This is fine.
Last week I might have gotten a little carried away; my wife and newborn son were spending a lot of time resting, so I was just hanging out writing about songs all week…something a teacher, soccer coach, dad and label owner typically can’t do. So, this week’s playlist of last week’s hits might be a little longer than usual, but you’re going to be all the better for it. I hope you have a wonderful Monday my friends, and enjoy the jams here!
I came across this Dean Wareham tune, and I knew that I’d like it, as just a general Dean fan. But, I listened, and fell too far in love with this song for my own good. This is one of those tracks that has all these fine little brush strokes that make the tune magical. Sure, you get Dean’s soothing voice, but you also get faint little string arrangements, uplifting backing vocals…and even amidst some of the more sedate moments you find a quick piano note or a lone guitar line that shimmer in this distance. It’s just magical, but also might be one of the most reflective song’s there ever was in indie rock…or is it? Dean will release I Have Nothing to Say to the Mayor of LA on October 15th via Double Feature Records.
Let’s start off Monday right, sneaking right in with a great track from the latest Flowertown LP. The rest of our playlist is pretty solid too, as there were some jams last week. I’ll admit I kind of feel like too many people are sleeping on Cindy still, so be sure to check out their latest single in this weeks hits. Plus, it’s great to hear our friends Letting Up Despite Great Faults drop right back in where they left off years ago. Ease into Monday with a playlist of jams we were digging last week…and have a decent day.
It’s been a little shy of a decade since Dean Wareham released some solo material, but just as his former bandmates returned to the fold this year, so too comes Dean with today’s announcement of I Have Nothing to Say to the Mayor of LA. But, despite some great arrangements that join Dean at the 41 second mark, this song feels really stripped down, almost like early Dylan-esque. There’s definitely something cinematic, too, that creeps into this song, be it the black and white imagery, occasionally blurry here and there, or the track’s general expansive feel, like an old Western with that deep throated narrator. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the album was recorded with Jason Quever (Papercuts), who creates a lot of wonderful tunes on his own right…so I’m all in here. The LP will be out on October 15th via Double Feature Records.
Honestly, I’ve been really happy to hear new music from Dean Wareham. There’s something about his voice and his music that’s really dear to my heart; I know it’s part nostalgia, but I don’t really think the man’s ever put out something that I could wholly ignore. On this track, I like the way the guitar work is really airy (excluding the soloing bit), but his vocal performance is what really steals the show for me. It almost takes on a high note that’s out of reach, but somehow he holds it close enough that it fits perfectly with the track. His self-titled record will be available for everyone on March 11th.
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Okay, so Dean Wareham hasn’t totally disappeared from the musical landscape, but this new single is his first solo outing…and the first I’ve heard from him in quite a long time (aside from those Galaxie 500 re-issues). There’s just something so incredible about his voice; it’s accented by a faint female vocal on this new single. As usual, the musical accompaniment is down-trodden, but maintains an inner beauty, especially when you listen to the tinkering piano and string work in the distance. I think I’ll head off and listen to old G500 releases all day, while I wait for the release of Emancipated Hearts, Dean’s solo mini-LP.
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