The Hood: The Neighborhoodies Blog

The Secret Dakota Ring “The Fade to Black”

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Although he is perhaps best known for his membership in OK GO since 2005, Andy Ross has released two records on his own under the Secret Dakota Ring moniker.  His sophomore effort was just released on November 11th and is brimming with big pop songs that are lushly instrumented without feeling too baroque or chamber-poppy.  One of our favorite tracks from Cantarell is “The Fade to Black,” whose cheerful instrumentation is helping keep us warm and summery as winter rears its icy head.

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Faunts “Memories of Places We’ve Never Been (TH White remix)”

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REMIX!

We must not be the only ones who think Faunts are incredibly awesome since they’ve just released a record of remixes by a slew of indie electronic acts such as Cadence Weapon and this reinterpretation by TH White.  It takes their blissful shoegaze and filters it through a sieve of malfunctioning technological wizardry.  Yum.

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Brass Bed “Olivia”

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Brass Bed self-released their debut full-length back in September and it has the sound of a band knowing how to do things right on their own.  Midnight Matinee is deservedly self-assured, full of character, and easy to like.  I don’t know who “Olivia” is, but I’d be flattered to have such a cool song written about me.

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Larytta “Ya Ya Ya”

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“Ya Ya Ya” from Larytta’s Difficult Fun successfully pulls off one of the coolest things any song can do: consistently lead you in a different direction than you expect it to take you.  From the a capella beginning to the drum machine-gone-tribal sound of the beat dropping in, it is inventive (although clearly not everyone’s cup of tea).

Do you think they’re singing about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or is Ya Ya Ya some bit of slang I haven’t yet mastered?

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It’s A Musical “Bad Day”

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Another week, another fucking cool record from Morr Music.  This time it’s It’s A Musical, a duo comprised of Ella Blixt (Bobby of Bobby & Blumm) and Robert Kretzschmar.  The Music Makes Me Sick is their first collaboration, and I swear it isn’t as daunting as “Bad Day” makes it out to be.  On the whole, the record is an exuberant tease, filled with a mischievous friskiness.

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Fol Chen “Cable TV”

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It’s plain to see why Asthmatic Kitty signed L.A.’s Fol Chen.  “Cable TV” is spunky, catchy, and surprisingly funny.  Fol Chen’s music sounds as fresh as anything out there; recall the first time you heard Midnite Vultures and you’re on the right track.  Their full-length won’t be released until February of 2009, but hey, it’s something to look forward to, right?

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