Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012

Pod Picks for January 26, 2012

 

 

This week we recommend a little bit of geeky fun, innocence lost and mellow ear candy which you can download (legally, of course) or stream to your iPod, iPad, iPhone or other personal media device.

"No Future/No Past" by Cloud Nothings

This cut comes from Cloud Nothings’ second outing, “Attack on Memory.” The immediate thought is restraint from this Cleveland band that’s made its name on geeky-pop-fuzz-rock...until now. Here’s a different drone that picks up tempo from section to section. The whole song builds and little by little, Dylan Baldi’s voice goes from talking to singing to a strained rasp until the bottom falls out and he manages to pull one scream after another – each one cueing the band to let go and have a bunch of geeky fun.

"When I was Young" by Nada Surf

Going into its 20th year, Nada Surf has been the kind of band that makes a living doing whatever the hell the members want. The trio looks back with jaded nostalgia on this new ballad. Matthew Caws’ vocals are as honest as an open wound. The band harmonizes, there are strings, there is innocence lost. People tend to get very wistful after 20 years and this one keeps away from the cheap theatrics and instead lets you associate with the fact that time gets past us all before we’re able to catch our breath. Leave it to the band that everybody forgets about to remind us of it.

"Common Burn" by Mazzy Star

Hope Sandoval’s voice is a lullaby. Sandoval’s voice is the ocean breeze through an open window. Sandoval’s voice is the whisper of a beautiful woman right before you close your eyes to go to sleep only to dream about that whisper. Sandoval’s voice is a sunrise after a perfect night…you get the point. Mazzy Star hasn’t changed its format for more than 20 years. Brushes on a snare and a bass backdrop, David Roback chasing shadows on guitar and Sandoval making love to a microphone. It really doesn’t matter what the lyrics are. It’s the way she can float a note, like no one else can.