Death Cab For Cutie - “Crooked Teeth” Okay, okay, one more summer jam and that’s it, I promise (don’t hold me to that). As I’m sure you guys remember, Plans is one of my top three favorite albums of all time, and “Crooked Teeth” always reminds me of running around town with friends in the middle of June doing whatever sounds fun. That as opposed to “Summer Skin”, which is much more reflective, and pretty melancholy and depressing to be frank, definitely a song you’d listen to towards the end of August as break is coming to a close. But for now, here’s another li’l diddy for your respective mixtapes and playlists. College students, enjoy the start of your break, high school students, kick all kinds of butt on your finals and AP exams, and everyone else, just have a great summer! - Callie |
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Vampire Weekend - Hannah Hunt It leaked and I didn’t download it. It streamed and I didn’t listen to it. I used up every ounce of willpower I had to avoid it until its proper release. I’m so glad I did but the wait was starting to kill me. On Step, Ezra Koenig croons “Wisdom’s an honor, but you’d trade it for youth.” It’s startlingly poignant and honest for a band of 20-somethings that will be 30-somethings by their next assumed album cycle. They are no shorter for wisdom this time around. The album explores themes like the passage of time, mortality, and things, like love, not quite playing out as expected. Over three albums, we’ve seen Vampire Weekend mature. Everything about this release has been calculated, from the early “LP3” promos with the Revolutionary War backdrops to the Tumblr-ready album cover to the lyric videos to the burning Saabs, all laden with their typical sans-serif coolness. The arrangement of Hannah Hunt is simply beautiful. With a minute left, a beleaguered Ezra induces chills with his own frustration. Having their “own sense of time” is no longer presented as a good thing, and the figure of Hannah Hunt, the only one that can read his mind, may no longer be a part of his future. He’s not quite sure.
(Source: soundboardmusic.fm) |
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CHVRCHES - Recover
Just fillin’ in tonight! I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is I like about this song and frankly, that’s totally okay. It’s just really catchy! I’m also a total sucker for synthesizer though, but that’s another story. It’s a little ethereal but still dance-y in some weird way.
CHVRCHES (a name of which I always struggle to type out for some reason) comes from Glasglow. They formed in 2011 and released their Recover EP in 2013. Although relatively new, I’m definitely looking forward to what they have to offer in the upcoming years!
Foundboard: April 2013
As a way to thank you for making Submissions Week such a success we’re rolling out a new monthly feature: “Foundboard”. We’re constantly getting Artist Submissions and don’t have enough days in the month to post them. We chose some of our favorites from this past month. If you’d like to check out some current up-and-coming artists then click on the Read More below. You’ll find a song by the artist and a little about who they are as well as some links to keep discovering. Happy listening!
Love Always,
The Soundboard Panel
Billy Bragg - St. Swithin’s Day The genius of Billy Bragg is his ability to capture people —their fears, their loves, their sorrows— and the best material in his catalogue (I think) are the songs about heartbreak and the cold distances that spring up in the spaces where there used to be affection and intimacy. St. Swithin’s Day is one of finest in this category quietly heartrending, full of symbolism and well-complemented by the spare man-and-his-guitar style that’s become Billy’s trademark. Here he describes being taken unawares by the passage of time and sketches out the gradual erosion of a love affair and the hollowness that follows. It’s one of those basic themes that every human being can relate to, and one of the things that makes Billy Bragg’s songs connect with his listeners. Lovely tune, as well. Hope you enjoy it! |
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Andrew Bird - Bein’ Green Recently, Disney seems to be attempting to revitalize the colorful, zany racket that is the Muppets. In 2001 the wonderfully cheesy movie written by Jason Segal and scored by Bret McKenzie hit the screens, while Muppets: The Green Album hit the shelves. The Green Album is an album of classic Muppets songs covered by modern Artists. OK Go performs the iconic theme song, The Fray growl it out with “Mahna Mahna”, and Andrew Bird contributes one of my favorite recordings ever. I hope this song makes your day a little better, -Chen |
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English Sporting Defeat – English Sporting Defeat I’ve played the circuit in South East England for some years now – filthy venues, flat beer and packs of unfriendly bands who all sound the same. You’ve got to get out there though, right? We loaded into a venue a few weeks ago and were greeted by these guys, a four-piece indie extravaganza with all the luster, energy and pop sensibilities of an Arcade Fire/Maccabees gang bang. I had googled them the night before and gotten into this track. I think it’s the subtleties that make it – the delicate string arrangement, the precision harmonies and that cymbal bashing that glues it all together. To meet them face-to-face and discover they were sharp, friendly and as excited to be making music as we are was awesome – we found some friends! It’s bands like these that make the scene in the South East. With their own club night in Denmark Street and wild ideas about how music works, I look forward to seeing them every time. - Moses |
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Cage The Elephant — Right Before My Eyes So, this song and I have a lot of history, it helped me get through some tough shit in my life. Sadly, after it inspired a bad trip about a year ago I haven’t really been able to listen to it without breaking down and sobbing but I guess that adds to its appeal. This album has many similar tracks but this one captured my attention, it was love at first sight. Thank You, Happy Birthday was certainly my favorite album of 2011, it is one of those albums that is immediately a favorite. After recording more than 80 songs Cage the Elephant shelved them all and composed this album out of various side projects which shows when you listen to the album as a complete piece. Aberdeen, Always Something, Around My Head, and Shake Me Down are all songs from this album definitely worth looking into. |
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