Snow Patrol

A critic once said that Snow Patrol's music is triumphantly normal.  The D Man understands what he meant by that unusual compliment.  Indeed, the band's lyrics, soft/loud dynamics, and instrumental textures are decidedly straightforward, enveloped in high production values and instantly radio friendly.  Your Mom likes this music, after all.  But unlike many bands who play in the same space, Snow Patrol does not want to be something they are not.  They make swelling and glossy Britpop for arenas, girlfriends and, yes, your Mom.  Just embrace it.

The D Man first embraced Snow Patrol because of Gary Lightbody's unabashed earnestness.  Listeners and fans can easily tell that he is a soft soul, sincere and pleasant to be around. So it does not hurt that he can flat out sing, with a rich, crystal-ringing voice that can carry his torch songs to the farthest corners of his audience.

Rip, The D Man, and Schwarzy hit the show last night while our wives went to the new Zac Efron movie.  Yeah, this year, the kid from High School Musical got first dibs.  No matter.  The men still had a great time, especially given that the band, fresh from playing large European arenas, brought their big-sounding show to a series of small club dates.  Six albums in, the band can fill an entire set with radio hits and crowd-pleasing fare.  We enjoyed the uplift, the sense of goodness that Lightbody generates with his songs.  You just cannot say that about every show you see.  So enjoy a few highlights.

• "Hands Open." Any song that name drops Sufjan Stevens is all right by me.
• "Run."  A huge song from 2003's Final Straw.
• "Chocolate."  Arguably the band's best song.  Not insignificantly, I listened to it for the first time when I was 25.
• "Called Out In The Dark." The first single from the band's sixth album, Fallen Empires.
• "New York."  Performed a beautiful duet with the opening artist, Ed Sheeran, who, by the way, absolutely owned the stage and slayed his opening set with numbers like this.  He will be taking over America soon.
• "All I Have."  Man, this song just makes me feel good.  Straight ahead true.
• "Just Say Yes."  I just really like this song.  I just do.

Song of the Week

The Walkmen have recorded some great rock songs.  Since their 2002 debut, the awesomely-titled Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone, the New York band has evolved from a plinking and skittering vintage-indie band into something far more driven.  A highlight along the way, of course: the band's teetering-on-the-edge masterwork, "The Rat," which is easily one of the decades' great rock performances.  So check out "Heaven," the title track from the band's forthcoming release.  Tighter, groovier guitar lines and a grander sense of melody belie the sense that everything could still come unhinged.  Remember, remember, what we are fighting for.  Great tracks like this, certainly.

Song of the Week

Jim* came into my office and pronounced that we should all be listening to Chromatics' new release. Not surprisingly, as an astute listener of electro/synth/pop music, Jim was right. Kill for Love is replete with the kind of slow burning, nocturnal Euro-disco that can carry you off deep into dreamland. Check out the video for the title track below, and do not miss the album's opening track, a spacious Neil Young cover.

*Creating a new handle just felt forced. Besides, isn't Jim already a nickname for James?

Five Things

(DJ Soul Sister at Mimi's in the Marigny)

The D Man and his brothers ripped it up in New Orleans. We later joked that the Big Easy could run a commercial showing a series of clips from all of our serendipitous exploits. It goes without saying that we had a great time, and the city's music scene was a big part of our success.

• We listened to big band music at the Hotel Monteleone, home of the historic carousel bar. It didn't hurt to have some hot Kentucky Wildcat fans nearby.
• We hit Mimi's in the Marigny on Saturday night to catch DJ Soul Sister spin some records. Often cited as the best DJ in the city, she mixed obscure underground disco and old-school funk on the turntables. Without the aid of a computer, her free-flowing vinyl spins were ebullient and downright joyous. Easily the musical highlight of our trip. And the diverse crowd was cool, enjoying the little upstairs dive, dancing without thinking, and making the vibe just right.
• We snuck in some marching brass at La Maison de la Musique on Frenchman Street. We then paid the cover at D.B.A. to hear Chapter: SOUL do their thing.
• We watched a little bit of the KISS show during the free concert series by the river front. And I mean a little bit. (Check that one off the list).
• On a sweltering afternoon, we enjoyed a great set by The Avett Brothers. Later that night, we heard the drifting sounds of this Jimmy Buffett song wafting over Andrew Jackson Square. Though no cheeseburgers (rather some jambalaya) and not quite paradise (albeit rich with history and flavor), New Orleans treated us real good.