Song of the Day: Generationals - Black Lemon

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Morning Show with John Richards, is “Black Lemon” by Generationals from the 2014 album Alix on Polyvinyl Records.

Generationals - Black Lemon (MP3)

When their bandmates in the 2000s quintet The Eames Era decided to pursue non-musical endeavors, Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer reconfigured themselves as the new wave-influenced indie rock duo Generationals. Named by a buzzword the pair frequently heard during the lead up to the 2008 presidential election, the New Orleans-based duo wasted no time creating new music, putting out their full-length debut Con Law the following year. Critical buzz and heavy touring spurred the pair on to turnaround their sophomore effort not long after getting off the road, a trend that continued with the 15-month turnaround between their third album and their fourth, most recent LP, the sunny, glistening Alix. Recorded with producer Richard Swift, Alix is primarily formed from the initial demos that Joyner and Widmer made soon after getting off tour in 2013, and the album's charmingly unrefined tone shines through on "Black Lemon". The song's rudimentary, drum machine beat and neon sequenced synths bounce off each other with effortless aplomb, while the duo's doubled vocals pierce through all of the colorful chaos. The most stunning part of it all, however, is how the melodies push through it all, which, considering "Black Lemon" and the other songs on Alix are essentially slightly sharpened demos, is a massive feat. When you've got pop instincts as sharp as Generationals do, it's only ever a question of how effectively you can use them, and on "Black Lemon", the Louisiana pair have a resounding reminder that they know their way around a hook.

Generationals will be at The Crocodile this Saturday, November 15th. They'll also have an exclusive session airing on KEXP the same day at 3:00 PM. Get more info about that all ages show here, keep up with the band at their website and Facebook, and watch the band play live on KEXP last year.