Begin the Summer With New Music

I haven't used this blog in over a year. I have been satisfied enough making mixes for people to express the songs I enjoy. I would still like to share some nice ones with the ones who will not get my mixes. I encourage you, if you end up enjoying the music you hear, to go see these artists live or buy some merchandise to support them.

• Feist - Mushaboom
• Tilly and the Wall - Let it Rain
• Death Cab for Cutie - Long Division
• Hear Hums - Slow Drifters
  
• Ambulance LTD - Stay Where You Are
• Maps and Atlases - The Most Trustworthy Tin Cans

Feist's Mushaboom has a snappy little piano riff behind an incredibly catchy vocal pattern that is pretty much the focus of the song. Characterized by shy instruments, the song may appear to be minimalist. It seems it never peaks to the energy it is building up to, which works in this case because it keeps me holding on with anticipation. The female vocals are comparable to Cat Powers except I feel there is more energy and color with Feist's vocalist. Mushaboom is part of the album "Let It Die" released in 2004.

Tilly and the Wall's Let it Rain is nice acoustic song mixing male and female vocals. Cello or something like that comes in at times which is a very nice addition to the song. Drums stay in the background and come and go. Piano is thrown in too at the second verse and past that. There are a lot of catchy vocal patterns going on in this, and the background vocals that are about half the speed of the main vocal pattern is nice. I enjoy the lyrics, but don't expect anything complex or poetic. It's a little sad and a little poppy and upbeat... sad happy songs? I've heard that tag before, maybe that's what it is. Let it Rain is a part of the album "Wild Like Children" released in 2004.

Death Cab's Long Division is a fresh breeze of rock-influenced newness. Ahh I don't know how well that will translate. All the songs on their new album "Narrow Stairs" have it's own color, I think they tried something new with each song. Long Division can be compared to a more widely accessible version of We Laugh Indoors (a version of this song is available in a previous post). The song is driven by the bass and drums energy-wise, and the guitars and vocals add a nice color to the song. The chorus will get stuck in your head, very catchy. I do not want to spoil any more of this, you'll hear it. Long Division is a part of the album "Narrow Stairs" released in 2008.

Hear Hums' Slow Drifters is a song I made this month. I would really like anyone who is interested to download this song and listen to it. The song has mellow and energetic parts. Pretty conventionally set up, with focus on guitar drums bass and vocals. There are appearances of an electronic music box, rotary synths, and little side things. This song will part of a free album available for download sometime in the future.

Ambulance LTD's Stay Where You Are is a flowing swirl of dream pop and catchy guitar riffs and vocals. The song begins with some reverby guitars and is joined by some guitar riffs that are reversed to give a nice sound, the ambiance of it all is great. You'll hear one guitar drop off before the main one comes in about 2 minutes into the song. Simplistic and poppy, this song is easily accessible by anyone on the scene. There are really nice waves of guitars that come throughout the song, behind some great chord changes. The vocal patterns are great too, especially towards the end. The song builds a nice energy and then fades away. Stay Where You Are is a part of the album "Ambulance LTD" released in 2004.

Maps and Atlases' The Most Trustworthy Tin Can is an eccentric dance of fast-paced guitars and drums presented as melodic Math Rock. The technical repeating guitar riffs are great, and in this song it's just a nice glide during the verse. A music box comes in for the choruses and is a good color to add to the basic set up of guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. I cannot stress the point that this song is so melodic for being a Math Rock song... usually you think of discordant organized chaos. Or maybe that's just what I think based on what I've heard. It's all nice on the ears, but super energetic. The soft parts where the drums fall off too are great. The Most Trustworthy Tin Can is a part of the album "Tree, Swallows, Houses" released in 2006.