One of our favorite indie duos that we don’t write enough about is San Francisco’s Mates of State. The husband and wife team of Kori Gardner (keyboard/vocals) and Jason Hammel (drums/vocals) have put out some awesome music in during the past decade and were presented to a much larger audience in recent years, especially following a 2007 feature in an AT & T commercial (ugh, we know) for their song “For The Actor”.
But reaching that level of commercialism hasn’t put a damper on their musical creativity as evidenced by their latest release, Re-Arrange Us, which officially came out earlier this year on Barsuk Records. The album is making many best of 2008 album lists on the web and in print. It’s a great record, perhaps one of their best, which is saying a lot.
“My Only Offer” by Mates of State from Re-Arrange Us
“Our Darkest Days and Nights” by Love is Chemicals from Song of the Summer Youth Brigade
“Half Japaneez Girl” by Wild Years from Wild Yearz
“I Never Want To Go Home” by The Whigs from Mission Control
“Prickly Pear” by Woven from Designer Codes
Bonus: “No Hiding Place” by Elvis Costello from Momfuku
