Sunday, May 21st, 2006

Sunday Cleaning – Volume 34

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The Like Young / Last Secrets (Polyvinyl)

So what did Polyvinyl do when their flagship husband-and-wife pop duo Mates Of State jumped ship for Barsuk? They went right out and got another one. Okay, that’s a little unfair – there are differences. First, the configuration of this pair is more akin to The White Stripes, with the XX-chromosones hunkered down behind the kit and the XY entity slinging the guitar. Second, Joe Ziemba’s voice is punkishly snotty and Amanda’s are sugar sweet making for less effective harmonies but more effective vocal contrasts. Third… Okay, those are about the only differences. On the similars side, The Like Young also turn out compact, effervescent pop music but with a decidedly rockier/punkier edge. And in both duos, the girl is super cute and the guy kinda funny looking. Just saying.

MP3: The Like Young – “Dead Eyes”
MP3: The Like Young – “For Money Or Love”
Video: The Like Young – “For Money Or Love” (MP4)
The Like Young @ MySpace

Josh Rouse / Subtitulo (Bedroom Classics)

Josh Rouse just moved to Spain, and he liked it so much, he wrote a song about it. And another. And another. And before he knew it, he had an album and he called it Subtitulo. Okay, the record isn’t actually ABOUT Spain, but the atmosphere of lazy, sun-drenched afternoons on the Mediterranean permeates the whole affair. Soft, smooth and so laid back it almost gets lost in its hammock, Subtitulo (Spanish for “subtitle”) sits quite nicely alongside Rouse’s last few albums and won’t disappoint anyone who enjoys them. Anyone who’s been waiting for Rouse to find another tempo gave up long ago.

Josh Rouse @ AOL’s The Interface
Josh Rouse @ MySpace

Like A Fox / Like A Fox (Tappersize Records)

The debut effort from this Tri-State band is well-timed. With Grandaddy gone, the love is gone, there’s a void in the indie nation’s heart for someone to make ELO-inspired orch-pop cool. Throw in some almost eeriely Mercury Rev-ish vocals and you’ve got some glistening, daydreamy pop music that’s strong enough to rise above its very obvious but thankfully (for the band) not especially common influences.

MP3: Like A Fox – “A Little”
MP3: Like A Fox – “Heavy Soothing”
MP3: Like A Fox – “Almost There”
Like A Fox @ MySpace

np – The Coast / The Coast

By : Frank Yang at 1:58 pm
Category: Uncategorized
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  1. 5/22/06 9:53 am

     ned says:

    everyone’s giving josh rouse a hard time- his new record is significantly better than the previous two… or maybe i’m just a josh rouse apologist.

    and it baffles me that no one mentions wolfie, who the like young served as half of before becoming busytoby and then the like young…

  2. 5/23/06 3:44 pm

     Matt says:

    I’m definately a Josh Rouse apologist, but I haven’t been able to get into Subtitulo… I thought 1972’s ’70s whiteboy soul was a great change of direction for him, and Nashville continued that sound pretty well, but this record, while pleasant, doesn’t have much to hook me into it.

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