She gets confused
Flying over the date-line
Her hands turn red
Cause the days change at night
Change in an instant
The days change at night
Change in an instant
Our Most Important songs have become way, way too new. So here's a classic from legendary Los Angeles band X. Enjoy.
RIYL: The Damned, X-Ray Specs, Buzzcocks, New York Dolls
I've been your lady
I've been your toy
I've been your savior
And I've handled it like a boy
I've been your lady type
I've been your toy
I've seen it all
And boy, could I fall
Part Icelandic, part British, this female trio of diverse artistic bents first came together as purely performance art and then discovered that they, and audiences, really enjoyed their punk-pop-ways. Recently signed to a London-based label, I discovered their EP01 when looking up last year's line up for Iceland Airwaves and it's solid af all the way through. They have a few tour dates in California this spring, opening for The Kills, so catch them if you can - I've heard they're quite amazing live.
RIYL: Honeyblood, Slingshot Dakota, Cayetana, White Lung
I love it how you love me so
Then you come and take my culture and go
I'll never tell you what I know
I'll never tell you what I know
What I fear, what I fear, what I fear
Take a little bit of Foals, a little bit of Art Brut, a little bit of Black Flag, a little bit of U2 (ha, yep), a little bit of Sex Pistols and a little bit of The Murder City Devils, mix it all up in a blender and you get crazy—and the UK punk band IDLES. My brother introduced them to me this past weekend, saying that he'd been listening to their limited catalog all day long. I did the same earlier this week and it was a good, interesting, time.
RIYL: Foals, Art Brut, The Murder City Devils, Future of The Left
Hearts are breaking now, she says i don't care (don't care)
It ain't my business, nose in the air
Hell is breaking loose, she says i don't mind (don't mind)
She's got new things to take up her time
Little white lies with matching suits and ties I put her in a place
I'm all alone and I'm getting stoned, staring off into space
t makes me shiver it makes me shake,
You wanna give give give but i don't wanna take
Getting modern kicks
Listening to Beach Slang yesterday reminded me of another band that quickly became a favorite of mine...
Back in 2003 the world lost 3/4 of the up-and-coming band The Exploding Hearts to a car accident. I remember being really shocked and saddened at the time, having just recently discovered their music, and I spent a lot of time thinking about how short our time here can be. I think about them often, and take some solace in the fact that, even at a young age, they created something awesome that many have enjoyed for years after their passing. I listen to Guitar Romantic all the time. It's a fantastic album that showcases very unique and special talent. It's also a constant, if melancholy, reminder that it's never too late to make your mark or create something lasting, but also that life can be cruel and short and any opportunities to live, to love, to create, to share, to enjoy life that come your way should be grasped and cherished. Damned if you do, bored if you don't.
RIYL: Beach Slang, The Clash, The Ramones, Elvis Costello, The Jam
Stick your heart on your sleeve
If it breaks, stitch it on to me
Bash it back into shape
You might be cracked, but I won't let you break
Beach Slang's 2015 The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us felt like a return to some of my favorite music of the past. It's raw, yet accessible, loud and energetic, cool and challenging and all the things that make great music great. Beach Slang captured my imagination right away and I listened to everything I could find. We saw them live, featured one of their early tracks here and generally felt like I found a new favorite band.
Which is awesome. Because a few months later they released a follow-up: A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings. There are lots of great tracks to choose from, and I couldn't really pick one so I just decided to go with the high-energy and aptly titled opener, "Future Mixtape For The Art Kids". Speaking of which, they made an awesome "mixtape" which is well worth a listen too. Check out this cover of "Anything Anything" by Dramarama.
RIYL: The Replacements, The Cure, Japandroids, Cloud Nothings, Cayetana, The Psychedelic Furs
