Coachella Song of the Day

One song a day between the lineup release and Weekend 2 to get you ready for the Western Hemisphere's greatest music festival, plus news and views you can use to get you through the rest of the year. Authored by Seth Lichtenstein, Emily Bunker Peterson, Alex Rice, Sheldon Vaughn, and hopefully you.

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Coachella Song of the Day (37 Days Until Coachella): “Ten Tonne Skeleton” from Royal Blood’s Royal Blood

The arena-ization of The Black Keys this decade has resulted in a never-ending cavalcade of two-person rock bands. There are only two that have ever intrigued me enough to buy the album - British brothers Drenge and their fellow countrymen Royal Blood.

Royal Blood, on the bill for Coachella Saturday, have exploded in popularity over the past year. They were virtually unknown and had existed for about six months before Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders wore their shirt onstage at Glastonbury, and he and his band continued their support for Royal Blood by giving them a support slot for a giant London gig last spring.

Since then, they’ve become one of the U.K.’s most popular young rock bands and are threatening to do what many from their homeland cannot in breaking stateside. Frequent radio play, numerous festival appearances and opening gigs with Foo Fighters and Pixies are making them an increasingly legitimate name here. All this with just a bassist and drummer - think of what they could do with a full band.

“Ten Tonne Skeleton,” from Royal Blood’s self-titled 2014 debut, is today’s Coachella Song of the Day. Like the band’s hit “Little Monster,” this cut rides a catchy sludge-pop riff that won’t leave your head for days.

No wonder everybody’s saying that rock is dead. Even rockers like Royal Blood have ditched the guitar, but that’s okay when the music is this good.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (39 Days Until Coachella): “Apogee” from Tycho’s Awake

Don’t be mistaken when you think you hear Boards of Canada playing a rather upbeat set on Saturday; what you’ll actually be hearing are the sounds of Tycho. The ambient, chillwave music of Scott Hansen will be exactly the relief we will all need on a hot desert afternoon. Allow yourself to sit back in the grass and enjoy these musical stylings. But don’t assume that it will be a set to nap to; among lo-fi artists, Tycho stands out for his progressive beats and instrumentation. His songs don’t default into the blur of sound that other artists easily fall victim to. Rather, his sound is crisp and interesting, equally compelling to be the soundtrack for a relaxing evening or to dance to.

Hailing from San Fransisco, Tycho has been releasing music for over ten years now. Up until four years ago, Hansen had maintained Tycho as a solo project. Upon the release and subsequent tour of his 2011 album, Dive, Hansen endeavored integrated a band into his live shows, meshing electronic music with live musical performance. Zac Brown and Rory O’Connor joined the band, fleshing it out to what we know Tycho as today. This won’t be a set where you watch artists fiddle on a MacBook for an hour; rather, Hansen, Brown, and O’Connor seek to walk the line in utilizing live instruments and electronically-produced music to produce a true to album sound and remain faithful to the sound of the band as a whole.

— EBP

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Coachella Song of the Day (45 Days Until Coachella): “Cosmic Love” from Florence + The Machine’s Lungs

Seeing as it has been nearly three years since Florence + The Machine has released anything (and even then, it was a live album), most fans of the band likely associate a certain nostalgia for the band. For me, just the queueing up of Lungs transports me back to my sophomore year college dorm room. Understandably, for me and many others it was delightful to learn that Florence was planning to release a third album later this year, and that the band will be a part of many festivals throughout the year— including Coachella. Their discography up until now justifies the band’s spot as the first band on the second line, and what will likely result in closing the Outdoor Stage on Sunday night. If, somehow, you have managed unfamiliarity with the band up until now, press play on “Cosmic Love” and their deserving spot will very, very quickly become clear to you as well.

Florence Welch was among the first female vocalists that I came to adore, and her voice became my companion walking to class, on bus rides into Boston, while I was writing papers— and I wasn’t the only one. Lungs, Florence + The Machine’s debut album, hit number one on the UK album charts and sold 100,000 copies within the first month of its release. The tracks of the album were snatched up and featured in an array of movies and TV shows, and were covered by various artists. It’s no surprise that Ceremonials, the band’s second album, also reached number one and saw rivaled success. Both albums kicked off large tours, and the savvy Coachella-goer would quickly note that Florence + The Machine last appeared on the Polo Grounds in 2012.

