via//chicago

another shuffle post...

Which means I have absolutely nothing interesting or original to say tonight. Hey, it's been a long week.

Devendra Banhart - "A Ribbon" (taken from Nino Rojo)
A gentle acoustic tune from the first Banhart album I heard. Despite the awkwardness when he gets to the "I'd like to sleep with you" part, there is still something sweet about the bare-faced emotion and delicacy Banhart displays here - which seems to be a side of him he has forgotten of late.

Nikki Sudden - "How Many Lies" (taken from Dead Men Tell No Tales)
The late Mr. Sudden is an unsung hero of the criminally underrated sort. From his pioneering work in the post-punk band he formed with his brother (Epic Soundtracks), Swell Maps, to his neo-hippie take on classic-era Rolling Stones rock and soul; this guy deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. This is a heart-wrenching ballad that begs for a circa 1966 Jagger/Richards reinvention.

Bat For Lashes - "Trophy" (taken from Fur and Gold)
I'm still undecided on Natasha Khan and her debut album as Bat For Lashes. When she's on, she's fantastic. When she's not, well, she brings up memories of mid-90s alt-rock female singer-songwriters gone bad. This song, however, is one of the hits on the disc. On the surface it sounds like a cross between Tori Amos and Bjork, but the rhythmic approach and haunting background vocals make it something special.

The Saints - "I'm Stranded" (taken from (I'm) Stranded)
An all-time punk classic, not much more that needs to be said about this one. If you like The Damned or Ramones and you don't know this song, shame on you. That chorus absolutely slays me every time.

The Redwalls - "Hung Up on the Way I'm Feeling" (taken from De Nova)
This comes from the breakthrough album from Chicago-area classic rock-revivalists, formerly a cover band known as The Pages. There isn't a single original idea on this album, but surprisingly that isn't a bad thing in this case. These kids do an absolutely fantastic job of recreating the vibe of early rock and roll via Beatles, Kinks, Stones, etc. The guitar solo on this mournful ballad is epic.

Saviours - "Circle of Servants Bodies" (taken from Invaders)
A great slab of stoner metal from this California band, complete with baked riffs and those desert-dried vocals that fit perfectly with the stomp and swagger. The compilation this is taken from is a great primer for those looking to catch up on the recent trends in stoner/doom metal, featuring great bands like High On Fire, Pelican, Black Mountain, The Sword, Comets On Fire and many more.

Phish - "Maze" (taken from Live in Brooklyn)
I wondered when one of these shuffle posts was going to reveal my latent jam-band fan years, and here we are. Looking back with clearer eyes, Phish was definitely a hit-or-miss band - but they are far more interesting than a lot of the haters will give them credit for. This particular song isn't one of their best exploratory jam launching points (not is the studio version one of my favorite songs), but they manage to pull something pretty interesting out of it nonetheless. The star of this show is clearly Page McConnell, but each of the guys contributes something worthwhile.

The Mars Volta - "Cicatriz ESP" (taken from De-Loused in the Comatorium)
And we go from one much maligned band considered bloated by many to another much maligned band considered bloated by many. This twelve and a half minute track comes from TMV's first full-length album, also one of the brightest spot in their ever-growing discography. One of the reasons I love this song, and this album so much, is Jon Theodore's excellent work on the drums. He adds all sort of texture and flair to this track, he's all over the place in a good kind of way. It's a shame he is no longer with the band, but right now he can be heard teaming up with former Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha on the surprisingly strong One Day as a Lion EP.

Destroyer - "Foam Hands" (taken from Trouble In Dreams)
One of the brightest spots on a slightly disappointing album from Dan Bejar, this is a slow-burning track that builds upon a nicely layered instrumental bed. The guitar playing, as expected, is pretty great - but I think the string arrangements are what make this track really work. This sort of makes me think of what an Canadian indie rock version of Randy Newman might sound like.

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals - "Pleasure and Pain" (taken from Live From Mars)
I run pretty lukewarm when it comes to Ben Harper, but he has enough decent moments to grab my attention from time to time. This isn't one of those decent moments though, this is the insufferably bland singer-songwriter stuff that detracts from his more inspired moments.