Scotch Sampler

The Brooklyn alt-funk band TV on the Radio has been around a while, and have had many songs on the radio. But it was their last album, 2014's Seeds, that made me go out and buy it, and it contains this hit

TV on the Radio – Happy Idiot



I'm not much into rap. In fact, if it's not spoon-fed to me by an indie rock station, I probably won't hear it. Fortunately, Run the Jewels, with the brilliant Killer Mike, is an indie-friendly rap band. And in 2014, when they added legendary front man Zack de la Rocha, they've got a hit. I love the lyrics - I don't endorse them (and I don't think they do either, they're expressing emotion) - the imagery is amazing. And it fukkin' rocks (the video is from a video game)

Run the Jewels (Feat. Zack de la Rocha) – Close Your Eyes (and Count to F**k)



When I started Scotch Sampler, I featured this 2015 hit from the eclectic Western Massachusetts rockers Speedy Ortiz

Speedy Ortiz – Raising the Skate (live)



I promised more Sufjan Stevens, and here it is. In 2015, he released the landmark album Carrie & Lowell, about his parents. It's an emotional powerhouse, and here's the hit song

Sufjan Stevens – Should Have Known Better
 
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Of the million or so synth-pop bands they play on the indie stations, a few get my attention. Such is the case with this 2015 hit from the English band Hot Chip

Hot Chip – Huarache Lights



DIIV (pronounced dive) is a prototypical Brooklyn alternative band, that seems to always be there. This 2015 song of theirs is my favorite

DIIV – Under the Sun



Father John Misty is the not-so-serious project of Joshua Tillman. He's been making funny, folky music for many years, and has played with bands such as Fleet Foxes. This is one of his signature songs from 2015. Be sure to listen to the lyrics

Father John Misty – Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins) (live on Jools)



In 2016, the legendary PJ Harvey released The Hope Six Demolition Project, an album to raise money and awareness for the needy. It gave us this great song

PJ Harvey – The Wheel
 
One of the many popular alt electro dance-pop bands out there is the French group M83. They have several hit songs, but this 2016 collaboration with female artists Mai Lan and (on the album) guitar legend Steve Vai is hands-down my favorite. For the live performances, their guitarist does a decent job of covering the Steve Vai solo at the end

M83 feat. Mai Lan – Go! (live on Jools)



Like rap, I also don't catch much hip-hop, except when it gets played on the indie stations. This 2016 tune from the excellent De La Soul, features Snoop Dogg to help put it over the top

De La Soul feat. Snoop Dogg – Pain



This is just an awesome piece of electronica, released in 2016 from the Australian group Jagwar Ma. It was used by FIFA World Soccer

Jagwar Ma – OB1



And finally, the song that @sadchild has heard played to death. It's poppy, it's an earworm, but it's a great song from Portugal. The Man, released in 2017

Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
 
Those earlier Mitski songs are raw and have emotional intensity. Not something I'd listen to again but she's got that angsty Liz Phair/Alanis M 'the world mistreats a nice girl' vibe. Those last two are more refined and polished, and less noise and guitar. I can see someone who likes the first stuff being disappointed by the last two, and someone whose first exposure is those last two going back and being disappointed.
scotchandcigar said:
Chrissie Hynde – Dark Sunglasses
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Great song!
scotchandcigar said:
Tune-Yards – Water Fountain
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I like this song. My wife hates it. I also like "Look At Your Hands"
scotchandcigar said:
Big Data (feat. Joywave) – Dangerous
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Didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. And the video made something else grow on me.
scotchandcigar said:
Lake Street Dive – Bad Self Portraits
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First time hearing. Great voice!
scotchandcigar said:
Run the Jewels (Feat. Zack de la Rocha) – Close Your Eyes
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Great song! They've got some other good ones but this one remains their best IMO. I've got 5 of their songs in my MP3 collection.
scotchandcigar said:
Sufjan Stevens – Should Have Known Better
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Great song, but everything else I've heard from him does nothing for me.
scotchandcigar said:
DIIV – Under the Sun
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First time hearing. Got that early 80s cure guitar sound I love. Shoegaze without the noisy guitar wailing.
scotchandcigar said:
De La Soul feat. Snoop Dogg – Pain
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Great song. I also like "Trainwreck", "CBGBs" and "Here In After" from that album. The latter features Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz)
scotchandcigar said:
Jagwar Ma – OB1
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Great song!
scotchandcigar said:
Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
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Grmph.
 
sadchild said:
Those earlier Mitski songs are raw and have emotional intensity. Not something I'd listen to again but she's got that angsty Liz Phair/Alanis M 'the world mistreats a nice girl' vibe. Those last two are more refined and polished, and less noise and guitar. I can see someone who likes the first stuff being disappointed by the last two, and someone whose first exposure is those last two going back and being disappointed.
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I wouldn't be surprised if her next album goes in a different direction. She's really very creative.

sadchild said:
Great song! They've got some other good ones but this one remains their best IMO. I've got 5 of their songs in my MP3 collection.
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I like the Ticketmaster song too. The clip they sample reminds me of growing up in metro NYC.
 
