Ego Likeness

I don't post much about darkwave. It's not that I don't like it, but I kind of branched away from it when I was in my early twenties. My darkwave was Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus (Oh how I love Bauhaus), Ministry, My Life With The Thrill Kill (I've got instant action, sweet satisfaction) and The Swans.

My knowledge of darkwave began and ended there, much like a baby dinosaur when the meteor hit. My darkwave is forever etched with the names Jarboe, Murphy and Sexplosion.  Not a bad way to remember darkwave. Definitely ending on a high note.

Anyway, I went to a club last night (Shock! Horror!) and I liked a band. I liked a darkwave band whose members weren't ready to apply for AARP.

I don't like comparing bands because it's an inaccurate and lazy way to make connections, but it's also a human way to describe something. When I was watching the lead singer/writer Donna Lynch, I was really struck by how much she reminded me of Jarboe from The Swans. The band reminded me a lot of The Swans, and I loved The Swans.

The music, though dark, was emotionally earnest. Each note was pulled from her throat, gasping for life, gasping to let go of its misery. The music was a living thing, and her voice was an honest, willing conduit. She wrapped her voice around the music: She was the Pilot to the music's Moya (Farscape reference).

I felt transfixed, despite my hurting feet, drunk head and uncoordinated body.

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Ego Likeness, "Aviary"


The Swans' cover of "Love will Tell Us Apart" (oh yeah - if Joy Division counts as darkwave, then that was another darkwave band I liked). The Swans also did a beautiful cover of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home".

Shelby Earl, "A Sweetly Sour Sound"

Shelby Earl, "A Sweetly Sour Sound" (streaming)

Okay, this song is totally making me cry. I don't want to cry on a Saturday. I didn't have proper coffee this morning, and I didn't have any Eggos. I don't want to cry on top of all that!

But this song does make me cry.

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She's so pretty. She looks like Pauley Perrette (Abby) from NCIS.

Wye Oak, "Fish"

I couldn't get the embed to work. Here's the link to NPR's host of the video (towards the bottom of the page).

Highlife, "Tuareg Dancehall"

Highlife, "Tuareg Dancehall" (Thanks to KEXP)

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Don't you hate it when a forest sprouts up around you?

J Mascis, "Is It Done"

J Mascis, "Is It Done" (Thanks to KEXP)

I know I just posted a song of his a few weeks ago, but this is a nice song too. So there.

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J Mascis interviewed by Ted Leo

The Raveonettes, "Forget That You're Young"

The Raveonettes, "Forget That You're Young" (Thanks to KEXP for the link)

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This is the video for a different song from their new album

NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Damien Jurado

This is the last NPR video for this weekend, I promise! I'm just playing catch-up. This is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. I love his voice.

NPR Tiny Desk Concert, Adele

I should have posted this last month! I'm behind on watching videos.

She's so pretty.

Wild Flag

I like! They sound like Talking Heads if Talking Heads were all female.

NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts go to SXSW...Emmylou Harris performs