photo by Renata Steiner
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of 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. Each and every Friday, we offer songs by local artists. Today’s selection, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)” by Sky Parade from their 2010 album Intoxicated on Custom Made Music.
Fronted by former Brian Jonestown Massacre bassist Tommy Dietrick, Sky Parade have stayed close to their roots in 90s alt-rock psychedelia with their third full-length album Intoxicated. It’s not hard to recognize Sky Parade’s ties to bands such as BJM, The Dandy Warhols, and, more recently, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, right down to the familiar hooks, progressions, and Dietrick’s aired-out vocals. Also contributing to the resemblance is the fact that Dandy Warhol’s frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor produced the album, and keyboardist Zia McCabe is featured on a track or two, including today’s Song of the Day, “I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep On Coming Down).”
Just as much as Sky Parade might resemble the psychedelic pop/rock bands they are associated with, they play a unique kind of synth-y, modern psychedelia that isn’t tripped out so much that it isn’t easily accessible. They are a popular rock band that has strong psychedelic and shoegaze influences, not the other way around (though the band speaks highly of Roky Erickson, they do not resemble psychedelic bands of the 60s as much as, say, The Black Angels).
“I Should Be Coming Up (But I Keep Coming Down)” typifies this sound as well the struggle-to-keep-the-high-going mentality, and is the clear choice as the first single off of Intoxicated. The extremely well-done, albeit odd video directed by Marcos Durian is below.
Sky Parade are currently touring and will be coming back around to Seattle at The Comet on Capitol Hill on October 8th. You can watch videos from their recent in-studio session at KEXP and this brand new official video:
