Songs Of The Week #64: TCDroogsma & MineSarah

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Darkside, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Ha Ha Tonka, Polvo, & France Camp...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #64!

For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01.  Darkside - Golden Arrow (from the album Psychic)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Over the past five or six year I've really gotten to a place in my life where I can sit an enjoy a long instrumental.  Beat tapes & instrumental EP's account for quite a bit of the music I've acquired lately.  Honestly, I was kind of excited to spend a week with this one.

     "Golden Arrow" is an OK song that suffers from mis-formatting.  It's made up of three distinct parts, which would be fine if they blended together (or if this were an EP rather than a single track), but these parts literally end before the next one begins, leaving "Golden Arrow" feeling like three different tracks (though it did make my morning coffee & hashbrown preparation seem pretty epic).  Unlike, say, that Boards Of Canada song we reviewed a couple of months back, "Golden Arrow" doesn't feel like part of a a larger whole.  Rather, it feels like three kinda-sorta ideas placed in order, but hardly "together."

MinneSarah:

     It was bound to happen that The Current would post a 12 minute long song to the Song of the Day podcast.  Golden Arrow is a an experimental electronic duo out of Brooklyn and the folks over at Pitchfork have an absolute hard on for them. You can tell this act has some chutzpuh, because they are not afraid to leave you on the line for the first 6 minutes of "Darkside."  The song picks up, adds some drums ... and then ... vocals that make me wonder if they went back in time and snagged Sting before he had a chance to join The Police.  That first six minutes may just be the ambient noise of a time machine.  It's one of those songs that draws the listener in as it acquires layers, but be warned, it's a slow grow.


Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                               MinneSarah: 3/5

02.  Unknown Mortal Orchestra - No Need For A Leader (from the EP Blue Record)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I feel a little bit strange reviewing this song now that the weather's changed since it's parent album II was one of my favorite's this summer.  In my brain "No Need For A Leader" soundtracks super hot strolls downtown.  It seems very out of place at the end of October.

     I suppose that's my brain's problem, though, and not the song's.  I picked up II on the strength of "So Good At Being In Trouble," a Motown-esque pop song masquerading as indie rock.  Where that song stood on pillars of immaculate hooks and relatable lyrics of relationship problems, "No Need For A Leader" leans heavily on groove, mood, & psychedelic lyrics.  Typically you wouldn't be able to sell me on that formula, but I made up my mind on this one a while ago and I'm on board.

MinneSarah:

     Funky and psychedelic sounding, "No Need For A Leader," is a catchy song straight on the cusp of 1972 turns into 2013.  The song features a substantial bass solo, and it is certainly the lower tones that drive the song forward in a fun and upbeat way. The vocals are higher pitched and have an echo effect, and the lyrics are as trippy as the rest of the song -  "Don't like to fall, but when we go down, we'll tip toe" and "We ate all the bones and wondered why there were no bones left."  At nearly six minutes, this song gets a little jam band, but at that point in a song, you are either going back in time or jamming out.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                               MinneSarah: 3.5/5

03.  Ha Ha Tonka - Colorful Kids (from the album Lessons)

 
TCDroogsma:

     While it's no secret that I'm a fan of power-pop, "Colorful Kids" just didn't do it for me.  At it's core it's an honest song with an honest sentiment, but Ha Ha Tonka sounds like they're doing everything in their power to pull the song somewhere else.  We're treated to some of indie rock's most exhausted tricks: group vocals, stop/start guitar work, a choir (for some reason)...  Spending the whole song trying to hide it's pure heart with every bell & whistle they can find, Ha Ha Tonka leaves me wondering if maybe that "honest" sentiment is just another of their poses.

MinneSarah:

     As far as this modern Americana trend, Ha Ha Tonka ain't half bad.  "Colorful Kids" is a catchy folky tune ... until they bring in the 2010's folk revival requisite choral accompaniment. However, the bridge is pretty creative, so it comes back from the cliche and goes in its own unique direction.  The lyrics are repetitive - they had color until the black and white world sucked it out of them.  As would any band from Missouri worth its weight in Provel, they call out Huckelberry Finn to teach them how to run away. You know Mark Twain doesn't get a fair share in literary shout outs in songs these days. #useyourallusion

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2/5
                               MinneSarah: 2.5/5

04.  Polvo - Total Immersion (from the album In Prism)

 
TCDroogsma:

     "Total Immersion" just might be the most appropriately named single of 2013.

