May 26, 2006 | Posted by David B. at 9:40 AM

Did I leave something behind?

photo

Nashville-based band Lylas are just ... well, lovely. I know that's a dumb word for such things (as is, uh, "dumb"), but really, this is shiny, pretty music that still hits you where it hurts. It's lovely.

Lylas - Tiny Echos.

Though this kind of shimmery, lo-fi indie-folk has been around for a long time, I think the Shins really started something when Natalie Portman told everyone about how they changed her life, or whatever stupid thing she said. The point is, music for wimps was once again fashionable, and the world is somewhat better for it, though no one should have told the guy who picked music for the Gap.

Lylas' debut record Lessons For Lovers came out last month, and it's very good. Things are kept short and sweet, so you're left wanting more, which really is the trick with music like this. It leaves little traces of songs behind, and later you find yourself humming a song that you forgot you heard in the first place.

This a nice way to get your Friday started, before Blair comes in with his end-of-the-week dance track to make you shake your groove thang in the break room. (Pressure's on now, Blair!)

You can buy the lovely (you can't make me stop saying it!) Lessons For Lovers from Amazon and Insound.

Comments

My only gripe with wimp music is that a lot of these bands and singers don't seem to care whether they sing in tune or not, as if the less they care about vocal quality, the more cred they get. Or something. Anyway, this is a very nice song. (I thought he was covering "It's Only A Paper Moon" the first few chords!)

Posted by: k at May 26, 2006 9:11 PM

That Lylas song is lovely, I think more people should listen to lovely music. Wilco and Grandaddy are two of my favourite lovely bands, - have you heard 'Hewlett's Daughter'? This may sound odd, but I work part time in a record shop in Manchester, UK, called Vox Pop Music. If you go on the website; www.voxpopmusic.com, there's a whole selection of stuff, of my favourites being Grandaddy's 'The Sopftware Slump' (I think thats how you spell it!). And if you are ever in Manchester, pop in!

Posted by: vanessa at May 27, 2006 12:28 PM

Thanks for highlighting LYLAS. I've been pushing them on anybody who will listen. Another great track of theirs is His Master's Merriment. Hell, the whole album is rock solid and deserves a lot more respect than a lot of the indie rock cognoscenti gave it.

Posted by: Lucas Jensen at May 30, 2006 7:47 AM
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