Song of the Day: Split Single - Untry Love

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of 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 Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is "Untry Love" by Split Single, from the 2016 album Metal Frames on Inside Outside Records.

Split Single - Untry Love (MP3)You won't see more indie rock cred than on the CV of Jason Narducy. The Chicago-bred musician started his first band, Verböten, at 10-years old (with Dave Grohl's cousin, no less), later formed influential alt-rock band Verbow, and has since performed and recorded with a string of indie A-listers including Bob Mould, Liz Phair, Robert Pollard, Superchunk, and Telekinesis. He's even befriended, or at least found enough dirt on, a who's who of indie actors, musicians and comedians, who are willing to support his claim at Sexiest Elbows in Rock Music (watch for yourself here, here and here). But, as his friend, comedian Dave Hill, says, it's long been time to "bring some of that low-grade rock to the people"... all on his own. Narducy has, in fact, created two albums as Split Single, cashing in some of that hip cred to enlist friends to help him - Superchunk/Bob Mould co-hort Jon Wurster handled the drums for both, and Spoon frontman Britt Daniel and Wilco's John Stirratt each took up the bass for the first and second LPs respectively. But no matter who's laying down the rhythm, Narducy fills all his songs with tight guitar melodies and crunchy power hooks, like on today's featured song, "Untry Love", from the recently released Metal Frames, which gathers all the sweet nothings you've heard from Guided By Voices, Sugar and Superchunk. If those bands give you that feeling, then you'll definitely want to re-try "Love" again and again.

You can also try Split Single live when Narducy and his band return to Seattle to perform at the Sunset Tavern on Monday, February 20. Find out more about this and other shows on his website and Facebook page, and be sure to watch the video below of "Blank Ribbons", another song from the new album. After that, if you still want more of a good thing (and less of a bad), watch him (w)ring out the old year with a brand new song, "Good Riddance '16", performed live last November in his hometown, Evanston, IL.