     Polvo begins the song knocking a groove back & forth as if they're just warming up.  When the lyrics open with line, "The hippie was gone before the lights came on..." I expected a six minute story as to just what happened to the hippie.  Evidently, it doesn't matter.  Polvo quickly abandons telling us a story and focuses on crafting a shape-shifting groove that resembles what it feels like to drive around in a heavy fog.  Every so often a vocal hook or guitar line stands out like a recognized street or a stoplight, which is what makes "Total Immersion" so much fun.  It's recognizable (at least to a 31 year old), but also curiously left-of-center.

MinneSarah:

     The 90's were the best decade I have had the pleasure of living through.  I'm not just saying that out of nostalgia - ask any 19 year old working at Urban Outfitters - it's the truth.  While I never heard of Polvo during the 90's, this Chapel Hill band is reforming to let all the 90's enthusiasts know what we missed while we were debating which pair of Docs to wear to Lollapalooza.

     "Total Immersion" is guitar driven and dissonant.  The vocals barely break through the melee of the drums/bass/guitar, which puts them on par with the other instruments, not out front.  Clocking in at just under seven minutes, this song maintains interest by not letting any part get stale - it switches up before patterns form, yet can still be considered a coherent work - well done.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                               MinneSarah: 4/5

05.  France Camp - Ghost Town (from the album France Camp)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I spent years and years calling for more Twin Cities bands to let their guard down, pour some whiskey, turn up their guitars, and see what happens.  Evidently I wasn't alone.

     Acts like Nallo, The Chambermaids, Pony Trash, Fury Things, & Prissy Clerks have helped to re-establish the rock 'n roll side of Minneapolis lately.  "Ghost Town" may not have the hooks of some of those bands, but if they're going to sell a song with this much spirit it doesn't really matter.  At it's reverb-drenched core "Ghost Town" just the type of fast-and-loose-and-tipsy rock n roll that the Twin Cities were built on.

MinneSarah:

     If France Camp were a real place, or at least as real as Rock And Roll High School, I'd visit based on this song,..but I probably can because this song sounds like a live show, and I'm pretty sure they play shows.  The band sounds like they are having a good time while playing "Ghost Town" and that brings a distinct charm to the low-fi recording.The vocals move between melodic and screaming, the lyrics sound appropriately accusatory, and the tempos switches will keep you guessing. Jangly California guitar makes this song a modern soundtrack to your next North Shore road trip - bring beer.


Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                               MinneSarah: 3.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column




For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Newest Industry Presents: Flatbasset Radio - Episode #22

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

You know I try so hard...

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #22!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream!

In this week's episode Droogsy finds the perfect song for autumn driving, continues to struggle with French, admits that he still hasn't grown out of his emo phase, questions the benefits of indie distribution model, celebrates a classic hip-hop album's anniversary, reminisces on small town, big box record buying, plays a radio commercial from the 70's, & pays tribute to a fallen rock n roll icon.

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbassset Radio - Episode #22

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #22 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. The Rolling Stones - Beast Of Burden
02. Steddy P & DJ Mahf (w/Mad Dukez) - Get Up
03. Cruel Love - I Am The Airplane
04. BNLX - Opposites Attract
05. The Central Division - It's Not The Heat, It's The Humility
06. Atmosphere - Lifter Puller
07. Graham Coxon - In A Salty Sea
08. P.O.S. (w/Justin Vernon) - How We Land (MDS RMX)
09. Bars Of Gold - Coffee With Pele
10. Heems - Killing Time
11. King Krule - Border Line
12. Lou Reed - Perfect Day (Acoustic Demo)

There you have it, music fans! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry reviewing singles in our Songs Of The Week column. Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.  

Album Of The Week: October 28-November 3, 2013

My Album Of The Week for the week of October 28th-November 3rd, 2013:

P.O.S. - WDELH/MDS/RMX

I'm pretty excited about this one.  It took me quite a while to come around on P.O.S. We Don't Even Live Here.  Considering that his last record, Never Better, I thin it's fair to say that it was initially a disappointment.  I've since come around on the record and, to be fair, comparing it to Never Better was never totally fair considering that album was an absolute wrecking ball (never mind the fact that I was living in New York and desperate for something that reminded me of home at the time).

