4 for Thursday

I keep intending to write new posts on old stuff--long-time personal favorites, etc. But in the last week I've tripped across a lot of good new music (new to me, anyway). It seems absurd to hold this back.

You Fall - Jason Anderson
An astonishing thing happens halfway through "You Fall": Jason Anderson (aka Wolf Colonel) reaches for a high note, kinda hits it, then decides to take a break for a while. Fixes a sandwich, enjoys a short nap, watches some T.V., then returns. It works. In fact, the whole song is so lovable in that "just hanging out at the house" kind of way, you want to wrap it in a big warm blanket and kiss it on the forehead.

Pop Song - The Mardous
Here's the secret to loving a song like this. Limit your exposure to the new breed of angular British post-punk art-rock revival bands. So, for example, consume Bloc Party only occasionally and when offered Maximo Park or whatever, say "no thank you, but I'm full from that Bloc Party track." That way, when you hear "Pop Song," you can appreciate how refreshing three chords and a bit of a dance beat sounds when it's not done to death. And you can imagine what it must've been like back when Gang of Four invented the sound.

Last Stop - The Weather Machines
Aww, how these guys packed so much hip-shakin' goodness in one song I don't know. I was listening to garage greats The Smithereens (speaking of long-time personal favorites) a couple nights ago, so The Weather Machines make me think of them a little, but also The dBs and even Fleetwood Mac. As far as I'm concerned, it's a sound that never goes out of style.

Bed of Nails - Private Eleanor
For those not ashamed to admit a weakness for Crowded House, Private Eleanor is your new favorite band. Singer/leadman Austin Stahl isn't quite Neil Finn (not yet anyway), but Stahl's sweet, hushed voice and gift for melodies that just fall into place call Finn to mind. Not to mention the keyboards that run delightfully rampant all over "Bed of Nails."