The Sonic Parthenon Playlist: Autumn 2009, Vol. I

Getting on to the end of the year and the decade, it's almost time to do some recapping and some BIG recapping at that. In the meantime, here is what's been on the Ipod and the stereo these last couple of months. Indicative of the year and the trends in general, it is almost entirely based on singles, most of which I discovered throught the Internet:

The Blakes - "So Easy"; Surfer Blood - "Swim to Reach the End"; Tutankamon - "Are You Sure?"
A trio of anthems to sing along to. The first of these is by a band that broke up during CMJ. The second is by a band that played a lot during CMJ (see my review); and the third is from a Swedish supergroup.

Blitzen Trapper - "Black River Killer"
I'm only hearing this one lately but Blitzen Trapper is a band that I never go crazy about except that I should!

Company of Thieves - "Oscar Wilde"
The Chicago Indie pop scene has faded from the New York concert calendar, but the airwaves have been filled with the sounds of Company of Thieves to 101.9. One of the best songs of the year.

Fruit Bats - "Ruminant Band"
It's a country jamboree. Like Blitzen Trapper!

Head Like A Kite - "Thrones of Glory"
Equal parts Indie-pop and anthem-rock, a perfect song to reflect the sounds of the year. All it's missing is a 80's-flavored backing-track.

The Heavy
The House That Dirt Built, the Heavy's new LP, has their most memorable songs to date, especially considering one of them samples Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You". But that does lead to the question: "Why does a retro soul band feel the need to sample anything?"

Hockey - "Too Fake"
More of that almost too-perfect dance-rock that all the kids love these days. Positives or negatives aside, this song is a keeper. Was number one on the weekly Top 25 countdown on the Ipod for 2 or 3 weeks.

Joshua James - "In The Middle"
Good, substantive folk-pop. Grab a girl. Well don't grab. But get one. And get serious.

Lucero - "The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo"
I wasn't exactly wowed by the highly buzzed and particular scene-focused Lucero at the Big Apple BBQ in June but I definitely didn't dislike it either. They have more than made up for whatever lacking I found with this fun throwback that recalls the Social Distortion and the Blasters songs that so inspire Ben Nichols.

Lucero; Howard Tate & The Sweet Divines @ Madison Square Park

Leave it to the nature of the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party to bring about an eclectic afternoon of free music, headlined by the Memphis band Lucero who are Social Distortion-gone country. Lucero have a bi-polar image: they're an older group of guys (well...they LOOK older but it may just be the beards and the premature gray hair) who appeal to a young crowd, and they, like their crowd, look menacing until they turn out to be a bunch of softies. They have the cred of a respected country-punk band but there is more than a whiff of suburban-esque, trashy (in a bad way) blase about them. Nevertheless, it is a solid time - especially when the keyboards and pedal steel fire up. Ben Nichols is a country punk in every sense of the word, and any guy who writes a record inspired by a Cormac McCarthy novel is alright by me.

Howard Tate would be a legend if more people knew who he was. The original soul singer of a couple of hits (including the superior cut of "Get It While You Can"), Tate's voice is a stirring, stark reminder of what may have arguably been the most consistent genre in any stretch in any period of American popular music. His talent may only be outmatched by his personal story, wracked by the worst of musical career downfalls. In his recovery over the last few years, he's taken on new challenges (weight gain in exchange stopping drugs), but his voice is still crisp and heart-rendering. Backed by the Sweet Divines (one of the two spin-offs of the late, great Dansettes) and their relaxed, able backing band (some of the unsung heroes of garage soul, lost in the spotlight of the Dap-Kings and the Shrines), Howard captured the hearts of the bbq-stuffed, rain-soaked crowd.

On the bbq - I had some whole hog on a bun with slaw from Martin's of Nashville - mmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. That is some tangy spice right there on some succulent meat. Yowsers.