Tag: mp3

Elvis Costello’s debut album My Aim Is True sounds as visceral now as it did in 1977. Equally due to both strong songwriting by Costello and subtle production by Nick Lowe, songs from the album like “Alison” “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes”, “Less Than Zero” and “Watching The Detectives” have all become classic rock staples.  Yet for all the rock criticism that focuses (deservedly) on Costello’s cynical and smart lyricism, a New-Wave/Punk Randy Newman if you will, many don’t emphasize that My Aim Is True is just chock full of powerful and catchy melodies.

Following the devastating “Alison”, “Sneaky Feelings” features quite a hook and replete with nice backing harmonies and a swaggering Costello putting on his best Van Morrison impression trying to deal with being in love. A great song off of a great album. Also check out the excellent album opener “Welcome To The Working Week” which packs a Beach Boys homage and some powerful pop-punk into its under 1:30 run time.

Sneaky Feelings – Elvis Costello 

Welcome To The Working Week –  Elvis Costello 

Chris Chu has a point.  As he explains in the video, a lot of bands get pigeonholed into a certain sound when they become successful, and falter from the pressure to come up something better while boxed into one sound. Big Echo, their last album under The Morning Benders moniker, had brought them to the heights of post-Beach Boys/Beatles indie/pop, elaborate, but not overly orante pocket symphonies, the fleeting emotions following a break-up and working through it.  So it’s daring that they’ve changed their approach, but ultimately it’s honest to the artist and saves their sound from becoming stagnant.  

POP ETC is also very embracing of social media, and probably one of the better bands at reaching out to their fans. When they first announced their change of name, it wasn’t a little press release that gave no reasons, it clearly stated the why and their intentions.  While their album isn’t due out til the 12th of June, they’ve been keeping busy with making mixes, showcasing their influences and eclectic tastes through successive Weekend Mixes.  

As to the song itself, “Keep It For Your Own” is a great single, the hook that a better Coldplay might have made (I’m talking “Don’t Panic” era) and the live production touches of the Yours Truly session meld beautifully, an acoustic guitar here, an upright piano there, organic harmonies with a few electronic pieces. 

Keep It For Your Own (Yours Truly) – POP ETC 

(Sorry for the quality, there isn’t an official release)

POP ETC WEBSITE

GRAB AN EXCLUSIVE BUNDLE FEATURING AN EXCLUSIVE TANK TOP AND AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF THEIR UPCOMING ALBUM (YOUR CHOICE OF CD OR VINYL) FOR 25.00 (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST)

Grab “Keep It For Your Own” or pre-order the full POP ETC from iTunes.

Unfortunately, James Carr was his own worst enemy, suffering from bipolar disorder his whole life. Ultimately, its the only refuge we can give ourselves in trying to figure out just why this man wasn’t as equally lauded as Otis Redding. While popular consensus might have slipped from his legacy, he was critically lauded, especially for his 1967 album You Got My Mind Messed Up. Many point to his version of “The Dark End of the Street” as being the definitive version and the best on the album, but my favorite is “Forgetting You” a half midnight oil burner/barnstormer that finds Carr in peak form, putting on a vocal performance that even Otis Redding himself might be hard pressed to match.

Forgetting You – James Carr

The Dark End of the Street- James Carr 

Despite my best intentions, I found myself ready to forgive John Mayer and love his new album Born and Raised on first listen of “Queen of California”. While Battle Studies was utterly horrifying (and his cover of “I’m On Fire” nearly unforgivable) his latest record finds him stripped down with a country edge a la late era Eric Clapton. It’s a mellower affair, and “Queen of California” is a stand-out track, evident from its upbeat finger-picked beginning, to the nice country slide touches and the beautiful bridge that he throws into a couple verses (see :35 seconds in).  It’s commonplace to call John Mayer a narcissistic asshole, but plenty more rockstars have worn the title. With Born and Raised, Mayer may have finally found a way to channel his inner demons with a Ryan Adamsesque flavor.

Queen of California – John Mayer

You can grab the Double Vinyl for Born & Raised off of Mayer’s official site

The digital album can be found the conventional route on iTunes

LIYL: Eric Clapton, Ryan Adams