[ Louis the Child – It’s Strange ]
It’s been awhile since I’ve been this obsessed with just one song. I’ve had this song on repeat all week, and probably won’t be stopping anytime soon.
This is Louis the Child’s latest song (as well as my favorite), yet I would have likely never found their work had I never fallen in love with this track.
I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do, and definitely give the rest of their work a listen here.
[ Hippo Campus – South ]
I absolutely fell in love with these guys when I saw them live months ago, opening for Rubblebucket. All of them are just breaking their 20s and have the kind of enthusiasm and passion on stage that makes for an undeniably good time. This newly released single has me itching for what’s to come and makes me nostalgic for one of the best concerts I have been to in awhile.
[ Jeremy Zucker – Good Bye ]
Though I posted about this guy sometime last year (here) – and disclaimed how creepy I felt because he is a friend of a friend – I can’t help but share his work yet again (and still feel somewhat creepy about it). Jeremy Zucker not only released another EP, Beach Island, but also multiple other singles AND now new tracks to come every Sunday for the month of November. Here is his latest song, and the first of five November beats to come.
AH! My favorite man is back in action! Matt Corby just released his latest single, “Monday”, about a month ago, and just a week ago dropped this beautiful live rendition of it (all filmed in one take). His skill will likely never cease to amaze me and I am genuinely grinning at my computer as I watch this because I can only anticipate what is to come. Check it out if you want to give your ears a treat.
[ Lola Marsh – You’re Mine ]
There’s just something about this song that I can’t seem to get out of my head. Holding hints of nostalgia among a mix of sounds that tie back to favored artists, Lola Marsh sure knows how to make a debut. Less than a week old, I’m so pleased to have found this little gem and hope there’s plenty more to come.
[ Adult Jazz – Springful ]
Holy shit. I mean seriously. I think I may have just found a new favorite band to tack on to the list, and it’s climbing its way up to the top pretty damn fast, which I can tell you does not happen often.
Having only been in the spotlight for a few months, Adult Jazz’s (what appears to be) debut album, Gist Is, demands the attention that I don’t think it is fully receiving. It has lengthy and oddly strung together tempos and melodies reminding me of certains songs off of Radiohead’s In Rainbows album. But the thing is, Adult Jazz has minimal to no resemblance to Radiohead (song structure aside). Which I think is what is hardest to articulate about this band. In certain moments, I can hear small bits of Bombay Bicycle Club, Alt-J, Mutual Benefit or, even at times, falsetto vocals that hint at a resemblance to Bon Iver, but there are several, several other elements that contributing to this group that I can’t even place my finger on.
Being the inarticulate person that I am, I’m probably not the person that you want to explain Adult Jazz. What has been my cop-out (and will be), is to simply say, listen. I could sit here and type reasons and describe somewhat related artists, but to comprehend the real character of this band, I’m leaving you with no other choice than to listen to this album. A hundred times (if you’re as obsessed as I am).
Artist: Matt Bishop,Trails and Ways, PHOX
Date: July 6, 2014
Location: The Crocodile
Let’s just say that I think I’ve waited my whole life for this concert. What resulted in a four hour show, proved only to feel like a twenty minute show. And though I do tend to say this after many shows, I truly do believe that this was all-around, my favorite show thus far…and let me break down my reasoning for you:
Firstly, the show was $10, and it was the kind of show that is probably the epitome of an indie show. Instead of tickets with the show description (or basically any indication that it was a concert) they gave out raffle tickets as a substitute and there was no traffic of people to push through once doors opened. With that being said, I was about front row on the Under 21 side (so equivalent to second row on the right side, approximately).
Kicking off what would amount to a killer evening in a small Seattle venue, Matt Bishop (of Hey Marseilles) took the stage. I definitely wish I could have listened to more of Bishop’s solo work. I love Hey Marseilles as much as the next guy, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear only Matt Bishop and his guitar. Bishop’s voice is much smoother and fuller live and gives a pretty different feel than when you hear Hey Marseilles on recording. Of course, he carefully intertwined Hey Marseilles work with his own, consistently laughing at the pessimistic tone of them all because “that’s all I know how to write…I’m really a very happy guy, but writing sad songs is the only thing I’m good at”. But never had any complaints with the mood of his melodies and knew he was right when he said that that was his strength and easily enjoyed the rest of his performance.
