Changes by Faul & Wad Ad

   If there's one thing musical element that I'm a sucker for, it's a prominently featured saxophone. Really just horns in general, but I think a well executed sax solo is among the most sacred of musical moments. Indeed, perhaps my greatest concert memory was the face melting sax solo at the end of "Midnight City" by M83 when we saw them in Central Park two summers ago. With that in mind, I don't care what your opinions about saxophone are; this song is the fucking bomb. Starts out with a somewhat standard house song opening, before you hear the vocal sample come in and you know it's on. Head starts bopping as the bass comes in, and then a little sax flirtation to get you primed. Then comes the "drop," if you will, which is basically a three minute long tour de saxophone. Goddamn. It feels silly even narrating it for you. This isn't the musical style we typically post here, but I don't care what kind of music you like. This is a song you will like. Your grandpa who only listens to Hank Williams? He'll be getting a Soundcloud account just so he can listen to this song again. I shit you not. Come Thanksgiving, I will be playing this for my gramps and I will report back with the results.
   But on a more informational note, Faul is from Paris, France, which has distinguished itself as a true visionary in the field of electronic music. As of now, his Soundcloud account shows he only has two songs released (I have included both of them for your audial pleasure), but this guy is clearly going to be a force to be reckoned with. That's all I've got for now, but keep an ear out for more of this guy. Écoutez after the break.

Hey Rose by Houndmouth

Houndmouth are among my favorite bands that I've come across since the beginning of our little journey into blog-dom almost a year ago. It started with the Houndmouth EP way back in the beginning, which featured just four songs, but just eeked of potential. To absolutely nobody's surprise, the Louisville-ish (they started in Indiana, just across the river from Louisville, but are certainly a part of the well established folk scene in Louisville) band kicked ass and took names on their debut album. They made a name for themselves out on the concert/festival circuit, where according to anybody with functioning ears, they shredded. I can now confirm that fact, after seeing them in Columbus, OH last week, where what they played could be described in no other way than epic. Really one of the top live shows that this young listener has seen. With that said, I felt there was no reason not to post about them again, because there is no self-respecting music lover that shouldn't know about and love Houndmouth. Listen to "Hey Rose" after the break.

Ohm by Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo has been around FOREVER. Like, I had no idea the type of longevity these guys have had. They formed in 1984 in Hoboken, New Jersey (shouts out to the Jerz), and have had more or less the same core group of musicians since the start, and steadily released albums since then. Their discography is vast, but with such talent on the roster, they have some truly excellent work. They are frequently cited as a quintessential critics' band. Your friend whose a huge music snob loves Yo La Tengo. We're not music snobs here, but that doesn't mean we don't like YLT.  Their most recent album, Fade, was released earlier this year and is just excellent from start to finish. For a little taste of what's to be found on the rest of the album, take the song "Ohm." It's got hazy vocals, thoughtful lyrics, and some badass guitar to boot. Listen after the break.

Gary Clark Jr.

Alright Moist Melodies readers. We have done you a disservice through our recent lack of posting. But for the sake of continuity, I'm just going to ignore the lengthy gap between posts and continue as if nothing had ever changed.

Gary Clark Jr. is the truth. He's a blues-rock guitarist in the vein of the Black Keys who is just straight up great. The music is driven in large part by his electric guitar playing which is bluesy and technically skillful. His guitar playing has been given awards by people who should know about guitar playing, so he's got that to fall back on too. But the main gist of it is that Clark takes the blues rock sound of groups like the Black Keys and puts his own spin on it. At times he delves into the realms of hip-hop with his smooth voice rapping over traditional rock instrumentals, and others, he sticks to a more straightforward blues rock song with a sick nasty Hendrix-esque guitar solo stuck somewhere in the middle. His album, Blak and Blu (2012), was the spark I needed to get Moist Melodies started back up, so I take that as a true testament to this album. Seriously, the whole reason we started this blog was to share music that we're excited about. This is music to get excited about. It's been a really long time since I've been so amped about an artist I just learned about. The fire has been rekindled and Moist Melodies has returned. Listen to some jams after the break.

