Well hello again, podcast fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #72!
First things first, a tremendous thank you to everybody who checked out the last couple of episodes. I have a ball putting together those "Best Of..." shows and I hope you had a ball listening to them.
However, now that 2015 is behind us, it's time to look ahead. This week's episode consists of jams, a good Scott Weiland rant, new Kanye, more jams getting the names of songs wrong, indie-prog, an introduction to Pytch records, some advice for getting through the winter, hot jams, gloom-pop, and a little bit of peace-making with my arch nemesis David Bowie. All that plus a batch of local jams, the Cover Of The Week, and the Flatbasset Flatclassic!
As always, Flatbasset Radio is completely free. Just click the Mixcloud player below and you're good to go.
02. Kanye West (w/Kendrick Lamar) - No More Parties In L.A.
03. Stone Temple Pilots - And So I Know
04. Death Cab For Cutie - All Is Full Of Love
05. Straya - Comma Spaceman
06. Ratking - Flurry
07. Ego Death - Now, Now
08. Garrison Grouse - Working On
09. William Within - Fall Into Her Uniform
10. David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
There you have it, everybody. Enjoy!
For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are
archived on his Mixcloud page. Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.
(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY. PLEASE VISIT NEWEST INDUSTRY FOR ALL KINDS OF TWIN CITIES RELATED STUFF.)
P.O.S., Dark Dark Dark, Benjamin
Gibbard, Allen Stone, & Gospel Gossip...
Well hello again, mp3 junkies!
Welcome to the thirteenth
installment of Songs Of The Week. If you're somehow still unfamiliar
with what this column is, each week we ask two of our regular
contributors to give us their thoughts on the five songs given away
by The Current via their Song Of The Day podcast.
This week we asked MinneSarah &
TCDroogsma to take a break from being the sexiest 30-somethings in
the Twin Cities and give us their thoughts. They have not read each
other's criticism prior to posting.
As always, we highly recommend that
you visit The Current's website and sign up for the podcast yourself.
Playing along at home is fun for the whole family!
To the right of this post you'll see
a poll. Feel free to vote for which of the five songs was your
favorite this week.
So, 30-somethings, what'd you think?
01. P.O.S.
(w/Justin Vernon) – Where We Land (from the album We Don't Even
Live Here)
MinneSarah:
P.O.S. is a MN treasure. This is
an indisputable fact, especially if you have listened to his last two
albums. Go buy We Don't Even Live Here!
The last P.O.S. album
provided me with immeasurable comfort when I was slogging
it out in Vancouver, so getting this album on my home turf is
especially satisfying. The tight lyrics and delivery are still
here, but this song shows that P.O.S. can still keep it fresh (was
that ever a concern, folks?). I especially appreciate how the lyrics
are about the things we cannot change, but must accept. "Fuck
it, it's what I got so I'll trust it." P.O.S. knows life
can have more downs than ups, but lyrics like these embrace both ends
of the spectrum. Hell, he makes that dude from Bon Iver sound good.
TCDroogsma:
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, I've really been digging this
new P.O.S. Record. I love everything that's going on in “Where We
Land,” the problem is that there's just too much going on. The
first ¾ of the song are absolute gold, but the Vernon verse near the
end seems unnecessary. Plus, every time I listen to the song I end
up with Fall Out Boy's “Thnk Fr Th Mmrs” in my head.
Final Score:
MinneSarah -4.5/5
TCDroogsma - 4/5
02. Dark Dark
Dark – Tell Me (from the album Who Needs Who?)
MinneSarah:
I'm not super familiar with Dark Dark
Dark, but I feel like I could rock this walking down the streets of
Portland (sorry, dated reference, we all know Portland is now
Minneapolis-lite). The redemption here is the singer's ability to capture sadness in her voice. The lyrics are
about a relationship not living up to expectations, which is not the
most original sentiment, but the singer sells it. Pairing
crunchy guitar with a solid piano line is a good move, but it's the
singer who really carries the song. As far as hipster old world
meets Americana, this is a much better specimen than most
of those type of bands on the market.
TCDroogsma:
All the songs I've heard by Dark Dark Dark in the past have been
slow, moody, and meticulous. When I read that Nona Marie Invie &
Marshall LaCount (the principle songwriters in the band) had broken
up... Well, let's just say I wasn't expecting this song.
Honestly, “Tell Me” is a surprisingly upbeat, dare I say, pop
song. Not only that, it's actually an incredible love song. “I
want to live in the time when you cherished me, oh, to go back to the
place when your hands moved over me...” Jesus Christ! That is a
soul crushing line. I have no idea how they could play this song
together without just collapsing. Just a brilliant single.
