Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: “Open Your Hips To Me” aka “When We Swam”

I have been LOVING this song ever since I started hearing it on KCRW in November or December 2009. Trying to figure out who it is or what it is and how to get it HAS BEEN MAKING ME CRAZY!

Then today, while I was putting wash in the machine and the water was pouring in, I heard THE SONG! Jason Bentley was spinning it on his program Morning Become’s Eclectic on my favorite public radio station. So I dashed to my computer and tweeted @jason_bentley to ask then looked on-line to see what it was.  Not so simple: KCRW offers live streaming of MBE as well as a program they call “Eclectic 24” where I landed first and tried to match PJ Harvey song playing at the time with the lyrics “Open Your Hips.” No go. I clicked over to live streaming to find what Jason was playing. I cut and pasted “Fyfe Dangerfield’s ‘When You Walk In The Room'” and found a you-tube for it but that wasn’t the song of my dreams either.

Then I tried “Thao With The Get Down Stay Down ‘When We Swam'” and BINGO! I found this charming video as well as the song I was searching for. With high hopes, I will head over to one of my local record stores, Salzer’s or Buffalo, which gives a KCRW discount and either buy it or order it. Yippee!

You don’t have to make my word for it that this band is infectious and fun and perfect for brightening a cold winter day or night. According to their press page, the band:

“Packs a subtle punch, sweet but not sappy.” – Spin
“Elliptical lyrics, bright guitar work.” – The Wall Street  Journal
“Worn down by the endless pitfalls of romance? Thao Nguyen most definitely is not.” – Time Out New York
“Like tea and honey spiked with a healthy shot of whiskey.” – Elle

Check this out “Cool Yourself” [video] and Know Better Learn Faster [mp3] Learn more about Thao and band on their myspace or their website/blog. And if you’re in Europe right now, go see them! Or watch one more video before you go: