Sune Rose Wagner’s recommendation: “Buddy Holly always moved me because he wrote amazing, simple songs. I used to watch the Buddy Holly Story incessantly when I was a kid. The Everly Brothers are some of the best singers and recorded great songs by terrific writers like Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. All I Have To Do Is Dream is incredibly moving. Sonic Youth opened a entirely new world for me. Daydream Nation was my first purchase and I had a love/hate relationship with it for a long time. I was intrigued by the dissonance and words but a little perplexed by the lack of really melodic “traditional” songs.”
About our guest author, Sune Rose Wagner: Sune is the songwriter, co-singer and guitarist for The Raveonettes, the band that Kurt Loder simply could not stop speaking and writing about in 2003. The band perfectly combines ’50s harmonies and Spectorish production with a smack of Velvet Underground punk attitude for good measure. They’re critic darlings, music snob darlings and should be a hell of a lot bigger than they are. Sune Rose literally scoured the Earth to put this band together and his effort paid off, big time. Their somehow simultaneously retro and modern songs are some of the most infectious tunes that have come out in the last ten years and their latest release Raven In the Grave lives up the the excellence of their past releases. The band also kills it live, so be sure to check their tour page for upcoming gigs.
Noelle Scaggs’s recommendation: “Lately it seems like I can’t have my day completed without throwing on something by the Fleet Foxes. A friend of mine put two of their albums on a travel mix for me a couple tours back, and since then I have been either sleeping with Robin Pecknold’s voice or rising with it. It is as though they were born in a castle placed in an enchanted forest that you would find in a story like, Narnia. I really enjoy artists that can manage to build imagery within their music inviting the listener to a new experience. The vocal harmonies matched with their whimsical melody reminds me of the first time I’d ever heard Neil Young, Joni Mitchell & Bird And The Bee, who all spoke to my spirit upon first listen. Their songs have a very calming effect on me which is needed with this non-stop schedule me and the gang currently have. I highly recommend their song Meadowlark to any new mothers whom are trying to calm their child for a nap. I played that beautiful lullaby for my nephew and I think he was as entranced in the lyrics as I was when I first heard it:
Meadowlark fly your way down, I hold a cornucopia and a golden crown for you to wear upon your fleeced gown. My meadowlark sing to me.”
New to Fleet Foxes? Noelle suggests you start here: “If you have never heard Fleet Foxes before, I think the best album to grab would be their self titled LP, Fleet Foxes. It’s a great album from beginning to end and it’s their first full length LP as a band. Check out White Hymnal, Quiet Houses & Your Protector. One should also grab their first EP called Sun Giant and check out a song called Mykonos. This song is a great example of their creativity as composers and lyricists.”
About our guest author, Noelle Scaggs: If you are keyed into all that is hip on the West Coast, then you most definitely have heard of Noelle Scaggs. She started singing at the age of eleven and since has collaborated with The Black Eyed Peas, Dilated Peoples and Mayer Hawthorne. But her cool factor does not end there. She’s also modeled in an art piece for Kanye West and co-hosted TV programming with T-Pain. Her “moment,” however, appears to be NOW as she rocks, shimmies and belts out powerful harmonies in Fitz and the Tantrums. Spy any of the Fitz videos (like the knockout performance on Conan below), witness the energy she brings and just try to take your eyes off of her. Impossible, right? She’s the clearly the co-star here and Fitz himself perhaps puts it best in saying of Noelle, “…we have repartee. Onstage, we’re Ike and Tina.” Fitz and the Tantrums’ new album, Pickin’ Up the Pieces is a hunk of pure joy, an experience that could perhaps only be topped by their ass-shaking, earth-quaking live show (check the tour dates here). More goodness comes with the news Noelle is working on a solo record. Remember her name, folks, and get your iTunes set for download.
Harper Simon and Richard Hell (Harper Simon photo: Autumn DeWilde)
Harper Simon’s recommendation: “Blank Generation, Richard Hell and the Voidoids’ Lower East Side manifesto is a seminal New York album and an essential for any young art punk or misfit discovering narcotics, poetry or DIY culture. The poetry is so strong, the vocal delivery so effortlessly hip. Decadent, druggy, fucked out, nihilistic and literate, the Richard Hell of Blank Generation doesn’t care what you think. Plus he’s got the Voidoids to back him up. Bob Quine was a totally unique guitar player who I had the pleasure of playing several shows with in the 90′s. His guitar playing jabs at you, it doesn’t jangle. But it avoids cliche at every turn and perfectly sets up Hell’s gutter rat Rimbaud of Rivington Street thing:
I was sayin’ let me out of here before I was
even born – it’s such a gamble when you get a face
It’s fascinatin to observe what the mirror does
but when I dine it’s for the wall that I set a place
New Pleasure. I’m Your Man. Down At The Rock N Roll Club. The Plan. Betrayal Takes Two. Blank Generation.
