SOTD 6: Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers (2005)

Although perhaps not the most cheerful subject matter, "Jumpers" is another track which proves how hard Sleater-Kinney rocked, and how sorely they are being missed in the indie-rock business. Sleater-Kinney are never too verbose, they make every line count, and in this song the lyrics are so strong and powerful. The imagery created is beautiful;

"My falling shape will draw a line
Between the blue of sea and sky"

Janet Reiss is one of my favourite drummers and her style really moulds the song together. She is restricted in the verses, building up the tension before gradually building into her trademark frantic and tom-heavy style. Of course, the guitars are excellent, as is the singing, so best to just give this one a real good listen and also check out the official Sub Pop video.





Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers

SOTD 5: Built To Spill - The Plan (1999)

This is another band I only got into recently, but as I read on audiophinyl, Built To Spill really did lay the foundations for bands like Death Cab for Cutie. I'm a big fan of Death Cab, but Built To Spill definitely let go a little more and this is very evident on "The Plan". Today's track comes from the album Keep It Like A Secret which is a must have for any fans of melodic rock.

"The Plan" is a really well composed rock song, but the stand out, like in so many BTS songs, is the guitar work which really brings the song into a new league. It's not just effects, Doug Martsch and Jim Roth both have really cool styles and that is evident here in piles. The song is built on a really nice, lazy groove which keeps it rolling along.

Most of all, this is a sweet and melodic song. Lyrically it seems to point to people, the world over, speaking of plans and never following them with actions, and you can view that however you like. Is it a political statement? I don't know. But I do know this a great song to enjoy through the summer!

(This video shows clever usage of the song, so I thought I'd choose this over some video of the band captured on a mobile phone. Also, I don't know much about skateboarding, but I do know Marc Johnson is cool as hell and seems like a decent bloke!)

Built To Spill - The Plan

Just so this doesn't get too serious, I absolutely loved this when I was fourteen... (not like I still like it or anything, not at all)

SOTD 4: Jeniferever - Green Meadow Island (2009)

Choose A Bright Morning is fast becoming one of my favourite albums from the post-rock tree and, on first inspection, Jeniferever seem to have made another fantastic record in Spring Tides. Today's SOTD of the day comes from the Swede's new record and is titled "Green Meadow Island".

The track begins with a familiar groove, slow and innocent with the lyrics immediate in their delivery.

"We were princes
For a little while"

Jeniferever are not scared to hold and build on a riff and thus, the initial groove of drums & bass, subtle electric guitar and piano is heavily repeated over the first 2 minutes with only very short breaks for a soaring chorus. Strings are gently introduced before the band flips the track on it's head with a roaring off key middle 8. The heaviness and direction of that section seems like new territory for the band and it is something refreshing for a group that could be sometimes accused of being a one-trick pony. Also, the guitarist, Martin Sandström, totally shreds and his off kilter solo is a much appreciated addition.

So, this track really is a great one to show you some off the possible sides to Jeniferever's music and something different within the post-rock genre.



Jeniferever - Green Meadow Island

Check out more here and you can get the full record on Monotreme Records.

SOTD 3: Tunng - Hands (2007)

I was very slow to get into Tunng, mainly because I always imagined them to be a euro-dance act, but, when I did, I was blown away by their 2007 album "Good Arrows". My particular favourite on the album is Hands, a beautiful song that grows and builds around a central riff.

Tunng are fantastic at packing so much into their 3-minutes and Hands is a prime example of this. A hypnotic acoustic ditty is mainly accompanied by group harmonies and very little else. The vocals are full of reverb and high up in the mix, meaning that they really stick and provide the focal point to the song.

Lyrically the song seems quite obviously to be about mortality. In the video it is said to be about making the most of every moment of our short lives, but I also believe there to be some feeling of guilt from the character described;

"He crawls into her aorta
To pull him out of his reverie
And mentally puts her back together
With sticks and glue until she breathes"

His state of reverie, absentmindedly dreaming, suggests the man is in a state of shock about what he may/ may not have done to this girl. Even so, the song is full of poignant lines and one where the lyrics really do take centre stage.



