Sunday, September 18, 2016

Feel good hits of the 18th September

1. 'All Apologies' - Nirvana
It really shouldn't have taken the world's finest Elvis-fronted Nirvana tribute band to remind me how powerful Nirvana were and how brilliant this song is, but it did. Two weekends in a row.

2. 'Sister' - Angel Olsen
I was doubtful that MY WOMAN could possibly match up to Burn Your Fire For No Witness - but you know what? I think it does. 'Sister', the LP's third single, features the sort of climax that is all the more richly satisfying for stealing up stealthily without detection.

3. 'I Walk For Miles' - Dinosaur Jr
32 years old and counting, but Dinosaur Jr are still coming out with riffs for which the adjectives "gnarly" and "killer" were invented. Hands up those who remain delighted that J Mascis and Lou Barlow managed to patch things up.

4. 'Ladyfuzz' - Kamikaze Girls
Taken from debut EP Sad, 'Ladyfuzz' was inspired by singer Lucinda Livingston's recent mental health problems. Anything that brings such problems out into the open is to be applauded - especially when it sounds this damn good. Cheers to Dave of Big Scary Monsters for the tip.

5. 'Familiar Patterns' - PUP
More punk, but this time of a less thought-provoking nature. One for fans of Japandroids and Beach Slang, though those vocals might be offputting, beamed in from a West Coast pop-punk band (even though they're actually from Toronto). Maybe it's just because I've been listening to Pinkerton a lot recently, but this track seems to be in a similar ballpark. (I'm duty-bound to point out that PUP's The Dream Is Over was our featured album on Episode 8 of Sounding Bored.)

6. 'Burn The Witch' - Radiohead
If there's a better song/video combination this year, then I promise I'll start telling everyone that King Of Limbs is a good album.

7. 'Ran Ran Run' - Pavo Pavo
Missing Grizzly Bear? Here's something to keep you happy, courtesy of Simon of Sweeping The Nation. Dreamy loosely psychedelic indie rock that shifts gear disarmingly though not unsuccessfully. It's not new, mind, the Brooklyners having released it as a single in May last year.

8. 'Deep Six Textbook' - Let's Eat Grandma
They'll suck you in with the name, and then keep you transfixed with the song. 'Deep Six Textbook' is pretty remarkable stuff for a pair of 17-year-olds from Norwich - weirdo post-XX gloom-pop.

9. 'Darkside Stare' - Basic Vanilla
Dark, twisted techno: the first fruits of the new side project of Matthew Rozeik, one half of Necro Deathmort (and an acquaintance of mine). This reached my ears at the right time - when, thanks largely to Factory Floor, I seem to be having a midlife crisis and discovering techno exactly when I should be going the other way and becoming an Americana bore.

10. 'And Why Not?' - Higher Authorities
Thanks to Ian for tipping me off about Higher Authorities, who include members of cult Domino band Clinic in their ranks. 'And Why Not?' certainly isn't bad, but it just leaves me wanting to stick a Clinic record on.

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