Hamilton + Rostam - In a Black Out

| Kerri

Midnight where we used to dance
Underneath the ugly halogen lamps
Oh, it all went away so fast
In a black out

We’ll wait for the year
When the tide comes
Rolling over the rails
From here 'til the end
Of the island
Washing away

I rent a room with all our stuff
When you come home I’d lift you up
And there’s only the two of us
In a black out

I've heard at least part of "A 1000 Times" about a thousand times since it's release back in July, and vaguely knew there was significant hype around this newly formed duo, but I must confess to not having seen the Apple commercial (has gone viral I guess?) that features this track, nor knowing exactly who these guys were, until yesterday. In case you're in a similar boat, I'll catch you up. First, this song was number 9 on Sirius XMU's top 41 indie songs of the year (that was my introduction). Second and more interesting, Hamilton is the former lead singer from The Walkmen and Rostam is the producer who recently exited Vampire Weekend. So yeah, their pedigree deserved the buzz I was noticing (but not paying attention to). Finally, I chose this as today's Most Important Song because it is a perfectly mellow way to come down after a packed couple of weeks. It's my holiday hangover cure. 

RIYL: The Walkmen, Car Seat Headrest, Angel Olsen, Parquet Courts

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Anathallo - The River

| Keith
It took a father, it covered a daughter
Took her down, down, down
With the glass bottles, books, a tire
Collected hair tufts in the weeds
Snagged and wrapped in the peats
Dammed and trapped

Let's kick off 2017 with an oldie. And such a goodie. Happy New Year y'all.

RIYL: Cloud Cult, Communist Daughter, Royal Canoe, mewithoutYou

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Blossoms - Charlemagne

| Kerri
Hello, hello
You put love in my hand
I know, I know it's made of lead
Hello, hello
Science came, a kingdom reigned
Below, below my Charlemagne
And the river always flows, so if you go I will know
By the way, my Charlemagne

Hello, hello
Mars, tried, hide, cried, died
Inside the snow in the winter
Hello, hello
The doctors knew, prescribe me you
Below, below the amber sky
And the river always flows, so if you go I will know
By the way, my Charlemagne
And the river always flows tears of gold
Left me cold do you feel the same my Charlemagne?

British quintet Blossoms have been doing their indie thing since 2013, but just released their first full length (and self-titled) album earlier this year. Exactly one year ago, The Guardian named them one to watch for 2016 and this month NME named this track one of their top 20 songs of the year. While it doesn't make my short list, it certainly deserves a feature. 

RIYL: Arctic Monkeys, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Oasi, Miniature Tigers

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The Exploding Hearts - Modern Kicks

| Keith
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  

Beach Slang - Future Mixtape For The Art Kids

| Keith
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

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