Tunng - Hands

SOTD 2: Fugazi - Latin Roots (1991)

"It's time to meet your makers"



This song features one of, in my opinion, Fugazi's most furious grooves. The last minute kicks off with some deep rumbling bass, those tribal tom rolls that Canty had DOWN, and it sets the scene for the song to explode. Guitars screech, wail and riff, all in accompaniment to the aforementioned lyric. It must be added, that it does sound a lot like "it's time to meet Jamaicans"! I could go on about lyrics, but it's not the reason I usually fall in love with Fugazi songs. So, draw your own conclusions and enjoy. I have a feeling this wont be the first song I blog about from the D.C. legends.



Fugazi - Latin Roots

SOTD 1: Smog - Let Me See The Colts (2007)

This is my first post in a multiple part series I plan to help get me back into blogging on a regular basis. I'm going to try to feature a 'Song Of The Day' every, you guessed it, day. As a huge fan of listening to whole albums, I've taken surprisingly little time in my young life to devote time to single songs and really become enveloped in them. However, during this exam period I started to take more of a concentrated interest in some bands/songs and through heavily repeated listening, thought how nice it would be to write some posts like this!

Let Me See The Colts is from Smog's 2007 album "A River Ain't Too Much" and it closes the album off beautifully. Musically, it's a meandering folk jam which conjures imagery of a late night set in a crowded Midwest bar. You can imagine the musicians just staying up there on the stage, never wanting to come off. Simple strummed chords accompanied by light strings and plodding drums guide the listener through another one of Bill Callahan's fantastic tales.

On a very surface level, the narration gives the idea of a young boy wanting to see the next year's American Football team from the local college. It sparks up ideas in my mind from the film "Friday Night Lights" and that Texan town's obsession with their local team. He even seeks the advice of a wise local gambler, but here lies further meaning.

I personally believe the song to be more about decision making and the future, following one path or another, and the possibilities of leaving everything behind, like a girlfriend, friend and the town one has grown up in.

"Knocked on your door at dawn
With a spark in my heart
Dragged you from your bed"

"We walked out through
The dew dappled brambles
And sat upon the fence"

With a song like this, full of imagery, it is possible to interpret it one of many ways, and I think that is where the beauty lies with this track. It's certainly a song suited equally to listening alone, or with a group of friends.



Smog - Let Me See The Colts

Bjork - Joga!

Exams are over in 7 days, hooray. The state of emergency will be over.

Joanna Newsom - Ys (2006)

Rarely does an album come along as highly regarded and as steeped in mystique as "Ys". A regular feature on favourite album lists of music lovers the world over, I am yet again making up for lost time with this angelic and, quite frankly very hot, harpist, composer and all round genius.

Ys is named after the mythical city of the same name supposedly built on the coast of Brittany, France, and later swallowed by the ocean. That is not where the magic and mystique ends for Joanna as her lyrics are rich and full of ponderings on history, anatomy and an imagination clearly bursting with ideas.

Joanna claims her harp technique to be heavily inspired by West-African Kora playing and the clever uses of tempo and different rhythms render the need for any traditional rhythm instruments unnecessary. She cleverly builds into passages of great emotion, using the technical, interlocking 4/3 patterns to compliment her voice and melodies beautifully. A perfect example of this is the middle section of "Sawdust & Diamonds".



Her control of tempo and rhythm is what I believe to hold the songs together and make them a far 'easier' listening experience than one might expect, however this does not mean they overshadow her songwriting and ability to write stunning melodies. Coupled with a string arrangement that subtly dances across the five tracks, it all combines together very, very nicely.

To concentrate on individual songs would be difficult on an album which is best appreciated in full. While they stand alone wonderfully, I'd find it difficult to preach one as better and, individual favourites can be kept close to heart. For the record, I'm still undecided.

Joanna Newsom - "Sawdust & Diamonds"

Jeniferever - Alvik

Came across these guys after listening to Caesura and coincidentally, they are another awesome band from Schweeeeeden. Nice vid too.



Jeniferever - Alvik