Alberta Cross: "Lucy Rider" (Get On Your High Horse)

I've been listening to a lot of classical music lately (finals, bleh), so when Alberta Cross's "Lucy Rider" started playing I was slightly surprised. I soon settled in and fell hard for the song. I've never quite understood why the ladies love British accents so much, but the thinly disguised accent that is Petter Ericson Stakee's voice is gorgeous. I'm not entirely sure if it is a combination of some Scandinavian accent and a British one (I've never heard the man actually speak, nor do I know his family history), but either way I wish I could find more of it. He expertly shifts into his falsetto in the back end of the chorus's main phrase, and it makes my hair stand up on my neck more often than not.

Finding itself on the more folksy side of rock, "Lucy Rider" concentrates on vocals nearly the entire song, leaving the guitars (electric and acoustic) to serve in the background, despite their beautifully wrought sounds. Beyond the gorgeous voices, the track employs a chorus that begins on the second beat, rather than the first. The delay is fantastically executed, and when combined with the descending vocal melody, it leads to a dropping sensation, finally landing on the first beat of the next measure. A pure joy to listen to, every time.

Alberta Cross - "Lucy Rider" [MySpace] [Last.fm] [Buy]

Efterklang: "Cutting Ice To Snow" (Cool Chords)

Since Efterklang hails from Denmark, of course I found them through Hits in the Car and the ever-tasteful Stytzer. The first half of "Cutting Ice to Snow" is a slow building exercise in chord progressions, modulations and subtle tonal shifts. But once the piano begins the first true melodic line in a wonderful, tinkling fashion, the track begins to leave Ambient Drone Station and chug towards the Annuals city, complete with rhythm guitar, layered half-singing half-shouting vocals, huge, echoing bass drum and snare, long, centered bass note anchors, and a droning mini-organ background. Absolutely beautiful, despite the heavy borrowing from the Annuals.

Efterklang: "Cutting Ice To Snow" [MySpace] [Last.fm] [Buy] [Via]

Why Live Does In Fact (Often) Mean Better

I love live music, without exception. (Live music entails, well, live music, not live talking/singing over prerecorded music.) The energy that flows from performing musicians often cannot be matched by studio recordings. For those of us who want the energy of live performances and the fidelity of studio recordings, live sessions are the closest thing to heaven.

Hence, this post. Over at HearYa, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band stopped in for a rollicking 4-song set, one I highly recommend. The recordings surpass First You Live, their latest LP. Their slopped vocals and instrumentals lend an energetic, endearing air to their southern tinged indie rock. (Plus, sing-along choruses are a million time more engaging when performed live.) I much prefer this to the fairly sterile recordings on First You Live.

If you can't stand live music, at least give "End of the Rhode" a chance. I'm pretty sure that it's poor blogging etiquette to re-post or directly link exclusive tracks, so I won't, but the link goes to where you can download the song. The mid-track spoken bridge is a little... underwhelming at first, but the chorus is killer. Please, give it a listen.

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band [MySpace] [Last.fm] [Buy] [via HearYa]

Vampire Weeked: "Oxford Comma" (Or: When the Antithesis is Rather Attractive)

I have had "Oxford Comma" sitting on my hard drive for a few months. My initial time through the song failed to leave an impression, so there it sat, until I randomly stumbled across it the other day.

There is no denying the simple catchiness track this track. It lacks musical complexity, which is usual a negative in my view, but Vampire Weekend keeps the rudimentary instrumental parts in supporting roles so that their lack of interest is kept out of the front listener's mind the majority of the time, a place where the keyboard and bass excel. The only misstep in the composition and arrangement (which are in most respects superb) lies at the halfway point, where they melodic reigns are handed over to the guitar player, who proceeds to take it absolutely nowhere. What makes this song take off is the quality vocal work by Ezra Koenig, who adds the badly-needly rhythmic and melodic complexity and really manages to carry the song the entire way.

Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma" [MySpace] [Last.fm] [Buy]

Lykke Li: "Little Bit" (Or: When Similarities are Readily Apparent)

I'm not a fan of determinism. The idea that time follows a fixed, linear path doesn't make sense to me. When I move through my days I often feel the limitless possibilities stretching out before me and can sense how every decision eliminates vast swathes of potential outcomes. But every so often I am struck by just how similar my feelings are at the present moment to how I've felt in the past. This brings to mind one of the common themes in Battlestar Galactica, where the antagonist Cylons repeatedly declare, "This has happened before and it will happen again."

When I first here Lykke Li's "Little Bit", I immediately felt like this had happened before. The bass line is more than just reminiscent of Peter, Bjorn and John, and the wood block substitutes for PB&J's cowbell. I much prefer Li's tender vocals over the ultra-Indie vocal stylings Peter Moren. The vibe stays true to her fellow Swedes', but "Little Bit" unfolds with much more subtlety than any song on Writer's Block. The scattered steel drum riff, the accompanying miscellaneous rim taps and triangle add depth to an otherwise sparse guitar part, while the bass and cymbals push the song to a close. Of course, this would all be for naught if Li wasn't such a delicate and beautiful singer, as her voice fills up a track that is otherwise fairly minimalist.

Lykee Li - "Little Bit" [MySpace] [Last.fm]

Oh, and did I mention she has some gorgeous angles?


Unfortunately, her digital EP is only available is Scandinavia, but you can buy the 10" vinyl here.