i guess i'm floating: January 2007

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Inlets: "Pictures of Trees"

"This is the way of the post-academic: Plan, scrape, cough and dream. " - Sebastian Krueger
Inlets is primarily the work of My Brighest Diamond member Sebastian Krueger, a multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter who also fronts Atiquis. The guy who first turned me on to Inlets' Vestibule EP described the music as "Sufjan meets Grizzly Bear" so naturally I was intrigued (and slightly skeptical). Here's the first song I heard:

[MP3] Inlets - Pictures Of Trees

The likeness to Sufjan is certainly audible within the first few seconds of the song, but don't think of this as a knock-off. "Pictures Of Trees" demonstrates a unique type of beauty that needs to be absorbed (much like GB's Yellow House) as opposed to many of Sufjan's songs that are damn near impossible not to love from the first spin of the record. The vocal harmonies are vastly layered, and even come across as almost psalmic as if sung by a church choir. They might, just might, even give you chills...

You can download the entire Vestibule EP for free over at Luv Sound.

<-- Inlets -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Tour Dates

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Tuesday's Links

Despite a Tuesday that was full of exams and papers (hence lack of posting), I managed to pre-order my copy of We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank this morning from iTunes. Much to my own surprise there was some album artwork attached to the pre-order and "Dashboard" single. Checking out the artwork, which differs from the art visible on their MySpace, it's hard to know if this is the official cover art or just some iTunes propaganda. Regardless, the symmetrical artwork seems fitting and is reminiscent of the artistic style used in the video for "Float On".

A bit of speculation too humorous to pass up: Courtney Love reportedly being heavily considered to replace Paula Abdul on the American Idol judging panel. Rolling Stone loves the idea and have compiled some reasons as to why Love is perfect for the job. She's got the credentials, albeit somewhat askew, and has the potential to be wittier and meaner than Simon. If Love comes onboard, they may have to replace those cleverly placed Coke cups with a different type of coke.

Finally, the new issue of Rolling Stone recently hit newsstands and mailboxes with Fall Out Boy protégés Panic! At The Disco ~~gracing~~ appearing on the cover. While I'm sure they have a fascinating story to share, the real gem lies within a small feature with Shins' frontman James Mercer. Mercer sums up the rise of indie rock perfectly by saying,

"I think indie bands like us and Modest Mouse are becoming popular for the same reason I bought my 1904 house, and for the same reason that downtown neighborhoods are gentrifying. Growing up in the age of Wal-Mart and 7-Eleven -- which was the landscape of my youth -- I'm craving authenticity. I think everyone is. You know, there is something real out there you can buy, but you just have to scratch the surface to find it. I think people are sick of fakeness."

Amen, good sir.

Monday, January 29, 2007

iConcertCal

I'm a sucker for new programs/gadgets, especially all of the homemade Apple loving progs that make good use of the "i" series Mac is known for. Thanks to a friendly tip on Facebook, I was pointed in the direction of another add-on available for iTunes - except this one has staying power.

Manipulating the beloved visualizer - iConcertCal is a program that searches the far corners of the internet to detect which of the artist(s) in your iTunes have concerts coming up. There have been a few successful sites that collect concert data in a Google-like manner via your hometown, but intertwining that concept with the actual music you own takes concert perusing to new heights.

[DOWNLOAD] - iConcertCal

The makers of iConcertCal are consistently adding more and more concert databases to their engine, tweaking out the bugs, and adding new features all up for grabs as Freeware. The developers claim they do it because they "care about promoting live music," a shared belief that keeps this a free project and me a happy patron.

