Track of the Week:
Lazarus Kane – Williston, ND
Here’s an exercise for your Friday morning: close your eyes. Picture yourself in a grungey club, stickers and graffiti covering the walls. Smell of sweat, beer and perhaps a little blood permeating the air. Hipsters and punks alike bobbing their heads to a beat as a poor-man’s Strokes performs on the stage in front of them. That’s ‘Williston, ND’ in a nutshell. It grooves. And bonus points for being bold enough to write about North Dakota – only the Coen Brothers are allowed to do that.
Also new this week…
Billie Flynn – Someone’s Daughter
Nice and wintery. Which is a bit odd sitting here in 90 degree heat. That said, this might be one of my favorite songs I’ve heard all year. It’s stunning.
Wasuremono – Eating Up the Sky
Kind of feels like the antithesis to ‘Where Is My Mind?’ Like, it would end the version of Fight Club where Wall Street didn’t burn to the ground and everyone just embraced capitalism and laughed about it. How fun!
Le Ren – Dyan
Most of us have a hard time picking up the phone and calling our mums. (Guilty) Le Ren wrote a song about hers. Way to make the rest of us look bad. The song’s gentle and beautiful, and kind of hugs you like a mother. It’s lovely. Spoiler alert: I interviewed her for Volume 13 of our mag. She’s lovely too.
Liz Lawrence – Drive
Try not to clap along to this song. I dare you. Ironically, not the best driving song. It’s much more akin to one of those awkward side-step moves middle aged white men came up with. Totally not doing this in my living room right now…
Scott C. Park – The Smoke
Where there’s smoke… there’s fire. And this track is… wait for it… FIRE! I’ll be here all week, folks.
Park’s got some killer pipes when he lets loose. All in all, this is a pretty solid little indie-folk tune.
Solar Eyes – Naked Monkey on a Spaceship
Honestly, with a title like that, you kind of have to listen to it. Sort of cheating, guys. “Feeling like a monkey from a different tribe,” they repeat, and somehow described my entire adolescence in just eight words. If you ever wondered what Oasis would sound like if they only sang about zoo animals, this is the song for you.
Emma Bradley – I’ll Be Outside
“It’s the simple things…” – surely you’ve heard that cliche once or twice. Emma Bradley embraces it, with a song that is the musical embodiment of sunflowers swaying in the breeze. The lo-fi bedroom pop is a lovely reminder that hey: maybe we should all spend a little more time outside.
