It’s so not like me to post anything as poplicious as this JOTD, so you know it must have grabbed me and really took hold. Canadian producer and Kanye-approved songwriter, Colin Munroe’s cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” is a shimmering, dance floor ready number. Well, maybe only if you’re making like R. … Read more
I’m taking up space, I’m right out of place I’m holding a half-hearted smile to your face It’s pretty enough, but watch out, it fades away Sunday night shows can carry a weird vibe. Sometimes, the energy in the crowd or from the artist performing can be lacking, making the occasion seem a little too … Read more
Plus, mark those calendars for all the dates the band gives you within! Click below and enjoy.
Tim Kasher (frontman for Cursive, The Good Life), is set to release his solo debut, The Game of Monogamy. It’s filled with theatrical arrangements and lush instrumentation, stamping a “guaranteed” on Kasher’s brand of classic pop. As the press release oh-so eloquently states, “The protagonist’s arc throughout the album spans the wide range of distinctly … Read more
Brothers Aron and Robert Mardo record together – only on bass and drums – as the Heavy Young Heathens. The Los Angeles duo recently put out a new EP, Make Room For The Youth, co-produced by JP Bowersock (The Strokes, Ryan Adams), and it’s getting a ton of praise, particularly from notable radio DJs like … Read more
Photo credit: Valerie Phillips Just a few weeks ago, we reviewed the new Lissie album, Catching a Tiger, the debut from the California via Illinois singer-songwriter. Today, we offer you a download of a live version of “In Sleep,” a darkly haunting dreamscape where lovers rendezvous…only in the subconscious. Lissie’s touring the U.S. following an … Read more
Elf Power is gearing up to release their 10th studio album – a self-titled, dozen-song sonic totem, representing the group’s spiritual endurance and its continued relevance as the flagship band of the celebrated psych-rock scene which they helped forge over a decade and a half ago. The new record conveys a unique synthesis of expansion … Read more
Denver band, Achille Lauro, just got back from touring and sent me this MP3 out of the goodness of their talented hearts. It’s a track called “No Brakes” from the latest album, Indiscretions. The band’s dubbed the song as “a pop track, for sure.” The song opens like a southern gothic dirge, much like the … Read more
Of late, the Swedes have been dominating the headphones. The electro-pop stylings of Robyn and the impeccable songwriting and trademark growl of The Tallest Man on Earth have been in heavy rotation and show no signs of leaving my brain any time soon. One Swede, however, has been oh so silent for the last three … Read more
Surf. Garage. Indie. Motown. ’50s pop. Grunge. Lo-fi. Fuzz. Doo-wop. Roll up all of these genres together in somewhat equal portions (in a tortilla with avocado), and you have Best Coast, the charming trio from Los Angeles, California, composed of Bethany Cosentino, Bobb Bruno, and Ali Koehler. Best Coast’s exceptional debut LP, Crazy For You, … Read more
Speakers Rating: 88/100 “I’m tired of saying that I won’t get lost ever again/ Who knows? Maybe I will…” These are the first two lines from “Record Collector,” track one off Lissie’s debut album, Catching a Tiger (produced by Jacquire King and Bill Reynolds and out 8/17 in the States). I think there’s a massive … Read more
The last time Sufjan Stevens released a proper record, the world, for me at least, was a very different place. In 2005, my son had yet to enter this world, and my best friend had yet to leave it. Katrina was just a pleasant sounding woman’s name. Bennifer was still a term, Beiber was still … Read more
To say that our little blog called Speakers in Code is a fan of Wilco would be quite an understatement. Besides pulling our name from a line in Wilco’s “Can’t Stand It,” we’re all devoted road followers of the Chicago-based band; I’ve seen their shows in six different cities, I’ve seen Jeff Tweedy solo shows, … Read more
“Wake up, I’m trying to show you…” Love is a weird thing, we all know that. Whether you’re in love, have been in love, have been burned by love, its power has probably has fooled you a time or two. And that’s okay, as long as you’re willing to not give up. Love makes us … Read more
A couple years ago, Brooke Fraser’s Albertine had my full attention for a good month or two. The gal from New Zealand’s voice and words were something I listened to constantly at home, in the car, and at work. I watched her video for “Albertine,” which she filmed in Rwanda, and fell deeper in love. … Read more