“Cosmic Love” is a quintessential Florence + The Machine track, and exemplifies exactly why the band has seen so much success, both critically and with fans. Though Florence explores many themes, much of the band’s discography is steeped with dark emotion layered on gorgeous, imaginative instrumentation. Deep drum beats are complimented by the sweetness of a harp; sorrowful lyrics are balanced by the sheer ability for Florence Welch to sing the house down. It’s easy to overlook the depth of lyrics like, “No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight / In the shadow of your heart” when you listen to the enthusiasm of the song as a whole. Such interplay keeps the tracks fresh, and the band relevant; six years out from the release of Lungs, it is still an album in which a listener can easily find something new each time they come back to it.

— EBP

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Coachella Song of the Day (47 Days Until Coachella): “Same Sea” from Lights’ Little Machines

I woke up on Valentine’s Day excited to see mandolinist Chris Thile host and provide his virtuosic musical accompaniment to A Prairie Home Companion that night. Little did I know that that wouldn’t be my only concert of the day!

I opened up Facebook to see that Canadian electropop artist Valerie Poxleitner, better known in music circles as Lights, would be doing a free in-store performance at Minneapolis’ premier record store, Electric Fetus. Valentine’s Day plans with my fiancee took precedence over her show at a downtown club later that evening, but who says I can’t sneak away to the record store while she does her homework?

Even though this was a short, acoustic set, Lights and her guitarist put on an electrifying display of pop songwriting. The performance focused on material from her latest release, last year’s Little Machines. “Same Sea,” my favorite song on the record and today’s Coachella Song of the Day, was one of the select cuts she played. It’s hard to beat that chorus.

Lights had just come from a gig in Kansas City the night before and no doubt had to prepare for that night’s show, but the gracious and graceful singer stuck around and made sure that everyone who wanted an autograph got one.

I didn’t want to take up a spot in line and make Lights stick around longer, so I went straight for the Electric Fetus’ free poster box after the half-hour show. I heard her politely decline several picture requests, but thanks to the poster box’s placement, I actually ended up in a picture with her posted on the record store’s Facebook page, hunched over and searching for a second copy of the Tom Petty poster I’d just grabbed. Could I have been the only one to snap a shot with the ephemeral Lights that afternoon? I just can’t take “no” for an answer.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (48 Days Until Coachella): “Girl” from Jamie xx’s Girl/Sleep Sound

You know the frontman and woman of The xx that you associate most with the band’s image? Well Jamie is the one in the background, quietly and deliberately laying down the sweet beats to back those two up. Though Jamie xx did in fact rise to fame as a member of the band, it didn’t take too long for Jamie to step into the spotlight with a solo mixtape of his own. While the band as a whole went onto platinum record fame in the UK, Jamie forged a path of his own in remix work.

By the time 2014 had rolled around and “Girl” was released, Jamie xx had released a good smattering of singles and an album that had reached number 4 on the UK indie charts. He continued to gain acclaim as a remix artist, and has finally begun to produce songs for the like of Rhianna and Drake. While The xx continue to tour and work on their next studio album, Jamie has quietly yet masterfully been releasing a body of work all his own. While it might not be exactly the style you expect if you are too accustomed to the stylings of The xx, I encourage you to test out Jamie xx’s solo work. Though it would fall into a traditional EDM genre, his songs are softer and more accessible than the hard-hitting, overwhelming beats that characterize the scene as a whole. He also ventures into the use of instruments that do not make too many appearances in similar songs— the calypso steel drum, just to note one of my favorites, that denotes “Far Nearer” as a beautiful, melodic song despite it’s electronic stylings. Among the smattering of DJs that will fill the Polo Fields throughout the weekend, I would say that Jamie xx is not one to miss.

— EBP

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Coachella Song of the Day (49 Days Until Coachella): “Nerve Endings” from Eagulls’ Eagulls

The members of Leeds post-punk band Eagulls may not be the best spellers in the world (as evidenced by a recent handwritten letter calling out all the “beach bands” whose parents “pay for you to ‘do the band full time’”), but I like to think that their name is an attempt to prod the litigious Don Henley just enough without him being able to sue.

If Henley’s worried that his fans will mistake this post-punk band’s music for his own group’s, he can rest easy. His music could only sound this angry if he exclusively wrote about all of the lawsuits he’s filed.

