The Shins, the Modern Electric, Akudama [monday Threesome]

Hello out there! Welcome to another edition of the Monday Threesome, where we bring you some choice songs by three different bands with a particular theme. The idea for this week’s list was initially derived from The Shins. The first song from the new album, Port of Morrow, has been gaining steam, and we wanted to celebrate how influential they’ve been to the indie-rock world. Like The Shins, all of these bands write direct and uncomplicated pop songs, though they may at times be gussied up with psychedelics or a big sound. In the end, all three share the ability to cut through everything with an earworm and a genuine lyric. Enjoy!

For the first time since 2007, James Mercer is releasing a record as The Shins (@theshins), and the album’s recently debuted single, “Simple Song” (stream here), is a promising start to say the least. The track combines the techniques that Mercer has learned from projects like Broken Bells with the more classic indie pop sound of The Shins. In particular, I dig the toughness of the drums and guitar, turning what could be a sweeter or sadder song into a rocker. In honor of this new release, watch some great live videos of the original band performing here, here and here. They were clearly a band who knew how to make the audience eat out of their hands. Finally here is an even rarer live show from 2002. Enjoy!

I actually stumbled upon The Modern Electric (@modern_electric) when I was searching for some information on David Bowie. The search results turned up the second song on their debut album, “David Bowie is My Hero”, a wonderful tribute to my favorite genre chameleon that features some hilarious lyrics. Amidst the fairly simple but wonderful pop songs on The Modern Electric, I was struck by the lead singer’s incredibly theatrical voice — similar to a strange combination of Alec Ounsworth (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. The songs feature piano in the forefront and, while orchestral and cinematic, they remain true to the ethos of indie pop, especially the opening song “Where I Belong”, which easily brings to mind comparisons to The Shins with its acoustic guitar and piano rhythm.  Their debut album can be streamed in its entirety here.

Akudama (@akudamamusic) are very adept at altering their style from one release to the next. Imaginary Elves, though, the EP that originally gained the band attention, was an entirely acoustic affair featuring multi-tracked vocals and some minor instrumental overdubbing. Primarily the work of their lead singer Blake Charleton, the EP demonstrates his mastery of Mercer’s seemingly supernatural gift for melody — they both create simple and honest songs that burrow their way into your brain. While the release may only be three tracks (stream here), each of them is incredibly beautiful, unpretentious, hooky and personal. Following Imaginary Elves, the band began a series to release a Free EP each month. The collection of some of the best songs from that series, SUN, demonstrates the diversity of the music released during that period. Most almost sound as though Fleet Foxes were fronting Strawberry Jam/Merriweather Post Pavilion-era Animal Collective – still beautiful, but very different. They are also the second band here to have a song titled after, though not about, a glam era hero: “Riding the Bryan Ferry”.