NAILED Songs of the Week #33
“Son of a bitch! Give me a drink!”
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Matty Byloos, Publisher and Contributing Editor of NAILED:
"Struck Matches" – Bop English
Spoiler alert: this whole album is catchy. But let me elaborate.
Remember that time you were watching Drive with Ryan Gosling and you could feel the wash of a 1980s thriller not unlike To Live and Die in LA come over you, and then you realized you had that other thing happening inside of you, something mysterious. Like that thing that's happened before, when you realize you're bearing witness to something ultra cool and raw, dark and smooth. Well, the Bop English album released this year has been high up on several top indie album lists, and for good reason. Basically, it's a complete inversion of the kind of cool that exists in Drive: it's full of momentum, and hyper self-aware of what it's doing. Think of it like a good vs. evil thing, if you will.
There's influences in the music, in this song, and on the album that are worth considering, as well. I hear some Supergrass around the edges, maybe some Trans Am, too, well underneath. A little bit of Marc Bolan and T. Rex (listen to "Sentimental Wilderness" in particular and you'll see what I mean) scattered about the rest of the album. Of course, all that makes sense when you find out that vocalist and guitar player from White Denim, James Petralli, is fronting the project.
And bonus: how fucking cool is a great hula-hooper to watch? I love this human. She made me so happy today. I don't even know if this is the official video for "Struck Matches," but man, I sure hope it is.
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Carrie Seitzinger, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of NAILED:
"Technicolor Vision" – Genders
I've had the pleasure of seeing Genders play live recently and they were incredible (just watch!). Powerful vocals, backed by solidly intricate composure. Each member of this band holds their own, and I wouldn't be surprised if the masses (or at least some, smart mass) catch on soon.
This song in particular consumed me during the live performance. So often when we are observing something as public and common as the clouds or moon in the sky, our experiences are different, and the lyrics suggest that these variations are a result of us being handled by what we behold, not the other way around. There is a yearning in this song, but it's not pathetic and it's not lonely--it's a plead for more of the life pulse in our blood, a pumping desire to encompass the world around us, the lover, the trees, the air, the sound.
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Guest Editor: Joe Blair, Writer and NAILED Contributor
"S.O.B." – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
“Son of a bitch! Give me a drink!” That pretty much wraps up the sentiment encompassing The Night Sweats' sound and style.
Between the song and the accompanying video, what you embark on when you spin this track is a soulful, jailhouse R&B jam pulled from the shadows of some dirty Curtis Salgado deep cut that would have inspired the Blues Brothers all over again.
Nathaniel Rateliff, better known for his sleepy folk stylings, steps outside of one comfort zone and into what is clearly a totally different comfort zone; pours his listeners in a cocktail shaker and strains them into a grimy old rocks glass. This song, heavy laden with hums, horns, hand claps, foot stomps, and ornery vocals, punches you in the face. But the truth is, this isn’t the kind of music you listen to if you don’t like being cold-cocked every once in a while.
With only a few songs released so far but an LP coming later in August, there’s a hell of a lot to look forward to. So wake up, listen to this, and let The Night Sweats break your nose.
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Shenyah Webb, Arts Editor of NAILED:
"Argent" – Jane Weaver
When I was 13 years old, I found a Julie Cruise cassette tape just laying there on the sidewalk. After taking a listen, I immediately and genuinely fell in love with its bizarre, ethereal loveliness. She quickly became part of my soul. Ironically, her music was featured in the Twin Peaks series, and I just happened to also be reading the Diary of Laura Palmer at the time. But I didn't actually sink my brain into the TV series until many years later.
A couple of years passed, and I discovered Stereolab in the same exact way, except this time I found their CD. The bizarre experience of discovering them was very similar to finding Julie Cruise's music, and I was immediately taken away, like the universe designed it just so I would find it laying there on the side of the road. Again, the music became a piece of my fragile teenage soul.
Jane Weaver is the perfect fusion of these two artists, but she certainly has her own thing going on as well, and it is so fucking gratifying! I was instantly taken to a similar plane, drifting inside and all grinny. I heard her on XRAY independent radio one evening while driving, and pulled my car over to sit with her lovely music and nothing else. Something was awakened inside of me like I was a young girl again: uncalloused, unjaded, untouched. Weaver reminded me with all of her brilliant and unique music candy that I am alive and that everything I feel is absolute.
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