Song of the Day

I sat and pondered all the songs I could think of that had something to do with the new year. I considered The Walkmen's " In the New Year " or even " New Years Eve ". Deathcab For Cutie's " The New Year " came to mind too. Despite their pertinent subjects, none of them felt like the right choice. I wanted to choose something triumphant; something that reflected the experiences of 2017 while simultaneously anticipating 2018. Enter WU LYF, which stands for World Unite! Lucifer Youth Foundation. WU LYF was a short lived four piece " heavy pop "band from Manchester, England. They put out one phenomenal album called "Go Tell Fire to the Mountain", which was probably my favorite album of 2011, before they called it quits. While I could write pages on their time as a band and their mysterious presence, I'm going to focus more on their colossal mid album song "We Bros". Like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to choose s...

King Krule, who started off as Zoo Kid and who's real name is Archy Marshall (which he has also made music by) is s prolific, jazzy, hip hop, rock infused musician from London. I remember hearing about him, and where I believe most people first heard of him, from an absolutely killer song called " Out Getting Ribs "; a guitar and vocal only song with one of the gnarliest and difficult sounding guitar parts. Their are two versions of the song: one as Zoo Kid and the other as King Krule . In both songs you can hear him almost cry out in humorous frustration in the beginning. I can't help but think this is due to just how tough the guitar part is. The song felt like a direct pathway to this young musician's troubled soul. He was literally pouring his heart out with music and feelings and lyrics all coming from him and only him. His music normally takes on a similar fashion as "Out Getting Ribs", in a bluesy, emotional wash. However, unlike "Ribs...

Warning: very heavy! I've heard Power Trip's name over and over throughout 2017. Their sophomore album "Nightmare Logic" has be accumulating quite the response. I finally gave it a shot this morning ...I'm now listening to it on vinyl. I had to buy it. After one full listen of this thing I see why it's getting all the praise. This thing is gnarly! Power Trip is a thrash metal band from Dallas, TX, on a mission to obliterate your ears. "Nightmare Logic" is only their second full length album over an almost 10 year span. I have yet to listen to their debut, "Manifest Decimation" but I definitely plan on it once I wear this thing out. You know the one or two songs that really stick out to you upon first listen of a new album. Well on "Nightmare Logic" it was and still is the second song "Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)". It's got this long chug after the power intro that I still can't get enough of....

It's cold out. Real cold. Maybe not where you're at but. But here in the midwest... it's bitter. There's a small amount of snow on the ground and the trees are barren. There's very little green anywhere. The skies are gray. Where the hell is the sun? Why does it have to be cold AND gray? It's funny. It seems when people are asked about the winter there are two distinct responses: "I LOVE THE WINTER" or "I HATE THE WINTER". It's easy to see why both sides feel that way. Some people dig the snow and the cold and love to be cuddled up nice and warm in their homes. Others, like myself, would rather be out sweating and burnin' up in the sun. Real Estate seem to take the middle of the road on "Snow Days", the last song off their debut album. This tune's simply about the snow days in New Jersey, where they're from. They describe the cold time of year faithfully..." The snow up to you knees, bright gray skies make...

One of my favorite albums is "Leave Home" by The Men. It was a slow building relationship. But the mystery and rawness of it kept me comin' back and appreciating more and more of it over time. It's definitely a hard record to like at first listen. After they recorded it they themselves found it a bit much. But that's exactly why I love it. One after another are these pounding rock anthems that are shoved down your throat. " L.A.D.O.C.H " is almost unlistenable. It's so fuckin ridiculous it makes me laugh. But the band knows its funny and raw. Following the rock adventure of " Bataille " comes the album relief. Up unto this point you've been screamed at and pulverized with no remorse for six songs. But here is a breath of fresh air... "Shittin' With The Shah", one of the best song titles ever. There is calm. It's a bit sullen and feels like a moment of guilty reflection. Almost as if exhausted from a long, gruel...

