planetdan music

Tuesday, April 20, 2004 :::

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes by TV on the Radio

Rating:

Why I bought it: Amazon wouldn't quit recommending it to me and I eventually broke down.

What I think about it: It's droning, enthusiastic prog-rock made by the urban underground . At first I thought I wouldn't like it, just because it's almost unclassifiably different, but now I've come full circle to really appreciate it on many levels after only listening to it for a couple days. Plus, any band that can sing "cover your balls cuz we swing kung fu" and have it come out with the dramatic resonance of a Meryl Streep performance is worth a listen. It's strange because the melodies are almost hidden but eventually they creep up on you and then you can't get rid of them. I'd recommend them, but I have a feeling that they are REALLY not a crossover band. I'm kinda hooked, though.

Song(s) worth a listen: King Eternal ; Staring at the Sun ; The Wrong Way

Listen at amazon.

::: posted by dan at 10:58 PM :: #

Thursday, April 08, 2004 :::

Our Hopes and Dreams : The Owls

Rating:

Why I bought it: I saw them play a song on the channel 9 morning show and they seemed so laid back and easy-going which made me happy.

What I think about it: I'm really not much into the local music scene, but these guys are from Minneapolis, and they write light, airy pop with pretty harmonies and beatlesque chord progressions. It's short too and underproduced but very promising and at least a little different from most struggling local bands who feel they need to "rawk" to get noticed. Not that I mind rawking bands, but this is refreshing.

Song(s) worth a listen: Air ; Forever Changing ; Even Now

Learn more.

::: posted by dan at 9:34 AM :: #

The Tain EP : The Decemberists

Rating:

Why I bought it: Cuz I heart the Decemberists.

What I think about it: What makes the Decemberists so great is that they have their own distinct style and sound. It sounds kinda like if the chimney-sweeps from Mary Poppins formed a prog-rock band and then wrote some sea chanty pop songs. It's hard to explain, but they make it seem so easy. This isn't a proper album; it's really just a five song EP based on some archaic Irish mythic story, but it still stands out as great songwriting. Plus, they got a knack of writing choruses that you can sing along with. In the last few months, the Decemberist have become one of my top three favorite groups. My only complaint is that they mixed the five songs into one 18-minute epic song on one long track, so you can't skip between the songs and you certainly can't put any of the individual parts onto a mix CD. Oh well, it's still awesome from beginning to end.

Song(s) worth a listen: There's really only one.

Listen at amazon.

::: posted by dan at 9:27 AM :: #