#670: D is for Destroyer

I first heard Dan Bejar’s voiceon The New Pornographers’ records, and I thought to myself, what the hellis that? A voice, not really similarto, but along the linesof a Neil Young–a totally uncharacteristic kind of voicefor rock music, but simultaneouslyperfect for it. At first, I didn’t like it, but there was some hook,some element ofContinue reading “#670: D is for Destroyer”

#669: D is for Descartes A Kant

A group from Mexico Citytakes on a band namealluding to a French philosopherand a German philosopher, respectively, and sings exclusivelyin English, while their stage banter, as far as I can tell, is delivered exclusively in Spanish. I can’t remember how I stumbled uponthis band, although it’s only been a few years; perhaps I saw aContinue reading “#669: D is for Descartes A Kant”

#668: D is for Del Rey, Lana

My first recollectionof encountering the musicof Lana Del Rey was a notoriousSaturday Night Live appearancethat was summarily panned by everyone who saw it as perhapsthe worst SNL musical guest performance in history. I didn’t see it live, but if I remembercorrectly, I was curious enough to watch it later, and while I didn’t really likeContinue reading “#668: D is for Del Rey, Lana”

#667: D is for Deerhoof

I love this band but they can bedifficult to listen to. I have one DeerhoofCD, one LP, and about four or five downloadedalbums that, in lightof that difficulty, were not in heavy rotationdespite the fact that I was delighted and intriguedby every one of those albums.They are one of thosebands, and I’ve listenedto a lotContinue reading “#667: D is for Deerhoof”

#666: D is for Deep Sea Diver

My friend Eric asked meif I wanted to go with himto see Deep Sea Diver, and, having never heard the band, of course, I said yes. In preparation, I downloadedthe most current thing, the2016 album called Secrets. Led by songwriter, singer, and guitarplayer extraordinaire, Jessica Dobson, the band absolutely rocked, and from that momentforward, IContinue reading “#666: D is for Deep Sea Diver”

#665: D is for The Decemberists

First, I almost violently dislike harmonicas, and it’s the first thing I hear on the openingtrack of The King Is Dead, an album I haven’t listened to in years, not since its release way back in 2011, I’d guess.An early fan, I think I have nearly all of their firstalbums on CD. I liked thatContinue reading “#665: D is for The Decemberists”

#664: D is for Death Cab For Cutie

I must confess right away my affinity for singers who soundlike Kermit the Frog. It’s a soft, comforting tenor with just a little bit of nose-forward. It’s not an exact match, but if you listen to Benjamin Gibbard, close youreyes, and imagine Kermit, you’ll see what I mean. Codes and Keys was one of thefirstContinue reading “#664: D is for Death Cab For Cutie”

#663: D is for The Dear Hunter (Part the Second)

It took three daysto get through The Acts,five albums, eleven discs. And now I approachMigrant, a collection of prog-pop-rockso delicious, so melodic, so powerful, as to makeit one of my favoritealbums of the last decade. Released initially in 2013, interrupting The Acts in progress, and then remixedand resequenced and expanded for it’s 10thanniversary in 2023,Continue reading “#663: D is for The Dear Hunter (Part the Second)”

#662: D is for The Dear Hunter (Part the First)

In 2020, I wrote a whole thingabout these Dear Hunter kidsand how I discovered them, slowlybut surely, and how they becameone of my favorite new acts of thefirst decades of the 21st century.Now, five or six years later afterthat discovery, I remain a superfan. They are the only contemporaryband, for example, that I have seenliveContinue reading “#662: D is for The Dear Hunter (Part the First)”

#661: D is for Dalt, Lucretia

I saw the image of this cover photoon a Facebook post by David Sylvian,and I thought first, who is Lucretia Dalt,and then, why is David Sylvian givingher a shout out in his socials? It tookonly a few clicks to learn that Daviddoes a guest vocal on one of her songs,that he lended his production talentstoContinue reading “#661: D is for Dalt, Lucretia”