My sisters and I drove together to our parents' house for Christmas this year. On our way back we reminisced about the drives to and from school when I had to drop them off when I started driving. They had to suffer through all of my weird music and mix CDs . As we talked more they recalled one song, however, that they always enjoyed and still remember to this day; "None Shall Pass" by Aesop Rock. Aesop Rock, or Ian Matthias Bavitz, is a hip-hop artist with lyrics and flow so intellectually on point, you can't help but feel intimidated at times.Aesop was even named the rapper with the highest vocabulary in all of hip-hop; the rapper with the most unique words out of all of his music. "None Shall Pass" has every indication of this too. The first verse, " Flash that butter gold, jittery zeitgeist "starts things off with no leniency. As much as I hate to say it...I honestly have no idea what this song is about. My only guess can be that of th...

Fast cymbals. A quick guitar lick comin in and out. This is a quick intro and pretty sweet I really like how ...wait. What? Everything slows down and...oh man. Now we got a groove. This is too good. " Said you wouldn't be home late tonight " Looks like ole' Kevin Parker, frontman and brains behind Tame Impala, is it a bit of bad luck. It appears a night alone with his adored one is running late. " I gave up waiting at 17 past midnight " No lady friend tonight Kevin. " No my only company's a half full glass of wine " Just him and his glass of wine which was more than likely the one he was sippin in anticipation of his guest. Now, at this point, those lyrics could indicate a quite miserable experience in many contexts and in front of many others types of music. But the jammin groove that underlines the vocals render this situation in a more positive light; almost humorous... ...because the guitars quiet down and the bass thu...

This may be a little corny. Just a warning. Many, many years ago I had a role model. I regarded him in just about everything I did: during middle school, during high school, and even a while after into college. The clothes I wore, the way I acted, and the music I listened to were all heavily influenced by one individual who lived hours away. Ever since I was child, maybe seven or eight years old, my cousin Kirk was the coolest person on the planet to me. Kirk, and his brother David were always the reason I looked forward to visiting Texas. I was very young and very, very shy around both of them. They had the coolest clothes, played video games, had cars, and were super funny. I remember anticipating in nervousness as we neared their home in Mt. Pleasant, TX, desperately preparing subjects to talk about when and if I had the chance to talk to either of them. Being in their early 20’s when I was maybe 13 or so, they were usually busy throughout the week due to work, school, and jus...

Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you all have time to spend with your loved ones or just have a great day in general. I couldn't really think of an interesting song I knew about Christmas that I wanted to post. But I did recall this fun lil trebly jangler called "29" by...get this... CHRISTMAS island! That's fun huh? Well anyways, this song has always put me in a good mood and hopefully it does for you too. Hope your Christmas is great! Love ya all!

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The seven member group of rockers from Melbourne, Australia. I've been waiting for this one. It took quite some time to choose a song of theirs. At this point in their career they are up to 12 full length albums in just five years. Pretty wild huh? In fact, four of those albums came out this year alone, with a fifth comin before the end of the year. Yep, and all of them are unique; one of them, Flying Microtonal Banana , features microtones, the often unheard weirder notes in music that requires a special tuning. King Gizzard have been on a quest. They are an ever-changing band that are driven to explore the depths of music; all the while allowing fans to join in on the journey. For example, their last album, Polygondwanaland, is free here on their Bandcamp page. Not only that but upon release of the fourth album they stated publicly, “Ever wanted to start your own record label? GO for it! Employ your mates, press wax, pack boxes. We do no...

Remember that wonky song about a " Frontier Psychiatrist "? You know, the one with all the crazy samples? Here we have another great "sample based" song from mysterious Swedish duo called Air France. "Collapsing At Your Doorstep" definitely isn't as head-scratching or humorous as "Frontier Psychiatrist" but it is equally as fascinating. In fact, "Collapsing..." is quite a tug on the ole' heart. The song is centered around a sampled exchange between to young children, which happens to be from an old TV show adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. " Sorta like a dream?" "No. Better." The sense of childlike innocence is overwhelming on this thing and is reinforced even more by the passionate melody that backs it. Sit back and think like a kid again. Allow that imagination to roam free. Deep down...we all wish we were still kids.

