Rock And Rowe

Frightened Rabbit – Skip the Youth

Ed — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:41:07 +0000

Frightened Rabbit – Skip the Youth
Album: The Winter of Mixed Drinks

Frightened Rabbit released their third album March 1st. I’ve listened to it through NPR’s first listen a few times, but not much of it stands out to me. What I really liked about my favorite songs on their last album, Midnight Organ Fight, was songs that build into epic climaxes with intricate and well developed melodies. This one is the closest the album gets to that in my opinion, but I think the melody is hard to find and confused. It’s close, just not quite what I want.

Source: http://songbytoad.com/

The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations

Luke — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:04:08 +0000

The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations
Album: Smiley Smile (1967)

I heard a program on WKNC that is mostly a music appreciation show — last week’s episode was The Beach Boys. The guest on the show was explaining how much of an effort this one song required, being recorded separately across multiple locations and seventeen sessions. At it’s time it was the most amount of money spent on a single, totaling more than $50,000. The vibration phrase alludes to an explanation that Wilson’s mother gave him about dogs being able to feel the vibrations that people give off. The song ended up being pieced together from the separate recordings and became the Beach Boys third number one single. It’s interesting getting a more historical perspective on some of the music which I had an ingenuous liking of.

Source: http://musicforants.com/blog/?p=4085

Sparklehorse – Gold Day

Ed — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:49:50 +0000

Sparklehorse – Gold Day
Album: It’s a Wonderful Life

It’s not really my thing to be topical or to eulogize, but I wanted to post a song by Sparklehorse just to provide some reflection. The most obscure band I knew while growing up was probably Green Day, so I didn’t really know anything by Sparklehorse until Dark Night of the Soul last year. So if you want an opinion about the band’s work from a real authority, there’s plenty of other blogs like my source. I just wanted to post one song that I liked as I was listening through some of the work of Mark Linkous.

Source: http://songssavelives.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/i-hate-that-i-knew-you-and-that-that-wasnt-enough/

Joanne Newsome – Easy

Luke — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:52:01 +0000

Joanne Newsome – Easy
Album: Have One On Me

Since our comments have gone quiescent I figured I’d spice things up with a less agreeable musician. This is Joanne Newsome’s third album and is an epic two hours long. Even if you find her voice intolerable, the depth and development of each piece is really quite impressive. Unfortunately the NPR stream is over but if you get a chance to listen to it I recommend it, if only for edification.

Source: http://tsururadio.com/

Tunng – Don’t Look Down Or Back

Ed — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:16:26 +0000

Tunng – Don’t Look Down Or Back
Album: And Then We Saw Land

Tunng, who’s single Bullets we posted early last year, is releasing a new album this month. They are a folk group from the UK, but they have a sort of twist to their sound. They use unique sounding instruments, like the washboard in Bullets (or maybe its a wrench.) From what I’ve heard on the new album I’m a fan, though DrownedInSound quotes one of the band members as saying “We learned that you don’t always need structure!” That’s pretty much a warning to me, but this song does fine without much of it.

Source: http://drownedinsound.com/

Freelance Whales – Generator ^ First Floor

Luke — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:46:44 +0000

Freelance Whales – Generator ^ First Floor
Album: Weathervanes

Freelance Whales released this album (their first to my knowledge) in late December last year. They’re from Williamsburg in NYC which I’ve been to once but would like to check out more. I’m a sucker for good chord progressions but I also think the arrangement in this blends the various parts in a compelling way, especially the layered voices.

Source: http://jp917.blogspot.com/

Gorillaz – Superfast Jellyfish

Ed — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:08:59 +0000

Gorillaz – Superfast Jellyfish
Album: Plastic Beach

The Gorillaz are coming out with another album on March 9th, and it’s available to stream through NPR’s first listen here. I listened to it today twice, back to back, and it is pretty awesome. There were about four songs on there I would have been happy to post, and I may post another later once the album is released and I have more access to the tracks. A lot of collaborators help to make the album very diverse, so the album is interesting all the way up to the end.