I saw the post-punkers pack the tiny 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis last June, and thanks to an opening set from U.K. shoegazers Cheatahs, it was an exquisite night of British rock music that should’ve been dubbed the “Misspelled Animal Names of 2015 Tour.”

Today’s Coachella Song of the Day, “Nerve Endings,” marvelously kicks off Eagulls’ self-titled 2014 debut. An atmospheric cacophony and foreboding bass line open the song, before giving way to a classic post-punk riff and singer George Mitchell’s defeatist, schizophrenic lyrics about how there’s “no reason, no sense, no meaning” to anything. All four make for the perfect introduction to Eagulls’ deeply dark brand of English rock and roll.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (52 Days Until Coachella): “Cake” from Toro y Moi’s Anything in Return

If this happens to be your first introduction to Toro y Moi, let it stand as an understatement that this song— while one of my favorites from his entire discography— is not necessarily representative of the broad range of musical stylings that Chazwick Bradley Bundick’s discography spans. The fact that Toro y Moi cannot be pigeonholed into one specific genre is one of the great appeals of Bundick’s music. Another great appeal is simply the fact that he makes great music. I’m a recent Toro y Moi adopter, but throughout this winter I have been working my way through his discography with constant delight. I have become particularly stuck on Anything in Return, though, and there was a week in which “Cake” was on fairly constant repeat (along with the track that comes after it, “Day One,” which is a perfect companion piece). I dare you to just listen to it once.

Bundick came onto the music scene as Toro y Moi in 2009, during which he was signed, and went onto release Causers of This in 2010. The album stands as a clear testament as to why Toro y Moi is so often connected to the chillwave genre, characterized by dreamy lyrics and wandering but interesting instrumentation. By 2011, however, Bundick departed from the the chillwave genre with the release of the markedly funkier Underneath the Pine. And what’s more, 2013’s Anything in Return is poppier, dancier, and tinged with R&B influence. Though it feels scattered when written down, Toro y Moi’s style builds on itself and evolves in a sensical way when listened to. Rather than seeking to create music that spans to many genres for the sake of it, it is clear that Bundick has created a catalog of music that he was truly interested in creating. Only time will tell where he has chosen to wander next come the April release of What For?

“Cake” is among Toro y Moi’s poppier, peppy songs, and I’m positive that is part of what made me pay attention to it in the first place. When paid attention to, however, it holds up as well composed; the beats and tempo changes throughout the track not only make sense when paired with one another, but are also clean, without anything unnecessary in the final cut. Beyond the upbeat nature of the beats, though, lies confused sentiments that keep the track from becoming too fluffy (opening with a hook like “She knows, I'mma be her boy forever / And she knows, I'm gonna have it all or better” could really go either way, let’s be honest). The lyrics betray the uneasy thoughts that creep into one’s head despite the fact that everything is going better than according to plan. Lyrics like, “We don’t gotta fake these smiles / I don’t wanna waste your time” illustrate the sweet uneasiness of wanting to end a good thing too early, before it can sour. When paired with “Day One,” the following track on the album (sporting one of my favorite verses on the entire album, “I wanna make my life your life / I’ll wake up with you and I'll give you rides / It don't matter if it's cold outside / Doesn’t matter if it's day or night”), “Cake” illustrates the funny tightrope relationships can walk, flip-flopping between steadiness and disease before finally settling down into assured romance (“Now we got it and it's just us / Now I, wanna, keep it, forever”).

— EBP (Emlectro-pop, these days)

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Coachella Song of the Day (53 Days Until Coachella): “Seventy Times 7” from Brand New’s Your Favorite Weapon

Brand New weren’t always that moody hardcore band you rock out to on a rainy afternoon. Sure, most of the lyrical content on 2001 debut Your Favorite Weapon was made of the same negative emotions you’d find on their latter three releases, but it was packaged so many sugary melodies that a co-headline tour with New Found Glory wouldn’t have been out of place.

The Long Island band has long shed its emo roots, but Weapon still features some of my favorite material from Brand New, even as I age further and further away from the late teens/early twenties girl problems that singer Jesse Lacey sings about.