Don’t you love rediscovering music; tunes that somehow get swept under the rug and forgotten? It may be weeks, months, or even years until they get uncovered again. Maybe an old mix cd is found or you cruise through old playlists. That surprise of hearing that old song you used to play on repeat is a pretty great feeling and almost always met with an exclamation such as, “I forgot all about this song!” or “I used to love this band!” I remember when I was younger and was completely obsessed with saving every ounce of music I came across. Anytime I would grab a new CD it would be instantly placed in my iTunes library and saved to my computer. If I had downloaded the album then it would be burned to a blank CD. I had to have a physical and digital copy of everything. Not only that; I had to have the artist, song title, and artist credited to everything. One night my dad walked by and asked why I had so much music on there and if I really listened to it all. My response had everythin...

 Do you have to take daily medication? I do. I've had to ever since I was a freshman in high school. I'm not exactly stoked about it but apparently it's what I need. It's crazy to think sometimes just how medicated we have become. They have pills for everything. And while there are medications that absolutely help with serious problems...they can also cause serious problems. And the fellows of Queens of the Stone Age now it. " Medication for us all, it's a new way" It's no secret that opiates, pain-killers, benzodiazepines and other forms of pills have paved the way to life-destroying consequences. People who have never been addicted to anything have found themselves hooked on some of these pills after being prescribed them for too long. There are also those who have been prescribed multiple medications. I had a co-worker who had to take at least three to four pills every morning to feel "normal". But is this truly normal? Are ther...

Sometimes the old jams just can't be beat. When they come on I just can't help but dance along and be in a good mood. This one from Jr. Walker and the All Stars is one of my favorites. I first heard this song in the Circa Shoes skate video, " It's Time ".  It was Adrien Lopez's song for his part. I was immediately stoked on the song and had to get it however I could. 10 years later and it still remains on playlists that I create. In fact, in that same video is a song by Sam and Dave called "Hold On" in Windsor James' part ; another great old classic jam.  From that loud shotgun sound (which is supposedly an amp being kicked) and the moment that dirty saxophone hits you know it's a groover. "Shotgun" is actually a dance and it's hard not to be compelled to dance to this thing.

I want to apologize for the lazy posting over the weekend. I was busier than I had expected. My brain tends to get messy. Speaking of messy brains, Courtney Barnett, from Melbourne, Australia, apparently has one too. She even wrote a song about it. “Avant- Gardener” is an autobiographical anecdote about her taking up gardening and attempting to revive her ambition only to be met with catastrophe. She wakes up lazy on a Monday not wanting to do anything and describes it sarcastically, “ It’s a Monday, it’s so mundane, what exciting things will happen today ”. She decides that taking up gardening and growing vegetables would be a good idea. I always enjoyed her wordplay of this idea; “ I wanna grow tomatoes on the front steps. Sunflowers, bean sprouts, sweet corn and radishes ." Things are going good. She’s feeling “proactive”. But suddenly she can’t breathe. It’s not exactly clear why she all of a sudden is having trouble breathing. Some people speculate that it was an anxie...

I'm not going to lie. Dallas is playing Oakland right now and it's a pretty killer game. I also have to get up for work pretty early. Sooooo, here's one of my favorite Allah Lah's songs from their self-titled album. I remember listening to it while checking out the Tucson, Arizona mountains as the sun was setting. My buddy and co-worker Andrew and I drove around the mountain and blasted this song.  This music is made for traveling. Also, they are great live.

