Run On Sentence :: You, The Darkness, and Me

Portlander Dustin Hamman's band Run On Sentence, who previously released the jazzy and smart folk record Oh When The Wind Comes Down back in 2008, is set to return with their second album on Hush Records—the giant sonic step-forward that is You, The Darkness, and Me. The album—a sprawling and dynamic collage of sound and voice that radiates with talent—is a journey through the more haunting and solitary elements of nature and man. If you're looking for a new artist to invest your time with, you've found him. Don't believe me? You can catch an excellent live video of Hamman and company performing new material from the album over at OPBmusic.

Run On Sentence - "Out In The Woods" (from You, The Darkness, and Me)
Run On Sentence - "I Am The Blood" (from You, The Darkness, and Me)

Orchestra Baobab :: Pirates Choice

Orchestra Baobab's Pirates Choice is easily one of my all-time favorite albums, and seasonally speaking, it's the perfect compliment to a lazy summer day in the sun. Afro-cuban rhythms, floating clear-toned guitars, and beautifully harmonized words that you can't even begin to understand all wash together in a heady and calming wave of inescapable contentment.

Orchestra Baobab - "Coumba" (from Pirates Choice)

Futurebirds :: Hampton's Lullaby

The Futurebirds' sound is one that is always on the edge of falling apart: wild and raw. Whether dropping in front of and behind beats or channeling the wave of wild group-sung harmonies and dirty singing guitars, the Futurebirds debut is one that captures an unabashed and beautiful chaos without compromise. Hampton's Lullaby is out now via Autumn Tone Records.

Futurebirds - "Battle For Rome" (from Hampton's Lullaby)

Marah :: Life Is A Problem

Marah—one of the more sincere, rowdy and exciting roots-rock bands of the past 15 or so years—released their 10th album last month, Life Is A Problem. Usually comprised of brothers Serge and Dave Beilanko, it's the younger Dave alone that leads the band's ragged old-time, Replacements-esque charge here. And as always, he proves to be up to the task, producing perhaps the band's best effort since 2005's If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry.

Marah - "Within The Spirit Sagging" (from Life Is A Problem)

Best Coast :: Crazy For You

Best Coast keeps it simple, and for that, we should all be thankful. Fuzzy power-pop that beams with reverb-kissed California sunshine at every turn, Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno's debut is a timely and expertly recorded addition to the lo-fi rock cannon. As many bands fight to impress with sounds both new and difficult, Cosentino's classic girl group-era longing and lyrical attention to the simple but important things in life (like weed and her cat Snacks) has helped create the most refreshing album of the summer.

Best Coast - "Boyfriend" (from Crazy For You)

Dead Models - "Tonight"

In April, I posted about the summery, 1960s-tinged garage pop songs released by London's Dead Models. If Best Coast recalls West coast greats like the Beach Boys, then the Dead Models recall the immediately catchy melodies of English groups like the Dave Clark Five with a dirty early Rolling Stones bite. The band is now set to release their self-titled debut EP on August 2nd via White Noise, which you can download free for a limited time at their Bandcamp.

Dead Models - "Tonight" (from Dead Models EP)

Murder Mystery Returns With Sweet Synth-Pop Honey

Murder Mystery—the New York City band behind the witty and fantastic song "Love Astronaut"—is currently offering two new singles to download. The synth-driven "I Am (If You Are)", channeling a bit of that early 1980's Madonna magic, is a bouncy pop gem that features the debut lead vocal performance from drummer Laura Coleman. Coleman's brother Jeremy, the band's charming baritone lead singer, returns to top form on the second single—the irresistibly funky bass-driven "Change My Mind." It's been a while since Murder Mystery first splashed on the scene with their 2007 debut Are You Ready For The Heartache Cause Here It Comes, but two instantaneously catchy songs later and that wait has proven to be worth it.

