OE Monomania Weekly Playlist 3-28-16

Time for a reup our OE Monomania playlist, a weekly playlist of songs that are currently stuck in our heads. The songs we can’t quit listening to. This week, 3-28-16, we can’t get enough of:

Anthony Aparo – “Don’t Be Late”

Anthony Aparo is the frontman for one of the most exciting indie electro pop groups around these days, Atlanta’s Culture Culture. These guys are pushing the boundaries of experimental pop creating something unique that still has mass appeal. But at the core, Anthony Aparo himself is a great singer songwriter with a unique talent to deliver his message. While Culture Culture has that fun, quirky appeal that will have the crowds dancing, on “Don’t Be Late”, Aparo shows off his talent as a more serious subject matter songwriter. Taken from his upcoming LP Under, due out in May, “Don’t Be Late” shows Aparo in love, exploring his inner breezy Jackson Browne or James Taylor and the trials and tribulations of being in love with someone you just can’t quit. While the song seems steeped in some of the great songwriters of the 70’s, it still feels fresh and unique today, a needed voice in today’s musical landscape. – MG

Car Seat Headrest – “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales”

Will Toldeo has released 11 albums on Bandcamp over the last five years as Car Seat Headrest. The Seattle based band has started to get the well deserved recognition with last year’s debut on Matador, 2015’s Teens of Style, which was a collection of rerecorded songs from those albums. Now set to release his official debut on Matador of new material, Teens of Denial due out May 20th, Car Seat Headrest has released the first official single “Drunk Driver/Killer Whales”. The single shows both hope and pessimism, with Toldeo’s voice shining through like the best of The Strokes, slowly building into a crescendo that’s both playful and serious. Car Seat Headrest is ready to take it to the next level, and it seems 2016 could just be Toldeo’s year! – MG

Crab Claw – “Carcassonne”

Joke or not the music is good and infectiously entertaining. The Charleston, South Carolina parody “supergroup” Crab Claw is headed by Walker Trull, with contributing members drummer Wolfgang Zimmerman and guitarist Christian Chidester of Brave Baby, SUSTO’s Johnny Delaware on guitar and vocals and Corey Campbell on the keys. Crab Claw released their debut album Pink Eye in September of 2015. “Carcassonne” plays with sounds like piano-rock while merging a little rock in there with the guitar and drums. Yea they sound slightly like a yacht rock band, but trust me you are going to love it. Each song on their album Pink Eye takes on a different persona, with their hysterically offensive lyrics that are obviously meant to be taken lightly, but the music is good. – LP

Frankie Cosmos – “On The Lips”

Greta Kline begins her newly recorded “On The Lips” like she half cares about what she’s singing about and then breaks into a sweet chorus about “Why should I kiss you?/ If I could kiss you” with the most precise amount of synth in the background to lift her lyrics and give it an innocence and sweet demeanor.  Frankie Cosmos is a New York based band that delivers a mix of indie folk-pop with hints of low-fi, her music comes across as being “cute” but she brings a level of maturity with their precision in sound.  Kline knows what angles to hit and help you fall in love with her music, and continue to listen to.  “On The Lips,” was originally released back in 2013, but Kline decided to re-record and release it with her new album Next Thing. Next Thing is Frankie Cosmos second studio album and is set to be released on April 1st via Bayonet Records.  Frankie Cosmos play Purgatory at The Masquerade on April 6th. – LP

Frightened Rabbit – “Death Dream” 

Frightened Rabbit recently announced the release of their forthcoming album Painting Of A Panic Attack, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, which will be released April, 8th via  Canvasback/Atlantic.  “Death Dream” brings through such a wave of melancholy feelings with slow builds that carry through, painting a picture of something quite powerful and dark against their lyrics “you died in your sleep last night”  and “blood seems black, against the skin on your porcelain back”.  Regardless if this is a change in sound for the Scot’s or just something different, it’s a beautiful emotionally driven song that we can’t stop listening to! – LP

Hello Ocho – “In Portuguese” 

Atlanta psych rock band Hello Ocho is set to release their sophomore album In Portuguese on Friday, April 1st, something that’s no joke to fans that know this prolific band well. An album that’s been highly anticipated around these parts for a few years, on lead single “In Portuguese” the art rock band brings a translucent approach of harmonies and musicianship that’s other worldly and takes you to another level. Starting out slow with the melodies sucking you right in, the band then changes paces as they suddenly kick it into a different gear with a jazzy sound that sounds influenced by friends like Faun and a Pan Flute, capturing your ear for something hard to get out of your head. This album is on my highly anticipated list, and the lead single only serves to fuel that fire. – MG

Save the Clocktower – “Taboo”

Chicago dream pop group Save the Clocktower are set to release their new EP Taboo on April 8th. The first single of the same name, “Taboo”, is a song that’s hard to immediately not fall for. I dare you to listen and not fall in love. With a funky bassline and killer hooks, this song is completely infectious; it’s hard to deny; it’s hard to stay in your seat for. Spring is here, it’s beautiful out, and Save the Clocktower wants you to get up, dance, and enjoy life. It’s been a while since an indie pop gem has hit immediately like this, and damn if I won’t have another! – MG

Sturgill Simpson – “In Bloom”

Is there any question who the king of country music is these days? This isn’t the first cover Sturgill has done, able to mold others songs (in addition to his own songs) into songs that sound like country classics, meant for the genre. The latest single released from Sturgill’s upcoming third studio album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, which is due on April 15, is one of the classic of all classics for any 90’s kids, Nirvana’s “In Bloom”.  Quite a surprising cover. Sturgill starts out with a soft growling voice that builds into his signature howl, the best voice in country, rearranging the song and tapping into the emotional intensity of the song. Flagged by a horns section, this cover almost doesn’t make sense, but instead it shows just how wide ranging the song and Sturgill himself is. It’s actually a match made in heaven, and something that Kurt would be proud of. – MG

Tiger + Man – “Wondering”

Brooklyn duo Tiger + Man just released their debut self titled EP introducing you to their spaced out indie pop with lead single “Wondering”. The explosive electro-pop band starts out grabbing you with a slow R&B groove that reminds of bands such as St. Vincent, Wye Oak, and Chairlift, delivering their own push and pull that demands your attention and will have you floating away in your own time continuum with the band. – MG

Tracks currently on Spotify all added together into one easy to listen playlist that’s updated weekly from this list, sticking at 30 songs max from the last few weeks:

This week’s contributors: Lisa Parish (LP); Mike Gerry (MG)