A slight change-of-pace this week. I’ve been working on a new music project this week that has slowed down my processing of the new songs considerably. (I’ll share more about that project next week.) Plus a couple of these songs/bands are tough to Google, so I wasn’t able to find out much about them. As a result, a slightly more lean playlist than we’ve had recently. We should get back in the regular flow for the first playlist of May.
“Full of the Joys of Spring” – The Sundries
What a joyous week this was, at least in terms of the weather and feeling like spring, etc. Bright, warm, sunny days. The grass is thick as hell after all our recent rains. All the trees, plants, and flowers are budded and bloomed and otherwise looking healthy after the retreat of winter. I’m regretting not opening the pool sooner. Next weekend the lows are going to be in the 30’s°, a good reminder that I did NOT open the pool yet because I didn’t want to pay like we were heating the house in January to get the pool to a reasonable temperature.
“Loline” – The Bats
The Bats have been together, without changing their lineup, for 43 years. Which is amazing. They sound like a band that came up a long time ago, and I mean that in the best way. Here they sing about a popular bike from their homeland of New Zealand.
“Come Down” – Reb Fountain
Where The Bats 100% sound like a band from New Zealand, this singer sounds more like she’s from the UK and influenced by the trip-hop acts of the Nineties. She is, though, a Kiwi, too. And that’s about all I can find about her.
“It’s Your Funeral” – Ultra Lights
Another band that is hard to Google. I would have guessed they were the next, snotty, kind of arty, New York garage band, in the line of The Strokes and Parquet Courts. But they are from Atlanta. Which is wild.
“At Zero” – Dream, Ivory
I’ve been kicking this song around for a few weeks, never sure whether I should include it or not. Luckily for this brother act, I kept it around long enough to run into a week light on music so I had to finally use it.
“In This Mess” – Say Sue Me
I just included a SSM track last week. But when they drop a song this good immediately after, there is no waiting period before I share it. Holy shit, the guitars!
“Give It Up” – 8mm
Long-time music followers will remember this from the early days of my podcast. I’m not sure if I first played this in 2005 or 2006. I do remember it came on the advice of a brother-in-music I’ve lost touch with, and our shared joke was this song was so sultry that we felt like we needed to confess something to our wives after listening to it.
8mm actually has some new music out. Their new song is ok, but doesn’t stand up to this classic.
“Take A Walk” – Neil Finn & Friends
I missed honoring the greatest concert series ever earlier this month while we were on break. With two other New Zealand acts in this week’s PL, seems like the perfect moment to rectify that oversight.