THAO NGUYEN AND THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN-We Brave Bee Stings and All”

If it’s possible for music to be spiritual without being religious, then Thao Nguyen and the Get Up Stay Down have accomplished that feat. “We Brave Bee Stings and All” is a triumph. The music fairly simple, bordering on bubble-gum pop, made all the more sweet by Thao Nguyen’s delightful vocals. But beneath the crispy marshmallow façade are deceptively deep lyrics. Lines are thrown about like towels and shirts by the side of a summer pool . . . “I reached high, high, high/As I high as I was able/Such a small small kid/At the big kids table” . . . “I am going away, but not away from you/I have found the difference between the two” . . . "We brave bee stings and all/We don't dive we cannonball/We splash our eyes full of chemicals/Just so there's none left for little girls." It’s easy to write off the lyrics as imagery to create feeling rather than meaning, like so many Paul Simon songs, but a closer listen indicate pursuit of Eastern faith: Eleven songs about the meaning of spirituality and ones relationship with a higher power, clocking in at just over a half hour, this album is perfect. There’s no filler, no meaningless segues, not a single note or lyric out of place. Finger cymbals and light banjo strumming that would sound hokey in the hands of a less talented singer-songwriter here create a soft place where Thao’s fascinating, whimsical, and thought-provoking lyrics can rest comfortably, without distraction.

And to top it all off, she’s from my place of residence: Arlington, Va.

For fans of: Belle and Sebastian; Laura Veirs.


If you can find the vinyl version, do it. It’s got a cover of Smoky Robinson’s "You Really Got Hold On Me." Or, just cop that off eMusic.

Beat (Health, Life, and Fire)

Bag of Hammers


BONUS COVERS:

Turn Turn Turn (Byrds)-Belle & Sebastian

Karma Police-Citizen Cope

PICTURE OF THE DAY

WHO ARE THESE RAMON-EES?

Before I truly "got" The Clash, the greatest rock and roll band in history, I was a major Pinhead. I loved The Ramones, and was known to listen to them for hours at a time. Drove my buddies nuts.

I don't think I've ever posted on them before, and this is a great way to start. This is the band at their best site, old CBGBs, at the peak of their powers. And the best thing about a Mones show is that every song is less than three minutes, so they get to all the hits!

Dig it. Here's set one. Set two to come. A few tastes and zip.

P.S.: Any true fans can guess why I titled this post "Who Are These Ramon-ees?" Hint: The answer might come by ear mail.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

The Ramones - CBGB, New York City, NY 06-10-77

1st Set
01 I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement
02 Beat On The Brat
03 Good Boy
04 Swallow My Pride
05 Glad To See You Go
06 Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment
07 I Don't Care
08 Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
09 Sheena Is My Punk Rocker
10 You Should Never Have Opened That Door
11 I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
12 Suzy Is A Headbanger
13 Listen To My Heart
14 California Sun
15 Texas Chainsaw Massacre
16 I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You
17 Today Your Love Tomorrow The World

KOUFAX-"Strugglers"

Now here’s a surprise: I received Koufax's “Strugglers” in the mail, and immediately noticed the album cover, which features photo of a crowd of dark-skinned folks who appear to be African. Expecting world music or something like Vampire Weekend, I popped it in and instead found a remarkably diverse collection of smart, indie rock toe-tappers. By now, many of you are getting ready to write me a comment about how stupid I am not to have heard of this group until their fourth record, and before you do let me say I agree with you. "Strugglers” is great.

The best thing on the record is the lyrics, but the music is close behind. Like Spoon, the band mixes a funky beat with broader, almost atmospheric synthesizers, and mostly uses guitars to mark time. A few highlights: the ironic “Drivers” (“A few more drinks, we’ll be ready to drive”) has a call-and-response fade out that’s sure to be a live crowd pleaser; the way that the vocal track is slightly off sync with the music on the chorus to “Facsimile;” the political sentiment of the ballad, “Roll the Dice,” which reminisces that although “the Bill of Rights/Those days were nice,” the singer now wants to “roll the dice” and “quit my wife;” and the ‘80s pop groove of “California Taught Us Well,” which recalls every arena pop band from The Cars to Journey. The piano drives the album and lends to it the only sense of wholeness; other than that, the music is so diverse here that it almost sounds as if Koufax were a collective rather than the brainchild of one singer/songrwriter, Mr. Robert Suchan.

I haven’t had enough time with this record yet, and it’s not an easy one to digest, but it’s looking like an early pick for one of the best releases of 2008.

For fans of: Voxtrot, Spoon.

Once In A While

Facsimile

Bonus Covers:

The One I Love (R.E.M.)-Flaming Lips

One (Blake's Got A New Face) [Vampire Weekend Cover] w/Natty

PICTURE OF THE DAY

I hope this isn't real. But somehow, I think is is.

SPIDER PROBLEM-“Natural Selections” (EP)

Los Angeles shouldn’t complain about its Spider Problem. That is, so long as we’re talking about the hard-rocking quartet whose EP “Natural Selections” has all the energy and chaos of a live show, and all the power and hook of old Yeah Yeah Yeahs or L7.

Singer Shayne has a tough, ready-to-rumble voice that’s perfect for modern punk, mixing sex and anger so completely that you can’t tell where her love ends and her rage begins. If there is an award for pure energy, surely it will go to Spider Problem. When Shayne sings, “I wanna eat you for supper,” over grinding grunge, I believe her.

Download the EP from iTunes or cop it off their myspace page.

Big Thunder

Bullet



Bonus Covers: The Kooks edition!

Naive (Kooks cover)-Lily Allen

All That She Wants (Ace of Base cover)-The Kooks

PICTURE OF THE DAY: Spotlight on Chewie!