photo by Rebecca Miller
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 Midday Show host Cheryl Waters, is Ill Love
by Pete and the Pirates from the 2008 album Little Death on Stolen Recordings.
Little Death marks the debut full length for the new it band out of Reading, UK, Pete and the Pirates. Don’t worry, you’ll quickly get over the name after hearing album opener Ill Love
and standout tracks like She Doesn’t Belong to Me
and Mr. Understanding.
By incorporating all the best tools from the indie toolbox, Pete and the Pirates have created a punk-pop monster. Perhaps their greatest tool of all is utilizing nearly every member’s vocal cords, creating dynamism and an interplay that takes each track to the next level. Lyrically, Thomas Sanders (guitar/vocals) and brethren focus on failed relationships and the like, but any sullenness is immediately trumped by the giddiness of the melodies. Producer Gareth Parton (The Go! Team, Foals) took a more hands-off approach with this one, lending to a final product that’s equal parts raw and shimmering. The sounds and textures evinced by the quintet on this debut are the kind that spawned the term ear candy
-- addictive, immediately gratifying, and better in bulk. Through mid-September the band is making the rounds of the European continent. Check out their MySpace page for the details after watching this video for Mr. Understanding
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