Down Yellow Brick Road with a Sunshine Fix
This Week's Soundtrack prepares for the spring music season with upcoming shows from Sir Elton John, San Fermin and the Casket Girls.
[Updated]This Week's Soundtrack on Spotify
1. "I'm Aquarius" - Metronomy: The English electro pop outfit returned last week with its fourth studio album, Love Letters, featuring this Zodiac-centered cut.
2. "Chemical Dizzy" - The Casket Girls: From the Girls' True Love Kills the Fairy Tale, the Savannah, Georgia, group plays Circle Bar tonight.
3. "Going Forth" - Axxa/Abraxas: From Alanta musician Ben Asbury's self-titled release, out last week on the 23-year-old's own label.
4. "Sonsick" - San Fermin: The latest in epic, road-trip indie rock, San Fermin plays Gasa Gasa Tuesday on tour for its 2013 self-titled debut.
5. "Beaconary Words ... " - The Sunshine Fix: Reaching back to the late Bill Doss' project with the legendary Elephant 6 collective, from the Fix's The Future History of a Sunshine Fix.
6. "Without Her" - Harry Nilsson: The late maven mastered a brand of complex, melodic pop 40 years before its recent rise in popularity, proven with this cut from Aerial Pandemonium Ballet.
7. "Keep Me Away" - Eternal Summers: Off the '90s-rock-tinged latest from Eternal Summers, The Drop Beneath.
8. "Little Fang" - Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks: Co-founder of the great but divisive Animal Collective, Dave Portner ventures away from the pack again after his 2010 solo effort Down There. The group, featuring former Dirty Projectors member Angel Deradoorian, will release its first studio effort, Enter the Slasher House, before playing The House of Blues' Parish on May 2.
9. "Turn Me Out" - Vertical Scratchers: The Los Angeles group whose style is obedient to its locale play Circle Bar Tuesday, with this track off 2014 release Daughter of Everything.
10. "Grey Seal" - Elton John: The iconic piano man brings another tour through the state, stopping at the Smoothie King Center on Friday. This up-tempo take is off John's 1973 classic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
11. "Theme from 'The Vindicators'" - The Fleshtones: The veteran garage rockers play an early show Tuesday at Southport Music Hall.
12. "7-Hour-Drive" - The Notwist: A mind-melting cut of electronic rock fusion from the German group's latest, Close the Glass.
13. "Multi_Viral" (feat. Julian Assange and Tom Morello) - Calle 13: One of the world's most wanted men and one of the world's angriest guitarists guest on this track from the Puerto Rican band's new Multiviral.
14. "Lyke U Use 2" (feat. Andre) - Moodyman: Soul gets an upbeat facelift on this cut from Moodyman's 2014 self-titled album.
15. "Pour Quelques Dinars De Plus" - Imed Alibi: What some call "modern world music," the Tunisian percussionist has cooked up something otherworldly but unmistakably influenced by the Middle East and Northern Africa. Alibi released Safar earlier this month, featuring this track.
16. "Izembe Mfana" - Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Heading south of Alibi, the all-male South African choir comes to Tipitina's on Wednesday.
17. "Man Near the Surface of the Earth" - DTCV: The group released this cut on The Early Year earlier in 2014, but DTCV plays Circle Bar tonight with the Casket Girls.
18. "Everywhere I'm Local" - Har Mar Superstar: The eccentric singer/songwriter may manage to put clothes on for his show Wednesday at One Eyed Jacks, but maybe not.
19. "I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You" - The Hold Steady: The self-aware Brooklyn rockers will try to hold on to their title of best indie rock band to drink to at a 4th of July party with Teeth Dreams out next week and an appearance at Hogs for the Cause on March 29.
20. "Everything Turns Grey" - Agent Orange: The veteran Cali punk rock act plays Siberia on Wednesday.
Updated 2:11 p.m.
The Ladysmith Black Mambazo show is on Wednesday, not Tuesday. The text has been changed to reflect this.
