Songs Of The Week #54: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Solar Year, Bad Cop, Volcano Choir, & Step Rockets...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #54!

For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Better Days (from the album Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros)

TCDroogsma:

     Fun fact:  I once drunkenly convinced my girlfriend that I owned a gun once by claiming, "I own one gun and two bullets.  One says "Andrew Bird" and the other says "Edward Sharpe."  This was in response to that wretched whistling song that was inescapable a couple of years ago coming on the jukebox.

     Why do I bring this up, to show you just how far behind the 8-ball Edward Sharpe starts this review.  Throw in the fact that I actually caught him and his aptly-named ensemble of Zeros shuffling around the Letterman stage like the worst hipsters you've ever seen and "Better Days" was going to have to be a hell of a single to overcome strikes 1 and 2.

     Well, it doesn't.  It's not quite as bad as I thought it would be, but that's only because I'm comparing it to the aforementioned whistling song.  On it's own merits "Better Days" is incredibly average.  It shares the exact same bounce and message as that Man Man song from last week except that where that song went "Full McCartney," Sharpe goes full Brian Wilson, adding layer after layer of unnecessary group vocals, bells, whistles, and other assorted indie rock flotsam.  How this guy became a "thing" I'll never understand.

MinneSarah:

     This is the same group that had that mega-hit, "Home"?  Yeah, that makes sense.  I was surprised to hear this song on the Song of the Week podcast, as I've already heard it more than a few times on the Current, so if you aren't sick of it yet, here it is for free!

     The strength and weakness of this song is that it aims to be epic - think Polyphonic Spree levels of "Please look at me, c'mon, there are 28 of us over here, you can't miss us!" Forgive me, I just googled Edward Sharpe and in addition there are 11 Zeros!  Akin to the Bosstone's dancer guy, this group appears to have a guy who just screams "HEY" on a loop. Also, why not add sleigh bells?  I'll give the band credit for shaping the sound of the 2010's and creating catchy transitions, but I don't know that it's something I would listen to one eighth as much as I hear it.
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 1.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 3/5

02. Solar Year - Seeing The Same (from the album Waverly)

 
TCDroogsma:

     The older I get (and the more reviews I write), the more I've learned that genres rarely improve with popularity.  Remember back in the 90's when we needed the Candlebox's of the world to appreciate just how good Nirvana & Pearl Jam really were?  Well, we're rapidly approaching that point with this whole "electro-pop, PBR&B" sound.  A couple of weeks back it was that dreadful Standish/Carlyon song and now we have Solar Year.

     Solar Bear does there best on "Seeing The Same" to capitalize on the murky, glitchy sound-du-jour, and it's not so much that they fail as they give off the vibe of being being populist genre-hoppers.  The song has all sorts of cut & paste vocals and percussion, but they live up to that adjective so well that you could literally cut & paste the moments of this song into any order you saw fit and you'd end up with the exact same song.  It doesn't rise, it doesn't fall, and, most disappointingly, it fails to create the atmosphere that songs of this genre require to stand on their own.

MinneSarah:

     Everyone knows I sort of love Canada - this duo from Montreal falls into the same category.  It's Crystal Castles party with Enya, and as a guest, you wouldn't be able to tear yourself away.

     When I lived in Canada, I lamented that such a majority of new music was just electro...well something.  This song, at least is a perfect balance, a hypnotic chant, and a highly enjoyable 4 minutes.  While this song is 10 years too late for the Garden State soundtrack, it definitely has that same "cusp of crawling out of limbo" vibe.  But any activity while listening to this song will instantly give it enhanced meaning - cook some beans, spy on your neighbors, sing to some majestic Celtic trees.
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 1/5
                    MinneSarah - 4/5

03. Bad Cop - My Dying Days (from the EP Light On)

TCDroogsma:

     Is that an electric guitar I hear?  Oh my lord, it is an electric guitar!  Based on the way this SOTW podcast usually plays I was almost certain that the government had gone door to door taking them away and replacing them with synths & samplers!  What a time to be alive!

     Much like I dismissed Speed's The Name's track "Circles" a few weeks back in part because of context (another synth-pop song on the podcast), I'm rewarding "My Dying Days" for blowing through my headphones like a sweaty, Chuck Taylor-wearing, shaggy-haired breath of fresh air.

     The song itself is quite enjoyable, a fuzzed-out pop tune in the vein of JEFF The Brotherhood or, if you're a little older, Sloan.  I'm not particularly sympathetic to a singer lamenting, "I just can't take all off these dying days no more..."  I mean, life's tough, bro bro.  Fortunately, they've taken the advice of noted crack enthusiast Pete Doherty: "If you get tired of just hanging around, pick up a guitar and spin a web of sound."  A lovely stupid, shaggy single for the end of summer.

MinneSarah:

     Low-fi summer fun.  Enough said, go download this!

     This song is fantastic - I dare you not to tap your foot a lot.  The sound is poppy rock and roll - think Nashville's answer to King Tuff or Ty Segall.  The only reason this song doesn't get that extra half point is the annoying vocal effect that makes the singer's voice sound like several voices at once - a little shakey, but with more body.   The lyrics are about living hard and regretting what's gotten you to what feels like the end.  However, it's the most upbeat song about regret I've ever reviewed.  Get this on your summer playlist before summer withers away - and don't worry about having another gin and tonic - Bad Cop is worrying enough for you and they aren't any worse for wear.
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 4/5
                    MinneSarah - 4.5/5

04. Volcano Choir - Comrade (from the album Repave)

TCDroogsma:

     Alright, I'm just going to lay these cards on the table: I'm a 31 year old Midwesterner who's skinny, bearded, beginning to bald, has had some ups & downs when it comes to women, and loves Kanye West.  Basically, I get very excited about new Justin Vernon stuff.  "Comrade" shows that that excitement is justified.
    
