Jerry's Pick: "Suburban Wonderland"

"Suburban Wonderland"-The Heirs

If it's possible to get high by just listening to a song, I think found that song.

The aural substance in question is "Suburban Wonderland" and comes from a relatively new LA quintet known as The Heirs. After a couple of spins you'll find its ethereal aesthetic will eventually find its way into your limbic system slowly inducing you into a dreamlike state.

Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but "Suburban Wonderland" does radiate a hypnagogic vibe that flows effortlessly from the needle-on-a-spinning-piece-of-vinyl beginning through its easy but steady guitar/synth groove to a gentle reverbical but somnolent ending.

According to siblings Savannah and Brandon Hudson of The Heirs, "Suburban Wonderland" was a demo they were sitting on for nearly two-years before someone from their label enthusiastically encouraged the band to record and release it as a single. Good call. Brandon explained to Satori Radio, "It's a song we had written basically about just growing up in suburbia and trying to find your way out but essentially finding beauty in the madness that is normality."

"Are you looking for drugs?/Just for a little thrill?/Are you looking for love?/My body can be your pill..."

"We just wanted to make it about youth culture," adding, "We just wanted a song that kind of summed that up and felt like a good first debut track."

For me, "Suburban Wonderland" was The xx meets Polarheart -- a couple of inspiring and inventive alternative bands that live far on the left side of mainstream pop. Although "Wonderland" has been out since July there have only been a small group of enlightened programmers smart enough to have already added The Heirs' creation to their on-air rotations. And with Sony Music finally beginning a promotional push to radio, hopefully the number of stations will grow exponentially lending to greater and much deserved exposure. That's where you come in. Go ahead, give it a shot! No prescription required.

Warning: Listening to "Suburban Wonderland" may cause drowsiness and quite possibly mild euphoria, and while under its influence it is recommended that you do not operate heavy machinery. Actually, forget about moderation and liberally enjoy this track on repeat with the volume up and headsets or ear-buds firmly in place while seated in a relaxed position with eyes firmly closed and ears wide open.

You are now ready, and I'll take you there.

Welcome to your Wonderland!

Jerry's Pick: "Timebomb"

"Timebomb"-Post Precious

"Love, you're fucked."

When it comes to writing about a post-problematic relationship, the collaborative duo know as Post Precious immediately gets to the point.

"I mean it, I've grieved enough."

Sure, "Timebomb" is a love song, but not in the Barry White sense. Vocalist Alexandra Leigh Winston sings of finally breaking free of someone she really cared about, an unfaithful lover who drained her heart to the point she wonders if she'll ever be able to trust again.

Turns out, this composition was sorta personal, partly influenced by bittersweet relationships that were still fresh in the minds of both Winston and Post Precious partner Max Hershenow.

Hershenow  explained to Billboard, "We were inspired by a sort of collage of individual experiences, but I had recently come out of a particularly dark and heartbroken period of my life and I remember feeling this immense sense of catharsis at being able to put some of that experience into lyrics. To me, putting that sadness and frustration over a euphoric, driving dance beat is almost a reminder of my recovery -- I'm finally over him, or at least I'll keep dancing till I forget."

And dance you can, if you so wish.

What makes this three-minute "Timebomb" tick is its melancholy message delicately layered underneath an upbeat instrumentation featuring an oscillating synth reminiscent of a Visage or Berlin type of groove from the MTV era. The song's fuse sizzles for the first 50-seconds and then -- following a descending staircase of lonelies -- the song explodes.

"Now I can see, this wasn’t enough/I was just wasting my nights on this sinking timebomb..."

I first became familiar with Hershenow through his indie-pop band MS MR, specifically the single "Criminal" from 2015. Apparently it was because of issues with his record label Columbia that spurred Max to take a time-out with MS MR, a move which led to his pairing-up with Winston in LA and the formation of Post Precious.

Columbia's loss, our gain.

So, your mission -- if you decide to accept it -- is to audition this Post Precious track, then save it... (to your iTunes playlist).

But click now, as this "Timebomb" post will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim.

("...five... four... three... two...")

Jerry's Pick: "Oh Devil"

"Oh Devil"-Electric Guest

Anyone remember the Timmy Thomas hit single "Why Can't We Live Together," a wonderful one-hit-wonder top-tenner from 1973? It's a single notable for the simple, soulful rhythm Thomas taps-out on his Lowery organ. For me, that was the musical memory brought to the fore immediately after first hearing the Electric Guest single "Oh Devil" (the last song recorded for the band's latest project, Plural).

Later I read that Electric Guest's lead vocalist Asa Taccone referred to the track as a "throwback song." He told Patrick Green of Crave, "It has traces of nostalgia. It may sound familiar, but... you don’t know exactly where it came from," adding, "I love that!"

If you're familiar with Electric Guest, then there's a very good chance you already know the band's first hit, "This Head I Hold." Like that 2012 single, Asa puts his falsetto to work, this time over a tasty hypnotic reggae-inspired Latin-like groove.

The fantastic finishing touch on this 2017 Electric Guest production was most definitely the inclusion of the (Shaggy-like) vocal jams supplied by a talented young Jamaician who performs under the alias of Devin Di Dakta. Devin explained to Billboard, "They reached out to us about the feature on the song after they saw my work on the Internet and fell in love my musical style."

But there was another key yet intriguing layer in "Oh Devil" that took a bit of investigating to decipher exactly what it was and where it came from. Turns out the high-pitched "Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh"s heard throughout this production is a sample borrowed from an obscure track called "N.F.F.A. (No Fake Friends Allowed)" from Austrailian Kota Banks. Very nice touch guys!

I still have this bouncy-yet-haunting rhythmic jam in my iTunes recurrents despite the fact I discovered this Electric Guest song months ago.

And don't worry, listening to "Oh Devil" won't condemn you to eternal damnation... just three-and-a-half minutes of heavenly delectation.

Jerry's Pick: "Something For Your M.I.N.D."

"Something For Your M.I.N.D."-Superorganism

To borrow a line from Monty: "And now for something completely different." Let's just say no one will mistaken this tune for the latest Taylor Swift release.

There's so much going on with Superorganism's "Something For Your M.I.N.D." you'll put this two-and-a-half minute track on repeat in an attempt to decipher all of its aural components until you've become the latest victim of pop-hypnosis. And how many songs do you know-of that feature the sound of someone biting into an apple?

There's really a lot going on in this production, from a steady yet plodding synth and a stop-and-start rhythm to a myriad of audio samples topped with lyrics that are kinda cute yet curious. On my first listen I immediately thought this had to be a new Moldy Peaches production (remember "Anyone Else But You" from the Juno soundtrack?) as it had that exact same dispassionate delivery.

"I know you think I'm a psychopath/A Democrat lurking in the dark/This sucks, I'm the K-mart soda-jerk/Cirque du trash, I kept the stash/Of cocoa candy straight from Japan/Hologram Anne, she was never as near..."

Ohh-kaaay.

Superorganism came together last year when Brits Harry and Emily struck up a Facebook friendship with an Asian teen in Maine named Orono solely based on a mutual love of creating music. After discovering she could sing, the pair asked the 17-year old if she'd like to help them out with a project they were working on. Orono told DazedDigital.com, "So the next day they sent me (the demo) and were like, ‘Do you wanna write some lyrics?’ I was in bed, so I wrote the lyrics, recorded it on GarageBand on my shitty MacBook in like 30 minutes, then sent it back to them."

Harry picks up the story: "With the time difference, we were -- in the kitchen having some drinks, and within an hour of it getting sent through to Orono, we get this back from her. We were like, ‘Holy shit, can you believe how good this is?’ It’s one of those things where you get the right kind of combination of people and it all falls into place."

They had a feeling they had something uniquely special after they posted their experiment on SoundCloud and Spotify where it quickly accumulated tons of on-line clicks.

Harry explained its appreciation; "I think it has a real sense of playfulness. A lot of pop culture for quite a long time has been quite inward looking – kinda morose." In essence, you can file this one under "Fun!"

Incidentally, (via a dozen minutes of dogged Googling) I discovered the song's often repeated title -- "Something For Your Mind" -- is actually a 1990  a capella C'hantal vocal sample borrowed from a Speedy J remix titled "The Realm."

So, if your "M.I. M.I. M.I.N.D." is ready for "Something..."

Jerry's Pick: "A Little Uneasy"

"A Little Uneasy"-Fazerdaze

As you probably know by now, my on-line mission in life is to occasionally shine my little internet spotlight on some of those less-obvious new music releases that I feel deserve more attention. Well, I found another one for you to check out.

She may be a relative rookie when it comes to the pop music scene, but New Zealand-native Amelia Murray has effectively tapped into her awkward shyness with the potential of becoming alt-indie's most famous introvert.

In fact, it all started when Amelia -- who records under the alias of Fazerdaze -- began laying down her reflective-styled poetry over instruments (guitars, drums, the occasional keyboard) she played in the seclusion and privacy of her bedroom/recording studio.

Amelia explained to Chris Schulz of the New Zealand Herald, "I just have one mic, a sound card and a laptop, and that's pretty much how I do (everything). I play everything myself." But more importantly, "I like that I don't have to seek anyone's approval before I can create an entire song." 

The result is an ethereal piece of DIY grungy dream-pop that is hauntingly mesmerizing.

Her song "A Little Uneasy" is kind of like a faded white-bordered 4x4 photograph of a simple, uncomplicated past... memories evoking feelings of quiet contentment, but sprinkled with melancholy.

In fact, the overall vibe of "A Little Uneasy" immediately reminded me of one of my all-time favorite shoegaze tracks... Ivy's 1997 single "The Best Thing." Both are also noticeably poignant, bittersweet.

This Fazerdaze discovery -- which begins with a John Meyer "No Such Thing" chord progression -- also conjures up bits of Mazzy Starr, Best Coast and the Cure. A few quality ingredients which make "A Little Uneasy" everything but.

Jerry's Pick: "It Ain't Right"

"It Ain't Right"-Current Swell

Now, here's a track with more hooks than a Northern Wisconsin bait shop.

Today's song d'jour is "It Ain't Right" (part of the album When to Talk and When to Listen) from the British Columbia-based alt-indie band Current Swell... four musicians who have been rocking Canada now for a little over a decade. 

Everything from those jangly guitar chords to driving backbeat should quickly pull you inside this little garage rocker, including the lyrics... many of which I consider chorus-quality, including that catchy pre-hook, hook.

"I thought you were different, I thought you were cool..."

In an interview with Exclaim journalist Sarah Murphy, Current Swell guitarist Dave Lang pointed out that the music came first, lyrics second. "I remember (guitarist) Scott (Stanton) had these four chords and he had a real cool kind of, like, '60s swing thing going on, and we couldn't quite make it a song but we love the chords."

By the time the group reconvened for their next recording session, they had the words. Lang remembered, "We just sort of got on a roll talking about this guy who kind of does his girlfriend wrong."

"It Ain't Right" uses a third-person narrative to tell the story of some Type-A asshole who abandons his pregnant girlfriend in order to pursue someone else. I figure that makes this toe-tapping tragedy relatable simply because just about everyone knows someone out there who is a complete dick, right?

"The heart of a stone, the mask of a liar..."

And -- through a couple of well written lines -- we discover that not only do her friends know, but she knows he knows they know too.

"She took you out, but were you surprised... that her friends loved to talk but they never look you in the eyes."

The moral of this up-tempo tale; "What goes around, comes around."

I guess you could say Current Swell just scored another one for Karma.

Jerry's Pick: "High Enough"

"High Enough"-K. Flay

I've been under the influence of a certain pop-rock track for a couple of months now and I have to confess, I think this euphonious stimulant's got me hooked. The musical catalyst in question goes under the street name: "High Enough..." the supplier: San Francisco's K. Flay (aka: Kristine Flaherty).

"High Enough" is kinda like if Lykke Li became a member of the Arctic Monkeys... you know, that wonderfully unique impish voice in front of a stable yet grungy back-beat.

But what really pulled me into this alt-indie obsession was K's clever lyrical wordplay, more importantly the song's rolling, steady meter and rapid-fire cadence. 

"The world is a curse it’ll kill if you let it/I know they got pills that can help you forget it/They bottle it, call it med-i-cine but I don’t need drugs..."

Thematically, the brief strung-out vacillating guitar solo just before the middle-eight was a nice touch as well.

Using medication as a metaphor in music ain't at all new, but I'll put "High Enough" as one of the best lyrical examples of the addiction/affection equation since Bryan Ferry's Roxy Music declared "Love Is the Drug" in 1975.

Flay explained to radio.com, "There are so many songs out there about getting fucked up. I think a part of me was asking the question, 'What if I’m already high enough? What if I don’t need anything but what I’ve got?' There are many moments in my life -- whether it’s because of a person or a place -- that I don’t want to feel altered or high or buzzed. I just want to feel exactly what I’m feeling."

You can get "High Enough" off of K. Flay's just-released album Every Where Is Some Where.

Go ahead. Take a hit... before it becomes a hit.

Jerry's Pick: "Adore"

"Adore"-Amy Shark

I'm gonna shine my little spotlight on a song I feel deserves attention, but -- like the protagonist in this confessional -- will probably just be ignored by radio here in the U.S.

Australian singer-songwriter Amy Shark's "Adore" just ain't your typical Top-40 fare; no catchy hook... no bouncy chorus. Instead, Amy offers up an introspective poem that seems to be pulled straight out of a young teen's diary. 

It's a slow, sweet, sincere, sad, brooding, coming-of-age ballad of being stuck somewhere between the hope and heartbreak of young love. Uneasy feelings of longing-from-afar which are accentuated by the wavering notes Amy carefully picks on her guitar.

"Get me a drink, I get drunk off one sip just so I can adore you/I want the entire street out of town just so I can be alone with you"

"Adore" represents those bittersweet emotions of how it feels to fall totally head-over-heels back-asswards in love with someone who barely knows you exist. Just wanting to be close. Needing to be noticed.

"All of my money is spent on these nights just so we can hang out/Squeezing in and out of these dresses/I wanna be found by you/Found by you"

The first three lines are achingly meloncholic. You can just picture this quiet, lonely, shy shoegazer in the vacinity of her secret crush relishing in any form of attention that may come her way.

"I'm just gonna walk home kicking stones at parked cars/But I had a great night 'cause you kept rubbing against my arm"

Shark explained to 13th Floor journalist Marty Duda, "'Adore' was a really, really easy song for me to write. I kind of heard exactly how I wanted it to sound the second I demoed it. It was such a beautiful song for me, and a special song to me... I just had no idea so many people would relate to it." She added, "It's kind of like a play-by-play of a night that I had... but it sounds like a lot of people had those nights."

There's even a bit of quiet possessiveness to "Adore." And although she warns others to stay clear of her man, they're just fantasies played out in her mind.

"Watch me, watch him talk to girls/I'm known as a right-hand slugger/Anybody else wanna touch my lover?"

Yeah, unrequited love is a bitch.

Jerry's Pick: "Feel It Still"

"Feel It Still"-Portugal. The Man

Not only will Madison Avenue tap this song for a future television commercial but I have a feeling we may also soon be seeing "I'm a Rebel Just for Kicks Now" tees, hats, bumper stickers... protest signs.

What makes this brand-new track from the Portland-by-way-of-Alaska trio (who purposely placed a full-stop right-smack-dab in the middle of their moniker) Portugal. The Man so marketable is that the band's latest creation is extremely catchy. "Feel It Still" first entices with a soulful Shaft-ish hi-hat and bold bare-bones bassline before firmly hooking you with its funky falsetto and a heady horn section.

By approximately 30-seconds into the groove, your head and shoulders should slowly begin to engage in tempo with the beat. And, at only about two-and-a-half minutes in length, you get juuust enough to want more.

That's why -- after dozens of repeated listens -- I was able to deconstruct this P.tM addiction and tie it to bits of other songs that were bouncing around in my subconscious.

According to my brain, I came to the conclusion that "Feel It Still" is what happens when you combine equal parts "Mercy" (Duffy), "The Head I Hold" (Electric Guest) and "Please, Mr. Postman" (Marvelettes) in a big ol' blender after hitting the "Smoothie" setting.

Another point. I didn't hear it at first, but it turns out this Portugal. The Man single is a call to action. 

"I'm a rebel just for kicks now, I been feeling it since 1966 now. Might of had your fill, but you feel it still."

Lead vocalist John Gourley attributed part of the inspiration to a Woodstock ticket-stub that belonged to his dad. He said it reminded him that music -- as it did in the Sixties -- has an opportunity "to comment on societal and political unease" and say "something that mattered." The group's music video (below) takes that mission-statement one step further.

"Feel It Still" is just one of the songs-with-substance expected from a yet-to-be-released album aptly titled Woodstock.

Jerry's Pick: "Seventeen"

"Seventeen"-Sjowgren"

Jeannie Schumacher.

As of late, the iTunes selection stuck in that Steffen song-loop has been "Seventeen," an ultra-indy alternative track from a group of ambitious former San Francisco high school friends (Maija Sjogren, Don Steele and Sam Ahrendt) who dubbed themselves Sjowgren (pronounced "SHOW-grin").

