Tune In Saturdays: The Spinto Band

I don't usually post about country music. Luckily, today will be no different. I'll just stick with all the oooh's and la's and hoo's and ha's that made the Beach Boys and the Beatles such greatness.

The Spinto Band is a sextet from Delaware. Yes, Delaware. Apparently there is something good there. You'll see these guys playing with past Tune In luminaries such as Dr. Dog.

And the obligatory stolen review from Pitchfork:

"Indeed, the group's college-age members rarely fail to build on their obvious indie influences with swooning California melodies and quirky instrumentation. Of particular note is Krill's "Oh Mandy", a ringing anthem of unrequited love, lush with mandolins and theremin. It namedrops the WB-- hey, "Dawson's Creek" was filmed in Wilmington...N.C.-- but is probably perfect for "The O.C." (that's meant as a compliment, guys). Another standout is "Trust Vs. Mistrust", which rides glockenspiel and a catchy "ah-ooh, ah-ooh" hook into another Pavement-esque verse about young, well-mannered lust."

Home.MySpace.

The Spinto Band - Trust vs. Mistrust (mp3)

The Spinto Band - Oh, Mandy (video)

The Spint Band - Brown Boxes (video)

And just because I'll be at the show tonight, I thought I'd post some new stuff from another former tune in feature.

The Polyphonic Spree - Running Away (mp3)

The Polyphonic Spree - Watch Us Explode (Justify) (mp3)

Tune In Saturdays: Lucky Soul

You know those bands you crank up in your car, banging on the steering wheel and belting out a sing-along until you see someone you know. Then immediately you start failed backtracking in a feeble attempt to explain it away. I call it the "The Cardigans Affect." Alright, I admit it, I like the song lovefool. It's just that I feel a little girly for saying so. Is that so wrong?

Anyway, Lucky Soul gives me that same uncomfortableness, as if I like them more than I should. There's a definite and distinct feel of playing musical dress-up. But, fuck it, we're all friends here, right?

From Pitchfork:

"When I first encountered Lucky Soul, on last year's chic indie pop comp The Kids at the Club, all I could hear was the past. The London sextet's thrillingly overwrought girl-group glamor is completely unmediated by hipster weirdness; you'll find no Wes Anderson postmodernism on their debut album, The Great Unwanted, so you can leave your ironic T-shirts at home. The syrupy orchestration of "My Brittle Heart", the group's first single, takes from Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" not the overly familiar drum patterns, but the grand, open-hearted directness, as huge and as potentially embarrassing as first love."

Home.MySpace.

Lucky Soul - One Kiss Don't Make a Summer (mp3)
Lucky Soul - Lips Are Unhappy (mp3)

Lucky Soul - Add Your Light to Mine, Baby (video)

Tune In Saturdays: Kaolin

Because I'm all eccentric and shit, I chose this past week in Mexico to spend a lot of my time listening to french pop. It's a little bit surreal being in that place, listening to french vocals, while everyone around you speaks English.

I'm a little worn out, so I'll just give you the video and a song. I think most of you will like it. And lucky for us, the hazy pop of this week's featured band, Kaolin, will make those of us who are American look even cooler for listening to french music.

Home.MySpace.

Kaolin - Je reviens (mp3)

Kaolin - Partons vite (video)

Tune In Saturdays: The Clientele

I've been sort of switching back and forth between new croonerism and Beatles pop in the past few weeks, so why should today be any different? The Clientele have the harmonies of sixties pop with a sort of calmness that you might expect from the Sea and Cake. No fist pumping or jumping around or anything, but it's damn good music to daydream to.

From popmatters:

"And yes, it’s clear Lennon and McCartney’s benevolent gaze is all over the album; it comes with the territory. The Clientele doesn’t mind, and neither should we: the consonant major tonicities and orchestral interludes still sing to us with the same sweet voice. The album comes out of the gate strong (and positive) with “Here Comes the Phantom”, a sweet, tweed-jackets-tea-and-scones type track. It’s all lovely and totally pleasant, and even reserved, as if the swung rhythms are straining to be straight, to be classical even."

Home.MySpace.

The Clientele - Bookshop Casanova (mp3)
The Clientele - Isn't Life Strange (mp3)

The Clientele - Reflections after Jane (video)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-9OZzTpbUY]

Tune In Saturdays: The Bees

It's not so often I find a band that could easily be described as a nashville-esque british indie pop band with a motown bent. It sounds a bit ridiculous, I know, but these moppy headed hippies are a friggin' fun trip. In a sea of sameness, I get really excited when I hear something original AND good. Doesn't happen so often. But so it is with The Bees.

From dotmusic:

"The Bees are back then with a ten-tentacled underwater beast of an album that shows the band's mastery of an impressive and almost limitless range of musical styles. Not sure what you'd file it under, but while that may worry some, for The Bees it's yet another triumph."

Home.MySpace.