I was absolutely addicted to this song when I first heard it. I still am honestly. True Widow is a stoner/shoegaze rock trio from Dallas, Texas. Their music is in the same vein of “doom metal” and sound pretty similar to Windhand, but they are a little more tame. The guitars are still dark and thick, but their presence isn’t as prevalent. There are two lead vocalists that switch off on certain songs; male vocalist and guitarist Dan Phillip and female vocalist and bassist Nicole Estill. They are backed by Timothy Starks on drums. For just three members they put out quite a sound. “Four Teeth” is an absolutely ear tugging song. The guitar riff that opens this thing and plays out through the song is absolutely addictive. Nicole’s vocals are clean and pure and contrast well with the  low end tones of the bass and guitar. Give it a listen. I promise you’ll want more. And if it hit you like it did me...you’ll have it on repeat.

Parquet Courts are a bunch of lovable slackers. Hailing from New York City, the group is known for writing unkempt, punky jams. Their sound is sloppy at times and their lyrics juvenile and humorous. However, Parquet Courts are incredibly intelligent...and write some damn good music.  "N. Dakota" is a perfect example of what Parquet Courts are all about. It's a short little tune, with one of the coolest bass lines I've ever heard, about what seems to be disdain for the state of North Dakota.

Genre assigning can be pretty confusing sometimes. Every foundational genre of music has a myriad of "sub-genres". Sometimes it can become a bit overwhelming due to the sheer amount of them that exist. One in particular that I find myself scratching my head at is the genre of metal: doom metal, death metal, black metal, heavy metal, thrash metal, grindcore, industrial... the list goes on. Each one of these sub-genres has their own list of descriptions: hard, dark, heavy, gloomy, evil, sad, etc. Sometimes these genres start overlapping and can bleed into one another making them even harder to distinguish. A great example of this is a band called Windhand. They are classified as a "doom-metal" band. At first I wasn't really hearing  the "doom" in their music. It sounded more like a psychedelic, post-rock act than it did "doom". However, upon further listening I started to see why they are indeed a "doom metal" band. The guitars ...

I’m very tired. Work has been pretty gnarly this week. So I figured I throw up one of my favorite Beatles songs... which happens to be about being tired. What's interesting is that this song is actually about John Lennon suffering from insomnia during a three week stay in Rishikesh, India.The band had apparently traveled there to study meditation. While there Lennon was apart from his dearest Yoko Ono and had been missing her, which is evident in the song; " my mind is set on you ". Lennon continues to sum up the sleepless experience in many clever ways: racing thoughts and a tireless brain, wondering what he would say to the one he admired if he could speak to her, and temporary pleasures such as tobacco and alcohol that may take the edge off. What's even more interesting is the very end of the song, which features an indistinguishable mumbled bit of dialogue. The section puzzled people and even sprouted a conspiracy theory. People have played the part backwa...

Who's your favorite band? Do you have one? Has it ever changed? I can name at least three that I claimed as my "favorite band" since I was young. N'sync was my first. Yep, the Justin Timberlake, pop, boy-band was my jam when I was in elementary. I'm not ashamed. The second band, which held my top spot all through high school, was Cursive (thanks to my cousin Kirk); a bit of a post-emo, Saddle Creek rock band led by Tim Kashir. Eventually Cursive's luster began waning and my interests started spreading in many different ways. I hate to say "maturing" but perhaps that is the best description. As I searched and explored new bands there was always one group that seemed to show up; this mysterious band called The Walkmen. And for whatever reason I always kept my distance from them. I'm still not really sure why. I just never had an interest in checkin' them out. But eventually that would change. I don't remember specifically when I d...

Metallica humiliated me. One song single-handedly humbled me into admitting the one thing I never thought I would admit; Metallica is pretty damn good. It's true. Ever since I first knew of them I hated on them. Throughout middle-school, high-school, and college I addressed them as stale, thin, butt-rockers who had no idea of what metal was. But the truth slowly crept in and smacked my snobby ass square in the face... I had no idea of what metal was. It all started with a little song called “ For Whom the Bell Tolls ”. I remember my co-worker playing it. I instantly knew who it was but just waived it off. But after that gnarly intro and the unforgettable chorus followed by the cymbal syncopated lyrics of " time marches on! " . I gave in. And I immediately started floating through some of their earlier albums.  Which led me to “Kill ‘Em All”. “Kill ‘Em All” is thrash metal at its finest. The guitars are sharp, the drums are fast, and James Hetfield's vocals a...

