31 May 2007
The Spectacular Fantastic is super terrific
I love getting tiny little musical love bombs dropped in
my inbox, but unfortunately sometimes they just sit there until I can get time to appropriately discover that they are there. Such was the case with Cincinnati’s
The Spectacular Fantastic, who dropped me a little bomb last week about their newest release,
Outer Space Is Nothing But A Lie. They so inspired me that for this post I’ve opted to pay tribute in the form of what I call “emerging poetry” (you know, the kind you write when you’re 10):
To The Spectacular Fantastic band
If you like Wilco, if you like Sloan,
If your music keeps you from being alone,
join the Spectacular Fantastic chain gang of love
To hear some super terrific music sent down from above.
Their harmonies are sweet,
and their rockin’ tunes are real neat,
You won’t be able to get ‘em outta your head,
Until someone cuts your ears off and leaves you for dead.
But even then the music won’t stop
‘Cause the tunes have so much energy they refuse to drop,
Spectacular Fantastic is a funny name,
but so was Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine and we listened to them anyway.
I said it was a poem, but I didn’t say it was any good.
The Spectacular Fantastic “Summer Toes”
The Spectacular Fantastic “This Old Heart”
The band have opted to make most, if not all of their music, available on their site, so if these tracks pique your interest, drop by and pick up more. Did I mention they were free?
+The Spectacular Fantastic
+official
+Myspace
29 May 2007
Pod-hopping
QBiM is taking over the airwaves, or at least the podcast airwaves today, with 2 (count ‘em!) new podcast contributions.
First up is my second conversation with Alex over at the always awesome
Blog Fresh Radio podcast, where I shower kisses all over Young Galaxy’s “Swing your Heartache”. Blog Fresh is a weekly podcast that features the “freshest” songs being posted along with conversation and insight by the bloggers who post them. This week’s episode also features the new Go! Team track “Grip Like A Vice” and Battles’ “Tonto.”
Blog Fresh Radio ~ May 28 2007
I also make a stunning return (or is that a
stuttering turd?) on the
Contrast Podcast, contributing to this week’s theme,
“How?” It’s the final installment in a series of podcasts themed “Who? What? When? and Why?” I drop by with the Auteurs’ “How I Learned To Love The Boot Boys.” I’m gearing up for a very special contribution to the Contrast Podcast soon, so stay tuned for more info on that one as the time for it approaches.
Contrast Podcast ~ 061 How?
26 May 2007
Missing: Chris and Mollie
I’ve been looking around for California’s own Chris and Mollie for quite some time, though I haven’t had any luck in locating them – between recording in a living room in San Francisco, an office in Los Angeles, and a bathroom in the OC, they don’t sit still for long. Give me a holler if you do find them – they’re two very nice people with a witty (and occasionally self-deprecating) sense of humor, and excellent songwriting skills. You may be able to identify them if you see someone putting Unicorns in Fiery Furnaces and seeing what ridiculous things they pull out. Sometimes they’re a bit of a mess, but more often than not the results are delightfully strange lo-fi twee-prog.
Their new CMG-approved album, The Palm Tree, is available now through the band’s webpage.
Chris and Mollie, ‘Transition Trade’
+Chris and Mollie
+official
+myspace
+more mp3s
25 May 2007
4 for the weekend, vol. 10
I used to feel sorry for myself for having the unfortunate last name
Di Gioia, until I came across David Gooblar, whose last name unfortunately sounds like a
search engine. Not one to let a little something like a last name be his downfall, Gooblar lent his moniker, along with his vocal and guitar talents to London’s
Gooblar, who have self-released an EP of fortunate beaauty. I’ll refrain from a cheap joke about Googling Gooblar (say that three times quick) and give you the links to the band’s official site below so you can get your hands on this disc. David, if you’re reading this, I hope you know it’s all in fun–we’re kindred spirits, you and I; I was never a Welland Pirates fan, either.
Gooblar “Twentieth Century”
+Gooblar
+official
+Myspace
+more mp3s
I’ve written about Sweden’s
Pelle Carlberg before, and hopefully you checked out his excellent Everything. Now! album. Pelle will be releasing his 2nd album, In A Nutshell in the US on July 3, and it’s proving to be as sweet sounding as his last. Comparisons to Belle & Sebastian and Hidden Cameras seem obvious but very appropriate. Lyrically, Carlberg will have you pressing your ear to the speaker, intent on absorbing every word. He gets extra points for having the year’s longest song title, and for writing an ode to Smiths’ drummer Mike Joyce (titled “I Touched You At The Sound Check”–clever). This is destined to be in my year-end top 10 list.
Pelle Carlberg “Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls”
+Pelle Carlberg
+official
+Myspace
+more mp3s
I don’t know very much about
Palomar, but I do know I’ve been digging this track. The band hail from Brooklyn, NY, and have been turning heads with their distinct flavour of indie-pop. It’s as if someone has taken a can of fizzy soda and shaken it to the point of eruption; the resulting torrent of carbonated fluid is funneled into your stereo and comes out in sonic waves from your speakers. Which is just as well, because no one wants to get soaked with stiocky soda whenever they walk into the room.
Palomar “Bury Me Closer”
+Palomar
+official
+Myspace
+More mp3s
+Buy Palomar’s All Things, Forests
The Ladybug Transistor rounds out today’s power-pop quartet of tracks with a selection from their upcoming Merge Records release Can’t Wait Another Day. Lots of blog waves over this band, as they get set to head out with label mates The Rosebuds and The Clientele for some live dates near you soon. Guests on the album includemembers of Aislers Set, Architecture in Helsinki, The Clientele, and Jens Lekman (Besnard Lakes).
The Ladybug Transistor “Three Days From Now”
+The Ladybug Transistor
+official
+Myspace
+more mp3s
+preorder Can’t Wait Another Day
