Month: August 2010

Band Of Horses – Laredo

Band of Horses – “Laredo” This song, from Band of Horses’ third album, harkens back to late 70’s guitar driven rock, with lead singer Ben Bridwell’s haunting vocals taking center stage. The band, who gained acclaim with their debut Everything All The Time and the follow-up Cease to Begin, were formed in Seattle but relocated… Read more »

Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – From Above

Ben Folds – “From Above” This new song, from Folds’ upcoming record Lonely Avenue, features a collaboration with author Nick Hornby (About a Boy, High Fidelity). Folds took charge of the music while Hornby, a renowned music buff, wrote the lyrics. Hornby writes in Folds’ typical irreverent third person style, creating a song that fits… Read more »

School Of Seven Bells – Dust Devil

School Of Seven Bells – Dust Devil School of Seven Bells – “Dust Devil” Incorporating the influence of better early-90s shoegaze acts like My Bloody Valentine and the Cocteau Twins, this trio (made up of former Dallasite/ex-Secret Machines member Ben Curtis and twin sisters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza) recently released their latest record, Disconnect from… Read more »

R.E.M. – Fall On Me

R.E.M. – Fall On Me R.E.M. – “Fall On Me” From their fourth album Life’s Rich Pageant, this song expresses so much of the sound that made R.E.M. legendary: Peter Buck’s ringing guitar, Michael Stipe’s cryptic lyrics, and Mike Mills’ fantastic background vocals. Stipe sings references to acid rain, Galileo, and the leaning tower of… Read more »

Josh Ritter – “The Curse” This song, about the love between an archaeologist and her mummy, was the song that broke Josh Ritter out of a writing slump. After his last record, he said in an interview, he was out of ideas, until this story-song hit him in the middle of the night and eventually… Read more »

Beck – Lost Cause

Beck – “Lost Cause” After attaining critical acclaim and commercial success with his breakout Mellow Gold and the followup Odelay, Beck took a left turn, beginning with 1998’s Mutations and into 2000’s Prince-influenced Midnite Vultures. On Sea Change, however, heartbreak stopped him dead in his tracks, as his breakup from longtime girlfriend Leigh Limon inspired… Read more »

Deer Tick – Twenty Miles

Deer Tick – “Twenty Miles” This band, from Providence, Rhode Island, is mainly built around the vocals of John McCauley, who incorporates country and rock influences into his writing and sound. After Rolling Stone proclaimed their second record Born on Flag Day the “Country-Rock breakthrough of the year”, they joined tours with Neko Case and… Read more »

Crash Test Dummies – And It’s Beautiful

Crash Test Dummies – And It’s Beautiful Crash Test Dummies – “And It’s Beautiful” The upside to having a monster hit is that you gain a new audience that you can continue to impress. Though the spotlight has gone elsewhere since their single “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”, from 1993’s God Shuffled His Feet, Brad Roberts… Read more »