After a week away, it was nice to be back in the studio. This week I played several folk-related tunes, a few garage-based ones, and a small handful of indie pop tracks. With the amount of indie-folk I’ve played of late, I’m thinking we’re in store for another dreamy mix and maybe even a garage rock mix in the near future.

I figured with my previous show being devoted to songs that remind me of sleep, this one would be the opposite. After a few bouts of standard indie rock, things got thick and loud.

PAPA is the side project of Girls’ drummer Darren Weiss and their music fits well with the chill California sound of Weiss’ other band. “I Am The Lion King” is a track off the band’s new EP, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find. You can hear the track below; it has an edge to it, but it’s laid back. Laid back like you’d expect from a late August/early September anthem. It hints of the beach and summer. And, after listening to the entirety of the …

Just the other week we wrote about Girls’ new song, “Vomit”, off their forthcoming third release Father, Son, Holy Ghost. They have now presented us a video for the tune, which after countless listens I shall now dub their most accomplished song to date. The video begins with seductive footage ’60s cherry red Mustang convertible then changes pace to a drive through the city. Interesting angles and bright colors amidst a dark background all emphasize the song’s power.

Girls have come to be one of my favorite artists since their early release, Album, in September of 2009. Their music is simply astonishing, from upbeat pop gems like “Lust For Life” and “Alright” to more surreal explorations of pop psychedelia, like “Helhole Ratrace” and “Carolina”.

Lefse’s latest lust-worthy tune-layer is Dominant Legs, the project of San Francisco-based musician Ryan Lynch (also the guitarist for Girls), whose light, harmonic melodies will draw you in. Joining Lynch is Hannah Hunt, who lends keys and vocal expertise. Shrouded in vocal reverb, Lynch’s ballads, like “Clawing Out At The Walls” off Dominant Legs’ forthcoming debut EP Young At Love And Life, cast a dreamy shadow over these summer days and conjure a longing for the slightly cooler evening hours when the crickets emerge. In “Clawing Out …

The 2010 Sasquatch Festival line-up was announced last week and after perusing the list a few times, I started to hone in on who the hot bands will (or, better yet, should) be. Now, festivals for me are all about camping out at a stage for several bands before moving on to another, but I figured I’d throw that trend to the wind for this post. My second disclaimer; before you point out that I’m recommending the small folk, understand that I also tend to shun the big …

2009 is a tough year to judge. I’ve checked out more albums this year than any year in the past. Well over 1,000. And there have been quite a few great ones as well. When this list began, it had 110 albums. I abandoned my top 33 and 1/3 for 45, and then said “screw it” and upped the number to an even 50. These are the top notch albums of the year, all worthy of praise.

In a recent conversation, a friend noted they didn’t quite understand the hype behind Girls. After all, there are a dozen bands that write similar, edgy songs and can carry a complimentary weight. I agreed, but only somewhat. Revisiting songs like Album‘s opener “Lust For Life”, I hear a unique vocal styling and that damn garage-pop I seem so fond of these days (along with everyone else). But one thing is certain: Girls sure can write a powerful ballad.

What a simple concept, this video. “Hellhole Ratrace” by San Francisco’s Girls is an easy pick for one of the better songs of 2009, and this video, albeit simple in nature, looks to follow suit. The video merely features slow-motion party footage, going in and out of focus. And it’s brilliant! It reminds me of my slightly younger days, say the mid twenties; those nights with friends at the local pub getting drunk on the most excellent of microbrews and staggering off into the night after …