Track of the Day: '11 of Diamonds'

It's been ages since I last listened to anything even remotely riot grrrl-y (if I may use the term as an adjective), but that doesn't mean I can't still enjoy a blast of DIY art pop like "11 of Diamonds" by San Francisco trio Grass Widow, with its uncluttered threads of guitar, bass and drums and spectral harmonies that fall somewhere between the Roches and Sleater-Kinney.

Grass Widow can sound even more ornery--check out the Norman McLaren-inspired clip for another Past Time track, "Fried Egg"--but I but I like how their serene-sounding vocals float on the dark surf of the churning bed track, not to mention the chorus's bizarre flashbacks to both Peter Schilling's Major Tom and Sonic Youth within the space of a few bars.

No mean feat.

Grass Widow "11 of Diamonds" from Mike Stoltz on Vimeo.

On iTunes: Grass Widow / "11 of Diamonds"