30 years in and James is still producing great pop tunes with ridiculously catchy anthemic choruses. What’s their formula? I’ll never know. This track is a song off their new record, La Petit Mort. The album doesn’t deviate from the standard James sound, which is comforting. I don’t really expect them to change much these days. Let’s hope they tour live soon.
There are some sounds you can insert into any song and immediately make me a fan. You’ve got hand claps? Already love it. Nananas? Gimme some more. Heyheyheys? I’ll take two.
So there was no way I wasn’t going to be a fan of Gedeon Luke and the People’s ‘Hey (That’s what I say)’. Incorporating hand claps, nananas and heyheyheys like the champs they are, this song is a toe tapping, funk-infused, masterpiece of soul – give it a listen:
Editors note: if you look up like that on a street, you are almost asking for a pigeon to shit in your mouth.
The Shilohs come from dewey-eyed Vancouver and are ready to shake things up in the patio capital. They share the stage with the Fresh and Onlys this Friday, July 18th at the sordid Horseshoe Tavern.
All the music on the band’s 2014 eponymous release shelters hardened summer love. It’s even more true of the lead-off single “Student of Nature.” These guys know how to inject sunshine into guitar lines. The production is reminiscent of TREX — we’re talking handclaps and stirring coo’s of backing vocal here folks. The single highlights the laidback tempos and easygoing vocal delivery of the album as a whole, but shows how those two elements can be adopted in a compelling sing-along single.
For the Smith Westerns and Tennis fans out there. Put your groove boots on and come down to the ‘Shoe tomorrow night!
It’s easy, it’s breezy, it’s beautiful. It’s not CoverGirl.
There are bands I’d recognize anywhere – Cake, the Decemberists, Andrew Bird – and Bishop Allen tops the list. The hallmark of every Bishop Allen song is the brilliance of its simplicity. This is a band that doesn’t need flash, doesn’t need bells and whistles, doesn’t need gimmicks – all they need is a light and airy melody paired with easy, breezy, beautiful lyrics:
“Take another picture with your click click click click camera”
“The morning belonged to the grapefruit/ripe in the gold Rome sun/I throw out the rind it’s just bitter to me/done, done, done”
“Things are what you make of them, things are what you make of them, baby/and you know what I mean/yeah you know what I mean”
But that’s actually not the main way I recognize a Bishop Allen track. I can always identify their songs because by the end of them I’m wearing a silly, fade-resistant smile.
Bishop Allen’s newest release is called “Start Again.” And what an apt name it is – you’ll play it once. And then you’ll hit that replay button and start again. And again. And again.
