A transfixing blend of psych-rock textures, funky groove and glam rock sounds, Toro y Moi’s latest album, What For?, is already one of my favorite albums of the year, reaching back to the sounds of the 70s and bringing them forward.
Setlist (“Song Name” – Artist – Album)
“The ’59 Sound” – The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound
“What You Want” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Buffalo” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“The Flight” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Empty Nesters” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Ratcliff” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Lilly” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Spell It Out” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Half Dome” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Run Baby Run” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Yeah Right” – Toro y Moi – What For?
“Ballrooms Of Mars” – T. Rex – The Slider [by Request]
The dreamy textures of this T. Rex record recall What For?
“Gronlandic Edit” – of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? [by Request]
of Montreal’s ability to blend psych and funk is similar to Toro y Moi.
“Give Life Back To Music” – Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
The funkier textures of What For? recall this recent Daft Punk classic.
“Can’t Keep Checking My Phone” – Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love
In addition to being musical contemporaries with Toro y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Neilson plays on What For?
“Let It Happen” – Tame Impala – Currents
Tame Impala’s groovier new singles sound similar to the textures conjured on What For?
“Why” – Les Sins Feat. Nate Salman – Michael
Before recording and releasing What For?, Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bundick worked as a member of this dancehall pop group.
“Come Alive” – Chromeo Feat. Toro y Moi – White Women
Chaz Bundick is featured on this smooth and funky Chromeo track.
“Summer Breeze” – Seals And Crofts – Seal & Crofts’ Greatest Hits
“Buffalo” sounds like the best Seals And Crofts song never written.
“Talking Backwards” – Real Estate – Atlas
Julian Lynch of Real Estate is also a featured musician on What For?
“Thirteen” – Big Star – #1 Record
In addition to recalling the textures of Big Star, the What For? song “Ratcliff” references the line “rock and roll is here to stay.”
“And Your Bird Can Sing” – The Beatles – Revolver
What For? is, as it the case with most modern pop music, an homage to the sounds and brilliance of The Beatles.
“Laredo Tornado” – Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado
The all encompassing sound of What For? reminds me of this ELO record.
“You Never Knew” – Nowhere – Diamond
Cleveland psych-rockers Nowhere conjure similar psychedelic sounds as on What For?
“It Takes Two To Tango (This Is For The Girls)” – Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything? [by Request]
The synthesizer and song structure of this Todd song show just how big an influence he was on the sounds of What For?
“Feel It All Around” – Washed Out – Life Of Leisure – EP
Washed Out and Toro y Moi are musical contemporaries in the chillwave genre.
“Deadbeat Summer” – Neon Indian – Mind Ctrl: Psychic Chasms Possessed
Dito for Neon Indian.
“Heavy Metal Drummer” – Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The buoyant drums and bass of “Empty Nesters” remind me of this Wilco track.
This week’s show will be archived here until 8am on May 7th: http://wruw-stream.wruw.org/archives/128/the-59-sound.mp3