I've also come around a bit on the whole Marijuana Deathsquads experience.  Like most people I was pretty confused, initially, by exactly what MDS was all about at the beginning.  Fortunately, through a combination of live shows & excessive spins of both their Tamper, Disable, Destroy (the hip-hop one) and Music Rocks I & II (the noisy one), I think I get it now.  Both of those albums have been albums of the week before and I've learned that anything under the "Marijuana Deathsquads" label deserves, and rewards, repeated spins.

Like Tamper, Disable, Destroy and Music Rocks I & II, WDELH/MDS/RMX is a free download.  Even if you've never heard P.O.S. or the original We Don't Even Live Here you should give this one a few spins.

Songs Of The Week #63: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Goldspot, The Dismemberment Plan, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, King Krule, & SCRNS...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #63!

For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01.  Goldspot - Abyss (from the album Aerogramme)

 
TCDroogsma:

     As I was working on this review I found myself reading about Goldspot and it all sounded so awful.  Their influenced by psychedielic rock & Indian pop music.  Their big break was on Morning Becomes Eclectic.  Perhaps most damning of all, "Imagine Paul Simon heading to Mumbai to record his next record and listening to the Cure on the flight and you're getting close."  Paul Simon!?! Yeesh!
     
     Fortunately, almost none of that bullshit surrounding "Abyss" matters because, at its heart, it's a tried and true pop song about loss, regret, and better days ahead.  The lyrics contain some mumbo jumbo about being a butterfly & and a castaway, blah, blah, blah... None of it matters when you get to the drop off & subsequent incline of the chorus. 

MinneSarah:

     The Beatles are still influencing just about every band on the planet - some more than others.  "Abyss" is a polished sounding song, which would not sound out of place on a finale of a television drama.  It has got a lot of pop, and more than a few strings - including an Indian sounding instrument worked in for good measure. While the lyrics are about turning back time and forgetting everything that has ever happened, the delivery makes it sound like a net positive.  The singer's voice is decisive and smooth, creating a comforting constant.

     This song is basically setting the bar for this type of modern sounding 60's pop revival, and setting it up for mass market appeal.  However, it may be forever stamped with 2013-2014, or perhaps this trend is here to stay and Goldspot will be the one influencing a genre forty years from now. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                              MinneSarah: 3/5

02.  The Dismemberment Plan - Daddy Was A Real Good Dancer (from the album Uncanny Valley)

TCDroogsma:

     I wouldn't call myself a big fan of The Dismemberment Plan, but that's more a lack of exposure than judgement.  I only know one song of theirs ("You Are Invited") and it's a pretty fine song.  Also, there lead singer's name is Travis.  I can get behind that.

     My point is, I was kind of excited to see their name in this week's songs.  "Daddy Was A Real Good Dancer" is an enjoyable three-and-a-half minutes.  The guitars have a slide-guitar sort of sound while the drums shuffle around implying you to have a go at dancing yourself.  Travis Morrison's lyrics carry a surprising weight regarding children, parents, expectation, & responsibility.  However, Morrisson does a great job of keeping it all light, never selling the emotions (or the joke) too hard.

MinneSarah:

     This twangy tune is an ode to a dad, from his son.  It highlights the folklore that we have of our parents and the lives they led before we were born.  While we grow up to fill out our understanding of our parents as real people with real foibles, we view them with more compassion.  This song is sweet - the lyrics and title refer to "daddy" with a childlike awe despite coming from the perspective of a grown man (and new father) who is speaking of the father as a removed party.  The sentiment is incredibly sweet and relate-able.  As far as something worth listening to more than once or twice, you'd have to be a fan of The Dismemberment Plan or perhaps just an enthusiastic progeny. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 2.5/5

03.  Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - Nightwater Girlfriend (from the album Fly By Wire)

TCDroogsma:

     Speaking of bands I was excited to see this week...

     Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin won me over forever a few years ago with the song "Think I Wanna Die" from this very same podcast.  That's one of my favorite songs of the decade.  "Nightwater Girlfriend" sticks with the Apples In Stereo vocals & hooks, but wraps the whole thing up in some fuzzed out bass work.  All of which makes for a great song until the 2:14 mark, at which point a Steely Dan smooth funk workout shows up to push the song over the top.  Fantastic.

