unpiano: music

What is is about the mid-south and all these amazing lone songwriters that keep appearing all over the internet? Sometimes I get annoyed by bands that only have a blog fan base but then I think about all the insanely good music I would be missing out on if the internet never existed. Seriously, how bummed would you be if you had never hear the songs below? Wild Nothing is the solo project of Virginia’s Jack Tatum and for some reason strongly reminds me of the Fall (the Season not the band). Regardless of the fact that his new single is called ‘Summer Holiday’ (out on Captured Tracks), Fall seems to seep from every pour of these songs. I can feel the leaves changing and the the brisk air swirl around the guitars. You have to admit that it’s pretty romantic.. makes me wanna kiss someone till I get a ringing in my ears.

Wild Nothing – Summer Holiday
Wild Nothing – Confirmation
Wild Nothing – Cloudbusting

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The first all-girl punk band from Switzerland (actually, I think they were the first punk band from Switzerland period), Kleenex dropped their first LP Liliput on Rough Trade in 1982. Sparse, ramshackle instrumentation, near-hoarse lead vocals and nonsense lyrics – what’s not to love? This record (and their later output as “Liliput”) was a huge influence on the 90s riot grrl movement (Kill Rock Stars releasing a complete Kleenex/Liliput discography in the early 2000’s), but regardless of associations and influence, this is just really fucking fun punk record. My four-year-old daughter couldn’t get enough of this Jazzercize-clad Swiss TV appearance below.

Kleenex – Nighttoad
Kleenex – Nice

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Bonus:
Kleenex – Nice (video)

For some reason I have not been able to find any White Denim records on vinyl for the entire time I have know about them. I have a feeling however, that their new album Fits will be much easier to get a hold of this time around since I just read about it in The New York Times. I was actually a little shocked at the sound they are putting out this time around. Most of the songs I have liked in the past have been distorted rock-outs that were quite spazzy and erratic and while this new album has that in spades, all my favorite songs from Fits happen to be mellow and more reminiscent of Sam Prekop than anything else. Either way, the new album is great and I can’t wait to get my actual hands on the real thing.

White Denim – Sex Prayer
White Denim – I Start To Run
White Denim – Syncn

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Bonus:
White Denim – Don’t Look That Way At It
White Denim – Let’s Talk About It

Wow.. I’m totally speechless that so many artists of this caliber collectively made such a terrible soundtrack. I’m dead serious, I have never heard so many different unique people sound so homogeneous. I know people will say that the Grizzly Bear song is decent.. but is it really? I’ll defend Thom Yorke and the Bon Iver/St. Vincent duet for a least being good songs, but when it comes down to it they are barely register as anything exciting or different. I guess that’s the bottom line.. they are all good songs in theory (for the most part) but would anyone had been better off it they never existed? My only other thought is that maybe that’s what they music supervisors where going for and they wanted everything funneled through a “Twilight” filter to be consistent. That makes sense and all but all I can think of is that it all got the commercial radio treatment or something along those lines.

Click on the photo above to download the entire soundtrack (minus the awful Lupe Fiasco bonus track) and you can check it out for yourself. Maybe I’m being too judgmental? Tell me what you think..

Bon Iver & St. Vincent – Roslyn
Thom Yorke – Hearing Damage

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//photo by elizabeth weinberg

Brooklyn’s Small Black just released their self-titled EP this month and it’s filled with swirly keyboards and fuzzy guitars. While it’s true that there have been a bunch of bands in this same vein as of late (check out the last twenty posts and I’m sure you can pick out five or six), Small Black has the advantage of Josh Kolenik’s fogged-out vocal delivery and great songwriting abilities. Washed Out (whose slow, fuzzy songs we wrote about a while back) also remixed their song ‘Despicable Dogs’ and did a damn fine job of making it even further up in the clouds. Gotta love these songs on those gray, overcast days.. you can almost pretend it’s still summertime.

Small Black – Despicable Dogs
Small Black – Weird Machines
Small Black – Bad Lover

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Bonus:
Small Black – Despicable Dogs (Washed Out remix)

I know I have been slacking on the site lately but I swear it’s for a good reason and I promise to tell you about it soon. Anyways, now that it’s Friday I can finally post this remix that I have been playing on a loop since two weeks ago.. A while back Glasgow’s Hudson Mohawke did up Tweet’s ‘Ooops’ in a way that only be described as bombastic and if you turn it up to just the right volume it will make your speakers crumble and your weekend perfect.

Hudson Mohawke – Ooops (remix)

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Not much you can say about the man that hasn’t already been said. This song was from when Roky Erickson was playing with The Spades back in the sixties. That voice could make anyone move..

The Spades – We Sell Soul

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I have no idea whether I like this or not. Does that ever happen to you? I know that I have listened to this song a bunch this week but the band is Swedish and they put cocaine in their pop music over there. Anyways, I think I hate it but who can tell. I’m really tired this week..

The Sweet Serenades – On My Way

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Tuff Town tonight at The Attic. Second Thursdays are way sick.. Switched with Ray this week and I’m excited to see what happens. I’ve been real stressed out lately and I need to relax. Let’s make a party..

TUFF TOWN
at the Attic
24/Mission St
10pm – 2am

More gems from the HSA Mix Trade came in the mail this week. Scottish band Josef K had a bunch of singles on Postcard Records back the Eighties and wrote songs that made you feel sad in that pleasant way. Some great crooning from singer Paul Haig and you can never go wrong when you mix a disco beat with post-punk guitars. They never quite got the recognition they deserved, but then again they may not have wanted it anyway. Click on the photo above to check out their songs before they got all polished.

Josef K – It’s Kind of Funny
Josef K – Sorry For Laughing
Josef K – Pictures (Of Cindy)

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Bonus:
Josef K – Sorry For Laughing (video)