8.6.09

Album recommendation: A Sunny Day in Glasgow’s “Ashes Grammar”
It’s a fine line between psychedelia and spiritualism, but A Sunny Day in Glasgow walks it confidently. The Philadelphia foursome uses spaced out angel harmonies and underwater synth loops to create a sound that simultaneously invokes drug-induced euphoria and religious epiphany. Their sophomore effort Ashes Grammar blends ambient, lounge, electronica, shoegaze and gospel in one big dreamy watercolor of an album.

Music site recommendation: boykings.com
Chicago-based Boy Kings provide “fresh” and irreverent commentary on the hottest and latest music as well as pop culture at large. Recently, the guys have interviewed Passion Pit, Hey Champ! and The Hood Internet and reviewed new music from Mos Def and Daft Punk. They also provide useful info on the hippest places to see music and hang out in Chicago.

Songs

1. Phoenix “If I Ever Feel Better” With the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix earlier this year, pop/rock band Phoenix may have surpassed fellow frogs Daft Punk in the size of their American cult following. Does anyone else remember/love this Phoenix song from way back in 2000? It is so infectious. And while we’re on the topic of vintage Phoenix, does anyone else remember the Phoenix song “Too Young” featured on the Lost in Translation soundtrack? http://www.imeem.com/artists/phoenix/music/IbVnCbXy/phoenix-if-i-ever-feel-better/
2. Daft Punk “Tron Legacy Theme” If Phoenix has in fact usurped Daft Punk’s throne as hottest French import, it’s likely to be a brief reign. It was recently announced that Daft Punk will compose the entire soundtrack to Disney’s remake of 80s classic Tron, thus winning over hipsters, dancers, nerds, and Jeff Bridges fans alike. http://wearehunted.com/#tron-legacy-theme-daft-punk 3.. Flaming Lips “Silver Trembling Hands” Reviewing a song by the Flaming Lips feels a little like hubris, leaving me at a loss for a pithy description that will do justice to the band or this song. So let’s keep it simple: just listen to this song. And when Embryonic comes out this fall, listen to that too. http://www.myspace.com/flaminglips