MinneSarah:

     "Nightwater Girlfriend" is an upbeat, handclapping, dance around your underwear sort of song.  I'm not familiar with SSLYBY, but this song reminded me a lot of that Black Kids' song "I'm Not Gonna Teach your Boyfriend How To Dance With You"  The chorus sounds like it came out of the film The Craft - "Don't turn your power on me," makes it sound like a Wiccan chant or disclaimer.  While the rest of the song sounds like a normal 2000's style pop song, it does feature a much appreciated neo-disco interlude in which the singer raises his voice a few octaves.  Impressive. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                              MinneSarah: 3/5

04.  King Krule - Border Line (from the album 6 Feet Beneath The Moon)

TCDroogsma:

     When I first heard King Krule's "Out Getting Ribs" a few years ago I wasn't blown away.  Ginger solidarity aside, it just kind of rambled along.  The guitar work had some of that I-grew-up-on-The-Smiths charm, but the song lacked much of a hook.  It was as if the novelty of that rich, baritone voice coming from a skinny 19 year old was the only thought out selling point.

     "Border Line" takes all those disparate parts and fashions them into a hell of a pop song.  As I spent the week with this one I kept finding myself thinking of Lou Reed's classic Transformer album.  Like post-Velvets Reed, King Krule seems to have chosen to leave behind attempts at profundity and embraced a sense of style.  Unlike "Out Getting Ribs," you don't necessarily have to listen to the lyrics, man...  "Border Line's" lighthearted swagger creates the perfect canvas King Krule's 19-year-old lamentations.

MinneSarah:

     What a lovely, chill song.  "Border Line" starts out with a pizzicato gypsy jazz guitar and eases in a hip-hop drum beat.  Archy Marshall's voice is booming and full of bass - you'd never guess that it's coming out of a 19 year old British kid.  The plausibility of this feat emphasizes the elasticity and relevancy of British music. There is a bittersweet feel to the song which makes it seem genuine, and the overwhelming result is uplifting.  This song sounds sophisticated yet simple.  I love it - while listening to all the songs this week, I had a hard time not just replaying this one. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                              MinneSarah: 4.5/5

05.  SCRNS - TTYN

TCDroogsma:

     Everything about SCRNS screams (or rather, dismissively sighs) "No."  Another Twin Cities synth-pop act?  It's the side project of the bass player from Howler?  Howler's still a thing?  The singer is a ballerina turned vocalist?  Why do they hate vowels?  Y's a vowel sometimes.  I ride hard for Y as a vowel.

     Despite those long odds, SCRNS pulls it off with "TTYN."  They aren't reinventing the synth-pop wheel by any stretch, but that's a compliment.  Rather, they're not overthinking it.  That "I'm a serious artist" vibe that hangs over so many Twin Cities synth acts is, thankfully, non-existent.  Echoing the playfulness of MGMT's "Time To Pretend", SCRNS stated goal of making it burn, pushing it higher, making stupid dreams come true, & "set your goals, get your cash, and forget all your friends" seems like reasonable career choices if bass playing and ballet performance don't work out.

MinneSarah:

     Lyrically, "TTYN" has the most tongue-in-cheek lines of any song I've heard.  This electro-pop song is led by sweet yet strong vocals which are pulled in several directions with different vocal effects. Lyrics like, "Make your stupid dreams come true." and "Set your goals, get your cash and forget all your friends." make it sound like they were straight out of the egotistical hip-hop lyric book.  However, the dissonance between the delivery and the lyrics sets up a compelling dynamic - plus the chorus is out of this world catchy.  The acronyms are lost to me, but I'm sure hipsters across the country will be texting both the band and the song to each other and the naming choices just saved some time.  

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3/5
                              MinneSarah: 4/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column




For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Album Of The Week: October 21-27, 2013

My Album Of The Week for the week of October 21st-27th, 2013:

Holographic Sands - House Ghost

A few weeks back MinneSarah I reviewed a song called "Take Off" by Holographic Sands for Songs Of The Week #60 over on Newest Industry.  MinneSarah is a bigger fan of this than I am.  Where she heard, "elements of the sixties garage rock and country pop that influenced the whole of American pop for years to come,"  I heard just a straight take on that old Buddy Holly-type rock & roll.

