| Song | Artist | Year | Pick | Genre(s) | Willis Notes | Gregg Notes |
| Poe Poe | Xiu Xiu | 2002 | Willis | Experimental Rock, Avant Garde | Founder Jamie Stewart started in the 00’s making music in San Jose, frequenting Streetlight Records and meeting other music-minded partners, blending dark, vulnerable lyrics with a mix of acoustic/synth, and sometimes harsh industrial sounds. 19 full length EP’s later now based in Berlin, they have re-interpreted/covered Bauhaus, Nina Simone, and music of Twin Peaks and done collabs with the likes of Mitski, Drab Majesty, Chelsea Wolfe, Puscifer. This is from one of their earliest albums – it’s a cacophonic blend of synth drums and minimalist post-punk instrumentation that swap in and out, and snippets of prose. The vocals feel like goth pain and tension, but the lyrics are more like social commentary: “Take your parents credit cards, buy a bunch of crap that you don’t need”. I plan to play a later release from them in the future to contrast this.. | My good friend Mike was a big cheerleader for Xiu Xiu. I was 50/50, until he took me to a show – it didn’t take long for me to ‘get it’. I never claimed them as my own, but hearing this reminds me how important they actually were. Not sure why i’ve not considered them for HFD, but I now will. This is a heady song. Very experimental and psychedelic. The lack of guitars in the early parts makes the impact of the guitar solo (2:44) that much heavier. So much dissonance. |
| Statues | San Francesca | 2012 | Gregg | ExperimentalPsych /Trip Hop | This is an epic song that starts from brooding that leads into despair, while being held up/supported by the steady drum rhythm and faint oscillating car horns. By the time that beautiful melodic guitar solo chimes in, the mood builds into a more bittersweet optimism. I like this minimalist approach to raw emotion. Not loud, not busy, not too many things. Masterful timing, structure, and sincerity. Great production that carries this song to full Sorry I missed them while they were around, but this is a great song. | This band was the best of the Bay local scene during S*ALT’s heyday in 2011-12. My partner Billy was working here, while I was in NJ, and he was developing the local scene in a way that the South Bay never saw before. We were working directly w/ every indie band, and putting them on the air on Sat & Sun nights, as well as doing Free Shows at San Pedro Sq (as part of our Daydream Nation series – monthly showcases). He came to me about this band, specifically saying “this is your new favorite group”. He was right. I fell in love, and in that time frame I did everything in my power to feature them on S*ALT. Unfortunately, as talented as they were, it was not to be. The lead singer had lots of mental issues and the rest of the band was tired & losing hope. Drugs played a part too. So when they released this album, the band was already broken. The album rotted away, with barely any notice. So I’m happy to bring them to the DD.I compare them to The Notwist (whom, as you know, I adore) and Radiohead. You’ll know why I chose this song pretty quickly. It has Gregg all over it. |
| Autumn Sweater | Yo La Tengo | 1997 | Willis | Indie Rock | Not quite “sweater-weather” yet, but I’m waiting for it with this song. There’s a balance of nervousness and comfort all at once with this band. One that I knew of, but didn’t follow, so for me this is making up for lost listening. I like the combo of this clean rhythm and constant pipe organ chords building tension – with occasional reliefs from the bongoes and heavy bassline. You almost forgive the so-so vocal quality. | I had “Stockholm Syndrome” lined up for this week (same album), until i saw this choice! Haha. A seminal album in my journey. I discovered them in college, as they were based in Hoboken, and were another “legends of the underground” band. Once you knew of them, you were a fan. But most people didn’t know them. They were a critic’s band. They were a music head’s band. There was a great headline in The Onion once, that read “37 Record Store clerks feared dead in Yo La Tengo concert disaster”. This was their best album IMO. This song had a groovy trip hop kinda vibe, so ofc it was one of my favorites. |
| Days | Television | 1978 | Gregg | Post Punk /LoFi Indie | I could easily have misinterpreted this as 90’s indie jangle pop with that melody. I remember music reviewers referencing Tom Verlaine and the name Television popping up here and there, but I had no other exposure. I think this song is a good demonstration of clean, melodic guitar work, subtle harmonies (balancing his pretty high and nasal voice), and jazz-style drumming that I can see why they were such an influence, if not “hit” songs. | I remember being at a Yo La Tengo show in 94, and they did a cover of this song. Before beginning, they explained seeing Television as teens, and affirmed their desire to play music for a living. Embarrassingly, that was the first time I’d ever heard a Television song. I was 19. I ran to CD World the following day, and bought this album. I listened over and over. It doesn’t take much to realize how so many bands were inspired by TV, but listening to this song, at this stage of my life, it sounds as important as just about any Beatles song. It makes me wistful and somber at the same time. |
| Hesitate (Reimagined) | Meltt, Bayonne & New Constellations | 2026 | Willis | Indie Pop | A remake of an earlier released song which adds a bunch of atmospheric effects (echo, reverb, spacey synths) plus female vocal accompaniment of Harlee Case from New Constellations. Slightly soulful groove, airy breathy vocals, subtle harmonies, jazzy synth. It’s hard not to make comparisons,so I feel like this combo is technically better than the formula of Cannons. I hope there is enough room in this space for both bands to thrive. The spacey arpeggios towards the end really got me. | |
