Song of the Day: "Bushels," Frog Eyes

A helter-skelter Bowie-esque epic.

Published May 25, 2007 7:01AM (EDT)

This nine and a half minute epic from Canadian indie-rockers Frog Eyes sounds to me like what would happen if you stuffed a bunch of David Bowie songs into a bag and threw it down a steep staircase. Not only does lead singer Carey Mercer's voice have a distinctly Ziggy-esque whiff of desiccated glamour about it, but the music channels both the severe electronic soundscapes of Bowie's late-'70s albums, like "Low" and "Heroes," as well as the desperate balladry of his earlier glam-rock period.

That said, if there's a logic to "Bushels," darned if I know what it is; the song seems to rise and fall on a whim. There's also a solid minute toward the end where Mercer sounds like he's singing gibberish. (Bag down the stairs, remember?) I'm not sure I get this song -- from the band's new "Tears of the Valedictorian" album -- but I love it anyway.

-- David Marchese

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