a gritty, lofi garage sound.

"Karl’s songwriting talent, ear for arrangement and musical ability more than speak for themselves." - OSS

Mp3: Palisades.mp3 (Demo)



8 PM :: Drunken Barn Dance [Myspace]



Scott Sellwood's delightful sometimes solo, sometimes full band highlights his songwriting and always promises a rollicking good time.

"Scott Sellwood, in addition to being a truly sweet dude, is a master of melody." - One Sweet Song

"Drunken Barn Dance evolved from a solo folk project of Scott's into an epic multi-guitar attack band reminiscent of Television, Wilco and the Grateful Dead." - Metro Times

Mp3: A Winter's Tale.mp3

Also, look forward to Northside Week next week. I'll be counting down the days to the festival's start and giving you tips on which shows you HAVE to see.

Wave Machines//Keep The Lights On

You know what they say about a picture: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

Austin from Eyes and Ears Entertainment didn’t send me anything except an mp3 and an album cover, but here’s what I could glean from the interwebs:

A mercurial Merseyside four piece, Wave Machines create instinctive art-pop; rhythms built of melodic ticks and bleeps, polka dots of sound drawn together beneath Tim Bruzon’s falsetto vocal, part Beck Hansen part Barry Gibb. With their English melancholia pricked by impudent promise… Wave Machines join that eccentric lineage of home grown musical adventurers; XTC, The Beta Band, Hot Chip.

Recorded in the bowels of the old organ room at St Brides Church in Liverpool, England, Wave Machines’ debut album Wave If You’re Really There owes much to the character of that formative space. The removal of old religious gowns from a small disused cupboard gave the band a vocal booth; the roof – or rather its view between Liverpool’s Cathedrals and out across the river – allowed the band a space to work things through; and at night the Nave became the bands live space, hosting the poetry, art, comedy and invited musical ‘competitors’ at the bands own night.

Although a remix was officially sent my way, I went and tracked down the original of this song, which I liked even more. This track sounds something like a macabre Hall and Oates song, with hints of electronic sounds that bring to mind that fantastic Erland Oye solo album, Unrest.

The song also appears to be about having trouble sleeping, which is something I can definitely relate to.

Stream the whole album from Wave Machines here.



Keep The Lights On.mp3

The night’s too long,
So when we sleep,
I keep the lights on.

Black Swans//Rooster

The Rooster's Crow Signals Local Music Friday
What's up with Local Music Fridays?

I had the pleasure to meet Jerry DeCicca, the man behind Black Swans, while on tour playing a show in Columbus, OH. Mr. Joe Scott (whose birthday is today--happy birthday, Joe!) introduced us. Jerry seemed like a positively swell guy, so I decided to check out his music, which is predictably awesome.

This is a sweet, melancholy tune that features my number one musical weakness, pedal steel. While I'm not sure how I feel about the barnyard sound effects at the end of the song, this one should kick off your weekend nicely.



Rooster.mp3

No longer do we need words
To make our dreams come true.

The Dandy Warhols//Not if You Were The Last Junkie On Earth, Bohemian Like You

Everything I've ever listened to from The Dandy Warhols confirms my suspicion that these guys were never anything more than a novelty act. That said, novelty has its place in the world and sometimes clever, funny quips are enough to keep you engaged for a song or two (besides this, the most interesting thing about the band is their weird feud with the Brian Jonestown Massacre). But hey, this blog is all about songs, so let's do it, right?

Although I was vaguely aware of "Bohemian Like You" in the late 90s, I really never paid much attention until my friend/college roommate Kot (who is coming to visit TODAY!) reintroduced it to me. I checked out a few other songs and found them to be consistently enjoyable in an infectiously poppy, irreverently humorous way.

Say what you will about the gimmicky nature of the lyrics and the songs--these guys get it right a lot of the time and that's what makes them so hilarious. The Dandys knew how to critique hipsterism before hipsterism was a thing (is it any suprise that these guys are from Portland?). Amazing. Grunge is over, so heroin IS so passe and thus, it would be much cooler to get a few piercings and question your sexuality. Weird relationships with not-as-cool rich guys for rent money, casual drug use in too-cool bars, eating vegan, waiters in bands: it's all here and it's funny cause it's true. The Dandys wrote the soundtrack to Williamsburg before there was a Williamsburg...and for that, I think we should give them a few songs:



Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth.mp3

Bohemian Like You.mp3

So what do you do?
Oh yeah, I wait tables too.
No, I haven't heard your band
Cause you guys are pretty new.
But if you dig on Vegan food,
Well, come over to my work.
I'll have them cook you something that you'll really love,

Cause I like you.
Yeah, I like you,
And I'm feeling so Bohemian like you.

Archers of Loaf//Web in Front

This is the first Archers of Loaf song I heard. I heard it in 1998 (the year the band broke up—SEE WHAT I MEAN!) on a mixtape. Instant love.

To this day, AoL is one of those bands that brings people together, because for some astounding reason, they were never that popular. What they brought to the table was this classic 90s indie rock sound, some wonderfully weird lyrics and songs that were at once edgy and catchy. AoL (like Fugazi) also carried with them that awesome “put your money where your mouth is” anti-corporate aesthetic that was so strong in the 90s. The band actually refused a major label contract mostly because the other bands on Warner/Maverick were, according to drummer Mark Price, “that bad.”

