It’s October, finally.  Well, last night, Berkeley chose one hell of an interesting way to wake us up when September ends.  Please, a little more subtle next time.

September in general is a shitty month.  The original hit by Green Day was about Billy Joe Armstrong’s father having died when he was 10 in September of 1982.  The music video follows the story of lovers separated by some unfortunate circumstances.  Personally, I’ve just gone through an incredibly traumatizing break-up… with Breaking Bad.  I think we can think of several other things that have happened to us personally or in general that seem to love happening in that awful month.

The weather is at its most spastic. What is this fuckery, September?  Can you decide if you’re summer or autumn?  I don’t like having to wear a jacket in the morning and carrying that piece of shit around for the rest of the day.  I take my umbrella thinking it’s going to rain and you pull the curtains to blind me with 80 degree weather.  You are the bologna that is ruining an otherwise excellent sandwich with summer and the holiday season as the buns.  Good riddance, September.

Winter is coming.

Cathedrals — Unbound

https://soundcloud.com/wearecathedrals/unbound

To kick things off, I’m giving a shout out to a local band with a very promising debut single in “Unbound”.  The male/female duo from San Francisco both sing and it gives off the vibe of The xx with percussion that’s more like Phantogram’s.  It’s also worth mentioning that the male singer is Asian, considering half of last week’s theme.  I’ve had this song on repeat for the past three days and look forward to seeing what they do in the future.

Great Good Fine OK — You’re the One For Me

Great Good Fine OK is another band that is debuting with a promising track.  “You’re the One For Me” is an example of electro-pop that sounds much better than the second half of CHVRCHES’ debut album.  I found myself dancing around in my room to the track, but past 2:50 I kind of sat down and listened closer to.  Upon further research, I discovered that Neon Golds released this song.  In the past, I’ve mentioned the label because they also released “Ghost” by Sir Sly & “Operate” by ASTR, along with songs by acts like Passion Pit before they became big (and this song sounds a lot like a Passion Pit song with soft vocals).

Troika — Dancing in September (Mash-up)

https://soundcloud.com/troikaofficial/dancing-in-september-troika

Several songs went into the making of this mash-up – too many to list in the title (some songs by Porter Robinson, Empire of the Sun, Benny Benassi and Earth, Wind & Fire).  I always loved Earth, Wind & Fire but September was not a song that made sense to me personally.  Again, SCREW THAT MONTH.  So here is “Dancing in September” for you on October 1.  This is also for those of you who are nursing your Beyond Wonderland hangovers.  A nice little celebration song.

Phantogram — Celebrating Nothing

On the topic of celebration, here’s a track from Phantogram’s new EP that is a pretty accurate representation of how I feel about the holiday season.  It’s a lovely time of year.  I love the weather.  It’s also when I begin to miss things though.  I join in on the celebration, but I question exactly what it is I’m celebrating.  Halloween’s my favorite holiday, but I also can’t stand seeing all those couples with cute matching costumes.  And then it’s Thanksgiving.  Christmas.  New Year’s Eve.  Valentine’s Day.  Oh god.  Wake me up when February ends.

Say Lou Lou — Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (Cover of Tame Impala)

Say Lou Lou are twin sisters making some great dream pop.  I’m a huge fan of this cover.  Tame Impala (who will be in SF on Halloween) make psychadelic rock, the kind that you can see people drop acid to.  Say Lou Lou take on their song “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” and change it into something more suited for a nap in a blanket fort on 4/20.

Lorde — A World Alone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENF89vLOhd4

Lorde’s debut album is kind of amazing.  Go check out the whole thing on her Youtube channel or on Spotify.  This track in particular is the final track and I think it shows her ability to add depth to radio-friendly tracks (which in general are all about partying or incredibly shallow love / break-ups).  I’m officially calling her queen bee.

As usual, please comment or e-mail me with suggestions or feedback. I will also take songs in my Spotify inbox, just search for Ephraim Lee. I’m always up to listen to what you have to offer, and your recommendations may make it here!