Albums of 2010: #9: Crazy For You

#9: 'Crazy For You' by Best Coast

This year I have had an inner battle over whether I would prefer the musical life of the West Coast Californian Haze or the Inner City New York Brooklyn lifestyle (more on this later in the countdown), but Best Coast, with a big dollop of lead singer Bethany Cosentino, gave me a giant push towards the Beach Boys notion of living. Lead singer Bethany has a cat famous on Twitter and was previously in the wondrous but odd Pocahaunted...so things were bound to get interesting with a debut record from the beach rock trio known as Best Coast.

They crafted a sound that went back in time and invented 1950s grunge, taking elements of surf rock and fusing them with modern indie pop and lo-fi recording techniques. 'Crazy For You' is a record that combines simple and proven ideas and stirs them in a bucket of sunshine and sentiment. Opening track 'Boyfriend' bursts into life with a surf rock drumbeat before a tale of distant attraction pines forth, setting a sensitive sensibility for the rest of the record. Everything rattles with raw passion and power, from the one-two punch of 'Summer Mood' right on through to the manic bop and pop of 'Each & Everyday'.

The majority of the content in the depths and doorways of Best Coast's musical mind consists of melancholy memories and lustful longing, aching, pining and clawing its way towards 'When I'm With You', a closing track that crawls through droning guitars and melodious musings on some kind of joyful unification, AT LAST. Best Coast is a blender full of intelligent easy listening, meandering along in a brisk half an hour, like the cool kid in sunglasses that shuffles around on their own time. It's effortless yet exciting and here's hoping it all back just in time for the sunshiny, shimmering summer of 2011...

Sunshine and Sunglasses and Summery Sounds....

'Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul.' ~Plato

After many broken nights, minds and bottles, I return with vengeance and all that overblown melodrama that is necessary when it comes to fantasmic, spectacular new music....

It appears Mr Blue Sky is somewhat here as sunshine streams towards us on its magical beams, bringing happiness and skin cancer, not necessarily in that order, so I have attempted to shoehorn some summery style and sounds into this post...

--------------------------------------

Sunglasses have the most superhappyappropriate name possible for a summery band and their music offers a parallel and matching listen, also extending into a summery treat of a video, full of colourful visuals that could drive a stoner to ecstasy.

Samuel Cooper and Brady Keehn are two art school kids who have collaborated as Sunglasses to release the spontaneous and superb 'Whiplash', a track that literally vibes itself along on thumping percussion and keys. Cooper, also a filmmaker, created a trippy music video to accompany the track. Check it out, put on your sunglasses and literally freak out....

'Whiplash' music video...

Sunglasses' Myspace

--------------------------------------

A little bit of lovely lo-fi seems to be the recurring sound of summer this year, as band after band throw in some barely audible vocals amidst a collection of assorted instruments that plod softly and sweetly along, with an occasional blast of noise or fuzz to drown out the sounds of sunshine.

So here is another one I like!!

They are called Secret Cities and sing songs about Brian Wilson and boyfriends, whilst whistling and shaking their way through a plethora of instruments. Jolly melancholy are the buzz words on tracks such as the 80's jaunt of 'Pink Graffiti pt.1' and the laid back 'Boyfriends'. Their debut album is out in June and I eagerly await the release...

Secret Cities' Myspace

--------------------------------------

They have smug faces and hipster hair but the music that Sisters churn out is wondrously uplifting. Two guys (from bloody Brooklyn) simply making happy American indie that may sound oh so familiar but still sounds oh so superb when drifting through sunshine on your own private cloud...or even just sunbathing in a concrete garden with a smelly old BBQ burning away...

'Glue' and 'The Curse' grate away in the garage indie rock sound that reverbs and echoes around your room and head, whilst whining but comforting vocals slide alongside. Just give it a blast and turn it up if you can...

Sisters' Myspace

--------------------------------------

The summation of summery sunbeams (more crap basically)...

• Debut from Darwin Deez = Delectable (hear it all here)
• LCD Soundsystem + Spike Jonze + Rapey Panda Bears = THIS!
• New Foals single, aka 'This Orient', also awesome...
• 'Immer Etwas' is a frolic of danger and electronica from Nice Face, as well as a darn good new record listenable HERE...
• YellowFever make merry noise full of Moldy Peaches meets grrrrr...
• Surfer Blood covering Beach Boys makes sun shine...
• The Tallest Man On Earth must have tall and wonderful vocal chords and talent...

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

• 'Swim' by Caribou [otherworldly uptempo dance-chill]
• 'Transcontinental Hustle' by Gogol Bordello [Gypsy Punk Rock...nuff said]
• 'My Best Friend Is You' by Kate Nash [jumpy alt-pop with screeches and bums]
• 'All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu' by Rufus Wainwright [simply gorgeous pop]

--------------------------------------

Fingers and legs and arms and minds crossed for a continuation of Summery sunshine and sunny music that springs the souls and slaps the stars...or something like that...

BYEEEE.........
xXx
x
xXx
XX
x