Hello friends, I have been remiss. But I’m back and bursting at the seams with great music for you. So, without further ado:

Floating Action: Floating Action
We played with Seth Kauffman and his band, Floating Action, recently, and it was a delight. They combine aspects of 50’s reggae, hawaiian music and loose Stonesy grooves, frosted with slightly off-key but always on-target deadpan vocals, and the result is completely addictive. Do yourselves a favor and give them a listen.

Elvis Perkins: “While You Were Sleeping”
Nomally, I’m more into albums than just singles, but I picked up the album that houses this remarkable song (the album is called “Ash Wednesday”), and have yet to find anything that reaches the Olympian heights of “While You Were Sleeping.” Stream of consciousness lyrics dance around painful experiences so deftly that you can actually see their outlines in the negative space of what is not said. Let it wash over you a few times before dissecting it. Elvis Perkins apparently had his father die of AIDS-related illness, then his mother was in one of the 9/11 planes, so there’s plenty to sing about. I find this song really heartbreaking and defiant at the same time, one of my favorite combinations.

Fela Kuti: Monkey Banana/ Excuse O
This is one that Matt Brandau always plays in the van when he’s taken over the wheel for late night hauls. It reminds me of half-sleeping really uncomfortably in a Ford van. But listening at home, it also creates an unstoppable momentum. Pretty soon, everything you’re doing falls into rhythm with Kuti’s grooves. After decades of being abused by cheesy bar bands and smooth jazzers, the saxophone finally reclaims rightful place as a sound you wouldn’t kick out of bed.

Mark Kozelek: The Finally LP
I had the pleasure to spend a few hours chatting with Mark Kozelek at the Cradle, where I opened for him, solo. He was a personable, insightful guy, and his music is stunning. Whether with Red House Painters, under the moniker Sun Kil Moon, or his own name, Kozelek’s voice seeps a narcotic fog that I find incredibly comforting. This album in particular got me through some tough times. Maybe it will do the same for you someday.