12:12 Tune of the Day: Maya Blue — Coltrane Motion
Posted By Ben W. on September 22, 2009
It’s Midpoint Music Fest in Cincinnati this weekend. So all week, we’re gonna dedicate our 12:12 Tuners to great artists you should check out if you happen to be in town and have a spare $30 bill burning a hole in your pocket.
The adjectives “dancey” and “droney” would seem to be at odds when applied to the same band. But they both fit Chicago duo Coltrane Motion. The only problem for me is that I’ve tended to enjoy Como’s beat-heavy work (see career high-point here) more than their drone-dominated material.
Until now.
“Maya Blue” drones. Absolutely and completely. This is literally the definition of droning. Listen to the first three seconds. Sounds like a drone to me. But underneath the cymbal clatter and the feedback and organ wail is a perfect pop song. The layered backing vocals carry the melody up delicately to the little high note in the chorus, which is just great. And the washes of guitar sound at the end are aces.
It’s a rare trick, but the song manages to sound like it’s never in a hurry to get anywhere, yet the listener never feels bored along the way (AKA the key to great drone pop). Trust me, that is not easy to pull off.
I love autumn as a season for accentuating pop music. And great autumn music, for me, needs to be subtle but not dull; sad but still warm. And this song meets all of those requirements perfectly.
Now here’s where we hype: Coltrane Motion is playing The Subway at midnight, Saturday, Sept. 26 on Walnut Street in downtown Cincinnati, just across from the Aronoff Center.
If you’re in French Canadia next week, you can catch the band’s set at the prestigious Pop Montreal festival.
And regardless of your physical locale, you can download their new Double-A side of awesomeness (“The Year Without A Summer b/w “Maya Blue”) if you click the following cleverly disguised link.
Do it.
Check back Wednesday for a song by The Koala Fires.
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That song was my summer.
this is killer!