Ezra by Flume

Damn, it's been a while. So much for the really productive summer that we promised ourselves in May. As we left school for the summer, I literally would have fought you if you told me that neither of us would be able to muster up a post for the entire month of July. Alas, I have no great excuse for our lengthy absence. Perhaps you will forgive us, because we got some fire coming your way. While we haven't been posting, we've still been listening to great music, and here's a little sample of it. Flume is an electronic music producer based in Australia. His first full-length album is called Flume, and it's already gone platinum down under. The beat is intoxicating. I could listen to that riff all night and not get tired of it. The rest of the album is equally excellent, and I'd suggest you check out the full thing on Spotify. Enough talking about it. As our "pharmacist" would say, "got some fuego on deck." Truth. Listen after the break.

For Body and Kenzie by Teen Daze

This is some great music. It's off the first full-length EP from Teen Daze, an artist out of Vancouver. It's pretty minimalist electronic music, sticking mostly to simple beats and ribcage rattling bass. But when put together, it's pretty epic. I just want to stare at the album cover and listen to this on repeat all day; it's that good. I'm gonna cheat a little bit on naming the genre, and use the bancamp label of "ambient dance," which I think actually describes it pretty well. At it's core, its lounge music, but it's just quick enough to make you want to get up and move a bit. Anyway, take a listen after the break.

NEW SONG: This Life by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Stop the presses. Another single from ESMZ's new album, Better Days (due out July 23rd), and it's spectacular. It follows right along with what we've come to expect. Alex Ebert's voice is straight up haunting in the soft opening measures. Then, all of a sudden his voice is backed by a full gospel choir and it starts getting epic. As could be expected with an 11 member band, the instrumentation is unique and really adds to the ambiance of the song. Apparently Ebert was crying in the studio while he was recording this song, which sounds a bit much, but it certainly doesn't take away from the emotion on this track. Tears or not, it's a brilliant song. Can't wait for July 23rd. Listen after the break.

NEW SONG: Pocket Change by Alabama Shakes

It's been a while oh moist ones. Don't have much of an excuse for the lack of posts lately. Probably still hungover from the Flatbush Zombies concert that we attended last week, which culminated in puking out of a moving train car before almost being escorted off of that same train. Naturally, neither of us was fit to do a proper write-up of the concert, but all I can say is that it reeked of radness. There's a suitable review here, but suffice it to say that the speakers blew out in the middle of Flatbush's set as a result of the extreme amounts of fuckery going on. But we're back, and back with a vengeance. By vengeance of course, I mean the Alabama Shakes. Their debut album last year was one of our favorites, and they're keeping the good music coming. Disregard the fact that this song was for one of those vampire TV shows; it's quite good in spite of that. Take a listen after the break.

NEW ALBUM: From the Hills Below the City by Houndmouth

We're pretty big Houndmouth fans here at MM. They've got the perfect blend (in my opinion at least) between contemplative folk and a little more traditional rocking. From The Hills Below The City, is their first full-length album, which is a follow-up to their debut EP. This song features a re-working of several songs from that first release, which makes sense considering how great that first release was. This one does not disappoint as a follow-up, and frankly, they're rocketing up my favorite current bands list. The stand-out new track, if I had to pick just one, was "Long As You're At Home," which swings back and forth from a mournful, slow sound, to some hard-driving, face-melting guitar solos. I just listened to it three times in a row, and it's better each time. In terms of the repeated songs from their first EP, there is no staleness here. They re-worked their biggest hit, "Penitentiary," making it a little grungier in a welcome way. I can't recommend this album enough. You can stream it in full here (sorry that it's Conan. Can't stand that guy's face), and buy it here. After the break, check out a bad-ass live performance of the album's lead single, "On The Road."

Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders

This isn't the type of song you're used to hearing from us, but I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Bag Raiders are a house group, which probably means something to most of you. I must confess that I don't fully grasp the definition of house, except that it seems to be well-suited for house parties. If there is any other house music that is even remotely as catchy as this song, let me know, because I haven't heard it. This song is quickly becoming my jam. Yep, that's right, I'm going to put a copyright on it as my own personal jam. Listen after the break.

NEW SONG: Better Days by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

There's not much that you're doing that's more important than this. New Edward Sharpe is a cause for intense celebration. Their new album, Better Days, is coming out July 23 here in the US of A, and the Edward Sharpe frontman, Alex Ebert, called it "the rawest, most liberated, most rambunctious stuff we’ve done." That is certainly a tantalizing description, and we've been waiting for this new album with baited breath. The album opener, "Better Days" was released earlier this week, and it doesn't quell any of our excitement. Listen after the break.

