Tuesday, March 26, 2013

newgazzi Vol 02

Yes, newgazzi is my attempt at giving exposure to new music, but what exactly does "new" mean?  It's important that we don't get too caught up in the word new.  The first 14 tracks here are new.  New to me, at least.  Track 15 belongs to a man I discovered about a year, year and a half ago, but he passed away about a week ago, and maybe this will be new to you, and I wanted to share his music with you  The bonus track is something I heard for the first time on Saturday morning, and I can't get it out of my head.  Enjoy newgazzi, Vol 2 ....

1.  "Let the Day Begin" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (from the LP "Specter at the Feast")

8 of the 15 artists featured this month are new discoveries for me.  As I stated last month, the thing I love most about this project/hobby/what have you is discovering new music for the first time.  I spend a lot of time, mostly on Tuesdays, just surfing around iTunes and listening to new stuff.  I thought this was a good track to start with ... Robert Levon Been, covering one of his dad's songs from 1989.  Fans of Al Gore may be familiar with this tune.  Gore used The Call's version in his 2000 campaign.



2.  "Little Numbers" by Boy (from the LP "Mutual Friends")

This song was free on iTunes a few weeks back, and after hearing it a few dozen times, I would have paid the full $1.29 for it.   Very catchy.



3.  "Peace and Quiet" by Waxahatchee (from the LP "Cerulean Salt")

This is definitely the most unique band name featured this month, and a mighty fine track 3 for what I'm creating here.



4.  "What Am I Living For" by Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Dawn McCarthy (from the LP "What the Brothers Sang")

Last month, I had a lot of good stuff to share, and this was the last song that didn't make the cut. I liked it enough to feature it this month.  Now, I'm not a huge fan of country music, but this is a great recording, no matter what genre you want to slap on it.



5.  "Flaggin' A Ride" by Divine Fits (from the LP "A Thing Called Divine Fits")

Yes, this came out in August of 2012, but I wasn't aware of it until a few months ago, and what did I just say about not getting caught up in the word new.  We just talked about this.  This is Britt Daniel's side project, and it needs to be heard.  They will be in Madison on April 3rd.



6.  "Run Boy Run" by Woodkid (from the LP "The Golden Age"

Is it possible for someone who has produced hits for Katy Perry and Taylor Swift to write and record an indie masterpiece?  Well, that's what Yoann Lemoine has done here.  I've owned it for only one week, and I'm sure this will be at the top of my top albums list for 2013, and who knows, may have already supplanted a spot on Fugazzi Grand III (top 500 albums), coming to "The Litmus Configuration" in 2014.



7.  "Ingenue" by Atoms for Peace (from the LP "Amok")

This is Thom Yorke's side project, and I didn't want to like it.  I don't.  I love it.  I'm not the biggest Radiohead fan, in fact, their are only 2 Radiohead albums that I will give the time of day to, but this is an amazing sonic experience.  Buy it right now.  This blog will still be here when you get back from Best Buy .... although I don't think Best Buy would carry this.






8.  "Hacienda Motel" by Pickwick (from the LP "Can't Talk Medicine"

Great riff, great bass line.  I discovered this song three days ago.




9.  "Best of Friends" by Palma Violets (from the LP "180")

Some crunchy goodness to enjoy, another free tune from iTunes.




10.  "The Storm" by The Airborne Toxic Event (from the EP "The Secret")

I spent 8 days in the hospital last July, and when I got home, my good friend Nick gave me a bunch of music to listen to while I sat at home rehabbing and studying for my insurance exams.  One of the bands he introduced to me was The Airborne Toxic Event.  Both of their long players are good listens, and this is from their new EP.




11.  "Let Me Back In" by Rilo Kiley (single)

I guess this isn't a new song, as Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley will be putting out a compilation of demos/b-sides/rarities in the next month or so.  Jenny Lewis is one of my favorite voices in popular music, and although I'm on the fence about buying the entire collection to be released, I'm definitely in for this first single.




12.  "Sacrilege" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (from the LP "Mosquito")

Andy Fefer introduced this band to me a while back.  I have a few of their records, but in all honesty, I really have to be in the right mood to enjoy them.  They are really good, I just couldn't listen to them "all the time".  That being said, if the rest of "Mosquito" is as good as this song, than "Mosquito" will be in heavy rotation for a while.  This song is an early, albeit very early, favorite for song of the year.





13.  "Faith in a Man" by Danielle Ate the Sandwich (from the LP "Like A King")

Here is the beauty of social media.  I follow Nataly Dawn, who was featured last month in newgazzi, Vol 1, on Facebook.  I was on her page a few weeks ago, and stumbled upon an artist that Nataly follows.  So I did some research.  I read some reviews.  I listened to some songs, bada-bing, bada-boom .... now I'm a huge fan.  This record is so good, and hey, I love eating sandwiches, too !!





14.  "Strictly Reserved for You" by Charles Bradley (from the LP "Victim of Love")

I discovered Charles Bradley in 2011, as he was featured on SPIN's "Nevermind" covers album, "Newermind".  He and his band covered "Stay Away", and is the gem of the album.  This is from his new record, which isn't even out yet.




15.  "Shiloh" by Magnolia Electric Co. (from the LP "Josephine")

I'm not exactly sure when I discovered Jason Molina.  I've been saying a year or year and a half ago, but it may have been more like two years ago.  What I remember is that my friend Howard was creating a playlist of songs that contained the name Josephine, and I bought this album about two weeks before he told me about his playlist.  I became a fan of Molina through reading reviews and browsing new music, but never really knew much about him.  Jason Molina passed away last week from alcohol-abuse related organ failure, 39 years old.  We hear about celebrities dying young all the time, but only a handful of them have really hit home.  Chris Farley.  Jeff Buckley.  Add Jason Molina to the list.  I struggled with which song I wanted to use to remember him, then I saw this video online.  A beautiful marriage of audio and video.  RIP Jason.




Bonus Track !

"Crave You" by Flight Facilities (single)

Just discovered this, and I can't get it out of my head !!



















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