From: The Scene Blog
Five Track Friday: Because no one likes a stale playlist
EPIC FIREWORKS, FLICKR
Each week, Trent Burns offers five of his favorite new tracks.
1. Foxygen – “Oh Yeah”
(If you like: The Rolling Stones, Mac DeMarco, quirky psychedelia)
For fans of retro-rock giants like The Velvet Underground, The Doors or The Rolling Stones, Foxygen is the band to watch. Their critically acclaimed album, “We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic,” is characterized by clever, narrative lyrics and hazy indie-psychedelia. “Oh Yeah,” sounds like the Mick Jagger/Lou Reed combo you never knew you wanted. Oh yeah.
2. The Ascetic Junkies – “(Woah Oh Oh Oh Oh)”
(If you like: Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, Americana/Bluegrass but you don’t want to admit it)
In the overblown world of indie-folk and Americana, most bands flow in one ear and out the other. The Ascetic Junkies manage to edge out the seemingly endless competition with some seriously clever lyrics, particularly in this track. “Anyone who says that I should just give it a rest/ Can shove it cause I’m above it, or at least I like to believe.”
3. In the Valley Below – “Peaches”
(If you like: Saint Motel, Coasts, indie-pop before it breaks)
Catchy synth licks? Yep. Dynamic male/female vocals? Definitely. In the Valley Below checks all the indie-rock boxes, and throws in a little pop sensibility for good measure, making “Peaches” an easy listen that sticks in your head surprisingly well.
4. Pixies – “Greens and Blues”
(If you like: Built to Spill, Pavement, Pixies sans Kim Deal)
While fans and critics alike were skeptical of Pixies’ first album release in over ten years, “Indie Cindy” earned generally favorable reviews for its outstanding production and its handful of single-worthy tracks. Though it’s far from an adventerous track, “Greens and Blues” reminds avid and casual fans alike that there’s so much more to Pixies than “Where is My Mind?”.
5. Faded Paper Figures – “Not the End of the World (Even as We Know It)”
(If you like: The Postal Service, Freelance Whales, indie-electronica with a twist of lo-fi)
Forever in the shadow of indie-electronic gods The Postal Service, Faded Paper Figures have worked tirelessly to refine their sound over the course of four albums. This track, off their most recent release “Relics”, meshes pulsing synths with analogue instrumentation for a “Postal Service 2.0” sound that, really, we’ve all deserved for a while now.
