Here’s some Monday morning juice to get your week started off on the right foot. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are essentials in my library and they recently released a track, “Victory Lap.” It’s packed to the brim with positivity and energy, charting Macklemore’s career from when he started at 17 to where he is now. He recently announced that he is working on a new album. I’m stoked.

Macklemore – Victory Lap
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/macklemore/23%20Victory%20Lap.mp3]

Free Candy

Macklemore – Fake I.D.
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/macklemore/_Fake%20I.D..mp3]
Macklemore – Otherside Remix ft. Fences
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/macklemore/Otherside%20Remix%20ft.%20Fences.mp3]
Macklemore – Can’t Hold Us
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/macklemore/Can%27t%20Hold%20Us%20%28Radio%20Rip%29.mp3]

dags

I like covers. A lot. They say a lot about a musician and their taste. Some times I make playlists with covers I find and like and think you should know about. This is one of those playlists.

Indie Covers Playlist, Part IV

^click to download

1. Unravel (Bjork Cover) by POP ETC
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/covers/COVERS%20MORE%20COVERS/09%20Unravel%20%28Bjork%20Cover%29.mp3]
2. On the Beach (Neil Young Cover) by Radiohead
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/covers/COVERS%20MORE%20COVERS/On%20The%20Beach%20%28Neil%20Young%20Cover%29.mp3]
3. The Cave (Mumford and Sons Cover) by Ellie Goulding (Live)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/covers/COVERS%20MORE%20COVERS/The%20Cave%20%28Mumford%20and%20Sons%20Cover%29.mp3]
4. Bette Davis Eyes (Tori Amos Cover) by Sexton Blake
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/covers/COVERS%20MORE%20COVERS/02%20Bette%20Davis%20Eyes%20%28Tori%20Amos%20cover%29.mp3]
5. Katy On a Mission (Katy B Cover) by Arctic Monkeys
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/covers/COVERS%20MORE%20COVERS/Katy%20On%20A%20Mission%20%28Katy%20B%20cover%29.mp3]
6. Blue Tulip (Okkervil River Cover) by Bon Iver
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/covers/COVERS%20MORE%20COVERS/Blue%20Tulip%20%28Okkervil%20River%20Cover%29.mp3]
7. The Agony of Laffitte (Spoon Cover) by Nada Surf
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/covers/COVERS%20MORE%20COVERS/07%20The%20Agony%20of%20Laffitte.mp3]

The Soft Pack

I was fortunate enough (understatement) to get tickets for the sold out Soft Pack/Arctic Monkeys show at the Glasshouse in Pomona this week. Though I’d already seen the Soft Pack once and Arctic Monkeys twice, I was really just excited to see them in such an intimate venue. Granted, Arctic Monkeys are one of my all-time favorite bands. There are times when I would rather stay in and listen to Arctics by myself than hang out with a lot of people–a slightly sad but true statement. And I’ve met and bonded with some of my best friends over Arctic Monkeys. They’re just one of those bands that if you love them, you loooooooove them. In any case, I was pretty stoked to see them again.

The Soft Pack opened for them and got the energy in the place really stirring. They’re just some cool dudes with cool style. Their beach-rock vibes are quite addictive and make for a pretty rad live performance. My only complaint was that their set was really short. I’d love to see them again, hopefully with a longer set list.

The Soft Pack-Extinction
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/08%20Extinction.mp3]
The Soft Pack-Right & Wrong
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/01%20Right%20%26%20Wrong.mp3]
The Soft Pack-Answer to Yourself
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/03%20Answer%20To%20Yourself.mp3]
The Soft Pack-Beside Myself
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/02%20Beside%20Myself.mp3]

I don’t really know where to begin with the Arctics’ performance other than it was all around the best experience I’ve ever had at a concert. It completely exceeded my expectations–which were high, mind you, because Arctics have a reputation as being stellar live performers. Their energy was incredible, their sound spot on. And on top of that, the entire audience was in love. The fact that the Glasshouse is such a small venue (the stage isn’t really a stage at all, it’s more of a ramp) only amplified the experience. My only qualm with their set list was that it ended. Other than that, they played everything I would have wanted them to, including two of their S.I.A.S. b-sides, Evil Twin and R U Mine? They came back for an encore and played Suck It and See, Fluorescent Adolescent and closed with 505. I hate to sound melodramatic or trite, but this show was the closest I have ever been to perfection. I’m dying to see them again in another small venue.