However, as I've learned repeatedly (most recently with Speed's The Name's No Planets Exist), just because I don't like one song by a band doesn't mean I won't like the band.  I headed over to Holographic Sands Bandcamp page just to find out a little more about the band and ended up downloading this House Ghost EP.

I gave it a spin a couple of days ago and it appears Holographic Sands and I may have gotten off on the wrong foot.  This EP has a less produced sound, but more importantly, is delightfully skewed, at times sounding like one of Frank Black's more laid-back efforts (think Honeycomb).  At the very least this is worth spending a week with.

Newest Industry Presents: Flatbasset Radio - Episode #21

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Give us a drink and make it quick...

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #21!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream!

In this week's episode Droogsy looks forward to that cane life, admires a revenge-based trailblazer, reads to us from the New York Times, questions the drinking habits of his peers, admits to missing the point of most songs, dedicates a song to good pet owners, mispronounces both accessories & band names, finds himself in a "Remix Warp," calls for Uptown's transition to "Little Woodbury," and pays tribute to a Twin Cities icon.

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio - Episode #21

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #21 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01.  MaLLy - Dead Art Painting (Intro)
02.  Bob Mould - The Silence Between Us
03.  Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - City (w/Karriem Riggins)
04.  The Chambermaids - Electric Sky
05.  Morrissey - Our Frank
06.  Madvillain - Strange Ways (Koushik's Remix)
07.  Citroën - Terminal Bliss
08.  The Promise Ring - Become One Anything One Time
09.  Speech DeBelle - The Key
10.  Turbo Fruits - Mama's Mad Cos I Fried My Brain
11.  Thurston Moore - Friend
12.  Eyedea & Abilities - Music Music

There you have it, music fans! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry reviewing singles in our Songs Of The Week column. Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #62: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Holy Ghost!, Johnny Flynn, Tristen, Califone, & Strange Names...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #62!

For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Holy Ghost - Okay (from the album Dynamics)

 
TCDroogsma:

     It's kind of funny that just a few months ago Depeche Mode released Delta Machine, a peculiar album that found Martin Gore & Dave Gahan exploring blues sounds.  Of course nobody really wanted this album, but Gore & Gahan know that they'll be crucified if they just keep returning to the same old synth-doom-pop well over and over again.  And yet when someone like Holy Ghost! comes along and basically writes a Depeche Mode song everybody loses their shit.  Hardly seems fair, eh?

     Fair or not, it's obvious why people love this one.  "Okay" starts off like an update of another classic NYC song, The Walkmen's "The Rat."  "Surely, you're joking, calling me this late..." greets us with the sort of polite anger that requires a wall of synth-perfection to seem realistic.  Sadly, instead of the decisive rage of Hamilton Leithauser we're treated to a sob story of Brooklynites at their most insufferable, getting drunk & trying to figure out if their broken up or not.  The synth-hooks of "Okay" will remind you of "Enjoy The Silence," the lyrics will make you long for it.

MinneSarah:

     Holy Ghost! basically ruled summer of 2011 - in my mind, they are the Smash Mouth of indie electronic. It takes a little getting used to for me to fully embrace their music in the fall, but "Okay" does the job of subduing the poppiness but losing none of the charm.

     The song opens with electronic noises reminiscent of early Depeche Mode, but the rest of the song is more downbeat than Martin Gore's idealistic start.   Holy Ghost! adds their own hipster cynicism to the tried and true equation.  The lyrics reflect disappointed capitulation - Holy Ghost! isn't happy, but they're not going to sweat it too hard, there's always tomorrow.  As far as indie electronic, Holy Ghost! does not disappoint and this song could easily help usher in the fall.  

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3/5
                              MinneSarah - 4/5

02. Johnny Flynn - The Lady Is Risen (from the album Country Mile)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Googling Johnny Flynn provided me with the following information:  He's typically backed by a band called "The Sussex Wit."  He's an actor, poet, & songwriter.  And he cites Yeats & Shakespeare as an influence.

     "The Lady Is Risen" is pretty much just what you'd expect based on those facts and the picture above.  It's a folky, strummy number that opens with the couplet, "She loves full & true, as a fighting bequest/she was given her earth by a sea come to rest..."  If that's what having Yeats on your side is like then god bless Morrissey.