After the breakup, lead singer Eric Bachmann went on to form Crooked Fingers.



Web in Front.mp3

And there’s a chance that things will get weird.
Yeah, that’s a possibility

The Paparazzi//The Rococo Tape

You’re Being Followed: Monday Mail
What is Monday Mail?

It can be hard for me on Monday when I’m trying to peruse the old Gmail tag “OSS” to decide what to put up here. It’s not that there’s a lack of submissions. On the contrary, I’m totally overwhelmed by all the OSS mail I get. It’s also not that there’s no talent. There’s a lot of talent. It’s just that most of it sounds EXACTLY the same. I mean, really, the same. I find myself mostly just looking for something, anything, different. Please, send me something different. PLEASE. I’m sure you guys are all really nice, but I’ve had my fill of soft-singing indie rock boy singers whispering over acoustic guitars and trebly electrics. ENOUGH with the synthy dance tracks and remixes. With a few VERY VERY special exceptions, if you read this blog, you probably know that I think most of that stuff SUCKS. I want to hear songs that do weird things, that sound different. At very least, I want to hear something with a vision where that vision is fulfilled. Send me hip hop. Send me a track with a female vocalist that’s not cheesy. Send me something in a rare time signature. PLEASE. /end rant.

That said, here's this from the folks over at Serious Business Records:

The Paparazzi is the musical pseudonym of songwriter and rock auteur Erik Paparazzi, who has spent the better part of the past decade as a sideman with Cat Power's Dirty Delta Blues. His new record Rococo, recorded back in 2004, has finally seen in March 2010 thanks to Serious Business. Expect a lush and dreamy ride that harnesses the best moves of several purveyors of lost classics and lost weekends: Brian Wilson, Harry Nilsson, and Todd Rundgren.

Back in 2004 when The Paparazzi was performing regularly as a 7 piece band, they recorded the tracks for what was to become Rococo. But something was missing in the final results, and Erik shelved the record until 2007. On the road with Cat Power, he began remixing it on his laptop and wound up deconstructing many of the original performances and arrangements, sometimes drastically reinventing the songs. In so doing he gave new life to the project, and brought us a sonically stunning and wholly immersive record.

This is one to play through. From the first note to the last, Rococo thrusts listeners into a quasi dream state, conjuring rich images and soundscapes while reveling in pop thrills with enough happy accidents to subvert any hint of predictability.

There’s a lot going on here: a classic rock vibe and the licks to go along with it, a little bit of that indie rock fey aloofness in the vox, a hint of power pop, arrangements that ramble and change and morph. It’s not super crazy, but it is definitely enough. The Paparazzi knows what they’re going for. They got it.



The Rococo Tape.mp3

Popped in the tape deck
Your reddish pink cassette,
You have the voice of a juvenile delinquent.
And that surprised me.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs//Art Star

To be completely honest, I have absolutely no idea what is going on with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs anymore. I basically checked out after Fever to Tell, moving on to other things, figuring that their success probably was about to make them start sucking anyway. But when this first EP, Master, broke, it was totally amazing.

It was 2003 and I was working at a record store in Ann Arbor and my boss dropped in one day to tell me I should REALLY check this band out for their new New York sound, extreme buzz, crazy lead singer, screaming, etc. So, I did and man, the whole EP was weird and golden.

A bunch of friends and I went to see them shortly thereafter on a tour with Liars at The Magic Stick in Detroit. Karen O. really lived up to her reputation. She was so drunk and wild that she almost slid off stage a few times. Something about the band's sound and persona in that era was so perfect for my age--the raucous nights charged with booze, sexual tension and a special kind of youthful aloofness. I think, at that time, we all considered ourselves art stars.



Art Star.mp3

I've been working on a piece that speaks of sex and desperation.
I've been screwing on the tracks of abandoned train stations.

Harlem Shakes//Strictly Game

I had been meaning to check out Harlem Shakes (Todd Goldstein aka ARMS is the guitarist) for ages. Finally did, and I'm not disappointed. On the contrary, I'm kind of addicted to their one and only full-length album Technicolor Health.

The album is filled with hooky songs that recall a more poppy/more accessible Animal Collective (yes, even more acessible than Merriweather). Not to say the album is perfect--it has its flaws. First of all, what's with referencing "game" and "the game" in every song? It works when you're watching The Wire, but not when you're listening to five white boys make indie rock. It just seems so...fratty? Yes? Second, the band publicly stated that they were trying to make something that recalled "90s optimism," which is sometimes nice and sometimes annoying.

That said, when it's not too poppy, it's great. The recordings are interesting, with thoughtful arrangements and the writing is really good (if you like this song, check out "Niagara Falls," which is downright beautifully composed).

Sadly, Shakes broke up last year. I always have this thing for recently broken-up bands. It's stupid.

This song, which walks the very thin too-poppy-or-just-poppy-enough tightrope with the precision of an indie Philippe Petit, is instantly likable. It's the kind of song you find yourself putting on repeat, and feeling a bit embarrassed about. The world isn't all sunshine and roses--that's for goddamn sure. But I suppose it's ok to pretend once in a while.



Strictly Game.mp3

I'm sick of slow rock.
I'm sick of quick quips.
Sick of holding onto nothing,
When I just want to hold your hips.