song of the day: may 30/2011

The Weakerthans ~ Left and Leaving
Album: Left and Leaving [2000]

from winnipeg's more punk propagandhi, john samson followed a more melodic and introspective path while retaining much of the politics for the weakerthans follow up to their 1998 debut, "fallow". constructed of vignettes of precise moments in time and place which manage nonetheless to speak volumes, "left and leaving" deftly mixes social commentary with folk and punk rock. this is an intelligent, literate album, and lyrically, samson comes off as a wordsmith that could draw comparisons to the likes of elvis costello or ron sexsmith. the album is never heavy-handed, but simply illustrative of another way of life, the path not chosen or hopefully avoided. the title track is a departure from their work musically, as it's got a much slower pace, the kind that fits walking at night. again, the lyrics are what stand out the most.

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song of the day: may 29/2011

Beirut - Scenic World
Album: Lon Gisland EP [2007]

one of 2006's most unexpected indie success stories, beirut combines a wide variety of styles, from pre-rock pop music and eastern european gypsy styles to indie folk and lo-fi, homemade psychedelic experimentation. at the heart of this sonic hybrid was a teenager from albuquerque, a fact that made beirut's debut album, "gulag orkestar", all the more surprising. something of a musical prodigy, multi-instrumentalist zach condon began making one-man bedroom recordings in his early teens; while conducting interviews several years later, he claimed to have recorded an entire album of 1950s-style doo wop material and a collection of electronic pop songs inspired by the magnetic fields. after dropping out of high school, condon claims to have traveled through europe at the age of 16, in the process becoming exposed to the folk and gypsy music that's at the heart of his debut. back home in albuquerque, he crossed paths with fellow new mexican jeremy barnes, formerly of neutral milk hotel, and together they worked on the sound of beirut. condon recorded the songs that would make up "gulag orkestar" largely on his own, playing accordion, keyboards, saxophone, clarinet, mandolin, ukulele, horns, glockenspiel, and percussion. following its release in May 2006, critical approbation quickly moved from the smallest blogs to mainstream media outlets that pegged condon as a one-man cross between jeff mangum, conor oberst, and sufjan stevens. the EP "lon gisland" followed in 2007, leading up to the full-length "the flying club cup" later that year. there are two versions of the song "scenic world". the version on his debut uses a keyboard to generate the instrumenation, while this second take, from the EP, contains lots of strings. both are great in their own right, especially the end of the song which can help to soundtrack your daydreaming - "when i feel alive, i'll try to imagine a careless life / a scenic world where the sunsets are all breathtaking.

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song of the day: may 28/2011

Devendra Banhart - I Remember
Album: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain [2007]

in the early days of devendra banhart's career, his ghostly voice singing down the phone and captured on four track was more than enough to lend the eerie mysticism required for his nonsensical material (of course, it didn't hurt that his voice was bewitching no matter the lyrical content). as he gradually acquired confederates and the ability to record in studios, the clear problem was going to be retaining that same ghostly personality that made his early recordings so special. recorded in a home studio built within a woodsy compound in topanga canyon, banhart has weathered the storm of accessibility very well. "smokey rolls down thunder canyon" is many things - perhaps too many things, but its successes outnumber its failures, and it essentially solves the problems inherent in confining a free-form singer to time signatures and arrangements and rhythms imposed by outsiders. however, amongst the more ambitious material are several gems - "i remember" can easily be missed as the second last song on a 16-song album, but once you find it, you'd be hard-pressed to name a more beautiful piano song. the atmosphere is ridiculously aparent, and it's almost as if you're listening to someone playing in a big cave in the middle of nowhere. it's eqaul parts melancholy, reflective, intimate, and brooding, and the lyrics are some of the best he's written - "i remember the never-ending summer rain / please don't let what was get in the way of what's next, and don't forget that what's to come hasn't come yet". five stars.

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song of the day: may 27/2011

Emily Haines - Eau de Toilette
Album: Cut in Half and Also Double [1996]

an oldie from 1996 that showcases emily haines' strong songwriting ability at an early age. it's got tons of swagger with a simple drumbeat, a soft-sounding acoustic guitar, and a memorable horn section. the lyrics are as earnest and bittersweet as anything she's done as a member of metric and broken social scene. her way of delicately moving her voice from very high to very low and vice versa is also quite impressive and, above all else, it's much more accessible than her solo work with the soft skeleton.

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song of the day: may 26/2011

Wilco - Via Chicago
Album: Summerteeth [1999]

any song that begins with the lines "i dreamed of killing you again last night/and it felt all right" would certainly be shocking, and "via chicago" is no exception. the entanglement of romantic complications and self-definition is the core of jeff tweedy's lyrics, and he does a great job here. wrapped up in a simple but powerful folk-based melody, the song rises and falls with a grace that is quite engaging. it's a great example of modern-day confessional songwriting, and there is a vulnerable, neil young/lou reed rawness to it, making it one of "summerteeth"'s highlights, as well as a fan favourite.

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song of the day: may 25/2011

Silverchair - Emotion Sickness
Album: Neon Ballroom [1999]

as i pay homage to the recently-disbanded silverchair, i thought that it'd be fitting to choose the song that first marked their re-invention in the late 90's, and ultimately, may go down as their most important release. silverchair's third full-length release was a confusing affair that revealed a band more talented than their critics realized and more confused than their "frogstomp" fans could tolerate. the australian trio never made any secret of their respect for nirvana, and on "neon ballroom", they did some of the best impersonations of their seattle counterparts on record. it would be easy to convince any kurt cobain fan that "spawn again" and "dearest helpless" are believable "in utero" outtakes, and quite good ones at that. when the weepy ballads, like the beautiful "miss you love," pulled neon ballroom into a more radio-friendly direction, all the promise of a gritty grunge tribute faded, and silverchair appeared to be serving two masters. essentially, they probably were - it's an impressive balancing act of keeping their label happy with their familiar sounds while busting daniel johns' ambition wide open. the resultingly incongruent musical textures stifled the flow of the album upon it's release and assured a certain amount of fan disenchantment (despite the minor airplay success of "ana's song"). however, as time went on and the band went on to release more ambitious material, revisiting "neon ballroom" became a very rewarding trip, and continues to be as more time passes. "emotion sickness" will go down as a microcosm of silverchair's bravery to turn the tables on their previous efforts, and though they lost a lot of casual fans in doing so, they gained a mammoth cult following that allowed them to always fully re-invent themselves. with a back catalogue that contains virtually zero throwaway tracks and every musical influence from punk and 90's grunge rock to elton john, the beach boys, and the beatles, it's safe to say that they will be missed :(

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song of the day: may 24/2011

Joni Mitchell - Coyote
Album: Hejira [1976]

in early 1976, joni mitchell traveled with friends who were driving cross country to maine. afterwards, mitchell drove back to california alone and composed several songs during her journey which would feature on her next album, 1976's "hejira". the album was written mostly while she was traveling in the car, which is why there were no piano songs. "hejira" was arguably mitchell's most experimental album, due to her ongoing collaborations with legendary jazz virtuoso bass guitarist jaco pastorius on several songs including the first single, "coyote", the atmospheric title track, the disorienting, guitar-heavy "black crow," and the album's last song "refuge of the roads." the album climbed to number 13 on the billboard charts, reaching gold status three weeks after release, and received airplay from album oriented FM rock stations. while the album was greeted by many fans and critics as a return to form, by the time she recorded it her days as a huge pop star were over. however, if hejira did not sell as briskly as mitchell's earlier, more radio-friendly albums, its stature in her catalogue has grown over the years. mitchell herself believes the album to be unique and in 2006 said, that though she supposed a lot of people could have written a lot of her other songs, she felt the songs on hejira could only have come from her. hejira was the last in an astonishingly long run of top-notch studio albums dating back to her debut.

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song of the day: may 23/2011

The Killjoys - Today I Hate Everyone
Album: Starry [1994]

an ode to canadian 90's alternative rock! the killjoys blended upbeat melodies, distorted-guitars and crash-and-burn drums to sentiments like this ramones-ish tune, and to breezy pop-rockers like "rave and drool". like a lot of the canadian bands that recieived their fair share of exposure on muchmusic in the mid 90's, their time in the limelight was short, but they did manage to write a few memorable tunes and went down as a two-hit wonder. oh, the nostalgia.

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song of the day: may 22/2011

Handsome Furs - I'm Confused
Album: Face Control [2009]

the montreal-based duo handsome furs formed in 2005 around the talents of dan boekner(co-frontman of wolf parade) and alexei perry. the husband-and-wife team released the atmospheric "plague park" in 2007, utilizing drum machines and world-weary melodies to distinguish the band's debut from wolf parade's own output. it earned accolades for its electronic twist on indie rock, with rolling stone likening the band to "a dingy version of the cure rocking some hipster dive bar," and the growing buzz prompted handsome furs' return to the studio in late 2007. despite initially planning to cut an EP, the inspired duo recorded an entire album instead, drawing upon its recent eastern european tour for lyrical cues. the resulting "face control" was issued in march 2009. at its core, "face control" showcases the handsome furs' wonderful way with song. the album feels weirdly familiar, full of gritty hooks that conjure up bruce springsteen and tom petty - you could call it computerized roots rock. most of the time, however, this newfangled approach to howling, heartfelt rock & roll feels really, really good. rollicking tracks like "evangeline," "all we want baby," and "i'm confused," with their gorgeously dark underpinnings, make it clear that "face control" makes good on all the promise 2007's "plague park" had to offer. for an album set in russia and made by an artsy indie rock duo from montreal, it feels shockingly down-home american.

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song of the day: may 21/2011

Vashti Bunjan - Diamond Day
Album: Just Another Diamond Day [1970]

about five years after briefly surfacing as part of andrew loog oldham's stable, vashti - now billing herself with her full name, vashti bunyan - made her only album. a folkier and more serious-minded effort than her initial mid-'60s recordings, it is a pleasing yet overly dainty slice of british rock-tinged folk. for good measure, there are string and recorder arrangements by robert kirby, who had done some string arrangements for nick drake. comprised solely of original material, "just another diamond day" contained dignified yet slightly sad ruminations with a pastoral, indeed rural feel, filled with images of solitary meditations upon rain, wind, sunsets, and open fields. the drum-less, acoustic arrangements yielded an intimate ambience well-suited for vashti's fragile, measured, almost despondently wispy vocals. in recent years, vashti the performed her first live set in over three decades at the royal festival hall, duetted with devendra banhart on his "rejoicing in the hands" album, recorded with piano magic, sung on animal collective on their "prospect hummer EP", and recorded a new album for fat cat, with guest appearances from the likes of joanna newsom. she has been cited as an influence by a whole new generation of young performers of avant folk and has a higher profile than she has had since her initial emergence. the reason for all this renewed activity was the re-issue in 2000 (2004 in the US) to great acclaim of this album. her thoughts on it: "nobody seemed to give it a second thought when it was released. in fact, it was not really released, it just edged its way out, blushed and shuffled off into oblivion. i abandoned it, and music, forever as i went on to travel more with horses and wagons, with children and more dogs and chickens."

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song of the day: may 20/2011

Architecture in Helsinki - Maybe You Can Owe Me
Album: In Case We Die [2005]

on their debut album, "fingers crossed", architecture in helsinki felt like they were just getting their bearings. this gave the album, and the australian indie pop collective's mix of symphonic and electronic pop, a tentative, first-steps kind of charm. however, after a spending a year on the road tightening up their live act, and a little while longer in their wonderfully named super melody world studio recording their second album, "in case we die", the group sounds much more assured. everything, from the intensely sweet melodies and vocals to the widescreen production, delivers the kind of playful pop majesty that "fingers crossed"'s best moments hinted were within their grasp. this is a second album that really does expand on the sounds and ideas of the debut instead of just rehashing them. the first album's standout pocket symphony, "the owls go," feels like a template for this album's lush, playful, multifaceted sound. most of the songs have lots of parts and changes to them, such as the opener, "neverevereverdid," which begins with a spooky, operatic fanfare, then becomes delicately rambling folk-pop, and finally morphs into something speedy and shouted. an album with this much vibrant, irresistible, technicolor music to its name could have only come from a place called super melody world.

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song of the day: may 19/2011

Bon Iver - Holocene
Album: Bon Iver [2011]

with every year comes new albums from artists that you've come to expect almost too much from, and, most of the time, it's impossible and unfair for them to evoke the same type of magic they conjured up the last time. however, your favourite artists are always capable of catching lightning twice, and such is the case here. i am very pleased to announce that justin vernon (bon iver)'s latest offering (which isn't out yet! shhhh...) is immediately as engaging, heartwrenching, and ambitious as his masterpiece, 2008's "for emma, forever ago". tough call since it was one of the best albums of the 2000's, and i've only listened to this one three times, but sometimes music has more feeling than you can describe, and in this case, it's instant and magnificent. "holocene" actually reminds me more of songs from his "hazelton" album - it's all built around his dream-like guitar picking and falsetto voice. as the song moves along there are hints of horns and strings, along with a rolling drum beat that gives the song a powerful backbone. the whole album is stunning, overflowing with atmosphere, new ideas and surprises, and some solid forward-thinking from one of the best songwriters of today. best album of 2011 thus far :)

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song of the day: may 18/2011

Fanfarlo - Luna
Album: Reservoir [2009]

for anyone who's paid the least attention to the tasteful, tuneful, rootsy strain of indie rock that was in ascendance throughout the mid- to late 2000s, fanfarlo's debut album will sound instantly and inescapably familiar. the London-based quintet favor a genial affect, moderate tempos, and a blend of orchestral (violin, trumpet) and folksy (mandolin, accordion, harmonica, saw) instrumentation akin to acts such as the national and grizzly bear, while vocalist simon balthazar's broad, heartfelt crooning invites immediate comparisons to beirut's zach condon. fanfarlo are at their best when their lush but occasionally dreary instrumental efforts are focused around a strong, simple melody, as is frequently the case here - on pop-leaning cuts like "fire escape," and "luna". "luna" kind of has to phases to it - it begins as a drum-driven pop/rock song , before heading into a well-orchestrated instrumental swoon at the end. with good reason, they've drawn a lot of comparisons to arcade fire (not as ground-breaking, however).

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song of the day: may 17/2011

Broken Social Scene - Romance to the Grave Album: Forgiveness Rock Record [2010]

as the founding fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters of the "indie rock collective” phenomenon, broken social scene sure have spread their seeds since their eponymous third album in 2005. between the commercial success of leslie feist, emily haines, and the myriad “broken social scene presents” solo outings, some feared that the canadian supergroup’s next outing would be a lackluster collection of stitched-together notebook ramblings and half-hearted demos swept up from the studio floor of previous sessions. luckily, the endlessly creative and surprisingly fluid "forgiveness rock record" dispels any notion of opportunism by sticking to what the group does best: crafting clever, ramshackle, occasionally soaring bedroom pop songs (listen close for sirens) in a big expensive studio. bolstered by a handful of evenly spaced, arena-sized rockers like “world sick,” "chase scene", and “forced to love,”the remaining tracks flip through genres like a picture book, pausing only to pencil in the occasional instrumental, one of which (“meet me in the basement,” with its huge strings and “guitarmonies”) elicits bigger goose bumps than some of the singalongs. that’s not to say that the guts of the record are filler, as some of the best moments are its most nuanced, like the breezy, instantly engaging "romance to the grave". they've proved once again that an army can make a cohesive album if everyone follows the rules of engagement. the core members may be down to nine, with an emphasis on founders kevin drew and brendan canning, but the “additional members” and “guests” involved (31 strong, when all is said and done) are what make "forgiveness rock record" unique.

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song of the day: may 16/2011

Band of Horses - Evening Kitchen
Album: Infinite Arms [2010]

featuring a new lineup, a rather loose definition of americana, and funding from a major label, band of horses’ third album is a game changer. what began as a partnership between ben bridwell and mat brooke has since blossomed into a five-piece band, with bridwell serving as the only link between the group’s 2006 debut, "everything all the time", and the present. it’s only natural, then, that "infinite arms" sounds wholly different from the albums that came before it, both of which mixed guitar-driven rock with dusty, jangled folk. there’s still plenty of folk to be found here, and band of horses bang their way through “compliments” as a concession to their rock fans. "infinite arms" is a borderline pop album, though, dressed up in flannel and facial hair to disguise the fact that these melodies are, with few exceptions, the sweetest of the group’s career. there are harmonies galore that beef up bridwell’s vocals while drawing parallels to fleet foxes and the beach boys. the album’s willingness to sample from so many different genres - roots, soft rock, alt.country, power pop, indie folk - makes it sound like nothing else in 2010, and band of horses connect the dots by layering everything with canyon-worthy reverb and cinematic guitars. for those who let it sink in, "infinite arms" was a contender for the 2010's best summer album, and deserves to stand amongst the band’s first two albums.

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song of the day: may 15/2011

The Kinks - Strangers
Album: Lola vs. the Powerman & the Money-Go-Round (Pt. 1) [1970]

"lola" gave the kinks an unexpected hit and its crisp, muscular sound, pitched halfway between acoustic folk and hard rock, provided a new style for the band. however, the song only hinted at what its accompanying album "lola vs. the powerman & the money-go-round, pt. 1"was all about. it didn't matter that ray davies just had his first hit in years - he had suffered greatly at the hands of the music industry and he wanted to tell the story in song. hence, "lola" - a loose concept album about ray davies' own psychosis and bitter feelings toward the music industry. he never really delivers a cohesive story, but the record holds together because it's one of his strongest set of songs. dave davies contributes the lovely "strangers" and the appropriately paranoid "rats," but this is truly ray's show, as he lashes out at ex-managers (the boisterous vaudevillian "the moneygoround"), publishers ("denmark street"), TV and music journalists (the hard-hitting "top of the pops"), label executives ("powerman"), and just society in general ("apeman," "got to be free"). if his wit wasn't sharp, the entire project would be insufferable, but the album is as funny as it is angry. furthermore, he balances his outlash with some of his best melancholy ballads ("this time tomorrow").

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song of the day: may 14/2011

Eddie Vedder - Without You
Album: Ukulele Songs [2011]

"ukulele songs" is a collection of original songs and covers performed by vedder on ukulele. the album, which sees it's release on may 31, features a number of songs that vedder penned and first played live but never released nearly a decade ago. the album also includes a uke version of pearl jam's 2002 track "can't keep" and guest vocalists on two tracks: glen hansard on "sleepless nights" and cat power on "tonight you belong to me." the album can become a little redundant over the course of an entire listen (there are 16 tracks), but a lot of the songs are simply beautiful when standing on their own. this collection should help to fill the void while pearl jam's massive legion of followers wait for another album.

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song of the day: may 13/2011

Sebadoh - Skull
Album: Backsale [1994]

"skull" appeared as one of the most radio-friendly tracks from indie rock lo-fi pioneers sebadoh's "backsale" LP. previously known for its combination of aggressive sound experiments and folk-flavored punk ballads, sebadoh here displays a more focused pop sensibility, the song even managing to receive airplay on commercial alternative radio, a first for the band. the departure of founding member eric gaffney, who had a certain panache for atonal, somewhat confrontational songs, seemed to clear the air for a more evenly balanced pop sound and the use of more traditional studio recording methods, embraced here for the first time. the song starts small with clean guitar strumming as lou barlow sings the opening lines, "there is history in this place/there are dragons to be chased." bass and drums slowly build tension with a steady rhythm, not releasing it until the chorus-line teaser, "gently take my skull for a ride." the lyrics serve a dual purpose here, managing simultaneously to describe personal relationships and the nature of addiction by using drug terminology: "and I don't know who you are/but I know what I would like you to be/a one-night stand under stone persuasion/and a joy that I can't hide/let's go chasing dragons through the snow." these lines are delivered with barlow's laid-back, somewhat sad and dreamy vocal approach. with "skull," sebadoh stepped closer to the mainstream, while never losing its voice or artistic integrity.

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song of the day: may 12/2011

Timber Timbre - Black Water
Album: Creep on Creepin' On [2011]

from jonk music: "creep on creepin' on" sounds like the soundtrack to a horror movie: fraught strings, plinking pianos, moaning vocals — but instead of soundtracking a horror movie, they're used by singer taylor kirk to exorcise his inner demons. this is an album about a man losing faith in himself, and exploring the dark side of his psyche. the bulk of the album details a man on the edge of sanity, obsessing over females, and seemingly taking a carnivorous view of sex. a woman is the necessity, but kirk's character knows that the only way he can get what he needs is through foul play. the character makes no attempt to disguise the fact that he is sinking into a black pool of despair, loathing, and evil, but across the album he seems to schizophrenically switch between reveling in this darkness, and praying to get away from it. "it's a bad, bad ritual, but it calms me down," he admits on the opener, and he resigns to "creep on creepin' on" on the title track. however, on "black water" he pleads "all i need is some sunshine," seemingly desperate to escape the encroaching darkness in his mind. when things seem to be getting too intense on "too old to die young," he promises that he's "giving it all up," only to lapse back into obsession by the end of the album. the emotional struggle presented through the album is affecting, though you can never be sure whether to sympathise or be wary. kirk's trembling, echoing vocals marry perfectly with the words to create this weak and confused being. the supernatural clings to this album, from its title to its cover, through the music and into the lyrics, where there are references to poltergeists, zombies and incantations, to name a few. in the universe of this schizophrenic's paranoid thoughts, all of these things are real, and for the listener, the music brings them to life. each song is based around simple blues-tinged folk, but it's the additional instrumentation that adds an edge. throughout the album sharp, shrill notes played at opportune moments cut like a knife in the disquieting air of the music, jumping out at you unexpectedly. "creep on creepin' on" plays out like a trashy horror-musical, with a central character in the throes of despair, fighting with his own desires and, ultimately, losing. the effort put into creating the dark atmosphere is gratuitous, but in the context of the album it works perfectly. add to this the fact that every song carries a killer hook and you have one of the must-hear albums of the year.

jonk music
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song of the day: may 11/2011

Tilly and the Wall - Lost Girls
Album: Bottoms of Barrels [2006]

hailing for the musical hotbed of omaha, the indie pop anomaly tilly and the wall formed in 2001 out of the ashes of several groups -- including conor oberst's pre-bright eyes endeavor, park avenue - and gained some underground recognition for their unorthodox approach to percussion, forsaking the traditional drum kit for the amplified tap shoes of dancer jamie williams (as well as hand percussion supplied by vocalists neely jenkins and kianna alarid). rounded out by guitarist/vocalist derek pressnall and keyboardist nick white, the five-piece recorded a six-track demo titled "woo!" in oberst's basement that passed through enough hands to allow the group an opportunity to tour, and release their debut, "wild like children", in 2004. tilly and the wall's second album retains the hook-filled exuberance, angst, drama, and emotion that made their first album a thrill. the drummer is still a tap dancer and a damn fine one, and the vocalists still harmonize and wail like the heartbroken kids they sing about. most importantly, the songs are strong and memorable as before, especially those that feature female lead vocals like the swooning "lost girls" and the wild mariachi horn-filled "bad education." the recording is warm, rich, and layered with the addition of twangy guitars, stately pianos, organs, and a coating of reverb.

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song of the day: may 10/2011

The National - Exile Vilify

Album: Exile Vilify (from the Game 'Portal 2') [2011]

for those who aren't as in-tune to the gaming world as others (*raises hand), this isn't the first time the national has contributed an exclusive song to a video game, and furthermore, the second time they've contributed to the "portal" series of games. "exile vilify" is a hauntingly beautiful piano and string-drenched lament that immediately stands up with a lot of their best slower works. judging by the single's artwork, it may have originated as a "high violet" b-side. either way, it's the kind of track that emphasizes atmosphere and build over everything else.

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song of the day: may 9/2011

The Naked & Famous - Young Blood
Album: Passive Me, Aggressive You [2010]

listening to the naked and famous' full-length debut, one thing is clear: this band loves a good chorus. more often than not on the new zealand indie electronic ensembles's album, songs seem to be building to their catchy and cathartic pinnacle as soon as they start, like the immediately addictive single "young blood". every fuzzed-out synth, distorted drumbeat, and guitar line seems to foretell of an impending dance-rock orgy of melody. this layered and shimmering song is '80's post-punk-influenced rock that never sounds too indebted to any of its obvious touchstones. tears for fears and human league meet mgmt and wild nothing. sounds like summer.

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song of the day: may 8/2011

Counting Crows - Anna Begins
Album: August & Everything After [1993]

when the prevailing guitar jingle of "mr. jones" cascaded over radio in the early '90s, it was a sure sign that counting crows were a musical force to be reckoned with. their debut album, "august and everything after", burst at the seams with both dominant pop harmonies and rich, hearty ballads, all thanks to lead singer adam duritz. ultimately, it's one of the most complete and breathtaking debut albums of the '90's along with pearl jam's "ten" and blind melon's self-titled album. every song features an acoustic guitar coupled with the sweet, in-front pull of duritz's voice. the starkly beautiful and lonely sounding "round here" captured the band's honest yet subtle talent for singing ballads, while "omaha" is lyrically reminiscent of a springsteen tune. the fusion of hauntingly smooth vocals with such instruments as the organ and the accordion pumped new life into the music scene, and their brisk sound catapulted them into stardom. on "rain king," the piano takes over as its aloof flair dances behind duritz with elegant crispness. the slower-paced numbers like "anna begins" and "raining in baltimore" paint a perfectly gray picture and illustrate the band's ease at conveying mood by eliminating the tempo. most of the songs here engage in overly contagious hooks that won't go away, making for a solid bunch of tunes. containing the perfect portions of instrumental and vocal conglomeration, the group showed off their appealing sound to its full extent with their very first album, and unfortunately (but understandably) weren't able to match it after.

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song of the day: may 7/2011

Stuart Murdoch - Another Saturday
Album: Dark Was The Night [2009]

"dark was the night" is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the red hot organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. featuring exclusive recordings by a number of independent artists and production by aaron and bryce dessner of the national, the compilation was in february 2009. the title is derived from the blind willie johnson song "dark was the night, cold was the ground", which is covered on this collection by the kronos quartet. to date, the album has raised over $1.2 million, a sum that represents all the profits from worldwide sales. john carlin was quoted as saying "dark was the night" encapsulated the spirit and creativity of a new generation of musicians whose work struck a chord and got people to actually purchase the album and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight AIDS." it features a ton of great artists including the decemberists, feist, the national, dirty projectors, jose gonzalez, sharon jones & the dap kings, my brightest diamond, bon iver, beirut, yeasayer, my morning jacket, antony johnson and more!

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song of the day: may 6/2011

Helmet - Renovation
Album: Aftertaste [1997]

like many influential bands, helmet were born out of an unusual set of influences. oregon-born guitarist and founder page hamilton had actually moved to new york city to study jazz, but found inspiration in the late '80s through post-punk acts like sonic youth, and envisioned a group that combined then-unusual tunings (particularly dropped D) with uneven and jazz-like time signatures and harmonies. the result was helmet, the east coast's answer to seattle's then-underground sensation soundgarden. the group signed to the interscope label soon after their first album and released its breakthrough 1992 album, "meantime". 1994's "betty" saw hamilton and the band crafting more versatile songs - and at times even heavier - than "meantime". despite the success of certain songs on soundtracks, "betty"proved to be a critical success but a commercial failure. it pushed at the boundaries of their sound but perhaps too much for their audience's liking. as a result, the band returned to straightforward helmet territory with "aftertaste", restoring grinding guitars and pummeling rhythms to prominence. theoretically, this approach should have made "aftertaste" a more immediate, visceral record, but the second half of the album suffers from its lack of ambition. without the invention of "betty" or the gut-level force of "meantime", it drags on by the end but still, the first half-dozen songs are fantastic, with "pure" and "renovation" displaying the riffs and hooks that made helmet one of the more intriguing alternative metal bands of the 90's.
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song of the day: may 5/2011

Glassjaw - Ry Ry's Song
Album: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence [2000]

the always stunning progressive hardcore band glassjaw was formed by singer daryl palumbo and guitarist justin beck in 1994, longtime friends who began collaborating as teens. roster changes regularly plagued the influential group during its formative years, 2000-2003, which saw the release of "everything you ever wanted to know about silence", and 2002's "worship & tribute". rooted in new york hardcore aesthetic, but not in traditional hardcore per se, glassjaw fell under a new breed of bands that paid homage to the traditional chant and response of classic new york hardcore but without the chants, and without the shout-outs :)...if you think that makes little sense, so does glassjaw's non-linear music. and even though the band doesn't look like an aggressive rock band, they very much are. at least on paper. they paired up with producer/entrepreneur ross robinson (a key catalyst in the reinvention of rock sound during that time) to take you on a pummeling ride that would make any rocker proud. along with robinson's unorthodox production, glassjaw places an inordinate emphasis on palumbo's somewhat atonal voice, putting it at the forefront of the album's mix. his intense delivery wraps around the music, giving it an edge that one wouldn't otherwise expect. intensely dense, "everything you ever wanted to know about silence" succeeds on many levels. with palumbo's ability to completely and unequivocally assault the senses with his voice, the subversive riffs of beck and todd weinstock take songs like "pretty lush", "siberian kiss" and "when one eight becomes two zeros" to impressive places. other highlights include the catchy, more accessible "ry ry's song", the sombre "her middle name was boom" which highlights palumbo's ridiculous voice box before delving into a furious conclusion, and "piano", which builds up and destroys like a tornado. with few choruses to speak of, the band literally pile-drives the menacing material into the ground. much like deftones, glassjaw changes gears when you least expect it and have maintained a steady cult following even though they haven't released a proper album in almost ten years.

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song of the day: may 4/2011

Sunny Day Real Estate - Pillars
Album: How It Feels To Be Something On [1998]

although they formed in 1992 amid the burgeoning hard rock scene in seattle (and later signed to northwest power label sub pop), the group could not have been more different from their flannel-clad contemporaries. originally conceived as a three-piece, sunny day real estate garnered attention when it added enigmatic lead singer jeremy enigk, whose high-pitched, constantly ascending voice complemented their melodic songs. the group was shrouded in mystery from the get-go: they released only one picture to the press; conducted one interview; and, for some still-unknown reason, never played a show in the state of california with all four members. with the release of their 1994 debut album, "diary", the band achieved newfound fame with the hits "in circles" and "seven". in 1995, the group broke up, but not before releasing that year's "LP2" (which, because of its single-hue design, is usually referred to as "the pink album"). during the break-up, drummer william goldsmith and bassist nate mendel quickly found work with foo fighters, guitarist dan hoerner retreated to a farm in washington, while enigk released "return of the frog queen" in 1996, a set of acoustic songs recorded with a 21-piece orchestra. in the meantime, the group maintained a steady fan base on the internet, with many circles dubbing them as the godfathers of emo music. in 1997, after months of speculation, the group re-formed, minus Mendel (who stayed with foo fighters) and in september 1998 returned with "how it feels to be something on", an album that was met with critical accolades from fans and critics, prompting more media attention than ever as well as a new tour. the cryptically titled album was the first fruit of sunny day real estate's reunion, and it simultaneously smoothed out their sound while shifting it into something altogether more ambitious. always somewhat arty and challenging to begin with, sunny day flirted with out-and-out prog rock,, cleaning up the production to reveal the contrasting layers in their ever more intricate arrangements. there's a droning, almost middle eastern feel to some of the songs, pointing up jeremy enigk's newfound taste for spiritual mysticism. enigk's swooning vocals matured greatly, applying lessons learned from his solo project; gone is the strangled roar he frequently used on "diary". similarly, the band's musicianship continued to sharpen, handling the twisting chord progressions with an easy grace that keeps the songs flowing smoothly into one another. in hindsight, this album was a remarkable step forward from a band that seemed destined to leave its full potential untapped. 2000 saw the release of "the rising tide" which was marked by a gentler tone and a stronger prog rock influence that resulted in some of the best reviews of the band's already acclaimed career. enigk's piercing falsetto really hit its stride and the band's songwriting finally fulfilled their every anthemic ambition however, external forces conspired against the band; the group's new label, "time bomb", had their distribution deal fall through, making promotion and touring all but impossible. additional difficulties with their management soured sessions for a follow-up, and it was announced in june 2001 that sunny day real estate had disbanded. the original line-up re-united again and toured in 2009, mostly playing songs from their first two albums. enigk has talked of another sunny day real estate album but not much is known at this point. still, the group's side project (the fire theft's 2003 self-titled release), and his solo efforts, 2006's "world waits" and 2009's "ok bear" more than fill the void for now.

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song of the day: may 3/2011

...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Ebb Away
Album: Tao of the Dead [2011]

the sense of liberation that rejuvenated trail of dead on "the century of self", the band’s first album on their own richter scale imprint, continues on "the tao of the dead". indeed, the way conrad keely and company flex their brains and muscles here, without any confines except the ones they make for themselves, makes "the century of self" feel like a dress rehearsal. it's easy to see why any other label might not want to take a risk on an album like this: it’s divided into two parts, it’s written in two specific tunings, and the album artwork is the first installment of keely's graphic novel. yet these are exactly the kind of things - along with the music, of course - that make the trail of dead special: they revel in grand sounds and grand concepts. but this album is far from pretentious, mostly because it’s so loud. from the opening blast of “let’s experiment," the band’s fusion of punk energy and prog rock fantasies on the first part of tao is nearly flawless. “pure radio cosplay” serves up a meta-critique of the death of rock radio that’s as radio-friendly as any song they’ve released, riding a quintessential trail of dead riff as it charges through the album’s elaborate trappings like a bull in a china shop. “summer of all dead souls”follows suit, delivering the heavy yet nimble rock the band perfected on the now-legendary "source tags and codes". yet there’s also plenty of variety, from “Weight of the Sun (Or the Post-Modern Prometheus)”'s bracing shanty rock to ballads like “the wasteland” and “ebb away,” which keep the tension of the album’s louder moments. the album’s second part, “strange news from another planet,” is where the they truly unveil their devotion to prog rock. a 16-minute suite with five movements bridged by interludes, it’s much too driven to ever be called noodling. another fascinating and unfashionable album from a band unwilling to cater to anyone’s expectations except their own, and thriving because of it.