Somme: "Massless"

Forgive the dramatization, but I feel as though I now reside in a post-apocalyptic, post-Neon Bible world, where even what's left of the Sun pales in comparisson to the glowing frame and earmarked pages of The Arcade Fire's second release. As I scroll through the self-made "Bands To Blog" iTunes playlist looking for something to share, there's hardly anything that can free me from the hypnotic drone of "Neon Bible" (the song) or even the hype surrounding the damn thing. But then something caught my ear:

[MP3] Somme - Massless

I have to hand it to post-rock: even with the most emotastic Arcade Fire songs (that I still love) monarchically occupying my mind, I can't stop listening to this track from Chicago post-rock/shoegaze duo Somme. The song builds and sways like one would expect from the genre, but isn't unnecessarily lengthy or overly dramatic as one might also expect. The drumming, handclapping, and punchy guitar melody in the middle, for example, provides some solid variation for the song, one that drummer Kenny Preski says "...takes the melodic parts of shoegaze and puts them in the dramatic context of post-rock." So if you're like me and are trying to readjust to music's newly altered, post-Neon Bible landscape (again, sorry for the dramatization), maybe this song'll take you for a spin.

Somme's got an EP entitled Weight on the horizon for early 2007. Check out more MP3s and info below:

<-- Somme -->
MySpace Site | More MP3s | Live Video on YouTube

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Griffin House: "Tell Me A Lie"

Sunday is a day that holds a different meaning to everyone. Many will always see it as a day of Sabbath/worship, while I personally see Sunday more as a giant dilemma. This dilemma is due to the fact that there isn't any other day of the week where you feel more apathetic, yet there isn't any other day of the week where you can get so much work finished. Perhaps it was the loud music and wild Saturday night but the acoustic musings of Griffin House is quite the Sunday afternoon remedy.

Claiming a city that is close to home, this Cincinnatian is making solid climbs up the musical ladder one great track at a time. Whether he plays just with his guitar or with help from his backing band (nicknamed The Thieves), House pairs simple musical arrangements with crafty story-like lyrics that resonate warmly in your ears - causing a feeling that may remind you of open-mic night at your local coffee house. I'm not sure if it's the "guy with a guitar" mantra, but House has an extremely distinguishable rustic flare that'll catch your eye.

[MP3] Griffin House - Tell Me A Lie

Coming from an older album, his 2003 debut, "Tell Me A Lie" captivates quickly with a few clever lines that hook you into a somber tale that has no doubt led/will lead to the demise of a relationship. His latest album, Homecoming, was released on the same label as The Format which showcases Nettwerk and all of the terrific small acts they're publishing that compliment their back-catalogue of more established artists.

<-- Griffin House -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Homecoming

Weekend Links

Parsefork gets a face-lift, a domain name, and now offers even more ways for us to waste valuable time. Now you can browse through not only reviews, but individual albums for aggregated reviews and album artwork. I think Ryan's on to something...

Aversion reports that Capitol Records has merged with Virgin Records to form the Capitol Music Group. Morningwood and Radiohead on the same label! Never thought I'd see a day when the two greatest bands of our time can co-exist on the same label. Gotta love congloms.

Hits is reporting that The Shins' Wincing The Night Away will hit #2 on the Billboard 200 for its first week of sales. The album reportedly sold 90,000 copies, the biggest chart-debut for any album in Sub Pop's history. I guess that SNL appearance really paid off.

Pitchfork reports that Brian Eno will be producing the upcoming fourth album from Coldplay. I'm hoping for something along the lines of Another Green World mixed with Parachutes, but I think reality has other very unsatisfying plans.

BV points us to a NYT article that tries to justify another means of separating white people from black people. Blipster?? WTF? Last time I checked, the color of your skin doesn't make you who you are... but maybe I heard wrong.

So apparently Neon Bible is out there for the taking. Any first impressions?

Friday, January 26, 2007

Modest Mouse - Tracklist/Release Date Revealed!

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and brighter by the day! After a bunch of blurry question marks started to come into better focus, there is finally a concrete chunk of Modest Mouse news.

The band and Epic finally revealed a March 20 release date for their forthcoming LP We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, the first album featuring guitarist Johnny Marr and a special guest appearance by Shins frontman James Mercer on three tracks. The specific role of Mercer remains a mystery but seems likely to be limited to vocals and guitar arrangements. Their latest single "Dashboard" is another Brock sensation that clocks in at a solid 4:07 - take that knowledge and couple it with a 14 song tracklist and you're bound to have some very excited Modest Mouseketeers.

