And we’re back with our weekly roundup of underheard music that deserves some love from the many hype machines out there. This week we have some power-pop, no-fi pop, a song from Staten Island, a Dan Aykroyd pun, and a Wolf Parade cover.

Yup.

On with the show.

The Knees – “Sick of Being Stoned” [MySpace]

I’m convinced there is an island somewhere where all power-pop originates. Every girl looks like Stacy’s mom, every boy looks like Buddy Holly, and nobody cares what they say about us anyway. Gene Simmons is this island’s benevolent leader. September Gurls do so much, I always want you to want me, and everybody is friends with P. Nobody ever ages and nothing ever changes but that’s okay cause everything is already pretty much perfect. The Knees live on this Power-Pop Island in a house a few doors down from Rivers Cuomo (circa 1994) and right next door to Matthew Sweet. It’s a nice place to be. I wish I lived there.

[mp3] The Knees – “Sick Of Being Stoned”

Dananananaykroyd – “Totally Bone” [MySpace]

One of my all time favorite books is Our Band Could Be Your Life. Michael Azzerad chronicles ten bands that made up the underground of rock in America between the first wave of punk and the implosion of Nirvana in 1994. These bands include Fugazi, the Minutemen, Husker Du, Black Flag, Mission of Burma, and Sonic Youth. Dananananaykroyd is what you would get if you ground up all ten of those bands in a meat processor and then extruded them into a hot dog casing: Dananananaykroyd is the hot dog of 1980’s American underground rock. Serve with mustard and relish.

[mp3] Dananananaykroyd – “Totally Bone” (via sendspace)

So Cow – “Shackleton” [MySpace]

As previously stated, I’m not a huge fan of no-fi. I think most of it sucks on record but is fun live. With “Shackleton”, Ireland’s So Cow proves to be the exception to the rule. Perfect lo-fi bedroom noise pop. Why can’t all the other no-fi bands be this cool?

[mp3] So Cow - “Shackleton”

Kilgore Trout Is Dead – “Leave Me Alone” [MySpace]

Staten Island and Jens Lekman. Yeah, that’s an obvious mix. Kilgore Trout proves that the fifth borough does indeed have vital music with Leave Me Alone. Sounding slightly similar to “The Opposite of Hallelujah”, “Leave Me Alone” replaces the bubbly confidence of the Lekman song and turns into inward facing existential pop.

[mp3] Kilgore Trout Is Dead – “Leave Me Alone”

Her Space Holiday – “I’ll Believe In Anything” (Wolf Parade cover) [MySpace]

I think “I’ll Believe In Anything” is the best song of this decade. Her Space Holiday replace the over the top bombast of the original with a banjo and handclaps. It works. One of the more original covers I’ve heard in some time.

[mp3] Her Space Holiday – “I’ll Believe In Anything”

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