As dedicated readers have learned by now, I generally discover new music by happy accident. And that is no different for the two songs currently stuck in my head.
One of my ways of discovering new music is the tracks on EA Sports games. Since I am one of the seven people in America who play college baseball video games, I wasn't expecting a ton of tracks on MVP Baseball 2007. And while it is mostly college fight songs (Hail, Hail Meechigan, the champions of the west), the one song on there is positively addicting. It's Play by the Canadian group, The Suits XL. I shouldn't like Play's pop sound and simple lyrics, but it just works. It was a top 10 hit in Canada and the group deserves a wider audience.
The other song I stumbled on to by accident while perusing iLike on Facebook. On a lark, I searched for the Eau Claire Blues All-Stars (led by all-time great Adrian Klenz). They weren't in there, but there was a song called "Girl from Eau Claire" by The Returnables. Not only is "Girl from Eau Claire" really good, but so are the rest of their songs. I wish I could say this group was headed for bigger and better things, but the Returnables are no more.
Their lead singer was murdered in a car accident. He and two other musicians were killed when a suicidal woman attempted to take her own life by driving into them. She lived and was found guilty of reckless homicide. It's a story that makes you whisper, "there but for the grace of God, go I."
Girl from Eau Claire -- The Returnables
Here is Play. The Suits XL has a single available for download on their MySpace page.
