Tag Archives: Song of the Day

Song of the Day: “Beast Crusher” by Skerik’s Bandalabra

When Music 101 students need a good sound clip for syncopation, they can just check this one out:

Those are some serious JBs-style grooves being laid down….just pure, unabashed funky-jazz improv at its best.

If you dig this sound, definitely check out their other teaser track which they released on Soundcloud:

While I am generally into the projects that Skerik gets involved in, this one is striking me as especially impressive. It seems like he’s really found his band.

Bandalabra’s album is due out on March 13th via Royal Potato Family.

Song of the Day: “Dive” by Tycho

I picked up Tycho’s latest album Dive at the end of 2011, but I’m still listening to it constantly in 2012. The title track is one of many standout tracks on the album. Check it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IOhGQvdCBg

Tycho’s sound hits on this perfect mellow but moody vibe, and I love the way that the core electronic beats and blips are mixed with more traditional analog guitars and bass.

Support Tycho directly–>TychoMusic.com.

Song of the Day: “Born Alone” by Wilco

I’m loving this new one from the band’s upcoming album, The Whole Love…

http://youtu.be/IHgWuj9tz-k

It’s called “Born Alone.” I also highly recommend checking out the album in its entirety over on NPR Music. Really solid all around. I especially love that last track.

Wilco starts a two-night stand at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park tonight.

Song of the Day: “Baby Missiles” by The War on Drugs

Slave Ambient, by the War on Drugs, was another recent emusic download that took only a couple listens to win me over.

The overall sound of the album is fresh but familiar. The instrumentals are a mix of propulsive rhythms, interesting background synths, and multiple guitars that are layered, sweep-filtered, and perfectly jangle-y. But even with a good amount of experimental, psychedelic haziness, their music is all based in a well-known melodic framework reminiscent of artists like Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire and even U2. But it’s probably frontman Adam Granduciel’s vocals that really provide the familiar sonic pallete. It’s almost like someone took a little bit of Dylan, Springsteen, Petty and Westerberg and wrapped them all up into a younger, mellower vocal doppelganger.

“Baby Missiles’ is a great cut, but it’s only one of many standout tracks. In fact, I can’t really just choose one “song of the day” for this, so we’re going to include a couple more: Continue Reading…

Song of the Day: El Ten Eleven – “My Only Swerving”

I came across El Ten Eleven on the eMu site yesterday and really dug their sound.

Check it out:

These guys put together a nice mellow style of instrumental music using drums, double-neck bass/guitar, a loop pedal and lots of effects. In that way, their music is actually somewhat similar to some of the mellow, lullaby-esque sounds I’ve been laying down on my loop pedal lately (though mine aren’t nearly as good and don’t include drums, double-neck guitar or nearly as many toys).

Side note: I like to think that if my blogging buddy Justin and I ever started a band, we’d probably play something like this.

Song of the Day: The Grateful Dead – “Second That Emotion” (Smokey Robinson cover)

I thought I’d do a short post in honor of Jerry Garcia’s b-day anniversary today, with a short but sweet clip of the Grateful Dead’s cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Second That Emotion.”

This track was on the first full live recording I ever heard by the band, which was on a crappy old cassette tape given to me by a random acquaintance in high school. It’s a great example of the sound that initially grabbed my attention. I think the fact that they covered a familiar Smoky Robinson tune probably allowed me to dig in a bit further, but it was the guitar solo from this take that really caught my ears. It’s a short, melodic, note-perfect instrumental rendition of what Jerry thought Smokey was trying to do with his vocals on the original tune. It perfectly captures that happy, major chord vibe that helped the Grateful Dead stand out to me among a sea of blues-heavy rockers that were gradually going down a darker road (which I also loved).

To this day, I never get sick of hearing this one: