A lot of listening went into this post and into the flow of songs, as if this were a radio show. If you can be indulgent for a half an hour, listen to each song completely and start the next player as the last song ends. I'm hoping to give you a pure, radio-like experience, discovering new favorite songs out of nowhere. Some of the lower-fidelity recordings sound vastly improved if you'll take the time to listen with good headphones or patch into a stereo with good speakers. All these songs were found on the Bandcamp website, where truly independent artists have staked out space to offer their recordings for sale.
Dimmer is from New Zealand. I suspect Shayne Carter has a record or two by Wire in his collection...
Nouveaunoise from Dublin, a glitched-up "Revolution No. 9" played by Chic...
"Sunday Pornography" is messed up in a good Neil Youngish way. It starts slow, and it's kind of ugly, and the lyrics crack me up. It's been playing in my head all week. Mother McKenzie is Wyatt McKenzie, who hails from Las Vegas...
Somebody I used to work with asserted that I played music just so I could make up funny band names, so how could I pass up a band called Teenage Mysticism? A hook-laden, gently rockin' song of unrequited teenage lust...
American Folklore, another band name I had to investigate. "Smoke" is from the Sky Shivers LP, which I've been listening to all week. Shivers makes me think again of Neil Young, recording on a 4-track in his basement. Lucas Rambo's got that wide scope - gentle folk, crushing guitars, spooky reggae, sometimes all in the same song. (I chose gentler songs to post this time.) I think he might be Astrud Gilberto's grandson.
This desperate acoustic guitar instrumental from Chuck Johnson reminds me of Peter Lang, who recorded briefly for John Fahey's Takoma label in the '70's...
Minta & The Brook Trout are from Portugal. "The right boulevards" has beautiful harmonies and a sweet swaying 50's feel...
Another gem from Shana Cleveland's Oh, man, cover the ground LP...
Lastly, a sublime, wobbly vision from American Folklore...
http://dimmer-new-zealand.bandcamp.com/
http://nouveaunoise.bandcamp.com/album/goni-cinnte
http://mothermckenzie.bandcamp.com/album/sunday-pornography
http://joeydemarco.bandcamp.com/album/dead-channels
http://americanfolklore.bandcamp.com/album/sky-shivers
http://chuckjohnson.bandcamp.com/album/a-struggle-not-a-thought
http://minta.bandcamp.com/
http://shanacleveland.bandcamp.com/album/oh-man-cover-the-ground
