The Front Bottoms new album is perfect. Perfectly them, perfectly low key college rock that could also serve as a middle schooler's anthem album, with it's perfectly world-weary, sarcastic tone. Anyway, I sat and listened to the entire thing AGAIN this morning (something I almost never do) and could have picked any track to share so I just went with the first. Also, "You Used to Say" feels additionally perfect at this moment: dramatic imminent death declaration followed by a dance break. I didn't know the band before seeing them at ACL last year but count me as a big fan now.
RIYL: Death Cab for Cutie, XTC, Violent Femmes, Dead Milkmen, REM
Magic Giant - Set On Fire
The other night we went out to see Atlas Genius and they had two entertaining openers: Half the Animal and Magic Giant. MG had a couple songs already on my radar for possible MI placement, but I wasn't at all expecting the vibrance and energy coming off the stage. They were like Dave Matthews Band meets Rainbow Kitten Surprise meets John Lennon but styled like Steven Tyler. Anyway, if you're in need of some banjo/fiddle + orchestral drum + hippie love find your way to a MG show STAT, or at least put their debut album In the Wind on rotation.
RIYL: Run River North, Lumineers, Andrew McMahon, The Head and the Heart, Mumford & Sons
Upcoming Shows
gabriel black - freedom
Gabriel black makes music in his room. Alone. At night. And the result is pretty damn cool. His latest track, "freedom", our just a few weeks back, is really interesting. It's guitar-lead hip-hop with a bit of a dark feel to it. In addition to making music alone in his room at night, he makes fun animations for his songs. Check out the "video" for "freedom" below. And, if any of this sparks your interest, read/watch this interview.
RIYL: Why?, Dan Deacon, Panda Bear, Islands