On my bus ride back from DC on Saturday, I had the unfortunate experience of sitting in front of a girl whose iPod was so loud that I could hear every song played. I had just fallen asleep for a nice Chinatown bus nap, when I started to notice that this young girl was playing Britney Spears' "Toxic" over and over again. Seriously, at least eight times in a row. My roommate sophomore year in college did this to me when she wanted to piss me off. My greatest nightmare was reoccurring, and I wasn't thrilled.
If there's anything that soothes my anxieties, it's The Shins. All that hullabaloo about them changing your life is a bit of an overstatement, if I ever heard one. But the press loves it. The band? Not so much. But what is true is that they never cease to write and produce fantastic albums that sound very similar. But it's the good kind of similar. It's welcoming, and comforting -- the kind of pop music that is easy to stand behind, while still appreciating the incredible song writing of Mr. Mercer and crew.
Wincing The Night Away has been on a steady listening routine, but it wasn't until that bus ride back on Saturday that it hit me just how much I liked it. Each album feels like a direct continuation of the last, as if they were written and recorded one after another. They really are timeless. I can go back to their previous efforts and its as if I never left them. And yet hidden gems, like "Sealegs" show me that this band has so much more left in them, and I just can't wait to hear it.
Wes let me in on an album titled The Shins Bluegrass Tribute. It was available on eMusic so I figured it was worth a shot. I really had no idea what to expect, not really being much of a bluegrass expert myself. But it's pretty amazing how well these songs have been translated. I've listened to the album continuously in the past 24 hours and I am still amazed. I have no idea who this band is, [Edit: It's Iron Horse, thanks Belch] but they really did a top-notch job. Go pick it up.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Let's Give A Tribute To The Shins
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