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. Every Friday, we present a song from a Northwestern artist. Today’s selection, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Carpet Maker” by Seattle’s Noddy from the 2012 album Yes on 74.
When it first began, Noddy was just the 8-bit solo project of Seattle musician Jared Mills, but now expanded to include a wider variety of sounds and five other members, Noddy’s brand of electronic dance rock has classic dancefloor rhythms, new wave-inspired vocals, and, in their words, “enough sexxx to bring even Republican congressmen to their knees.” Noddy’s second album, Yes on 74, is about as clear as musical political statements get, with the download proceeds going to Washington United For Marriage. The album’s third track, “Carpet Maker,” is a new wave slow burn complete with buzzing “Temptation” synths and Mills’ deep sultry vocals. Combining Cars-style vocal harmonies, a dance-friendly keyboard riff, and some moaning “Yeah”s in the chorus, the song hearkens back to the early 80s by appropriating that era’s musical trademarks in a style that still resonates in an audience 30 years later.
Noddy don’t have any shows behind Yes on 74 at the moment, but if you follow them on their website or Facebook, you’ll be the first to know the about next time they hit the stage. Watch the band play “I’m Becoming You” at the 2010 Concerts at the Mural below.