Miss Lonelyhearts by Robin Pahlman

Robin Pahlman is a man after my own heart. A former lit student, he counts among his influences a Moist Melodies favorite, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and several others, including Kurt Vile and Iron & Wine. From Finland originally, Pahlman has moved around a good deal throughout the years. On how this informs his music, Pahlman said, "Maybe since I have moved around quite a bit in the past few years, I write songs about space, place, and travel." He also seems to know exactly what elements are surefire ways to get me to like a song, with a heavy use of horns (in Miss Lonelyhearts) and whistling (in Waves). He's hoping to release his first album later in the year, so keep an ear out for him. Listen after the break. 

Silver Soul by Beach House

When I first started listening to indie music, one of the first bands I discovered was Beach House. They were unlike anything I'd ever heard before, and anything I've heard since. Their music defines any label that you might try to put on them. They sometimes border on a post-rock, atmospheric sound, but that is a far from perfect definition. Their music requires exactly how much concentration you're willing to give it. If you put it on in the background while you write a paper, it'll calm you down and keep you focused. But if you want to be actively engaged, there's more than enough going on to keep you interested. Listen to "Silver Soul" after the break.

Late Night Special: Arcade Fire- Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

As you may know from reading past posts, I really like the Arcade Fire and I've probably already talked about them too much.  So I'll keep this short and sweet, really cool, funky keyboard driven song with strong female vocals and a catchy use of guitar and drums.  Try it, you'll like it.

Oceans by Coasts

Coasts are a folk-rock group out of Bristol. Much to the behest of Colan, my Connecticut-born fellow editor, that is Bristol, England. Which, if we're honest, is probably a good thing in terms of us liking this band. My best attempt at a description of this group is probably not one that they would appreciate, but it's in my head now, so it's being written. They're like a British Yellowcard, complete with the whole ocean theme, except that this band is significantly less embarrassing to play in front of other people. The chorus gets pretty epic; this band is ready-made for soldout arena tours and epic concert montages. Definitely worth a listen, after the break.

Hey! If you're still up listen to these two songs!

Hey! You there up late living the life, out on the town or perhaps just chillin out laxin relaxin all cool.  Either way listen to these two songs:

Shifting Sands of Sound by Dick Walter

Without reading the Youtube comments, can you tell me where this song was sampled? That song/artist happens to be pretty awesome as well, but the sample stands quite fine on its own as well. The coolest of jazz horns, and all sorts of other strange sounds. I did a somewhat extensive Google Search for Dick Walter, but I got pretty much nothing. I'm forced to guess when it came out, and truthfully, I have no idea. It really is a tough one to place chronologically, but it's probably more recent than I'm thinking. If you know anything about Dick Walters, let us know, because I'm genuinely curious. Listen after the break.

Review: Daft Punk- Random Access Memories

The first thing I can say about the highly anticipated, newly leaked album from famed electronic duo Daft Punk is listen to it.  Stream it, download it, find it somewhere and listen to it, in its entirety beginning to end.  You don't need to be a fan of Daft Punk or really even of electronic music, I myself usually don't care much for electronic or dance music, as I tend to prefer real instruments and am not much of a dancer.  But this album is something else, and I mean that in the way that a grandparent would compassionately regard their grandchild doing something different that they may not completely understand.  This album took some huge, metal, robot balls to make and it will doubtlessly disappoint if not outright piss off a lot of fans of the groups previous work.  This is not a dance album.  It is not the album to fuel your summer night parties.  Sure certain tracks could fit, with the single "Get Lucky" being one of them, but that is one of the few truly upbeat, dancy tracks on the album.  This is not to say the rest of the album won't get you moving, but each track is so experimental that if you were to play it in its entirety, most of the time your drunk, dance loving friends will be giving you weird, sidelong glances.

Two Awesome Songs That Sample Lazy Day by Spanky and Our Gang

"Lazy Day" is a classic, feel good song from 1967. Recorded by Spanky and Our Gang, a folk group from Illinois, it has become, in my mind, the quintessential sunny day song. It also happens to just be an awesome song. And you don't have to just take my word for it; it has been sampled in at least two awesome rap songs, and probably a bunch more that I haven't heard. I don't think it's any coincedence that the two songs of which I speak happen to be their respective artist's most popular song on Spotify. Masta Ace's "Take A Walk" actually touches on some deep shit. It takes us on a walk through the Brooklyn ghetto on a sunny day, with Ace commenting on the stuff that he sees. Expect a post soon on the full album, Disposable Arts, which is awesome from start to finish. Forgive us for being nine years late on that one. oops. The other song is "Low Class" by Anthm, off his much more recent EP, A Handful Of Dust. It came out in March of this year, and has not been getting the attention it deserves. Honestly, I'll probably put up a post on that full EP as well. But for now, check out these songs, because they're among the best out there for driving on a sunny summer day.

