With this year’s holidays being another victim of this strange year of separation, as many stayed home rather than potentially infect loved ones (though worryingly not enough, due to the high number of travelers reported this week), one thing that might have been too much to bear was also having to go without me — the unrequited love you never tell your true feelings (it’s ok, I know…) — so here I am to help you salvage a little joy out of these trying, tiring times. Gather round — let’s gorge ourselves on a smorgasbord of new music as Thanksgiving tradition dictates. Get comfy — loosen your pants and let me fill your proverbial cornucopias with a few recommendations from the previous weeks (only 27% as dirty as it sounds).
We’ll start with a few old friends, just to make everyone comfortable. First up comes the latest from frequent attendee Andrew Bird who recently released a Christmas album, Hark — the day before Halloween. (Why not, I guess? Nothing else makes sense this year…) It expands upon the EP of the same name from last year, adding a few more original songs to mix of already pleasant traditional tunes. (Bird also remixes a few of those traditional melodies, fusing them with lyrics of his own from other songs to interesting effect.)
One of the noteworthy new songs is this one, a cover of former Velvet Undergrounder John Cale’s solo song, “Andalucia.” As usual, Bird makes the song his own, mixing his trademark violin with his lovely voice and whistle. It may not be a typical holiday/Christmas song, but who the heck cares when it sounds this good? Slog down some nog and give it a listen here:
Next comes the latest single from faves Parquet Courts, who are prepping a 10th anniversary live stream in honor of their first show. (How has it been 10 years already?!) Airing December 10 on NoonChorus it should be a typically enjoyable time, so get your tickets now. (One of my favorite moments of a Courts show — and it happens every time — is when Andrew, Austin, and Sean’s heads all start bobbing to one of the tunes, albeit in a totally different direction. One will be up and down, one side to side, and the other left to right. Always makes me laugh…)
In anticipation of that event they’ve also dusted off an unreleased track, recorded at the time of 2014’s excellent Sunbathing Animal. It’s nothing fancy — just another 2-minute gem to get you bopping. Hopefully they’ve got more like this in the vaults (and/or a new album coming soon)! Check out “Hey Bug” while we wait for the anniversary show:
Now we’ll move onto some new faces to fill out our virtual table, first with the lead single from London duo Sorry’s album 925. The album itself is sort of hit or miss, a melange of styles that never coheres as well as on this track, but it’s an interesting listen when it works. This one’s the hands-down winner, a woozy mix of moody trip hop and drunken sax that’s pretty irresistible. (I particularly liked the slightly reworked lyrics from Gary Jules’ “Mad World” in the chorus.) Check out “Right Round the Clock” here:
We’ll stay in the UK for this next one, too, with another offering from a guy-gal twosome. This pair hails from Belfast and provides a bit more sunshine compared to the club-ready darkness of the last one. There’s not a ton out there on these guys — no bio on Allmusic, just a couple singles and no word on a full album yet. We’ll keep our eyes open, though, and hope there’s more coming like this, a bright, poppy blast with a pretty great little slap in the chorus to temper the sugary sound (“the city still wants me, but you don’t”). It’s a good little tune — check out “Moroccan Sun” from Dark Tropics here:
Next we’ll head stateside for a couple acts that call to mind earlier eras — first from New Jersey’s John Andrews, who heads a fictitious band called the Yawns, which remind me of fellow retro soloist Cut Worms, only with a more psychedelic haze to the sheen. Like Max Clarke from that act, Andrews apparently played all the instruments on his debut, 2015’s Bit by the Fang. He enlisted some help on its excellent (yet brief) follow up, 2017’s Bad Posture, which showcases this one, lead track “Drivers.” They’re both great albums — brisk, bright, and full of solid melodies. Hopefully he’s got more stuff coming soon since it’s been a few years. In the meantime, pop this on and bask in the glow:
We’ll close with the Moondoggies, another terribly named band bailed out by some terrific tunes (and Spotify’s excellent recommendation algorithm). Hailing from the opposite coast, this five piece from Seattle calls to mind the Grateful Dead and Tom Petty at times over the course of their four albums. I’ve been working their debut over a ton lately (2008’s Don’t be a Stranger), but truthfully all four of their albums are winners — a nice mix of three part harmonies, leggy guitar jams, and strong melodies. Tracks like this one are a common showcase — give “Black Shoe” a listen here:
Until next time, amici — happy turkey bird…
–BS