Today’s Coachella Song of the Day, “Seventy Times 7” is actually one of the songs on the album of the non-fuck you/“why did you leave me?” variety. To be fair, I suppose the song maintains the “fuck you” element, but according to legend it’s about a fight between Lacey and his childhood friend, Taking Back Sunday’s John Nolan.

“I hope you choke and die” perhaps isn’t the most eloquent line ever sung in a Brand New song, but that chorus melody is ace in terms of early 2000s pop-punk. Taking Back Sunday offered their side of the story in “There’s No ‘I’ in Team” a year later, but there’s no questioning who won this musical fight.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (57 Johan Santana Days Until Coachella): “Unfamiliar” from Ride’s Today Forever

If you had told me three months ago that I’d be seeing a reunited Ride not once, not twice but three times in a three-week span this spring, I’d have asked you to share whatever drug you were taking with me while we watched the British shoegaze legends.

The four-piece, whose initial run lasted from 1988 to 1996, announced their reunion for Spain’s Primavera Sound festival last November, inspiring me to jump for joy several times and fire up my Nowhere vinyl. I was worried that Coachella would miss out on Ride when they announced a full-blown tour that didn’t begin until May, so when the lineup was released on January 6, Ride was the first name I looked for.

Obviously I didn’t have to look too far, since the band that Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Steve Queralt and Laurence Colbert formed at university 27 years ago can be found on the second-line of Friday’s bill. Add in a warm-up show in Pomona three days before Weekend 2 and a recently-added appearance at Atlanta’s Shaky Knees fest, and I’ve got a string of shows that will forever be known in my concert spreadsheet as “The Ride Trilogy.”

I’ve traditionally written my first Song of the Day post of the year on my favorite band on the lineup (The Stone Roses in 2013, The Replacements in 2014), but I knew immediately that I would struggle with picking the perfect Ride song to share with our dear readers. Six weeks later, I believe I’ve settled on one - “Unfamiliar” from 1991’s Today Forever EP.

“Unfamiliar” isn’t as well known as signature Ride tune “Vapour Trail,” but I think it’s right up there with that classic as a perfect definition of the Ride sound. Combining a monstrous bass line and wall of swirling guitars with dual dream-like vocals from Bell and Gardener, the song marries the raw mystery of the songs on 1990’s Nowhere with the studio sheen of 1992’s Going Blank Again (as do the other three songs on Today Forever, really).

Lyrically, “Unfamiliar” conveys a sense of cautious adventure. It’s only four stanzas long and employs Bell and Gardener’s trademark vague-yet-universal way with words, but this is a quality-over-quantity situation. I’ll be damned if the phrase “Sinking into unknown beauty for a day” isn’t one of the most perfect I’ve ever heard sung. Besides, this is shoegaze. You’ve got to make room for the guitars.

The Stone Roses’ booking in 2013 was met with a bunch of unfortunate “Who are The Stone Roses” Tweets and rants, and it’s not like Ride fills arenas in the states, either. If you’ve made it this far, though, you have no excuse for being “Unfamiliar” with Ride.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (58 Von Miller Days Until Coachella): “Cherry Wine” from Hozier’s Hozier

Few artists can release a debut album in September and find themselves announced as a sub-headliner for one of the world’s biggest music festivals four months later. However, Irish artist Andrew Hozier-Byrne (known just by the moniker Hozier) just did so behind the immediate success of hit single, “Take Me to Church.” Hozier, one of the most watched sensations on Youtube, has now topped one hundred and ten million views, and now his bellowing voice, metaphoric language, and endless blues and folk sensibilities will be seen by one of the biggest live audiences an artist can hope for.

Drawing from the deep well of successful groups like The Black Keys and Cold War Kids, Hozier uses incredibly catchy melodies and vocal hooks to fuse bluesy and soulful sounds with his gorgeous gospel style on his eponymous debut album. A bellowing chamber echo looms behind his distorted guitar riffs and echoing piano notes in most of his songs. Hozier also has range, comfortably channeling a rootsy folk sound while harmonizing with Karen Cowley on “In a Week,” or rocking through faster tempos like in “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene.”

Today’s track, “Cherry Wine,” is the album’s closer and a personal favorite. Throughout my discovery of Hozier I’ve found his songs to be hit or miss. There isn’t a single bad song on the album, but some can certainly be called middle of the road. However, “Cherry Wine” – coincidentally a live recording – is one of the reasons I’m excited to see Hozier live. Accompanied only by meticulously picked acoustic guitar notes, Hozier drops the echoed vocals and sings much softer. The touching, almost heartrending lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and symbolism. The story being told is clearly about a turbulent love, with poignant lines like “Her fight and fury is fiery, oh but she loves, like sleep to the freezing” that are some of the best on the album.

Ultimately Hozier is a solid act. I fell into the largely startled crowd when I saw him as a sub-headliner. My immediate reaction was, “Oh my god, that ‘Take Me to Church’ guy got so much YouTube cred he’s now a sub-headliner at my favorite festival.” My skepticism was largely assuaged, though, when I listened to his entire album. If you see one solo artist on Saturday, see Jack White. But if you see two, see Jack White and Hozier.

-SV

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Coachella Song of the Day (60 Days Until Coachella): “Spark” from Until the Ribbon Breaks’ A Lesson Unlearnt

I will come right out and acknowledge that Until the Ribbon breaks is the absolute last band listed for Saturday’s lineup. Considering that GoldenVoice signed them to be an artist before their debut album was released, I would say that is still a considerable accomplishment. Before January of this year, Until the Ribbon Breaks had released a smattering of singles and remixes, and were featured on fellow Coachella 2015 artist Run the Jewel’s song “Job Well Done.” Otherwise, there wasn’t much to run with. One listen to A Lesson Unlearnt, however, is more than enough to prove the band’s worth for appearing at Coachella at all. These are not songs that are easily forgotten, but rather are a delicate mix of haunting lyrics paired with electronic and hip-hoppy elements. It’s clear that Until the Ribbon Breaks is a band to watch out for in the future.

Until the Ribbon Breaks was conceived in 2012 as the brainchild of Pete Lawrie Winfield while he was in film school (and, hence, our “ribbon” here refers to film tape). Initially the idea was to produce one record and be done with the project, though that plan was thrown out by 2013. Winfield recruited James Gordon and Elliot Wall to join the band, and that year toured with Lorde and briefly with Phantogram. Throughout 2013 and 2014 the band released a handful of remixes that gained critic’s attention and spurred more touring and live shows.

In order to create their album, the three members of the band sequestered themselves in a room with a projector, a microphone, a piano, and a drum machine. They would project films without sound and create pseudo-soundtracks for the films, allowing themselves to meander wherever it felt appropriate to go. Their album reflects this unrestrained creativity, as it meanders through various musical styles and genres. However it is not an aimless album; on the contrary, the tracks remain cohesive despite the jumble of descriptors often associated with their music. Truly, one must listen to A Lesson Unlearnt to fully grasp the depth of Until the Ribbon Breaks. And then wait patiently for their set to come around on the Polo Fields. Trust me, it will be one that you won’t want to miss.

— EBP

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Coachella Song of the Day (62 Days Until Coachella): “Over Myself” from Kiesza’s Sound of a Woman

Calgary house artist Kiesza’s major label debut may be called Sound of a Woman, but perhaps a better title would’ve been Sound of the 1990s. The album, released last October, screams the greatest decade in all of the best ways.

Snap! and Technotronic would certainly be proud of hits like “Hideaway” and “No Enemiesz,” which have suggested Kiesza’s bound for more than the fourth line in future years. And wouldn’t you know it, Sound of a Woman even includes a cover of Haddaway’s classic “What is Love.”

Today’s Coachella Song of the Day, “Over Myself,” finds the 26-year-old (born January 16, 1989, she’s exactly two weeks younger than me) regretfully breaking off a relationship. “I think I’ve gotta break your heart to get over myself,” Kiesza sings over a beat that could fill the Sahara, showing off the impressive vocal chops that don’t quite define her better-known songs.

Me at a full Sahara Tent show? In a world of EDM musicians from Alberta who used to be in the Navy making their way to Coachella, anything is possible.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (Nintendo 64 Days Until Coachella): “Have a Drink On Me” from AC/DC’s Back In Black

 To be honest, I feel a little stupid writing about this album, seeing as how it came out 35 years ago,has sold more copies than all but one music recording ever pressed -- and I’mcertainly no AC/DC expert or super-fan. I sincerely doubt I’m introducing anything new here, so I guess I’ll lay on you a personal anecdote.