Murder Mystery - "I Am (If You Are)"
Murder Mystery - "Change My Mind"

Dead Heart Bloom - "Flash In A Bottle"

Soft and slow-building, from the repeated pick of an acoustic guitar to the reverb-soaked layers of vocals and tambourine, "Flash In A Bottle" by DC-via-New York City band Dead Heart Bloom is the sort of cinematic-friendly song that washes everything you see in a pleasant and surreal light. I highly recommend it, especially if you're planning any sort of road trip.

Dead Heart Bloom - "Flash In A Bottle" (from In Chains)

Menomena - "Taos"

"Taos," the newest treat from Menomena's forthcoming album Mines, is an epic explosion of mind-bending talent and creativity that rivals some of the Portland trio's best output. Mines, due out on July 27th, can be streamed now in full over at NPR.

Menomena - "Taos" (from Mines)

Keith Specola - "Ndn Kars"

"I've been driving in my Indian Car / To the pound of the wheels drumming in my brain / My dash is dusty, my plates are expired / Please Mr. Officer, let me explain / I've got to make it to a Pow-Wow tonight / I'll be singing 49, down by the river side / Looking for a sugar, riding in my Indian Car."

Keith Secola, a Native American Ojibwe from Minnessota, channels Bruce Springsteen and a lot of native pride into his classic song "Ndn Kars," written for the film Dance Me Outside. I heard the song on public radio yesterday, amidst shocking news that the United Kingdom would not allow the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team to enter England on their own Iroquois Confederation passports, despite support from the US State Department and Hillary Clinton. A sad moment for a people, considering they invented the game. Read more at Lacrosse Playground.

Keith Specola - "Ndn Kars" (from Circle)

New Cut Copy - "Where I'm Going"

Aussie dance-rock outfit Cut Copy have a new song for you to download from their upcoming yet-to-be-titled third full-length, due out in January. Produced by Ben Allen—the guy behind the guys behind Merriweather Post Pavilion—the song "Where I'm Going" offers up plenty of sonic treats, including a wealth of exclamatory "yeahs" and swirling synthesizers that sound like they came straight from a Who's Next recording session.

Soundtracks: King of France - "Just A Body"

If you have a soft spot for romantic comedies like I do—and you know you do, come on—then I'd suggest Netflixing Michael Showalter's 2005 film The Baxter. It's fairly predictable and simple, but Showalter, the silly bastard behind The State and the unequalled Wet Hot American Summer, shines as a milquetoast dud who's had every girlfriend stolen from him since high school. Justin Theroux, Peter Dinklage, Michael Ian Black, and the always hilarious Elizabeth Banks costar. And most importantly, the film has a solid soundtrack—one that introduced me to this fantastically peppy King of France jam, "Just A Body."

King of France - "Just A Body" (from King of France)

The Love Language - Libraries

"Lalita," released on the Love Language's 2009 self-titled debut, might be one of the more brilliant lo-fi rocks songs ever recorded. Yes, it's that good. With Libraries, we now finally get to hear what Stuart McLamb's songs might sound like dressed in a real recording studio (as opposed to his parent's basement). The answer is something just short of brilliant. There's no sheen, shine or over-production here, as the fuzzy atmosphere of nostalgia and giant Phil Spector percussion remain, all in a wash of reverb. What's changed is the clearness of vision. Not only has McLamb's songwriting matured, but with new and improved tools at his disposal, the North Carolinian has bested himself and crafted an album with hooks that dig deep and melodies that reach deeper. Consistent and full of range, the album pleasantly surprises at every turn. From the respective percussive tornadoes of "Brittany's Back" and "Heart To Tell" to the hopping harmony-glazed "Anthophobia" (a fear of flowers), it's clear that this album is a true throwback—one that plays from front to back. In other words, no cherry picking. Do yourself a favor and buy the whole damn thing.

The Love Language - "Heart To Tell" (from Libraries)

The Walkmen - "Stranded"

The Walkmen have returned horns a-blazing in the first song off their forthcoming new record, Lisbon, out September 14th on Fat Possum. "Stranded," recorded live in the sutdio, finds Hamilton Leithauser in top vocal form matching the brass orchestra's delivery at every turn, recalling and expanding upon the best moments of the band's last LP, You & Me.