     So, that being the case, I think "Comrade" is fucking brilliant.  Where that first Volcano Choir album tended to linger in the mist, never committing to anything more than atmosphere, "Comrade" aims for the rafters while still feeling unique.  Call me crazy, but I can't help but think the time that Vernon has spent with Kanye West & Ryan Olson has rubbed off on him.  Those two are artists who consistently aim for bigger, Bigger, BIGGER, without sacrificing the little details that separate the average ones from the special ones and that tact seems to have found it's way into Vernon's work.  "Comrade" is exciting in its own right, but is perhaps more exciting in that it's continuing the forward progression Vernon's shown since the Blood Bank EP.  His career has quickly become one of the most interesting and most rewarding in music.

MinneSarah:

     This song starts off like a broken music box, and transitions into a stable folky beat.  Then, when you most expect it, Justin Vernon starts some falsetto stuff and you think," I wonder if this guy could back up Frank Ocean?"  Okay, maybe that's just me.

     I'm seeing a trend with folkey music taking it to the next level - this one goes to 11.  However, if you think Bon Iver on the loudspeaker of your local co-op is enough to make you want to plug your ears with dried chickpeas, there is no mistaking Volcano Choir's resemblance to his solo work and you may not enjoy it.   I can appreciate how this song builds with a sense of urgency that makes me wonder what will come next.  I don't want to give the ending away, but the most interesting and rather unexpected part of this song is the slowed down vocal auto-tune segment.  The streets of Wisconsin are hard, and that's how you end a song, Frank Ocean.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 4/5
                    MinneSarah - 2/5

05. Step Rockets - Kisser (new single)

TCDroogsma:

     Folks, I say this every week or two and I'm going to say it again right now: I love hooks.  My brain is hardwired for the simple pleasures of a great hook.  The lyrics can clunk, the people can be inherently awful... if it's got that hook I'm almost certainly buying what the artist is selling.

     I bring this up because "Kisser" just might be the catchiest song we've reviewed this year.  The guys in Step Rockets clearly have their hearts in the world Jeff Lynne & Billy Joel (both in kinda-ridiculous lyrics and hooks for days).  The first time I listened to "Kisser" I thought it sounded like Mark Mallman had written a song for Night Moves (to use a couple local references).  It's a great song that continues to get better the more plays it gets.  Hell, it took me four days to even become aware of the full-on Ace Frehley guitar solo.  A fantastic single from an intriguing group.

MinneSarah:

     I know you are all sick of my simplistic comparisons, but how else can I make you all understand what I'm hearing in a single paragraph?  What if George Michel sang for MGMT?

     Now that we are on the same page, who's going with me to Step Rockets's show at Cause Spirits and Soundbar on August 25th?  The lyrics are sexy, the vocals are sexy, the guitar is pretty sexy - all in all basic components of how I judge music.  For anyone who is a sucker for poppy synthesizers and thick basslines - check this song out!


Final Score: TCDroogsma - 4/5
                    MinneSarah - 4/5

Well there you have it, folks!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, and filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog. 

Meal Time! #5: TCDroogsma at World Street Kitchen

Come on over tonight, come on over this morning...

Well hello again, our hungry friends!

Welcome back to our restaurant review column Meal Time! (it's supposed to be read like Mail Time! from Pardon The Interruption.  Get it?  Not sports fans?  That's cool.).  It's been quite a while since we sent old TCDroogsma out into the world to eat some food, but this week we managed to scrub him clean and send him on his way down Lyndale to check out World Street Kitchen.

Droogsy, what'd you think?

Well hey there, everybody.  It's been quite some time since I was tasked with sitting down and writing one of these food reviews.  As you can probably imagine, I've eaten many a meal since I last sat down to chat with you, I just haven't written about them.

Anyway, Newest Industry asked me to get back on my meal time grind, so I thought I'd take stroll down to 27th & Lyndale and check out World Street Kitchen.  Word on the street is that they have pretty solid vegan food.  They're also known for staying open late and trying to loosen the stranglehold Pizza Luce & Caffrey's have held on post-drunky time meals for years.

Now, seeing as how I'm pretty much incapable of staying awake past 7:30 at night I figured it would be best if I took stopped by for lunch on my day off.  Like a damn fool, I showed up at about 2:30, a half an hour before happy hour starts.  I'm, uh... I'm not a smart man.  I was, however, a hungry, non-hungover man, only half of which is typical on a Tuesday afternoon.

(Pro Tip #1:  Don't show up 30 minutes before happy hour. Droogs did that, so hopefully you won't have to go through that.)

Admittedly, I didn't know quite what to expect from World Street Kitchen.  Is this a place like Luce's where you sit down and order from a server?  Is it like Caffrey's where you order and stand around waiting while people make your food and give you sideways glances like you're an asshole?  Was it some sort of hybrid ala Bad Waitress?

Well, turns out you walk in, glance at the big, McDonald's-esque menu, order, and take a number & a seat.

Now, I'll be honest, I did have a look at World Street Kitchen's menu online before I stopped in.  As a vegan, this is a crucial move with any restaurant.  After giving it a look I came to the conclusion that I was going to give the "Bangkok Burrito w/Marinate Tofu" a go.

I should point out one quick thing before I proceed: I don't like burritos.  My generation has made it seem like burritos are nature's perfect food and frankly, I couldn't disagree more.  Burritos are the meal time equivalent of communism.  All parts are created equal, distributed equally, and wrapped in a tortilla for flavor-mixing convenience (fuck those bourgeois forks!). On paper, it seems like a brilliant idea.

However, to quote the philosopher Homer Simpson, "In theory, communism works. In theory." Much like applied communism, burritos don't work.  That theoretical "equal parts flavor explosion" doesn't exist.  Instead, you get one bite of lettuce, one bite of tofu, one bite of salsa, etc... If we've learned nothing from the work of George Orwell, it's that all parts may be created equal, but some are more equal than others.  The tortilla typically falls apart, spilling the proletariat ingredients everywhere and requiring the iron-fist rule of a wrapper to keep the whole thing together.  To put it bluntly, burritos suck.

So, with all that in mind, World Street Kitchen was looking at an uphill battle to win me over with this Bangkok Burrito.

Anyway, I sauntered up to the cash register, ordered my Bangkok Burrito.  Figuring that the burrito needed all the help it could get in this review, I also ordered a Grain Belt.  Sure, it was 2:30 on a Tuesday and I'd only been awake for 4 hours.  It was my day off.  Fuck you.

