Zeus, Dr. Dog, and Elbow

Holy crap I actually got a post finished for Wednesday like I used to when I first started.  Ok, so the first bit of music I have for you this week is the new debut album by Zeus titled "Say Us" (I mentioned them in my first post).  It doesn't come out on CD until the 23rd but it became available on vinyl on the 9th.  I have finally obtained a copy and it is just as good as I expected and then some.  I had a lot of expectations for this album based on their EP "Sounds Like Zeus," and I have to say that I feel that Zeus delivered with a bang.  Great 60s and 70s psychedelic folk/rock feel with awesome harmonies.  The sound is sort of Kinks meets The Stones with some Beatles Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da style piano thrown in the mix.  They write great catchy tunes that are not your everyday pop although they still have a poppy feel.  This is the kind of cd that I could listen to over and over like it better each time.  Zeus are definitely an up and coming band that should be on everyone's watch list and with a debut like this, one can only dream of the possibilities.  I've posted two songs below and there are others in my first post.

Zeus - The Renegade


Zeus - Kindergarten


The next bit of music this week comes from a group called Dr. Dog.  I would probably put them in the same category as Zeus musically.  They have a psychedelic, folky feel with poppy 60s style vocals.  However they have a unique modern take on the sound of the 60s.  They are continually pushing boundaries of sound and experimenting with different methods of creating music that doesn't necessarily emulate the sounds of the 60s but builds upon them in exciting ways.  Dr Dog continues to improve with each release and hopefully their sixth, "Shame, Shame," will not stray from this trend.  Below is their new single "Shadow People," as well as two favorites of mine.

Dr. Dog - Shadow People


Dr. Dog - The Girl


Dr. Dog - From


My band of the week this week is Elbow.  Hailing from the UK, they are like Coldplay but with a little more of an edge.  I suppose you could say they draw much of their sound from a lot of the British alternative/pop bands like Coldplay, Radiohead, Blur, Doves, etc, though they have crafted something that is uniquely their own.  They have a jazzy/pop feel to them with light and airy vocals that feel like they reach up to the ceilings of a giant cathedral.  This is sort of the point since they recorded their latest album "The Seldom Seen Kid" in their own personal studio facility which they call "The Elbow Room" or now most recently "The Big Room."  They are incredibly innovative and do a remarkable job of experimenting with different styles of music and rhythm.  Check out a few tracks from there last two albums (including "An Audience With The Pope," which is probably one of the coolest takes on a love song I have ever heard) and be sure to keep an eye out for their next release which they just recently began working on. 

Elbow - Forget Myself


Elbow - The Bones Of You


Elbow - An Audience With The Pope