Be Mine (Ocelot Remix)

Now your voice is like an echo in my head
And I remember every word you said

Theo Gosselin

I know I haven't posted in forever, and thus you're probably itching for some new music (or at least that what I like to tell myself), but bear with me another post while I entertain my own ego by posting an oldie, just because I fecking want to.

I was in a store yesterday when Robyn's Be Mine came on. I was super stoked firstly because Robyn isn't played nearly enough in the US, and secondly because I just really love the song. Within 30 seconds I realized that what was playing wasn't what I had been expecting, but rather the Ellie Goulding cover of the song. This was disappointing for many a reason, not least of all because Ellie Goulding really isn't very good. Sorry guys, I just don't get the hoopla. Anyway, it put me in a rather dour mood, and upon entering my car I had to immediately turn on the Ocelot remix of the song. Unlike the Goulding bastardization, the Ocelot remix is a total banger, staying true to the piece's original melody while making it dancefloor or sitting-in-your-car-singing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-post-breakup accessible.

Be Mine (Ocelot Mthrfckrs Remix) - Robyn [mp3]

Sunshine in Chicago

I Eat Stars

Singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek is readily preparing a new full-length record under his Sun Kil Moon moniker. Among the Leaves looks to be a solid entry to an already impressive discography from the former Red House Painters frontman. The first preview, a song called Sunshine in Chicago, finds Kozelek in familiar territory. It’s not quite as depressing or grandiose as anything from the unbeatable Ghosts of the Great Highway, but the Ohio native still knows how to write a heart-wrenching track. The song has a lot of what I like best about Sun Kil Moon's best tracks: a lot of nostalgia. With Sunshine in Chicago, Kozelek reflects on a long career of playing music – which doesn’t seem to be as great as it once was.

"My band played here a lot in the ’90s when we had / Lots of female fans, and fuck, they all were cute / Now I just sign posters for guys in tennis shoes.”

Well...we appreciate it, Mark.

Listen to (and download) Sunshine in Chicago below. Be sure to look for Among the Leaves, out May 29th on Caldo Verde.

Sunshine in Chicago - Sun Kil Moon

Your Eyes Were Shining

Linda Scheynius

It’s been almost a decade since we’ve heard a full-length release from The Jealous Sound. Frontman Blair Shehan and guitarist Pedro Benito return with A Gentle Reminder, a stellar follow-up to 2003’s amazing Kill Them With Kindness. With help from Nate Mendel (Sunny Day Real Estate) and Josh Staples (ex-Velvet Teen) on bass, and Bob Penn on drums, The Jealous Sound’s reformation is more than fans could ever ask for. The entire album deserves a healthy heaping of praise. Pop-infused rock at its finest, The Jealous Sound continue right where they left off in 2003 – cascading guitars met with spacey, twinkling fills and pulled together by Shehan’s brilliant, and at times, gut-wrenching vocals. Your Eyes Were Shining finds the band treading old territory, but still managing to sound completely fresh. There’s even a little throwback to Shehan’s old post-punk band Knapsack in there (Cold Enough to Break, anyone?). The song truly embodies what The Jealous Sound is all about: a poppy, emotionally-driven band that’s a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Thank God this band didn't try to reinvent the wheel or themselves. Welcome back, guys.

Listen to Your Eyes Were Shining below and make sure pick up A Gentle Reminder. Or you can be like me and pre-order the album on either pink or white vinyl.

Your Eyes Were Shining - The Jealous Sound