I was given my order number:

22! Clutterbuck status!

Well, I took my number and found a seat.  As you can see, the place was not particularly jumpin'.  Looks like I'm the only one who missed out on the "Happy Hour Starts At 3" memo.  As always, I'm an idiot.

Fortunately, the booze gods were feeling generous this Tuesday afternoon.  Moments after I sat down my cashier came over to inform me that the Grain Belt keg was empty and, "Would you like to have a different beer instead?"  Summit Saga it is!

(Pro Tip #2: Order the cheap beer on the days the keg is empty.  You will then be upgraded to more delicious beer for free.  Admittedly, this is a tough trick to pull off.  This is why I get paid the big bucks people.)




Anyway, I'm hungry. Let's do this:

(Cue the horns)

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Bangkok Burrito with Marinated Tofu!

So here's the story so far:

Location: World Street Kitchen at 27th & Lyndale
Time Of The Day: 2:30 in the afternoon
Level Of Sobriety: Total, but trending downward
Dirty Player Status: Clutterbuck hits clean! Not like your team's grinders!
Meal: Bangkok Burrito with Marinated Tofu
To The Side: Nothing, no one, nothing around for miles
Beverage: Summit Saga at Grain Belt prices
Menu Price: Burrito: $8.00, Beer: $5.00
Total Price w/Tip: $14.00

Upon initial presentation, I was underwhelmed (if that's a word).  I mean, we can all agree that utensils are the tools of capitalist pigs, but could a dude at least get a plate?  This ain't a damn county fair!

Anyway, I unwrapped the foil of the oppressors and gave this thing a taste.  First impression, kind of bland but not bad.  The cooks did a very nice job of getting the tofu to have a nice, crispy outside and a chewy inside.  Wisely, the burrito consists of little besides rice, tofu, a bit of greens, and a pretty mild coconut curry sauce.


The burrito held its structure nicely as I worked my way through and the burrito was assembled in such a manner that I was actually able to get equal parts tofu, rice, and greens with each bite.  Good work by the folks behind the counter to solve one of the larger burrito problems (mixing all the flavors together) by conceding a smaller problem (not very many ingredients).



About three quarters of the way through this thing I found myself less full as much as I was bored.  It was OK, but the lack of flavor made the burrito seems like a bit of an endurance test.  However, I managed to put the whole thing down like a fuckin' champ.  I didn't pay non-happy hour prices for a burrito to not eat it all.

Now, considering that the burrito was almost exclusively rice & tofu, it wasn't the most filling thing in the world.  In hindsight, coming away with a more filling beer (Summit Saga) rather than Grain Belt turned out to be a godsend as it made the whole meal significantly more filling than it would have been had my order been presented properly.

So that's the meal.  Let's break this thing down:

Flavor: 5/10 - By making the aforementioned trade-off, the burrito bets heavily on the coconut curry flavor.  I'd call that bet a push.  It's pretty delicious, but a bit too subtle to be exciting.

Filling: 8/10 - As I mentioned, part of this was the beer choice, but this meal did turn out to be pretty filling.  Of course, for $14 it better be.

Price: 5/10 - Considering a burrito of comparable size, Chipotle's veggie burrito is cheaper and contains more ingredients.  None of those ingredients, however, are as awesome as marinated tofu.  Trading out the salsa/guac mix for marinated tofu & coconut curry is definitely worth $1.25.

Ambiance: 4/10 - The place has that oddly sterile, bare beams & metal look that screams "Hipster focus group."  The music was much the same, with T. Rex, dubstep, & Hot Chip all making high-volume appearances during my visit.  Still, the place was spacious with booths, a bar, and individual tables.  I could definitely see this working well as a drunky meal spot.

Service: 8/10 - There wasn't a huge amount of interaction, but the woman at the cash register was quite pleasant and seemed genuinely apologetic for running out of Grain Belt and forcing my beer upgrade.  I call that a win.

What Type Of Communism Is This Burrito?: Definitely the Swedish style.  It's bland, filling, & efficient.  If this had been the Russian type of communism the burrito would have had too many ingredients, less satisfying taste, a ruthless wrapper.

How Many Times Would I Eat This Meal Per Month?: Straight sober at 3 in the afternoon: Once.  Round midnight after 3 or 4 brandy gingers at the CC Club: As often as I drank 3 or 4 brandy gingers at the CC Club round midnight.

Final Score: 6/10 - All things considered my World Street Kitchen experience was pleasant against tough odds.  Leaning heavily on beer & tofu is almost always going to lead to a better-than-average experience.  I definitely came away from the meal thinking that 2:30 in the afternoon is not their money making time. On a Friday or Saturday night when the place has a bit more energy and a few more people I'll bet it's a great time.  Next time you're drinking on Lyndale you should consider skipping Caffrey's & Luce's for a night and give it a try.

Well there you have it, food fans! An efficient meal reviewed and filed away!

For more World Street Kitchen check out their website here.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legit way to support the blog.

 

Songs Of The Week #53: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Man Man, Deer Tick, Pure Bathing Club, Washed Out, & The Ericksons...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #53!

For those of you who remain unfamiliar with the column, here's the scoop:  Each week The Current gives away 5 songs for free via their Song Of The Day podcast.  Both TCDroogsma & MinneSarah have been fans of this podcast for quite some time.  Seeing an opportunity to allow them to indulge in their music habits & put them to work we tasked them with reviewing these songs each week.  Over a year later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast for yourself.  It's free & it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two please take a second to vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist with the most votes at the end of the week wins the validation that comes with winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the greatest achievement to which a modern musician can aspire.

Per tradition, TCDroogsma & MinneSarah have not read each other's comments prior to posting.

So, Droogsy... MinneSarah... thoughts?

01. Man Man - Hold On (from the album On Oni Pond)

TCDroogsma:

     If you've been reading this column for the last year (or have run into me over the last decade), you know I think the most important thing a song can have going for it is a good hook and "Hold On" has a doozy.  Sure, it's a long way from original (if you had told me I was listening to Dr. Dog I wouldn't have argued), but it's still a good one.  This one slinks along nicely before going full McCartney on a very bouncy chorus.

