Ears We Trust: Dan Reed

Dan Reed, our musical director and prolific on-air host, jumped in for this week’s Ears We Trust to share the tunes he’s got on repeat these days.

Little Barrie – “More Bad Miles Of Road”

British guitarist Barrie Cadogan is an absolute monster… he’s played with Liam Gallagher, The The, Primal Scream, Morrissey, and many others, as well as keeping busy with several Little Barrie releases. This (part of a new album Gravity Freeze, out May 22 on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label) is a tune in search of the right film. It’s hypnotic, catchy, and sounds like the perfect song for your next adventurous drive down the Schuylkill…

Aldous Harding – “One Stop”

A song that proves simplicity can inspire and prove multi-faceted. From New Zealand, Harding has been recording for more than a decade now and continues to experiment with a plethora of styles and characters. Featuring unfussed-over production from John Parish (PJ Harvey, Dry Cleaning, Eels, Tracy Chapman), it’s one of the songs that seems to fade out just as it gets going – and that’s exactly what this talented songwriter intended. The new album Train On The Island drops May 8 and Harding plays Underground Arts on Sept. 9.

Te Vista – “Living’s Just Like That”

We’ve been championing “Don’t Go” here on XPN – and rightly so; it’s an instant power pop classic – but I think my favorite track is “Living’s Just Like That.” All the hooks are still intact, but there’s more of a noisy immediacy that just works perfectly. This is a very talented band from South Jersey, and their new album House sounds more like a compilation of like-minded groups than the work of just one. Tons o’ potential, and they killed it at our recent “Homegrown” event. They play the friendly confines of Dawson Street Pub in Manayunk on May 8.

The Afghan Whigs – “House Of I”

I gotta stand up for my homeboy Greg Dulli and his Afghan Whigs, especially when he has chosen to release a banger like this one! There’s a new album in the works that should be announced soon, and the band makes a stop at Union Transfer (with Mercury Rev!) on May 1. Celebrating 40 years since the group fell together back home in Cincinnati, The Afghan Whigs have always done things their way. There simply is no other band that sounds like them, then or now. This new tune brings the heat, the guitars, AND the attitude we’ve come to expect from them.