Mar

31

What is new?

Filed Under Updates 

Paradox!!!! Sorter . . . Every time this happens I worry that it’s the end. That I will stop listening to new music and stop understanding what the kids are talking about. The buzziest bands at the moment aren’t really doing anything for me. However, it’s more than likely that I’m just in crotchety mode and I’ll snap out of it in a month and strike forehead with palm.

So, here’s what everyone else is talking about:

I don’t get The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, but I have nothing against straight-ahead pop.

I don’t get Wavves. Stoner makes good.

Dum Dum Girls haven’t really hit my synapses yet:

I really like a some of what Sweden’s The Knife does. Everyone says that Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife has done something worthwhile with Fever Ray. I haven’t heard much yet, but I bet they’re right.

I do like Cymbals Eat Guitars, whose music does a lot to overcome a name that put me off initially.

The stand-out to me, DM Stith, combines Dan Rossen’s (Department of Eagles, Grizzly Bear) chord structures and melodic sense with a penchant for dissonance, and Sufjan’s big arrangements with wider-eyed Christian mysticities. Stream his full album on muxtape, and check out his blog (especially the IDM Girl youtube video he’s got there). If the beginning of the record puts you off, I recommend going to the track “Fire of Birds” and listening from there. I’m pretty sure the album is designed to begin harshly and move towards peace, but the beginning might be a little brutal for some listeners.

Also, if you love any of the bands here that I’ve been dismissive about, please share why you do. I’d love to be convinced.

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Comments

8 Responses to “What is new?”

  1. jav on March 31st, 2009 11:16 pm

    I would like to chime in on this one if i may…
    here are some reasons why Pains of being Pure at Heart rule:

    1.the dude’s melodies are reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian…which is a deceptively difficult thing to do without being too derivative

    2.the fuzzy guitar and synth add just the right amount of nostalgia

    3. The girl on keys is a mega-cutey

    4. i just think they summarize a certain Brooklyn modern/vintage thing so concisely.Its straight ahead, but its done so purely and with so much stylistic detail, i think that makes them special. they are totally a special band.

    5. Just the general cuteness levels in all aspects of the band’s presentation…they are off the meters in cuteness. so i guess you would have to hold cuteness as an important criterion in what makes a band good.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLVrTruj_Aw

  2. JStevenson on April 1st, 2009 4:00 pm

    Thanks for chiming in. You absolutely may.

    I find nothing to disagree with in your comments here, Jav. They seem like a solid band and I have nothing against the songs. I’m just not sure that I understand the hype.

    It’s probably the cuteness thing that I don’t get. I could probably use more cuteness in my taste.

  3. Brendan on April 1st, 2009 6:01 pm

    Cuteness is entirely dispensable as a criterion. Probably 100% of cute bands end up in the 99-cent bin after the bloggery and everything else lets up, because cute things, if they don’t mature into something not-just-cute, are the undisciplined, pain-in-the-ass dog or cat whose puppy or kitten cuteness made you pick it up in the first place. To illustrate, I give you two words and a definite article: The Black Kids. If they ever move beyond just being cute, then they will be appreciated and remembered for all their non-cute traits (if they ever do mature).

  4. Tim Hagen on April 2nd, 2009 3:40 am

    Any relation to these guys?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yxKEoWHTJY

  5. Matt Dau on May 7th, 2009 10:03 am

    Yeah, I know I’m a month late here. But if anyone ever reads this, you should know that skipping the first half of the DM Stith album is a crime. Josh, I’m looking at you.

  6. JStevenson on May 7th, 2009 10:18 pm

    That’s ridiculous Dauser. I didn’t recommend skipping it. I recommended skipping it if. I didn’t skip it, but I also didn’t really latch on to anything on the record until I got to the end. The album works well as a whole, but I can understand that someone might turn the record off after the first couple tracks; they’re pretty intense. But the hope would be that they figure out where the record is coming from and then enjoy the whole thing.

  7. Matt Dau on May 7th, 2009 11:26 pm

    Ah, ok, ’tis cool. Maybe I should have followed your lead, as everyone I’ve recommended it to so far has thought I am crazy for digging it.

  8. Matt Dau on May 7th, 2009 11:29 pm

    Also, Josh: I don’t get Wavves either. Sure, a couple of his songs are pretty cool. But I don’t get what sets him apart and justifies the indie-gasm of the last 6 months. Dude played his first show last halloween!

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