01. March Into the Sea
02. Dashboard
03. Fire It Up
04. Florida
05. Parting of the Sensory
06. Missed the Boat
07. We've Got Everything
08. Fly Trapped in a Jar
09. Education
10. Little Motel
11. Steam Engenius
12. Spitting Venom
13. People As Places As People
14. Invisible

[STREAM] Modest Mouse - Dashboard

While Brock needs no help in coming up with great track/album titles, something keeps catching my eye about the track "Little Motel". Whether or not it'll pan out to be a great song remains to be seen, much like the details of an upcoming Spring/Summer tour. Here's to hoping they come within range!

Pre-orders for the album commence January 30 on iTunes with each pre-order containing an immediate download of "Dashboard" as well an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from the video shoot. (I'm sold.)

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Thursdays and Covers

They're a little late in the day, but never too late to enjoy.

[MP3] TV On The Radio - Mister Grieves

The accolades surrounding TV On The Radio came from every inch of the musical world, including topping a few of our own lists. Their a capella cover of a Pixies' gem has been floating around for some time, but for those that have only recently come to appreciate TVOTR (like myself) - this is a great cover showcasing the bands eccentric musical styles and creative versatility.

[MP3] Ben Taylor Band - Time of the Season

Back when the relationship between James Taylor and Carly Simon was considered a "holy matrimony", the only thought crossing the public mind was: "They're going to produce a musical phenom." I suppose that has yet to be determined, however Ben Taylor and his band brought out the best of their talents and their cover of choice. Taylor's strong yet smooth voice are perfect for the song and their use of a synthesizer during the instrumental breakdown is a different approach I'm glad they took.

[MP3] Of Montreal - Moonage Daydream (Live)

By way of my fellow Lexingtonian Matt, I was introduced to yet another (great) Of Montreal cover. It seems as if independent music's obsession with David Bowie is limitless, then again there could be far worse a musician to obsess over. Hearing the cover live definitely adds a certain amount of energy to the song that Bowie produces effortlessly and Of Montreal emulate spectacularly.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Andrew Bird: "Heretics"

On March 20th, along with highly anticipated releases from Ted Leo/Rx, LCD Soundsystem, and Panda Bear comes a new record from one of my favorite artists (not to mention one of my favorite live performers), Andrew Bird. Armchair Apocrypha, Bird's Fat Possum debut and his third solo release (after dropping off from his Bowl Of Fire project), is shaping up to be another great albeit different album from the violin-savvy indie rocker, containing some of the weirdest ("Simple X") and heaviest ("Fiery Crash") songs he's produced yet. The album's second track, "Imitosis," is a somewhat-unnecessary but still compelling rendition or reworking of "I" from 2003's Weather Systems. To continue the variation, there's a long song ("Armchairs" @ 7:01) and a short song ("The Supine" @ 0:59), and enough sweet melodies and skilled whistling to satisfy every returning AB fan and to hopefully pick up some fresh faces along the way. Here's a song from the album:

[MP3] Andrew Bird - Heretics

UPDATE: We were asked to remove the two versions of "Dark Matter" we had posted, but were allowed to host the equally intriguing "Heretics." Apparently Andrew is upset about the leak and doesn't want the album chopped up and scattered all over the internet (understandable), so if you know someone hosting a song other than "Heretics" please let 'em know. Remember guys: sharing is caring, of course, but so is supporting the artists you love. Check out the links below for more info and MP3s, but also stop by Andrew Bird's merch shop to check out his past releases. Weather Systems and The Mysterious Production Of Eggs are both must-owns if you like what he's doing.

<-- Andrew Bird -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Andrew Bird Merch

Softlightes: "Heart Made of Sound"

This may be one of the better songs I've heard in an extremely long time and I can't figure out why these guys aren't basking in a spotlight of sheer popularity. Softlightes are the type of band that make you wonder, "where the hell did these guys come from?" Perhaps it's their "outta left field" aura that excites me, or better yet, the great electronic pop rock they've mastered.

