Last 7 Days is a returning series here on The Metronome that uses last.fm to chronicle the artists and albums that have made up the last week’s worth of listening for one of our staff members. This week, Colin Joyce, or outtasiteoutta, shares the listening habits that made up his week.
Merchandise
(72 plays)
If you ask the powers that be in the Central Florida music scene, it would appear that Merchandise have pretty much come out of nowhere. They’ve shunned the usual route of opening for national acts on their Tampa and Orlando in favor of some infamous Warehouse and Record Store performances. Though their rapid rise to relative notability may come as a shock to, well, most of the people engrained in the music scene in those parts, both their 2012 post punk influenced effort, Children of Desire, and the more shoegaze inflected tunes of 2010’s, Strange Songs (In The Dark) beg to be noticed. Though Merchandise may not have sought the attention, these tracks indicate that they deserve every bit of it.
Merchandise on Spotify.
Lotus Plaza
(40 plays)
Now to speak in less hyperbolic terms. I’ve always been a fan of Lockett Pundt’s contributions to the Deerhunter canon (as well as his debut solo effort The Floodlight Collective), but I found myself initially underwhelmed by Spooky Action at A Distance. Looking back on that first impression, after seeing Pundt’s rain-drenched set at this years Pitchfork Festival, I can only see what a fool I was. Especially on this new record, Pundt has asserted himself as an outstanding songwriter, even without the goofy buoy that Bradford Cox would appear to be. “Strangers” and “Jet Out Of The Tundra” in particular prove Pundt’s singular songwriting voice. Though it may be an unassuming sound, lazy guitar pop dressed in heavy reverb and other distinctly dreamy trappings, Pundt has here crafted what may be his best work to date, and I foresee this one sticking in my listening habits for quite a while.
Lotus Plaza on Spotify.
Slowdive
(38 plays)
In preparation for our coming 90s features (look out for those soon), I’ve taken to spinning a few records from one of my absolute favorite acts of all time. I’ll be expounding more on my ever-growing affinity for Slowdive elsewhere, but here an admonition. If you’ve never taken the time to listen to Souvlaki and Pygmalion, do so right now. It comes with the obvious disclaimer that not everyone will develop the same emotional connection to everything, but these are two albums that changed my life. Who cares if they were the shoegaze band that the music press chose to dump on during their original run? This is some seriously affecting stuff and you deserve to have this band in your life.
Slowdive on Spotify.
Nick Drake
(37 plays)
The same over the top words of praise could very easily be piled upon Nick Drake. And really what else can I say that hasn’t already been said. Though it took Volkswagen commercials for him to come to the widespread acclaim he so deserved, there’s no disputing the immense emotional force behind tracks like “Place To Be” and “Things Behind The Sun”. There’s those who hold Pink Moon as nothing short of sacred, and I think I’m getting closer and closer to feeling the exact same.
Nick Drake on Spotify.
Melody’s Echo Chamber
(32 plays)
I’ve made no secret how much I’m in love with Melody’s Echo Chamber’s “Crystallized”. It’s the rare track that gives insight into a band’s staying power, even from the very beginning. Just from a few cursory spins of the single, the comparisons to Stereolab and Broadcast seem apt, even selling short Melody Prochet’s uniquely spacey pop songs. Even with only two proper songs to her name, she’ll be one to watch out for, that’s for sure.
Sorry, Melody’s Echo Chamber is currently unavailable on Spotify.
The Babies
(26 plays)
Because of the incredibly insular scene that is Brooklyn’s DIY circuit, I found myself in the rare position of having seen The Babies, Kevin Morby (of Woods) and Cassie Ramone’s (of Vivian Girls) collaborative project, open for various acts before I heard a single song of theirs. They put on a raucous sort of drunken indie rock that, in both instances, instigated a communal indie kid mosh pit. Couple that with the easy singalongs of “Meet Me In The City” and “Breakin’ The Law”, they put on one of the most downright fun live sets in which I’ve ever had the chance to participate. Their recorded material too, is heavy on looseness and good vibes, and is certainly worth a your time.
The Babies on Spotify.
Mac DeMarco
(22 plays)
He’s already put out one deceptively outstanding EP this year, and now with the release of “My Kind Of Woman” he’s poised to release an album on Captured Tracks that supersedes the success of that first work. These are just endlessly re-playable tracks. Similar to the decrepit cool of Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train, DeMarco’s material treads the line between sleazy guitar rock and 50s crooner inflected earnestness. These tracks embody the downtrodden downtown Memphis, Elvis impersonators and all.
Mac DeMarco on Spotify.
Twin Sister
(21 plays)
I’ve never fully been able to pinpoint why, but I’ve always found something about Andrea Estrella’s voice incredibly comforting. Perhaps that’s why even a full two years after its release I’m still head over heels in love with Twin Sister’s EP Color Your Life. Though it took time, I’ve developed similar feelings for last year’s In Heaven. It’s certainly enough to occupy my time until they give us more.
Twin Sister on Spotify.