Coastin' by Cities Aviv

I can't find much biographical info on Cities Aviv. He released this EP in 2012, and he appears to be from Memphis. He's got a real old school style sound, aided by a jazzy sample that really ties the song together. In the lyrics, he eloquently says "fuck you" to the people who didn't/don't believe in his ability to follow his dreams of rapping. Not exactly an unfamiliar subject, but his flow compliments the sample perfectly, and it comes together nicely at the end. Definitely want to hear more from him. Listen after the break. 

NEW SONG: Cirrus by Bonobo

Pretty trippy stuff coming from Bonobo lately. His sound resembles a more upbeat XXYYXX, infused with a bit of hip-hop influence. Like most good music, it's hard to categorize. But it's in the shoegaze/chillwave genre, I'm pretty sure. I can't lie to you and pretend that I have a firm grasp on what either of those genres entail, but I'm convinced that nobody does. It's like pornography; I can't define it, but I know it when I see it. Or in this case, hear it. Anyway, Bonobo's latest album, The North Borders,  was released this year, and it's worth a listen. Take a gander after the break.

How To Introduce Your Mother To Good Music

My mother and I are on pretty opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of music. My mom spends most of her music listening absentmindedly humming along to Top 40 radio stations. Outside of that, she doesn't get much enjoyment out of music, and I think that is a damned shame. Think of all the good songs you've heard over the years, songs that have come to define a time in your life, songs that make you think, songs that you roll the windows down and blast on the first true day of summer; my mom hasn't heard any of those songs that you just thought of. So yesterday, I trapped my mother in her car for a total of 3 hours on our way to the godless shithole that is Long Island, and I tried to introduce her to some new music. Honestly, the whole experience was like pulling teeth. Patrick, turn it down. There were too many curses. She couldn't focus on the music while driving. Patrick, turn it down. Too weird. Patrick, turn it down. It started raining buckets while in bumper to bumper traffic on the GW Bridge. Patrick, I don't care about your stupid website, turn it down. All of those things happened. But I gleaned a couple of things from the whole affair, and I have recorded my observations for you below. Obviously not all mothers are the same, but honestly, they can't be that different. So maybe some of this will be useful for you as well. Read on, if you dare.

North by Port St. Willow

This song is gonna be a bit of a stretch for those of you with pop sensibilities. Port St. Willow makes ambient, nature-walky music, that develops slowly. Not exactly something you'll want to sing along with, but if you put this album on your headphones and go for a walk through the woods, I imagine it'd be a pretty cool listening experience. But even sitting on my couch at home, those horns are a great sound. The entire album is of a similar vein; mostly slow, ambient stuff, but if you give it your attention, it really can be a fun album to listen to. Listen after the jump.

Ghosts of Happiness by The Tree Ring

Everybody loves a good granola-y band; this is the kind of music you would listen to in a log cabin with no electricity after a day of doing outdoor stuff. I can't help but hear similarities between The Tree Ring and Andrew Bird (who we have featured here and here); maybe that's just because of the ample use of the violin, but if you like one, I'd expect you to like the other. I also recommend watching the video of their "hike-in" show, which is exactly what it sounds like. The band and the audience hauled all their equipment out into the mountains outside San Diego to play a show among the trees and lakes. It might be a little corny, but the result is a pretty rad piece of music. Listen/watch after the break.

Jack White-Love is Blindness

If you are anywhere near as hyped as I am for the release of the film "The Great Gatsby" this coming weekend you are damn hyped and have probably heard at least a bit of this song before.  I'm re-reading the book this week to prepare.   I had a listen to the soundtrack of the film and this song was the standout for me.  There is also a cool track from Lana del Rey worth listening to, "No Church in the Wild" which hasn't changed a bit from the last few hundred times you heard it and an atrocious Beyonce and Andre 3000 cover of "Back to Black" that must have Amy Winehouse turning in her grave.  This song may be a bit more intense then the melodies that usually grace our pages, but if you like movies or books and are the least bit interested, or just like the sound of Jack White doing a U2 cover, than this track will get you fuckin hyped.  Its precisely what Fitzgerald had in mind, but with a cooler guitar solo.
Listen after the jump, old sport.

