Siri, what does Manic Pixie Dream Girl even mean?

I went by Ditch Records yesterday to pick up my copy of The National’s Trouble Will Find Me (so far, so good, I love it), and saw that Ms. Zooey Deschanel has a new record.

The talented actress also writes and records with M. Ward as She & Him.  Their third record, simply titled Volume 3, is out now… and man, it was close to an impulse buy.

My best instagram friends all liked the record, Pitchfork likes it… I bet I’d like it too.

Go with yourself.

cognitive dissonance: sometimes I like country music

I am enjoying a minor obsession with a country jam.  Its an older song, but new to me, and I can’t listen to it enough.

The group is called Old Crow Medicine Show.  they’ve been around for years and their biggest song, “Wagon Wheel” is from their 2004 record O.C.M.S.

I download this song for a wedding awhile back.  The first time I heard it I didn’t think too much about it.  I remember thinking it was an odd wedding request… but then wedding couples always request the odd odd song.  Something that means something to them from a holiday, camping trip, growing up, whatever.  I did stress about how I’d work the song into a dance set…

The wedding comes and I don’t play the song.  near the end of the night, the groom a few in… comes over and says, “Its time for ‘Wagon Wheel.’”

OK, its your wedding… I play the song and the dance floor goes off… all the friends knew the song and sang it word-for-word.

That was a nice moment and I filed that away in my brain.  Then this weekend, the couple enjoyed country music, so as I researched my playlist, there is OCMS sitting on the hard drive.

I played it again, and again everyone got into it.  And this time, I too got into the song.

Now I can’t hear it enough.

Its the first time… well in a long time I can remember really being into a country song.  There are country songs that I like.  And I’ve had some great times hanging out with my sister or friends…and they’ve played some country.  But here I am… choosing to hit play on a country song.  Geez, not since the Rascal Flatts incident of 2006 have I been into a country song so much.

Go with yourself.

LOCAL: A vintage recording of Black Tie Social

I was poking around some old files and found this recording that Black Tie Social did for my old Capital Rock City podcast.  The talk was this would be the last BTS show… opening for Theset at Big Fernwood.

Black Tie Social – “Silver Screens” (live)

Just wanted to share because I love them.

Dark & fun pop from Sweden: NONONO

Here is something catchy from Sweden.  The group is called Nonono or No NO No, or NONONO… female vocals and couple dudes producing.

The first song I heard is called “Pumping Blood.”  I heard it compared to Imagine Dragons.

Pop Justice says that song could be one of those jams that eternally bounces around the blogs…but it might just be catchy enough to show up on the radio.  I dunno, what do you think?  I mean we got a radio station antennae, do we pump NONONO over the air?

They posted this b-side a few days ago and its already sitting at 50,000 plus plays.

Go with yourself.

LOCAL: Georgia Murray covers Lana Del Rey LIVE

Friend of the show Georgia Murray stopped by The Zone Afternoon Show to lay down an amazing live off the floor cover of Lana Del Rey‘s “Blue Jeans.”   Murray began her song by layering some vocal loops using a TC Helicon Voice Live Touch 2. I hope you enjoy!

Go with yourself.

LOCAL: Check out Handsome Distraction

Victoria’s Handsome Distraction are set to release their new record A Mighty Roar today with a concert tonight at Lucky Bar.

HD are a group that have always demonstrated a great energetic rockshow.  Their previous record, though good, was not great…it lacked that sonic x-factor you need to pull you through the speakers.

This time the guys tackled that short coming. Their record sounds outstanding with a couple songs that first listen had me engaged.  Lead singer Devin told me the focus cuts might be “No False Alarm” or “Promises.”  I liked “No False Alarm.”

The Indie Machine wrote about the record and pulled out similarities to the Foo Fighters (I agree) and Queens of the Stone Age (I don’t hear that).  But an interesting thread they found was a sound that might remind you of Cursive. O RLY? Listening to some of their songs on A Mighty Roar, you do hear that mid-2000s angular, or jangly indie guitar sound.  Especially on the song “Stricken.”  With “Stricken” you’re getting propulsive indie, palpitative and sharp drum crack, but with the bigger vocal hooks of today’s modern rock bands.  This song was created for a friend of the band Mike Box, who continues a battle with cancer.  To me, the standout on the record.

The whole record clocks in at what?  20 minutes?  I need three of these for my run Handsome Distraction!

Go with yourself.

Hey Rosetta cover Paul Simon

Our cover song freakout continues on this perfect sunny Thursday with a song originally made famous by Paul Simon.

James Sutton posted a youtube clip of Newfoundlanders Hey Rosetta in Chicago.  They were at a place called Music Exchange (is that store?) and they did this gem of “Graceland” live off the floor.