Their electro-pop experimentation is evident on many tracks of their debut Say No To Being Cool Say Yes To Being Happy (Feb. 13), however it's their all too melodic talents that make the fellas of Softlightes tug on your ear like a small child on your arm sleeve. With a history that is limited to an all but locally released EP, Softlightes are entering the independent music scene with a simple and effective gameplan: show up with no background information and lots of good music.

[MP3] Softlightes - Heart Made of Sound

The "California pop sound" may run rampant in their native blood, but it's their simple arrangement "Heart Made of Sound" that was too enticing to resist. The band's clever lyrics are emphasized with playful echoes of a shouting/backing chorus, coupled with a melodic guitar strumming that is carefully complimented by an utterly spasmodic piano. It's the type of music that you'd want to wake you up every morning and wouldn't be surprised if Zach Braff catapulted them to fame in his next movie - yes, they're that type of band. What is the single greatest partner to a great new track?? A great new video too!

<-- Softlightes -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Pre-Order Say No To Being Cool Say Yes To Being Happy

Monday, January 22, 2007

Bonnaroo Lineup - Almost Official!?

As if the news regarding Rage's reunion for Coachella wasn't enough, this year's Bonnaroo lineup reportedly leaked from a source within the Manchester Times! If the lineup holds true to the rumors then you can count on seeing me back for Bonnaroo Round 3:

The Police (headline)
Bob Dylan (headline)
Pearl Jam (headline)
Tom Waits
Willie Nelson
Umphrey's McGee
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Modest Mouse
The Black Crowes
Ryan Adams
My Morning Jacket
Arcade Fire
Keller WilliamsBand
Hot Chip
America
TV on the Radio
Fountains of Wayne
Les Claypool
The Shins
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Toots and the Maytals
The Roots
The Decemberists
Of Montreal
Cat Power
Ozomatli
Perpetual Groove
Band of Horses
John Butler Trio
Nickel Creek
Medeski Martin and Wood
Lily Allen
Neko Case
Keiren Hedben (Four Tet) & Steve Reid
The Hold Steady
Earl Scuggs
Charlie Louvin
Man Man
Grizzly Bear
Konono #1
The Slip
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Uncle Earl
Annuals
Beirut
M. Ward
Cold War Kids
Girl Talk

Quite possibly one of the best, if not the best, lineups I have ever seen. Superfly Productions is planning to officially announce the lineup on January 31st.

Breaking news of the Arcade Fire persuasion...

Thanks to GvB, The Torture Garden, and the Us Kids Know forums for the following:

Apparently The Arcade Fire performed a secret show last night at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Montreal, and someone just happened to snag not only one hell of a high-quality bootleg, but also some YouTube-worthy videoclips as well! Here's the setlist, with a nice fat pot of gold at the end of the rainbow:

1. Black Mirror
2. Keep The Car Running
3. No Cars Go
4. Black Wave/Bad Vibrations
5. My Body Is A Cage
6. Ocean Of Noise
7. Rebellion (Lies)
8. [Audience Chatter]
9. Intervention
10. (Antichrist Television Blues)
11. The Well And The Lighthouse [MP3]

Encore:
12. Haiti
13. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

[ZIP] The Arcade Fire - Live @ St. Michael's, Montreal, 1/21/2007

Go here for those YouTube clips, here for a review of the show, and here for some photos.

<-- The Arcade Fire -->
Official Site | More MP3s | Preorder Neon Bible

Shining: "The Red Room"

Here's one surprise I had no idea was coming. Experimental "spazz jazz" group Shining has completed work on their fourth album, entitled Grindstone, which will be released in Europe in early March (and later in the US). You may recall Pitchfork's glowing 8.3 review bestowing Best New Music honors of 2005's In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster. That's the review that turned me onto the band, particularly their song "Redrum" which simply rocks in every sense of the word. Well, oddly enough, the following song is a track off their new album and is probably the most like "Redrum" out of the rest of the tracks. Redrum....Red Room...coincidence? I doubt it...you decide:

[MP3] Shining - The Red Room
[MP3] Shining - Redrum

Check out the links below for more info & mp3s.