     The song fleshes out nicely (specifically the keyboard line that sounds like it was beamed in from an old AM radio broadcast).  Flynn barbles along in this overly poetic style for most of the song, but redeems himself by cutting through his own pomposity with one knowing line: "Y'know, life isn't always like the end of your novels.  Oh, things might wind up, but they always unravel"  Ain't that the truth.

MinneSarah:

     Leave it to the Brits to add horns to folk music?  I'm not a fan of folk, but at least as an American, I can call it like I see it.

     This young lad may have been influenced by American folk and apparently mariachi horns, but that's a tall order to combine into a single song.  The horns actually help the song move forward, and Johnny's voice is more robust than first anticipated.  However, there is some background "ooh-ing" as similar and yet out of place as Donna and Maddie's love circle backing vocals in season two of Twin Peaks.  The lyrics may be "too personal" to make sense to a lay-listener, but pressed to explain I'd say there is a love story in there somewhere. As far as Folk Nouveau goes, this song is putting an interesting new twist on a trend that our generation should never have embraced. 

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3/5
                              MinneSarah - 2/5

03. Tristen - No One's Gonna Know (from the album Caves)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I don't really know what's going on over at The Current with regards to this Southern Woman Renaissance.  This month it's Tristen, last month it was Amanda Shires, a month before that it was Cheyenne Mize... It's not that their bad songs (though, as the reviews have shown, I wouldn't describe them as "good songs" either), I guess I just didn't realize that this was going to be the next big sound.

     Compared to those artists I found that I liked Tristen a little more.  "No One's Gonna Know" skews less country and more indie, though it does lose some personality in the process.  Oddly it combines the attempted poetry of Johnny Flynn ("You were always with care, a run up to the shoe...") with the ADD hooks of Holy Ghost!  Tristen splits the difference between those two in a way that would likely leave both Holy Ghost & Johnny Flynn offended by the comparison.

MinneSarah:

     This song starts out with a bass-y electronic, almost tropical beat. "No One's Gonna Know" is segmented to the extreme.  If you get bored easily, this song drifts between luau to spooky luau to Olivia Newton-John to hymn-like seriousness during the course of the song.  There is nothing to bridge the incoherent parts together.  Tristen's voice is strong and clear, albeit pouty.  However, I became annoyed by the lack of focus and cavalier transitions. 

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2/5
                              MinneSarah - 1/5

04. Califone - Frosted Tips (from the album Stitches)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Based on "Frosted Tips" I'm left with the conclusion that Califone is the second-best dad rock band to call Chicago home.

     As a 31 year old I find "Frosted Tips" enjoyably cynical.  The refrain of, "watching the new world die" is delivered with a smirk instead of malice.  Hell, even the title "frosted tips" seems like a reference to the kind of thing nobody's mocked since the late 90's.  The song suffers a bit from the non-descript vocals, but more than makes up for it with feedback & tape loops that sound like the first generation of Mission Of Burma disciples.

MinneSarah:

     Hooray!  A song with horns and strings that is well done and not gimmicky.  This low-fi, alt-rock gem reminds me of everything that was good about the world in 1997.  "Frosted Tips" is layered with horns, strings and electronic noises, but at its base is a good rock song with guitars, bass and drums.  It sounds down to earth, but still catchy and modern.  While the lyrics are repetitive, they still manage to sound sincere.  This song could easily be the main song for Wes Anderson's next film!

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3/5
                              MinneSarah - 4/5

05. Strange Names - Potential Wife (Information Society Remix)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I remember back in the 90's when remixes really started being a legit thing.  I'd hear that some song that I liked (invariably something British) had a remix, seek it out in the semi-old fashioned manner of ordering a CD single of CDNow.com, and, 12-15 days later, be disappointed when it was essentially the exact same track with all the guitars removed and a drum machine pulsing a double-time beat where the drums used to be.

    All of this is to say that this remix of "Potential Wife" leaves me disappointed.  The struggle for the Information Society may be that the original was a stone cold jam, with all the hooks anybody could want.  Hell, the original was even plenty danceable at its pace.  Adding some pulsing synths, bells, and vocal effects just isn't doing much for me.  It's difficult to improve on "Awesome!"

MinneSarah:

     As fall gets drearier, the importance of upbeat music cannot be understated.  The original version of "Potential Wife" stands on its own and brings out all the best in indie music right now.  "Ooohs" and "ahhhhs," to be sure, but also upbeat guitar and prominently guiding bass.  The lead singer's voice perfectly carries the song, mixed with aloofness and enthusiasm.

