These United States fall on the Devendra Banhart side of the folk scale in terms of their “freakiness.” I imagine their songs would take you on quite the headphone trip; I’ve yet to put them to such a test. From what I’ve heard thus far from their forthcoming debut, A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden, my expectations are ratcheted up something fierce. It’s as if I’ve just picked up a new novel, fallen in love with the first chapter, and I’m feeling like I’m on the cusp of reading The Great Americana Novel. As if…
Bricolage
Bricolage plays the smart, snappy, pop music I enjoyed listening to as a younger man—back in my high school days and early college years. This is the sort of song I’d listen to while getting ready for a date, gelling and blow-drying my hair (when there was enough to warrant such a styling) and dressing according to the glossy templates found in men’s fashion magazines (not unlike the Bricolage boys themselves). The upbeat, breezy sounds signified the budding hope and possibilities every new girl, every new date, held. Currently living the myriad of possibilities one such date produced I still follow my youthful listening habits matching the music to my mood. And these days Bricolage-type moods grossly outweigh the stormy, dark, and depressing adolescent funks that often followed less successful outings with the young ladies of my youth.
Monade
New out today, in the U.S., on Too Pure Records is the third album by Monade, featuring Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab on vocals and songwriting duties. I haven’t heard the complete record so I can only speak of this track, “Regarde.” From those few minutes however I can tell you that Monstre Cosmic is more fleshed out than their bedroom debut, and more cohesive as a pop song than many tracks from A Few Steps More. Fans of Stereolab won’t need their arms twisted to give Monade a listen. I’m pretty sure they’re all in the know already. For those of you who haven’t heard Stereolab, an elite few I’m sure, you’ll quickly realize what you’ve been missing out on for years: a serious groove and a seriously gorgeous voice. The difference between Stereolab and this latest from Monade? A certain down-to-earthiness as Sadier trades the spacy effervescence of the latter for grittier, found sounds from her neighborhood.
Science For Girls
If I reveal producer Darren Solomon’s musical pedigree you may very well choose not to listen to his newest endeavor, Science For Girls. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with your closet favorites. I’ll leave his former employers unnamed and leave the sleuthing up to you. Solomon lays a smooth, electronic foundation to each of his songs—gentle rhythms, rich keyboard riffs, scratchy hip-hop beats—then turns mic duties over to various, flying-below-the-radar New York-based singers (Bronwen Exter [wow!], Boots Ottestad [The Getaway People], and Paul Brill). They’re icing on this trip-hop, brazilian pop, chill-out layered cake. The vocoder vocals on this track are the edgiest element on Science For Girls’ easy-listening debut. I can easily hear Science For Girls being obliterated by the WB, Gray’s Anatomy, Starbucks muzak machine. Get to SFG before they do.
Reed KD
This is one of those albums that sneaks up on you bit by bit, note by note, melody by melody. A subtle record that, after hearing it once or twice, lies dormant for a spell until you find yourself humming one of its tunes. “Empty Bottles” has been floating around in my head for weeks. The simple, rich harmonies are sweetly palpable, not unlike the sensation I experienced the first time I ever listened to Either/Or. Self-released on his own Dirty Laundry label, The Ashes Bloom will likely get lost in the glut of mass-market releases racing for your attention this year. Slow life down to bike ride speed and enjoy Reed KD.
Lemuria
Buffalo’s Lemuria has been been a real working band since their formation in 2004. Touring, touring, and then more touring. So after putting out various singles and EP’s, their debut album Get Better is out now on Asian Man Records. And their song below, “Pants,” has triggered my obsessive compulsive disorder; besides having me absolutely hooked, it’s so catchy, fuzzy, and snappy, that after Sheena sings “You never missed a word I tried to fit/Inside a chorus, inside a verse, all my intros and the bridge/That’s where I put all the awful things I think I am/And if you still respect me I guess I’ll have a second chance” I want to tell her that she leaves a great first impression.
A Weather
A Weather are a whisper out of Portland, Oregon, playing the some of the softest and easiest sounds of the year. Slow, smooth, captivating, trance-inducing — the intertwined vocals of Aaron Gerber and Sarah Winchester are hard to break away from once they’ve caught you. There is an incredible beauty to these tracks, all off the band’s debut efforts on Team-Love Records. If you like things low, lush, hushed and hazy, this is the place to be.
Hearts of Palm UK
The following is a Public Service Announcement from 3hive and Hearts of Palm UK.
Hearts of Palm UK offers a timely song this week about citizens and their right to vote, “Super Tuesday,” the (un)official anthem of (obviously) Super Tuesday, the day 24 states in our blessed union hold presidential primaries. Hearts of Palm UK are not British or Northern Irish, as the name would suggest; Erika and Ambi-D are a couple of Cali girls cranking out this peculiar indie-electro-pop. As a political science major in college, I secretly hope that they follow this up with a song discussing, dissecting, and explaining the results of Super Tuesday. Maybe they can even get invited to appear on Meet the Press. Anybody got Tim Russert’s email address?
Remember to vote!
School of Language
After their sophomore album, Tones of Town, the band Field Music called it quits, in a sense, momentarily, but not really. They didn’t break up, but instead kept working, individually, trying to be as productive and creative as they always wanted to be. I assume they have plans to make music as Field Music again. In the meantime, School of Language is the first product to surface from the hiatus. The first single, “Rockist Part 1” (there are four parts of the song on the album) finds David Brewis taking his School of Language moniker seriously as a barrage of looped and layered vowel sounds stream through the song, but thankfully not the album, in its entirety. By part 3 of “Rockist” the looped vocals take a backseat and sound like a more traditional instrument. Working by himself, the similarities between Brewis and Andy Partridge seem more prominent. If “Rockist” tickles your proverbial fancy, take a gander at the album stream. Brewis tours the States beginning in March, fleshing out his one man band with Doug McCombs (Tortoise) and Ryan Rapsys (Euphone).
The High Water Marks
1,255 days. That’s how long I’ve been waiting to post once again about a new album from the High Water Marks. And after patiently waiting for so long, today is the day. New album Polar is out now!
The Leaves [MP3, 3.8MB, VBR]
Original post 8/20/2004:
Last year my friend Matt was passing through town and I dragged him out to see the Apples in Stereo with opening act Oranger. After Oranger finished their set, he turned to me and asked, “How do you compare Apples and Oranger?”
With The High Water Marks we get to do just that. Featuring Apples in Stereo drummer Hilarie Sidney on guitar and Oranger drummer Jim Lindsay, with members of Palermo and Von Hemmling filling out the team, The High Water Marks have a rocking, jangling, cymbal-crashing good time. So Matt, the answer to your question is The High Water Marks.
Good I Feel Bad [MP3, 2.4MB, 128kbps]
Queen of Verlaine [MP3, 3.1MB, 128kbps]