  My early CD-collecting days (beyond gifts and the occasional Best Buy gift card) consisted of a couple of Amazon gift cards and a few trips to one of the two used CD stores on South Colorado Blvd in Denver along the 40 bus route (RIP Cheapo Disc). I mostly started by looking for classics my dad didn’t already have and trying to get all the Social Distortion and Bad Religion albums I could – I was a weird music fan in high school. One day, I saw a shiny, new copy of Back In Black for the average price of a used copy, and recalled my dad (my music role model of choice) bemoaning why kids these days couldn’t at least listen to that album if they must listen to dumb hard rock. That backhanded compliment in mind, I plopped Back In Black on my stack of 15 or so discs and caught the next bus back home.

  What I realize now is that AC/DC ultimately appeals to teenage boys like almost no other music to any demographic. What I thought then was, “This is the greatest thing ever.” Somehow the songs I’d always heard in passing were way more kick-ass than I thought, and the songs I didn’t know sounded great. I actually got a couple of older albums, wanting to love them more, with original front man Bon Scott instead of squealy Scott imitator Brian Johnson -- who took over for the recently deceased Scott on Black -- but they just couldn’t stack up. Even though I considered myself a punk rock kid, Back In Black was getting the heaviest rotation on my bedroom stereo.

  As I grew older, the music of AC/DC lost some of its allure to me, as it felt shallow and soulless. I sometimes look back and feel sheepish for belting out a song like “Given the Dog a Bone” considering its stupidity and thinly veiled sexism. While every time I fire up my Ipod (same one since 2007) without choosing a song first I hear the beginning of “Hells Bells” and let it roll through the awesome intro, I really haven’t bothered with AC/DC in a long while.

  So, maybe I’ve outgrown AC/DC, and with some of the headier rock I now enjoy on the second line of Friday night, it seems likely I’ll miss them altogether at Coachella. But as I listen to Back In Black and write this article, I’ll be damned if I’m not enjoying it. Angus Young makes some killer riffs that a lot of the cock rock hosers of today could only dream of. I doubt I can give 16-year-old Seth what he wants and stay for the duration of these geezers’ set with the possibility of a Ride occupying one of the other stages, but man would I love to catch a cut or two like “Have a Drink On Me” in person.

-SL

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Coachella Song of the Day (66 Days Until Coachella): “Hope” from Haerts’ Haerts

It didn’t take much time for Haerts to win over my properly-spelled, four-chamber blood center.

Last November, I was on a streak with intentionally-misspelled, female-fronted indie bands (Chvrches, Alvvays), so I was immediately intrigued once I saw Haerts mentioned in NME. I downloaded their debut full-length immediately after watching singer Nini Fabi and her band in the “Giving Up” video, and was sold by the end of the second listen.

As luck would have it I saw them twice the next month, since their tour itinerary overlapped with my travel schedule in Atlanta and Denver. My fellow Coachella Song of the Day writer Emily can attest to Fabi’s voice being just as gorgeous in person as it is on record, and she’s got the setlist from the Mile High City’s Larimer Lounge to prove it.

The dancey “Giving Up” may have been what introduced me to the band, but the slower “Hope” is where a giant cartoon heart was ejected from my chest. “Hope” is the final song on the group’s self-titled LP - smartly so, since its majestic drums, seductive guitar line and Fabi’s stunning vocal take have left me and other listeners desperately wanting more. Like highlights “Heart” and “No One Needs to Know” from earlier on in the record, “Hope” wears its Fleetwood Mac influence on its sleeve, perhaps imagining the classic rock giants as a indie group that originated in Iceland (Haerts’ five members hail from Germany, England and the United States but met while studying in the Arctic island nation).

Fair warning: When Fabi sings the “What do I know?” line in “Hope” at Coachella, your knees might buckle under you and you may be rushed to the medic tent under suspicion of dehydration. You wouldn’t want to miss the rest of Haerts’ set, so make sure you have some friends there to catch you.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (70 Days Until Coachella): “Maps for the Getaway” from Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness’s Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

In fall of 2006, I was still in the phase of my music-listening career where I didn’t always buy the full album. As a senior in high school with no source of income other than my parents’ wallets, I would sometimes sift through the iTunes samples of artists I’d read about or been recommended and pick my three or four immediate favorites.

