Posts

The Mighty Mocambos, “Calling the Shots”

The immediacy of the drums here, both in their entry into the song as well as the production, really drives things here. That insistent bell, the grit and echo, it’s fantastic. On top of that, those punchy horns, goddamn, I could just listen to this all day. And bari sax! Love it.

L’Orange & Mr. Lif, “Strange Technology”

I wonder what it is about hip-hop that pairs with sci-fi so successfully in a way that, say, rock music can struggle with. A lot of the time when rock tries to go sci-fi, it comes across as corny or ridiculous. But hip-hop can go futuristic without any real struggle, and there have been some awesome sci-fi hip-hop records. I suppose the beats can get kind of inorganic without stretching the genre too much, and that can help things.

Cloud Nothings, “Sun Meat”

You know, cranking out a monthly EP for an entire year is an absolutely tremendous achievement, one of the more impressive ones I’ve seen from an artist in years. I think it’s kind of a shame that they didn’t have a wider audience for them. It looks like 5-600 people subscribed, judging by how many people have them in their collections on Bandcamp. Maybe they’ll package stuff up and release them later.

A Forest of Stars, “A Prophet for a Pound of Flesh”

The rolled Rs are a bit much, don’t you think, A Forest of Stars guy? There’s always a line that metal bands walk, where if they go too far and seem like they’re taking themselves too seriously, they cross into Theatre Kid territory. Now, you can lean into the ridiculousness, of course, and that’s fine and good and not what I’m talking about. It’s just if you get too dramatic and don’t seem to be tongue-in-cheek at all, well, it gets extremely silly.

No Age, “Life Prowler”

As always, Five Songs is a pro-duo place, which is something we feel compelled to mention every single time one comes up. It’s just one of our loveable quirks, like not knowing shit about jazz or using the royal we, but only inconsistently! Shoddy, rushed writing, or deliberate, stylistic choice? Nobody knows!

Solids, “Cold Hands”

Another duo! Solids only made this one album, 2013’s Blame Confusion, but it’s a ripper. If you like what you hear, you’re in for a treat!

They Might Be Giants, “Experimental Film”

The Spine is a very elaborate album from TMBG. The production is really lush and layered, and it pays off in songs like this one. As the years go on, I actually end up appreciating this album more and more.

Idylls, “Fagged Out On The Beach”

Just a little transitional track here, not a ton to say about it.

Crystalized Movements, “The Second a Siren”

The production on This Wideness Comes is like an extra member of the band. There’s something about the way the fuzz and compression interacts with the band that gives it a distinctive feel. I think it’s the separation of the vocals from the rest of the band that is part of it, it almost sounds like two different recordings.

Lambchop, “The New Cobweb Summer”

Aw, I just want to enjoy this. I’m not going to say anything!

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, “She Said”

Plastic Fang is an album that feels a little bit unfocused to me. They’re experimenting with tweaks to their formula in a few different ways on the album, and I’m not sure it all totally works out. But that said, Spencer still writes some bangers on it, and this is one of the highlights of the record. Just a roaring groove in the mold of Orange.

The Decemberists, “The Perfect Crime #2”

My favorite Decemberists album really rotates around quite a bit, but it’s usually between this one, Her Majesty The Decemberists, and Picaresque. I suspect that if I could listen to all three with fresh ears with my current musical preferences, that I might land on this one permanently, as the most elaborate of the three.

Black Milk, “Deion’s House”

Black Milk is known for being as good on the mic as behind the boards, but this song actually has an outside producer on it. Still an excellent track, and this album across the board is outstanding.

The Apples in Stereo, “About Your Fame”

I do enjoy poking fun at the Apples in Stereo around here, but this is a sweet tune. So, yeah, some of their stuff can be unambitious, but when the pop is dialed in, it’s pretty excellent.

Nine Inch Nails, “Corona Radiata”

2005 through 2008 has been Trent Reznor’s most productive period, with three full albums and an instrumental one coming out in less time than it usually takes him to make one album. The Slip is the final record of that sequence before he went back into hibernation, and it’s generally the most straightforward of the four. Uh, this track notwithstanding. While I think Year Zero is the best of that bunch, there’s a catharsis with this record that is satisfying. Again, this dry hump of a song aside.

Vince Guaraldi, “Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal)”

We’re not the most distant from Christmas on the calendar, but I think early spring is spiritually as far as you can get. So, nice timing, Plexasaurus!

Young Hunter, “After Death”

Desert-inspired heavy rock, this is from their self-released and self-titled 2016 release, which is full of psychedelic semi-doom. Overall, I kind of wish they were just purely instrumental, as that’s the most interesting part of this whole thing.

Anti-Flag, “A New Kind of Army”

Love that anthemic punk rock sound. This is a classic winning formula here, and it feels wrong to be listening to it on an earbud instead of through loud speakers.

matt pond PA, “Bring On The Ending”

Been a minute since we’ve had matt pond PA around here. This is from 2004’s Emblems, a glossy, shiny pop album full of gentle but catchy songs. There’s a real Shins feel to this, which is definitely a compliment. Anyway, they aren’t exactly breaking new ground here, but it’s a pleasant listen.