Heartbreaking Bravery

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April 24, 2015

Pleistocene – Liberteen (Stream)

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There are few things more exciting to me than coming across a band worth getting excited about- and the latest addition to that list is Pleistocene, whose “Liberteen” is nothing short of a sugar high. Before getting around to that, though, just like the posts leading up to this one, there will be ten songs that get mentioned based on their strength. 2015 has supplied no shortage of outstanding music in its first four months and these have all surfaces in the past few weeks. Included in those ranks were Glockabelle’s typically insane “Wolf BBQ“, FFS’ dancefloor-ready “Johnny Delusional“, Rose Windows’ winningly complex “Strip Mall Babylon“, and a new solo song from one of the most brilliant songwriters I’ve ever encountered, Colin Bares (of The Coral Riffs, Good Grief, and The Cost of Living), entitled “Infinite Celebrity“. Additionally, there was Western Plaza’s carefree basement pop tune “Thrift Store Girl“, Turnover’s light, charming “Humming“, and Prurient’s terrifyingly brilliant “Greenpoint“. Piling things on were Blur’s freshly rejuvenated “My Terracotta Heart“, O-Face’s sunny indie pop number “Yolanda“, and site favorite Courtney Barnett’s beautiful cover of John Cale’s “Close Watch“. While each and every single one of those is a title worth purchasing, it’s Pleistocene‘s “Liberteen” that earned this post’s feature.

Pleistocene have been a band for a while and have somehow evaded my detection in their time of existence. I’m already attempting to make up for lost time but, even more than that, looking forward to what the band’s got lined up for the future. “Liberteen” is the first glimpse of the band’s forthcoming Space Trap EP (due out via Cherish Records) and it lands every blow it throws. A series of sweet grace notes, it’s another song that deftly combines some subtle twee elements with powerpop and fuzzed-out punk. In short, it’s just about perfect. Melodic beyond reason and effortlessly light without ever seeming disposable, “Liberteen” is the perfect soundtrack for this spring and that distinction will likely extend to summer. Insistent, beautiful, and immensely likable, Pleistocene have thrown their stake into a niche area that’s directly in line with what this site loves to cover. If the rest of Space Trap follows suit, it may just become one of the year’s more memorable releases.

Listen to “Liberteen” below and keep an eye on this site for more coverage of both Space Trap and Pleistocene.

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February 25, 2015

Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best (Music Video)

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Let’s just get this out of the way at the top: Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit is one of the greatest record titles since Yo La Tengo’s classic I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass. It’s a slyly self-deprecating line and it immediately illustrates Courtney Barnett‘s penchant for the wryly downtrodden- something she exploits the absolute hell out of in both the clip for “Pedestrian At Best” and the actual song. Even though we’re not even a full two months into 2015, “Pedestrian At Best” already seems to be occupying space in an upper-upper-tier register that precious few others have reached (Will Butler’s absurdly likable clip for the equally likable “Anna” being a definite candidate). What immediately makes “Pedestrian At Best” stand out is that it’s the most cutting thing in Barnett’s increasingly enviable discography. As if the frighteningly sharp teeth of the music wasn’t enough, this is easily the most unleashed and verbose Barnett’s allowed herself to be lyrically as well, occasionally bringing to mind a Stage Names-era Will Sheff at his most fearlessly unhinged.

As genuinely great as “Pedestrian At Best” is on its own, it’s the clip that renders this a definitive entry for Barnett’s early career. Emphatically punctuating Barnett’s stylistic tendencies, it balances a tautly-drawn tightrope between an abysmally bleak worldview and entertainingly subtle, tongue-in-cheek humor that continuously keeps things balanced. In a surprisingly compelling performance as the “Clown of 2013” that seems to pull a lot of inspiration from silent film’s golden era, Barnett gets to unleash a clever commentary on the nature of the indie press hype cycle and never falls out of focus. It’s that same cleverness that elevated her to her current status as one of today’s more revered young songwriters, it’s just coming across as slightly more refined. The band Barnett’s surrounded by (often quasi-sardonically referred to as “The Barnetts”) sounds like their matching her stride for stride in terms of ascending sharpness. Importantly, “Pedestrian At Best” also suggests that Barnett’s growing more spirited and vibrant as her career progresses, which could yield towering dividends for her future. We’re lucky to have a songwriter- and band- like this to claim for our generation- “Pedestrian At Best”, if anything, is an exacting reminder of why.

Watch “Pedestrian At Best” below and pre-order Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit here.

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