The Cribs

 This band of brothers will be playing at Johnny Brenda’s on Tuesday (tomorrow). I happened to hear them on my Pandora recently and I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t even really remember the name The Cribs being thrown around in 2006, at a time when I was reppin’ The Libertines super hard (even though their self-titled was awful, Up the Bracket was so good though)! Often compared to The Libertines, they don’t sound as sloppy or tanked, but their songs are just as catchy. I haven’t familiarized myself with their entire catalogue, but I’ve gone through most of their singles in the past 2 days. “ Mirror Kissers’ ” 1-4-5 chord progression is the classic pop rock hit that gets stuck in your head like bubble gum in your swoopy hipster hair. I really want to go see them tomorrow! 

ty segall

My birthday was a few weeks ago. An old, dear friend of mine called me up to wish me a happy one and tell me he had emailed me some songs by Ty Segall. I was a bit skeptical because I constantly "judge books on their covers" so to speak. I heard the name and I'm thinking "Sweet, this name sounds like it may as well be Jason Mraz Jr." Of course this preconceived notion made it an even sweeter surprise when I actually listened to him.

Segall has been all over Orange County and the Bay Area in various notable bands since around 2005 (my personal favorite named Party Fowl). He began releasing solo work in 2008 and has done so, seemingly, non-stop. Ty still collaborates with other artists on his records but does his own guitars and drums for the most part. The sound and style on each record varies, but adheres to Segall's homemade, first-take vibe. Goodbye Bread (Drag City) is his latest record and probably the best example of what a prolific songwriter and musician he truly is. The songs have undeniably catchy hooks and while staying relatively simple, the changes are epic in an understated way. With every new release, Segall's grasp on writing and recording gets even tighter while the hypnosis he casts on listeners is even more cathartic and enchanting. Malkmus would pat this dude on the back and tell him, "You are a light".

This is the video for the title track to Goodbye Bread.

real estate / big troubles

Shins, eat your whimsical little hearts out. Real Estate wants to put you in a new home today and sing you softly to sleep in your warm bed. These Jersey boys will be playing tonight in Philly at Johnny Brenda's with a little help from Big Troubles. I just recently started listening to this band and I am smitten. Light-hearted , catchy guitar jams with clean lead lines that will take you by the hand and bring you on a walk through the park. They released their self-titled album in 2009 on Woodist and released their follow up entitled Days (Domino) on October 18th of this year. Nothing too flashy, just lo-fi pop sing-alongs about dogs, small town life, and introspection. This is the musical equivalent of a picnic on the beach spent reminiscing about the past year. The song "It's Real" immediately pulls you on board with a great three measure phrase that keeps the song gliding gently along. It's hard not to enjoy this video, especially if you love dogs (I do).