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#MusicMonday, Vol. 54

What the CL Music Team is jamming this Monday, from Spies on Bikes to Icebird to Dawes and more.

By Julie Garisto , Leilani Polk , Taylor Toothman , Evan Tokarz , Andrew Silverstein , Gabe Echazabal , Mike Wilson and Ray Roa on Mon, Jan 16, 2012 at 1:00 pm

Taylor - The Butterfly Boucher discography: Flutterby (2003) and Scary Fragile (2009) + contributions to the Nashville supergroup Ten Out Of Tenn.
She's been featured on seemingly every prime time TV show in recent history, she's done a duet with David Bowie, and she's got killer talent. Someone please explain to me why she isn't uber famous... I am so stoked for her third album drop in April.

Leilani - Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation (2011); and Icebird, The Abandoned Lullaby (2011)
Pleasant psyche-electro pop from the bedroom project of 22-year-old Trevor Powers; his vocals are echoing earnest prettiness against dreamy washes of sound and gentle melodies that are sometimes accompanied by a mid-temp beat. This album made Pitchfork.com's top 50 of 2011, and I like it, but I'm not sure I'm quite sold yet. Icebird is a collaboration between producer/musician RJD2 and singer Aaron Livingston — indie electro-funk hop with a whole lotta '70s soul appeal. As with anything RJD2 does, this album has the potential to grow on me, hard.

Gabe - Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter, Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology (2008)
Since getting the fabulous documentary film The Ballad of Mott for Christmas, I’ve been on a serious Mott the Hoople kick. The British powerhouse rock band rose to prominence in the early 1970s thanks to the Bowie-penned glam rock anthem "All The Young Dudes." Their story is a quite interesting indeed, but the music they produced throughout their tenure is the real star of the show. Thundering blues-based rock n' roll that was supposed to be a blend of "Dylan and the Stones" as is mentioned in the doc. The band released a string of outstanding albums and the highlights are collected on disc one of this superb 2-CD anthology. The second disc is comprised solely of lead singer Ian Hunter's solo work from his post-Mott days. To compile a list of bands that were influenced by Mott and by Hunter’s vocal style would be an endless task; listen here to a band and a man that contributed immeasurably to the musical landscape they so brilliantly helped to design.

Andrew - Action Bronson, Dr. Lecter (2011)
Upscale NYC chef-turned-smoked out underground rapper, Action Bronson absolutely slays on this debut LP. The production is littered with smoky, jazz club samples and upbeat rhythms harking back to the brighter production values of mid-90's hip hop. Bronson never takes himself too seriously, gets pretty absurd, and raps about food a lot, which kinda rules: "Damn I'm living reckless / Smoking all day just like the brisket / Every day I'm thinking I should risk it / Add another number to statistics / Or use the breast milk to eat my Crispix." Favorite tracks - "The Madness," "Larry Csonka" and "Jerk Chicken."

Mike - The Shins, "Simple Song" (2012)
First single off Port of Morrow, listen and prepare for another amazing album (LP available March 20).

Julie - Dawes, Nothing Is Wrong (2011)
Dawes' sun-kissed folk pop eclipses other bands in the Americana genre with lovely dynamics and more crossover appeal on their third outing. Note: Got to this late. If I'd received it sooner, I would have included it in my Top 10. Last week I had mentioned on Facebook that singer Taylor Goldsmith reminded me of Jackson Browne, and, boy, people really hate JB. Disclaimer: No disrespect was meant to Darryl Hannah in the writing of that comparison.

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A new year, another Monday of jams from the CL music team... here's what we're listening to this week:

Ray - Spies On Bikes, Man Overboard EP (2012)
Spies On Bikes is the brainchild of local musician, actor, and filmmaker Nathan Cochran, and his project's debut EP — Man Overboard — is already competing as frontrunner for best local album of 2012 (Palantine’s Bruise Your Illusion gets a shout-out in that category, too). "Long Walks and Recorded Talks" cleverly samples Woody Allen rom-com Midnight In Paris, and the nine-song effort is rife with penetrating production that ranges from glitchy synth-pop ("Wild Behavior," "Shore Leave," and "Catahoula"), to colorful instrumentals ("Sun Showers"), to airy sing-alongs ("Love Like Hours").

The EP is Cochran's first major release since losing his desk job and subsequently having to sell all of his music equipment four years ago, and it was finely mastered by his roommate Jeremy Powell, who releases his own music uner the Auterkeia moniker. Man Overboard’s physical release was funded by a very modest Kickstarter campaign and includes hand-painted packaging as well as two tracks not present in the digital version. The effort is currently streaming at Bandcamp, and more info on the physical release is available here.

Evan — Ratatat, LP4 (2010)
Hard-hitting and habit-forming, this instrumental twosome gets me through the week. Their phenomenal hooks and electronic explorations combine the best of IDM and hip-hop beats. With a mix of the complex and visceral, sexy and brooding, this group has got to be one of the most re-playable artists in my collection — and this album is as solid as any other.

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About The Authors

Gabe Echazabal

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I was born on a Sunday Morning.I soon received The Gift of loving music.Through music, I Found A Reason for living.It was when I discovered rock and roll that I Was Beginning To See The Light.Because through music, I'm Set Free.It's always helped me keep my Head Held High.When I started dancing to that fine, fine...

Ray Roa

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Past work can be seen at Suburban Apologist, Tampa Bay Times, Consequence of Sound and The...

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