The Not-Pop Jukebox

For a new reboot, I'm going to start a new series: creepy songs about obsessive love. Stalker songs have long been popular, some more subtly than others. Night Vision Binoculars is not one of those songs.

I quite enjoy songs where the lyrics are in direct opposition to the feel of the music. Passenger has captured this juxtaposition with creepy, psychotic lyrics over bouncy, jangly pop music. Night Vision Binoculars sounds rather like a Vampire Weekend tune, but the lyrics belie the happy beat. I love it when they do that.

For all its reference to restraining orders and the titular spying apparatus, it remains a feel-good tune. Unless, that is, you actually have a stalker, in which case it might lead you to invest in some heavy curtains and avoid leaving the house altogether.

Due to a misremembered lyric this evening, I found myself following a trail of songs that included the phrase "red hands" in the title. Since I've all but abandoned you all I thought I'd bring you the whole, sloppy mess, dripping with indie goodness via Walk off the Earth and Harlem Shakes, angry post-grunge from Calling All Cars, and even some classic Melvins death grind.

Now, I'll grant you some of these aren't fantastic songs. The point of these lists, however, is to point out the wide variations artists can come up with on a theme, in this case being red-handed (as in guilty). Some of them take the red a wee bit more literally than others. I did actually nuke one song from the list that was painfully bad but I left things like The Bravery, which sounds like a bad Cure cover band, because it's not my thing but Red Hands and White Knuckles takes the concept in a different direction and so still rates a listen.

The Builders and the Butchers come at things from yet another side, doing an Americana song that's almost bluegrass. Their Red Hands brings some classic storytelling and instrumentation to the table but manages to stay far enough on the not-painful side of the twang line that it remains enjoyable. So there you have it, my dears: seven songs about people guilty of something to one degree of violence or another. Have a listen and tell me which is your favorite or if you have a Red Hand Song I've missed!

I discovered today the next step in the the evolutionary arc of my favorite music. We've gone from Eilen Jewell's tasty rockabilly to Gin Wigmore's neo-soul update of the sound and now I bring you Ivy Levan. I don't know where this girl is going but, if she continues to knock this swingin' soul sound out of the park I can't wait until she gets there.

I don't know if she's a fan of Janelle Monae but her look has a lot in common with yet another of my favorite songstresses. Her thematic EP does as well, though she's chosen a completely different story. Watch Hot Damn and see if you don't fall in love with that sultry beat and those retro dresses--and Ivy Levan's great voice.

If you want more, I've posted Money on my G+ page. I welcome your thoughts on either site!

For today let's enjoy the pop-y Apples and Oranges from Suite 709, a nice song about opposites attracting. For contrast, add The Phoenix Foundation and their slightly more out-there pairing of Apples and Tangerines. This, my dears, is pop versus indie drawn starkly with just song titles. The music just makes the point more sharply.

Suite 709 is sweet and predictable, a "you and me against the world" song that could have come from any of the past four decades. It's a good song, it's just not great. The Phoenix Foundation takes the same concept and skews it, moving the point of comparison just far enough to take away that anticipated theme and make you pay a bit more attention. That doesn't make it a great song, by default, it just makes it more engaging.

But that's my own prejudice writing there. I ask you, my darlings, to listen to both songs and let me know who you think does a better job with the concept of incomparables coming together. In other words, you pick the winner.

A few months back I panned the development of the Swedish band Mando Diao but I'd not yet checked out the side project Caligola that two of the members have been pursuing for a couple of years. I finally got around to it and I'm here to report that they've gotten over the mopey turn the band has taken.

Take, for instance, the disco-fueled Forgive Forget, just indie enough to be modern while tweaking my 70s sensibilities. This is more a return to the energy of Long Before Rock 'n' Roll and much more to my liking. I'll be following them with interest but for now just enjoy this taste of their sound.

Despite their vintage-y, 80s sound on No You Didn't, No You Don't, The Courteeners are a strictly modern band. Sure, they might sound like a cross between The Housemartins and Vampire Weekend from time to time but that's really all to the good. Real life's been kicking me in the rear of late but I haven't forgotten you all. Please consider this rollicking good time of a song my peace offering and a promise that I'll be back more in the near future.

I often feel like I don't get Coeur de Pirate's videos. It's like the songs go one direction and the videos another...and then an abrupt ending. Take, as a case in point, Ensemble. You get the great instrumentation, the little-girl voice, the lovely Beatrice Martin, and overall a wonderful tune. And then you watch the video and you wonder, "Have I gotten this whole song wrong?"

So you check the lyrics, just to make sure. You were right: the song has nothing to do with an evil twin or high school. One presumes the man in the song is the yo-yo dribbling guy making out with some woman but what about him? And then it's over.

Do yourself a favor: watch the video once, just to see what it's like, and then listen to Ensemble without it. Coeur de Pirate has a gift for making perky songs about painful topics, of which this is a great example. Let me know if you think the video fits better that I do.

http://not-pop-jukebox.blogspot.com/2012/11/golden-baby-coeur-de-pirate.html

Yet again, I'm bringing you an odd introduction to a band via a song that really doesn't well-represent their sound. No-One Will Believe Me When I'm Dead has a country vibe, enhanced by the mouth harp and the slight twang. It's a conspiracy-theory sort of tune, but for all that it really does give you the idea that The Phoenix Foundation has something to say.

And so I'm sharing a romping, stomping number from what's mostly a solid indie band because if anything will induce you to find more from The Phoenix Foundation it's No-One Will Believe Me When I'm Dead. Don't believe me? Have a listen!

