11 September 2007

Midlake

Since I started my current job, I've been listening to a lot of corporate radio. 8 hours a day. It starts with Mark & Brian in the mornings, who I've grown to love and find their show a rather "classy" alternative to all the other morning talk shows. They're smart, witty, and crass at the same time, much like I strive to be.
After 10am, I try to switch it up. The dude I share my workspace with loves to listen to the Buzz, the straight up teeny-bopper pop station, even though he's a forty-something former Deadhead.
I do love Daria & Mitch in the afternoons, and all the other personalities on the station seem to be self-aware enough to poke fun at the music they have to play, but just enough to keep Entercom powers that be off their back.
Some days we listen to KINK. I've written about my love-hate relationship with KINK before. They love Feist, they love Ryan Adams, and they had Spoon in their "Live Performance Lounge" the other day. I can get behind that.
Anyway, all this rambling about my radio listening habits comes to this point. With Oregarus no longer in my daily work life, I'm without a great source for new music, and when we happen to meet up at the pub to catch up on life, we never manage to exchange music like we used to. I haven't really been keyed into any new bands as of late. I've been listening to a lot of the same ol' stuff I've loved for years.
On my recent long weekend in Seattle, a buddy introduced me to Midlake, a band from Denton, TX. Their latest album has been in heavy heavy rotation for the last couple weeks. Heavy rotation as in I haven't really listened to anything else. Its the perfect music for the end of summer melancholy that always sets in around this time. They sound a little like Fleetwood Mac, and I've come to grips with the fact that I kinda like Fleetwood Mac...

I hate music videos. Even good ones always remind me of cheesy karaoke videos, but youtube is the easiest way to share music I really dig on my blog. Here's a few of my favorite songs from Midlake.

"Head Home"



"Young Bride"



"We Gathered in Spring"


And a snippet from a live performance of "Branches," another song that keeps repeating in my head all day long until I listen to the album again.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow. these guys are pretty good.

I dunno if you'd like em (as they are nothing like Midlake), but you might possibly like The Knife. Have you heard of Deerhoof?

Anonymous said...

Midlake sounds like something new... and pleasant enough that I think I'm going to go out and buy an album. I too, have trouble finding new music I like.

Anonymous said...

So I bought the Van Occupanther album and it is the coolest thing I've heard in forever -- I absolutely love it. I'm going out to buy their other albums right way. It's exactly the sort of sound my soul has been craving.

Also -- email me! I like Feist, Ryan Adams, and other bands you've mentioned, so I'd like to hit you up for new music ideas. And maybe I can introduce you to something new too. Although I live in Indiana, which is decidedly less hip than Portland, so I dunno.

That comment above is me, by the way... I'm not sure why I typed my email instead of my name.