Eluvium – Leaves Eclipse the Light

Luke — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:36:48 +0000

Eluvium – Leaves Eclipse the Light
Album:

Eluvium is the name given to Matthew Cooper’s one man show. He is based in Portland Oregon and has done a few ambient records dating back to 2003 but this is the first featuring voice. It’s a style that many won’t find compelling but for a reason I can’t define I find this music engaging.

Source: http://saladdaysmusic.net/?p=4098

The New Pornographers – Your Hands (Together)

Ed — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:18:36 +0000

The New Pornographers – Your Hands (Together)
Album: Together

I have to say I like this better than all the New Pornographers stuff I’ve heard. I don’t know what it is about it exactly – maybe it’s less dominated by the vocals. They are from Vancouver, so this is sort of an (unintentional) nod to the Olympics. This album will be released May 4th on the same label as Shearwater, Matador records (or maybe 4AD, wikipedia page is confusing me.)

Source: http://www.weallwantsomeone.org/

Retribution Gospel Choir – Hide it Away

Ed — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:10:03 +0000

Retribution Gospel Choir – Hide it Away
Album: 2

You may recognize the lead singer here from the band Low. The bassist is also from Low. This song is a nice change from what he usually sings with Low, but the rest of their stuff is fairly angry. This is their second studio album.

Source: http://blog.kexp.org/

Chromeo – Night by Night

Ed — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:00:35 +0000

Chromeo – Night by Night
Album: N/A

I know a few people out there who will really like this – I happen to be one of those people – but if you aren’t I’m sorry for you. Chromeo is a rare Jewish and Arabian duo from Montreal. You probably know them, so I’m not going to embarrass myself by proving how little I actually know myself. Just enjoy the song. Pretty tight video, too, btw.

Morning Benders – Excuses

Ed — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:07:30 +0000

Morning Benders – Excuses
Album: Big Echo

I’m finally submitting to the hype for this Morning Benders song. This release seems to be a viral sort of marketing stunt, and it seems to have caught on. Pretty much every blog I turned to for new music had posted this. I’m not in love – it’s a fairly refreshing sound but just not that interesting to me. And yeah, I do get that it sounds like it could be from the 60’s. As a side note – I’ll never give into any hype about Beach House. Why is that Norway song so popular? I hate it.

Source: http://stereogum.com

Son Lux – Weapons V

Luke — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:47:13 +0000

Son Lux – Weapons V
Album: Weapons – EP

I have a frustrating experience with Son Lux, a pianist who just released his second EP. I’ve posted him before here but almost without fail his songs make me want something more. He has parts in all of his songs that floor me, but have the unfortunate effect of building up my hopes. This song is a good example where the first 20 secs build up my expectations and he certainly develops the song but it never reaches the point where I feel satisfied. Another good example is this piece which blows me away, but makes me wish he’d continue with that style and develop the piece rather than reiterating on the same theme for six remixed songs (which is what the EP is).

Rufus Wainwright – Oh What a World

Ed — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:13:14 +0000

Rufus Wainwright – Oh What a World
Album: Want One

Going way back for this one. My friend Jeff introduced me to Rufus Wainwright in 2004 with this song. We listened to this on our way down to Miami for the summer. Wainwright uses an arrangement of Ravel’s Bolero as the accompaniment in this, which is really all it took to sell me. Wainwright’s next album is supposed to be released this Spring.

Source: Jefe

They Might Be Giants – Am I Awake

Luke — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:24:28 +0000

They Might Be Giants – Am I Awake
Album: Indestructible Object

Sorry for the no post yesterday. A rule of thumb is if it’s a holiday, even a lame one like Presidents’ day, then Rock and Rowe is also on vacation — usually in some virtual land far away like Azeroth or in today’s case Omega 4. I’m coming back with an old song that adequately expresses my inner nerd. This was intended to be a back up song, and with it being 3:20 in the morning and me having no clue what to post it meets fits that category. That being said I think it will also be a fitting song for my day at work in t minus 5 hours as well so I feel pretty good about my selection.

Source: