This one goes out to my man Adam Filipkowski, wherever you may be. Adam tried to get me in trouble in high school and, for the most part, failed miserably — unless of course you count my otherwise inexplicable love for dark, brooding rock ‘n’ roll. Adam forced me to listen to his favorite band at the time, Sisters of Mercy, until something in me clicked. He also taught me how to make homemade mashed potatoes. These days I don’t know how much Adam, who last we spoke was spinning/producing some wicked drum ‘n’ bass under the moniker Ego Rock, would care for Singapore Sling. But the fact that they’ve burrowed right into my earhole can be credited to him nonetheless. Good lookin’, Adam…
Barcelona
In honor of the Red Rovers Football Club winning the Fall 2004 Coed Division One Championship of the Greater Memphis Soccer Association, I’m sharing the official MP3 of the Red Rovers, Barcelona’s “Kasey Keller,” even though my favorite American goalkeeper is Brad Friedel since he plays for my beloved Blackburn Rovers. I liked Kasey when he played for Leicester City, and I can understand why he went to Rayo Vallecano in Spain, but I mean, come on, Tottenham Hotspur? Yes, I’m a geek, which goes right along with Barcelona’s lovely geekpop. Be sure to check out the Sprites if you haven’t already. Barcelona R.I.P.
Bonk
A quick fix, a swift blow to the gut, a pick-me-up to jump-start your day, or to give you that second wind you’ll need just as you’re dozing off in front of your computer at 3pm. Bonk’s a bunch of Norwegian hippies doing punk rock by way of Motown. Don’t doubt. Believe.
Preston School of Industry
The two or three songs that appeared on each Pavement album by full-time guitarist and occasional singer/songwriter Spiral Stairs always seemed to be these little secret pleasures, three-and-a-half-minute chunks of rocking-out energy blended beautifully with randomized weirdness. His hard work continues (and his creativity grows) on two Preston School of Industry albums, full of rootsy, poppy, noisy, sloppy tunes, all of which Spiral Stairs got to write and sing.
Arco
I find myself holding my breath, waiting, riveted, for each word uttered by Chris Healey. His is a still, small, wavering voice accompanied by a stripped-down band. Comparisons from Nick Drake to Radiohead all fit the bill here. But Arco is even more fragile than Drake, more quiet than the quietest moments from Yorke and company, and absolutely stunning.
Air King Sound
San Francisco experimental sound posse who create very brilliant haunted soundscapes, perfect for moody film scores and a certain sense of isolation. Owing a lot to Brian Eno, but still managing to claim their own sound. Favorite track: “Gomez Gomez.”
Tegan and Sara
So, like, Tegan and Sara are these mildly punky twin sisters from Vancouver (I even read somewhere that theyÃre lesbians!) drinking, cursing, and bickering their way through their mid-20s, or something like that. Whatever. Like most Canadians, Tegan and Sara rock out when they need to, slow it down the same way, and have entire albums filled with songs reflecting the requisite angst and confusion brought on by being or doing some or all of those things listed in the first sentence.
Pixies
I have a lot to be thankful for, including two incredible live music experiences in one week: The wonderful Arcade Fire last Thursday at the Magic Stick, and a reunited, rejuvenated Pixies at the lovely State Theater in downtown Detroit. A bit of backstory, the Pixies’ Surfer Rosa/Come on Pilgrim is one of the first compact discs I bought in The Great Format Switch of 1988 and has had more front-to-back spins than any other CD I own. Yet, for a number of reasons, I never had the chance to see the Pixies play live until the other night. Let’s just say, they bought me a soda, they bought me a soda and tried to molest me in the parking lot…yep, yep yep! They were so tight (Dave Lovering was playing drums like it was his last chance on earth), no one was holding back, and they played for two solid hours and hit every single song on my wish list. Joe and I tried hard afterwards to think of anything else we would have had them play and all we could come up with were B-sides and agreed that was way too greedy of us. So that backstory now has a happy ending. Merry Thanksgiving everyone!
From Bubblegum to Sky
You’d think Memphis, with its extensive musical history, would get some decent bands coming through on tour. Nope. From Bubblegum to Sky, aka Mario Hernandez, is not coming anywhere near Memphis, as they’re playing Athens, GA tonight. They play a bouncing, harmonizing, and energizing pop, proof that good pop is not limited to the influences of the ’60s and ’80s — there’s a whole decade in between! Somebody in Athens, please go see From Bubblegum to Sky tonight. Let me know how it goes.
Love of Everything
Here’s some off-the-cuff, discordant pop, indebted to the likes of Daniel Johnston. Bobby Burg, recording as Love of Everything, writes and records music with the same healthy disrespect for the songwriting and recording process. Instead of striving for perfection, getting lost in the details, he seemingly gets his ideas and emotions out quick, without much thought. You may be tempted to write Burg off with just an obligatory listen, but with time you discover this boy’s got soul.