Passion Pit. Manners.

So in addition to this being my official "Spring Training" (read=rally) song, it is also fully exemplary of why I LOVE Passion Pit. They're so damn cheery and those lyrics! AND, though I really wasn't in to that whole electronic influence in mainstream alt music that saturated every new sound starting a few years ago (how funny does that sound, mainstream alt music) I guess MGMT changed that for me. And Passion Pit is all about it, which matched my window-down-driving-coastal-highway-while-full-on-dancing-to-the-music last summer in a way that made it so I had options other than the miserable pop-hop here in OC. This is my fave song off their first full length Manners. Check them out.

Rock and Roll Tuesday. Talking Heads.

This isnt a good example (because of the obvi-80's synth and chorus) but the Talking Heads produced some of the finest rock and roll there is.   Maybe it's my imagination or maybe it's just because it's all Brit-rock, but I cant help feeling that everything that was post-punk from the UK shamelessly maintained such awesome punk influence, even though the Talking Heads and Roxy Music were more soft than the Clash or BAD.  Byrne just has such edge and still does, and what he's done more recently with Brian Eno makes me so happy that time slips away when I hear them together.  Anyhow, like I said this and the link are both simple versions not representative of anything I mentioned here other than the unique (read=rebelious) musical aesthetic that true rock or punk is notorious for, but this song was on my mind today so give a listen.

Rock and Roll Tuesday. Down By the River.

I heard this song over the weekend on local-supported radio where I grew up, and again yesterday on a local station here at the beach.  I was driving with the windows down, the sun was shining and the air smelled warm and like salt and three surfers were at the top of 48th at about 1:55 when that fabulous, unreal electric finger-picking starts.  I felt like I was in a movie.

This song kicks my ass.  It rocks the poetry right out of all the dirty untalked crevices in my heart and soul AND the instrumental progression is insane.  I love you Neal Young.  Thanks Brandon.  This is re-released but was originally off his 1969 album Crazy Horse.

Rock and Roll Tuesdays. Best Coast.

I heard LA's Best Coast on a local-supported radio station.  The song they played was off their July 2010 album Crazy For You, and clips off that are all over youtube.  I've been checking out their older stuff though because they are about tunneled garage-band simple hard instrumental sounding as it gets, with a female lead who admittedly tweaks on every old riot-grrrl germ now matured but still rebellious as hell from deep within me. I hear that movement's influence all over Best Coast, thereby granting them designation as this weeks RaRT artist. This is Sun Was High, off their 2009 7 inch.