The Bees - Listening Man (video)

The Bees - Who Cares What the Question Is? (video)

Tune In Saturdays: Richard Swift

This week, we've got Richard Swift in the hot seat. Another nice juxtaposition of slow and upbeat, and an album that swirls through those ups and downs beautifully. He sounds a bit like a more croonerish Rufus Wainwright, with a little less focus on the keys. Great stuff, though.

Richard Swift - Kisses for the Miss (mp3)
Full album stream.

From NME:

"'Dressed Up For The Letdown' comprises 10 tracks of sepia-tinged slightlydelic pop that are as affecting as they are jaunty. And if this sounds kitschy or affected, it's really not: the way that songs like 'Kisses For The Misses' roll along on sprightly piano lines while Swift yowls mournfully over the top will cut you to the bone. Prepare to lose your heart to him."

Home.MySpace.

Richard Swift - Kisses for the Misses (video)

Richard Swift - Beautiful Heart (video)

Tune In Saturdays: Dr. Dog

I know you guys have missed my usual 3 part harmonies, beach boys comparisons and beatles infused indie rock, so, to get back on track, I present you with Dr. Dog. These Philly boys bleed 60's pop/rock, with vocals creeping towards the edge of screaming, choppy organs and low-fi grittiness. It's the sort of music that makes it easy to bang out a drum solo on your steering wheel.

From Helium:

"Like much of their other stuff, We All Belong is an album filled with modern pop sounds. However these sounds are clearly influenced by older artists such as the Beatles, and, of all bands, the Moody Blues. You have easy drum beats, like on bongos mixed with smooth vocals. The guitar riffs are suave and cool and the album listens like butter. There is a depth and complexity in this album that shows that Dr. Dog is actually maturing even now."

Dr. Dog - Ain't It Strange (mp3)
Dr. Dog - Worst Trip (mp3)

Home.MySpace
And below is the video for "My Old Ways."

Tune In Saturdays: Songs from my Youth

For those of you keeping up with Tune In Saturdays, you get a pretty good run down of what sort of music I like, and what I've been listening to. But how did I I get here?

Ahh, the Dallas local music scene of the mid-90's. I fucking loved it, and those are the bands that shaped my early musical leanings. So, because I'm sure most of you haven't heard of these local boys, I thought I'd share.

The very first band I ever really got into big time was UFOFU. A little band in the day, but with members that moved along to bigger and better things. The brothers in this band, Ben and Brandon Curtis, went on to form one of the larger bands in the indie world, the Secret Machines.

UFOFU - King of Sex (mp3)

Next, Tripping Daisy. These guys were my favorites, which was a further solidified position after UFOFU broke up, and Ben Curtis took over the drum kit. This particular song was by far their biggest hit. A couple of these guys started the Polyphonic Spree.
Tripping Daisy - I Got A Girl

On the other side of the UFOFU split, Brandon Curtis left to join Captain Audio, where he found future drummer of the Secret Machines, Josh Garza.
Captain Audio - Bugs

And, of course, the Toadies, who were actually pretty big back then. They were as important to me as Tripping Daisy or UFOFU, but if you lived in Dallas, you were a fan by default, I think.
Toadies - Backslider

And then, during my short-lived "metal" period, I had a dalliance with a few one ton bands, my favorite of which was Slow Roosevelt.
Slow Roosevelt - Boys Lie Girls Steal

There you go. That's tune in saturdays, cat-bloggified.

Tune In Saturdays: Annuals

Well, this week was a tough one. I couldn't really find anybody I wanted to share that much, so I'm going with a bit of a give up.  The Annuals are playing here with Blonde Redhead in a couple weeks, so the Annuals it is. Don't get me wrong, they make some amazing stuff. Especially coming from a bunch of kids who can't even get into a bar, yet.

But there's an element of hit or miss, sometimes even within the same song. It's as if they couldn't really decide what kind of band they wanted to be, so they just became lots of bands. I guess that's what happens when the youngins are at the helm.

But, still check 'em out. The highs can get super, super high, so it'll be interesting to see what kind of concoctions come from this band as they continue to mature.

Annuals - Dry Clothes (mp3)
Annuals - Bleary-Eyed (mp3)

Home.MySpace

Tune In Saturdays: The Postmarks

Shockingly enough, we've got some more sullen, sweet pop music for you. Reading through the The Postmarks' bio, I see references to Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach and French pop, all of which make perfect sense, creating a happy downer of a record for their self-titled debut. It reminds me a little bit of Camera Obscura, but just a little easier to listen to.

From Pitchfork:

"Tim Yehezkely sings in a breathy inside voice, with echoes of the Softies' Rose Melberg, 60s pop singers like Françoise Hardy or Jane Birkin, and Brazilian Tropicalismo icon Gal Costa. Instrumentalists Christopher Moll (co-songwriter with the 24-year-old Yehezkely) and Jonathan Wilkins draw out arrangements that enjoy the urbane whiff of lounge, Burt Bacharach, Henry Mancini, and Sunflower-era Brian Wilson."

Home.MySpace

The Postmarks - Winter Spring Summer Fall (mp3)

Below is the video for Goodbye.