Sardonic, Mark E. Smith-esque romps which, as my dear British colleagues say, “take the piss” out of “Top of the Pops” and other beloved mainstream icons. Unfortunately, these tracks are demo versions of sorts — several versions removed from the album takes, wherein the guitars typically come out in full force. Also on the Art Brut site are some really interesting remixes/mashups/covers (“Brutlegs,” as they call them), including a rap version of their uncharacteristically tender love song, “Emily Kane,” and “My Sharona Formed a Band,” which is fairly self-explanatory.
Matson Jones
Among the many classic moments from Woody Allen’s Take the Money and Run (my intro to Woody Allen) is his character, Virgil Stark, attempting to play a cello in a marching band, bumbling along a parade route with a chair and his cello, never able to get situated long enough to play a note as the band marches along. Well, Matson Jones is my intro into cello-based rock ‘n’ roll. And they save the cello from the geek heap that Allen left it in. There’s a definite Morphine thing going on here, with cellos in place of the saxophone and Exene Cervenka-like vocals. What these tracks are lacking in MP3 quality, they make up for in vibe.
Foreign Born
Somewhat of a misnomer, Foreign Born are from right up the way in Los Angeles, although they do have a certain anglophilic atmosphere about them. Turn the clock back twenty years and I wouldn’t be surprised to find them palling around with Echo and the Bunnymen.
Mission of Burma
I swear the punk rock kid in high school — the big one, John (?), not the skinny one, Adam (Sam might remember this better than I do) — had “Mission of Burma” stencilled on the back of his black leather jacket. Naturally, I thought it referenced World War II in some way. And so, with thoughts of John and the ’80s in mind, I’d like to dedicate this post to Jared, fan of bands that were around long before he was conceived. Although his Favorite Song Ever, Mission of Burma’s “Academy Fight Song,” isn’t available in the free and legal MP3 form (a video of this song is, however, on the band’s homepage), these tracks from, oh, last year, when Jared was 17, are pretty kicking too. Enjoy.
Swirlies
Yes, I admit, I can be quite obsessive. Case in point: Sambassadeur‘s song “Whatever Season.” I’ve got it looping in its own playlist in MP3 player. But this obsessive behavior is nothing new, as 3hive’s own Sam can testify. Back when he and I shared a room in college I went thru a Swirlies phase. Swirlies are still alive and kicking, thanks to main man Damon Tutunjian. In their prime, no one could make a racket as beautifully as them Swirlies. Now please pardon me while I load my entire Swirlies collection onto my MP3 player.
Pavement
Since Stephen Malkmus and Preston School of Industry have both been posted on 3hive already, I thought we might as well toss a few Pavement songs up too. The Peel Sessions version of “Here” is a special treat. Ah, the ’90s…
Harlan T. Bobo
Harlan T. Bobo follows in the tradition of great Southern songwriters (be it blues or country), although not necessarily by choice, for after one love was taken from him, he turned to his other love, music, for salvation/survival. Dark yet hopeful, angry yet thankful, Harlan’s collection of songs about love bare his soul for all to see. Harlan’s album “Too Much Love” was recorded at the famed Easley McCain Studios in Memphis which were destroyed by fire back in March. Hopefully both Harlan and the Easley McCain Studios will be coming back for more.
Bullet Train to Vegas
Back in college, my friend and roommate Dave Stohl studied Japanese and taught me a few key phrases: “Good morning.” “Very cool, isn’t it?” “Make a U-turn here?” and “Please do not pee out the window of the bullet train.” I’ve never really had occasion to use these…until now. The first two phrases are fairly obvious. The third in reference to the band’s throwback post-punk aesthetics (right down to the sound of the cassette tape snapping into the deck at the start of “Cut the Party…”). The fourth is sound advice under any circumstances, but especially when you’re rolling at breakneck speeds as these lads do. Domo, Dave. And, domo to you too, Bullet Train to Vegas.
Okkervil River
A few months ago, The New York Times compared Okkervil River to The Decemberists, noting that both bands compose literate, obscure indie-pop songs for small-but-growing audiences. At least I think that’s what the article was about. I don’t really remember. Anyway, the songs I donwloaded back then have been sitting around on my computer, aging like a decent bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, so please let me say, “Drink away!” Start with the mellow intensity of “A Favor,” check out the pop legs of “Black,” or dive right into “For Real,” off their recently released Black Sheep Boy. For more hits at the bottle, so to speak, check out the half dozen other tracks available at the Okkervil River homepage (and please excuse my oenophilic tendencies).
Quiet Life
Back in my day… you wouldn’t be caught dead listening to Bruce Springsteen. But what did I know? We were a bunch of suburban punk rock kids; we were beyond anything that sounded like it was made in Iowa. I’m less closed-minded nowadays, thankfully, but I still haven’t got around to listening to the Boss. Bands like Quiet Life make me think I probably should.