the beatles - 'no reply'

sorry for the lack of posts recently.

i'm reading here, there and everywhere and the book is absolutely engrossing from a more technical point of view. it still has a great deal of information about how the beatles crafted their signature sounds and a snippet of their songwriting process, but from an engineering standpoint, it's absolutely spellbinding.

here is one song which gives me chills, (it hasn't been talked about in the book, not yet). the big open chords during the chorus give me goosebumps.

it's amazing that the beatles still have such relevance and power... although i doubt they will ever lose it, no matter what year it may be.

grandaddy - 'the crystal lake'

so this is an oldie/yet goodie.

grandaddy is out of california and ever since i first heard the sophtware slump, i was intrigued at the complexity despite the simplicity. as gritty as the song remains, there is something liquid, flowing and crystal clear in the arpeggiated synth. in 'the crystal lake,' jason lytle's placating pleas saunter casually, yet authentic and his truckerhat adorning disposition shines through.

check out the sophtware slump if you have a chance.

phantogram - 'when i'm small'

jay tossed this link my way yesterday:

phantogram is a duo out of seratoga springs, who specialize in "street beat, psych pop" although their sound would closer to portishead with hip-hop beat stylings and the occasional clunking/chiming of guitars. eyelid movies is the title of their record released this year, and it is truly an eclectic mix, with guy/girl vocals, big beats, and neatly wrapped synths. 'when i'm small' is a 2 toned track, with a clunky james bond/surf guitar lead, a big cyclical beat and plunking casio keys overlayed by sarah barthel's coos. yet another score from barsuk... a damn good label.

download the track here:

white hinterland - 'icarus'

first of all: this day is for my friend ian, who passed away. you were far too optimistic and kind to live such a short life. i hope you rest in peace, my friend.

in the midst of all the chaos and misery surrounding my day today, my dear friend jackie passed this track on to me and it helped me cope. white hinterland is casey dienel's shoegaze project based in portland, or. on 'icarus' she draws feist-esque falsettos over a new wavy synth bassline. adding vocal harmonies and guitar noodles, the song progresses with a simple rimshot and kick driving; churning at a slow and steady rate, flickering and dancing akin to shadows from a dying fire on my living room wall. with all it's comfort and swelling tones, it has managed to soothe me on a day where every strand was falling apart and fraying.

i wish i could have shared this with you, ian. rip