Sunday, March 23, 2008
 

Hello, music lovers!  I'm here to equip you with just what you need to keep your Sundays in high gear.  I suppose we should exchange formalities, being as this is my first post.  My name is John Michael Cassetta, I write a lot about music over at Austin Sound, which covers mostly local Austin music.  As such, some of the music I'm going to suggest (once our Sundays together really get underway) is probably going to be local Austin music. But don't worry; I'll restrict it to the good stuff.  Generally when I'm not writing, I'm listening to music or playing baseball in the street.  On my better days I'm studying towards an English degree from The University of Texas here in Austin.  Skeletons in my closet include two old Britney Spears albums, a Third Eye Blind poster, and a Backstreet Boys ticket stub.  Enough about me though, let's talk about music.  John asked me to prep an EP that will hopefully shed light on what's been in my stereo lately, so without any further ado…

:Bon Iver - The Wolves (Act I And II):  I know that every music blog in the world  (including as of yesterday, apparently, this one) is psyched about this band, but as this EP is about what I've been listening to, I'd be lying not to include this song.  This track is my favorite off their album For Emma, Forever Ago, which has been in heavy rotation for me lately.  I saw the band play twice at South by South West and they impressed me so much I sat down and gave the album a real listen, and haven't really stopped since.

:Brazos - Mary Jo:  Brazos is a local band from Austin, and they don't venture out of it much.  That being said, "Mary Jo" is on a very short list of my favorite songs of all time.  It's track one on their album A City Just As Tall, and it's one of those first tracks that prevents you from listening to the rest of the album until you can quit rewinding. The song builds on one perfect layer after the next, culminating with Martin Crane's soft but expressive vocals.  I can't remember the last song I fell in love with so quickly.

:The Rosewood Thieves - Los Angeles:  The Rosewood Thieves are from New York, but I saw them open at a show in Austin.  I must say, I was extremely skeptical while they were setting up.  Their scenester-index was off the charts: skinny jeans, malnourishment, odd Indian necklaces, all the things that make me think a band takes themselves way to seriously. That all changed when they actually played some music though.  Just have a listen to "Los Angeles" off of From the Decker House.  There's an unnerving darkness to the music that's hard to put your finger on; even the lyrics are a little creepy.  I've been hearing their music everywhere lately: Entourage, Starbucks, all over the place. But I've really seen that much publicity about them.  Either way, I bought this EP off them at the show, and this song is by far my favorite on the disc.

:Weird Weeds - Lies:  I recently interviewed these guys, who are from Austin as well (though some national sites, like Pitchfork and Stereogum have mentioned them lately).  In the interview we talked about what it means to be "experimental" (a label the band gets a lot), and if that's even a real description of music at all.  I can't say we ever came to a definitive conclusion, but they did mention something I thought is perhaps the most insightful, though obvious, description of music that I've heard: "the key to writing music is to sit down and write some music."  If nothing else, it certainly describes the ethos of the band; each one of their songs is a completely original creation. "Lies" is one of my favorite tracks off their latest album I Miss This, and ranges from awkward guitar squeals to epic Built To Spill-esque buildups.

:Thrift Store Cowboys - Dirtied Your Knees:  I'm a sucker for really good country music.  This Lubbock band is about as good as it gets in that category, at least lately.  There's not much to say about this song, except that the muted trumpet solo is gorgeous, the lyrics are fantastic, and the sound is so dark and dusty that I can't help but be reminded of the smell of really old books.  Actually, there's a lot to say about this song.  But I'll let it speak for itself.

- John Michael Cassetta -

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