World – please meet Paul Daniel. He’s a singer/songwriter and guitarist from Raleigh, North Carolina, a friend, and all around just freaking great guy. He makes music. With guitars and vocals. His songs have heart. And melody. And if you like that kind of thing, chances are you’ll like Paul’s music. I stole this little … Read more
“Remember that the life we share is nothing but a song.” There was a period of three or four years when all I would listen to was Neil Young. Not a bad thing, but I thought the only great albums that existed were After the Gold Rush, Zuma, Harvest, and Harvest Moon. I never would … Read more
Hi, my name is Katie. And I’m addicted to garage rock. I did not even realize I suffered from such an affliction until I recently considered the July posts I penned for Speakers in Code. The desire to back my Oldsmobile out of the carport, crank The Black Angels, and shimmy under the protective roof is strong. Oh, … Read more
It almost seemed too good to be true. A true outdoor music festival in Saint Louis, one where you could sit on your blanket or in a lawn chair all day, drinking and conversing with friends and music lovers? Really? In Saint Louis? LouFest delivered on its promise: to make everything easy, like you were … Read more
A Heartfelt Letter to the Phat Bassline. By Matt Smith Dear Phat Bassline, First, I would like to start by apologizing to you. My beloved indie-rock brethren and I have ignored you for far too long. As our up and down dance moves illustrate so perfectly – we have forgotten your hip moment-inducing allure. Sure, … Read more
Recently, we picked The Drums’ “Let’s Go Surfing” as our Jam of the Day for its sporty splendor, an “as good as it gets” pop song. Today, we bring you the latest single from the band’s self-titled debut (out now digitally; in stores September 14th on Downtown Records), a foil of sorts to the aforementioned … Read more
Daaaamn! It’s almost September, and us cool-music loving people in the Triangle are starting to get fully pumped for the inaugural three-day festival that is the Hopscotch Music Festival. It takes place September 9th, 10th, and 11th all over downtown Raleigh and has some pretty amazing bands (full schedule here) taking to small stages for … Read more
Yesterday, the an interactive music video for the song, “We Used to Wait,” and it’s it’s just about the coolest damn thing I have ever seen. At the beginning of the experience, you’ll be asked to enter the house where you were raised. Given I grew up in the sticks, I entered my college address, and it … Read more
Falsettos have recently been tied to comedy or musical spoofs (insert The Darkness reference here), with most artists too afraid of the delicate tactic to actually implement it into their sound. Like Antony and the Johnsons, however, it works damn well for some. Wild Beasts somehow retain a sort of seductiveness on our Jam of … Read more
PLAY:stl, a music festival and conference held each year in Saint Louis, has officially announced its line-up (with just a few TBA spots sticking around for now)! The fourth annual three-day fest will take place September 16-18 and spotlight 100 acts on over seven different stages across the much-loved Delmar Loop. This year, it kicks … Read more
The way I look at it, a concert can be a great experience because of so many things. Some of these things have nothing to do with the music you came to hear or the band/artist you came to watch. Sometimes, it can have everything to do with where you’re sitting/standing, who you’re with, or … Read more
If you’ve lived in Saint Louis for any significant amount of time, you probably remember a local rockabilly band called Rockhouse Ramblers. (KDHX claims, “In their day, [they were] the hottest honky tonk band” in the city). According to founder Kip Loui, from 1999 to 2005, the band “played pretty much every bar, nightclub, dance … Read more
If you can manage to pull yourself away from the ethereal beauty (above) of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink, the two artists who comprise Azure Ray, you’ll see that the ladies are offering their new single, “Don’t Leave My Mind” for free download (below). The song previews the duo’s fifth album, titled Drawing Down The Moon and … Read more
Let me start by saying I am not an ’80s music expert – in fact, many of the things I remember as coming from the decade actually came from the early ’90s. I know that ’80s vocals sound distant, and there was an abundance of hi-hat hits and Moogish keyboards backed by snappy drum beats. … Read more
Photo by Katie Guymon “I’m terribly sorry for your loss.” These are the six words that concluded Deer Tick frontman John McCauley’s somber recognition of the late Dave Hagerty, vocalist/guitarist of the local Saint Louis band, Fattback. (Please read the touching obituary written by our friend, Christian Schaeffer, for A to Z, the music blog … Read more