"Seventeen" starts out unassuming with a couple of piano chords then slowly builds, first with a pulsing bassline followed by the introduction of the band's namesake. Her laidback, lazy lead and backing call-and-response vocals complete with handclaps and studio echo all seem to have been borrowed from the "Girl Groups" section of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound playbook.

Then, when you get to the track's rising "oooOOOH!," they hit the ground running! This is where I got hooked:

"If you want a second to breathe, I'll give you all of my love, I'll give you all that you need, ah. Don't worry. I'm not in a hurry. Not going nowhere, I'm not going nowhere..."

Part of the charm of "Seventeen" is that it sounds just a little bit unpolished, and there's a reason for that. The song began as "Three friends, making music for fun." According to their 2015 post, "About a year ago, we spent a weekend recording. Then a couple months back, on a whim, we posted those recordings to SoundCloud and it turns out... people like them."

Then, last Fall, Madison Avenue mad-men placed the Sjowgren track behind an AutoTrader television ad which supersized the song's clicks into the millions. And now, backed with record company support, "Seventeen" is finally starting to get the proper push it deserves.

While singing along in my motorized kareoke machine I realized the song's title -- noticeably absent from its lyrics -- was most likely used as a metaphor for the euphoric passion and innocence of young-love.

"We're puzzle pieces, we fit all adding up." 

 Remember your first high-school relationship?

Jerry's Pick: "You & I"

"You & I"-Colony House

Did the presidential election stress you out? Has the Trump presidency driven a political wedge between you and some of your friends or co-workers?

Well, if I'm interpreting the lyrics correctly, this Tennessee band may have tapped into the nation's political anxiety during that seemingly very long campaign. As lead vocalist Caleb Chapman laments in the new Colony House track "You & I," "Somehow, we're okay with all these differences leaving us blind..."

The band explained to Laura Craddock of Billboard, "Lyrically and musically this song pushed us out of what's comfortable to us. In a time in history that feels so fragile we feel like this song takes a different perspective. The lyric 'Maybe the world isn't crazy, maybe it's you and I' is our attempt to look at ourselves before we point a finger at someone else."

Aside from the efficient and effective lyrics, the tempo is a bit complex yet compelling. You'll notice "You & I" cruises along just fine between second and third gears until the middle-eight when there's a brief downshift (along with a operatic tip-of-the-hat to Freddie Mercury) before the band once again steps on the gas taking this driving Colony House joyride all the way to the finish line.

"Musically, we approached this song like a live show. We recorded it as one take with all of us playing our instruments in a room at the same time. That approach really helped us draw out the emotion and urgency that the song expresses."

Although the song doesn't start until about two-minutes into their hostile yet hysterical sibling rivalry-themed music video (below), I think "You & I" is a nice little rocker that's definitely worth the short wait.

Jerry's Pick: "Small Bill$"

"Small Bill$"-Regina Spektor  

Regina is back!

Boo, you whore! Not that Regina!

It's the return of my favorite Soviet-born, classically-trained, pop pianist -- Regina Spektor -- whose new album (Remember Us To Life) is her first in an American presidential term.

I first fell in love with this blue-eyed, redheaded, Brooklyn-raised expatriate through her quirky but cute compositions "On the Radio" and "Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)."

But aside from said quirky cuteness, she also has an amazing knack of painting colorful images with that special Spector style of poetry... kinda-sorta like fairy tales for grown-ups that seem to lean a little more toward the Grimm than the Hans Christian.

While Regina's personality always comes across as bubbly and bright, I have a theory on how she manages to tap into her inner sinister.

She told Noisey's Kim Taylor Bennett, "I kind of always had that tragedies-looming-around outlook. Just having come from generations of Stalin and World War II... everybody had all these horrible stories that I grew up listening to: People getting taken out and shot or buried in the roads alive -- I sort of didn't grow up (with) Coke-a-Cola, Mickey Mouse..."

Regina -- who just became a mom for the first time -- explained, "I'm at the most happiest time in my life and I'm writing some of the darkest and kind of most sad -- music."

For "Small Bill$," Spektor conveys her fable of a man with major money problems who is being chased and swallowed by debt. The dramatic strings and booming backbeat may match its metaphorical theme, but what makes this track charming is Regina's playful voice and catchy cadence highlighted by a whimsical chorus layered with lots of "la-las."

Now that I really think about it, "Small Bill$" is so Soviet kitsch that it's more Soviet kitsch than Soviet Kitsch was Soviet kitsch.

Yep, being in the red never sounded so much fun!