Listen Up: To Nowhere

For the times when you feel like going somewhere in no particular direction, with no particular reason in mind. <TM>

I Did Something Wrong - The Parrots

Who knew a song about trying to figure out what caused a break up could be so much fun? Madrid garage rockers The Parrots do just that on their track "I Did Something Wrong."

The song follows the manic back-and-forth thought process in the wake of heartbreak, quickly fluctuating between blamelessness and guilt , all underlain by uncertainty. The chorus moves from several declarations of "I did something wrong," punctuated by the back-up vocalists chiming in as voices of ambiguity with contrasting "I don't know"s. These muddle and muted lyrics play under jangly garage rock riffs that serve to make the song feel relatively happy, given its subject matter.

While the dudes of The Parrots might never realize why things soured, they've certainly found an entertaining way to grieve. <EC>

Not Down This Low - Jeff Cowell

"Not Down This Low" is the closing track of Jeff Cowell's recently re-issued album, Lucky Strikes and Liquid Gold. Little information about Cowell is out there, but the album was originally recorded in 1975 and is filled with isolated, loner epics from the outlaw brand of country music. Cowell never enjoyed the notoriety of contemporaries like Townes Van Zandt, but Lucky Strikes and Liquid Gold contains the same sad, twangy folk sounds.

"Not Down This Low" is a depressing ode in which Cowell bemoans the awful state he's found himself in, including hoping the family he's left behind in Northern Michigan thinks "that I'm dead, but not down this low."

Spark up a Lucky Strike, let a tear loose, and soak in the sadness of "Not Down This Low." <EC>

 

Dream Story - Laura Groves

London based artist Laura Groves prepares for her upcoming EP Committed Language with a recent offering of tracks. After previously recording music as Blue Roses, Groves abandoned the acoustic sound in favor of 1980s synths. The first single from her second solo EP is "Dream Story", which showcases her voice on top of an uptempo hazy track. While the song wants to sprint ahead, Groves' vocals stretch themselves out slowly and smooth out the pace. During the bridge her voice is expansive, like she's singing into limitless space and the song plays like futuristic Fleetwood Mac. 

Also available as a preview before the EP's release is its title track, which you can stream below. Committed Language arrives February 16th on British label DEEK Recordings.

Multi-Love - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Unknown Mortal Orchestra has announced a new album Multi-Love, due out May 26th on Jagjaguwar. You can stream the title track below.

"Multi-Love" seems to mark a progression away from the guitar-focused sounds of UMO's 2011 self-titled debut and 2013's II, in exchange for poppier, airy psych synthesizers.

From a Jagjaguwar press release, songwriter Ruban Nielson said:

“It felt good to be rebelling against the typical view of what an artists is today, a curator,” says Ruban. “It’s more about being someone who makes things happen in concrete ways. Building old synthesizers and bringing them back to life, creating sounds that aren’t quite like anyone else’s. I think that’s much more subversive.”

 The band also announced European and North American tour dates starting in the spring. <EC>

Watch It: Time to Go Home - Chastity Belt

Check out the video for Chastity Belt's awesome single "Time To Go Home." The video captures the essence of the track - the desire to want to keep the party going mixed with the sluggishness of a few drinks too many, followed by the immediate need to get back into your bed.

"Time To Go Home" is the title track off their upcoming album, out March 24th on Hardly Art. You can also catch Chastity Belt opening for Courtney Barnett on a run of spring U.S. tour dates. <EC>

Won't Trade - Q-Tip

As a member of A Tribe Called Quest, producer/MC Q-Tip established himself as a unique visionary in hip-hop by drawing on jazz, soul, and funk samples during a time when brash aggression dominated the boombox. His extensive knowledge allowed him to create ties between the jazz his father raised him on and the vastly growing rap game. Q-Tip's influence on producers and rappers that followed over the next twenty years cannot be understated; Kamaal was Kanye before Kanye became Yeezy. 

Despite having done wonders sampling the likes of Jimmy McGriff, and Kool & the Gang, there is a sense that Q-Tip still has a plenty of material to work with. His ability was on show in "Won't Trade", from 2008's The Renaissance. In it Q-Tip traverses a relationship through the lens of a sports metaphor, equating his woman's affection to that of a team and its superstar. The song receives a heavy assist from Ruby Andrews' "You Made A Believer (Out Of Me)", as the song's bass line and Andrews' vocals contribute the hook. Q-Tip's footsteps are more obvious, but the beat doesn't lose points for that. On his own without a partner to split his verses, Q-Tip wisely recycles more. <PM>