Leave it to DJ Kevin Cole to turn to his hometown of Minneapolis for today's Song of the Day. Alex Schaaf is not a native, but moved from Brooklyn after the break-up of his Barsuk Records band Yellow Ostrich. He told City Pages: “I’d been there for like six years, which was feeling like long enough. I started a band there, ended the band there. Just when I thought of doing the whole cycle again, I was more excited about doing it somewhere else and trying out the cheaper life with more space.”
The "cheaper life" seems to have done him well: after a debut solo album under the name Human Heat, Schaaf is now releasing music under his own name, like the LP Waves which came out late last year, and some singles online, like the one featured today. With the earnestness of Telekinesis and the power-pop strength of Nada Surf, Schaaf offers the listener a ride, taking them on a melodic four-minute trip. Buckle up and take a listen, and then watch him perform the Waves track "Jenny" below.
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