Back once again to open your ears to some great music and to kill ten minutes of your workday (hopefully in that order.)  The Randomville Singles Club!




The Little Ones - 'Ordinary Song'

Rock Donovan - Is this poppy song an ode to some other ordinary song or this particular ordinary song? It started out very promising but then gets repetitive in the second half as they repeat “Why tonight?” over and over.  It might sound pretty ordinary but it sure is catchy, seeing how I will need help in getting this song out of my head.

Kristin Clark - I am really enjoying this ditty by the L.A. band.  It has a distinct pop flair, but unlike so many bands that are incorporating pop at the moment this group makes it seem easy and natural rather than contrived.  I like the ‘ohh-oh’ echoing in the background.  The song comes off very playful.  It makes me want to turn it up loud, nod my head to the beat and sing along.

Nathan Lind - I loved their first EP, yes I did.  They seemed young and fresh for a group of California fellows.  But I'm not sure if my indifference to the first single from their debut full-length is because the song is just plain 'ordinary,' or I've kind of moved on from these guys.  *sigh* The downside of the Internet's place in music today.

Jason Jump - I'm turned off immediately at the way the vocals start from the very first beat; give me a bar or two to warm up fellas.  Once beyond the opening, the song becomes more palatable and actually is quite enjoyable.  Kind of a light poppy number flavored with tight harmonies or perhaps clever multi-tracking the song builds to an enjoyable round (as in Row-Row-Row your Boat) of multi-track vocals singing opposing lines.  Ironically the lyrics tell the tale of the song you hear on the radio that gets jammed in your head and leaves you singing for days, which is exactly what this song would be if it ever makes it to the airwaves.

The Weakerthans – 'Civil Twilight'

Nate - I've always liked how John Samson writes lyrics.  It's almost conversational, kind of like Jay-Z (don't laugh).  However, musically, the Weakerthans are venturing towards kiddie-pop territory on 'Civil Twilight.'  Not that being catchy is a problem, but it needs to be a sing-along, and avoiding lyrics about being a bank teller.  They've done better.

Jason - I love this band; they're not afraid to mix a little rock with their pop.  Introspective lyrics tell the story of a toll booth worker who finds a former love on his mind each day at twilight and lamenting on what might have been and doing anything to think of something else.  Tight pop hooks and a punchy chorus round out the equation.

Rock - Nerdy, angst-ridden garage rock.  I thought this song was going to be really good until I couldn’t concentrate anymore and had to figure out who the nasally and whiny lead singer sounded like.  Was it the vocalist from Death Cab?  This band can be recommended to fans of Weezer, which isn’t a terrible review, just an overly familiar one.

Kristin - This song clicks with me immediately.  It has the type of familiarity where you know you’ll be singing it in your car after a couple of listens (can you tell that singing in the car defines a good song for me?)  Clever lyrics – sometimes about something mundane (like your landlord) or name-checking Jennifer Jason-Leigh.  Just the type of upbeat alternative music that I like – this tune is aces in my book.

Yoav – 'Where Is My Mind'

Jason - Nice instrumentation on this slow paced shoe gazer.  Heavily echoed acoustic guitar, a chorus of ghostly background vocals, and some well placed synth.  The front man has a nice smoky voice which he has excellent control of.  The general affect is an ethereal buildup to a last minute power punch, unfortunately that punch never comes and we're left hanging with an abrupt end with the pace still set on slow-mo.  I could have been really impressed if that big finish had come but in the end my feeling on the track is that I could take it or leave it.

Rock - The feeling that oozes from Yoav’s song is, “Shhh, quiet, relax.”  The track can be included on the Transcendental Meditation album if one is ever compiled.  My favorite of the five but I’m not going to rush out and buy his album.  Maybe because the song is so damn calming that I just want to sit here on my couch with a big bag of chips.

Kristin - Tracks with this type of spacey, ethereal intro make me anticipate the vocals and I find myself giving it about 10 seconds from the time the vocals kick in to determine if I’ll give the song a fair shake.  If the vocals don’t match the vibe of the music (in my mind), then I’ll switch to something else.  This track really kept my attention.  Throughout the entire track I wanted to know where Yoav was headed.  There’s also an element of electronica that made it stand out for me as well.  

Nate - I picked this one, and I'm not even completely sold on it.  It's cool that he does everything with an acoustic guitar and a sampler, which he controls with his feet, yes.  It's an interesting take on the Pixies' classic, too.  But like Jason, I kept hoping for the song to explode at some point, which would have made it legendary instead of very good.

Want to comment on this story? Do so here