Subtle

Big industry awards often frustrate me. Be it the Oscars, the Emmy's, or the Grammy's, the nominees for these types of shows often feel all-too-predictable, seeming more the result of bureaucratic processes than true appreciation. But every once in awhile, a gem of an underdog gets the recognition they deserve in the form of a nomination. This year, we're cheering for Mikky Ekko, the Tennessee songwriter who's duet Stay with Rihanna (perhaps you've heard of her) received a nomination for Best Pop Duo Performance. But while Stay is an undeniable smash, it would have been cool to see his more recent collaboration with Active Child, the incredible Subtle get a nod, too. But hey, baby steps.


Subtle (feat. Mikky Ekko) - Active Child



While I gush away about his collaborative tracks, I have to note that Ekko is a formidable performer in his own right, evidenced by his summer single Kids, which you definitely need to check out.

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

No Place Like Home

Florian Rainer

Chicago's musical wizard Mike Kinsella is back with a new full-length record, continuing his solo endeavors as Owen. Ghost Town, out today on Polyvinyl, is the singer-songwriter's sixth studio album. It expands on the new territory and expanded sound introduced in 2009's New Leaves. Owen looks to an upbeat and pop-centric direction, and it definitely feels more polished this time around. It still retains the overall mentality of what Kinsella's been doing as Owen since 2001, which translates to: It sounds damn good.

No Place Like Home highlights Owen's knack for beautiful instrumentation and witty lyrics. The track feels so familiar even as it displays such a different style for Kinsella, which is what I find so charming. There's a lot going on musically for an artist I normally consider to be pretty bare boned when it comes to his songwriting. The song feels a lot fuller than past efforts with a lot more to offer than anything on New Leaves. Once the electric guitar kicks in toward the end, it's impossible to mistake the track for anything but one from Owen. It's awesome to see the evolution of an artist, especially when it can sound like this.

Listen to No Place Like Home and be sure to buy Ghost Town. You can even do it in person on Thursday night as Mike will be performing at Hailey's in Denton.

No Place Like Home by Polyvinyl Records

An Argument With Myself

More of a conversation, really

There has always been something special about Jens Lekman. It feels like I’ve listened to the Swede craft his indie pop masterpieces forever, and it’s hard to believe he’s only released two albums. Lekman’s musical career quickly ignited after his homemade CDRs began floating around at blinding speeds – and I can see why. It’s almost impossible not to find the singer-songwriter’s style endearing. Lekman croons like a wedding singer from the ‘50s, but draws on modern-day vocal icons like Stephin Merritt and Morrissey. Songs unfold through extremely witty lyrics, turning into stories of love in the cold, Swedish winter. His first release, 2004’s When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog, continues to keep its place as one of my all-time favorite records. With every song there’s something to be said, and the Swede knows exactly how to say it. Perhaps it’s because he’s got a surprisingly raging inner monologue?

An Argument With Myself, a cut off Lekman’s new similarly titled EP from Secretly Canadian, finds the singer at ends with his greatest critic of all – himself. It’s a schizophrenic, frantic song, but not because of the melody. “Shut up, no you shut up!” exclaims the 30 year old. Just try to not crack a smile as the conflict escalates. It takes a real talent to write a song, but even more so to make one feel so genuine. What Lekman reclaims here in An Argument With Myself is believability. Even though his last record was hailed as his best, 2008’s Night Falls over Kortedala just didn’t do it for me. The music was cool and all but I just didn’t believe anything he said. Fortunately with the new tune, I can truly see our dear friend beating himself up on the side of the street. Listen to An Argument With Myself and see it for yourself. Don’t forget to grab the EP over at Secretly Canadian Records.

An Argument With Myself - Jens Lekman

Secret World

Photo by Justin Quinnell

Some people have a natural ability when it comes to songwriting, and even though he's had a lot of time to perfect it - Jonah Matranga is definitely one of those. The Massachusetts-born musician moved to California in '87 and has been there cranking out kick-ass tunes ever since. More recently, he's dropped his Onelinedrawing moniker and has embraced some pretty innovated practices in making music. He'll take requests for covers, craft a personal song for you if you want, or even make a whole album with you - for the right price. Jonah's latest album, You're All Those Things And Then You're None, was recorded as two versions. The first time through was a super minimalistic approach - just Jonah and an acoustic guitar. It's the second version, though, that really puts a smile on my face. The songs are the same, but completely fleshed out with the help of over 50 people from around the world. Did I mention Jonah has never even met most of these people?

Secret World is nothing out of the ordinary for the singer-songwriter; it’s witty, fun and super catchy. I love all of Jonah’s work, but it’s the songs that are easy relate to that I listen to over and over. This time it’s a jam about love, and thankfully Jonah keeps it super poppy and positive. Everyone knows what it’s like to share a private world with someone and how fragile it can be. Secret World shows that even at 41, Jonah can still craft songs with the same vigor and message as he did when he first hit the scene. Listen to Secret World and make sure to check out Jonah Matranga’s expansive online store, which he runs himself. You can buy either version of You’re All Those Things… or even request any version of any song Jonah has ever recorded through the years.

