Blog: The Lonely Note

The River Monks are a splendidly multi-talented indie-folk collective, hailing from the capital city of Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines, after all, is French for "The Monks" (or perhaps, "The Moines" , if you ask a local). The city gets its name from the Des Moines River which flows through its downtown. In the 18th century, a group of Trappist monks built huts and used the mouth of the river for catching fish, which led French explorers to [...]

He's My Brother, She's My Sister is the odd, yet aptly named musical collaboration of brother and sister Rob and Rachel Kolar. The group's energetic folk-a-billy lifted the crowd at The Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, Iowa last night. Rob and Rachel share vocal duties with a rich, soulful kinship. Rob's on guitar and kick-drum. Rachel's on tambourine. The songwriting is strong and the harmonies [...]

After years performing in clubs in New York City for crowds of ten or less, Lana Del Rey is finally receiving the exposure she deserves. Indeed, she is slated to perform this Saturday on SNL . The sixties-inspired vocal siren is scheduled to drop her major label debut later this month. And one of my favorite singles from the forthcoming album is 'Born to Die.' You can watch the official video to 'Born to Die' below:

'The Same Thing' is the latest slow burner from the fretful, but charming, Cass McCombs . Full of shoe gaze haze in the beginning, the single really hits its stride right around the 2:04 mark with blooming chorus and fragrant pipe organ. Watch the video to 'The Same Thing' below:

Merry Christmas all!! Or as Tae and I would say, Happy Birthday Jesus !! Hank here, I'm still alive, not dead (yet). Posting from my new locale of Fort Myers, FL. Just thought I 'd post a pic of myself (at left in the 'Ohio' t-shirt) with Lonely Note supporter Kellen, hanging out with the lead singer of Mastodon , Brent Hinds . We were in NYC for a wedding, and just happened to be walking down the street, and we noticed the band outside of [...]

Now for a festive post. The b-side to the single 'I Would Die for U,' Prince 's 'Another Lonely Christmas' is one of the most melodramatic Christmas songs out there. With schmaltzy lyrics about banana daiquiris and hokey hooks, 'Another Lonely Christmas' is nevertheless a cool and soulful holiday ballad. Prince belts out his signature falsettos and vocal runs amidst killer guitar and bright piano licks. It's a delight. Stream 'Another Lonely Christmas' below: [...]

St. Vincent , a.k.a Annie Clark , hits her mark with her latest album, Strange Mercy . One ear-catching track from the long player is 'Cheerleader.' It begins innocently enough, with subtle hints of ' A Day in the Life ' at its very outset, that quickly morphs into the expected trappings typical of most indie darlings. But suddenly at the 0:50 mark, the track turns on a dime, blasting into sonic ecstasy while simultaneously proclaiming, "I don't want to be a cheerleader no more!" The [...]

'Heart on Fire' caught me by surprise. I was scanning SiriusXM when I settled on The Spectrum . When I heard 'Heart on Fire' I thought it was a very strong alt-pop single, and I enjoyed it. It was only later that I discovered the track was featured on Grey's Anatomy , a show I do not watch. Anyhow, 'Heart on Fire' by Scars on 45 is respectable. Watch the video below:

'Friend Crush' is an electronic jaunt by Brooklyn outfit Friends , and is about a protagonist who, as the title suggests, wants to be someone else's friend. But don't let the blatant simplicity fool you. 'Friend Crush' is textured and clever. Cloaked in electronica, it's nothing more than an all-American pop song. Stream 'Friend Crush' below: Friends - Friend Crush .mp3

"Whoaaaah. Screws get loose!" You'll be singing along in no time after you listen to 'Screws Get Loose,' the perfunctory--but perfect--single by Tennessee's Those Darlins . Slightly rockabilly, but mostly garage punk, 'Screws Get Loose' burrows itself nicely. Watch the video to 'Screws Get Loose' below:

SebastiAn 's 'Embody' is the embodiment of cool. (Pun intended). But what else would you expect from French electronica? Watch the video to 'Embody' below.

In another late discovery, I also recently came across 'Daydreaming' by Dark Dark Dark . The tune is quiet, pure, dark, focused, and beautiful. Lead singer None Marie Invie 's voice dances between raindrops, delivering Fiona -laden emotion and power. Stream 'Daydreaming' below: Dark Dark Dark - Daydreaming .mp3

I was a little late in discovering Great Northern 's 2007 single 'Home.' And despite my late adoption of this cruisin' tune, it's a strong track that was a few years ahead of its time. Stream 'Home' by Great Northern below: Great Northern - Home .mp3

"Do you have one of those afternoons you wish would never end?" Watch one of the best SNL skits from last night's episode below. A brainchild of Fred Armisen , The Blue Jean Committee is a faux band from Western Massachusetts that harnesses the glory of AM soft rock. Simple, but clever stuff:

If you've never listened to Portico Quartet before, do yourself the favor. My little sister got me hooked on this modern ethnic jazz-fusion quartet after seeing them perform in Paris several years ago. The London-based group brings a level of chilled out intricacy and creativity to their sound that is exciting and refreshingly current. The contemporary combo of soprano saxophone, acoustic bass and drums is taken to new sonic heights through the use [...]

I had the strangest conversation this past weekend. While attending an old college friend's wedding reception on Saturday, I met a middle-aged gentleman and struck up some conversation. He pointed to a young lady's arm tattoo, of a sunset with poetry beneath it. The man asked me what I assumed it meant and the woman overheard and chimed in that the words were lyrics to a Bob Marley song. The man gave her a rather puzzled look, then turned to me [...]

'It's Real' is a warm and summery track from Real Estate. The kicker is most definitely the layered chorus, which bears similarity to Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear --but to a much jauntier melody. Stream 'It's Real' below: Real Estate - It's Real .mp3

Caveman strikes indie pop gold with 'Old Friend.' For those who enjoy Portugal. The Man and Local Natives , Caveman is the band just for you. Stream 'Old Friend' below: Caveman "Old Friend" MP3 by The FADER

• The FADER - Caveman "Old Friend" MP3

Caveman strikes indie pop gold with 'Old Friend.' For those who enjoy Portugal. The Man and Local Natives , Caveman is the band just for you. Stream 'Old Friend' below: Caveman "Old Friend" MP3 by The FADER

Fuzz rock marches forward with 'Take Me Out to the Coast' by The Waters . This track is simply excellent. Imagine Wayne Coyne blended with Shannon Hoon blended with the subtle country sensibility of Boz Skaggs and you have 'Take Me Out to the Coast.' The chorus is the best part! You can stream the song by way of the video player below: Weekly songs [...]