Here's some of the good stuff I've just moved to myPod for the trip:
Daylight's For The Birds - Trouble Everywhere
Imagine a noise-pop band made of equal parts Slowdive, Asobi Seksu, and The Sundays, with direct-band-member-heritage to the late, great On! Air! Library!...that would be these guys. Their brand of sonic haze makes for an atmospheric joyride.Daylight's For The Birds - "To No One!!" mp3
Rafter - 10 Songs
You know that guy Rafter Roberts from Bunky (maybe you've seen that promo photo of him in bunny ears? Maybe not...). Anyway, when he was not working in one way or another with Bedroom Walls, The Album Leaf, Pinback, The Rapture, and others from the San Diego scene and beyond, he put this humdinger together over the last few years. Featuring bass distorted enough to make the remote dance off your TV tray as well as synth-wash delicate enough to make your weird Enya-fan roommate arch an eyebrow, this album is a happy adventure all the way through.Rafter - "Bicycle" mp3 buy
Rafter - "My Friend The Crow" mp3
Robert Pollard - Normal Happiness
As a Guided By Voices fan, I'm trained to expect a certain amount of "What The Hell Is That?" on every collection of music Pollard's thumbprint is on. However, this second post-GBV effort is completely solid and without goofyness-for-goofyness'-sake.At the rate his solo work is progressing, it would appear he's achieving all the good things we all hoped for Paul Westerburg after he chucked The 'Mats into the wind, but couldn't quite grasp. As far as I'm concerned, Pollard is an American musical treasure.
Robert Pollard - "Supernatural Car Lover" mp3 buy
And to put me in a proper Cali state of mind, I've loaded the amazing, amazing, amazing new remaster of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, as well as the PetSounds.com discussion podcast about the classic track "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (mp3).
So that'll keep me foot-tappin' for a few hours hours in the air.
Anyway, I've got some good stuff planned for out there including Club NME at Spaceland with The Tyde, a Black Keys show, a side overnight trip to the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, and the topper...me and Mrs. extrawack! have been invited to the Rock Star: Supernova finale Wednesday night. The Missus would like Dilana to win, but she's sure they will pick Lukas (whom she calls "The Lemur King"). Me? I just wanna see Brooke Burke up close.So if you need me for the next few days, leave a message at the rooftop pool at the Riot Hyatt on The Strip...I'll get it eventually.
