putting my foot down

Promqueen – Dibs on the Wallflower When I first heard this relentlessly catchy melody, I had no idea Promqueen was actually Nitsuh (of Pitchfork and I Love Music fame). Nitsuh has a penchant for writing about cute electro-pop tunes, so it would seem to make sense that he writes (and sings on) cute electro-pop tunes, too. Nitsuh explains: “I’m pretty sure this song is about a very shy Gang of Four fan who builds a robotic Cristina Aguilera to be his girlfriend, with poignant and inspiring results.” Lyric that pretty much sums up the shy, conflicted indietronica mentality: “I’m putting my foot down/On top of yours.” Aw!

Night Rally – The Day That Devin Pissed Blood I saw these guys play the last time I visited Boston, and their set made me excited about rock again. And I don’t mean that in some lame Nick Hornby-esque “this reminds me of my youth” way. Sometimes Night Rally reminds me of Mission of Burma, in Burma’s darker, weirder, more “Trem Two” moments. If you’re in Boston, you can catch a triple bill featuring Night Rally, White Magic, and Fluxblog faves the Fiery Furnaces in September. (Click here to go to their website.)