The Rob Gordon Shuffle, 12.10.06

Photo by David Greenwald

Finals week. ARGHH.

Peter & The Wolf – “The Owl”: mp3
I wish I’d posted on Peter & The Wolf earlier in the year, but you know how fast the time goes. So do these guys: “10,000 years, I’ll be there still.” This is a gorgeous lo-fi sepia-tone of a song, the finest on the band’s new LP, Lightness. (Buy it from the band at Whiskey & Apples)

Princeton – “The Indifference Curve”: mp3
In a year of fantastic indie-pop (look no further than the year-end list below this post), you’d think we’d be done with surprises. But Princeton, a brand new Los Angeles group, has joined Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin as one of our finest young underground pop/rock bands. This song is all handclaps, wavering vocals and winsome classic rock keyboards, like Holopaw covering “Like a Rolling Stone.” (Hear more on the band’s site)

The Monolators – “14 Degrees”: mp3
Another Los Angeles band with classic rock influences to burn, the Monolators harken back to the anti-stadium rock of the ’70s — Big Star, Television, Elvis Costello. Can’t go wrong with those guys, and while this song doesn’t match the anthems of those artists, they’re off to a good start. (Hear more on the band’s site)

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The Rob Gordon Shuffle is a weekly Sunday rundown of fascinating songs without particular regard to genre or timeliness. It is absolutely not a top five.