You know what the end of daylight savings time really means, don't you? That's right, a whole extra hour to enjoy Weekly Roundup!
-I am digging this garage/psych rock burner, "My Gun is a Fist," by The Living Kills. The guitar is fuzzy and acrobatic, the drums and bass are pounding, and the keyboard provides a nice texture. And it would be foolish not to mention singer/guitarist Merrill's howling voice, which is both rough and infectious. The band has a video for the song. In it, they alternate between a well-dressed game of croquet and a more dressed-down, laying on the ground performance. Then the animal mask figures come and things get raucous. Animals can't play croquet, that's crazy!!! Anyways, check it out below and click here to go to the band's website.
-Here's an ultra catchy folk-pop tune from Fairlamb (aka Suzanne Fairlamb) called "The Way It Goes." She's got an album, People Change, due November 15th. This song begins with the melodic figure plucked and strummed out on mandolin and guitar before Suzanne comes in with some clever and rhyming lyrics: "God my life is boring, stare at the flooring, see me ignoring everything you say." The music and words fit together seamlessly, even as they contrast – liveliness and resignation bumping up against each other, tentatively coexisting. The wit and charm maintain throughout the song's all too brief duration; it's easy to put this one on over and over again. You can buy the album on bandcamp.
-The band Scout centers around the creative energy of Ashen Keilyn. Apparently their last release dates back to 2003, but hearing some new music from the forthcoming EP Pi and album All Those Relays, doesn't betray any sign of rust. Quite the opposite. "Please Excuse Me," is a vital, powerful track. I love how it begins with a loop of wordless vocalization, patterned breathing I think, with the drums. And then Ashen's voice comes, pulling off the neat trick of delivering some well-worn phrases as if they'd never been said before. Straight to the heart. Everything explodes at the huge chorus. Eight years is a long interval between releases, but it sounds like the newest from Scout is right on time. You can find out more at this website, or on Facebook.
-"Momma Devil," by Old Wive's Tale is another tune you need to check out this week. The transition from the sparse, subdued vocal-only opening before the full-on entrance of the band is like Dorothy going to colorful Oz. I do love the haunting harmonies at the start, but I also like how this comes to life. A solid blues rocker for sure. This is the work of two brothers and I think they complement each other well. I enjoy when one of them goes falsetto and the other stays grounded, plus they have a good chemistry for call and response moments. Their album Late Night Paraphernalia is available now. Check out their website here.
-There is so much to love about rapper e-dubble. Probably my favorite thing is how his music embodies the process of striving for something better, of trying to achieve whatever it is you really want, and of never giving up and wasting life. It is personal and reflective of his own life as a rapper, but it's a message with universal appeal. His latest "Fight For Days," is no different. Perhaps a bit more low-key and subdued musically than many of his other songs, it nevertheless has no shortage of clever lines and great moments. Check it out and visit his Facebook page.