" You know her life was saved by rock 'n' roll "  Lou Reed (R.I.P), who sadly died of liver disease four years ago, had an enormous influence on music and has become a well-respected contributor of art rock glamour. Fortunately, he left a trail of memorabilia and over 50 years of music behind for everyone to remember him and his time as vocalist and guitarist of The Velvet Underground by.  One of those being a lil ole' song called "Rock and Roll", a fun tune that, according to Lou himsel f, is about him finding rock and roll. " I would have had no idea there was life on this plane t" Lou admits. It's easy to feel the joy Lou conjures up about rock music on this song; it's a fun and thumpy jam. The guitar melody is euphoric and John Cale's bass is warm and up close. Reed is vocally happy on this thing. From his giddy shrieks of " fine, fine, music"  to his shaky chants of " it's alright, now " ...

Have you ever listened to a song that had a melody or riff that you just couldn't get enough of? You could have it playing on loop and it would never get old. And sometimes the actual song doesn't play that section you want to hear long enough. Frustrating huh? Sometimes I get so into a melody that I just want to chew on it. For as long as I can. I love getting lost and just completely smothered by a groovy melody. A great example of this is Comets on Fire's "Blue Tomb", the last track off of their flawless album "Blue Cathedral". I must warn you though, Comets on Fire is probably one of the most erratic and spontaneous bands out there. You may find yourself worn out from what all is going on in their music. But if you allow them to conquer your ears and let everything seep in, you wont regret it. I promise. This is pure psychedelic music. "Blue Tomb" starts off with one of the most ear-tugging guitar riffs I have ever heard. And to my ...

"Waitin' on a train, that's already come" Ever have one of those days where you feel like you just can't get ahead? Nothing is going right. You're overwhelmed and second guessing yourself? I know I have. I've had plenty. And apparently so has Kevin Morby. Morby admits early in the song "I am lost, all around, I am barely, on the ground" as if he is in world of confusion and unsure of where he is going. He waits on the platform for this "slow train" only to find out that it "already came". Bummer. But why is he waiting for this slow train? Why is he " waiting out the rain, waiting for the sun "? Because he knows that things change. Things eventually get better if you allow them to. "Slow Train" may be a lonely tune, but it plays out like a sigh of relief; a shoulder to lean on, if you will. It's a good reminder that everyone goes through shit. Everyone second-guesses themselves. And ever...

Everyone’s got em. The summer jams. You know those songs you reserve until the heat settles in and the sun is is out? The ones that encapsulate everything about summer. What is it about those songs that fit the mold? What makes those songs worthy of our commutes from work or our road-trip soundtracks? Though they are different for everyone, they all seem to share the same qualities: up-beat and positive. They evoke happiness, fun, and peace.  Now, this is by no means the “formula” for good “summer songs”. But from my interactions with others they normally mention songs that have one or more of those qualities. Perhaps you have music that reminds you of past summers or experiences during that time of the year. Are they happy? Do they have those same qualities? Maybe some of you  have summer songs that aren’t happy. There are no rules for these things. That’s the beauty of music. Whatever it is that makes songs “summer songs” , one this is for sure; it’s all complete...

Thee Oh Sees. Oh Sees. The Ohsees. Orange County Sound, OCS. All names of the same Jonathan Dwyer fronted group. They have just recently dubbed themselves simply Oh Sees. Confusing huh? It doesn't stop at just their name. They are equally as proliferate in their music as they are changing names. They just put out their 19th full studio album. Crazy huh? So where do you start with these guys? I'm honestly not sure. They have gone through complete band line-up changes and every album seems to veer off to another vein of their established rock psychedelia. My first exposure to them was off of their 10th full studio album "Warm Slime"; this fuzzy and sludgy song called " I Was Denied ". Pretty much a dancy punk song about getting really messed up. It's still one of my favorites. I admit they can be difficult to get into. Every album of theirs has its own home but they all exist with the staples that built the Thee Oh Sees neighborhood. The "woo...