NEW SONG: 100$ Bill by Jay-Z (From the Great Gatsby soundtrack)

At this point, you've probably heard that Jay-Z is doing the score for the new film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Jay-Z is probably my favorite rapper of all time, and The Great Gatsby is probably my favorite book of all time, so naturally, I have been licking my chops ever since that first announcement. I acknowledge that I'm a little nervous that the movie won't live up to the impossibly high standard set forth by the book, but so far the soundtrack at least has sounded great. Jay-Z's new original song, "100$ Bill" is infused with references to New York, elements of the plot, and the characters within the movie/book. Of course Jay-Z feels a particular connection to Jay Gatsby, perhaps part of why he wanted to work on this film. Also, there's the fact that the book is fucking awesome. I know we're a music blog, but I cannot recommend enough that you read the actual book, especially if you're going to see the movie. I give you the green light to listen to the song after the jump across the bay to East Egg. Just don't hit Daisy on the drive. Hooray for plot references to prove I read it.

NEW SONG: Bugs Don't Buzz by Majical Cloudz

I think I like this song. It's certainly different. It's made up almost exclusively of piano and voice, with some haunting effects that I don't even know how to describe thrown in between. It's sorta like a slowed-down, more depressing version of M83's Splendor, with much more of an emphasis on vocals. The lyrics themselves straddle between a commentary on love and love songs in general, as well as a love song in of itself. He opens the song by singing, "The cheesiest songs always end in a smile, this won't end in a smile my love." So it's not cheery, by any means. Just want to warn you going into it. This single comes from Majical Clouz upcoming album, Impersonator, due out May 21st. Listen after the jump.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo- Stairway to Heaven y Diablo Rojo- Rodrigo y Gabriella

My background in Spanish culture is limited mostly to whatever I have learned in American public school Spanish classes from around 6th grade on.  So when it comes to Spanish music, I'm clueless to a great deal of it.  However, one group I found and loved were the Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriella.  They are both incredible guitarists with very different styles that happen to compliment each other perfectly.  Rodrigo is, in a sense the lead guitarist and he plucks out his melodies with feeling and often incredible speed.  Gabriella brings new meaning to the term dexterity as she is responsible for both the harmony and the rhythm, a task she accomplishes with some insane finger picking I cannot even hope to understand and also hitting the shit out of her guitar to create percussion.  The stairway to heaven cover is both a tribute to the bands roots (they met as members of a Mexican heavy metal band) and a gorgeous acoustic version of the song that starts faithful and builds to something that is very much their own.  The second song is said to be about a roller coaster and its sheer speed seems to prove this.  Give it a listen while your sucking down margaritas, coronas or whatever other way you are celebrating what is supposed to be a historic and reverential holiday.  ¡Empina el codo y escucha!
Escucha despues de saltar

Upward Over the Mountain by Iron & Wine

Iron & Wine is the musical pseudonym of Sam Beam, a singer-songwriter based outside of Austin, TX. This particular song is off his first full length album, The Creek Drank the Cradle. It's a slow, folky tune, with ample use of the slide guitar, which is always a plus in my book. There's not really much I can say about Iron & Wine that would do him justice; his body of work does the talking. The guy has been recording virtually nonstop since 2002. I don't know much about record companies, but they're not gonna let you record this many albums unless you've got some serious talent. Listen after the break.

A lil Sunday Acoustic- Deep in an Ancient Hawaiian Forest by Makana

This is the first in a series we here at moist melodies are going to try to remember to do every Sunday for all those who may have been out having a good time last night and perhaps are not having as good a time this morning.  To help you ease into your Sunday morning we'll provide you with something nice and easy on the ears, a lil acoustic music to soothe whatevers ailing you, or perhaps to simply make your Sunday morning sunrise a little more pleasant.  To start off this series here is a very pretty acoustic guitar track from, well, from deep in an ancient Hawaiian forest I suppose.  If you're wondering where you may have heard the tune, it is featured in "The Descendants" a good but altogether depressing movie that came out a couple years ago that happens to have a great soundtrack full of cool Hawaiian tunes.  So kick back with whatever your hangover remedy of choice may be and have a listen.  We're here to help, we promise.  When it comes right down to it, we care about you.  Yes, you.  How many other music blogs have that kind of compassion.  Seriously, if we could rub your back and spoon feed you fruit loops we would.  We're that kind of music blog.
Listen after the step, but, you know, take it easy, no rush...

