Kool Thing of the Week #2: Party Like It's 2009 (or 1964)

Similar to 2009, the present year has been ‘above average’ for good music thus far (at least, according to me). And just like three years ago, 2012 also appears to be setting up for another death match between Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear for the hearts and minds of the ‘almost/not quite mainstream’ indie music universe. Back then, Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear both put out albums which garnered sufficient levels of internet buzz and critical acclaim; these records also happened to perform pretty well on the Billboard charts (Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest debuted at number 8, while AnCo’s Merriweather Post Pavilion peaked at 13). This time around, the two sides have upped the ante by releasing singles from their upcoming albums in short succession. Perhaps the upper-middle level indie world has finally gotten its own Blur vs. Oasis showdown, as millions of crazed fans will undoubtedly head down to their local Tower Records to purchase these bands’ new CDs when they are released in September, unleashing a sales war unlike anything the music world has seen before. While you gear up for this key battle in the march towards Armageddon, check out the new Grizzly Bear track “Yet Again,” which some may argue is the musical equivalent of “come at me, bro” being tossed in the general direction of the boys in Animal Collective (maybe).

Oldies Corner
There’s just something about the voice of Otis Redding. There’s just so much feeling in every note that poured out of his lungs that it can sometimes be overwhelming to listen. But it always ends up being worth the effort. “Pain in My Heart,” from Redding’s 1964 album of the same name, is a fitting example of how simple lyrics and a familiar blues trope can be transformed to sound expansive and alive just by the fact that Redding is the man on the microphone. You can hear the agony of longing for someone who is probably never coming back—perhaps the same way you feel about the now-passed weekend.  So, let Otis help ease the pain of starting a new work week with a little classic soul.