Thao & Mirah

Primarily acoustic guitars, airy vocals, interesting percussion. Songs tend to develop and build, especially the percussion. One might—at times—call this indie folk rock perhaps, although the first track betrays this. Along with Marnie Stern, Thao has been keeping Kill Rock Stars from becoming a back catalog. Mirah is from San Francisco (where this was recorded); she’s usually on K Records. This is Thao & Mirah’s first collaboration.

FCC Clean…although 09’s chorus is “Put your hands down your pants.”

Best tracks: 03, 05, 10

01 Eleven (4:01): airy playful layered vox over industrial percussion, synths—reminds me of Iceland’s Múm
02 Folks (2:53): folksy—fingered acoustic, simple drums, soft horns & backing vox
***03 Little Cup (3:35): upbeat, but mellow; fingered acoustic, airy vox, strings?, percussion develops from bass drum to tinkling things & blocks
04 Rubies and Rocks (4:03): soulful vox, groovy bass, horns, drums, later congos; 70s feel
***05 Teeth (2:52): fingered acoustic; spritely, staccato vox; claps/slaps; Native Americanesque chorus
06 Spaced Out Orbit (4:24): strummed acoustic, breathy vox, minor percussion & synth at 1 min, then bass
07 How Dare You (2:59): dual vox, elec. drums, hand claps, electric gtr
08 Sugar and Plastic (2:02): acoustic gtr, swinging vox; harmonica, whistling & shaker at chorus
09 Likeable Man (3:34): bluesy gtr/vox, simple drums & other percussion, horn—questionable lyrics
***10 Hallelujah (4:08): acoustic gtrs, breathy vox, pretty indie folk
11 Squareneck (3:39): starts rough, bluesy slide acoustic, crappy drums, “weaker” production on this one, Tom Waitseque