Four Songs You Should Listen to Right Now: Deers, Jim-E Stack, Avi Buffalo, EDJ

Deers – “Bamboo”

The first time I heard Jason give this track a spin on MBE, the back and forth of the two female vocalists instantly caught my ear.

It’s lo-fi surf rock that is bursting with attitude from this duo out of Madrid (Ana Garcia Perrote and Carlotta Cosials).

They released this track under the title DEMO on their Bandcamp page and described the circumstances behind the recording thusly:

“recorded in a random March afternoon in a rehearsal studios in madrid. welcome to deers bitch”

And there you have it.

DEMO by Deers

EDJ – “Minor Miracles”

Fans of the Fruit Batswill be happy to know Eric D Johnson is charging forward after the dissolution of his previous project and has released a solo record.

As KCRW DJ Eric J Lawrence notes, it has a “ slightly more melancholic bent to the still-catchy-as-heck pop melodies.”

Interestingly, my favorite so far is a piano-based song called “Minor Miracles”.

It’s not the single (though it is truly excellent as well), but the lyrics are poignant and stick with you.

It taps all the emotional places Fruit Bats hit for me. It resonates on a deep level.

Jim-E Stack – “Reassuring”

In a Sunday afternoon lull after a long weekend of live music (shouts to Spoon and Jenny Lewis), I needed a soundtrack that would help me clear my head a little bit.

Innovative Leisure artist Jim E Stack has been getting spins across a lot of KCRW shows and it was clear why when I dug into his debut album “Tell Me I Belong”.

It’s a powerful title, for starters, and the track “Reassuring” – a clear standout – is a house track with a heart, pulsating with a level of emotional depth that I enjoy in electronic music.

Avi Buffalo – “So What”

Avi was just out of high school when his debut came out in 2010 and he has a lot to live up to, given its excellent reception.

If this single is any indication, there is no need to worry about a sophomore slump.

It’s a dreamy pop track and I fell for it instantly.

RR