<-- Shining -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Weekend Wrap-Up

Wolf Notes unveiled their "completely unnecessary music review aggregator," Parsefork, giving Ryan Irvine yet another 15 minutes of fame. If you like graphs, charts, statistics, and a UI with a sex appeal only Ryan could manufacture, definitely go spend some time on Parsefork... it's probably the coolest thing I've seen this year.

Pitchfork unveiled their new blog, Forkcast, although they don't want you referring to it as such. Odd that a site striving to be taken seriously has replaced arguably the only part of their site that was worth a damn (the track reviews section) with just another "damn MP3 blog."

Rbally, one of the best live music blogs, has shut its figurative doors due to a nasty spout with Beggars Group over a bootleg Cat Power show. Ask any blogger and he'll/she'll probably tell you that 2007 is the year the proverbial shit hits the fan in terms of the legalities of file sharing music blogs. My wager is that about 10-20 will be allowed to stay (under strict guidelines) and hundreds of others will be shut down. Let's hope that's not the case, but nothing this good lasts forever folks.

Pitchfork gave Menomena's Friend And Foe its Best New Music honors on Thursday, just as we'd expected. The album's really fantastic, here's an MP3 of "Air Aid" to sway you to make the purchase.

[MP3] Menomena - Air Aid

Rage Against The Machine - REUNION!

While I was searching for the setlist from last night's Peppers' gig, I came across this news article that made me do a double take. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been on-top of all of the Coachella speculation, but this Rage reunion seems like a rather fresh story. Also headlining the other two nights are Björk and Red Hot Chili Peppers - with a rumored supporting cast of Arcade Fire, Interpol, Willie Nelson, The Roots, Manu Chao, The Decemberists, Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, Crowded House, Air, Tiësto and Kings of Leon.

Check out the official story here.

Grab a 3-Day $199 pass through a limited Coachella presale ending tonight at 11 PM EST. (Password: Roxanne)

I'm going to try to make the trek to California - so I'll see everyone at Coachella, right?

Saturday, January 20, 2007

[Video] Annuals on Conan

I don't know why Annuals chose to play "Carry Around" over "Brother" or "Complete And Completing," but it's still a pretty good performance for a national TV debut.

Annuals just embarked on a tour with The Dears a few nights ago (I saw them in Boston for their opening gig). More dates here.

Annuals' Be He Me, IGIF's 4th favorite album of 2006, is in stores now. Pick it up at Insound.

<-- Annuals -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Be He Me

Football, Beer, Beaches, Peace, and Mr. Lee

I'm going to post something completley unprecedented in IGIF history - an entire week's worth of history mixery. There is no better way to get back in the groove of things than cracking my dorkishly delightful whip, eh? Time for some mixery with an emphasis on history - and what a week it's been.

While baseball may be considered "America's national pastime," it's hard to argue any American sport is more popular than the [once] American-exclusive sport of football. With the pinnacle of football popularity hinging on the most watched yearly television event--the Super Bowl--Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the very first Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers. An interesting thing to note: this was the only Super Bowl to ever be televised by two major networks (CBS & NBC) at the same time. Super Bowl XLI - Pats vs. Saints? Brady and Belichick are going to take home another trophy.

[MP3] Monday Night Football - Theme Song
[MP3] Jack Johnson - Mudfootball

Brace yourselves - 88 years ago may have been one of the worst days ever experienced throughout the existence of America. This atrocious and malignant act left its imprint on America and will never be forgotten by the citizens of this land: the Prohibition. While it was probably better for all American's livers, the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified after a year in existence to forcefully change the habits of millions upon millions of people. While the Temperance Movement might have meant well, to the deranged folk who believed in it America needed their liquor. Speakeasies sprouted and after a little more than a decade later the [failed] Amendment was repealed. I can't imagine living during Prohibition times; I believe I speak for every collegiate student when I say "we need alcohol." In a non-addictive and responsible manner, of course.

