It finally happened. Winter arrived. Snow fell and we woke up this past Sunday with about three inches of the stuff. I’m glad it didn’t arrive earlier, as Friday saw me at KSVR for a four hour stint of music.

The first two hours flirted with folk music and the latter half was full-on garage rock, garage pop and psychedelic pop. Much of the 10 to midnight show came courtesy Finest Kiss, who posted some great 2011 lists.

Taking a week off from radio this Friday, as in appreciated for covering Stuarto’s show on the 13th he’ll be covering mine on the 20th. Here’s the list. Get ready, it’s a long one!

“Sunset Tulips” by Night Genes off Like The Blood
“What Never Comes” by Crooked Fingers off Forfeit/Fortune
“Cavern In A Square” by Ham 1 off Let’s Go On And On And On With Ham 1

“Valhalla” by Jack Wilson off S/T
“End of Days” by Brown Bird off Salt For Salt
“Can’t You Tell” by Vetiver off The Errant Charm

“My Pillow Is The Threshold” by Silver Jews off Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
“The Stations” by The Gutter Twins off Saturnalia
“Be Invited” by The Twilight Singers off Dynamite Steps

“Sixteen, Maybe Less” by Iron & Wine with Calexico off In The Reins
“Changing” by The Moondoggies off Don’t Be A Stranger

“The Wrong Light” by Kasey Anderson and The Honkeys off Heart of a Dog

“Close My Eyes” by Ólöf Arnalds off Ólöf Sings
“Smoke Will Rise” by The Lower 48 off Where All Maps End

“Wings Won’t Behave” by Whistle Peak off Half Asleep Upon Echo Falls

“Alphabet” by The Twilight Sad off No One Can Ever Know
“The Jessica Numbers” by The New Pornographers off Twin Cinema
“Yoshi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1″ by The Flaming Lips off Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

“Here Comes Success” by Royal City off 1999-2004
“No Reply” by Giant Sand off Chore of Enchantment
“October Boy” by Mick Harvey off Sketches from the Book of the Dead

“Dance” by Astrid Williamson off Pulse

“Moon See, Day See” by The Heligoats off Live Free & Let Loose
“Golden Friends” by Leopold And His Fiction

“Don’t Wait” by Bears off Greater Lakes
“Summer Gang” by Afternoon Naps off Summer Gang 7″

“If You Choose To Stay” by The Webelos off Shadow Seasons
“(I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind” by The Limiñanas off (I’ve Got) Trouble In Mind 7″
“Israeli Blues” by Index off Black Album + Red Album + Yesterday & Today [Disc-1]

“As Times Change” by Sea Lions off Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid To Ask
“Can You Feel The Backwash” by A Classic Education off Call It Blazing
“Pretty When You Smile” by Sweater Girls off Pretty When You Smile 7″

“Pretty Ballerina” by Left Banke off There’s Gonna Be A Storm – The Complete Recordings 1966-1969
“Like Dylan in the Movies” by Belle & Sebastian off If You’re Feeling Sinister
“Conventional Lullabies” by Young And Sexy off Panic When You Find It

“Roosevelt Island” by Eleanor Friedberger off Last Summer
“Dour Percentage” by Of Montreal off Paralytics Stalks
“The Golden Age” by The Resonars off Bright And Dark

“Catamaran” by Allah-Las off Catamaran b/w Long Journey
“Malkaus” by The Panthers off Pakistan: Folk and Pop Instrumentals 1966-1976
“Where You Gonna Go” by People’s Temple off Sons Of Stone

“Invitations” by Puberty off Invitations 7″
“Shari Vari” by The Dirtbombs” off Party Store

“Tuscaloosa Bar” by Indian Wars off Walk Around The Park

“Sycamore Tree” by Crystal Stilts off In Love With Oblivion
“Raspberry Thighs” by The Mantles off Raspberry Thighs 7″
“Bad Feeling” by Veronica Falls off Veronica Falls