A Light in the Attic by This Patch of Sky

Post-rock is a genre that sometimes can get overlooked in the fray of lyrically based music that seems to be the most popular. Which is fine, most of the time. But it does cause us to miss some truly great stuff. This song, from This Patch Of Sky, sounds more like something off a movie soundtrack than anything off a traditional studio album. But alas, it is exactly that. It's epic, instrumental music that makes you want to see wide, sweeping landscape shots. I'm gonna go watch Vimeo nature videos for a couple of hours, bye. Listen after the jump.

Patrons of the Arts by Bro. Stephen

This isn't the first time we've featured Bro. Stephen on Moist Melodies. In fact, his "Tears on Tape" was one of the first songs we ever posted on here. Still, the guy makes great music, and I doubt this is the last we'll be hearing of him. He grew up in Michigan (I know that sucks, but we can't hold it against him), in a very religious household. That certainly informs his songwriting, reflected in the fact that his first album was called Baptist Girls. Anyway, he falls into the singer-songwriter style of folk music; most of the album is just him and his guitar. He manages to keep the sound fresh, and he is not limited at all by it being just him on the record. There's also the coolness factor; this band is about as unknown as they come. 900 views on this video on Youtube. My middle school French project  broke the millenium mark and this didn't? Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. This is the kind of music that everyone should be listening to. Hear for yourself after the break.

NEW MUSIC: The Lone Bellow

I hear you like Mumford and Sons. That's what the word on the street is. Or at least at the Grammy's says so, although experience tells us that that isn't necessarily a good indicator of what people actually listen to. But, I know enough people looking for music that sounds similar to Mumford that I think this might be appropriate. I don't mean that as a way to take away from The Lone Bellow, who are a fantastic band of their own merit. Based in Brooklyn, they've released one, self-titled album. That's just about all the information I could find on them, so you'll have to just deal. The music though, is worth having to see another fucking guy from Brooklyn wearing a bowtie. Listen after the jump.

Of Montreal- Wrath Pinned to the Mist and Other Games

Here's a nice tune to get your friday evening going in the right direction.  A feel good melody from a trippy-ass band.  This tune, however, is pretty accessible, everyone at your cool person party will be like, "Oh hey, this is a cool song! Who is playing this cool song? Oh its *yournamehere*? He/She is the coolest! We should canoodle back at my place and listen to more of his cool music."  And then moist melodies.blogspot.com gets a new follower.  We get your back scratched, you get our page views more back scratching or something i don't know.  First person to comment what commercial this song is from gets an attaboy from me personally.

Listen after the border hop:

Amsterdam by Peter Bjorn and John

This is one of those songs that I've heard countless times, without ever knowing who it was by or what it was called. That opening riff will stick with you. Fair warning, if you hear this song once, it is going to be stuck in your head for at least the rest of the day. But honestly, it's worth it. I've been walking to class just whistling that opening riff, not giving a single fuck that other people are staring at me. In my mind, they're probably just trying to figure out what song I'm whistling, because its SO GOOD. Anyways, listen after the jump.

Kiss the Sky by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra

Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra is quite a name for a band. Which I suppose is appropriate, because this is quite a song. From the opening seconds of the song, the beat that drives the whole song becomes apparent. As time passes, more layers are added to this initial riff. It's the perfect balance between catchy and repetitive, which is difficult to pull off. The vocals, while not the main attraction, certainly add something worthwhile to the sound. This song is their biggest hit so far, released in 2009. Listen after the jump.

REQUIRED LISTEN: The best guitar solo you've heard all year.

 

   I have kind of a love-hate relationship with guitar solos. When done properly, they can be amazing. There was a J. Cole (yes, the rapper) concert I went to last year with Colan (the other MM editor), and we still talk about a guitar solo from that night. This nerdy little white guy played probably the best guitar solo I've ever seen in person. The entire crowd, that had showed up specifically for a rap concert, was left speechless by an electric guitar solo. It's these types of moments that make me love guitar solos. Still, they've been romanticized a bit, and they can lose their effect sometimes.
   The following is not an example of that. It is a solo song from John Frusciante (the lead guitar player for Red Hot Chili Peppers), written for a friend of his who had recently died, and who happened to love melodic guitar solos. It flows along smoothly, each note played with so much emotion that you wouldn't believe that it wasn't written for a dead friend. Honestly, this is the most I've enjoyed a piece of instrumental music in a very long time. Flawless. Listen after the jump.

