It's been a long time since I've decided to write about bands you haven't heard of and don't care about, but I've been drinking and daddy needs a hit. It's actually difficult to avoid just making a list and telling you its good, go listen to it because you know I'm right. So instead I will try to tell you why I like it so much. This will often be because it reminds me of other things you haven't listened to.
So where to start? Just kidding, I know already. Cults - Cults. It's an awesome album. It makes you want to dance. Just right now. It's so reminiscent of 60's pop (aka what was then the devil's music) with a nice electronic covering to it. It's got finger snaps. I love finger snaps. "You Know What I Mean" sounds like it should be played at the prom in Back To The Future. A lot of their music just reminds me of "Then He Kissed Me" or "Duke of Earl" (I find out now the verse is apparently "Where Did Our Love Go"). Which is, now that I think about it, the music I grew up with. Surely I am not the only child who grew up listening to the music from when their parents were teenagers (god help my unborn children). It just kind of all flows together as this combination of the pop sensibilities of a previous era, which to me seem less pretentious than the current pop which tries to be something more than dance music, with the gentle synth and electric guitar which fits so well. It's just pleasant to listen to.
John Maus. You can tell the dude is good at the musics because his wikipedia page calls him a composer. Seriously though, We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves is awesome. In terms of pure genre categorization its kind of all over the place. It sounds like, I dunno, Kraftwerk and Duran Duran and Joy Division had a baby. If Duran Duran is the only one of these you know, then you can guess that it kind of sounds like something from the 80's! Which is pretty accurate. It's got that synth that just sounds like there would be leopard print spandex somewhere in the music video, but it lacks the amount of pop required for such a thing. There is a song where "pussy is not a matter of fact" are the predominant lyrics. While probably true, it was to me unexpected, and surprisingly catchy. Also not something you want stuck in your head at work. That aside, most of the songs have a kind of depth that leaves you with a slight sinking feeling. "Hey Moon" is without a doubt my favorite off the album. It has that wonderful night time staring at the sky feel down so perfectly with the lyrics and tempo and what I can only describe as the texture of the song. It's just how it feels.
Ok, I am tired. I wrote this basically to appease Pat who keeps telling me to write about music even though no one else likes it At all.
So what else should you listen to? Or rather, what am I listening to at the moment?
Washed Out - You and I
Bon Iver - Skinny Love
David Bowie - A New Career In A New Town
The Beatles - I'm Only Sleeping
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Panda Bear - Tomboy
The Soggy Bottom Boys - I Am A Man of Constant Sorrow (O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack)
Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
Honey Cool - Then He Kissed Me (Found this while looking for The Crystals version)
The Crystals - Then He Kissed Me (classic 60's)
The Beach Boys - That's Not Me
John Maus - Hey Moon
Cults - Bad Things