Arctic Monkeys-Do Me a Favour
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/07%20Do%20Me%20A%20Favour.mp3]
Arctic Monkeys-Suck It and See
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/11%20Suck%20It%20And%20See.mp3]
Arctic Monkeys-Love Is a Laserquest
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/10%20Love%20Is%20A%20Laserquest.mp3]
Arctic Monkeys-Evil Twin
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/the%20soft%20packkkkkk/Evil%20Twin.mp3]

To download: right click > save/download file

Some of my personal favorite rokker doods, Bass Drum of Death, recently took off for a tour in Australia, but not without leaving out a bowl of steaming hot rock ‘n’ roll soup for the folks back home. They’re the rock ‘n’ roll soupermen (get it?). This song is a part of a 7″ they’re releasing pretty soon and it’s, in two words, bad ass. It rocked my world, then I clicked the repeat button and turned it way up. I sure hope my neighbors like this song because they won’t be hearing much else for a little while.

I Wanna Be Forgotten – Bass Drum of Death by 3qtr

North Carolina-based duo Bowerbirds craft the indie-folk equivalent of origami: delicate things, an image of nature, folded out of pretty pieces of scrap paper. Though of course they do it with violins, cellos, trombones, and organs and harmoniously polished vocals. Their most recent release The Clearing, is chillingly beautiful. It is a perfect composition for spring. They sing about pretty things, too, like nature and love and fear of the dark. It’s rejuvenating. It is not without moments of darkness though. It bears many of the struggles and pangs of growing up and falling out of love and other confusing things like death. But they provide solace in the reminder that the struggles they sing of are universal and “you’re not alone.” If it bears an eery resemblance to Bon Iver (which it does) it’s because it was recorded with Brian Joseph, who has worked prominently with Bon Iver as well. This is an album to dwell on.

Tracklist

1. Tuck the Darkness In
2. In the Yard
3. Walk the Furrows
4. Stitch the Hem
5. This Year
6. Brave World
7. Hush
8. Overcome with Light
9. Sweet Moment
10. Death Wish
11. Now We Hurry On

CoachellAltDelight brings attention to special artists that will be featured in Indio come April.
Some we love. Some we just discovered. All good stuff.
Click here for more from this series.
16 (23) Days

Santa Barbara’s Gardens & Villa have their own brand of cool. Indie synth that feels like body surfing to another universe, their psychedelia is the kind of stuff you want to get lost in all summer. Their debut album came out last year, while they toured with breakout sensations Foster the People. These guys are going to be big, too. They’ve got their own thing going on and it would make for a really wacky/trippy live performance. Keep an eye out for them on Sunday if you wanna give your ears/dancing shoes a rest from all the electronic acts that dominate that day. They’re a guaranteed good time.

Gardens & Villa – Black Hills
Gardens & Villa – Neon Dove
Gardens & Villa – Orange Blossom
Gardens & Villa – Spacetime

CoachellAltDelight brings attention to special artists that will be featured in Indio come April.
Some we love. Some we just discovered. All good stuff.
Click here for more from this series.
21 (28) Days

Noel and Liam Gallagher, frontmen of multiplatnum rock outfit Oasis, are some of the most musically gifted assholes out there. Oasis has really come to represent a generation for me. The clashing ruckus of the idleness of youth with the intensity of growing up, compressed into sweepingly beautiful rock melodies. Everything, aside from their notorious dick attitudes, was wondrously constructed. To this day, few bands are able to impart the degree of nostalgia associated with Oasis. What’s more, they’ve been cited as influence for many prominent musicians today, but really, their music is timeless.

Oasis-Don’t Look Back In Anger (Acoustic)

After Oasis split-up, Noel and Liam went off and started their own side-projects, Noel’s arguably gaining more attention. Of the two brothers, Noel tended to take the backstage more. This is evident in the lyrical construction of his self-titled debut, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. The album is refined but honest, generally recalling the glory and pitfalls of the rock and roll lifestyle. Yet it’s surprisingly unpretentious. It’s the kind of stuff that would make for a great live performance. He’s taking the stage at Coachella on Saturday. I wouldn’t recommend missing him.

Noel Gallagher-If I Had a Gun
Noel Gallagher-AKA….What a Life