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father john misty

24 Sep

Today’s Indie: Nancy From Now On

‘oh pour me another drink / and punch me in the face’

Mondays can require a specific kind of soundtrack, something easy on the ears but distracting to the mind, offering a moment away from the weight of the pending week. Today’s relief has been granted by Josh Tillman’s new side project, Father John Misty, an act my dear friend Caroline has been raving about since she saw him at Outside Lands this year. No stranger to a solo career, J Tillman has released numerous albums under his own name, then did a four year stint as drummer for a little band you may have heard of called Fleet Foxes, before leaving to release last spring’s album, Fear Fun, via Sub Pop. I am thoroughly enjoying the whole thing, so here are two Monday gems.

O I Long to Feel Your Arms Around Me / Father John Misty

‘everyone’s riding on the rolling tide / their hearts are heavy and the sea is wide’

#indie/tory

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fall cleaning

21 Sep

I spent the better part of yesterday deep cleaning my music collection, rustling through hundreds of un-played tracks in my iTunes to find those worthy of migration over to a new computer. There was a lot to get through, including ample Britney, Matchbox 20, Coldplay, and a surprising amount of country music collecting dust from my high school days back in Oregon. But nestled amidst the cobwebs surrounding Dashboard Confessional and  Tim McGraw were some amazing indie songs I had nearly forgotten about. This inspired today’s Spring Fall Cleaning Collection of old gems from an earlier life. They may not be new, but they may be new to you! Happy friday. #indie/tory

Homeboy / Adorable

‘and I want to hold you up for all to see / I want to cut you up I want to watch you bleed’

Song Beneath the Song / Maria Taylor

‘and it’s not a love, not a love, not a love song’

The Way our Chemicals Collide / Cloud Cult

‘oh god its beautiful, insatiable / the way our chemicals collide’

Day Job / Jeremy Messersmith

‘she’s in love with broken glass mountains / and fire place cafes’

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tell me how I sleep

17 Sep

Today’s Indie: Walls / Stars

‘tell me how I sleep / tell me how I wake up / tell me how I dream’

Stars released their new album, North, this month, and by the time it came out I had already thoroughly devoured it on NPR’s First Listen.  After only a few plays Walls was clearly the album standout for me: an echoed duet with glistening keys, pulling bass, and two lovers asking themselves an age old question, how did we get here? I never cease to be impressed by lead singers Amy and Torquil’s ability to story tell in their songs, with biting remarks met with innocent replies, questions met with questions: ‘Why did you do me?’ ‘Why did you get done?’

And as a bonus track, my favorite Stars track of the past, which has some of the best story telling I have heard in song writing, ever. Happy Monday.

Your Ex-Lover is Dead / Stars

‘and all of that time you thought I was sad / I was trying to remember your name’ 

#indie/tory

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frivolous life

13 Sep

You may be asking yourself, where has all the untz gone? Is TUATI dropping its signature U? Have no fear, the one and only Tom returns from Croatia on Sunday to get your thrice weekly dance fixes back in place. In the meantime, this week’s last indie, with a little kick to it.

Today’s Indie: Frivolous Life / YesYou ft. Marcus Azon

‘let me stand on your shoulders / so that I can see the giants back home’

I am sucker for songs with soaring’ooooo-woooo’s’ intertwined in their choruses, so to  say this song is likable would be a gross understatement… it makes you feel great all over, even if the lyrics aren’t the happiest lot. Frivolous Life is from Brisbane duo Jono Kirham and Gav Parry, who have borrowed the vocals of Jinja Safari’s Marcus Azon for the tune. It has a great pace to it, reminding me of the likes of Bag Raiders or Foster the People. The duo debuted late last year with single Half of It, also worth a listen. Enjoy.

Half of It / YesYou

#indie/tory

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astronauts, etc.

12 Sep


Today’s Indie: You Can Yell / Astronauts, etc.

Mystery Colors / Astronauts, etc.

Wow. Here is some lush, dripping sound with layered synth, painted to the point where if you let yourself go on a bit of mind trip you might actually see the music sprawled out in front of you. The giver of these celestial tracks is Astronauts, etc., the solo project of Anthony Ferraro, who is a classically trained pianist from just across the puddle from us over in Berkeley.

With a haunting falsetto like Justin Vernon and rolling synth a la Youth Lagoon, the gentle roller coasters of  sound he has created have settled into my bones, and have my missing my outer space loving counterpart – who is STILL in Croatia. Until his return, I will just have to turn this up and get lost in space on my own. #indie/tory

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sure thing

10 Sep

Today’s Indie: Sure Thing / Trails and Ways

‘even when the sky is fallin’ / even when the sun don’t shine / I got faith in you and I / so put your pretty hand in mine’

Oakland trio Trails and Ways has grabbed my attention yet again this summer, this time with a cover of Miguel’s Sure Thing. Their sexy duet feels like a classic 90’s lower the lights slow jam met with an indie twist, and laced with clever lyrical divergence (listen carefully).

Sure Thing has me hitting repeat just like with their cover of Miracle and original track, Nunca, and I can’t wait to catch these locals live. Happy Monday.  #indie/tory

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say it again

5 Sep

Today’s Indie: Say It Again / Mariah McManus

‘so it seems / I’m fighting harder for you than I ever did for anything’

Young love! Like ZOMG. Today’s track comes from a product of the 90’s, and it shows in her syrupy lyrics (‘do you remember when you told me you loved me / I  told you to say it again‘), but what separates Mariah from becoming another Taylor Swift is a voice well beyond her nineteen years. Sweet yet raspy, soaring and aching, it caught my ear while watching a trashy television show on The CW last night, enough so to inspire me to do some Googling to find this track.

I see loads of promise in this Utah born songstress the same way I did when I first heard a Birdy song or Sky Ferriera’s cover of Animal… hoping to come across more of this young lady soon. xoxo #indie / tory

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point of you

4 Sep

Today’s Indie: Point of You / Elephant Revival

It is the Tuesday after Labor day and I am mourning the end of a wonderful long weekend, shaking the Florida sun off my skin and settling back into cubicle life here on the other side of the country and wondering why Thanksgiving is so far away. I have also returned home to my other half and TUATI co-conspirator being far away… he is camped out in Europe for the next couple weeks for the aforementioned Dimensions Festival in Croatia. Jealous much?

Luckily I have found solace in the office dogs and loops of Elephant Revival all day. I discovered the Colorado quintet earlier this summer, and then saw them deliver not one but two knee buckling performances at the High Sierra Festival in July. There is a subtle, urgent honesty in their music, and a stop the world feel in their shows; for a moment nothing else matters. Their last album release was Break in the Clouds out in 2010, so here’s hoping for some new tunes soon. In the meantime, enjoy. #indie/tory

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ghosts

29 Aug

Today’s Indie: Ghosts / ON AN ON

’cause I was on the verge to scream when you wouldn’t scream about anything’

This is the kind of music that settles into your bones: lush, sprawling, haunting… built with intricate pieces you want to pull apart and put back together again. The Chicago indie pop quintet Scattered Trees have scattered, leaving Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci, and Ryne Estwin to start anew as ON AN ON. With vocals reminiscent of Pete Yorn and the ethereal waves of Beach House,  I am bewitched by the trio’s debut track.

Ghosts is off of ON AN ON’s January 2013 album release, Give In, one they promise to be “a dream-washed textural journey armed with a biting perspective on life, love and the commonality of loss.” After only a single listen, my attention and ears are firmly in their grasp. #indie/tory

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don’t you give up on me

27 Aug

Today’s Indie: Don’t You Give Up on Me / Milo Greene

‘I’ll go / I’ll go / wherever you go ‘

I just got back from a weekend in Yosemite (see above) and am stretching out the pleasant aches and pains of a long hike, a couple nights in a tent, and a weekend well spent.  I am still shaking off sleepiness, but have found refuge in this peaceful, easy on the ears track to nestle into from Milo Greene, the LA folk-pop group that debuted on TUATI with the amazing track 1957. There is nothing too complex in Don’t You Give Up on Me’s sound, just crisp vocals, well intentioned lyrics, and beautiful accompaniment; great Monday morning sound. #indie / tory

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