coffee and comics

Hailing from Copenhagen, the girl duo that is Darkness Falls has released their first full length album, Alive In Us. It seems to me to be a perfect winter album – as most of the tracks are sleepy- melancholic and melodious (except for tracks 4, 10 –a dancey little ditty that includes hand clapping!). Described as ‘haunting’ or even spooky and often getting a nod to the 60’s girl groups that came before them, Darkness Falls still remains unique, and sometimes sounds like otherworldly dreams (but not the terrifying nightmare kind). They aren’t afraid to experiment with synths to create a dubstep sound (track 9) or play with a guitar driven indie folk sound (track 2). All tracks are united by their pleasant sounding voices and an over-all commitment to moody pop music. Fans of Cults, Phantogram, Yeasayer, and St. Vincent should enjoy this release.

Recommended: 2, 3, 10, 7

FCC: none

coffee and comics

last sunday’s playlist

They Might Be Giants Narrow Your Eyes from Apollo 18 (Elektra)

Dessa Alibi from Castor, the Twin (Doomtree)

Prince Under The Cherry Moon from Parade (Warner Bros.)

King Tubby Zion Gate Dub from Loving Memory Dub (Fuel 2000)

Azure Ray How You Remember from Burn and Shiver (Warm)

Kurt Vile (so outta reach) from So Outta Reach EP (Matador)

Cass McCombs Love Thine Enemy from Humor Risk (Domino)

Marilyn Monroe I’m Gonna File My Claim from “I’m Ready For My Closeup!”: The Hollywood Ladies Sing, Volume 1 (RCA)

Idlewild You Held the World in Your Arms from The Remote Part (Capitol)

Darkness Falls Noise on the Line from Alive in Us (hfn)

Animal Collective Bluish from Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)

The Beach Boys Cabin Essence from The SMiLE Sessions (Capitol)

Magical Beautiful Rock a While from Not Building a Wall but Making a Brick (I Hear a New World)

Jeffrey Lewis Time Trades from A Turn in the Dream-Songs (Rough Trade)

Janelle Monae Oh, Maker from The ArchAndroid (Bad Boy)

The Rapture Echoes from Echoes (Universal)

Modest Mouse Blame It On The Tetons from Good News For People Who Love Bad News (Epic)

The Shangri-Las Remember (Walkin’ In The Sand) from Myrmidons of Melodrama (RPM)

The Smittens Party Time from A Little Revolution (Dangerfive)

Houses Reds from All Night (Lefse)

Girl in a Coma So from Exits and All the Rest (Blackheart)

Sonic Youth Brave Men Run (In My Family)* from Bad Moon Rising (Homestead)

Stars Elevator Love Letter from Heart (Arts & Crafts)

Bikini Kill Tell Me So from Pussy Whipped (Kill Rock Stars)

The Black Keys Lonely Boy from Lonely Boy Single (Nonesuch)

Cloud Cult A Good God from The Meaning of 8 (Earthology)

Owen Too Many Moons from Ghost Town (Polyvinyl)

Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship Warm Eyes from Hanga-Fang (Slumber Party)

Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship Warm Eyes from Hanga-Fang (Slumber Party)

Tycho Epigram from Dive (Ghostly International)

The Smiths Half A Person from Louder Than Bombs (Sire)

Tilly and the Wall Rainbows in the Dark from Bottoms of Barrels (Team Love)

Phantogram 16 Years from Nightlife EP (Barsuk)

TV On the Radio Ambulance from Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (Touch and Go)

Iggy Pop Nightclubbing from The Idiot (RCA)

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down When We Swam from Know Better Learn Faster (Kill Rock Stars)

Bill Withers Let It Be from Just As I Am (Sussex)

The Decemberists Foregone from Long Live the King EP (Capitol)

Tom Waits New Year’s Eve from Bad as Me (ANTI-)

Robert Johnson Come On In My Kitchen from King of the Delta Blues Singers (Columbia)

Rilo Kiley Gravity from Rilo Kiley (self-released)

The Dø Gonna Be Sick! from Both Ways Open Jaws (Six Degrees)

Office Oh My from A Night at the Ritz (Scratchie)

Nick Drake Cello Song from Five Leaves Left (Island)

Netherfriends Bloomington, IN from Middle America (Plustapes)

sunday night setlist

Fleet Foxes He Doesn’t Know Why from Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)

Muddy Waters Big Leg Woman from Folk Singer (Chess)

Adanowsky Me Siento Solo from Amador (Everloving)

Tender Forever Only The Sounds You Made from No Snare (K)

Red House Painters Golden from Old Ramon (Sub Pop)

The Right Now I’ll Get Down from Carry Me Home (self released)

Justice Ohio from Audio, Video, Disco (Elektra)

Mike & The Censations A Man Ain’t Nothing but a Man from Don’t Sell Your Soul (Ubiquity)

Destroyer It’s Gonna Take An Airplane from Your Blues (Merge)

Girl in a Coma Cemetery Baby from Exits and All the Rest (Blackheart)

Tycho Coastal Brake from Dive (Ghostly International)

Leonard Cohen Is This What You Wanted from New Skin for the Old Ceremony (Columbia)

Cowboy Junkies Sweet Jane from The Trinity Session (RCA)

Smith Westerns Smile from Dye It Blonde (Fat Possum)

Netherfriends Chicago, IL from Middle America (Plustapes)

Mazzy Star Blue Flower from She Hangs Brightly (Rough Trade)

Bright Eyes Lua from I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning (Saddle Creek)

M. Ward Sad, Sad Song from Transfiguration Of Vincent (Merge)

Heavy Times Skull Hair from Jacker (HoZac)

Walter & Wendell Like a Cloud from Adjusted Automatically (Movings)

My Brightest Diamond We Added It Up from All Things Will Unwind (Asthmatic Kitty)

The Bird and the Bee Rich Girl from Interpreting The Masters Volume 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall and John Oates (Blue Note)

Bobby Hutcherson Aquarian Moon from Happenings (Blue Note)

Jimmy Cliff Wonderful World, Beautiful People from The Best of Jimmy Cliff (EMI)

Youth Lagoon The Hunt from The Year of Hibernation (Fat Possum)

St. Vincent Jesus Saves, I Spend from Marry Me (Beggars Banquet)

Atlas Sound Lightworks from Parallax (4AD)

Nick Lowe I Love The Sound of Breaking Glass from Jesus of Cool (Yep Roc)

Chromeo I’m Not Contagious from Business Casual (Atlantic)

El Rego Feeling You Got from El Rego (Daptone)

The Breeders Do You Love Me Now? from Last Splash (4AD)

The Magnetic Fields Washington, D.C. from 69 Love Songs, Vol. 2 (Merge)