Give Me A Sign by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

I can't begin to tell you how much I like this band. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros pretty much cover all the bases for me. They've got two albums out already, and one more in the works, due out this summer. They're an 11-piece folk band, led by Alex Ebert, based in California. Their first album, Up From Below, was probably their more pop friendly album, led by the impossible not to love "Home." They followed that with the more slowed-down sound of their second album, Here (exemplified by "Mayla." After the jump, there is a new Edward Sharpe song, "Give Me a Sign," which appears to be just a random new song, and not a single from their new album. Still, it's solid. Listen after the jump.

NEW ALBUM: Walkin On A Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile

Kurt Vile is a folk rocker out of Philadelphia. He's released several fantastic albums over the last decade or so, though it seems like his most recent one might just be his best to date. Walkin On A Pretty Daze is the kind of album that can fit in with any time period, even though it came out just two weeks ago. The guitar solo that starts around the 7:00 mark, and goes pretty much for the rest of the song is outstanding. It nearly eclipses the rest of the song for me. The rest of the album has a couple of gems sprinkled in throughout, led off by the epic opening track, "Walkin On A Pretty Day." Listen after the break.

The Playlist to Your 4/20 Evening

Alas, here it is. The only playlist you will need tonight. We have done a fair number of dry runs on these songs, which have been in heavy rotation for the past year or so. They've proven their worth time and time again. I encourage you to listen to the whole thing, as I believe it gets better as it goes along. Happy holidays guys. Listen after the jump.

The Only Wake and Bake Playlist You'll Ever Need

I don't want to brag, but this playlist is kind of our expertise. You love to wake and bake. We love to wake and bake. But most importantly, we love the music we listen to during the wake and bake. Honestly, some of our best musical finds have come from seeking better wake and bake music, and it is as a result of those finds that we made Moist Melodies. For us, the morning sounds best with some light, happy folk music. The playlist is in no particular order, (I basically just went down my iTunes adding songs to the playlist), so I do recommend listening to the whole thing. It's pretty long, but there isn't a single song on this list that won't sound great this morning. Later in the day, we'll post a playlist for later tonight, for when you're getting ready to overdose on weed. OVERDOSE ON WEED. Happy toking oh moist ones. Listen after the break.

Concert Review: Year of the Buffalo

You may not have heard of Year of the Buffalo, in fact I'm willing to bet you haven't.  They're a small indie folk band out of Columbus, OH, and the concert we went to was in a small venue in downtown C-Bus.  A week or so before my fellow editor and I decided it had been too long since we'd gone out to see some music.  We searched the interweb until we found a list of upcoming local concerts.  We picked Year of the Buffalo after browsing their band camp page and realizing that they were actually really good.

Blitzen Trapper

 
   If you've already seen this band posted on Moist Melodies, I apologize. The original post was actually only our fourth post ever on MM, and it only got 3 page views :(  I feel that those of you who have jumped on the bandwagon since that time cannot miss out on them, and so, I repost.

   My fellow editor introduced us to this song by way of a flyfishing documentary, Eastern Rises (which I highly recommend). They've got kind of a wavy folk sound, if that even makes sense. The wobbly synth in "Black River Killer" is what really sold me on this song. And for an extra bonus, there is also "Lady on the Water," a somewhat more traditional sounding folk song, but still fantastic. Listen after the jump.

Chameleon/Comedian by Kathleen Edwards

Kathleen Edwards, a Canadian singer-songwriter, has been at it for years, but this was my first introduction to her. Definitely have been missing out. For one, her first big single was called Hockey Skates, which is a joke that writes itself. But honestly, beyond that moment of laughter, I've enjoyed just about all of her music, and I think you will too. Listen after the break. 

m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar

So last night, I went to a Kendrick Lamar concert. I'm not going to lie to you, it wasn't quite as mind-blowing as I had hoped. But, with that said, there were several moments during that show that met and exceeded expectations. Right before he played this song, he warned those in the pit that it was "about to get turnt' up" in there, and that they might want to leave before it got too rowdy down there. This is riot music right here, and things started to get out of hand when it came on. Quite a moment. Listen after the break.