     The reason this song is trapped at "3" rather than "4" is the lyrics.  I can sure appreciate the message of , "Hey, don't let the world get you down, pal!" I just can't relate to it in any meaningful way.  Maybe if you're 18, heading off to college, and keep a one-hitter in your bag this is will really speak to you, but I just can't get behind this sort of blind optimism.  Great hook, though.

MinneSarah:

     "Head On" is an uplifting motivational song about not losing your spunk and character as you age.  The plucky guitar, sweeping violins, and quirky theremin-sounding keyboard contrast against the backdrop for the singer's gravely vocals, making it sound a bit edgy. The sentiments are pretty vanilla - they would have market appeal - a Dove commercial or perhaps a remake of The Truman Show?

     "Head On" does have a fun, 60's sort of luster to it. However, as someone who recently had a birthday, I'm embracing the bitter vintage of age - and let's face it, some of those initial grapes were sour.  While I'm not about to sell my soul to Milhouse, this song didn't do much but make me feel conflicted at how much I've probably already lost some of my ideals.  I'm a lost cause - but I would buy some body wash to this tune, if it would help me "hold on to my heart", especially.
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3/5
                    MinneSarah - 3/5

02. Deer Tick - The Dream's In The Ditch (from the album Negativity)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I actually saw Deer Tick back in 2009 when I was living in New York.  My friends at the time were very into the band's debut album War Elephant and it was easy to see why.  The band had a sort of ragged, country-punk sound that was part Whiskeytown and part, well, Whiskeytown.  Regardless, the first half of that album (especially the song "These Old Shoes"), stands up brilliantly.

     In the years since then I haven't really kept up with Deer Tick (with the exception of another SOTD track, "Miss K"), but hearing "The Dream's In The Ditch" four years since I last paid attention brought with it absolutely no surprises.  The band has traded in their energy & low-quality production for a smoother, poppier, more structured sound.  Taking a cue from the chorus line, "Is this it? This is it," it's tough not to think of the band feeling that way playing this type of music.  The passion's waned, the buzz has died down, and they've traded some of their gusto for C-level indie rock paychecks.

MinneSarah:

     I'm not up on the latest bands, but I have a hunch that this Deer Tick is what the kids are listening to now days.  Although the guitar sounds very reminiscent of a very popular Bruce Springsteen song (don't make me go research the Boss), the band puts their own folky, alt-country spin on the sound, making it sound new yet familiar.  The lyrics are about selling out, almost in response to the above Man Man song, but with a more realistic bent.  The song remains upbeat with a piano solo to boot, but the last lyrics of the song get to the heart of the matter, "Is this it?"  Though this happens once in a blue moon, this folky song actually grew on me.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 3/5

03. Pure Bathing Culture - Dream The Dare (from the album Moon Tides)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I spent three days with "Dream The Dare" trying to figure out just what the fuck was going on.  It has some Durutti Column-esque guitar work, drum machine loops, and the melody of a children's rhyme sung by the next "quirky indie girl" to come off the assembly line.  Suffice it to say, I was unable to figure out what the fuck was going on.

    After doing a bit of Googling I found out that the band consisted of two people (Sarah Versprille & Daniel Hindman) who moved from Brooklyn to Portland before creating Moon Tides.  Suddenly, it all made sense.  If I had spent that many years around hipsters I wouldn't know what music is suppose to sound like anymore either.  Spending your days around coked-up artisan pickle vendors or kids in denim vests who ride long-boards and only listen to beat tapes can't possibly be conducive to creating meaningful music.  It is, however, conducive to creating an indie rock madlib of influences and hoping some quirky vocals and a stupid name are just enough to get someone to acknowledge your existence.

MinneSarah:

     Although the first few seconds of this song start out bass-y drum synth (on a loop that lasts the entire song), this song takes a quick turn into cloudpop (that's a genre).  The verse delivery actually reminded me of the cadence of singing hymns at church, one of the very few times I've tried to sing along to sheet music.  Is there a new hipster church in Portland I haven't heard about?

     Despite getting carried away in a few dreamier sections, this song was a free spirit trying to incorporate structure, or possibly vice versa.  When I think about it, this song inspires me to cut and paste my critique from a seed catalog.  You'll have to listen for yourself.
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 1/5
                    MinneSarah - 2/5

04. Washed Out - Don't Give Up (from the album Paracosm)

TCDroogsma:

     Each morning, when "Don't Give Up" came up on the playlist, I always thought the first 30 seconds of the song were going to build into a beat and someone like Talib Kweli was about to tell me about how life on the streets is tough but rewarding.  It never really did, but if Talib Kweli does ever make that track I want a cut.

     "Don't Give Up," however, does turn into a thoroughly enjoyable song, ebbing and flowing between verses and chorus so effortlessly that you don't even notice it's happening.  In fact, that's kind of my overall impression of the song:  I couldn't tell you one lyric, I can't sing along, I have no real idea what it's about, and yet I'm in a better mood when it ends.  This isn't so much a song as it is anti-depression medication. And when it comes to Washed Out, I think that's kind of the point.

MinneSarah:

     "Don't Give Up" is so chill.  It carries a modern loung-y feel complete with breathy vocals.  Of all these dreamy songs this week, this one was so much more sophisticated, forward moving, and easy on the ears.  The crowd party noise in the intro and outro was a little annoying, but it did emphasize the easy going feel that the song creates.

     While "Don't Give Up" has elements that usually scare me off, like bongos and tambourine, they actually really work when used in moderation and when incorporated with a plan.  All the elements mesh together seamlessly, and the result is highly coherent and enjoyable.  This song is effortless to enjoy and could sink into the background or pull towards the foreground depending on your mood.
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 4/5

05. The Ericksons - Animal (from the single Animal)

 
TCDroogsma:

     The last time The Ericksons were on the SOTD podcast was back in January of 2013 with the song "Gone Blind," which was one of those songs that didn't stick over the course of its first week, but comes right back to me every time it's been on since.  They must be doing something right.

