February 26, 2007

Monday Music Roundup

I’ve been sort of jamming with some gal friends in an acoustic mini-band for fun (and no, we didn’t name ourselves something dainty and/or involving unicorns or sparkly things). I wail on the djembe and we have a grand time — sounds very hippie but it’s not.

In any case, yesterday afternoon we were talking about how one gal just had her guitar swiped out of her car. The best I could come up with was a consolation which suggested that perhaps said thief thought that Takamine actually read, “Take-mine.”

Aaand . . . I crack myself up. I do apologize for that groaner.

On to the tunes for this week (better than the humor?):

F Train Girl
The Attachments
We’ll start things off today with an unassuming sonnet to a girl on a train (ah, the elusive ones are the best kinds) that sounds like something that could take me along the tracks, looking out the window at the passing countryside. The Attachments are four young guys from Berkeley (CA) who really just want to pay a bit of homage to the Beach Boys, spoon in bed, and write you haikus (see their MySpace). What could be wrong with that?

City Skies
Dylan In The Movies
I adore getting 7-inches in the mail (sounds dirty. it’s not.). Every once in a while amidst the pile of promo CDs, I get an actual vinyl 7″ to digest slowly and viscerally, and it truly makes my day to crouch near the record player and watch it spin, hear it crackle. American Laundromat Records is a little label with a 7″ series (they also released that fab High School Reunion CD of ’80s movie song covers by folks like Matthew Sweet and Frank Black). I’ve enjoyed the A & B sides of both their releases in this series thus far. Pressed in limited, hand-numbered quantities, this truly wonderful song from Boston’s Dylan In The Movies is the b-side from the newest one. The a-side is from John P. Strohm (Blake Babies, Antenna, Lemonheads) and the vinyl is available directly from ALR. It’s also on iTunes, which takes some of the fun out of it, but for those who don’t have a record player (yet). . .

Young Folks
Peter Bjorn and John
I vigilantly resisted this kitschy song from Swedish sensations Peter Bjorn and John until I heard it out in its natural habitat recently in a loud bar and I found myself irresistibly drawn to it, from the whistles that start things off to the harmonies and the skittery beat that made me shake my hips. I heartily enjoy whistling along to things, and songs like this are in short supply (other than, maybe, Zipadee-doodah and the theme to Andy Griffith). Don’t try to resist, just acquiesce to the blogosphere on this one. From their 2006 album Writer’s Block (Wichita/V2).

HFXNSHC (“Halifax, Nova Scotia Hardcore”)
Sloan
This song is apropos of nothing else off Sloan‘s recent album Never Hear The End Of It (on Yep Roc), which is a fine double disc that I think you may be hearing more about in the weeks to come from this blog. Its unrelenting thrumming-bass punk rock (squeezed into just over a minute) has been rocking my world these last few days. I’ll leave it at that for now, but hot dang. Who saw that one coming from Canadian power poppers?

Storia Di Un Corazon
Jovanotti
I feel like ending with some world music today, an irresistable Latin-tinged duet with Italian Jovanotti and Spaniard Pau Dones (of Jarabe de Palo) with a flirty samba/salsa beat and engaging call-and-response verse swapping. It’s from Jovanotti’s excellent 2002 album Il Quinto Mondo, and my absolute favorite snippet of it starts around 3:20. I think this may be the next piece I practice to on djembe, but it’s also suitable for dancing ’round the house, pretending like you know how to do Latin dances (and no, the Macarena doesn’t count).

11 Comments

  • thanks for young folks aka “the whistling song” to me… did you hear it before pete yorn was getting ready to get on stage friday night?

    kristen — February 26, 2007 @ 11:09 am

  • yes kristen! how funny. I was standing by the bar during one of the (sorry but) interminable opening bands and that came on, immediately catching my ear, and somehow sounding better in the crowded hot environment of the Ogden than it had before when it was streaming out my tinny computer speakers….

    what did you think of the show?

    heather — February 26, 2007 @ 11:29 am

  • ukoymexDainty Unicorns With Sparkly Things wouldn’t be a half bad band name.
    :)

    -tom — February 26, 2007 @ 11:39 am

  • Just thought I should share that I am giving up reading music blogs for Lent but I could not help coming to your site today for your Monday Roundup.

    I wonder what Hell will be like?

    Anonymous — February 26, 2007 @ 1:15 pm

  • whoah! whats not to love about Young Folks??

    Satisfied '75 — February 26, 2007 @ 3:27 pm

  • I like Young Folks now (hence the mention) but the first time it just didn’t strike me the right way. I needed time to let it percolate and now…I like it! It’s magic!

    And anon, glad to be your downfall. Let me know if I can do some penance on your behalf…

    heather — February 26, 2007 @ 3:35 pm

  • PB&J – great song! I’ve heard it on XM (XMU and Ethel) and totally dug it. Now if I can be convinced to try any of their other songs.

    Jay — February 26, 2007 @ 5:23 pm

  • Oy– Just wanted to say I wandered across you on the Hype Machine, and I’ve become a regular reader, great taste, thanks.

    Sean

    SB — February 26, 2007 @ 8:47 pm

  • Heather-

    I’ve been an ardent reader for a while now, but have yet to contribute much myself. So here’s my two cents worth.

    I have recently discovered a band from Canada called the Great Lake Swimmers who have a unique and pleasant folk sound. People on other blogs have been describing them as an ‘Iron and Wine’ like folk group, which seems pretty accurate to me….good melody and rhythm paired with excellent lyrics.

    Anyway, check out the song “Your Rocky Spine” (which is floating around on numerous blogs) and tell me whether or not it changed your life!!!

    R-O-Dub — February 27, 2007 @ 1:23 pm

  • yeah, i must say that they’re just right. youre site is really cool and maybe i should start having roundups on the following mondays…thanks!

    your wiki guide — February 28, 2007 @ 8:01 am

  • I love that Sloan was able to invent a hardcore scene in Halifax with one song. If any band holds that power, I guess they do. (I’m from Halifax and love Sloan, in case it sounds like I’m just being an ass.)

    Calum — February 28, 2007 @ 5:47 pm

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Bio Pic Name: Heather Browne
Location: Colorado, originally by way of California
Giving context to the torrent since 2005.

"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel."
—Hunter S. Thompson

Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.

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