Cory Bishop - Cory Bishop EP

It's past my bedtime, so I'll keep this short. But do you ever have an experience where you immediately write off music based on your first listen, when you link that music with something generic and disposable? And then, when you listen another time, and then another, you realize that there's something really special there?

That's exactly how I feel about Cory Bishop. I don't know who sent me this album (thanks person), but it was probably hidden in the small pocket of my car where I keep a stack of CDs that I eventually get around to, but in no rush. And then I popped it in today, and it sounded like a generic alt-country album that is like the definition of most boring music to me.

I have to admit, leading off with "You Can't Take Me" might not have been the wisest choice if you want to attract Danielle Sills' in the future. But I'm trying not to be so shallow to overlook an entire EP based on the over-compressed alt-country nugget that is this song. And, well, even this nugget grew on me.

But the more I listen to the five songs on this release, the more I find hints of things I like. Little melodies here and there, lyrics that are clever and concise, and then, the ultimate compliment, a song that reminds me of Josh Ritter, a man who I think has some of the best songcraft of modern times (not to mention the best lyrics).

I like the sad ones best. "Crown of Thorns" has great imagery -- they're sitting in the back of a beat up truck with the radio playing unmemorable songs and commercials about diamond rings... then this lyric happens: "when we wake I'm gonna take back everything I say/but you'll never get back what you're letting me steal away." It's the sad regret of a man who knows he shouldn't be doing what he's doing.

But it's not until the final track, "Honey I Ain't," that I really decided I supremely enjoy this little mini-album. It creeps forward, cascading easily like a good Josh Ritter song, building and backing off and building again each chorus. It gallops forward with a nice beat, and how could you not love picturing this lyric? "The city streets are filled with empty/except the fog that's slowly lifting," he croons, "the buildings try to scrape the sky/by this point i've memorized the shade of green encompassed by your eyes." Bishop does this nice thing with rhyming without you realizing that he's doing it, so it sounds paced, but not obvious. I really like that. I really like this song.

If you're a fan of Ritter or The Head and the Heart, check him out. He's in Nashville, and he's touring, and hopefully getting big soon.

Doe Eye - Television

It looks ordinary from the cover, but this Television is anything but. Doe Eye is Maryam Qudus, an Afghan American whose parents never really approved of her playing music. She began a pre-med program only to drop out and go instead to Berklee College of Music.

Her debut full-length starts off menacingly with a harsh, crunchy grit, a sound that immediately sounds familiar to fans of John Vanderslice. (The album was recorded at his Tiny Telephone studios... which is a place chock full of cool analog instruments -- enough reason to get excited about this album before you even listen.) I'm a big fan of the second track, "Diamond." "Momma always said I'm a diamond/cuz I'm rough," she croons understatedly, with a great melody and a really morbid vibe.

Where it starts to turn a corner for me is on the third song, "I Was Born on a Monday." It starts with the same intro melody as Robbie Williams' "Millenium" (remember that huge hit around the harrowing times of Y2K?), without all the woos and the good feelings. It has something of a St. Vincent feel. The longing sound of Qudus' voice, the miscellaneous piano twinkling, the strange, bass-like synthesizer. And that's where she loses me. On songs like these, Qudus gets a little too weird.

Weird like the kind of music I could no longer put on a mix CD for a friend who isn't into strange music. It goes past the line of normal song structure, and into some noise. Not noise like all out noise, but it's busy. It starts to make me feel chaotic, which may be the point, but I don't like that point.

The other gem on the album is "Untitled," an edgy number with a straight-up guitar line, punctured drums, which speed up in spurts, and a nice, looming piano laced throughout.  It's simple, feels cool, and shows a focus that some of this album can't seem to hold.

One last note for musicians. Can you please stop putting hidden tracks like 15 minutes into the last song? If I'm listening in a car or somewhere where I can't easily fast-forward, I really don't like waiting for that long to listen to more music. So, just have an 11th song. It's not that big of a deal, nor does it make you special. Actually, with the last Alt-J album, it prevented me from putting my favorite song on the album on all my mixes. You're ruining good mixtapes/CD's people!

Ok rant over. Bottom line here is: check this woman out. She's got something really good going, and I only see it getting better with time.

Generationals - Alix

 If there was an overriding theme of Alix, it would be falsetto. Not Bee Gees falsetto. Because this isn't exactly disco. Sure, it's peppy and you could argue it's danceable, but this synthesizer-driven collection is more pop than dance music.  And on the songs with falsetto, you just wish this male duo would get an awesome female to hit the same notes without such an airy, weak delivery.

