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.)
Daydream Nation
No, this ain’t the sixth album from Sonic Youth released in October 1988 getting its own entry here on 3hive, and it’s not a Sonic Youth cover band. Daydream Nation is actually a Canadian duo doing their own thing, which is a mysterious combination of Brit pop from the ’60s invasion and the ’90s revival influenced by other notable Brits like the Cure and Swervedriver, although their sound is not as “shoegazer” as they and others would lead you believe. These songs are from Bella Vendetta, their second album.
Magnolia Electric Company
Apparently there’s this guy named Jason Molina whose jangly voice and honky-tonk geetar owe a great debt to Neil Young and who had a band called songs: ohia. Apparently he renamed his band after one of the latter band’s album titles. And apparently the hazy barroom rock sounds as sweet as Tennessee bourbon whiskey on Magnolia Electric Company’s debut live release. If you’re wondering why all the parenthetical talk, it’s because Molina’s as new to me as he might (or might not) be to you. And apparently I’m kicking myself for not discovering him about five years ago.
Jennifer Gentle
Don’t let the name fool you, Jennifer Gentle is a couple of Italian cats. One used to be an ice cream man in Berlin. Among their choice of instruments is a deflating balloon (“I Do Dream You”). Sound weird enough yet? It’s all true. Brace yourself for fine, imported psychedelia and quirky, contemporary pop recorded like it’s 1967.
The Herms
My next-desk neighbor tipped me off to The Herms this afternoon. We’re both back in the office after a healthy holiday break. His New Year’s Eve was much more celebratory than mine. He: Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco for the Rogue Wave, Kelley Stoltz, and Herms show; Me: road-tripping back home down I-15, determined to miss the Las Vegas to L.A. parking lot over the weekend. It’d have been nice to have iPodded these tracks for the ride. “Record Machine” could be a demo recording from Bauhaus, and the remaining tracks, while wandering off on a sort of Jonathan Fire*Eater tangent, fail to disappoint. I’m baiting Clay with the former comparison. Watch for his impending, spirited comments.