milo, "pure scientific intelligence (quantum)"
This track sounds like at least three different songs being played simultaneously, which is delightful.
Bananagun, "Out of Reach"
One of the things that the Internet promised us is that we'd be connected to people all over the world, opening up new cultural horizons. That's mostly worked out by allowing all the worst people in the world to find each other, which isn't exactly a positive development. However, it did connect me to multiple folks in places like Australia and New Zealand, who sometimes recommend music to me like Bananagun. So, I guess it's all a wash.
Belle and Sebastian, "Winter Wooskie"
In a lot of ways, I think of the Legal Man EP as kind of the pivot point of Belle & Sebastian's career. It's not a perfect break, but it represented the point in my mind where their arrangements became lush enough to really kind of break out of their previous work. This EP, especially the title song, really pointed towards Dear Catastrophe Waitress and everything that followed. But, as this b-side shows, there was still plenty of the intimate stuff available.
Clem Snide, "Born a Man"
After End of Love, there was a break between Clem Snide records of four years. I actually had figured they'd broken up because Eef Barzelay released a couple solo records in that time frame. But, in 2009, they popped back up with Hungry Bird. It's not quite as glorious as their earlier records - it sounds a little tired in spots, but Barzelay is such a warm songwriter that it's still a worthwhile listen.
The Meters, "They All Ask'd For You"
The last excellent record from The Meters, Fire on the Bayou really leans in to their New Orleans hometown in a bunch of spots, and nowhere more than with this song. It's a fun little lark.