But not everything is coated in gooey crooning. “Charlemagne” brings out the best in the Louisiana band, from glitchy beats to easygoing harmonies. They know how to make cute little catchy numbers, but they’re just not ear-catching enough to stay in your head for very long after they end. Stronger vocals might just do the trick.

Michaela Anne - Ease My Mind

It's been a while since I've done this, so let's see if I can remember.

I'm not much of a country fan in general. I find most of the new country repulsive, although I've found a little soft spot lately for Kasey Musgraves (although the spot isn't that soft because I still had to google her name to remember it). But this release feels more folksy with a country twang.

The songs each have really pretty melodies, and some of the ache you hear in Jessica Lea Mayfield's music. After repeated listens, this is one you're probably going to want to sing along to.

I'm not giving it a ringing endorsement, but a "maybe check it out" for us borderline folk/alternative country fans.

Things I Think Are Beautiful

Or something like that. Here are three songs from bands that don't suck right now.

First, Nightlands' "I Fell In Love With a Feeling" has an awesome blast of horns and infectious little melody. Plus, this music video has a weird transforming science ball that looks like the TV show The Secret World of Alex Mack, which my babysitter would let me stay up and watch after my sister went to sleep.



Then, there's the Hot Chip-y dance fun of Dutch Uncles' "Flexxin." This music video features a man who may be trying to do the dance moves of the Backstreet Boys in "Backstreet's Back," but he looks more like a cat. There's also some really gorgeous strings that remind me of the happiness I feel when I listen to Ra Ra Riot.



Finally, we have Woods' "Size Meets the Sound." I really slept on this album (Bend Beyond). I remember liking it upon first listen, but dismissing it because I was looking for something great to be in my top albums of the year list. I'm not sure how I could ignore something this blissful when my number one was Tame Impala. I'm really, really digging this guitar riff and the mood this song sets. Plus, it has an bridge of epic wall of fuzz. There's a certain genre that I just want to classify as "Danielle wants to be on vacation and listen to this so loud with no distractions and pretend the whole world is just this moment and this song." This song fits that genre. Have fun.

Mac DeMarco - Dreamin

This video disgusts me. I don't want to see slime covering a man's made up face, ever. (spoiler alert, too late) I don't want to see the tricks you can play with smoke. I don't want to see lipstick on Mac DeMarco's lips.

I also absolutely love this song, and since seeing this video yesterday morning, I can't get it out of my head. I love it so much. It reminds me of Real Estate, with its languorous guitar licks and just irresistible mellow vibe. In a way, I wish his music videos were more like theirs: filled with puppies and sunshine and all the things that this kind of music belongs with.

But it's better this way. The off-kilter video is memorable, and gives me a new way of thinking of a song I might have just thought was sappy goodness before.

Oh, and after watching it 8 times, I'm starting to dig that outfit.

Generationals - Spinoza

What's up, world?

Let's start off the day right with Generationals. I had a crazy fit of small worldness or coincidence when I found out recently that members of The Eames Era are now Generationals. The Eames Era was one of those bands that I used to play on my radio show in college all the time. Nobody ever really commented about them, and I'm convinced that probably only one or two people in the world ever bought their album because I don't remember reading anything about them anywhere. But they were big on my radio show. And I loved them and forgot them.

So now that pop glory is coming alive all over again in Generationals. Happily, I saw them open for Apples in Stereo a couple years ago in Cleveland. I've loved them ever since. And here's a track off their upcoming album, Heza, which will come out on Polyvinyl in April.

It's the same sort of joyful, gooey pop ditty that made Actor-Caster so much fun. It's making me long for nicer weather and car drives with the windows down. Soon enough. Actually, probably just in time for this album to see its proper release. Until then.

Sky Ferreira

I don't make new years resolutions. But if I did, it might be to post more frequently, on a whim, when I hear something that wakes me up or when I revisit an older album that blows my brains out. Another non-resolution is to maybe listen to more of the emails I get from publicists instead of letting them sit in my inbox and eventually archive them when I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume.

So I opened this email today about a girl named Sky Ferreira, and she's a little too skimpy black tank top for me. She's a little too early Fiona Apple, crawling on the floor to be sexy, for me.

But the heavy rumble of this song is a little too much for me to avoid, and it's got enough pep and atmosphere to warrant repeated plays. The beginning starts a little bit Muse-y, and it grows and flowers from there.

I think, if you're like me, you'll like it.

Put Some Punch in Your Step

Happy Dad's Day. Here's some power, from some elves. It's pretty chill.

Elf Power - Stranger in the Window

By the way, I LOVE ELEPHANT 6.