The Walkmen - "Stranded" (from Lisbon)

Dawes - "All My Failures"

The immeasurably great Dawes stopped by the Daytrotter studios last week to play a couple new hushed acoustic gems. Especially dazzling is "All My Failures," which finds Taylor Goldsmith digging deep into his own reflection and emerging with the perfect melody to match his own clean timeless timbre.

Dawes - "All My Failures" (Daytrotter session)

Mixtape #6: High As A Kite

"When I'm-a walking I strut my stuff and I'm so strung out.

I'm high as a kite, I just might stop to check you out."

- The Violent Femmes

SIDE A

El Guincho - "Palmitos Park [Version de The Ruby Suns]"

Headlights - "Cherry Tulips"

Lonnie Walker - "Compass Comforts"

Shaky Hands - "Summer's Life"

Floating Action - "Absolute Sway"

Ken Boothe - "Everything I Own"

Billy Swan - "I Can Help"

The Radio Dept. - "David"

Family Trees - "Dream Talkin'"

Blackbird Blackbird - "Happy High"

SIDE B

Nina Simone - "My Baby Just Cares For Me"

The Black Seeds - "One By One"

The Violent Femmes - "Please Do Not Go"

Twin Sister - "Ginger"

Tennis - "Marathon"

Futurebirds - "Megachills"

The Jesters - "The Wind"

Magic Kids - "Summer"

Brazos - "Day Glo"

Camper Van Beethoven - "Good Guys & Bad Guys"

High As A Kite.zip

To retain track order, drag the folder after it's unzipped into an iTunes playlist.

New Cody Chesnutt - "Come Back Like Spring"

"...imagine the sort of compositions Marvin Gaye would write if he were living in the Florida foothills, tending to his wife and family, sitting next to a pond with his guitar , wondering what to make of what's left of the world..." - Chuck Lightning, The Believer

Cody Chesnutt, the reinventer of soul music that last swept the world with The Headphone Masterpiece and his Roots collaboration "The Seed 2.0", will finally be releasing new music in the form of a new album titled Landing On 100. You can read a beautifully conducted interview with Chesnutt by producer Chuck Lightning (Janelle Monae) over at Creative Loafing. You can also read The Believer magazine's music issue, which includes the new song on its compilation, here.

Cody Chesnutt - "Come Back Like Spring" (from Landing On 100)

Kisses - "People Can Do The Most Amazing Things"

Kisses, the LA duo that released the overwhelmingly excellent "Bermuda" earlier this year, have made a second single available from their forthcoming The Heart of The Nightlife. Like "Bermuda," "People Can Do The Most Amazing Things" revels in a thick pop atmosphere of wavy synths and pristine vocal arrangements, simultaneously recalling and modernizing that sleek 1980s pop sound. If the release of this single is designed to increase the hype and anticipation for Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson's debut, then they've succeeded.

Kisses - "People Can Do The Most Amazing Things" (from The Heart of the Nightlife)

Nina Simone - "To Love Somebody"

"Let Nina Simone rule the world" - Joe Strummer

Nina Simone - "To Love Somebody" (Bee Gees cover from To Love Somebody)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - "Vocal Chords"

As much as I despise anything that reminds of the faux-sport that is NASCAR (you even have to capitalize it), the ridiculous-named Detriot band Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. have nevertheless put together a crafty and poppy enough EP to subside my own petty grievances. Clean-toned guitar, whistling, a jumping bass line and shimmering harmonious vocals—along with the occasional cheesy but appreciated drum fill—make this a must for any day out in the sunshine. Look for the duo's Horse Power EP on July 13th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - "Vocal Chords" (from Horse Power EP)

Breaking Bad: Music To Make Meth To

I've spent the last week watching the first and second seasons of the AMC television series Breaking Bad and I'm not particularly surprised at how much I've enjoyed the show—as watching people make, sell and get busted for dealing drugs has long been a favorite pastime (ie. Scarface, The Wire, Blow, Goodfellas, etc.)—but I have been blown away by the show's extraordinarily diverse and sophisticated music selection. Featuring current indie greats (Walkmen, TV On The Radio), 80s favorites (Wang Chung), jazz legends (John Coltrane), obscure reggae gems (The In Crowd) and plenty of soul, funk and dazzling Latin instrumental tracks, the palette here is absurdly broad—and it's all the more rewarding for it.

