shichahn | Music post~

So, my time in Texas is coming to a close. I will be returning home tomorrow evening, around 9 pm pacific time.

One thing that happened this year that didn't really happen last year was that we were in a truck with no cd player and no functioning tape deck, so we had to listen to the radio. And out here in Valentine, we only get one radio station: Marfa Public Radio. This station is like a combination of NPR and college radio, in that throughout most of the day, individual local djs play their own mix of music, resulting in a very eclectic station. And, this being a Marfa station, every once in a while someone my age will get on and play a curious mix of country and indie rock. Iron and Wine, The 1900s, Joanna Newsom, and Sufjan Stevens are all heard from time to time, slipped in between songs of a wildly different genre.

Through this odd mix, I've found a couple bands this summer that I had never heard of before, but now adore. And so, I will now share with you the songs I heard on MPR that I fell in love with.

1. Grandaddy - A.M. 180 | Catchy synth riff that sounds like 16-bit video game music coupled with Weezer-like guitar? I'm all over that!

2. Le Loup - We are Gods! We are Wolves! | Come on, how can you not love a song with a title like this?

3. Magnet - Lonely No More | The drums, the lyrics, the catchy tune... damn you, Norway, for churning out awesome indie pop like there's no tomorrow.

4. Bright Eyes - Four Winds | Okay, okay, hold on. I know. I HATE BRIGHT EYES. This is no secret. Conor Oberst is a whiny emo kid. ... Well, he used to be. Oddly, his new music is actually pretty good, from what I've heard of it. I've heard a few pieces from his solo album and actually like them. And then I heard this song and adored it, and when I googled the lyrics later, I was shocked to discover what band it had emerged from. He's taking a new direction in music, and it's about time.

Also, who doesn't love a song about the apocalypse? I mean, come on.