French Style Furs – “All the Way Down”
I was listening to MBE the other day and heard an instantly recognizable voice – it was Cold War Kids’ Nathan Willett. The song was urgent and in your face, but what was this??
Come to find out it’s a new project called French Style Furs, which also features CWK’s Matt Maust and fellow Angeleno Nathan Warkentin from We Barbarians. Even though they were all old friends, there wasn’t a lot of plotting and planning to get this underway. Rather, they captured a creative burst with a specific artistic vision. CWK fans will enjoy.
Old 97’s – “Let’s Get Drunk and Get it On”
When I first moved to Los Angeles in 2000, I was missing Austin something awful.
Then something magical happened. A friend introduced me to the Old 97s.
They weren’t from A-town but they were definitively Texan with their punk pop rockabilly blend of music. Excellent musicians with incredible songs about getting wasted, getting frisky, and, of course, heartbreak.
A lot of songs capture teenage youthful adolescence, but they captured the early 20’s. The Wild West of adulthood.
I bought every album they had and saw them 3 times a year for years and then, admittedly, lost track of them as they settled down with their families. A friend recently tipped me off that their new album was a return to their heyday and I had to listen. She was right, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Thomas Dybdahl – “This Love is Here to Stay”
There is a 70’s vibe to this track that I just can’t get enough of. We’ve been fans of this Norwegian singer for years now, but this sounds unlike anything he’s ever done.
It’s from his new album ‘What’s Left is Forever‘ and I’m extra excited to see him play it live on MBE this Thursday!
From Guest Contributor DJ Travis Holcombe:
Pillow Talk – “Devil’s Run”
Bruce Springsteen, Bono, and James Murphy walk into a recording studio…
It sounds like the prelude to a music nerd joke, but it’s also what “Devil’s Run” — the standout track from PillowTalk’s “Je Ne Sais Quoi” album — sounds like to my ears.
The San Francisco trio pull off the rare synth pop-house-classic rock trifecta on “Devil’s Run” and make the unlikely combination sound easy.
It’s been one of my favorite tracks for the past month and I still can’t get enough of it.