While in general I find Babyshambles to be, well, a bit of a shambles, I thought in honor of Left Hander Day I'd share Deft Left Hand. I'd say this is my favorite of their songs. As so often happens to me, I keep coming back to the band because I'm such a sucker for a great name and you have to admit they've got that going for them. If only more of their songs were like Deft Left Hand and less like Baddie's Boogie (which isn't), I'd have posted them long ago.

Whatever the case, celebrate Lefty Day by raising your Deft Left Hand in salute. If you think I've been unfair to Babyshambles, give me some song recommendations that prove me wrong. I'm always willing to eat a little crow.

Lest you have the idea that only male people can be the black sheep of their families, I bring you today three amazing songs titled Black Sheep from three fantastic ladies. You'll find the saucy, sparking thump of Gin Wigmore, the rockin' drive of The Barettas, and the smooth, guitar-rippled, stringed groove of Oi Va Voi. These women show you that there's more than one way to be a Black Sheep. If you have to be a sheep, be a black one! Let them show you how.

At the intersection of neo-soul and plain old rock and roll you'll find The Rumble Strips. As an introduction to the band, My Oh My leaves out most of the former but it offers the latter in spades to make up for it. It's also a great song about unrequited love, complete with wrong numbers and talking sheep. Toss in the driving drums and wild horns and you've got a guaranteed winner. Have a listen and let me know if you don't agree!

You know my weakness for songs that make me dance around the living room, grinning like a fool. Normally, however, the videos distract from the song. In the case of Father Tiger's Head Hung Low we have the exception that proves the rule. As so rarely happens, the video only makes the song more fun. As a bonus, you get the theme of "I'm not the one who packed your baggage and I'm not going to be the one who carries it". I have to say, I love this song. Let me know if you do, too, and if you think the video add to it.

I find myself awash in new music of late. This weekend I finally got my ears on the latest Vampire Weekend album, "Modern Vampires of the City". While some of it is a mournful goodbye to their college years in New York none of it is maudlin.

Of course, some of the songs are open to different interpretations. Are they nostalgia or meditations on spirituality? To me, that's what makes a good song: you can bring your own needs and questions to it and get a different meaning than I might.

None of which is either here or there when it comes to enjoying music. It doesn't all need to be deep, you know. Of course, in this case it might be. If you never listen you'll never know, so click already!

For a Friday flash-post, how about an indie band that sounds very little like Vampire Weekend, except when they do? Yes? Here's one: Air Marshal Landing. They do solid rock but every once in a while they give you something like Death by Calypso, which raises them to another level. Enjoy, and have a listen to the entire album on BandCamp if you like this one.

Razor Kings are a social media success story, as far as this writer is concerned. By that I mean that I'd never before heard of them but that they found me on Google+ and shared an older video that I quite enjoyed. That led me to seek more from them and to be pleasantly surprised at finding what I presume is a new album. Voila! Here we are.

I seem to be finding more old-school punk bands lately, which to me is all to the good. Razor Kings (or, as they style themselves, RAZOR KiNGS) are perhaps the most consistent example. They rock hard, they shout angrily about things other than women and drugs, and they're remarkably elusive on-line. Yet there they were, tapping me on the shoulder.

Have a listen to Questioning Intentions, a classic punk song name if ever there was one. If you're so inclined, you can enjoy the rest of "Truth Hurts" on Grooveshark.

I give you darlings a lot of reasons to dance but none as dedicated to getting you out of your seat as Vintage Trouble's Pelvis Pusher. If ever there was a song that I heard and could hardly wait to share, this is it. And if you need proof that Jezzebella was not fluke, this will cement the deal.

I know they've played on TV and toured with The Who, but I still don't think these guys get the sort of attention they deserve. Now hit play, get off your duff, and push your pelvis.

I find it shameful that more people don't know what a stellar voice Bobby McFerrin has. Heed the lesson, those of you yearning to have just one massive hit: it will haunt you for the rest of your life. For a true taste of the compositional and vocal talent this man possesses, try Bang! Zoom! instead. It's jazzy and layered and lovely and wouldn't chart on a dare. That's just how I like my favorite music, you know. With luck you'll like it half as much as I do, because that's still a lot.

How could you all let me go so long without sharing Eatliz and their peculiar, fascinating brand of rock? In truth, when I first heard the band, I wasn't a big fan. That, my dears, is why you should always listen to something at least twice.

The more I heard from them, the more I enjoyed Eatliz. Their groove isn't immediately accessible but that's no bad thing, and in part the entire point behind The NPJ. They practically make my point for me! At some points it's like Siouxsie and The Banshees and at others it's crashing, driving rock. Then it turns a bit sadder, more contemplative. Over it all is a musical sensibility that takes a bit to click. When it does, you may find yourself hooked.

While I recommend the whole album, "Teasing Nature", I thought I'd share Mystical Lady here today as it supports my contention that they really do sound like Siouxsie (and that they rock). Have a listen or three and let me know what you think.

Let's have something brand new on the cusp of a brand new week. Limited Fanfare Records has a new sampler available via Amazon for free (click the link to get the album) On it, you'll find the alt-rock goodness of Plains. Hurricane City starts out with a good bounce, rocks out in a grungy sort of way, and then bops through to its satisfying end. You can't get much better than that with Monday staring you right in the face, now can you?

It's difficult to resist the affirmation of a band name like You, You're Awesome. It's even harder to resist their doodly, pop-y electronica. As a case in point, consider the temption proposition Let's Be Villains Together. In essence, the lyrics are simply the words "science experiment" distorted and repeated in barely-discernible fashion.

It's difficult to imagine Ohio natives coming up with anything too terribly sinister. Somehow I imagine their idea of villainy would be putting training wheels on their buddy's bicycle.

Whatever you think of their potential for evil, have a listen to You, You're Awesome and let me know what you think. Is there more potential lurking in these bleeping hearts than I think?