     "Animal" is less immediate than "Gone Blind," relying on percussion & air-y vocals to establish the mood rather than "Gone Blind's" guitar work.  As far as I can tell the lyrics to the verses are just placeholders until the sisters can explain that, "You're like an animal," which seems like it would be a compliment.  Of course, I weigh 120 lbs.  Usually when I'm compared to animals it's because somebody's pointing out that I weigh less than their dog.

     Regardless, "Animal" has a charm that takes a long time to reveal itself.  This is a great example of why MinneSarah & I spend a week with these songs before reviewing them.  Once the mood & moments of this song become second nature it fits nicely with "Gone Blind" in the, "What is this song?  I know this song...." iPod shuffle category (which I mean as a compliment).

MinneSarah:

     I don't want to burst your bubble, but there are no actual Ericksons in this group.  Although you may have read the short description that this is a sister-sister group and surmised that those Erickson sisters you knew in high school have made it big, you'd be wrong.  This song is a folk-y, electropop implosion.  The vocals are sweet, and fairly substantial -  but if you aren't actually listening, could brainwash you to liberate then torch a zoo.  The delivery is so dreamy and mellow that you may be surprised at the content of the lyrics.

     The Ericksons must have folky roots, as the twangiest of guitars makes a visit towards the end of the song - it's Minnesota fusion.  Now let's see what we can do about the animals imprisoned at the zoo - or the deepest recesses of our psyches.  Whichever, let the revolution sound graceful.   However, I'll be leaving my folk guitar in the field in favor of keyboards.
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3/5
                    MinneSarah - 3/5

Well there you have it folks!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, and filed away!

As always, please remember that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it may seem stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free and legitimate way to support the blog.
  

Songs Of The Week #52: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Electric Bond, Owen, Weekend, Harry Nilsson, & Sombear...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to a very special edition of Songs Of The Week!

This week's edition of Songs Of The Week is the 52nd edition, which means that this is the one year anniversary of the column!  That's right, one whole year's worth of The Current's Song Of The Day tracks have now been downloaded, reviewed, and filed away!

To celebrate the occasion, Newest Industry is beyond excited to announce the return of Songs Of The Week co-founder MinneSarah!  St. Paul's finest music blogger hasn't been able to join us since December of 2012, but she's back now to review songs and help break up the monotony of TCDroogsma's ramblings!

Of course, TCDroogsma is still here because he has a laptop, opinions, and copious amounts of free time.  As per tradition, they have not read each other's reviews before publishing.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, please take a moment to vote for your favorite in the poll to the right side of the page.  The winning artist receives the personal validation that comes with winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the highest achievement to which a modern musician can aspire

So, Droogsy... MinneSarah... thoughts?

01. Elastic Bond - Find A Way (from the album Real)

 
TCDroogsma:

     I was never much of a fan of the "New Soul" sound to begin with.  I get bored as hell trying to listen to an Erykah Badu record straight through.  Amy Winehouse held some appeal, but that was more cult of personality than anything.  Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings do absolutely nothing for me. I guess Bitter:Sweet album was pretty OK.

     
     My point being, it's almost a testament to all that's both wrong and right with Elastic Bond.  They do such a good job of impersonating the "New Soul" sound on "Find A Way" that I can't really complain about the song itself as much as the genre it inhabits.  This is great music if you're filming a vodka commercial in a studio made up to look like a 2013 speak-easy, but in a pair of headphones it just drifts on by.

MinneSarah:

     Add some Latin style horns to the soul revival movement and you're part of the way to Elastic Bond's sound. While this song encompasses a mix of several genres, the opening has an easy sixties lounge feel. The lead singer has a strong, sultry voice which both mingles with the upbeat guitar and xylophone and then demands the spotlight during the chorus.

     While I'm a tad tired of our generation's take on sixties soul, this band does a good job mixing up the elements to keep it interesting and also varies their sound more than most of the scene's rote offerings.  However, that said, I still don't know that I'd remember it for the lyrics.  This song oozes summer, so enjoy it while you can, there's no harm even if you do forget it by winter.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2/5
                    MinneSarah - 3/5

02. Owen - Bad Blood (from the album L'Ami de Peuple)

 
TCDroogsma:

    Man, I must be getting old, because Owen is a testament that kids who grew up on that Desaparecidos record are now all grown up and starting their own bands.  Saddle Creek!  The gift that barely gave the first time and somehow keeps giving!

     To be honest, I do like "Bad Blood" quite a bit.  Rather than taking some great post-punk riffs and enveloping them in a wave of fuzz, Owen does a very interesting job of turning that genre into an exercise in minimalism.  "Bad Blood" skips along to it's own beat, creating a strangely pretty soundscape.  Rather than complaining about relationships or "the scene," Owen spends the song lamenting his own bloodlines before imploring the listener to, "wave your freak flag high."  Makes me want to drive around town blasting "Uptown Girl."

MinneSarah:

     In the early 2000's I went to a lot of shows in various basements in these Twin Cities from Midway through Midtown.  The guitar in this song reminds me of standing too close to an amp, inhaling the musty smell of earth and sneakers, and feeling awestruck at the guts and talent displayed by my friends.  The guitars are purposefully full and dissonant, a highly enjoyable combination. The nostalgia of the guitar carries this song for me, but the lyrics are downright depressing.  I would have expected a song entitled "Bad Blood" to be more about bearing grudges than beating yourself down because of your family's history.

     While the lyrics fit the mood of the song, it is still something I'd only be able to listen to in moderation.  I wanted to give "Bad Blood" a 3, but nobody calls grandma dumb. I was trying to give Owen the benefit of the doubt, thinking she was mute while she put up with that, but as that's the most memorable line in the song it makes me upset.  Perhaps that gesture is the best example of his case - Owen is just an asshole - no getting around it.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 2.5/5

03. Weekend - It's Alright (from the album Jinx)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Man, I must be getting old because Weekend is a testament that kids who grew up on How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb are now all grown up and starting bands.  Wait, I used that line already?  Fuck.  I must be getting old.

     Honestly, I'm kind of jealous of the guys in Weekend.  I was in my late 20's before I realized that U2 didn't suck.  These guys seem to have got the message much more quickly (though, in my defense, Bono wasn't in those iPod commercials when I was a kid).

