Song of the Day - Replicate by Fanfarlo

Fanfarlo's new album -- Rooms Filled With Light -- was released this week. I found their debut, 2009's Reservoir, to be a nice surprise and the endorsement they received from Sigur Ros was enough for me. On first listen, I'm not excited about what I heard from Rooms Filled With Light, but hopefully it's a grower.

From my perspective, bands with sounds like Fanfarlo's need to make sure to get more ambitious and unique as their careers progress rather than stay within their sound. Rooms Filled With LIght seems a lot like a regression, but I hope I'm wrong.  Time to give it a few more listens.

--Noah

Song of the Day - Do the Trick by Dr. Dog

Despite being another first-time band to this here blog, Dr. Dog is no blushing debutante. Be the Void, released earlier this month, is Dr. Dog's 6th album in 11 years. Despite feeling a lot of the time that Dr. Dog isn't quite in my wheelhouse these days, I have to admire their staying power. On the other hand, I started to acknowledge that Be the Void was my first Dr. Dog album only to discover I actually have two others. So consider this a somewhat lukewarm endorsement for their latest effort, featuring today's song of the day "Do the Trick", a mellow, inoffensive ditty that one can easily imagine the band singing this summer during their inevitable ampitheatre tour. This may sound like I'm slagging Dr. Dog, but I like ampitheatres, and I like dogs. Doctors not so much.



--Steve

Song of the Day - Animal Life by Shearwater

The newest Shearwater album came out a few weeks ago and while I haven't listened to it in great detail, I do really like the opening track -- Animal Life.  It builds nicely from nothing to a slightly driving drum beat (basically heavy metal for Shearwater). I'm looking forward to spending more time with the album.



--Noah

Song of the Day - The Hideout by Sarah Harmer

We've written about 352 different artists in just under 18 months at this here blog. The next time someone tries to tell you the 70s were the best decade for music you should ask them to name 350 worthwhile artists from that era.

I figured I would add to the roster with someone not yet featured, and so the 353rd artist featured on YCHIOTR is Sarah Harmer with today's song of the day, "The Hideout". Harmer produced two stellar albums during the true golden decade, and "The Hideout" is from her 2000 debut called You Were Here. I love the lilting quality of Harmer's voice on this song as she executes a complicated melody on the opening verse.



--Steve

Song of the Day - With God on Our Side by K'Naan

I'm still digesting the new compilation of Bob Dylan covers -- Chimes of Freedom -- that benefits Amnesty International, but one of the standouts that I've found so far is K'Naan's version of "With God on Our Side". He takes some liberties with the lyrics, but that just makes it more awesome.

--Noah

Song of the Day - Olivia, In A Separate Bed by Robin Pecknold

Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold has the charming habit of posting solo songs online, often not totally finished. The thing is, they're usually pretty awesome.

Yesterday, Pecknold posted Olivia, In A Separate Bed online with the comment "New demo, new song. Sadsack mode. Will probably change." I just love that Pecknold's working on new music -- here's hoping it means a new Fleet Foxes album sooner rather than later.



--Noah

Song of the Day - Eager For Your Love by Tristen

Last year I hyped a preview single from Nashville artist Tristen. Unfortunately she promptly fell off my radar and by the time her album Charlatans at the Gate came out a little more than a month later I completely missed it. Now, a year later Tristen is preparing to play at the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and she's popped up on my radar again. Charlatans at the Gate is a strong album full of charming, pop-tinged Americana like today's song of the day, "Eager For Your Love".

The title implies a sentiment from the first person perspective, but Tristen describes in third person a difficult woman in a relationship filled with head games:

Tame that nasty shrew
'Cause she knows what you're up to
You've gotta keep her thin and hungry
So she's eager for your love



If you're heading to SXSW this year (the conference starts March 9th) be sure to check out Tristen

--Steve

Song of the Day - Sensitive Man by Nick Lowe

Between touring with Wilco and his recent appearance on Marc Maron's WTF podcast, it's been quite the late career uptick in attention for Nick Lowe. Best known to many for authoring songs for other artists -- including Johnny Cash and Elvis Costello -- Lowe has been receiving literal and metaphorical tips of the cap from Wilco's Jeff Tweedy as the tour goes along and has been playing with the band as part of the encore.

So here's a song from Lowe's newest album -- The Old Magic.  Sensitive Man...

--Noah

Song of the Day - I See My Mother by Polica

Polica, Bon Iver's favorite band, is an emerging experimental dance/trip hop/r&b/uncharacterizable outfit out of Minneapolis. On paper this kind of thing should not be my cup of tea but I have to admit it is pretty compelling stuff. If I think of the songs as instrumentals with the vocals being just part of the mix, the heavy use of auto-tune, normally a deal-breaker for me, is forgivable. And, there are other things working in its favor - particularly the hard-hitting drums - to add balance.

Polica falls in with a few other bands that I like almost in spite of themselves because they are so unique and original, I just have to give them credit; their inventiveness is the draw. Think artists like Poe, Jem, and Sleigh Bells to name a few. I can't see Polica finding its way on to my short list of most loved bands, but I do dig today's song of the day, "I See My Mother" for its sultry, atmospheric vibe, and the catchiness of its chorus, which spins, darts, and winds back on itself like a Möbius. If I were at a club this is what I would want playing. I don't go to clubs.



--Steve

Song of the Day - Emmylou by First Aid Kit

Since Steve selected yesterday's Song of the Day from one of the bands I recently featured, I'm making today's Song of the Day one from First Aid Kit, one of Steve's favorite new albums. It really is a terrific debut and I've not been able to stop listening to it since Steve recommended it.

Just now, as I played the video for Emmylou, today's Song of the Day, my wife looked up from her magazine and said "I really love this album, I've been listening to it a lot." So there you go, that's three people who love this album. That means you'll probably love it too.



--Noah