After Bishop was Trails and Ways. I feel that I am pretty well-prepared for most concerts I attend in the sense that I know all of the bands and artists playing, or that I have at least done a little research if they are completely unknown to me. I knew that Matt Bishop was opening but Trails and Ways blindsided me. A small eclectic band from Berkley, CA, these guys completely blew me away (as well as the members of PHOX, who were standing just a dozen feet away from me in the audience?!). Trails and Ways reminded me of a five-man band version of Youth Lagoon, but more upbeat and less moody. And when the mic broke and the technical difficulties began, the corny jokes were made with no hesitation. I began to like these guys more and more. As sad as I was to see them go after their last song, I could hardly contain myself for what was to come.
Though I had predicted differently, PHOX kicked off their set with “Shrinking Violets” and I already knew I was a goner. With each song I knew I was falling in deeper and deeper, and I reached the ultimate, concert-ear-gasmic point when PHOX played “Satyr and the Faun”, and couldn’t do much more than stand there in momentary bliss, attempting to take it all in. Throughout the entire show, Monica Martin kept apologizing for the awkwardness or the mistakes or this or that, but not in the way that frustrates you, but in the way that validates their authenticity; a band that is so raw that they’re here, up on stage, giggling at their mistakes, restarting songs and laughing in the middle of chorus lines because they are still so shocked at what they are doing. And that is what I like best about them, and truly don’t think that much else could get close to pinpointing the experience, because I think it was not only the band’s talent but also that their personality that made the experience, not the specific setlist or venue or minor details.
P.S. Being the stellar bands and artists that they are, all three stuck around after the show and I got to have a quick chat with Matt Bishop, make acquaintances with Keith of Trails and Ways and nearly pee my pants while holding a conversation with Monica Martin.
ALSO, rarely do I make picture collages (I find them too overwhelming and distracting) but being the indecisive person that I am, I made one…so let me decode it for you: top left is Trails and Ways, bottom left is PHOX, top right is Keith of Trails and Ways and I, middle right is Monica Martin and bottom right is Monica and I.
[ Owl Paws – CARRY ON ]
These guys are cool. Like the “we live in San Francisco, but thought we’d drive all the way up to Seattle in a van and play at a tiny house show on a Wednesday night” kind of cool. While reuniting with some old high school friends and several people that I’d never met before, Owl Paws kicked off the party. Just three dudes (though typically four); one on snare, one on guitar and one on an upright bass.
Immediately these guys stole my attention. The vocals – as well as style and facial hair – had an uncanny resemblance to Taylor Rice (aka the lead singer in Local Natives). Their music flowed in a similar manner to that of Local Natives in the sense that it was incredibly well harmonized, lively and had poetic lyrics that did more than just accompany the tune. These guys were also pretty entertaining to watch with each member dancing in their own little way. Though their albums are killer, I don’t think anything will beat seeing them live.
After – obviously – thoroughly stalking the band on most social media platforms, I was pretty surprised to find that they had less followers than I expected. But what’s a number really mean anyway? These guys are getting out there, and I’m telling’ ya, there gonna get big some day…they’re too good not to.
P.S. Big shocker, I can’t ever pick just one song, so I posted their latest album. Favorite tracks: The Fields, Croak and Sunrise.
Like I don’t have enough PHOX stuff on here already…but this video just dropped 12 hours ago and I couldn’t resist sharing. Like all of their other work, it is very quirky and very authentic, which is something about these guys that I will always love. One other smaller reason for posting this for y’all today is that I just saw PHOX live (amongst two other killer artists) and will have a concert review within the next couple of days for what became one of my favorite shows, so stay tuned!
[ The Belle Game – Wait Up For You ]
I wouldn’t say that I was short of good music to listen to, but I’ve felt that lately I wasn’t finding as many gems at that pace I once had. I’d rediscover music I’d forgotten about, new renditions on old songs and even new albums, but I wasn’t getting lost in my music searches in the way that I knew was possible. Until today, of course. In the midst of creating playlist after playlist and digging deep between “Related Artists” and “Similar To”, I found several little pieces of gold that I can’t wait to share with you guys in the weeks to come. Obviously, not all of this newly discovered music is new music per say, but it’s pretty new to me and it’s pretty damn good, so regardless of age I think it’s more than worth the share. To kick it all off, here is one of my new favorites from The Belle Game and the first of many gems to come.
One more for today because I couldn’t resist. Pocket Parties might be surpassing my love for Take Away shows…either way, La Blogothèque has the good stuff. Check Real Estate’s full Pocket Party here.
[ silver soundwaves ] 