Song of the Day: The Muslims - Bright Side

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Morning Show host John Richards, is Bright Side by The Muslims from the 2008 self-titled album on 1928 Recordings.

At this point in time, the Velvet Underground have influenced music to the point where a band who’s never listened to them before can sound an awful lot like them. Such is the case with LA-via-San Diego quartet The Muslims. Members of the band admit to never having heard the VU prior to recording. And while a name like The Muslims would garner attention even if they were a David Hasselhoff cover band, they have earned every bit of press during their young career. They take lo-fi psych pop to rousing new heights and aren’t afraid to try creative, sometimes dangerous, things in the process; the sleeve to their CD was shot through with .22 caliber bullets by a New York cop. That’s what I’m talking about. Recently the band performed live in the studio of Seattle’s Rainydawg Radio; listen to the session here. For those of you in the NYC area, The Muslims will spend a week in mid-June performing in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Check the band’s MySpace page for more details. For now, check out this video showing the band performing on San Diego’s Fox Rox: