{"id":3470,"date":"2014-08-04T10:11:13","date_gmt":"2014-08-04T14:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/?p=3470"},"modified":"2014-08-04T10:26:48","modified_gmt":"2014-08-04T14:26:48","slug":"july-music-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/04\/july-music-update\/","title":{"rendered":"July music update."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>All <a href=http:\/\/es.pn\/1s9NFXl>my trade writeups<\/a> from last week are up for Insiders. I skipped some of the smaller deals because of my TV commitments that evening.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s turning out to be a good year for new music after a pretty slow start, and that&#8217;s before we get to a spate of promising fall album releases, none more exciting (to me, at least) than the alt-J album dropping on September 22nd, with Interpol, Ryan Adams, and the Kooks also on the watchlist. I spent a little more time than usual trolling for new music once we got out of the All-Star Break, so this month&#8217;s update is longer than normal. The Spotify playlist also includes tracks from albums I&#8217;ve reviewed since <a href=https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/20\/music-update-june-2014\/>the last monthly post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.spotify.com\/?uri=spotify:user:keithlaw1:playlist:3NOkbMCjq7NuhT7JR8yVLn\" width=\"300\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Cymbals \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00FRF828K\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00FRF828K&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=KAMPBFYLBC6SGPQG\">Erosion<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00FRF828K\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d This British quartet produces modern darkwave tracks that seem to take the whole &#8217;80s thing a little too seriously, right down to understated production and lyrics that speak of anomie and disaffection. It&#8217;s a good song anyway.<\/p>\n<p>Jungle \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KAJ8LKC\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KAJ8LKC&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=56JEEX3DRADJ3GJR\">Busy Earnin&#8217;<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00KAJ8LKC\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d This new soul \u201ccollective\u201d draws more from the &#8217;70s and its funk and disco movements than from traditional soul or Motown, adding twists like unusual percussion lines and instruments to establish their sound as something new. It&#8217;s not a genre of music I typically enjoy, but I&#8217;ve liked what I&#8217;ve heard from Jungle because it&#8217;s different from anything else I&#8217;ve heard in this vein.<\/p>\n<p>Little Daylight \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00DE6OOD6\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00DE6OOD6&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=YRSDQFWKYJPILWDL\">Overdose<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00DE6OOD6\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d My daughter might have this electro-pop nugget as her favorite song of the year, although it gets strong competition from Ingrid Michaelson&#8217;s \u201cGirls Chase Boys.\u201d The Little Daylight album sounds a lot like a lightweight Naked &#038; Famous disc, more upbeat and less trancey, with \u201cOverdose\u201d far and away the best song.<\/p>\n<p>alt-J \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KWGRS6G\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KWGRS6G&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=KLXWHW43TFCSHCLK\">Left Hand Free<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00KWGRS6G\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d The A&#038;R man said he didn&#8217;t hear a single, so the boys whipped up this very un-alt-J-sounding track, although even when trying to sabotage themselves they can&#8217;t help slipping in a few flourishes of their own. I actually like the track despite its unholy origin.<\/p>\n<p>Golden Coast \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00LNVT80S\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00LNVT80S&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=F5Q66P27MUYKWQFS\">Break My Fall<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00LNVT80S\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d A suggestion from <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/paul_boye>Paul Boy&eacute;<\/a> (rap name: Chef Boy&eacute; D) when I pointed out that he&#8217;d recommended four albums in one tweet, one more likely than the next to send you for the liquor cabinet. Paul&#8217;s got pretty good taste other than his inexplicable love of St. Vincent&#8217;s music; this Golden Coast track strikes a good balance between pop and alternative, perhaps falling a bit short (pun intended) because it&#8217;s not built around a single hook, but provides a more consistent, energetic vibe throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Spoon \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KNTGSKY\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KNTGSKY&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=O4DAPK6F4WTKSABQ\">Rent I Pay<\/a>.\u201d I&#8217;ll have a review of their album, <i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KNTFZQM\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KNTFZQM&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=5MLBTR5UUM2FFZV2\">They Want My Soul<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00KNTFZQM\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/><\/i>, up tomorrow when it&#8217;s released. Preview: I like the album, and this is its best song.<\/p>\n<p>Colony House \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00K8K5KIE\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00K8K5KIE&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=6D3QTNFDPJK7NGIQ\">Silhouettes<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00K8K5KIE\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d A hesitant recommendation, because this sounds like every other one-hit indie-pop wonder I&#8217;ve come across in the last few years, a lot like Knox Hamilton&#8217;s \u201cWork It Out\u201d in that regard. It&#8217;s pretty catchy, but the wordplay in the chorus gets old given how often he repeats the line. The song is free right now through that amazon link.<\/p>\n<p>Movie \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00K6B0U9O\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00K6B0U9O&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=QVVBTJWGKE3SPLYL\">Ads<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00K6B0U9O\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d I can&#8217;t be the only one who hears strains of Blur&#8217;s \u201cThere&#8217;s No Other Way\u201d here in the bouncy guitar intro, can I? \u201cAds\u201d has more of a quixotic funk vibe than Blur&#8217;s psychedelic-tinged early work, providing a darkly comical contrast to the anti-commercialist message of the lyrics.<\/p>\n<p>Doss \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00JFIOFQS\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00JFIOFQS&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=EZSJRL22X7S3UUOZ\">Softpretty<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00JFIOFQS\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d I sense there&#8217;s some irony in the song&#8217;s title, as the brief lyrics present a harder edge than the bubbly electronic music beneath them. It&#8217;s not even clear who Doss is \u2013 her bios are brief and weird by design \u2013 but I think she&#8217;s a sleeper prospect.<\/p>\n<p>White Lung \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KZB8KQU\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KZB8KQU&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=OGA7BXSUXJIXVCZ2\">Down It Goes<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00KZB8KQU\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d A female-fronted punk band that would have been tabbed \u201criot grrrls\u201d by the mainstream press twenty years ago, White Lung got a boost when one of their main influences, Courtney Love, proclaimed herself a fan of their music. It&#8217;s punk, not post-punk, and there&#8217;s a strong melodic element that makes it play nice with more pop-oriented artists without surrendering the ferocity of their core sound.<\/p>\n<p>The Raveonettes \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00M04LK80\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00M04LK80&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=Q6KOPCTREIXT2GAM\">Killer in the Streets<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00M04LK80\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d This Danish duo released a new album last month without any advance warning, and it&#8217;s \u2026 well, it&#8217;s just okay, definitely not quite what I was hoping for, lighter on hooks and less distinctive than I expected. This song was the best of the bunch for me due to the layered sound, with guitar tracks that appear to head in different directions and a compulsive drum loop reminiscent of the Madchester scene of two decades ago.<\/p>\n<p>Ages &#038; Ages \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00IJBOTU4\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00IJBOTU4&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=KFPII7KIBDU7YKCY\">Divisionary (Do The Right Thing)<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00IJBOTU4\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d The song is good, but <a href=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-BAU9mKJjdU>the video<\/a> is wonderful, an actual story told in four minutes. They might get lumped in with the new folk-rock movement, but I think they have more in common with groups like the Mowgli&#8217;s, with big coed harmonies driving the song toward the big finish.<\/p>\n<p>Dotan \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KIGL3LQ\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KIGL3LQ&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=KB26CG2SZPWFTFZN\">Home<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00KIGL3LQ\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d I don&#8217;t even know if I like this song, but I think it&#8217;s going to become a huge hit. It reached #2 in his native Netherlands and #6 in Belgium, with a very Bastille vibe about the song thanks to an earworm chorus.<\/p>\n<p>Twin Peaks \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00K9A7H7U\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00K9A7H7U&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=J3SFZZCHVCMV6NIA\">Flavor<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00K9A7H7U\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d This song is also free on amazon through that link. Think the Orwells &#8211; slightly obnoxious, vigorous pop-rock, with this track built on an off-beat chorus and a completely unexpected acoustic guitar interlude in lieu of a screeching solo.<\/p>\n<p>Jenny Lewis \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KMN2AC6\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KMN2AC6&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=6RZHC2QXARW3JEC2\">Just One Of The Guys<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00KMN2AC6\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ve heard it by now, a very lizphairian track between the lyrics&#8217; feminist lament and the sunny folk-rock vibe of the music. You&#8217;ll be hearing covers of this in coffeehouses from now until the end of time.<\/p>\n<p>New Pornographers \u2013 \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00KQWZ520\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=B00KQWZ520&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;tag=meadowpartyco-20&#038;linkId=RVYFAESQVJ33EWI5\">Brill Bruisers<\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=meadowpartyco-20&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=B00KQWZ520\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" style=\"border:none !important; margin:0px !important;\" \/>.\u201d The title track from the band&#8217;s forthcoming album is their most promising song in years, effusive and ebullient and still very much out of the mainstream without ever sounding obtuse. I&#8217;m not a big NP fan, neither their work together or any of the members&#8217; solo work (Neko Case and \u201cDestroyer\u201d Dan Bejar are the best-known), but this track has me very optimistic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All my trade writeups from last week are up for Insiders. I skipped some of the smaller deals because of my TV commitments that evening. It&#8217;s turning out to be a good year for new music after a pretty slow start, and that&#8217;s before we get to a spate of promising fall album releases, none [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[779,359,167,852],"class_list":["post-3470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-2014-in-music","tag-alternative","tag-indie","tag-music","entry"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3470"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3473,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3470\/revisions\/3473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/meadowparty.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}