NEW ALBUM: Overgrown by James Blake

If you haven't heard Retrograde yet, quite frankly, you're wasting your life. It was the lead single from James Blake's new album Overgrown, which came out Monday. He's released several songs since then (which it seems he's pissed about), and they've all been very solid (though not quite as great as Retrograde). We've gotten through the whole thing once, and the sound is definitely a little lighter than some of his earlier stuff. A full review might be forthcoming, depending on if I can get my act together before it becomes too late. But I feel confident recommending it to you. Listen after the jump.

"Verses From the Abstract" by A Tribe Called Quest

Everybody knows A Tribe Called Quest. The Queens-based rap group is among the many outstanding old school rap groups, along with the likes of NWA and their fellow big apple rappers, Wu Tang Clan. It took me a little while to appreciate the tribe; their flow is very distinctly old school, and it held me back from hearing, and subsequently enjoying their rhymes. I don't claim to be a Tribe expert, but "Verses From the Abstract" has always seemed, to me, an under appreciated classic. I mean, they rhyme "booty" with "duty," and that just about sold it for me. Listen after the Triborough Bridge.

NEW ALBUM: Jake Bugg

Jake Bugg is an English singer songwriter, and today, he released his first full-length album in the US. As I listen to it now, I can't help but draw some comparisons to The Tallest Man on Earth. His voice is unconventional, rasping just slightly, but in such a way that it does not take away from the sound. It'll take a little while to fully digest the album, but on first listen, it's definitely moist enough to grace these pages. Moistness is life. Listen after the leap.

By Your Side by CocoRosie

My mom's always telling me that the music I listen to is too weird. I fervently resist her claims, but on this song, she might be right. It uses bird chirping prominently, so there's that. And that picture above, is the first result when you google image search "CocoRosie." So I'm not embellishing when I say they're pretty weird. But really, this song is all about getting past the weirdness, and focusing on the slow, hazy beat and thin voice crooning above the simple instrumentation. It's fantastic. Herbal stimulation recommended. Listen after the break.
Sounds like: Joanna Newsom

Hey, Who Really Cares by Linda Perhacs

One of the main reasons that we formed Moist Melodies was to showcase bands that we love, that we feel are not getting enough attention. Everyone has an artist or two who are totally unknown, but whom  we think make fantastic music. There are the well-established good bands of the time, and there are also unknown nuggets waiting to be discovered. This is the case now as much as it was in the 1970's, when Linda Perhacs released her first and only studio album, Parallelograms. It was unappreciated at the time, but has come back to prominence after some of her music was featured in a Daft Punk movie. You can't help but be reminded of the similar story of the rediscovery of Rodriguez's music (which has been featured here).

Anyway, she sings in a Joan Baez-esque style, but with a focus on a quieter, more reflective sound. She occasionally breaks into a more rambunctious style, but its hard to top the beautiful soft voice in "Hey, Who Really Cares," which is off of Parallelograms, released 1970. Listen after the break.

Sounds Like: Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Rodriguez

NEW MUSIC: The Soundtrack to Oblivion by M83

M83 is awesome. You can't tell me otherwise. There's not a single song of theirs that I can say I dislike.   Also, I kinda like Tom Cruise, if that's even something someone can do. So when you tell me M83 is doing the soundtrack for the next Tom Cruise movie, I am 100% on board. The first single was awesome. The rest of the soundtrack was released today, and it is spectacular. It's streaming over at Consequence of Sound, so check it out.

Same Song, Yet So Different

So, simply put, I found three versions of the same old folk standard, "I'll Fly Away".  The song was originally written in 1929 by a man named Albert E Brumley, and was published in Hartford, CT (860 Represent!) as a gospel tune.  It has since been recorded countless times by the likes of pretty much everyone from country artists such as Gillian Welch, who is featured here (again from the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, seriously, download it) jazz artists such as the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz band, and even Yeezy himself liked it enough to record a short version of it.  Listen to all three.  All are good, all are different and each has their own appeal.  Honestly there's doubtlessly countless other versions I could have also featured but, hey, I'm lazy.  If you find new versions that are adequately moist, send em!  Let us know which of these three you like best!  We love interaction.  It makes us feel like we matter. Well, that got weird and introspective, im going to go drink heavily, you guys listen to the songs after the triple jump (get it? Because there's three songs.)