Hooves on the Turf

Brazos, good old indie rock

Now that lo-fi twee pop is destined to hit ad spots and television shows before you can say Death By Audio, prepare for the inevitable return of unpretentious indie rock in the murky waters of Short Attention Span Music Industry 2014 (maybe).

For a break from “cool music” to “good music”, I’ve been revisiting 2009; the album is Phosphorescent Blues by Austin’s Brazos, mostly the work of singer Martin Crane. As a singer, Martin is comfortable swinging between weeps last wept by Jeff Buckley and wails last wailed by Andrew Bird, without staying in those territories for too long before frolicking in clearly what’s his own. As a band leader, he’s recruited musicians who can dress his songs the way he wants for their marching out in the parade. I assume the album was self-produced, but whatever the case, the production is pretty perfect (restrained, precise, cliche-free), and a whole lot mature than the misfortune some professional producers have bestowed upon several otherwise fine indie bands (however, a band must be held responsible for picking a bad producer).

A point of irreversible bedazzlement for me is the take on Adrienne Rich’s poem, “The Observer”. As it is, giving lyrics a rhythm that feels like its own flesh is a true achievement. But to take a beautiful poem, already immersed in its own rhythm, and to give it new hair, new nails, new blood, new legs, and still have it be the same girl turned into a certain kind of woman, is an extra achievement.

I hear new album is in the works, and I hope it’s more of the goodness, without the suffering of the second album syndrome. For now, I really recommend you add Phospherescent Blues (available in vinyl!) to your collection.

Download “The Observer“, “Day Glo“

Motel Motel's "Arvada"

darling don’t be shy with me
my days on earth are numbering
so hold me before my bones freeze
the angels see my body floating

Last week we went on a fabulous day trip with Motel Motel, and I can’t wait to post the amazing performances we shot with them, even though drummer Jeremy Duvall wasn’t around since he had to be at work. Obsessed with their song “Arvada” all day today (lyrics excerpt above), I re-read some of the positive things I’ve written about this band so far, and it feels like I’ve been too careful in not over-hyping them; as a result, I’ve been terribly underselling them. Truth is, I listened to their album New Denver on repeat on my flight to Austin and back, but what’s more, singer Eric Engel’s voice sounds absolutely divine in person.

Here’s the tune stuck in my head. For the full song, buy their album.

Download “Arvada (Sample Clip)“

Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead"

Download “Sleepyhead” | Passion Pit’s debut EP Chunk of Change only comes out on September 16 (on Frenchkiss records, nonetheless), but I’ve already blown my head to useless bits by over-listening to “Sleepyhead”. I know little about the cute guy in red shirt, but I’ll have learnt more when I see them as a five-piece during a Pianos residency on the 13th, 20th and 27th of August. And if you’ve ever been to the old market in Bahrain, the land of golden smiles, you’ll understand why it’s kind of exciting that band member Ayad Al Adhamy hails from that strange land, at least partly.

“Listen to tonight’s bands” will return tomorrow, maybe.

Princeton's Bloomsbury EP

Download “The Waves” | The story of Princeton is enchanting: twins unite with childhood friend for a “musical partnership” after watching That Thing You Do (hells yeah), and years later reunite and play in London, where over the course of a year they are drawn towards influences that end up as fodder to their lovely EP titled Bloomsbury, which they write in their current hometown of Los Angeles. The lyrics of each of the four songs profiles one member of the Bloomsbury Group, and though the lyrics are often effortlessly dazzling (So Leonard Woolf don’t cry, your books will one day speak to me / And when they do we’ll run outside, and tell your wife…and tell your wife…), it’s really the musical sensitivities that shine through. The strong nonverbal voice of a storyteller is immediately apparent in the texture of each recording, and how carefully yet painlessly different parts swing from one tone to another.

The storytelling is akin to the skills Sufjan deployed in Michigan, though the effort here is intentionally less epic and seemingly un-orchestrated. The atmosphere of the music is very present, and at least in me it triggered a suburban image for some reason: gaping blue sky, quiet streets, and so on. 

Which Virgina Woolf book does this blog get its name from? You’re on your own on that one, but view the full post to find out why the band is named Princeton.

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Photos: Smile! It's Herman Dune

Download “1 2 3 Apple Tree” | Herman Dune just wants to tell you pretty little stories, so it’s no surprise that singer David-Ivar Herman Dune often races himself, half-speaking, half-singing in an adorable accent; making the substitution of “said” or “thought” with the word “like” (as in, “I’m like, the sooner the better”) and other colloquial uses an absolute treat. The charm probably comes from a feeling that even though David refers to himself in the third person while quoting someone else talking to him in a song, the perspective of the storyteller/observer seems to be the reverse of Alice in Wonderland. He has broadened his view of the big beautiful world found in small marvels of stories to such an extent that he himself shrinks, and we don’t mind at all.

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