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Courtney Barnett Has An Eye For The Mundane

“Should’ve stayed in bed today / I much prefer the mundane,” Courtney Barnett sings near the end of “Avant Gardener.” Considering the song’s winding and darkly comedic first-person account of an anaphylactic anxiety attack that finds her in an ambulance after attempting some gardening, the line is the understatement of the year. But Barnett’s signature song — with its fantastic “I’m so over it” deadpan delivery — does sort of stand in as the modus operandi of The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas — the Melbourne, Australia songwriter’s self-released 2013 collection of two formerly-issued EPs.

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Beck’s ‘Morning Phase’ And The Power Of Looking Back So That You Can Move Forward

For an artist as prolific and shapeshifting as Beck, five-plus years is a long time to wait between records. But in the time between 2008’s Modern Guilt and now, Beck has said that he was suffering from a serious back injury that prevented him from performing or even playing guitar for long. And yet, the inventive songwriter and producer kept himself more than busy. More than that, he seemed as creative as ever: He produced albums for artists like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Thurston Moore, Stephen Malkmus, and Dwight Yoakam; he and pals like St. Vincent, Wilco, and many more covered classic albums in his Record Club project; and he dropped a whole damn book of sheet music with Song Reader. As a longtime fan of Beck, I consider him an artist with a free pass to do anything he wants and I’ll follow.

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Lost In The Trees Sheds Its ‘Past Life’

Through two albums with Lost In The Trees — 2010’s All Alone In An Empty House and 2012’s A Church That Fits Our Needs, songwriter and composer Ari Picker clawed at the wounds of a troubled childhood in emotional detail. Working through devastating memories and heartache in song can often be an exercise in therapy for the songwriter and listeners alike, and while Lost In The Trees’ lyrics certainly explored those painful thoughts, its music soared with overwhelming beauty thanks to its stirring folk songs embellished with chamber music arrangements.

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The Family Crest’s Unyielding Positivity On ‘Beneath The Brine’

The Family Crest's album, Beneath The Brine, is out now. — The Family Crest’s album, Beneath The Brine, is out now.

The Family Crest began in 2009 as a creative outlet for friends Liam McCormick and John Seeterlin, but in the years since, it’s morphed into something far larger. The independent San Francisco band is built around a core of seven, but boasts a sprawling “extended family” of over 400 people who have participated in some capacity — everyone from conservatory-trained musicians to friends and fans “who just sing in the shower,” says McCormick, the mastermind behind the collective. More than a rock band, The Family Crest is essentially an open musical collaboration and community that believes everyone can be musical when given the opportunity. It’s a feel-good mission statement, but an ambitious one that allows the band flexibility to create pop songs infused with dramatic orchestral passages.

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Mainland’s ‘Shiner’ A Taut Protopunk Banger

Mainland's EP 'Shiner' is out now. — Mainland’s EP ‘Shiner’ is out now.

“Been a long time coming to be the man I want / Been a long time coming to see what I have won,” sings Jordan Topf on “Savant” — the feverish opening track on Mainland’s EP, Shiner. It’s a straight-forward line, sure, but one that hints at the uncertainty of youth, and the trials and errors that ultimately make us who we are when we get over the hump. And for Topf, it’s a line that touches upon the unfathomable toll of losing his father too soon. Luckily, the singer and guitarist used that heartache as motivation to get out of New York City, hit the road with the band, and write new songs that became this new EP.

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Experimenting With GIFs: Son Lux

Son Lux performs at Bowery Ballroom in New York, New York on Feb. 7, 2014. (© Michael Katzif – Do not use or republish without prior consent.)

Spent some quality trial and error time today with live concert GIF-making, this time with the amazing Son Lux (a.k.a. Ryan Lott), who performed at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 7. Lott provided a lot of great moments with his gesticulations and arm motions and sometimes-awkward dance moves, but picking the perfect action proved difficult — especially since I originally hoped I could create a more seamless looping GIF. Oh well, next time.

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Quilt: ‘Held In Splendor’ A Comforting Patchwork Of Sixties Pop

For the past few months I’ve had Quilt’s music spinning around in my crappy white earbuds. The band’s delicate but enveloping songs have been a calming force when those commutes feel extra long, when the overloaded trains and sidewalks feed claustrophobia, and when I just want to escape. It may sound hokey, but then, it’s right there in the name.

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Peter Morén Explores A Stockholm Ski Slope In ‘Say My Name’

Peter Moren's Broken Swenglish Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are out now. (Johan Bergmark/Courtesy of the artist) — Peter Moren’s Broken Swenglish Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are out now. (Johan Bergmark/Courtesy of the artist)

Peter Morén — the singer and guitarist of Peter Bjorn & John fame — says that with his last two solo releases he found a new freedom in writing and singing entirely in his native Swedish for the first time. Morén’s songs on 2010’s I spåren av tåren and 2012’s Pyramiden, explored new influences like soul, New Wave, and even Brazilian rhythms, while retaining many of PB&J’s core calling cards — namely, the infectious pop hooks and his familiar Lennon-esque voice. But lyrically, he was able to tackle more Swedish-leaning politics and cultural references that he couldn’t do as easily in English.

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Broken Bells: A ‘Disco’-Tinged Musical Partnership

Broken Bells' album, After the Disco, is out now. (Courtesy of the artist) — Broken Bells’ album, After the Disco, is out now. (Courtesy of the artist)

When people think about the music of Broken Bells — the project of The Shins’ James Mercer and producer and multi-instrumentalist Brian Burton (a.k.a. Danger Mouse) — it’s easy to imagine Mercer writing the songs and Burton coming in to “make them weird.” But really, Broken Bells is a collaboration in the truest sense.

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Vex: Rediscovering A Forgotten Punk Band

The reissue of Vex's 'Sanctuary' collects the punk band's entire recorded output -- all eight songs of it. — The reissue of Vex’s ‘Sanctuary’ collects the punk band’s entire recorded output — all eight songs of it.

There’s often a unifying quality with some of my favorite record labels that tells me, “Yeah, this will be good.” At best, a label’s feel for musical curation — or sometimes, even a logo or design aesthetic — helps gives some idea of what to expect. This has certainly been the case with Sacred Bones — the Brooklyn label with a roster that includes The Men, Zola Jesus, Crystal Stilts, and Destruction Unit, among many others. Seemingly from its start, Sacred Bones’ “sound” — a bit of gothy electronic pop, some reverby garage rock, a lot of scorching noisy punk all come to mind — established a personality that carries through its entire lineup.

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