Los Campesinos! - 5 Flucloxacillin

Am I a piggy bank of obsolete currency?
An order of merit from country known for tyranny?
Another blister pack pops, but I still feel much the same
Thirty-one, and depression is a young man's game
Found a fiver screwed up inside a prescription receipt
From the salbutamol (No, a gift from the sertraline)
Hallowed be somnolence brought on by the tramadol
Damned be the knowledge that's it, now you have tried 'em all

One of my favorite SXSW memories comes from Welsh indie kids Los Campesinos!, who piled up on a small stage, cramming it full with smiling faces, a plethora of odd instruments and some seriously fun energy. That must have been about 10 years back and I've sort of lost track of them since. It felt pretty lucky when that I noticed their new cut "5 Flucloxacillin" this week. It's a lot of fun and it took me down a memory lane filled with songs familiar and new. Hopefully, if my luck holds out I can see them again soon.

Bonus! The awesome animated video for "You! Me! Dancing!"

RIYL: The Wombats, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Stars, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

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Cold War Kids - Love Is Mystical

Love is mystical
Love will break the chains
You might feel invincible
And you might be afraid
Light in darkness will show you the way
Give you the power to believe again

Cold War Kids have a new cut out and it's a rockin' gospel anthem. Which, if you'd just told me that, I'd tell you that I'd probably hate it. I don't. Looking forward to the new album and to see them again, they're a terrific live act.

RIYL: The Gaslight Anthem, Local Natives, Portugal. The Man, Dr. Dog

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IDLES - Meydei

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

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The Jam - News Of The World

Power, Pop!
Read about the things that happen throughout the world
Don't be believe in everything you see or hear
The neighbors talk day in day out about the goings on
They tell us what they want - they don't give an inch
Look at the pictures taken by the cameras they cannot lie
The truth is in what you see - not what you read
Little men tapping things out - points of view
Remember their views are not the gospel truth
Don't believe it all
Find out for yourself
Check before you spread
News of the world
Never doubt
Never ask
Never moan
Never search
Never find
Never know
Each morning our key to the world comes through the door
More than often its just a comic, not much more
Don't take it too serious - not many do
Read between the lines and you'll find the truth
Read all about it, read all about it - news of the world

Things have changed quite a bit since The Jam released "News Of The World" back in 1978, but it still resonates with me, both musically and lyrically.

RIYL: Madness, The Style Council, The Damned

Minus the Bear - Invisible

Have you ever told the whole truth?
Little lies, little lies, little lies, little lies
It's part of being human
It's part of believing in the illusion of yourself
Little lies
The foundation that you built yourself on
It's all gonna' fall
If there's any justice at all

All the stone you laid
Avalanche behind you
I know how long it's been
No, you're not invisible
You're not invisible

It's been several years since we've had new music from our Seattle indie dears Minus the Bear, and this is such a great lead single to their forthcoming album I couldn't wait to see if there'd be a better Most Important contribution! I'll also admit that on first listen, though the lyrics don't bare it out, I was hoping the song was about our Liar in Chief at the White House - you know, our Emperor and his invisible clothes? Ugh. Anyway, enjoy and keep your ears peeled for the March 3rd release of Voids.

RIYL: Pinback, The Dear Hunter, Built to Spill, The Helio Sequence, Midlake

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