Monday, December 24, 2012
Happy Holidays!
We're off for a well-needed ten-day winter brake in two cities I know and love, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. But not without one more Song of the Week.
Up this week: 'Old Gal,' an unusually poppy confection by a third-tier Seattle indie rock band known as The Blakes... This was brought to my attention by our friend Andrew Benscko.
There's no video for 'Old Gal'... Here are the group live and acoustic on K-Rock, playing 'Lie Next To Me...'
this entry's permalink
Sunday, December 09, 2012
Golden Light
This week's song, 'Golden Light,' is a compelling indie-pop anthem by one-man 'chillwave' band Twin Shadow, who was born George Lewis junior is the Dominican Republic and raised in Florida on influences as diverse as 60s rock, new jack swing, alt-rock and new wave. Sharp lyrics, synthesizers, and mood pieces abound in his oeuvre. Twin Shadow, whose two albums have gained him critical acclaim, packed concerts in small venues, and modest but increasing revenues, currently makes his home in Brooklyn's still-ungentrified Bushwick neighborhood.
Without further ado, here's Twin Shadow's live performance of 'Golden Light'...
this entry's permalink
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Everything But The Kitchen Sink..
This week's song is 'Champion Sound,' a bouncy slice of 'world pop' by London-based British/Spanish quintet Crystal Fighters. 'World pop' may be the only way to describe, in two words, a 'folk-tronica' band that describes itself as "fast progressive dance music joined by the melodies and dances of traditional Basque folk, alongside synthesizers, bass-driven wonk-funk, and beats fuelled by early 1980s Spanish punk and experimental electronica." Enough influences for you? Don't worry about digesting the influences, just enjoy the delicious results... Or contemplate the band's live shows, in their own words: "Our first show had props including two bottles of tequila, txalapartas (a traditional Basque instrument), signs explaining the plot of the opera, and loads of dramatic stage directions all to a soundtrack of wonky bass, latin percussion and enormous passionate hooks. It was chaotic and we've been trying to bring that sort of energy to every show since."
Here's the delightful video for 'Champion Sound':
Nearly every song on the album has been a single, each with a video, but an actual hit continues to elude them... Here's 'Swallow'...
this entry's permalink
