Ra Ra Riot: The Rhumb Line

A Special fav of mine: Ra Ra Riot. From Syracuse, these dudes and dudettes produce bittersweet sounds and liberating beats.

The strings and percussion matched with echoing male and female vocals make for a great soundtrack while riding your bike in the rain. Yeah, I've done it. Inspirational.

I recommend their debut album The Rhumb Line. "Ghost Under Rocks" is an excellent opener. Keep in mind drummer John Pike cowrote half the tracks on this album - and now he's dead.

So pay your respects and download that shite here (if I did it right): http://drop.io/cptethw

Pinback's Summer in Abaddon

Most people I talk to in NY don't know much about the San Diego music scene and neither do I. I do however know of one band that is a huge part of that scene right now and is getting bigger. The band Pinback, made up of two musicians (although they tour with more) is how shall I say....the truth. Their last two albums are below and are both very good all the way through. Check out 'Summer in Abaddon' first. This is the one that got me into them. Released in 2004, it is packed with catchy riffs and a vocal feel that reminds me of Elliott Smith's days back in Heatmiser. The latest album from 2007 is 'Autumn of the Seraphs.' Nearly as complete as its predecessor, the band has captured their unique sound once again through a very clean and up close production style; sounds great on good speakers.

Summer in Abaddon: http://drop.io/pinbacksummer#
(my favorites are tracks 1 and 5)

Autumn of the Seraphs: http://drop.io/pinbackautumn#
(my favorite is track 3)

Camera Obscura's 'Let's Get Out of this Country'

Camera Obscura has been around for awhile now, but I just recently got into their 2006 LP entitled Let's Get Out of this Country. Their sound is crazy; the production has an old-time feel achieved by retro-sounding reverbs. The songs are pop songs but it is nothing like I have ever heard on el radio. They are coming out with a new album, called the Maudlin Career, in the next few months.

Here is the link to Let's Get Out of this Country:

http://drop.io/downloadapollos4#

Here is a link to their website where you can listen to a track from their new cd:

http://www.camera-obscura.net/



XOXO
Gossip Apollo

Blind Pilot's 3 Rounds and a Sound

O M F G this band is tite. Blind pilot is mostly acoustic guitars and harmonizing vocals, but also has xylophone, violins, and soft drums. Their latest album, titled 3 rounds and a sound, was good from the first listen and still hasn't gotten old. This band embarked on a West Coast bike tour to promote their stuff in small towns. This wasn’t a tour where they road bikes, and had a van hauling the equipment. They hauled everything on their bikes. No gas. 100% leg powered. For you D.C. scrubs, they are playing at IOTA on march 27. For New York peeps, Mercury lounge on March 31, I'll see ya there. If you want to listen to one song and see if you like, I recommend track 5, "One Red Thread." Download that shit right herrrrrrr:

http://drop.io/downloadapollos3#

Past Blast: Pet Sounds

As fun it is to discover new bands, it can be just as rewarding to rediscover old ones. I do this about once a month with the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds.

There are influential albums, and then there is Pet Sounds. A project that was set forth when Brian Wilson heard Rubber Soul fell in love, it in turn inspired Sgt. Pepper. Paul McCartney and George Martin have publicly admitted its enormous influence on their seminal album, and in the Beatles' musical development in general - going so far as to state that without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper would not exist. If there is an inkling of truth to that statement, I am forever grateful to Brian Wilson.

Enough of the history bullshit. On with the music itself.


Orchestral arrangements in rock have been done before (e.g. A Day in the Life), but this is different. When you listen to the orchestra, you don't notice individual instruments so much as collective colors in a constantly changing palette. Technically speaking, Brian achieves this by combining instruments and doubling the same instrument. Have the harpsichord and the accordian play the same part, and you get a whole new instrument. Record two basses playing the same line, and it no longer sounds like a traditional bass. But let's not focus so much on the cause as the effect. The result of this instrumental mashing-up is a musical texture that is richer than rock had ever seen before, or have since.

The vocals are less technically tricky. Simply put, the Beach Boys just know how to harmonize. Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson grew up harmonizing before going to bed every night, and along with their childhood friend Mike Love, they make some truly beautiful sounds. Notice the vocal swells at the end of "You Still Believe in Me" or the backing vocals on "I'm Still Waiting for the Day."

As complete as the album is, it is ultimately a collection of songs, and any one of them can stand on its own. I hate how pop culture treats "Wouldn't It Be Nice." It is more than a simple pop song, and it's a crime that only the first 20 seconds is known by most of the world. In it Brian accomplishes what is insanely difficult - changing tempo and key constantly, all the while keeping the flow going and not confusing the listener.

And this can be applied to most songs on the album. One does not immediately notice their complexity because of the fluidity of the melodies and soundscapes, but delve a little deeper and the songwriting becomes almost impossible to fully decipher (I defy you to figure out the chords in "God Only Knows," one of the easiest songs to sing but hardest ones to play).

"Don't Talk" is an incredibly beautiful love song, unique on the album for its slow pace but no less complex or moving. "Let's Go Away for a While" might be the most satisfying non-vocal piece not written by Beethoven. And I can't listen to "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" at work because I'm afraid I'll burst into tears. (Especially on the line "Where can I turn/ When my fair-weather friends cop out." Oh God. Excuse me...)

I can go on for pages and pages, but just listen for yourself. When you're feeling a little blue, or find yourself with a free half hour, lie down in bed, put the album on, and crank the volume to 10. Don't put it on in the background while you email; this album demands your full attention, in the same way as OK Computer or Abbey Road (at least for the first couple times).

Download here:

http://drop.io/apollopetsounds/media