Jack’s Mannequin’s Everything in Transit was one of those albums that I still haven’t heard all of. I remember getting pumped up for cross country meets with “Holiday from Real” and “The Mixed Tape” from Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon’s second outfit, but beyond those and a couple of other songs never got around to purchasing the full product.

Now McMahon is on his third project, a quasi-solo one known as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. He seems to constantly be searching for a new band to create, so perhaps the “wilderness” part of the name suggests the in-between space he currently occupies. Or maybe he went on a hiking trip last summer.

I chose today’s Coachella Song of the Day, “Maps for the Getaway,” because I’ve found, through intensive research of the 700-strong album library in my brain, that I’m statistically likely to enjoy the final track on a record more than any other. Boy, I’m sure glad I picked this one.

“Maps for the Getaway” finds McMahon dreaming of escape with someone he’s known for years. As McMahon sings over perky synth notes and a drum track, they have no gas in the tank or paid holidays, but as you might guess, they’ve got plenty of maps. I’m guessing it’s a fitting closer to an album of 10 more of the lovely pop songs that McMahon’s made his name on.

Now, if only I can get around to hearing more than four songs this time.

-AR

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Coachella Song of the Day (71 Evgeni Malkin Days Until Coachella): “Yonder Is Closer to the Heart” from Parquet Courts’ Light Up Gold

  Parquet Courts are a rock band whose style is reminiscent of the more idiosyncratic post-punk era groups of the late 70s like Television or Modern Lovers, but filtered through the decades of alternative rock since then. Since Seth has trouble writing his own articles, he enlisted Sheldon’s help for this one and together they produced CSOD’s new favorite article gimmick: the email exchange. So, without further ado:

  Seth Lichtenstein: I am really head over heels for Parquet Courts, and I'm not just saying that because we're writing about them. I had been pining for Parquet Courts to play Coachella last year, and I've only grown fonder with the passing year and a second stellar album. What's your relationship with this band?

  Sheldon Vaughn: Happy to hear your wish came true this year! I made a pretty comprehensive spreadsheet, as you know, to categorize all the 2015 Coachella artists by genre and day playing the festival. Parquet Courts were labeled as indie rock/post-punk, two of my favorite genres. I gave Content Nausea a listen and here we are! I love the new album and 2013's Light Up Gold.

  SL: When I was considering writing about Parquet Courts and particularly "Yonder Is Closer to the Heart," my first thought was, "If I played this for someone and they said they didn't like it at all, I don't think me and this person could ever have a conversation about music." This band evokes so much of my favorite rock from the era of punk through 90s alternative rock. This particular song conjures the Buzzcocks for me with the melodic chorus being powered through by a muscular riff.

  What especially catches your attention when you listen to Parquet Courts?

SV: The biggest standout feature is the lyrics and how Andrew Savage sings them. I remember when I was twelve or so I told my dad that I really liked The Offspring because I had never heard a singer who sounded like that. Now that my tastes have grown and become what I would like to consider more sophisticated, I truly appreciate how unique the vocals and how elaborate/intelligent the lyrics are.

  SL: Now, this song isn't the best example of their great lyrics, but it fits right in with the prevalent theme of youthful aimlessness on Light Up Gold. I love how they're clever and don't take themselves too seriously, but they don't write joke songs or stuff that's clever for the sake of being clever. They're right in the sweet spot. Savage is like the guy who is too cool to be bothered to take anything seriously in a discussion – the guy who is either the worst person you know or your favorite to have a conversation with, and Savage is the latter. Did that make sense?

  SV: Yeah it's the dichotomy of the person who never takes stuff seriously. You're either like, "Can you please for love of God listen to what the fuck I am saying and give me a serious answer?" or, "Oh my God, you're really clever and I pick up a general theme that I agree with through your wit and sarcasm". It's definitely all surrounding a central theme or story and he uses some great turn of phrase and literary devices. You aren't left wishing it were any different or more or less serious.

SL: Well, I love Light Up Gold, but I really appreciate the evolution they've made for Sunbathing Animal. What are your thoughts on the follow-up?

SV: Light Up Gold is definitely my favorite, but the stylistic differences for Sunbathing only further adds to the trail of greatness that Parquet Courts are blazing. Both the opening track, "Bodies Made Of," and the title track seem to have faster tempo, more punk sounds but more regimented compositions that follow a progression.  It's like they somehow became both sloppier and neater at the same time…if that makes sense.

