Songs That Might Otherwise Pass You By

The Bell, "On and On"

Alot of reviews are giving comparisons of this band to 80's bands (my musical home) like Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division (hmmm...without the direness, maybe), Jesus and the Mary Chain (I can see that) and newer bands like Interpol. I would agree somewhat with those likenesses, but I would throw in a comparison to The Editors, also very proficient at cloaking their songs in a choked intensity. There is a haziness to "On and On" that definitely brings me back to the sonic headiness of that cross between new wave and post-punk. Too aggro to be really new wave and too melodic to be punk. It pumps out from smoke-filled rooms just around the corner. You hear it when you're stumbling down the alley, and you're intrigued by it, but you can't really tell where it's coming from. From there on, the memory plants itself in your brain, even if you're a little sketchy on the details.

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The Bell stare down the camera . The camera will do their bidding.

The Republic Tigers, "Buildings and Mountains" (Thanks to Filter-Mag)

There's something expansive about the sound in this song. It sounds massive, like it encompasses buildings and mountains. Maybe it's cause I just saw that movie Jumper where the guy teleports to all these incredible sites across the continents (by the by--great scenery, mediocre movie) but I think of the desert when I hear this song. The vocals sound like they were carried in by the sands, seemingly without beginning and end. The music seems effortless, imprinting itself on the song without drawing attention away from the song as a whole. It eases into my consciousness and before I'm fully aware of it, it eases right back out.

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Members of The Republic Tigers try to convince their bandmate on the right that the camera will not steal his soul or his fashion sense.

Basia Bulat, "In The Night"

A hip hootenany. I thought I'd never hear it. I mean, I love a good hootenanny once in awhile, but I never thought I'd find one I wanted to post on my blog. This is not your grandpappy's hootenanny, though. Basia's voice is strong, exuberant and confident. She plays some instrument I'm not at all familiar with, but it sure is nifty-looking. I think it may be an autoharp. The video features her hopping through a series of odd scenes--skeletans dancing, bears playing drums-all the while singing and playing with enthusiasm that's so catching I want to be part of it. Of course I'd have to get off the couch to do that, and today that ain't happening.

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Basia Bulat is in conspiracy with the camera. We will do their bidding.