Thursday, Sep. 03, 2009
Podpicks for September 3, 2009
This week, the guest Pod Picks chair is occupied by Michael Wood, a local concert promoter/booker and member of Something About Vampires and Sluts and The Wet Teens, who recommends the following tracks for downloading (legally, of course) to your iPod or other media device.
"Time Bomb" by Beck - I was watching my favorite TV show, "True Blood," and when the credits started rolling at the end of the show, this incredibly catchy tune came on and I was hooked right away. I looked it up, and it turns out it's also on the soundtrack for the CW television show, "Gossip Girl." I'm happy to say I did not discover this song on that show. It's a nice, loud, new wave influenced rock tune. With quirky keyboards, loud fuzz-bass lines, and Beck's signature vocal style, this is a great dance party song. Beck did a great job of mixing his current surf/garage rock influences (heavily noticed on his latest record, "Modern Guilt") with a get-off-your-ass-and-dance attitude. If the next Beck album is in the vein of "Time Bomb" then it will probably be his best album, if you ask me.
"Fireflies" by Owl City - This was iTunes' Single of The Week a couple weeks ago. When I heard it I thought to myself, "Holy shit, it's a new Postal Service song!" I was wrong, but I have never heard anything sound so close to another band. As it turns out, it's a one-man band, and it's basically a Christian version of Postal Service. Luckily, there are no preachy lyrics. While the production is a little too sugary for my tastes, and the song is a bit on the sappy side, I can't help but admit this is one of the catchiest songs I have heard in a while. Basically, I'll be listening to Owl City, while I patiently await a new Postal Service release. Any fan of synth-pop, dance music, or `80s new wave should take note of this project. I can definitely see this guy being very successful in the future.
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