After disappearing to her boyfriend’s house all Christmas I received a flurry of texts and after deciphering em I realized they were a directive to buy some songs. So I did.
Warm Heart Of Africa (Featuring Ezra Koenig) – The Very Best
Malawi is a, I know this sounds like a contradiction in terms, a multi-party democratic nation, in South East Asia. But, and this doesn’t right?, it is an over-populated, agricultural based hell hole living on hand outs from the West. In return they give us soccer stars and dance troops and because they love dance they love dance music and because they love dance music Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend pays the rent and then some. Here Ezra pays back. The Very Best is is the story of Maliwan drummer Esau Mwamwaya who left the country after his musical partner was killed in police custody. Ezra fled to London where he opened a furniture repair shop on the same street as Radioclit studios. They met and formed the Very Best signing with Rough Trade. “Warm Heart Of Africa” sounds like a Graceland backing track, the sort Paul Simon bought for a plate of rice and some refried bean, with Ezra on top. Precise rhythmed brilliance.
French Navy – Camera Obscura
The Glasgow pop rock band have been around for nine years and this is the first time I’ve heard em. How is this possible? Tracyanne Campbell is a revelation, she never charges when a half-pace cha-cha sweetness will do and the band have orchestrated indie down to a science. They put the band on one side, the strings on the other and let em battle out for pride of first place on the mix. They shoulda recorded for Postcard records.
Swim – Surfer Blood
From West Palm Beach, which explains a lot, this is exactly what rock is meant to do: swamp you in sound on electrical instruments: he is like a tidal wave of distortion rolling over you like an extra on the Titatanic. Impressive. Oh, I stole these highlights from their tour off their blog. Sorry, Surfer Blood but all property is theft donctaknow:
“1. Our friends losing their minds for our set at The Fest
2. The Brut Bus
3. Art Bruters teaching us the ways of the buffalo
4. Giving 135 people in Lawrence Kansas drunken high fives
5. Our show at Ottobar with the Bruts
6. Hanging out with old people in Vegas/Trying to get an escort to “Just sit and hang out”
7. San Diego/San Francisco shows with Japandroids..
8. Driving through Redwoods on our way back to SF and realizing that cookies aren’t for us (too intense, man)
9. Hanging at Up Records HQ in Seattle
10. Dallas with Jay Reatard
11. Trying to sled in our merch bin
12. Watching a cop pull a gun on a gigantic rat in Baton Rouge
13. The Triple Rock in Minneapolis
14. House party in LA, Neutral Milk Hotel covers sung into a stuffed unicorn turned microphone help by skeleton girl with red wine skull goblet at 4:20 am. Good vibes.”
When We First Met – Hellogoodbye
Another nine year old band I have never heard before. I blame Camera Obscura and Hellogoodbye and for the same reason. Both are great pop bands -the latter indie, the former power, but both have the worst names imaginable. HelloGoodbye??? Ugh. Why not go whole hog and name yourself daytripper. Anyway, when you get past their name, as Marie Lynn did on daytrotter.com (them again), you’ll find a very efficient, very melodic, power pop quarter avec ukelele and handclaps, who hook you by the third spin.
So four for four from Marie Lynn. I forgive you for ignoring me all weekend!!
