More Ladybug Transistor. What a delicious sound these guys make. And what’s not to love about a band whose name evokes the fact that old school electronic transistors resemble ladybugs? What is cuter than a ladybug? This track is purty. I was on the train the other day and noticed that every single passenger was using their little i-Thingys. Then I noticed I was too. Always on the telephone. We need like, a volcano or aliens or something.

The Ladybug Transistor
“Always On The Telephone” (download mp3)
from “Can’t Wait Another Day”
“Always On The Telephone” (play)
(Fortuna POP!)
More On This Album

12:00 PM: Pleased to learn there is an artist called Kurt Vile.
I suppose I’ll have to listen to him now.

12:02 PM: Praise be, he has a song called Jesus Fever.

12:15 PM: Approval

Very purty lil’ song. I was half expecting something more outrageous for that title, but it’s a nice folky rocky toe tappin cat nappin ditty. Favorable echoes of early Smiths and REM and Catherine Wheel kinda bidniz. Sooooothing. Goes nicely with this early spring late winter weird schizophrenic foggy drizzly weather we’re having in Oaklandia. Band name intrigue leads to swell new music discovery. Life is good.

Kurt Vile – “Jesus Fever” mp3 (play/download)

Smoke Ring For My Halo album avail direct from Matador.

Here’s a fine track from Nashville’s Silver Jews. “Only you can make my lies come true.” I don’t think it gets more honest than that. “We’re gonna die til it doesn’t hurt.” This is just full of lyrical gems, the vocal is sweet and funny, and the accompaniment is superb. A love song, with actual love in it. Who woulda thunkit.

Room Games and Diamond Rain

Logan Whitehurst and The Jr. Science Club – “Farkle New and Improved” mp3

Occupying a unique space of the imagination somewhere between Frank Zappa and Ren n’ Stimpy, a young Logan Whitehurst recorded a wealth of brilliant and unique works in his short but hugely creative life. Before succumbing to a brain tumor at the age of 29, he told his family that playing his music for people was one of the most important things to him. Among his many talents, Logan was also a cartoonist in a style that fits his songwriting humor like a glove. The guy was a treasure. His work lives on. It’s genius in both art and craft, original yet instantly familiar, with a rare levity the world could sure use more of. As such, his music is available for download and streaming from freemusicarchive.org, and this is truly something to celebrate. You can buy the CD’s direct from his site, too. Enjoy.

Juliana Hatfield – “Peace and Love” mp3

The ever prolific Julianna Hatfield releases another collection of achingly introspective yet strangely triumphant original songs. Abandoning the indie rock bass/drums/guitar format that has been her canvas since her youthful debut in The Blake Babies, she’s also dropped all the pop production tricks to leave her sweet voice (well, plus a nice harmony overdub) and spare guitar accompaniment uncluttered and free. At once surrendering to fate, and demanding its cooperation, she opens her heart with the innocence of a child and the wisdom of an old soul on the opening track, “Peace and Love”. The song couldn’t be more contrary to the banal cynicism which is the base coat of so much popular culture of late. I admire her courage. This is some really raw and vulnerable stuff, and it would be a cliché except she’s right, and you can tell she really means it. It makes me not want to be cynical.

Juliana Hatfield
“Peace and Love” (mp3)
from “Peace & Love”
(Ye Olde Records)

Need more!

Sometime in the late 90′s I spoke to a friend of mine who owns a local club and explained that she must, absolutely must book The Negro Problem. She was aghast, told me should couldn’t book a band by that name, then she asked me if they were black. Well yes, Stew, the lead singer is, I replied, and he’s one of the more brilliant singer-songwriter dudes I’ve seen in ages, and his band is killer. I guess my friend changed her mind because they eventually played her club. The band’s reputation has since grown far and wide among discerning music lovers, even while the hulking indifferent music industry has ignored them with dull reliability. Of the many memorable songs that echoed in my head for years after seeing the NP perform live, the one that haunted me most was a piece called “Peter Jennings.” As I scour the Intergoogle today, I’m not finding any promotional mp3s of this fine band, but they do have some songs (including “Peter Jennings”) available on Mog All Access, which is worth joining, and you can also buy their mp3s from iTunes. Another standout from their superb “Joys and Concerns” album is “If You Would Have Traveled On The 93 North Today.” Heck it’s all good, “Mahnsanto” is stunning, “Bleed” is another – all heartbreaking, funny, intelligent, beautiful work. More recently Stew and his longtime collaborator Heidi Rodewald composed a musical theater production called Passing Strange, which Spike Lee made a movie of, which you can see on PBS. All highly recommended. That is all.