[MP3] Mason Jennings - Drinking As Religion
[MP3] The Fiery Furnaces - Evergreen

With the quest for new land never satiatied amongst large countries, the United States began itching for an exotic vacation location without having to leave the warmth of Uncle Sam's grip. For a cool $25 million, the U.S. purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917, partially aided by the pressures that came with the submarine warfare of World War I. Whether you view it as a terrific beach or a military vantage point, the Virgin Islands are an asset I'm glad we have.

[MP3] Devendra Banhart - An Island
[MP3] Hot Chip - The Beach Party

A year after introducing its famed "Fourteen Points" before the conclusion of World War I, the Paris Peace Conference opened on January 18, 1919. After a devastating world war had left many parts of Europe in ruin, the PPC was a gathering of world powers that was warmly received amongst the war-torn countries of Europe. Aside from signing five treaties, Poland became an independent country, and the League of Nations was officially formed.

[MP3] Stars - Celebration Guns
[MP3] The Submarines - Peace & Hate

Robert E. Lee, one of the more brilliant military minds to grace American history, was born. I know you're saying, "If he's so brilliant then why was he commanding the losing side of the Civil War?" His chosen side was due more to the fact that his home state, Virgina, opted to secede thus forcing him to turn down his (offered) Union position and join the Confederacy. Lee was opposed to slavery and turned Washington College (now Washington & Lee) into one of the top liberal arts colleges - being the first to offer courses in Spanish, business, and journalism while instilling just one rule amongst students: "We have but one rule, and it is that every student is a gentleman."

[MP3] Bright Eyes - Southern State (Live)
[MP3] Ambulance LTD - Country Gentleman

That was one hell of a workout, eh? It's off to see Flea pluck the bass like a lunatic - Red Hot Chili Peppers tonight! Tube socks or not - a review just may be in store.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Thursdays and Covers

There is no better way to get back into the routine of things than a Thursday full of handpicked covers coming straight out of my musical orchard and into your ears.

[MP3] Three Dog Night - One

A slew of people have no idea that this Three Dog Night smash is nothing more than a remake of Harry Nilsson (who is going down in my book as the most underappreciated/overlooked musician ever). The biggest thing that baffles me about this cover is how little the song was changed and how much bigger it became. I'm sure replacing Nilsson's haunting strings with an electric guitar and full rock instrumentation was the key to a number one smash that Harry apparently missed the memo about. I'm still a sucker for the original, no doubt.

[MP3] The White Stripes - Isis (Live)

It should come as little surprise that great musicians (usually) cover other great musicians. An even better musician will usually find a lesser known great song and cover it, opening up your eyes to the original version of that song and the artist that produced it. Jack White helped to change my "modest listener to Bob Dylan" outlook to one of a "heavily enticed Dylan listener" with his cover of "Isis". Like many Dylan songs, the lyrics are stunning and seem to display an entirely different story coming from the shaky rocker vocals that erupt from White.

[MP3] Frou Frou - Holding Out For A Hero

Imogen Heap is rocking my world! She's easily becoming the most played artist in my iTunes over the course of the past few weeks - with this cover being no exception. The endless range and musical facades Heap possesses is stunning, so covering Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" for Shrek 2 was only another display of her creativity. I'd love to see more 80's ballads covered in this stylle: upbeat and over-vocalized greatness.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The Reacharound: Heypenny, The Young Knives, Teddybears

One week later and we're still holding up our end of the deal! Today we've got three more artists from last year who may not have put out the best albums but certainly had a few great songs that you shouldn't pass up. And those are...

We stumbled upon this gem from Heypenny over a year ago and still haven't been able to shake it from our heads. If you've been reading IGIF for even a little while you'll know how appreciative we are of bands that remind us of The Beatles... well, "Dooley" could fit on any number of Beatles' LPs in terms of both style and lyrics. It's a fantastic song from a one-man-band, one that we hope has got something up its sleeve for us in 2007.