Final Score:
MinneSarah -3.5/5
TCDroogsma – 4.5/5
03. Benjamin
Gibbard – Hard One To Know (Live at the KEXP Studio)
MinneSarah:
This guy again? Live acoustic
performance? Don't get me wrong, I love when girls sing about
bad relationships - it's sort of our birthright. But when guys
whine and whine, it's not sexy. I guess it works sometimes - a
Sean Na Na lyric comes to mind - "All those little diary guys
with their doe-ey doe-ey eyes - are programming their radio shows
like a mix tape for your thighs."
The lyrics are pretty much -
"girl you're so special; sometimes that annoys me; sometimes I feel
lucky; you are a wild card but ultimately you make me feel bad; does
anybody else want to date a sensitive guy holding a guitar?" Also,
Current, you had to take this one from Seattle's KEXP? Playing
Ben Gibbard every hour for the past two weeks hasn't lured him to
your studios for a live performance? For those who don't know,
KEXP does it's own song of the week podcast, and I have discovered a
wealth of music from that free resource.
TCDroogsma:
Ben Gibbard recording live at a Seattle radio station? I'm surprised
they were able to stop jerking each other off long enough to actually
record a song.
Listen, Benjamin, I'm sure breaking up with Zooey Deschanel sucked.
She's ultra foxy. But, “you tell me to stay and then you tell me
to go...” Not sure if you're aware, Benny, but bitches be crazy.
Frreal, though. If this is your attempt at an “angry kiss off”
type-song then you're failing. Badly. I hate any situation that
leads to me advocating a spinning of Blood On The Tracks, but
this, “I just don't understand what you want from me!” pose isn't
a good look. Grow a pair.
Final Score:
MinneSarah -1.5/5
TCDroogsma - 1/5
04. Allen Stone
– Sleep (from the album Allen Stone)
MinneSarah:
If you haven't fallen asleep during
that last song, get ready to wake up. Allen Stone is pulling at
that old school R&B revival, but get this - he looks like Beck's
cousin. If that doesn't still count for something these days,
then I am completely out of touch with the kids (this point is
debatable). Upbeat songs are always awesome. Chronicling
tales of woe associated with insomnia is usually not interesting, but
Allen makes it enjoyable. There is a section of call and response
where his friends and or family (or singers he's paid) try and offer
cures, but he's just not having that. If you see a guy who
looks like Beck's little cousin with dark circles underneath his
eyes, for the love of cats, go pat him on the back.
TCDroogsma:
I would rather listen to 50 Ben Gibbard outtakes than this "New Motown" shit. I blame Cee-Lo.
Final Score:
MinneSarah -3/5
TCDroogsma - 0/5
05. Gospel
Gossip – Atlantic Blue (from the EP Atlantic Blue)
MinneSarah:
Shoegaze is back! 'Bout time?
Listen to this song and discuss amongst yourselves. I don't
have a lot to report about this song. It is sort of Sigur Ros
meets My Bloody Valentine. It seems a lot longer than 3:41.
Even the tambourine is subdued in a sea of reverb. Hey, Allen,
I've got just the thing for you!
TCDroogsma:
I wouldn't say I love Gospel Gossip. I mean, I don't own any of
their albums and the one time I saw them I thought they were.... meh.
And yet, this is the third song I've really listened to from them
and I find that I certainly appreciate them. The reverbed guitars
and somewhat indifferent vocals don't sound like 90's posturing so
much as they sound like Gospel Gossip genuinely still thinks it's
1996. I can definitely get behind that.
Final Score:
MinneSarah -2/5
TCDroogsma – 3.5/5
There you have
it, everybody! Another week of songs listened to, reviewed and filed
away.
As always we
would like to note that this blog and its contributors are in no way
affiliated with The Current, MPR, or any of the artists.
For more
MinneSarah she can be found on Twitter & Instagram (@MinneSarah).
Be patient, she's a good follow.
For more
TCDroogsma he can be found on Twitter & Instagram (@TCDroogsma).
He can also be found on his personal blog Flatbasset or on this blog
yammering like an idiot on his Flatbasset Radio Podcast.
Lastly, this
blog has a Twitter home (@NewestIndustry1) which you should follow to
stay up on all the work being done by our contributors. We also have
a Facebook page here. Stop by and give us a “like” if you happen
to find yourself bored and killing time on Facebook. Which you're
actually probably doing in another tab right now.
