I feel weird not letting Clay post this one, as he’d be able to tell you exactly what plot point warranted Matt Pond PA’s “New Hampshire” in a recent episode of “The O.C.” All I can tell you is recent plot points in my chaotic life have warranted the tender, string-buoyed comfort of Matt Pond PA’s “Fairlee.” And “A List of Sound.” And “Closer.” Not every track here is as cheerful as the above. But your personal plot points may warrant just that, so who am I to deny you?
The Gossip
We all go through phases. Some are developmental, like my two year old’s tantrum/fit last night upon leaving the Taco Bell play-place. Some are musical, like me listening to almost nothing but The High Water Marks and 30 Amp Fuse the past two weeks. So to break me out of my phase, here’s The Gossip, a trio of ladies who relocated from Searcy, Arkansas, to Olympia, Washington, who I think are no more. If PJ Harvey fronted the Blues Explosion, the Gossip would still do gospel-shaking, blues-tinged rock ‘n’ roll better…Addendum: Thanks to a 3hive reader, it’s been confirmed that The Gossip have played a show as recently as a few months ago, so hopefully they’re still around.
Soledad Brothers
In 1835, militiamen from Michigan and Ohio engaged in a brief skirmish over the possession of Toledo. Shots were inaccurately fired and prisoners taken. However, in the end, Michigan obviously lost in its bid to claim Toledo, the jewel of the Maumee River, and was offered the Upper Peninsula as compensation. (Ha! Take that, Ohio!) This brief history lesson reminds us why the Soledad Brothers are not a Detroit band, even though their trashy blues-rock boogies call to mind the MC5, Iggy and the Stooges, and the currently popular (White Stripes, Von Bondies, etc.) gritty garage sound of D-town.
We Are Scientists
My red Rickenbacker 620, the poor thing, doesn’t get picked up much these days. Job, age, fatherhood, soccer, home ownership, the price of 9-volt batteries…they’ve all conspired to keep me from my guitar and my Maestro Fuzztain pedal (which, by the way, is the size of two calculus textbooks; I bought it cause Kurt Heasley of the Lilys used one). A couple of bands over the few last years have inspired me to pick my guitar up, like the late great Henry’s Dress (whenever I miss them) and more recently The High Water Marks and Louis XIV. But now I think I’ve found the perfect inspiration: We Are Scientists. Anybody want to join my We Are Scientists cover band? If I may quote the We Are Scientists website, “Bring yourself and your dignity; only one of you will leave.”
Marah
So, I was cleaning out the closet in my old bedroom at my mom and dad’s house and I ran across a bunch of Marah singles from about 1984 or ’85, old 45s to play on the Panasonic turntable I got for my 13th birthday. Actually, that’s not true at all, but it should be. Marah sounds like middle school, all big guitars and big hair and rock ‘n’ roll, baby! It’s like late ’70s Springsteen demo tapes with someone else singing, or Bon Jovi a little less high-pitched. You can tell me that “The Rough Streets Below” wasn’t recorded in 1983, but I won’t believe you. Not even you, Tim O. (Thanks for the tip!)
El Ten Eleven
First, a quick comparison. Tortoise meets The Cure (at least on this track). Now, the instructions. Step one: listen to “Connie.” Step two: stream a few more tracks off their myspace page. Step three: see them live. Finally, step four: be amazed that El Ten Eleven consists of two musicians, and they pull this stuff off live.
Pine Marten
Another offering from the California music collective The Ship, Pine Marten has a sparse and creepy sound that knocks around inside my head (not running into much, eh?) long after their songs end. For example, I tend to get lost in the five and a half minutes of “Hey Misty, What Do You Think?” and alternately think the song either just started or has been playing for an hour. I guess I kind of like that feeling.
Blue Mountain
The words “country,” “rock,” and “Mississippi” evoke Blue Mountain in my ears and mind. A foundational band from the early days of the alt-country scene, Blue Mountain gave a needed soundtrack to Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County (they really were from Oxford, Miss.) while I was doing time in grad school. Check out “Riley and Spencer” here for a sample of their roots rock style, or their 1995 debut album Dog Days for a classic of the No Depression genre.
The Fatáles
Vaguely detached, vaguely nostalgic, vaguely wonderful space pop. It’s really hard to believe these guys are unsigned…maybe they’re not in it for the money, just on a personal crusade to promote use of the accent aigu (á). Either way, I’m in.
Built to Spill
“OH MY GOD!” (do I have to, like, pay royalties or something to Dooce for using all caps in a blog post?) I thought when I found “Joyride,” off Built to Spill’s The Normal Years, a K Records gem. (Thanks to Jared and his homemade K Recs t-shirt for the reminder to check their website.) One of my favorites from a thoroughly brilliant collection of random tracks, “Joyride” is a perfect representation of its title — exuberant, juvenile, and out of control. I’d love to put the whole album up here; IT’S THAT GOOD! (The check’s in the mail, Heather & Jon.)