     Unlike those Irish icons, Weekend doesn't let themselves become encumbered by "we can all save the world" lyrical bullshit.  Rather, they stick to the broadest possible brush strokes.  I mean, the first verse is, "Sunrise/girl brings/blinding/sunlight..."  It's a five word verse!  And then it's on to some The-Edge-As-Senior-Thesis guitar work and an echoing "Wooooohhhh....."' Sometimes there's just no sense over-thinking things.


MinneSarah:

     Bring back shoegaze!   If you feel the same way, let's organize a fair at McNally Smith to recruit a new generation of young songwriters to carry the Jesus and Mary Chain torch through the 2010's.  No takers?  Then let's at least take our little siblings to a Weekend show and force them to stare at their shoes.

     "Alright" is a driving yet airy song.  It's absolutely hypnotic - if you were to plan a party and invite a group of interesting people wearing ripped jeans and striped t-shirts, then put this song on a loop, it would take everyone about 40 minutes to notice.  But that's not a bad thing - why stop at 4 minutes when you could make a night of it?
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 3.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 4/5

04. Harry Nilsson - One (Alternate Take) (from the box set RCA Albums Collection)

 
TCDroogsma:

     As a Beatles fan I've always been at least peripherally aware of Harry Nilsson.  His John Lennon stories are the stuff of legend.  Still, every time I tried to dig into his catalog I found myself bored to tears.  In between checking their iPhones & smoking e-cigs, music critics will tell you (repeatedly) that you have to, "dig deep" into Nilsson's catalog to really appreciate his "genius."

     Now, admittedly, I did not dig deep in preparation for this review, but I did read Sean Fennesey's highly-enjoyable column on Grantland regarding the late singer-songwriter.  With my interest yet again piqued, I was oddly excited to see Nilsson pop up on this week's songs.  Time to give this guy another shot.

    Sadly, it took me about 8 seconds to realize the "One" that I was being treated to was merely a different (original?) version of the Three Dog Night song that stands as one of my least favorite songs of all-time.  I've always, always, always hated that song.  This version of "One" offers a bit of a reprieve from that mess, with a minimal arrangement, some bongos, and Nilsson's voice shining brightly.  Still, unless Morrissey is covering this song Paul Westerberg on guitar, Alex James on bass, and Kanye dropping a guest verse I just can't bring myself to like it.  Nilsson fanboys may leave their scathing comments below.

MinneSarah:

     Who is Harry Nilsson?  Well, if you are like me, you may have asked yourself that as you read the titles in your Netflix instant queue aloud. What I gathered while flipping through music documentaries was that his heyday was clearly the 70's - fonts don't lie. Little did I know that he was also friends with The Monkeys (among other more notable musicians, I guess) and also wrote the song, "One," ubiquitous in pop culture and a favorite vehicle for commercials that aim to make you feel bad you don't own more things.

     You likely know this song from the Three Dog Night version, but Harry Nilsson, the shy songwriter, performs this version himself.  The simplicity of this take allows Nilsson's vocals to shine and makes the Three Dog Night offering sound absolutely showboaty.  It sounds melancholy without sounding desperate.  Plus, you know all the words already - how many of these Songs of the Day have such a powerful familiarity?
 
Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 3.5/5

05. Sombear - Incredibly Still (from the album Love You In The Dark)

TCDroogsma:

      Longtime readers of the Songs Of The Week column (Hi Mom!) can probably imagine just how thrilled I was to be reviewing yet another Minnesota-based synth-pop act.  If I have to review any more of these I'm going to wear out my hyphen key.

     Much like the majority of the genre, Sombear's "Incredibly Still" is a mostly enjoyable mix of "deep" emotions, some keyboard plinking that drifts in and out of the mix in a circle, and a chorus that doubles-down on the vocals and goes for the knockout.  Sombear does get bonus points for letting his turn-of-the-century-pop-punk flag shine, as it can't be a mistake that the "in between season" is the age 25 and, "you're still young, they all said, so get to it..."  The only think missing was Davey von Bohlen singing "Crimson & Clover" afterward.

MinneSarah:

     Excellent band name - it makes me think brooding teddy bear.  So cute, yet so serious!  Quite amazingly, the singer is able to condense a five syllable chorus (the song's title) into a four syllable delivery to keep with the beat!  The keyboards weave the song together, and I enjoy their ethereal yet grounding quality. The drum beat is a little trip-hop, and the volume fades to create texture, especially when the singer shifts his vocals to drifting oohs and aahhs.

     However, I'm going to have to step away from the above and confess that the vocals are a little too emo and made me want to switch the song off for the first four or five listens.  Although I can't pinpoint it, this song veers a little too Postal Service for my tastes and it took me quite a few listens to comfortably get into the zone with this one. If your subconscious mind, like mine, jumps to unflattering comparisons - this song is a grower, but it can come out ahead.

Final Score: TCDroogsma - 2.5/5
                    MinneSarah - 3/5

Well there you have it, music fans!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, and filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma). He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah). She can also be found here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul in our Big Day Out column.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #51

Pigeon, Cheyenne Mize, David Lynch, Speedy Ortiz, & Speed's The Name...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #51!

For those who remain unfamiliar with the Songs Of The Week column, here's what you're looking at:  TCDroogsma has been a devoted fan of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast since its inception.  Droogsy also owns a laptop, has a copious amount of free time, and is plenty opinionated.  Seeing a chance to put him to work while supporting his MP3 indulgence we created Songs Of The Week. 51 weeks later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast for yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you're given each song a spin or two feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in our poll to the right side of the page.  The artist with the most votes will receive the validation of winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the highest honor to which a modern musician can aspire.

So, Droogsy... thoughts?

01. Pigeon - Encounters (from the EP Fortunes)

TCDroogsma:

     I knew only one thing about Pigeon before my first spin of "Encounters:"  They're Australian.  Given the track record of Aussies on the SOTD podcast lately (Standish/Carlyon, Alpine), you can understand my skepticism.

