Fresh Track: Mondrian “More of the Sweetest Thing”
As a writer, I’m deeply intrigued by an artist’s decision to work outside his or her native language. Such is the case with Mondrian, a pop quartet hailing from Paris, France. The band released their third EP Flood of Kool last week. The strings do the driving on the buoyant, six-track effort. On my favorite track, “More of the Sweetest Thing”, the band offers a glimpse into a love story. The listener is only provided images and is left to fill in the plot on their own. We can assume the affair, though brief, was intense and ends with the singer’s heart broken in the middle of nowhere. He’s left hoping that this might be the last of his poorly ended attempts at a higher relationship: “In the middle of nowhere / nowhere near a judge/ May this be the last of a thousand rows? / the last of a thousand rows / The last of the living roses.” Listen here:
Though their influence on the American music scene pales in comparison to their neighbors across the channel, French musicians have had some notable breakthroughs. Celebrated jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli dominated airwaves with his Belgian playing partner Django Reinhardt (see: In the Dust #5.) Edith Piaf, the Gipsy Kings, Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vanessa Paradis and Daft Punk have all made significant stateside contributions. Though their music can be a bit repetitive, Mondrian is certainly a band worth keeping an eye on – another French artist with the potential for U.S. breakthrough. Download Flood of Kool via their bandcamp page for 5 Euros or $6.43. Download their single “Paris” for free below.
Connect with Mondrian via Facebook | Twitter | Blogspot
“Paris”
Written by Rob Peoni
Video: Waters “Mickey Mantle” (QMtv Session)
Waters is the solo project of Van Pierszalowski, former front man of the now defunct Port O’Brien. We featured the band in our Band to Watch last month. MOKB Presents will bring Pierszalowski and fellow West Coast indie starlets Delta Spirit to Radio Radio on Saturday, March 24th. Tickets are $15, a pittance considering the fun that is almost certain to ensue. Waters recently visited the folks at Quit Mumbling to record one of their QMtv Sessions. The results are featured below, a stripped-down, acoustic take on the song “Mickey Mantle.” Enjoy the video and come out for the show!
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Written by Rob Peoni
Band to Watch: Whistle Peak
Some intriguing sounds are floating their way up I-65 these days. Louisville band Nerves Junior’s release As Bright As Your Night Life made a significant splash across the indie blogosphere last year, despite their lack of mainstream coverage as recently noted by hometown champion The Decibel Tolls. The latest band from south of the border to catch my attention is Whistle Peak. Their sophomore release, Half Asleep Upon Echo Falls, from Karate Body Records is due to drop on Valentine’s day. The album’s first single “Wings Won’t Behave” has a bounce in its step that makes me nostalgic for Motown, with vocals that maintain the uncanny ability to feel at once melancholy and deceptively cheerful. The lyrics of lead singer Billy Petot have a tendancy to wash over the listener like a brief summer rain on a lake – before you can adjust the drops have passed and the sun has returned. Listen below:
Whistle Peak is yet another Midwestern group that deserves a larger regional following. Last summer the band dropped a video for the song “Gold Teeth” from their debut self-titled LP. The video footage appears as if it could be from some pre-cursor to the Planet of the Apes, where primates have overran a rural, early American outpost. Like “Wings Won’t Behave,” this track exudes the same sleepy frivolity. From the video, we can discern that this is not a band that takes themselves too seriously. If there is a hidden artistic agenda in watching a monkey barber, then it is over my head. For those of you who prefer your sounds via vinyl, Whistle Peak will be issuing 250 copies of their new LP on wax. Act fast.
Connect with Whistle Peak via Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 