Extra-ordinary

I couldn't be more proud of my brother-in-law Mac Premo and our friend Oliver Jeffers: They have directed a beautiful lyric video for U2's "Ordinary Love". It's a first-rate piece of work and demonstrates in four minutes what great artists both these guys are. Oh, and the song isn't half bad, either.

New Tune on Monday

I just wanted to throw a little love out to one of my favorite newer groups (newer meaning I discovered them in the last five years,) Cage the Elephant.  Originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, this five piece group tries not to over think or overstate their work.  As a close friend of the band stated about their writing,  "if you're not slightly embarrassed to sing the lyrics, you're probably not writing a good song,"

"Come a Little Closer" is their most current single off their new  album,  Melophobia.  The song is good, not great.  In today's age, they are more of a true rock band than many other artists out there.  If you're curious, check out "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked," "Back Against the Wall," or "Around My Head."

New Tune on Monday

Ok, these songs might not necessarily be new tunes, but they are new releases.  Matthew Sweet & Suzanna Hoffs have released their Under the Covers Vol. 3.  Their first attempt was fair, but by volume 3, they butcher some of the sacred artists of the Discordants.  XTC,  Roxy Music, and The Beat, are just a few of the bands that are poorly covered here. The real punishment comes in the shape of both the Smiths "How Soon is Now?" and Echo & the Bunnymen's "Killing Moon."  Such a shame for 100% Fun by Matthew Sweet still holds up so well.  I also enjoy a little Ming Tea.

Enjoy your poison. Under the Covers Vol. 3

Believe the Hype, Palma Violets Edition

Now that it's November, I'm beginning to think of which albums the critics (and the Discordants) will rank as their tops of 2013. One album bound to be on plenty of lists is 180, the stunning debut from London's Palma Violets. And this is a case where the given hype is both earned and warranted.

For the uninitiated, start with garage rock, punk attitude, Sixties organs, anthemic vocals, and inject a small dose of psychedelia. What you get sounds like this:

And that's just the first track. They get better from there. Here's "Step Up for the Cool Cats", sounding like a tougher, more raw Spiritualized:

And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that their quieter side is just as potent. See if you can't resist being drawn in by the intro of "Last of the Summer Wine".

 Yep, it's that easy: These guys are the real deal. See you again on the year-end lists.

New Tune on Monday

It's Monday, and all hail the haze-and-fuzz swirl of New York band Heaven. Their very solid album Telepathic Love takes you back to a time when shoegaze ruled the airwaves (did that ever really happen?) and everyone's favorite touchstone was the Jesus and Mary Chain. These guys certainly have the pedigree, with drummer Mikey Jones and producer Adam Franklin both past members of Swervedriver.

Here's the lead-off track, "Colors in the Whites of Your Eyes":

Scotland the Brave

England's northern neighbor has long produced groundbreaking bands. I'm thinking of Simple Minds (when they were truly groundbreaking), Orange Juice, Josef K, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, The Beta Band and Franz Ferdinand... (and not so much Big Country, Del Amitri and the Proclaimers.)

Add another band to the groundbreaking list: Django Django. The similarity with the Beta Band is obvious -- after all, Django's David Maclean is the younger brother of the Beta Band's John Maclean. But add more synths, surf guitars, and Brian Wilsonesque vocal harmonies and you're getting closer. Their self-titled debut album got major critical acclaim from usual suspects like NME and The Guardian, but also on this side of the Atlantic courtesy of Rolling Stone, which voted it the 26th best album of 2012. I'm not sure how I missed it last year, but I'm happy I found it now.