     Well, "Encounters" comes on strong with a synth-line that sounds like a bonus game from Donkey Kong Country.  From there Pigeon treads a path that's been thoroughly covered by every synth-pop band from every corner of the world in the last 5 years.  They craft a nice little lovelorn verse, build to a large-scale lovelorn chorus, add a dash of group shouting, and leave us with a keyboard line to dance to.  None of this is to say that "Encounter" is a bad song, but you've heard this song a hundred times before by a hundred different artists except that this one has a saxophone solo.

Final Score: 2.5/5

02. Cheyenne Mize - Whole Heart (from the album Among The Grey)

TCDroogsma:

     Cheyenne Mize is yet another player in an Americana revival (of sorts) coming out of Kentucky.  Frankly, after hearing a few of these artists (Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore being the others), I'm beginning to wonder if this is less a "revival" and more a tribute.  Each of these artists has been described as giving a new take on the genre, but to my untrained ear this all sounds like pretty average folk music.

     "Whole Heart" is not without its charms.  Mize's voice is rich & pleasant, and she delivers the chorus, "I don't know what I'd doooo..." with palpable longing.  Still, if you're not a fan of string-augmented folk music, "Whole Heart" isn't going to change your mind.

Final Score: 2/5

03. David Lynch - Star Dream Girl (from the album The Big Dream)

 
TCDroogsma:

     When I saw David Lynch's name come up in my downloads last week I was filled with a sense of dread.  A couple years back I'd made the mistake of getting very excited when I saw that I'd spend the week with his single "Crazy Clown Time."  Sadly, that track turned out to be seven and a half melody-free minutes featuring Karen O wailing in the background while David Lynch performed what seemed like a David Lynch parody.

     So, with that in mind, my expectations for "Star Dream Girl" were considerably tempered.  Fortunately, "Star Dream Girl" shares almost nothing with that hot mess of a track.  Lynch stays in his lower register and sounds like he's channeling a rockabilly AM radio station from the 60's.  This being Lynch, the lyrics involve an unseen cast of characters "coming from all around, flying down that wide highway" to see the titular girl. With just one verse (which gets repeated) and a chorus implying eternal mystery ("Every night they come to dream of her, star dream girl"), "Star Dream Girl" hits is mark as deftly as "Crazy Clown Time" missed.

Final Score: 3.5/5

04. Speedy Ortiz - Tiger Tank (from the album Major Arcana)

 
TCDroogsma:

     It took exactly three seconds for me to fall in love with "Tiger Tank."  At that three second mark we're treated to snarl of guitars that sound like a long lost outtake from In Utero.  As somebody who was known to blast that album when he was mad at his parents (I know, I'm a living cliche), I was firmly behind Speedy Ortiz.

     Thankfully the band makes good on those first 12 bars.  Lead singer Sadie Dupuis tosses off the kind of beautifully indifferent melody that bought mansions for Liz Phair & Stephen Malkmus while the band works up the kind of racket that makes me wonder why anybody on Earth would start a synth-pop group.  The band augments a smart-hook with a stop/start formula that implies somebody in the band was a big fan of Bush's "Greedy Fly."

     Now, I admit it's not totally fair for me to criticize the "Americana Revival" above when Speedy Ortiz is hardly reinventing the grunge-pop wheel.  Had I grown up on Car Wheels On A Gravel Road rather than Razorblade Suitcase I might feel different.  However, that wasn't the case and this is my column.  You get what you pay for.

Final Score: 4/5

05. Speed's The Name - Circles (from the album No Planets Exist)

TCDroogsma:

     Hmmm... a synth-pop band from the Twin Cities.  Call me crazy, but I can't help but get the feeling I've done this before.

     Sorry, I'd like to tone down the snark, but I've just heard so many of these songs that it's almost unfair to the artists.  The indie music world's been saturated with songs like "Circles" in the last year that it's difficult for me to even differentiate which ones are great and which ones are average at this point.

     According to their Bandcamp page Speed's the name describes themselves as "progressive indie rock and accessible pop.  "Circles" gives the "progressive" label some weight right away as the vocals hit immediately and then unfold a melody throughout the duration of the verse.  The lead singer sounds like he's aiming for Dave Gahan or Nick Cave, but he lands a lot closer to Brandon Flowers.  He may take that as an insult, but I mean it as a compliment.

     It's appropriate that the chorus of "Circles" opens with the line, "No planets exist when you don't believe in circles..."  Speed's The Name's pro-circle agenda makes sense considering they're hardly reinventing the synth-pop wheel.

Final Score: 2/5
 
Well there you have it, folks!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, and filed away!

As always, please remember that neither Newest Industry nor its contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" on Facebook is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Ryan's Record Of The Week #11: "Criaturas" by Criaturas

Well hello again, rock n roll fans!  Welcome back to Ryan's Record Of The Week!

We made our way back down to Extreme Noise to have a little chat with Ryan and try to find something to soundtrack these dog days of summer.  Fortunately, Ryan had something to share with us:

Ryan turned us on to the new self-titled album from Austin, TX band Criaturas.  Along the way he discusses future plans for his Record Of The Week post, laments an empty store, reminds us that Criaturas is on their way to MPLS, and celebrates the existence of punk rock venue in Uptown!  All that plus a bonus cameo from the FedEx guy!  Have a look:

Boom!  Ryan comes through again.  For a better look at just what you're getting with Criaturas have a listen this clip:

There you have it, folks, some good old Texas hardcore to get you through April.  Be sure to swing by the VFW for that show this Tuesday, August 6th.  Only $6 and you'll catch a great show and perhaps meet your new best friend!

Extreme Noise is located at 407 W. Lake Street.  Just look for the place next to the saddle shop.  For more info you can visit their website here. If you're in the neighborhood make a point of stopping by Extreme Noise and saying "hello" to Ryan & everybody else.  Extreme Noise is run on a strictly volunteer basis and would love to meet some fellow rock n roll fans.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #50

CocoRosie, Tricky, The Love Language, SOKO, & Food Pyramid...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to the 50th installment of Songs Of The Week!

For those of you who remain unfamiliar with the SOTW column, here's what you're looking at:  TCDroogsma has been a devoted follower of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast since its inception back in January of 2007.  He's also quite opinionated, owns a laptop computer, and has ample free time.  Seeing an opportunity to indulge his MP3 addiction & put him to work we created this Songs Of The Week column.  Fifty weeks later and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two please take a moment and cast a vote for your favorite Song Of The Day in our poll at the right hand side of the page.  The artist with the most votes and the end of the week wins the validation that comes with winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the greatest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

So, Droogsy... thoughts?

01. CocoRosie (w/Antony Hegarty) - Tears For Animals (from the album Tales Of A Grass Window) 

TCDroogsma:

     CocoRosie are several years into their career now and I still have no clue what to make of them.  On paper, I should vehemently dislike this band.  The back story of creating the band in a Paris bathroom, the needlessly graphic lyrics, their affiliation with "freak folk..."  All of it should add up to "terrible."

     And yet, every song I hear from them contains something intriguing.  With "Tears For Animals," that something comes in the form of the Antony Hegarty coming on like indie rock's Akon to deliver a hook that keeps the song from going to far down the rabbit hole.  Hegarty's voice cuts through the needlessly quirky vocals of the Casady sister like a siren and the group is smart to lean on him for the song's appeal.

     Again, I've never been a particularly big fan of CocoRosie, but with a savvy bit of outsourcing they've turned "Tears For Animals" from just another CocoRosie song to something that's surprisingly enjoyable.

Final Score: 2.5/5

02. Tricky - Nothing's Changed (from the album False Idols)

TCDroogsma:

     Growing up a 120 Minutes fan in the 90's, I'm somewhat familiar with Tricky's early work.  The dark textures, the trip-hop emptiness, the nearly overwhelming British-ness of his work are all lodged firmly in my brain somewhere.

     On the other hand, growing up a punk rock fan in the 90's, I would be lying if I said I was jumping on that bandwagon.  To put it plainly, I didn't keep up with the work Tricky was doing between Maxinquaye and now.  That's why it was quite refreshing the first time I played "Nothing's Changed," literally, it's as if nothing changed.

     "Nothing's Changed" skips along on the same mix of shuffling percussion, dramatic strings, and half-afraid vocals (courtesy of Francesca Belmonte) that I expected when I saw Tricky's name turn up in the list of songs for this week.  "Nothing's Changed" retains that tough-to-nail down British-ness that kept Tricky in my brain all these years while still somehow sounding just a bit ahead of our times.  It's possible that we're just never going to catch up to Tricky.

Final Score: 3.5/5

03. The Love Language - Calm Down (from the album Ruby Red)

TCDroogsma:

     The Love Language is a scrappy-poppy band out of North Carolina signed to Merge Records.  Just giving "Calm Down" one spin and it's pretty clear that lead singer/songwriter Stuart McLamb grew up listening to Merge Records head man Mac McCaughan's scrappy-poppy band (and American treasure) Superchunk.

     "Calm Down" is a strange, snotty beast.  I've been listening to it for a whole week and I can't figure out if it's a pop song being sung by a guy who doesn't want to be singing a pop song or a punk song that's been fleshed out and dressed up.  The crystal clear pop of the instruments meshes well with the the shouted, victim-blaming refrain of "You won't let me calm down!" which, despite sounding a bit "this is everybody's fault but mine!" actually makes for a strangely empowering line, especially in the final third of the song when McLamb is so not-calm that only a tangle of guitar can adequately prove his point.

Final Score: 3/5

04. SOKO - First Love Never Die (form the album I Thought I Was An Alien)

TCDroogsma:

     The first time I listened to "First Love Never Die" I spent 60 seconds becoming vaguely enthralled.  The song has a weird, almost reggae-ish vibe to it for that first minute.  The guitar work is pleasant, the organ warming, and the drums sound like their being played from under a comforter on a sofa.  As someone prone to romanticizing seemingly trivial things, SOKO's cooing, "I feel like walking, do you feel like coming?" was an invite that couldn't refuse.

     Over the course of that first verse, which covers the subsequent walk and conversation, it's clear that SOKO is speaking with the the titular "first love" for the first time in a while. She delivers the lines "Now your hair is long, and you look so thin... you're always so pale, but something has changed, you're almost a man..." with an amount of warmth & surprise that's almost unfair.

     Now, not only do I romanticize the trivial, but at any point during the day it's a safe bet that I'm drowning in nostalgia.  Those first 60 seconds were more than enough for me to love "First Love Never Die," but the 61st second treats us to a time-change sent from god above.   The drums skip a beat like they're mimicking SOKO's pulse as she lays her feelings bare, "Four years and I still cry sometimes... first love never die.."  It's a moment both thrilling and soul-crushing.  SOKO goes on to craft a lovely portrait of two conversing and though we never hear her former love's side of the conversation, the song ends with the appearance of horns like the embrace from a "former" love who will never truly live up to that adjective.

Final Score: 4/5

05. Food Pyramid - Dexedream (from the album Ecstasy & Refreshment)

TCDroogsma:

     I was genuinely thrilled when I saw that I was going to get to review a new Food Pyramid song in SOTW #50.  As you've probably noticed, I reference them in nearly every time I review an instrumental track.  I'm no superfan or anything like that, but their crisp, clean drum loops and mostly-bare adornment held a real appeal to me as I was starting to move away from my indie rock- & hip-hop-centric taste.

     "Dexedream," then, is the natural progression of that style and frankly I'm not totally convinced this is a good thing.  Sure, the song still rides some consistently looping drums to great effect, but the drums have been pushed a bit further into the background rather than being one of the major players.  "Dexedream" finds its mood in the form of some muzzled guitar work and vocal line that sounds like a ghost haunting the apartment next door.

     In keeping with their previous work, the song pushes past the six minute mark.  The difference between "Dexedream" and what I was expecting is that it doesn't really add up to much.  All the sounds you're going to hear in the song have turned up by the 2:00 mark and they never create any tension by dropping out or reappearing.  The Food Pyramid that I knew before had a vaguely minimalist bent.  "Dexedream" is more like a collage.  Again, it's the next logical step for the group, but it just doesn't cut very deep.

Final Score: 2.5/5

Well there you have it, folks!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, and filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a little too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay upon the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.