Song of the Day: The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies 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 Afternoon Show host Kevin Cole, is I Saw the Bright Shinies by The Octopus Project from the 2007 album Hello, Avalanche on Peek-A-Boo Records.The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies (MP3)
How many bands could or would dare to mix Nintendo-centric beats with grungy noise rock? This Austin quartet has damn near perfected it with Hello, Avalanche, their third proper album. Last year the band was thrown into the spotlight after their throng of MySpace fans won them a spot at Coachella. Since then they’ve toured and toured some more, captivating audiences at SXSW and capturing numerous prizes at the Austin Music Awards. This album is the first that the OP have not self-produced; this time around they entrusted their demos to Northwest producer Ryan Hadlock (Blonde Redhead, the Gossip) with additional mixing assistance from Erik Wofford (Explosions In The Sky, Voxtrot). The result is a jolting playground of toy keyboards, cymbals, and the much-dabbled-with theremin, enough to keep the greatest instrumental skeptics coming back for more. The album’s closer, Queen, does provide some unprecedented vocals that listeners may or may not be grateful for. Check it out for yourself and come back to tell us what you think. Meanwhile, the band’s MySpace page has a bunch of tracks to peak your interest, and if those don’t do it for you, perhaps this performance of Truck in Dallas, TX will:
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