Mount Saint - Excuses

| Kerri
If I'm a liar
You're the words I'll never speak
On and on the truth that keeps you from sleep
It feels like fire
Hot and burning everything
On and on it spreads and catch on your sheets
And I know
I shouldn't make excuses
But I
I'm on the road

Mount Saint was an LA-based indie pop band that released one EP, last year, and it was lovely. This was my favorite of those tracks. Earlier this month, they officially announced that they have split up, but good news is there are two new indie bands to follow:  Strange Joy and Tolman (Mount Saint singer with her husband, the drummer from The Moth and The Flame and both formerly part of Imagine Dragons. Bonus song embedded below).

RIYL: Chairlift, Kittens of the Internet, Wild Belle

Upcoming Shows

The Exploding Hearts - Modern Kicks

| Keith
Hearts are breaking now, she says i don't care (don't care)
It ain't my business, nose in the air
Hell is breaking loose, she says i don't mind (don't mind)
She's got new things to take up her time
Little white lies with matching suits and ties I put her in a place
I'm all alone and I'm getting stoned, staring off into space
t makes me shiver it makes me shake,
You wanna give give give but i don't wanna take
Getting modern kicks

Listening to Beach Slang yesterday reminded me of another band that quickly became a favorite of mine...

Back in 2003 the world lost 3/4 of the up-and-coming band The Exploding Hearts to a car accident. I remember being really shocked and saddened at the time, having just recently discovered their music, and I spent a lot of time thinking about how short our time here can be. I think about them often, and take some solace in the fact that, even at a young age, they created something awesome that many have enjoyed for years after their passing. I listen to Guitar Romantic all the time. It's a fantastic album that showcases very unique and special talent. It's also a constant, if melancholy, reminder that it's never too late to make your mark or create something lasting, but also that life can be cruel and short and any opportunities to live, to love, to create, to share, to enjoy life that come your way should be grasped and cherished. Damned if you do, bored if you don't.

RIYL: Beach Slang, The Clash, The Ramones, Elvis Costello, The Jam  

Beach Slang - Future Mixtape For The Art Kids

| Keith
Stick your heart on your sleeve
If it breaks, stitch it on to me
Bash it back into shape
You might be cracked, but I won't let you break

Beach Slang's 2015 The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us felt like a return to some of my favorite music of the past. It's raw, yet accessible, loud and energetic, cool and challenging and all the things that make great music great. Beach Slang captured my imagination right away and I listened to everything I could find. We saw them live, featured one of their early tracks here and generally felt like I found a new favorite band.

Which is awesome. Because a few months later they released a follow-up: A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings. There are lots of great tracks to choose from, and I couldn't really pick one so I just decided to go with the high-energy and aptly titled opener, "Future Mixtape For The Art Kids". Speaking of which, they made an awesome "mixtape" which is well worth a listen too. Check out this cover of "Anything Anything" by Dramarama.

RIYL: The Replacements, The Cure, Japandroids, Cloud Nothings, Cayetana, The Psychedelic Furs

Upcoming Shows