Now that I've posted 21 different artists at one time, let's get back to the "regular" list. Will Toledo's band Car Seat Headrest had put out a bunch of self-released albums, before hitting with 2016's Teens of Denial. Singles include Connect the Dots, and these two radio hits

There's a relatable vulnerability to Will's voice, combined with the retro-punk musical style

Car Seat Headrest – Fill In the Blank (live)



This epic song can easily become the earworm-of-the-day

Car Seat Headrest – Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales



Despite the critical acclaim for their 2018 follow-up release, none of the songs made the alternative charts.
 
We must have those guys on the Bad Band Name List.

I like the first song. They had two (I think) songs that played on SXM, but I don't think either one was one of these.

Not bad. I think they are much better than their name.
 
Some of my new music discovery is through the indie/alt stations on SXM, some is via college radio, and some is from adult contemporary radio and SXM stations like The Spectrum. The latter is where I heard the guys from L.A. known as The Record Company. Their first album of blues rock was an instant hit on AC radio in 2016. I liked it, but had a problem with authenticity. They came out of nowhere, and all the suburban boojees ate it up. Putting that aside, they have talent, and they make good music.

Their 2016 debut release gave us these two

The Record Company – Off the Ground (live)



The Record Company – Rita Mae Young (live)



In 2017, they put out a non-album single called Baby I'm Broken. Then a year later, they put out another album with these two hits

The Record Company – Life to Fix



The Record Company – Make It Happen



I believe they've got an album coming out this year.
 
Want an autographed Record Company CD?

www.newburycomics.com

All Of This Life With Autographed CD Digipak

One listen to the band’s exhilarating new music and it’s clear just how much the trio has grown as a result of their meteoric rise. The gritty guitar, fuzzed-out bass, and driving drums are still front and center, but the songs are bolder and more ambitious this time around, deeper and more...
www.newburycomics.com www.newburycomics.com
 
sadchild said:
Want an autographed Record Company CD?

www.newburycomics.com

All Of This Life With Autographed CD Digipak

One listen to the band’s exhilarating new music and it’s clear just how much the trio has grown as a result of their meteoric rise. The gritty guitar, fuzzed-out bass, and driving drums are still front and center, but the songs are bolder and more ambitious this time around, deeper and more...
www.newburycomics.com www.newburycomics.com
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That'll be a great addition to my collection
20210819_213252.webp
 
scotchandcigar said:
Some of my new music discovery is through the indie/alt stations on SXM, some is via college radio, and some is from adult contemporary radio and SXM stations like The Spectrum. The latter is where I heard the guys from L.A. known as The Record Company. Their first album of blues rock was an instant hit on AC radio in 2016. I liked it, but had a problem with authenticity. They came out of nowhere, and all the suburban boojees ate it up. Putting that aside, they have talent, and they make good music.

Their 2016 debut release gave us these two

The Record Company – Off the Ground (live)



The Record Company – Rita Mae Young (live)



In 2017, they put out a non-album single called Baby I'm Broken. Then a year later, they put out another album with these two hits

The Record Company – Life to Fix



The Record Company – Make It Happen



I believe they've got an album coming out this year.
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I really like the first one. It’s a great tune that respects the groove. I need to listen to the rest later though.
 
scotchandcigar said:
Some of my new music discovery is through the indie/alt stations on SXM, some is via college radio, and some is from adult contemporary radio and SXM stations like The Spectrum. The latter is where I heard the guys from L.A. known as The Record Company. Their first album of blues rock was an instant hit on AC radio in 2016. I liked it, but had a problem with authenticity. They came out of nowhere, and all the suburban boojees ate it up. Putting that aside, they have talent, and they make good music.

Their 2016 debut release gave us these two

The Record Company – Off the Ground (live)



The Record Company – Rita Mae Young (live)



In 2017, they put out a non-album single called Baby I'm Broken. Then a year later, they put out another album with these two hits

The Record Company – Life to Fix



The Record Company – Make It Happen



I believe they've got an album coming out this year.
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Finally got to listen to the rest. They are pretty good. The bass player really holds them together.
sadchild said:
Like all three of these and "On The Move". But I think their new song "How High" is bad.

I just found another new song from them. It premiered six hours ago. I am listening now....
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It isn't too bad. It just seems overproduced and loses some of the charm of their more raw stuff.
 
In the indie world, they're all "abuzz" about Angel Olsen. She's talented, brash, stylish, makes good lyrics, and hits those retro-60s vibes that people like. A darling of music reviewers, I'll admit I'm only familiar with a few of her songs. She'd be worth checking out, if you're so inclined.

Her 2016 album My Woman, which also contains the singles Intern and Sister, made her a mainstream success with this hit

Angel Olsen - Shut-up Kiss Me (live on Colbert)



A year later, she released Phases, a compilation album. Then in 2019, she came out with All Mirrors, which gave us the single Lark, plus the powerful title track

Angel Olsen – All Mirrors (live on Fallon)



She put out another album last year, plus she currently has a duet with Sharon Van Etten that's getting airplay now.
 
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