Among Savages - Cold Wind

Do you remember approximately one year ago when I featured some work by one-man-band Among Savages?  I hope you do, because "Start at the Beginning" is still a favourite of mine, and the EP of the same name is just as good.  However, all things slip through the cracks sooner or later, and the rest of those songs kind of got away from me.  Fast forward to about two weeks ago when "Cold Wind" came up on shuffle one day, and you can probably figure out the story from there.

I actually sent "Cold Wind" to one of my roommates to see what she'd say about it, and though it sounded "like a Christmas song," she liked it.  And with that seal of approval, I knew we had something here.  "Cold Wind" is accessible, and yes, a little winterized, but it's easy on the ears and easy on the mind.  I'm not sure of who the female vocalist is, however, but her and Among Savages work well together on this track.  So it's time for me to plug this in while the snow blows outside.  Fitting.

You're the only thing I want on a snowy night.

Protest the Hero - Palms Read

Good on the boys of Protest the Hero for taking their music into their own hands.  Their next album is going to be made exclusively by them with help from fan donations, and even though there's still a long time until it makes it into my hands, I have never been this excited for a release.  Well, you could make an argument for Chevelle's Sci Fi Crimes and Dead and Divine's Antimacy, but let's live in this moment.  In honor of their upcoming work, I've taken a look back at their music and hand-picked "Palms Read," off of Fortress, to come your way this afternoon.

Fortress is an epic album, and "Palms Read" is definitely nothing short of epic itself.  It's genuine PTH, with guitar artistry you can only dream of and Mr. Walker's voice from heaven.  This is the soundtrack to a dark castle in some forgotten land, and I wouldn't mind swinging by for a visit if that's the case.  The lyrics are conceptual and a little abstract, but still wondrous.  As often as always, evolution comes crawling form the sea and sneaking through the lecture hall, the crawl across the island.  It's put best nearly halfway through the song: we will never answer where we came from, only how we got here.  Guys, I don't need to know where you came from, but you're here and making beautiful music for us, and I'm more than content.

Widowspeak - Ballad of the Golden Hour

I'm going to keep recommending sweet indie songs until the world is a better place.  If you're a sometimes-pessimist like me, you'll know that the world will never be perfect, which means that sweet indie is here to stay.  The sweetest of the day comes courtesy of Widowspeak, the duo of Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas who have recently released Almanac.  Off the album comes "Ballad of the Golden Hour," a song that's easy on the ears and soothing on those migraine-laden days.  The guitar work is breezy, the vocals are darling, and even better, it reminds me of summer.  With this track on, there's no worry over the sloppy sidewalks outside.  So be laid-back today.  You deserve it.

MaG - Hello, Goodnight

MaG is a rapper that's hard to find on Facebook, so I can't give you any good background info on him.  Though really, all you need to know is that he's good.  Really good.  He's got the understated rap bit down and his album Freedom was even free to download (and still is, as far as I know).  While he gives us some great work on that effort, I'm going to feature a very minimal piece.  "Hello, Goodnight" features MaG's rhymes over the yawn of a horn that's literally just audible, and that's all it needs to be (it does rise a touch in volume, but still).  "Hello, Goodnight" is nowhere near being overpowering.  You could play this in front of your parents and they probably wouldn't care.  And the rap?  MaG delivers it from the heart.  So go ahead, get your hands on the album, and do me a favor and listen to this track first.

Panic! at the Disco - Hurricane

I remember back when Panic! at the Disco's third album, Vices & Virtues came out, I was worried.  The main reason was because Ryan Ross and Jon Walker had left the band, leaving Brandon Urie and the drummer (Spencer Smith...sorry!) with full control.  Also, after looking at the distinct differences between A Fever You Can't Sweat Out and Pretty. Odd. I worried that they would be doing another drastic change.  Well, it actually didn't turn out to be too bad.  Think of this sound being a happy medium of their Beatles-esque musical and electronic alt-rock.  There are a handful of gems in this treasure chest, and "Hurricane" is the diamond.

"Hurricane" is about sex.  Now we're all in understanding, especially with lyrics like hey stranger, I want you to catch me like a cold and I led the revolution in my bedroom and I set all the zippers free.  But Urie and Smith make it about more than that.  They fuse a peppy chorus with borderline-baroque sounds and make "Hurricane" hella catchy to boot.  Though the album as a whole isn't spectacular, shining moments like this make it worth the listen.

We said no more war
No more clothes, give me peace
Oh, kiss me.

Deerhunter - Helicopter + Diplo & Lunice Remix

Snowy Friday afternoons call for one (of many) things: dreamy indie.  And who has that dreamy concept down?  Well, Atlanta's Deerhunter has the laid-back indie genre down pat, but they get into the land of nod with an oldie called "Helicopter."  The track leans on a succession of bells and other percussion instruments, as well as some nice guitar work that doesn't overpower the song.  This is what I like to listen to when I'm walking home from an evening class, it makes the city streets a little more fantastical. 

And of course, all good songs come with remixes that are just as spectacular.  This one, courtesy of my forever favourite Diplo and unknown-to-me Lunice, is how I first heard of Deerhunter back in 2010.  This remix is less dreamy indie than the original, and a little more electro.  The spattering drums are a nice touch, the vocals are sped up just a touch, and the original melancholy feel isn't lost. 

We know he loves you the best.

Rococode - Empire

I think every day calls for some relaxed indie pop, especially Thursdays.  Why?  Because I said so, that's why.  Rococode is even a home-grown group, so my fellow Canadians are kind of obliged to take a listen to "Empire."  Think of them as being in the vein of Metric, but a little less stadium rock, a little more sweet (not that Emily Haines isn't, just so you know).  Laura Smith's female lead vocals are a touch demure, but I wouldn't out anything else with the laid-back guitar work and easy-on-the-ears drums.  The point I'm trying to make here is simple: listen to me, and get good music in return.  Simple enough, right?