“Give Me Back My Man” by Boyracer off Little Darla Has A Treat For You [Vol. 24 Disc 1]
“Blowing Kisses” by Exlovers off Blowing Kisses 7″
“So High” by Ringo DeathStarr off Colour Trip

“Plastic Disaster” by Little Cuts off Plastic Disaster 7″
“I Wanna Join The Army” by Dan Sartain off Too Tough To Live

“The Start of Something” by Voxtrot off The Start Of Something

As a young boy my exposure to music was limited to Oldies. I fell in love with groups like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. My father was especially fond of James Taylor so, naturally, I enjoyed his music as well. Growing older I became rebellious and searched out newer music sources, shunning my early loves and growing my hair to a painful-looking shoulder-length. Looking back at pictures of me with the less-slick Stephen Segal pony-tail make me cringe. But I guess we all go through such phases. I eventually came around to revert back to some of those early influences on my music palette. So why all this discussion of the music of old? How can that be relevant to a Canadian band called Young & Sexy (MySpace)? For starters the group’s third release, Panic When You Find It, does not sound like it was first released upon the world in 2006.

With heavy influences in 70′s pop, Young & Sexy would sit nicely in a collection of old Zombies and Mammas & Pappas records. Paul Hixon’s deep, rich vocals carry the album while his vocal female cohort Lucy Brain woos listeners with her delightfully sexy sounds. Harmony vocals in songs like “5/4” and “Conventional Lullabies” (the latter has what I have a habit of calling delicious hand claps) draw listeners into one of the many reasons Panic When You Find It remains near the top of my Best Releases of 2006.

“The Curious Organ” is so like the Zombies that it’s difficult to comprehend it’s recent inception into existence. “Your Enemy’s Asleep” has a similar vibe. While the top tracks on the album are the quicker-paced ones, the slower tunes are not beyond a worthy mention. “Turn On Your Weakness” is a rehash of lyrics from “The Curious Organ” while “Without Your Love” conquers all as a powerful ballad with Brain on lead vocals. Many songs, such as “Trespass on a Thought,” have a jazzy shuffle apparent only in the percussion. “Satellite” even has a country twang to it.

Despite their near three-decade old sound, the group maintains more modern production in a delightful and nostalgic sense. It is good to hear groups use slide guitars, tambourines, and deep harmony vocals. It is good to hear musicianship of a higher caliber. It is good to hear quality and originality amidst such obvious influences. And above all, it is good to hear songs that have been developed at a level far above the mediocrity that is so rampant these days.

This review was originally published July 24, 2006 on the old version of FensePost.

Young And Sexy: Conventional Lullabies [mp3]

Mint [CD, 2006]

1. Your Enemy’s Asleep
2. The Curious Organ
3. Without Your Love
4. All The Little Girls & Boys
5. 5/4
6. Night Wears A Sombrero
7. Conventional Lullabies
8. Turn On Your Weakness
9. Trespass On A Thought
10. Satellite

Upon discovering Young And Sexy (MySpace) in the preview rack at KZUU last year, “The Curious Organ” became a quick favorite of mine, topped only by “Conventional Lullabies”. Panic When You Find It also made my personal top 20 albums of 2006. “The Curious Organ” begins with lyrics Time of the season which immediately draw reference to The Zombies as the instrumentation has similarities to the group, though not the song.

I’ve been aching for some time to write more about my favorite Vancouver, BC band. Luckily they put together a lovely music video for “The Curious Organ” which will allow me to do just that.

Set in a warehouse, the video focuses on the dream world of lead male vocalist Paul Hixon Pittman who plays a jokester with an apparent crush on warehouse manager and female vocalist Lucy Brain. Characters explode in confetti after interacting with Pittman; creative and fun, the video fits well with the tune. Personally, I love this band, so it’s no surprise I’m a fan of the video. Oh Young And Sexy, please come to Seattle soon!

This review was originally posted Thursday, August 23, 2007 on the old version of FensePost.

Young And Sexy: The Curious Organ [mp3]