Between passing subversive mix CD's to the Cedar Park city elders and scoping out the lineup for Merle Fest (The Librarian's years and years of entering KGSR's Select-a-Set weekends finally paid off. She actually won. We are jealous beyond all reason.), my Attorney has pretty good taste in music. I knew he and the Librarian and I were going to be friends when, after I first moved to Austin, we learned at church that we'd all been to see the same bands at the first ACL festival. (Actually, so had everyone in my Sunday School class, which was a good part of the reason I joined, but that's another story) That said, here are my Attorney's suggestions on some up-and-coming bands, albums, and tracks you might enjoy:Bands:
- Yoshida Brothers
- We Are Scientists
- Mates of State
- The Decemberists
- Sleater-Kinney
Tracks
- I think this might just be because of the song title: Sufjan Stevens, "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!" on Illinois
- John Vanderslice, "Exodus Damage" on the new album, Pixel Revolt. Free download available here.
- Robbie Fulks, "Fountains of Wayne Hotline – This 2005 single, available on iTunes, is one of the funniest things I've heard in awhile. Fulks has a sense of humor anyway (see him live so you can hear his priceless alt.country cover of "Billie Jean"), but even for him this is a trip. This is only going to be funny to you if you're really into music – and if you aren't a dedicated Fountains of Wayne fan. (Which, by the way, the Librarian totally is. I'm sorry, G, that fixation with "Stacy's Mom" weren't right. And you know it.)
And it's not a litigator-recommended album (yet), but the new Calexico album, Garden Ruin, is pretty good. The Pitchfork kids like it. Texas in Africa luuuvvvs the last track, "Landing Field." You should too.