Entertainment
good listener
our five favorite songs of the week - theme edition!
We've been getting a lot of songs from beach-named bands, so we figured a quick roundup would be nice… after all, what's the actual difference between Surf City and Surfer Blood?
We didn't know band from Maryland could sound so otherworldly, but this girl-and-boy duo manages to make a sound that's less like the Chesapeake Bay and more like the sands of Mars – if aliens make mellow rock ‘n roll, that is. [Editor's Note: Yeah, they were in last week's Good Listener too. But it's okay…]
Surfer Blood, “Floating Vibes”
Are there actual surfers in West Palm Beach, Florida? Sure, but you're more likely to find girls in Lily Pulitzer bikinis. Still, this FL band captures the mood of sitting on sea foam, and this song is a nice nod to the original surf band, Beach Boys, and their classic hit, “Good Vibrations.”
These kids are from Belgium, and sound like a grimy garage band that wears designer heels. Check out their 2005 song “Flavor,” recently recorded live at SXSW, which we vote “Most likely to appear in the background of a Kristen Stewart movie.”
Montreal, Quebec is not an island, but we still appreciate the backseat stereo sound of this Canadian group, although “No You Don't” is by far their best song – and the only one we blast in mixed company.
Hailing from New Zealand, this band can actually claim to be from the beach, and their rolling drums are right-on with the old school Beach Blanket Bingo sound. Of course, the aggressive violins and tinny microphone effects help with the backlit-porch vibe, too.
