It took me a few tries before I could trust this song enough to get past the first minute. As soon as someone starts “la-la-la”-ing I get suspicious. I’m really glad I tried again, because this is a real gem. Threads of George Martin-y Beatle-isms and soft-rock 70′s silliness weave a tapestry that is so damn pretty I must wrap myself in it. Brandon Schott made this record via the Internets with friends in various locations far and wide, recording drums here, another bit there. It’s a 21st century recording in that regard, while the musical style is mid-late 20th century (OMGawd I can say that now!), so much that you can almost hear the warm crackling and popping of a needle on vinyl. As for the lyric, and the sincerity of the vocal, those parts are timeless.
Brandon Schott
“Satellite” (download mp3)
from “13 Satellites”
“Satellite” (play)
(Golden State Music)
More Satellites Please!
If there were a reverb effect preset called “blissfully gloomy English fog,” it would be this. Here is some dreampoppin’ sadvergnügen from the sub-strata of life viewed with sunglasses in winter. That made sense to me. Which is worrisome. But don’t worry about your Superfan, I just need to Get A Grip.
Spectrals
“Get A Grip” (download mp3)
from “Bad Penny”
“Get A Grip” (play)
(Slumberland Records)
More
!
UK folk rockers Merry Hell use 80′s big rock post punk gloriousness as a parchment on which to scrawl their indictment of humanity. It couldn’t be more serious, and I’d dismiss it with an “oh, please!” if it weren’t so fully realized. “The War Between Ourselves” is a perfectly naive, hopeful, desperate plea for us all to do things better. We need to hear things like that some time. After what I saw here in Oakland last night, I’m all ears!
Merry Hell
“The War Between Ourselves” (download mp3)
from “Blink…and you miss it”
“The War Between Ourselves” (play)
(Mrs Casey Records)
More more more!
The Mommyheads are a true indie rock national treasure, and they are one of my own personal favorite bands. Adam Elk (AKA Adam Cohen) is an exceptional singer-songwriter, and his band has always been made up of the highest level of players. This single is off their brand new album called “Delicate Friction.” It’s genius, it’s sweet, it’s beautiful. It describes a world I want to live in, and it puts me there. What more can I want from a record? Thank you, Mommyheads.
The Mommyheads
“Another Crowded House” (download mp3)
from “Delicate Friction”
“Another Crowded House” (play)
(Dromedary Records)
More On This Album
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons