Monday Music Roundup

Anyone who went through the '80s knows that maybe sometimes, for some reasons, you might just miss the side ponytail. On Saturday night I went to a (totally radical) '80s dance party out in the suburbs of Arvada and bravely dressed in my best finery from that decade. It felt so excellent and dare I say liberating to revisit the hairstyle of 5th grade and to not be alone.

The entertainment (+ fun complimentary personal mixing lesson!) was provided by DJ Hot To Death and DJ Goose from Denver. If you are feeling listless and cubicle-bound this morning, you can download a sizzling DJ Hot To Death set from the preset at the Film On The Rocks series last week at Red Rocks:

DJ Hot To Death set @ Red Rocks
Includes music from - The White Stripes * Santogold * Dropkick Murphys * Gnarls Barkley * Electric 6 * Modest Mouse * Crookers * AC/DC * She Wants Revenge * The Pixies * Diplo * The Clash * and more…
It's a bit of Saturday night fun to start things off this Monday morning.

Stop Rip & Roll
J Roddy Walston and The Business
Just click play - this song hits like a most jubilant and unlikely combination of the Pogues and Queen. Tennessee-born J Roddy Walston and The Business have recorded one of my favorite tracks to be posted here in a long time. Second in a miniature series of "Bands Who Have Opened Recently for The Hold Steady," JR&TB come flying at you and are completely unrelenting. Purveyors of a scathing live show, the Arkansas Times wrote "they’re loud, relentless, and wear you out before they’re even halfway done with you." Well, I don't wear out easily but I can see how they'd come close with stuff like this. Hail Mega Boys is out now on the Southern Brethren label.


123 Stop
The Postelles
Hailing from New York City, The Postelles are four fresh-faced younguns whose new album is also the inaugural production effort of Albert Hammond Jr. Citing obvious influences, our friends over at MOKB are calling this new single "Strokes-meets-Billy Joel." From the traditional retro sugar of the chorus hooks to the teenager-in-love laments of songs you may know from a handful of decades ago, this is infectious and delightful music. The Hammond project is forthcoming, although there is an older EP available on iTunes. The Postelles will be playing Lollapalooza and some dates with The Whigs in the coming months, and I don't see how their live show could be anything other than fun.

Wreck
The Bittersweets
As much as I am enjoying the new Ryan Auffenberg album, I'll have to admit occasionally missing the perfect counterpoint to his smooth vocals that was provided by singer Hannah Prater on older songs like "Under All The Bright Lights." Prater's band The Bittersweets (also featuring members Chris Meyers and former Counting Crows / Luce / Third Eye Blind drummer Steve Bowman) has relocated from Northern California to the Americana heartland of Nashville. Their new album Goodnight San Francisco is out September 9th on Compass Records, and it's good to hear Hannah's gorgeously warm and winning voice again as she questions "Why'd you go and wreck this all?"


A Sweet Summer's Night On Hammer Hill
Jens Lekman
This 2005 song recently came up on my summer shuffling and seems so fitting for July, all shiny trumpets and handclaps. Jens Lekman is one in the stream of likable Swedish acts to charmingly convince me to lend an ear. This song is a little cabaret in an unrehearsed way, conjuring up soulful images of standing around on a street-corner, singing and clapping as a fire hydrant goes off (I guess maybe that universally carries as a summer sentiment over to Sweden?). From Oh, You're So Silent Jens (Secretly Canadian Records).

Monday Music Roundup

Oh, my good heavens. I've found your new favorite website: The Museum of Kitschy Stitches. It is a collection of unspeakably awful sweaters knitted during the height of bad, bad, bad fashion in the '70s and '80s, combined with snarky commentary. You will marvel at what passed as acceptable to wear outside the home (PS - There's a book too).

My dear sweet lord, it's handicrafts gone wrong.


You could imagine yourself snuggling into one of these bad boy confections while you listen to these great songs for the week:


Long Day
The Bittersweets
I have been singing this all weekend. It feels somehow instantly familiar when you hear it, warm and rich and lovely. Fronted by confidently honey-voiced Hannah Prater, this track has a rolling alt-country feel with the wistful slide guitar. The Bittersweets hail from Oakland, California, and have found that elusive perfect band name that captures the mood of their music. If their name sounds familiar, I had also mentioned them last week in conjunction with the show they played in San Francisco with Ryan Auffenberg (who, judging from the emails I received, you guys LOVED). The Bittersweets guest in several places on Auffenberg's new CD, so if you liked him (of course you did) check out The Bittersweets' disc The Life You Always Wanted (2006, Virt Records). They've got a few California shows coming up, including one opening for Roseanne Cash.


Key Of C
Jim Noir
This song is found on the same Tower of Love album as that catchy "Eanie Meany" song used in the World Cup Adidas commercials. Jim Noir is from Manchester (UK) and I think I am going to seek out the album (which was just released on Barsuk in the US), as I've heard nothing but good things about it. This song blends a pleasant '60s pop sound with a slightly distorted melody and some electronica elements. Plus, you've gotta give some props to the fact that this is basically a love ballad to a musical note (the aforementioned C). Quirky, feel-good tune.


She Falls Away
Andy Mac
This is a MySpace discovery for me; the piano intro starts out slow, but when the beat kicks in, the channeling of John Davis from Superdrag immediately begins as well. This is a very good thing. Andy Mac is from Buffalo, New York and has been a musician all his life. After sharing stage time with Duncan Sheik and other artists, he struck out on his own with his Music For A Bright Moon Sky album in 2005 (More mp3s are on the Not Lame Records website). It's an album full of well-crafted pop, catchy arrangements, and lush harmonies.


Distortions (Clinic cover)
Chris Walla
Stereogum has had a bunch of good songs up on their site lately, including this new tune from Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie, recorded two weeks ago at his house. It's a cover of a Clinic song, and since I am not familiar with the original, I think I will go find it. Some people familiar with the Clinic version say that this sucks. But I actually like it with its slow build, driving beat, and double-tracked harmonies. Read about Walla's new solo efforts here, forthcoming from Barsuk, and suggest a band name for his endeavors. Right now the front runners seem to be "Dishwalla" (yuk, yuk, yuk) and, my favorite, "Walla Walla Bing Bang" (someone call the witch doctor).


The Perfect Crime
The Decemberists
So basically the whole new Decemberists album The Crane Wife is floating out there in advance of the October release date. I've only heard a few songs, but I really like this one. Upbeat, almost danceable, but still agreeably idiosyncratic due to the warble of Colin Meloy's voice and the creative range of instruments that the Decemberists like to bust out.


Now I feel like knitting something for some inexplicable reason.