  SL: They're definitely dipping into more than just the mostly post-punk of Light Up Gold. I actually like the addition of some slow-burners on Sunbathing, especially "Instant Disassembly." While the lyrics are more instantly gratifying on Light Up Gold, I love that they've moved on to more cryptic and weirder lyrics. Ultimately, I think it better suits their growth as songwriters.

But since this song is from Light Up Gold, do you have a favorite line from that album? Double points if it's in today's song.

SV: Well, Seth, it just so happens that this song has some of my favorite lyrics of any Parquet Courts song. While the verses repeat, leaving what I guess would be less room for more lyrics, what they do cram into the nine lines of original content is pretty damn great. As someone who has been known to exhibit some self-destructive behavior, I feel like "Paycheck stubs, good sex and drugs can fade away distractions of the mantras of 'keep going' that are lodged into my thoughts."

SL: Excellent. I love the line "I felt soft waves of purpose crash onto the surface" from "Borrowed Time." What a perfect metaphor for the struggle against a lack of motivation. I'd give an honorable mention to the line, "Double-dip in the goose pate mold" from “Tears O Plenty,” just because it makes me chuckle and conjures George Costanza.

Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to add about Parquet Courts, or the universe in general?

  SV: I'm very thankful to have found Parquet Courts. They rock.

  I could go on for hours about the universe…

  SL: But we’re out of time!

[coachellasongoftheday]

Coachella Song of the Day (73 Days Until Coachella): “Marvin's Room” from Drake's Take Care

I was having brunch with my new friend Jamie Sunday morning. I started on some tangent about the Mountain Goats being my favorite band, but my self-indulgent elaboration was quickly halted when I was asked, “Who is your favorite mainstream artist?” Now, obviously this is a hard question to answer, but I replied instinctively with, “Drake and/or Kanye West.” Jamie immediately inquired (as I’m sure many have with the breakout success of both of these artists) why young twenty-something men showed an almost universal appreciation of these artists. So, Jamie here’s your answer, along with what I think is a pretty great song - “Marvin’s Room” off of Drake’s sophomore album, (yes, the one I told you to listen to) Take Care.

Drake is a crossover artist falling between the hip-hop, R&B and pop genres so neatly that it’s almost puzzling. He can stand alone spitting his trademark flow with clever turns of phrase, harmonize with a little rhythm and bass about past lovers and of course throw down some of the best party anthems our generation has ever heard. While some hip-hop artists are static and repetitively laying down gaudy track after gaudy track, Drake exhibits great variety in his subject matter. Even in Take Care’s more braggadocios moments, the album doesn’t reach near the irreverence that’s getting hard to avoid in the rap world.

Drake’s lyrics give listeners something to relate to, particularly the twenty-somethings. In an increasingly difficult dating world, he realizes that so easy to jump from incredibly serious relationship to meaningless fling and back to serious relationship. He understands that it’s easy to be unsure about a career that’s growing faster than anticipated. As today’s track will poignantly show, Drake also knows what it’s like to drunk-dial a missed ex-girlfriend.

“Marvin’s Room” is a great example of Drake’s adept singing alternating with his breathless flow, two elements that he can combine better than anyone in the game. The beat isn’t as heavy as on other tracks and the tempo isn’t nearly as fast, but Drake spins a story of coping with missing an ex and using the perks of his newly acquired fame to do so. I’m sure that Degrassi experience, combined with a little method acting, came out to write this one. Samples of delirious phone calls appear throughout the song to solidify the moving but self-destructive behavior. As slow as the tempo is, the hook is still endlessly catchy and quotable. Drake doesn’t start rapping until the third verse, but it’s flawless from beginning to end. He hits line after line with building cleverness.

So, Jamie, my defense of Drake is mostly for the same reasons I am excited to see him at Coachella. Drake is a headliner at Coachella, which means that he will receive an extended set-time on the main stage and will perform for a crowd of tens of thousands of people. Honestly, I had never really given Drake a listen before delving into his material for this project, but I know he was a controversial pick for a festival that’s often expected to choose alternative and independent acts. With the vibrant energy of the festival, I imagine this set will be a gigantic dance party, and even with my incredibly shot feet and legs from thirty-three hours of music in three days, I plan to join in full force.