     As if that isn't enough, Strange Names had the rare privilege of getting mixed by Twin Cities finest electronic group, Information Society, for this version!  As Information Society work their magic, the tempo is increased, the drum machine is cued up, and the vocals are massaged with well placed electronic effects.  The partnership adds energy to the song and strives to improve an already excellent song.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2/5
                              MinneSarah - 4.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. 

Album Of The Week: October 14-20, 2013

My Album Of The Week for the week of October 14th-20th, 2013:

Citroën - Anachronaut

I'm spending a week with this one on a bit of a whim.

I found about Citroën because they were kind enough to follow Newest Industry on Twitter.  Here's how they described themselves in their Twitter bio:

"We write songs for lost cosmonauts, lonely mathematicians, and handsome fishmongers."

While I'm far too dumb to understand space, mathematics, or the intricacies of fishmongering (hell, I'm not even certain how to pronounce "Citroën"I did follow a link to their Bandcamp page and found Anachronaut as a "Name Your Price" download.  It's got a nice post-punk vibe to it.  If nothing else, at least give the song "Terminal Bliss" a listen.

Songs Of The Week #61: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

(THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARS ON THE TWIN CITIES BLOG NEWEST INDUSTRY)

Gipsy Kings, Jeremy Messersmith, Basia Bulat, Jonathan Rice, & The Chambermaids...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #61!

For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01.  Gipsy Kings - Samba Samba (from the album Savor Flamenco)

TCDroogsma:

     I'll be the first to admit that it's not totally fair that I'm tasked with reviewing a song by an act who plays a style of music that I have no real affinity for.  The fact that Gipsy Kings has been together 4 years longer than I've been alive is the icing on the cake.

     However, as a white male between the ages of 21-35 I'm The Current's target demographic and, for reasons I don't totally understand, they think this is what I want to hear.  Maybe they think that, as a 31 year old white guy, I need to listen to music in a different language so I can validate myself as a "unique" or "interesting."

     Well, as I think we've proven in the last 60 weeks, I'm neither of those things.  "Samba Samba" is a brief yet pleasant excursion into flamenco-pop, a genre I know so little about that I can't really tell if it's good or bad.  Lack of knowledge notwithstanding, I wouldn't say "Samba Samba" is bad, just curiously out of place.

MinneSarah:

     "Samba Samba" is a confusing song.  As far as I remember, samba music is Brazilian, yet the guitar sounds Flamenco.  Then I research the Gipsy Kings and find that they are the biggest traditional Spanish music band out of France.  You would have to be in the right mood for this song to be truly listenable - it does encourage you to dance, but it is also not the style of music you come across everyday.

     Although, Gipsy Kings sell out stadiums in Europe, so there is a large enough following outside of Minnesota where this sound transcends themed brunch music.  As a huge fan of Arrested Development, the best I can describe this song is a suitable soundtrack to your next BoyFight.  Don't worry if you don't know any Spanish - if you can sing the word samba 30 times, you've got this one. 

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
                              MinneSarah - 2/5

02.  Jeremy Messersmith - Tourniquet (from the album Heart Murmurs)

TCDroogsma:

     I've been a defender of Jeremy Messersmith ever since his The Silver City album.  Yes, I realize that he's a bespectacled, oh-so-quirky singer-songwriter.  Yes, I realize that the local media adores him to a comical degree.  Yes, I can't defend those glasses.  But that album really stood up as a unique take on growing out of your rebellious days and settling into adulthood.  Wrapping it up in a neat little MPLS-based power-pop package certainly didn't hurt.

     Sadly, "Tourniquet" makes me look like a fool.  The "struggling adult" nuance of "The Communter" is nowhere to be found.  Gone are the whip-sharp hooks of "Organ Donor."  In it's place we're treated to this hook-less dirge as Messersmith tries to fix somebody.  "No I won't let you slip, I'll be your tourniquet..."  Yikes.  Even Chris Martin, a guy who wrote a song called "Fix You," wouldn't write that.

