December [06] Podcast
(This is the tricked out feed with chapters and album art and all that good stuff. iTunes only though, but seriously who doesn’t use itunes. I want to hear from you!)
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01. Tokyo Police Club – “Box” – Nature of the Experiment (Single) [Paperbag Records]
You should already like TPC so this one should be a no brainer. Listen and enjoy.
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02. The Shins – “Phantom Limb” – Wincing the Night Away [Sub Pop]
Nope. We’re still not sick of this one yet. Will it ever get old? Will The Shins ever get boring? Will indie pop ever cease to exist? The future of said style could very well lie in the hands of The Shins. And as long as they continue to write tunes like this, the genre is in good hands.
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03. David & the Citizens – “The End” – Until the Sadness is Gone [Friendly Fire]
David & the Citizes are said to be the best thing to come from Sweden since IKEA, and although Peter Forsberg might have something to say about that, we’re not going to argue with that statement. Their new album, Until the Sadness is Gone, has finally received a proper US release and “The End,” which is the record’s opener, is a fine attempt at their sickly sweet Swedish pop. Nicely done.
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04. Quentin Stoltzfus – “Your Advice” – Unreleased
Quentin Stoltzfus is the principle member of the group Mazarin. If you missed out on their 2005 release, We’re Already There, then first chastise yourself and then go out and pick it up, because sadly the band we know as Mazarin no longer exists. Some legal troubles over their name has led to this unfortunate turn of events, (read more about the demise) but thankfully Quentin has continued on and given us this gem to pass the time. Good thing for us too, because Quentin has that Mazarin sound on lock, so their passing won’t be too sad of times.
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05. Julie Doiron – “No More” – Woke Myself Up [Jagjaguwar/Endearing]
Julie Doiron returns to the distortion on her upcoming album, Woke Myself Up. Well, not completely, but it is a bit more upbeat and rock-based then what we’ve come to expect from the Moncton-based, tranquil songstress. “No More” is a perfect example of her ability to take the simplest of melodies and turn it into a delectable song.
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06. Shelly Short – “Like Anything, It’s Small” – Captain Wild Horse (Rides The Heart Of Tomorrow) [Hush Records]
If you liked Jenny Lewis’ recent album then you will like this even more. Shelly Short has simply made a better record full of better songs. Period.
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07. St. Vincent – “These Days” – Unreleased
It started with Jackson Browne and came back to popularity when Wes Anderson used Nico’s version in the Royal Tenenbaums. Many others have followed in the cover parade, most notably the late Elliott Smith, Mates of State, Greg Allman and a few others. The most recent is St. Vincent’s version and while the song is a sad affair at its core, she seems to squeeze even more emotion from it, making it her own story of heartache and despair. Waiting for her debut is becoming more painful.
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08. Ad Astra Per Aspera – “Voodoo Economics” – Catapult Calypso [Sonic Unyon]
Hailing from Kansas, this five-piece shares similarities with Tokyo Police Club; like energetic almost-dancable tunes, slightly screaming vocals, and dark keyboards mixed with apocalyptic guitars. I declare them the sisters of TPC which makes them awesome. Buy Buy Buy.
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09. Shout Out Out Out Out – “Forever Indebted” – Not Saying / Just Saying [Nrmls Wlcm]
“Forever Indebted” is inviting, catchy, and has enough variation and clout, not to mention abso-danceablity, to keep you entertained and interested in Shout Out Out Out Out for years to come. If there is one track you need to hear by the band, it is this one.
Band Website
Label
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10. Oxford Collapse – “Please Visit Your National Parks” – Remember the Night Parties [Sub Pop]
For a band on Sub Pop, with some hipster background and a NYC residence, Oxford Collapse has a sound surprisingly close to the good ‘ol late ’90s emo heydays. A track like this one would have fit in pretty good back then, with the pleading vocals, the spiky guitar lines, and the mid tempo earnestness leaving the song sounding like a pepped up The Gloria Record. But in this case, as usual, avoiding hipness leads to high results.
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11. Radio Dept. – “Tell” – Pet Grief [Labrador]
A grossly overlooked album of 2006 (along with the Velvet Teen’s Cum Laude), not sure why, maybe because the blog world deemed them unworthy. Well we deem them worthy so uncover your eyes and check out ‘Tell’ by the Radio Dept., a soft and somber futuristic swedish dream-pop gem. The album is just as nice, and they are from Sweden so you know it’s good.
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12. Fred Thomas – “Wet as a Cloud” – Sink Like a Symphony [Corleone]
I’ll admit first, that my love for this song is biased. After all, Fred Thomas himself stood at our wedding and sang this as the soundtrack to my first married kiss and the following recessional. The song is included here, however, not because it was in my wedding; rather, the song was included in the wedding because it is a brilliant, love and hope filled testimonial to the vast and rich experiences of human emotion. Beyond emotion, the song conveys a desire to exist so comprehensively that one might become symbols of the things they do—“smoke like a cigarette,” or “dream like a bed.” So convincing is Fred Thomas’s performance on “Wet as a Cloud,” by the time he closes the song with an inevitable death, and tears that are “only the sound of your joy coming down,” it’s hard to see this song as anything but an ecstatic three minute catalog of life’s rich moments.
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Label
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13. Summer Hymns – “Pity and Envy” – Backward Masks [Misra]
Think M. Ward. Think folk. Think Summer Hymns. “Pity and Envy” is a very well-rounded track that showcases this band’s brilliance and keen sense of musical direction. Their new disc just came out and if you dig what you hear on this cut, then by all means check out the rest of the record.
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14. Woodpigeon – “Home As a Romanticized Concept Where Everyone Loves You Always and Forever” – Songbook [Rectangle]
Woodpigeon are an up and coming seven-piece from Calgary, Alberta. Although it’s hard to tell there are so many musicians collaborating to make this wonderful art on the surface, closer listens – perhaps with headphones – reveals all the intricacies that makes this collective so enjoyable. Woodpigeon are one of Canada’s best kept secrets and it’s time to spread the word. Stunning.
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15. Swan Lake – “The Freedom” – Beast Moans [Jagjaguwar]
Last time we hooked you up with a Spencer cut, so this time it’s Dan Bejar’s turn. Mr. Destroyer sounds magnificent and right at home singing along side his other super-band mates. While not as good as you might have expected, it has turned out to be a grower and Beasts Moans is still a hell of an album, full of dense and layered goodness. Maybe at a different time, without having the recent solo outings of Mr. Krug and Mr. Bejar to compare it to, this album would have garnered more praise and attention. Who knows.
