Freelance Whales In Queens, Notable Releases

Artist: Freelance Whales

Album: Weathervanes

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In addition to contributing heavily to my already reclusive tendencies, my recent acquisition of an iPhone has led me to listen furiously to NPR in the morning on my way to work. And I do mean furiously. I jam that NPR App button on the home screen of my phone with a vengeance before stepping out the door each morning and into the bitter New England glory. People watching during the winter in New England on public transportation is way cooler with the soothing voices of the liberal media warbling gently from my earbuds--everybody just seems less, less depressed. I've accepted that my persona amounts to little more than a caricatural joke: geeky white dude with glasses listens to NPR on his iPhone while rummaging through his North Face bag for tupperware of hummus. Wow. Debasing self effacement aside, the fact that I can listen to NPR like I would normally listen to songs on my iPod is incredible. I'm more up-to-date on world news than ever before, and I actually have something intelligent to parrot back when someone way smarter than me engages me in a political discussion: "Oh yeah, the uh, the health care bill. Yeah, that Republican victory sure puts a damper on the Democrat's plans."

I wish I could say listening to NPR makes me smug. But I'm not that smart. Listening to NPR allows me to pretend to be smug. Last I checked, we call those people douchebags. There is an upside, however. I recently discovered that in addition to having access to any NPR station in the nation, I can also demand that my iPhone plays All Songs Considered, the popular music show originally created to enlighten listeners of the sweet, sweet melodies played during interludes on All Things Considered. I was listening to that fine program this morning, happily bouncing along to the sounds of the new James Mercer/Danger Mouse project, Broken Bells, when the DJ came back on and introduced another band. He described the band as a combination of Sufjan Stevens and Death Cab For Cutie; an indie-recipe destined for either incredible aesthetic appearance with no substance, or substantive aesthetic nothingness. I almost turned of my iPhone and accepted the depressing reality of the 71 bus to Harvard Square and it's momentary inhabitants.

I'm lucky I didn't.

The track he played was from Queens based band, Freelance Whales. And while the band name sounded like an unfortunate combination of a gin-soaked Scrabble game and a foolish bet, the song, "Generator (Second Floor)," was an unlikely combination of grand indie-opus and folk-roots. The DJ was right on about the Sufjan comparison, at least in terms of the lead singer's vocals. I suppose the Death Cab comparison resulted from the lyrics and dark theme. They read:

I almost had an accident at age 6

When I found the key in the attic

And now the smell of these wood frames

Is the only sense I've left

So as you pull me from the bed

Tell me I look stunning and cadaverous

And since you are my friend

I would ask that you lower me down slow

And tell the man in the black cloak

He doesn't need to trouble his good soul

With those Latin Conjugations

And if it's all the same to them

You should tell your gathering friends

Please not to purse their faces grim

On such a lovely Sunday

I very much enjoyed the song, but something was off. This band didn't sound like one hailing from Queens; they sounded like a band straight out of the Northwest (or at least the midwest). Additionally, I found the guitar work in this song to be extremely reminiscent of Destroyer frontman Dan Bejar's. Listen to the first track on Destroyer's album, Destroyer's Rubies and tell me you don't hear a similarity. Anyway, you should absolutely check out their stuff on MySpace. Be sure to give "Generator ^ Second Floor" a listen. Let me know what you think. The band is releasing their debut full length in March on French Kiss/Mom & Pop records.

I also wanted to take a quick moment to list a few other albums of note:

1. The High Road by Broken Bells. This is James Mercer (Shins frontman) and DJ Danger Mouse's side project.

2. Odd Blood by Yeasayer. I believe this is their only release since 2007's All Hour Cymbals.

3. Astrocoast by Surfer Blood. Best New Music on Pitchfork. I only gave it a cursory listen, but if you dig rock based, 90's sounding stuff, it's pretty shweeeet.