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Artist: Dutch Uncles
Album: Out of Touch in The Wild ***
Here we go again. Finale Fore. Time to take a break and refill our ipods for season 5, but what’s say we burn one more before we go? This is a cool band. Probably my favourite xylophone album. A ‘Dutch Uncle’ is a term for a person who issues frank, harsh, and severe comments and criticism to educate, encourage, or admonish someone. It’s also a term for a person who issues frank, harsh, and severe comments and criticism to educate, encourage, or admonish someone. ‘Dutch Uncle is also the name of Marilyn Durham’s 1973 western novel, which was of course the follow up to her ‘The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing’.
This is the third album, the second one’s worth a listen, too.
This is the third album, the second one’s worth a listen, too.
Artist: Everything Everything
Album: Arc ***
Lots of great mathy European stuff out already in the short time it’s been 2013. Ipod’s filling up so fast I keep thinking I’m becoming uncritical, but honestly, big clever production is just paying off nicely this year – a nice change. I think the consensus is that this is a more solid album that the debut (which we played way back in... season 2?) Are these guys even releasing North American-side yet? With the success they’ve had at home, it’s pretty sweet they’re keeping a lid on things somehow. Not enough people talking about these guys. A sign that it’s worth keeping your eye on blogs from across the pond once in a while.
Artist: Foxygen
Album: We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic *****
I don’t know what to say about this. Maybe: There’s a band that called their album ‘We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic’ and all of that awesomeness is captured in this song that they called ‘We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic’. Most of the lyrics of the chorus are ‘‘We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic’ and they are FUN to sing along with.. This is one of my new favourite bands, and the record is definitely ‘best new music’.
“FISH MAN!”
Song: Do You...
First off, the music snob in me just HAS to point out that for probably the last 3 episodes or so we've been trying to figure out a song off this album to be able to fit in somewhere that worked well without feeling forced. So just know that we aren't throwing this jam in because of his performance at the Grammy's this past week. We were still on it first!
Great R'n'B album for people who maybe aren't normally R'n'B fans (myself included). A bunch of different soundscapes and tempos on this record which will please a pretty wide audience, and if nothing else…dude can SING! For real.
Song: Waitin' 4 U
Artist: Foxygen
Album: Take The Kids Off Broadway ***
So, it was on the strength of this record, which was apparently the like 8th or 9th record that the two dudes (John and Sam) from Foxygen recorded together that RICHARD SWIFT (who we love for his own shit AND for being the new Shins keyboardist). Just fucking around, you know, by cheekily (and effortlessly) reappropriate every pop-rock cliché in their parents’ record collection and make it fucking raw. Like the Unicorns piss-taking meets MGMT’s velvet underground worship, but better. Don’t miss out, especially if you’re following all of this psychedelic revivalism (see Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Nightlands... and stay tuned for the latter two).
Song: Infinitesimal
Artist: Mother Mother
Album: The Sticks ****
We played a jam from their last album a few episodes back and we knew we had to have something from the latest Mother Mother disc at some point before we ended off this season. These guys are the type of band that you'll hear on the radio, but also in indie blogs. Pop hooks with a side of quirk. Fantastic fun album that's catchy as hell. We could have taken just about any song from the record to play. Definitely a front-to-back-er.
Song: The Start Again
It's no secret that I (Bunsen) love HelloGoodbye. These guys aren't quite HelloGoodbye, but it reminded me of what a new single from them would probably sound like. Nerdy-Summer-Lovin'-Beach-Pop. Don't take it too seriously, just have fun with it.
Song: Beta Love
So, of course the singer from Ra Ra Riot has done electronic-y stuff before – namely ‘Discovery’ with Vampire Weekend’s keyboardist. That was a fun little record. I’ve read that they wanted to getaway from what they thought was their reputation as ‘the indie band with the cello’. I didn’t fucking know them as ‘the indie band with the cello’. Who doesn’t have a fucking cello? I heard DJ Shadow just sold his turntables and bought a cello. Anyway – only half of this album is any good, but only half of the last one was any good. Great, in fact. The debut’s as solid as ever. This dude’s voice. Come on.
Song: No Waves
Fuck it, dude. Life’s a risk. The EP, not the LP.
Song: From The Sun
What an album opener. Their last album was super catchy, and gave Tame Impala fans something to chew on between opuses. (These Kiwis and Aussies, y’know?) This record just doesn’t try as hard as catchy, the production stays period and gimmicky – but it’s so rich, so good, so authentic somehow. My first pick for record of the year contender... till I heard Foxygen and Nightlands (coming up). Great year so far. Anyway, yeah, sit down with this sometime. Rewarding stuff.
Song: When We Were Young
Great Great Great band that I wish I had listened to sooner. Kind of a supergroup of sorts. Husband and wife team (Darren plays drums for Mute Math and Stacy sings and plays guitar in Eisley). Such a beautifully arranged album front to back, with lots of strings and gorgeous vocals. One that seems equally perfect to have on both on a relaxing Sunday morning as it does on a late night wind down session.
I don’t know what to say about this. Maybe: There’s a band that called their album ‘We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic’ and all of that awesomeness is captured in this song that they called ‘We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic’. Most of the lyrics of the chorus are ‘‘We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic’ and they are FUN to sing along with.. This is one of my new favourite bands, and the record is definitely ‘best new music’.
“FISH MAN!”
Artist: Miguel
Album: Kaleidoscope Dream ***First off, the music snob in me just HAS to point out that for probably the last 3 episodes or so we've been trying to figure out a song off this album to be able to fit in somewhere that worked well without feeling forced. So just know that we aren't throwing this jam in because of his performance at the Grammy's this past week. We were still on it first!
Great R'n'B album for people who maybe aren't normally R'n'B fans (myself included). A bunch of different soundscapes and tempos on this record which will please a pretty wide audience, and if nothing else…dude can SING! For real.
Artist: Foxygen
Album: Take The Kids Off Broadway ***
So, it was on the strength of this record, which was apparently the like 8th or 9th record that the two dudes (John and Sam) from Foxygen recorded together that RICHARD SWIFT (who we love for his own shit AND for being the new Shins keyboardist). Just fucking around, you know, by cheekily (and effortlessly) reappropriate every pop-rock cliché in their parents’ record collection and make it fucking raw. Like the Unicorns piss-taking meets MGMT’s velvet underground worship, but better. Don’t miss out, especially if you’re following all of this psychedelic revivalism (see Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Nightlands... and stay tuned for the latter two).
Artist: Mother Mother
Album: The Sticks ****
We played a jam from their last album a few episodes back and we knew we had to have something from the latest Mother Mother disc at some point before we ended off this season. These guys are the type of band that you'll hear on the radio, but also in indie blogs. Pop hooks with a side of quirk. Fantastic fun album that's catchy as hell. We could have taken just about any song from the record to play. Definitely a front-to-back-er.
Artist: More Amor
Album: In Spanish **It's no secret that I (Bunsen) love HelloGoodbye. These guys aren't quite HelloGoodbye, but it reminded me of what a new single from them would probably sound like. Nerdy-Summer-Lovin'-Beach-Pop. Don't take it too seriously, just have fun with it.
Artist: Ra Ra Riot
Album: Beta Love ***So, of course the singer from Ra Ra Riot has done electronic-y stuff before – namely ‘Discovery’ with Vampire Weekend’s keyboardist. That was a fun little record. I’ve read that they wanted to getaway from what they thought was their reputation as ‘the indie band with the cello’. I didn’t fucking know them as ‘the indie band with the cello’. Who doesn’t have a fucking cello? I heard DJ Shadow just sold his turntables and bought a cello. Anyway – only half of this album is any good, but only half of the last one was any good. Great, in fact. The debut’s as solid as ever. This dude’s voice. Come on.
Artist: FIDLAR
Album: Don't Try EP ****Fuck it, dude. Life’s a risk. The EP, not the LP.
Artist: Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Album: II What an album opener. Their last album was super catchy, and gave Tame Impala fans something to chew on between opuses. (These Kiwis and Aussies, y’know?) This record just doesn’t try as hard as catchy, the production stays period and gimmicky – but it’s so rich, so good, so authentic somehow. My first pick for record of the year contender... till I heard Foxygen and Nightlands (coming up). Great year so far. Anyway, yeah, sit down with this sometime. Rewarding stuff.
Artist: Sucre
Album: A Minor Bird ****Great Great Great band that I wish I had listened to sooner. Kind of a supergroup of sorts. Husband and wife team (Darren plays drums for Mute Math and Stacy sings and plays guitar in Eisley). Such a beautifully arranged album front to back, with lots of strings and gorgeous vocals. One that seems equally perfect to have on both on a relaxing Sunday morning as it does on a late night wind down session.
Artist: Jeremih
Album: Late Nights With Jeremih (mixtape) ***The Jeremih mixtape teaches us that combing a record for the gems to ‘Make Your Own EP’ is a skill SO worth developing. Also, I’m starting to think that I rep Chicago hip-hop. Chali 2na, Cool Kids, Jeremih. There is a lot of intolerable hip hop out there. But most of it doesn’t come from Chicago. Feel the Illinoize.
Artist: Mister Lies (ft. Exitmusic)
Album: Mowgli (album out Feb 26)
In all honesty, I know very little about this dude. Saw the video posted on the Secretly Canadian website because this jam features Exitmusic, and thought it sounded cool enough to play. Sometimes that's all it takes. Album's not out till Feb. 26th though, so I can't vouch for the rest of it.
Song: Time and Place
Artist: Nightlands
Album: Oak Island
Thanks to Bunsen for squeezing this in last minute. GREAT record. Secretly Canadian is seriously getting me thinking about being excited about labels again.
I also kinda thought this might make a nice intro to the cast, so what you’re gonna wanna do is just play this episode on loop, and see if it works out, and we’ll talk to you in a couple of months.
Mayish?
Snobs out.