Richard Hell. God’s consolation prize!”
About our guest author, Harper Simon: Harper Simon grew up in NYC and later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He then spent time overseas in London where he was part of a band called Menlo Park. His self-titled solo effort was released in 2009 and sported quite a lineup of backing musicians. We’re talking about everyone from Sean Lennon to Elvis’ bass player, Mike Leech. Harper’s album is filled with smart, strong lyrics and lush production (Harper produced the album and Tom Rothrock, who has produced albums for Beck and the late, great Elliot Smith mixed the final product). Simon commands both the sparse drum and piano arrangement of The Audit and the infectious bounce of Tennesse equally and his easy vocal delivery and intricate finger picking definitely draws on the influence of his dear old Dad (Paul Simon). Reviews of the album were strongly favorable, especially one from PopMatters.com that called the effort “…one of the most enjoyable and understated records of the year.” We anxiously await new sounds, but in the mean time, be sure to check Harper’s online site to purchase his music and merch as well as his upcoming live performances. And don’t miss the fantastic video for Berkeley Girl starring Jena Malone below.
Britta Phillips’s recommendation: “Papercuts are from San Francisco and will be opening for us in L.A. & SF next week! (Nov. 11th & 13th – tour details here). They have a gorgeous, lo-fi retro sound that is both beautiful and sad. There is an edgy melancholy to it that is bittersweet in the way Galaxie 500 is, but they sound like themselves, like they’re transmitting from their own far-away planet. I wasn’t sure if it was a boy or girl singing at first which was cool.”
About our guest author, Britta Phillips: Britta Phillips is the beautiful female half of Dean and Britta. Both Britta and her band partner, Dean Wareham, were members of critic fave Luna and the duo has been doing very cool things since they formed in 2005. Most recently, the band was commissioned by the Andy Warhol museum to perform while Andy’s silent screen tests were projected. The songs from that record are now available as a double CD titled 13 Most Beautiful. Equally cool is the duo’s appearance on Nick Jr.’s Yo Gabba Gabba! (awesome video below). Be sure to check the Dean and Britta web site for tour dates and know that on some of the dates, the band will be doing exclusive sets of Galaxie 500 tunes or the Warhol inspired tunes. AMAZING.
About our guest author, Sune Rose Wagner: Sune is the songwriter, co-singer and guitarist for The Raveonettes, the band that Kurt Loder simply could not stop speaking and writing about in 2003. The band perfectly combines ’50s harmonies and Spectorish production with a smack of Velvet Underground punk attitude for good measure. They’re critic darlings, music snob darlings and should be a hell of a lot bigger than they are. Sune Rose literally scoured the Earth to put this band together and his effort paid off, big time. Their somehow simultaneously retro and modern songs are some of the most infectious tunes that have come out in the last ten years and their latest release Raven In the Grave lives up the the excellence of their past releases. The band also kills it live, so be sure to check their tour page for upcoming gigs.
About our guest author, Noelle Scaggs: If you are keyed into all that is hip on the West Coast, then you most definitely have heard of Noelle Scaggs. She started singing at the age of eleven and since has collaborated with The Black Eyed Peas, Dilated Peoples and Mayer Hawthorne. But her cool factor does not end there. She’s also modeled in an art piece for Kanye West and co-hosted TV programming with T-Pain. Her “moment,” however, appears to be NOW as she rocks, shimmies and belts out powerful harmonies in Fitz and the Tantrums. Spy any of the Fitz videos (like the knockout performance on Conan below), witness the energy she brings and just try to take your eyes off of her. Impossible, right? She’s the clearly the co-star here and Fitz himself perhaps puts it best in saying of Noelle, “…we have repartee. Onstage, we’re Ike and Tina.” Fitz and the Tantrums’ new album, 
About our guest author, Harper Simon: Harper Simon grew up in NYC and later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He then spent time overseas in London where he was part of a band called Menlo Park. His 
About our guest author, Britta Phillips: Britta Phillips is the beautiful female half of Dean and Britta. Both Britta and her band partner, Dean Wareham, were members of critic fave Luna and the duo has been doing very cool things since they formed in 2005. Most recently, the band was commissioned by the Andy Warhol museum to perform while Andy’s silent screen tests were projected. The songs from that record are now available as a 