MinneSarah:

     This song is too sad, but Jeremy Messersmith doesn't want you to give up hope.  As someone who just put a cat down, I found myself sobbing while listening to "Tourniquet."  Perhaps this song could replace that Sarah McLachlan song as the ASPCA tearjerker?  The chorus is catchy, there is a dreamy violin interlude, and the song builds to an epic finish.

     "Tourniquet" may tempt you invent dire situations to see if Jeremy would come to your door when you needed him most. I'm sure that under normal circumstances, this song would be the motivational ballad it intends to be, but given my current outlook, this baby was a downer.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 1/5
                              MinneSarah - 3/5

03.  Basia Bulat - Tall Tall Shadow (from the album Tall Tall Shadow)

TCDroogsma:

     I'll be honest, the equation of folk music + Canadia + autoharp almost rarely adds up to "song I like," so kudos to Basia Bulat for "Tall Tall Shadow."  I blame the metric system.

     "Tall Tall Shadow" revolves around the premise that you can't outrun the person you are, which could be a depressing prospect for some.  Fortunately, Bulat (with no small contribution from her drummer & backup singers) gives the song enough forward thrust to make the concept seem empowering.  You should probably embrace it, because you aren't escaping it.

MinneSarah:

     Basia Bulat has a strong and unique voice which dominates every second of "Tall Tall Shadow." While one could write her off as another Canadian gal with a powerful voice and an autoharp, Basia has a quality that convinces the listener that she is passionately sincere.  The lyrics describe wanting to escape yourself but finding your past following you.  Deconstructed, I'll quote Delta Burke in Designing Women, "Wherever I go, there I am."

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
                              MinneSarah - 3/5

04.  Johnathan Rice - Nowhere At The Speed Of Light (from the album Good Graces)

TCDroogsma:

     It may have been wishful thinking on my part, but when I checked out the songs I would be spending the week with I initially read this one as "Jonathan Richman."  You can imagine, then, how excited I was when "Nowhere At The Speed Of Light" turned out to the type of power-pop gem that a young Richman in his prime would have tossed out.

     A lot of times it's one stupid, curious thing that makes a song appealing and with "Nowhere At The Speed Of Light" it's that one little lead guitar noise that pops up.  You wouldn't think one little hook could give a song so much character, but it's absolutely essential to creating the sense of just how quickly Rice is speeding toward nowhere.  At the very least he sounds like he's having a fine time getting there.

MinneSarah:

     The guitars in this song really sell it - painfully upbeat and delightfully distorted.  While one could argue that the repetitiveness of this song makes it "go nowhere at the speed of light," at least it is a pleasant way to travel that quickly.  The lyrics are a little melodramatic, but what else would you expect from a guy who was introduced to his girlfriend by Connor Oberst?  This song was the catchiest this week, and its enjoyable poppy hooks do not exceed three minutes.  Nailed it. 

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 4/5
                              MinneSarah - 3.5/5

05.  The Chambermaids - Electric Sky (from the album Whatever Happened Tomorrow)

TCDroogsma:

     By my count this is the fourth song The Chambermaids have released via The Current Song Of The Day since 2007.  Each one of those songs has been better than the last one and with its rich, full sound "Electric Sky" continues that trajectory.

     The Chambermaids are almost the opposite of my Basia Bulat equation.  Boy/girl vocals + Minnesota + fuzzy, shoegazey guitar = Song I will almost always like.  With "Electric Sky" The Chambermaids come off like Guided By Voices covering The Mamas & The Papas.  The lyrics are a big pile of loopy that I don't get paid enough to figure out, but it hardly matters when they're run through hooks like this.  It's been a long time coming, but here's hoping The Chambermaids are ready for their turn in the spotlight.

MinneSarah:

     There is a sweetness in this boy/girl garagey ballad.  "Electric Sky" has enough "oohs" to go around, and the vocals soak into the guitars, joining the sounds into one entity.

     There is a lot going on in this song - two vocal tracks, very loud guitars, pounding drums -  the whole shebang can feel overwhelming at times.  The effect is like one of my outfits - full of all the things I love thrown in full force and coming together to form a style all its own (at least I'd like to think that's how it works).  Opportunities are endless, and the lyrics depict this by asserting that "In California, there's a white horse coming all the time."  Hopefully this sentiment rings true here in Minnesota, though you may need to book it to the North Coast before the snow flies to see a white horse parade past an electric sky.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 4/5
                              MinneSarah - 3/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.