Heartbreaking Bravery

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Tag: All I Wanna Do Is Love You

Lost Boy ? – Born 2 Lose (Stream)

Lost Boy ? IV

As this week drew to a close, the final few days offered up outstanding music videos from M.T. Foyer (who nearly claimed this post’s featured spot), IAN SWEET, Lomelda, Sleepy, M Ross Perkins, ANOHNI, Beach Slang, and Merchandise. Additionally, there were all of the tracks that were covered in the preceding post and a small handful of full streams that will be covered in the post that follows this one. While those were dedicated to other quality releases, the focal point of this particular entry in the ongoing saga of coverage falls to site favorites Lost Boy ? who released both a riff-happy new full-length and a track online, “Born 2 Lose”, to mark the occasion.

For years now, the Davey Jones-led project has been releasing astonishing material, including one of the best records of this current decade in Canned. Lost Boy ?’s established, distinctive brand of basement pop is on full display in “Born 2 Lose”, which follows a string of excellent songs to tease Goose Wazoo without ever veering so far into familiarity that it becomes predictable. The ways this project shifts and moves from song to song remains one of Lost Boy ?’s most compelling aspects, furthering a singular identity in the process.

Riding the crest of a mid-tempo pace that manages, impossibly, to come off as both relaxed and surging, “Born 2 Lose” establishes a fascinating tone from the outset and never wavers. Jones’ vocals continue to betray a rotating cast of outsider influences that inform Lost Boy ?’s music in meaningful ways, from form and structure to narrative content.
All of those traits combine into an endlessly fascinating — and ridiculously enjoyable — basement pop track that continues to effortlessly navigate some of the dichotomies that have rendered Lost Boy ? one of the more memorable acts currently operating in the genre.

Don’t miss a chance to explore why this band’s endeared themselves to so many people (a sizable quantity of them being musicians responsible for similarly impressive material). “Born 2 Lose” is an upbeat anthem for the downtrodden, providing empathetic comfort in generous doses. Sometimes that’s exactly the type of thing the world needs and Lost Boy ? continues to deliver in earnest. Make sure to give this one the kind of investment it genuinely deserves.

Listen to “Born 2 Lose” below and order Goose Wazoo here.

M. T. Foyer – All I Wanna Do Is Love You + Let’s Make Something Happen (Stream)

mtfoyer

A lot of great tracks have surfaced over the course of 2016 and new ones keep emerging. Trying to keep up with everything can occasionally be overwhelming but it’s bands like M. T. Foyer that make the sifting through the chaos worthwhile. While the band’s grabbed this post’s featured spot, it’d be remiss not to mention there were also great new tracks from site favorites Young Jesus, Clique, Boss Hog, Nail Polish, Paper Twin, Kitten Forever, and Lisa Prank as well.

While those titles linked above are all more than worth their salt, it’s the emergence of M. T. Foyer that earns top billing, thanks to the undeniable strength of their opening 1-2 punch: “All I Wanna Do Is Love You” and “Let’s Make Something Happen”. Anyone familiar with Michael Sienkowski’s past work probably shouldn’t be surprised by the band’s formidable early outing. Sienkowski was essential to Sleeping in the Aviary (a band that’s earned a surprising amount of words from this site, especially considering they’ve been defunct for years), helped develop Mike Krol into a powerhouse, and made some outstanding music as Whatfor.

M. T. Foyer is Sienkowski’s latest project and it continues his sterling track record with an impressive amount of panache. The band, a sextet, recently unveiled the inspired “All I Wanna Do Is Love You”, which updates the golden era of doo-wop and seamlessly molds the influence into something more quintessentially modern, and the breezy duet “Let’s Make Something Happen”.

“All I Wanna Do Is Love You” comes with all the punk bite and ’50s charm of Sleeping in the Aviary’s final studio record, You and Me, Ghost, while still firmly establishing Sienkowski’s singular voice. From the warped instrumentals to the song’s inherent, carefree purity, it’s never anything less than remarkable. Surging with energy, it’s the kind of adrenaline-inducing blast that captures attention. Right out of the gate, M. T. Foyer prove they’re serious contenders and seem to have a complete grip on their own identity.

Where “Let’s Make Something Happen” impresses is in the fact that it retains the identity that “All I Wanna Do Is Love You” while subverting the fundamental songwriting enough to signify that they’ll be far from a one-trick pony. Tapping into the kind of punk-tinged Americana dusting that Dusk is well on their way to perfecting, M. T. Foyer immediately expand their vision in a fairly unexpected — but entirely welcome — manner.

Both songs elevate the other, especially when packaged together. They’re impressive on their own, to be sure, but in providing such a stark, immediate contrast, the differences get enhanced. It’s a pivotal device that demonstrates not only the band’s sprawling talent but their impeccable taste. Nuanced, honest, and extraordinary, “All I Wanna Do Is Love You” and “Let’s Make Something Happen” make sure that M. T. Foyer’s introduction isn’t to be taken lightly; focus on this band and waltzing away with a whole handful of favorites is all but inevitable.

Listen to “All I Wanna Do Is Love You” and “Let’s Make Something Happen” below and keep an eye on this site for further updates on the band.