This is genuinely a song I heard for the first time today, and felt compelled to share it. I’m not sure I’ve listened to any of her songs before, which is weird, since she’s Frank Sinatra’s daughter (and was insanely smoking hot back way before I was born). The awesome vocals didn’t skip any generations, thankfully. The lyrics are by Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and if you’re like me, you know that’s a good thing. Ladies, listen up!
If all the differences in music I’ve been posting lately strikes you as a bit erratic, that’s because it is. I’m having a bot pick bands out of the list of bands I want to write about. Kind of prevents me from going “well I need to write about THIS band” before writing about another band. It’s all random, and I think that will help boost my productivity. As always, send me your music recommendations at eitheror.hugh (at) gmail.com. I’ve got some great stuff in my inbox lately, but there’s always room for more. One of the bands that found its way to my inbox lately is Dream Bitches, and I dig their retro-pop sound. They have the harmonious melodies of retro-pop but their lyrics do not match the flowers and lollipops image that retro-pop generally conjures. That is, their lyrics are quite a bit deeper than that.
Anyway, if that wasn’t enough to entice you to listen to these catchy, perfect-for-summer tunes, perhaps their excellent cover of Belle & Sebastian’s Me And The Major will. And if that doesn’t, well, I tried!
From Coke-and-Spiriters
Bad Luck Bill – (MP3, 2.8 MB)
Me And The Major – (MP3, 3.1 MB)
Mother’s Day – (MP3, 3.5 MB)
Although they’re originally from Denver, The Minders have been in Oregon long enough for me to consider them a local band. After releasing six CDs, they’ve finally gotten around to posting an MP3 and thus I’m obligated to inform the uninformed about them. The cruel irony of this particular tale is that the song they released is from their latest album, It’s A Bright Guilty World, the only album of theirs that I don’t have. Though I saw them in concert a few months ago, my memories have faded enough to make them, in a word, useless. However, unless The Minders have taken a large departure from their previous work, they play retro-pop the way it should be: catchy, with nary a hint of annoyance. From the sound of Accidental Joy, they’re still up to their old, and thoroughly enjoyable, tricks.
From It’s A Bright Guilty World
Accidental Joy – (MP3, 3 MB)
Before I’d listened to El Perro Del Mar, I assumed they (she, actually, since there’s only one musician and she plays all the instruments) were Spanish simply because the name of the band is. As it turns out, she’s Swedish, not entirely unlike how José González is a Swedish artist. She plays lo-fi, exceedingly mellow pop songs, with a slight touch of retro which is more evident on some songs than others (especially on God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get) and Here Comes That Feeling).
She has the distinction of being the only songwriter (that I know of) who has a lyric that reminds me of Eeyore (“Being sad all day long / what’s the use of talkin’ about it?“). This song is fittingly on the track Sad, and is not nearly as utterly depressing as it sounds. That said, if you are looking for high-energy rock, do not expect El Perro Del Mar to satisfy you whatsoever. If you are instead looking for tunes that would fit right in on a mellow oldies radio station (if such a thing existed!), then start downloadin’ and stop readin’.
From You Gotta Give To Get
God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get) – (MP3, 5 MB)
So, 70/80s style British rock with a slight punk influence… by a bunch of plucky Swedish lads? Yes, it’s true, these guys are Swedes and boy, their music sure does pack a punch. It’s a delightfully retro experience that (hopefully) never gets boring as it is always bursting forth with some insanely rocking tunes such as A Picture of ‘Em All, Sheepdog and To China with Love as well as some quieter, gospel-esque stuff (Lady, Lauren’s Cathedral). You can’t help but imagine yourself totally rocking out to this stuff, hippie style, even though it’s a 2002 release. It’s like a time-machine…for your ears!