We've all heard it before. Remember that famous scene in "The Sandlot" when "Smalls" and his friends get sick on the carnival ride after trying chew for the first time? Or maybe Pee-Wee Herman's dance on the table top at the motorcycle bar? It seems we all have heard this jam somewhere before. It goes so well with so many things: dances, summer-drives, bar music, background music, skate-video songs . This Latino-inspired gem came together as a filler b'side to Dave Burgess's single " Train to Nowhere ". It's hard not to groove to that dirty sax melody. And of course you're obligated to chant "Tequila" just as Danny Flores does when you hear it. Give er' a listen Whatcha know bout writers block?

" That boy needs therapy!" Where to start with this one. I was addicted to this song when I first heard it, which was on that same Sirius radio station called "Left of Center" I spoke about recently . I'll never forget being mesmerized by all of the different samples and soundbites that puzzle-pieced together into the collage of a song. I was left wanting more; wanting to break this song open and just explore it as much as I could. It was oddly eerie yet extremely catchy and fun. I had never heard anything like it. The Avalanches are a group of DJs from Melbourne, Australia. Their music is "sample based" meaning they make music out of...well...other music. They collect and search through all kinds of old records and literally build songs out of bits and pieces, or "samples", of what they find. "Frontier Psychiatrist" is probably the best example you can find if you want a better understanding of what "sample based" mus...

" I'm independent till I fuckin' die" You listen to podcasts? I love them. Especially podcasts that cover true-crime. I'm sure you've heard of Serial , if not I would highly recommend the first season. Anyways, lately I've been absolutely addicted to a true-crime podcast called Sword and Scale ; a bi-weekly production that covers everything from serial killers to mothers hacking up their children for inconvenience ( yes this actually happened ). So what do crime podcasts have to do with this rapper Wati Heru? Well, the masterminds that produce Sword and Scale have great taste in music (in my personal opinion). Each episode has a section of what is normally electronic, dance, or hip-hop beats that play after the host, Mike Boudet, talks briefly about what is coming up. As I was listening to a random episode last night I couldn't help but dig the beat that was chosen for the episode I was listening to. Fortunately, the people at SAS reference what ...

Pink Floyd had to show up sooner or later right? The Floyd was always one of those bands I had claimed to like but didn't really know. Of course I had always heard their hits like " Another Brick in the Wall " and " Money ", and I always claimed to like the band, but like every good band...there's so much more! Which brings me to "Animals", probably my favorite album by Pink Floyd and possibly what garnered my love for them. "Animals", released in 1977, is a politically charged allegory about humans and the hierarchy that we find ourselves in. The album is made up of just five songs:"Pigs on the Wing Pt. 1", "Dogs", "Pigs", "Sheep", and "Pigs on the Wing Pt. 2". Disclaimer - The following is in the lens or world-view that is established in "Animals" and is not necessarily reflections of what I believe. Now, this record, being nearly 40 years old by now, has been writte...

Into vinyl? Collect em? Do you remember your first record purchase? I do. However, my collection so far is pretty small and my interest in the beloved wax started only about a year ago. I used to be an avid CD collector. That was my thing. And I always thought the whole "vinyl" thing was just a contrived and pretentious attempt to appear that you liked music. Which was lame of me...because I had never experienced vinyl before. But this all changed when I moved to Kansas City. I moved into a house with three other dudes, only one of them did I know prior to moving in. When I walked into the house for the first time, as soon as I opened the door, there right in front of me and across the living room was this HUGE collection of vinyl. There had to be literally around a thousand of em! All sorted and in alphabetical order. And over in the corner was a record player. It wouldn't take long for me to eventually throw one of these things on and fall completely in love wit...