The Walkmen - "Red Moon" (from You & Me)

The In Crowd - "Mango Walk" (from Darker Than Soul: Music From Jamdown)

Beach Fossils: Subtle Punks

"I don't know just what I feel, but I feel it all tonight."

Brooklyn's Beach Fossils may be the world's most subtle punk rock band. There's certainly no emphasis on distortion, speed or power chords here, but rather Dustin Payseur's project-turned-sensation embraces the great straightforwardness of music with a collection of devastatingly simple rhythmic-propelled guitar hooks. Flash is sacrificed here for the medicine of the easily repeatable—and it pays off beautifully throughout the grimy, small club feel of the Beach Fossils' addicting eponymous debut. It may be just over 30 minutes in length, but the record makes its point almost immediately: sometimes the uncomplicated and uncluttered things in life are the most enjoyable.

Beach Fossils - "Golden Age" (from Beach Fossils)

Beach Fossils - "Youth" (from Beach Fossils)

Tame Impala - "Vital Signs" (Midnight Juggernaut cover)

I've had the Tame Impala album and EPs for a while now, but it wasn't until taking an 8-hour train ride from Portland to Vancouver with the Aussie gents blasting through my giant headphones that I really became hooked. Riding alongside the water and through the mountains, it was the perfect soundtrack: wild, flanger-effected guitars, wavy tremolo vocals, a deep pounding bass, and most importantly, where most psychadelic music veers off into drug-induced oblivion, Tame Impala drive and propel obsessively forward with uptempo and focused drumming. I've been especially digging this acid-washed Midnight Juggernauts cover—the simple, repeatable and quick to please "Vital Signs."

Tame Impala - "Vital Signs" (Midnight Juggernauts cover)

Luna: The Best Band You've Never Heard Of

Luna is one of those bands I don't remember discovering—rather, it just seems like I've always been listening to them. A few days ago I stumbled upon a copy of frontman Dean Wareham's memoir Black Postcards—which I had no idea even existed—and quickly became absorbed in the details of the cult figure's musical evolution: from his Glen Campbell-dominated New Zealand youth to discovery of New Wave, first shot at forming a band while attending Harvard, the rise and fall of Galaxie 500, an amazing 7-album-run with Luna, and plenty of personal turmoil and triumphs, including his love affair with bandmate Britta Phillips which produced the near-perfect L'Avventura. First to admit those ego-driven mistakes, Wareham offers up the truth behind his bands' music with detailed self-depricating humor and deadpan delivery. Here's a taste:

"We made an album called The Days Of Our Nights. Our fifth studio album, it is possibly the worst of the seven that Luna made. If you study rock-and-roll bands, I think that fifth album generally tends to suck. Maybe they all hate one another by this point. Maybe they need new ideas. Maybe they're trying new ideas. Whatever the reason, the fifth album is difficult."

Aside from the wealth of band insight, Wareham also recreates the inner-workings of the business side of the 1980's and 90's music scene with his own struggle to make a buck with both independent and major labels. The record companies are both shown at their greed-infused peak and inevitable fall from grace, and there seems to be no better source than Wareham, who has the numbers and lived-through-it experience to paint a vividly clear picture. For fans of Luna or rock music in general, there are few writers that depict the scene with as honest a touch.

Here's a soundtrack to the book, comprised of songs or albums specifically mentioned in the text.

Galaxie 500 - "Don't Let Our Youth Go To Waste (Jonathan Richman)" (from Peel Sessions)

Luna - "23 Minutes In Brussels" (from Penthouse)

Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham - "Ginger Snaps" (from L'Avventura)

Papas Fritas - "Girl" (from Buildings and Grounds)
Jorge Ben - "Mas Que Nada" (from Samba Esquema Novo)
Glen Campbell - "Mary In The Morning" (from Gentle On My Mind)