| Time Will Come | The Soundcarriers | 2009 | Gregg | Psychedelia/Vintage Soul | Cue the TWA airline commercials – this puts me right there at cruising altitude, tray table down and an “airline stewardess” (as they used to call them) passing you a hot towel using tongs from a tray. But they cooled off quickly.Good headphone production on the buildup. Bassline, multiple pianos, two vocals, reverse snares, jazzy drums. Speaking of airline flights, during moments of turbulence. I always find that fun, but many tend to freak out. | Seems to be plucked right out of a European 60’s movie soundtrack – and almost sounds mislabeled as a 2009 song. Years ago I went into a deep dive with this group, and found that most of their songs feature the same hazy, jazz influenced, cinematic sounds. I fell into a trance. This is endearing, retro pop. RIYL Stereolab & Broadcast. |
| Cruel | Tori Amos | 1998 | Willis | Alternative Pop/Rock | Talking about vocalists whose voice changes over time – she had a unique voice and often used the high register to wail and people loved her passion. I’ll never forget her now iconic live performances writhing and howling between the piano and keyboard. Her latest album is decent and about what I would expect at age 63, aligns with the clips I’ve seen her recent tour show her vocal power and vibrant expression significantly less , with high vocals picked up by her backup singers. As a longtime fan, this makes me more aware of the difference between appreciating “the artist” vs. “their work”, which are two different things that can change over time. I never put much time into this, one of her darkest albums (literally the photo is a dark photocopy of herself), From the Choirgirl Hotel. It also was an expansion from just the girl+piano to full band arrangements and recorded/self produced in her own studio. This shows her songwriting and her unique vocal style/passion while exploring more than just rolling piano arpeggios. | |
| Stuck | Alison’s Halo | 2026 | Gregg | Shoegaze /Dreampop | Vocals in the lower range have a warm rounded comfortable feel like Dolores O’Riordan. I like the syncopated beat and guitar solo. This is a great find that I can get in to. Although not a strict requirement for me, I really appreciate when a band sounds like their name. It makes adoption so much easier. | An OG 90’s underground (and unusually, an american) Shoegaze duo. First single in 26+ years, and my oh my it’s good. This song turns out to be a cover of a song by a band that opened a few reunion shows they played. It sparkles and glides like it’s the late 90’s all over again. Cover of Panchiko song. |
| Time After Time | The Beloved | 1990 | Willis | Synth Pop | We played them before, but I have been wanting to play this song for awhile now. Expanding our song list gives me the room to add this. It feels like this could be ten years earlier, and maybe even a Depeche Mode B-side. The chorus is so repetitive, yet I don’t tire of it. It feels so sad and melancholic because it is in the key of b flat minor. In my mind, that is the saddest, least fun note to play on the guitar. | |
| The Great Commandment | Camouflage | 1988 | Gregg | Synthwave /Synth Pop | A total classic. I taped it from the radio and didn’t know who they were for years. I love how the synth programming is the forefront – the first thing you hear all by itself, because it is that good: Clean, elastic, precise, a dynamic hook that is dark and futuristic (even to this day). It then just disappears into the mix, but the elastic sounds are always there. The bridge makes this song epic and serious – more than just copying Depeche Mode. Never mind the lyrics seem lost in translation: “The world and their embarrassing pavement”, the alliteration is magnificent. | This song seems to belong in a set with the prior (The Beloved). Both of these bands have been together on many of my playlists, so it seems appropriate to pair them up. I remember thinking this was Depeche the first time I heard it on WLIR in Long Island. Took me several years to figure out more about Camouflage – but once I did, this song became irreplaceable. Still sounds fresh! |
| Say What You Want (All Day Every Day) | Texas [feat. Wu-Tang Clan & RFD (Prince Rakeem) | 2023 | Willis | Alt Rock + Hip Hop Remix | When we played Texas recently, I wanted to share 2 other songs from them that make me feel I have missed out on following them and because I mistook them as “country”. This remix is sweet | |
| The Spiderbite Song | The Flaming Lips | 1999 | Gregg | Pscyedelic /Indie | I never thought about the vocal resemblance to Neil Young before, but this song reveals that to an extent. High and vulnerable. This would be a good indie movie soundtrack song. Trippy and awkward all at once. | From one of the 90’s most adventurous, exploratory albums (The Soft Bulletin). There’s something so fragile about Wayne Coyne’s vocals – like you wonder if he’s gonna be able to get through the song before cracking. But that’s the charm; the music is super druggy and psychedelic – but the voice is innocent and relatable. It keeps the song from feeling too far out there, while also remaining very obtuse. I love how the TFL’s attempt to write pop songs and then flip them on their head to sound like an LSD trip. I could’ve chosen ANY song from this album, and it would’ve fit just the same. But this one hits just right. |
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