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song of the day: may 2/2011

Death From Above 1979 - Going Steady
Album: You're a Woman, I'm a Machine [2004]

death from above 1979 makes their considerable racket with only bass and drums. this isn't a gimmick - between sebastien grainger's frantic wail and the overdriven bass riffs of jesse f. keeler, the duo's "you're a woman, i'm a machine" pulses with a steady, sweaty energy that's punctuated with arena-sized hooks. "blood on our hands" boils dance-punk nearly all the way down, leaving only a relentless hi-hat cymbal, while "turn it out" and "cold war" churn on double-time rhythms and rudimentary, yet completely effective bass runs. the duo's setup certainly limits their range, which means the album can occasionally resemble one long song. but at just over a half-hour, it's over before any questions about the lack of guitars can even start to form. there are hyper indie rock flare-ups ("going steady") along with amplified crosses of new wave ("sexy results"). in the 2000s, dance-oriented energy kept creeping regularly into rock & roll, and on this album, the band makes people move by exposing the live-wire tension rock music had all along.

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song of the day: may 1/2011

Yeasayer - Rome
Album: Odd Blood [2010]

the music of brooklyn's yeasayer is an eclectic, genre-bending journey into pop, rock, middle eastern and african musics, folk, and dub. in may 2006, the band set to work on recording its debut album, "all hour cymbals", which was unveiled to much critical acclaim (not to mention a healthy blogosphere buzz) in october 2007. international tour dates and festival appearances followed, during which the band honed its blend of live instrumentation and prerecorded samples. when it came time to record a second album, yeasayer traveled to Woodstock, NY, and rented out the country home of percussionist jerry marotta. the resulting record, Odd Blood, appeared in early 2010 and showcased a different side of the band, with synthetic sounds and dance-inspired production playing a much larger role. the album does get off to an odd start with “the children” - a robotic, plodding song that prizes mood over melody - before settling into a more balanced groove, mixing the multicultural sounds of yeasayer's debut with a new emphasis on electronica, global trip-hop, and digital production. like their debut, this is a thinking man’s album, one that requires its listeners to put on their thinking caps as well as their dancing shoes. it’s more urban than its predecessor, though, with most songs ditching the tribal harmonies and lo-fi analog ambience of the band’s earlier work in favor of an electric, textured sound. singer/guitarist anand wilder often abandons his guitar entirely, focusing instead on the keyboards that serve as odd blood’s bedrock, and he sings the latter song in a voice that’s clear, pleasant, and devoid of the yelping that characterized some earlier tracks. the album's emphasis on genre-mashing can overwhelm the weaker tunes, whose melodies are sometimes less interesting than the arrangements themselves, but the album has enough highlights (ie. "rome", "ambling alp") to outweigh any filler on side B. all in all, this is a rare sophomore album that widens the band's sound without narrowing its appeal.

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song of the day: april 30/2011

Rod Stewart - Handbags & Gladrags
Album: The Rod Stewart Album [1969]

on his debut album (titled "an old raincoat won't ever let you down" in britain, , rod stewart essays a startlingly original blend of folk, blues, and rock & roll. the opening cover of the stones' "Street Fighting Man" encapsulates his approach. turning the driving acoustic guitars of the original inside out, the song works a laid-back, acoustic groove, bringing a whole new meaning to the song before escalating into a full-on rock & roll attack - without any distorted guitars, just bashing acoustics and thundering drums. through this approach, stewart establishes that rock can sound as rich and timeless as folk, and that folk can be as vigorous as rock. former manfred mann singer mike d'abo wrote "handbags and gladrags" in the mid-'60s, originally giving the song to chris farlowe, whose 1967 single didn't live up to the rather lovely tune's potential. a few other, even less successful covers appeared over the next two years, until rod stewart recorded the definitive version of the song on this album. this is easily the most sensitive reading of the song available, as well as one of stewart's most nuanced performances, featuring a tightly reined-in lead vocal that keeps the somewhat melodramatic lyrics from descending too far. similarly, the arrangement (courtesy of d'abo, who also plays the prominent piano figure) adds tasteful woodwinds in place of the full orchestral swells of farlowe's version; in its piano-based simplicity, this version of "handbags and gladrags" sounds like a precursor of the simple, largely acoustic pop of elton john's first few albums. the song has remained primarily associated with stewart in the decades since its release, although it did reappear in the early 2000s as the suitably downbeat theme to ricky gervais' cult british sitcom "the office".

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