Secret World - Jonah Matranga


And as an added bonus track, here’s the bare-bones version of Unparalyze from the first version of the new record.
Unparalyze - Jonah Matranga

Dancer

Photo by Elizaveta Porodina
Maybe it's just because I like the name (it reminded me of a certain David Bazan), but when I got an e-mail from singer-songwriter Grandpa Was a Lion, I made sure to check it out. Although the sound is a lot more folkier than the aforementioned lion of another name, Brooklyn's Justin D'Onofrio has a handful of interesting and witty tunes in his arsenal. Apparently, he recorded most of his stuff with an old iBook, a cheap mic and a tape deck. The super lo-fi atmosphere of D'Onofrio's work is why it works so well, and what gives it so much charm. Not to mention, the songs are actually well-written.

Dancer, a track off Grandpa Was a Lion's The Whalestoe Tapes, is definitely one of the highlights of the Connecticut native's work. It's easy to get absolutely lost a couple minutes into the song after the buildup - D'Onofrio starts layering even more vocals (a recurring theme of his). It's simple stuff from a guy in a basement who lacks any real professional equipment. What he doesn't lack is the ability to craft some really heartfelt songs. I think that's what makes it so damn endearing.

Check out Grandpa Was a Lion's bandcamp and give this guy's music a listen.




Bonus: Download Grandpa Was a Lion's War for free, from his Archaic EP
War - Grandpa Was a Lion

Comedown Sunday: Always Everything

"I wash only to get dirty again."

Performance/Photo by Nathan Cyprys

This week’s Comedown Sunday is brought to you by Sin Fang, via the excellent music-discovery website Shuffler FM. If you have never used Shuffler FM before, let me tell you, you’re missing out. It is a fantastic new website that shuffles music from thousands of different blogs in a user-friendly, streamlined player organized by music genre and style. I’ve been using it a lot lately as a tool to discover new music from genres I don’t normally delve into, as well as great music blogs. Last week, I noticed that the interface even includes an 'Icelandic Music' channel. Figuring that the country that gave us such renowned and groundbreaking acts as Sigur Rós, Jónsi, Björk, and múm was bound to have a few more tricks up its sleeve, I immediately pressed play. Lo and behold, my suspicions were confirmed as I shuffled upon Always Everything, by Sin Fang.

Sin Fang (formerly Sin Fang Bous) is the solo project of Seabear frontman Sindri Már Sigfússon. Always Everything is the first single off his forthcoming Summer Echoes LP on Germany’s Morr Music, due in March. I have got to make a point to visit Iceland, as it seems like the most magical country. That is, if its music is any indication. Not to pigeonhole an entire country’s musical output, but between all the aforementioned artists and Sin Fang himself, Icelandic music is becoming my turning point for ethereal, fearlessly expressive music that—despite (or perhaps rather, because of) its tendency to shy away from typical popular song form—is absolutely gorgeous. Always Everything fits my self imposed Icelandic stereotype well. It is a lo-fi folk/electronic hybrid dripping in nostalgia, dotted with whimsical samples, and driven by Sigfússon’s sweet, mellow voice. It’s the kind of music I’d fully expect to hear playing in an enchanted forest. With its sweet invocation of nature and summer, I hope that in spite of the terrible snowstorms and winter chill gripping the United States, it might help to warm your hearts.

Always Everything—Sin Fang


*You know, if you click this button in the sidebar, you can shuffle all the songs we've ever posted on this site, all in one place. Neat. Thanks Shuffler!

Dots on Maps

Photo by Stephen Zirwes

I totally understand why Eric Elbogen shortened his musical persona to Say Hi. I made sure to stay far, far away from “Say Hi to Your Mom” until someone asked me what I thought about him. I told them that I didn’t really listen to all that cheesy, packaged pop punk and that I wasn’t going to start any time soon. I’m guessing Elbogen got tired of people mislabeling and misconceiving his singer-songwriter, lo-fi sound for something more along the lines of Boys Like Girls or Cute is What We Aim For. Sometimes it’s not all in a name.

Dots on Maps is a track from Say Hi’s latest release Um, Uh Oh, and shows exactly what the one-man-band is all about. Turns out, Elbogen’s sound is more along the lines of Connor Oberst or M. Ward. It’s hard to come to terms with at first, believe me – I know. After listening to this particular track more than a few times, I just can’t help but feel that as far as current releases go, Elbogen has more than a slight edge on all the other guys. I think he's one of the few out there in the genre who actually gets it. Say Hi has succeeded once again in crafting a beautiful song - and it really doesn't matter what he calls himself.

Dots on Maps--Say Hi