Leo Kottke | Watermelon
Kottke isn’t a new addition to the Page-Beck school of grating, hypertensive guitarists, as if you were expecting that. He’s an acoustic guitarist from Minneapolis whose music can invoke your most subliminal reflections or transmit you to the highest reaches of joy… anything in addition to his guitar would be superfluous.
- Rolling Stone, 1969
The Strokes | The Modern Age
Is This It has to be the most influential post-2000 indie-rock album I’ve heard, I mean - it’s hard not to hear elements of this album finding its way even into songs released this year from the genre. It’s perfection as far as no-nonsense 3-minute rock songs go, there’s no strange effects or forced solos, everything just fits together seamlessly. The more I listen to it the more it reminds me of the Velvet Underground, especially Casablancas’ Lou Reed bored delivery. The collection of influences and the charisma of its frontman are propelled forward by the power of the rest of the band, giving it an energy that’s irresistible to play in the car in the summer.
Spoon | Decora
This is actually a cover of Yo La Tengo song, though it’s a vastly different - and in my opinion much better. Even people who are huge fans of spoon might’ve missed out on this since it’s only a b-side off their Anything You Want single, which is strange since it’s such a great track. It just goes to show how much they can make out of so little, how they can take a simple slow-fast-slow-fast song and turn it into something layered and interesting.