[MP3] Heypenny - Dooley

Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Use These Spoons

We first heard of The Young Knives after picking up a copy of their EP Here Comes The Rumour Mill early last year, on which the Decemberists-esq "Elaine" is showcased. We built up some hyped expectations, but when the band's 2006 LP Voices Of Animals And Men, we were considerably less than floored by the album. So all that remains for us is the following song, a one-off (perhaps) from a band that could have done better in our eyes but nevertheless has produced at least one song we've enjoyed this past year. Check it out:

[MP3] The Young Knives - Elaine

Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Voices Of Animals And Men

Iggy Pop's got the resilience to outlast another generation of musicians, and he probably will. We're huge fans of the vocal work he did on ATDI's "Rolodex Proaganda" so naturally we decided to check out "Punkrocker" from Teddybears and were almost as impressed. The rest of the Teddybears' 2006 Soft Machine didn't really do anything for us, but the following song definitely kicks the atmosphere up a tick.

[MP3] Teddybears - Punkrocker (w/ Iggy Pop)

Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Soft Machine

Wednesday's Links

I don't know how this greenlighted projected will compare to Van Sant's Last Days, but Ewan McGregor is slated to play the 90's prince of grunge Kurt Cobain. With previous experience in being both a heroin fiend and a jedi, there may be no better role for Ewan to play. The bio-pic has Courtney thinking dollars and Ewan thinking Oscars - the only thing left to determine is who will direct?

Being the Deutsch Burgermeister that I am, I was excited about Shane's post "Der Wolf In Shafspelz". I'd think that there aren't many artist's like Josephine Foster that attempt to make modern renditions out of archaic German folk-songs. Her voice is eerily smooth and sounds as if it belongs in a different generation all together. Be sure to listen to a song.

Mainly it's just my unparalleled anticipation for this movie, but I can't wait to see the latest Frank Miller adaptation 300. I'm assuming that we're all aware of how great Sin City was done (yet another sequel I'm anticipating), granted we're without Robert Rodriguez, though I'd find it hard to butcher a Frank Miller novel. Here's to hoping there will be a sneak preview..

Finally, although there isn't a specific news worthy link, I'm finally back to business having ended a hellacious "lock-in" just the other day. I never thought posting could be addictive, but there was an odd void during the entire week that I couldn't satiate with a Xbox 360. At least I didn't miss that much while I was gone.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The Meaning Of 8

I have to send many, many, many thanks over to Ryan @ Wolf Notes for making it his duty to inform me of the greatness of Cloud Cult's new album The Meaning Of 8 almost every day since he discovered (and publicized) the band's greatness himself. So far I've listened to the first eight songs on the nineteen track long album, and I swear six of them have been very impressive.

Most of the songs on The Meaning Of 8 can be best described as heavily emotional, indie-pop songs...something the genre rarely reflects, often trading substance and sincerity for the playful nature of the music. But make no mistake... in terms of over-the-top production and heart-wrenching aural movements, this is the Neon Bible of indie-pop. That may sound like a gross overstatement, but hear me out: I'm not talking quality per-se, it's more about intensity. There's a reason why the indie-pop genre is given the most pathetic, feeble-sounding pseudonym of any genre out there (I'm talking about twee, folks). Cloud Cult goes far beyond the norm, creating songs that feel like entire albums within themselves. Check out a few songs from the album:

[MP3] Cloud Cult - ~~Pretty Voice~~ (removed by request)
[MP3] Cloud Cult - Take Your Medicine

The Meaning Of 8 hits stores on April 10th. Check out the links below for more info and mp3s. The album will be available for preorder from Cloud Cult's website in February.

<-- Cloud Cult -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy Cloud Cult Merch

Tuesday's Links for 1/16/2007

Rolling Stone offers up an early rave review of Bright Eyes' upcoming album Cassadaga. From the sound of that RS writer's drool hitting his computer's keyboard, it's gonna be a great one. From the sound of this, it's going to suck. We'll have to wait and see.

The NY Times profiles David Byrne and his all-too-obvious influence on some of today's most notable bands and musicians. The Arcade Fire, CYHSY, Modest Mouse, DDIHC, The Rapture, and the many faces of Spencer Krug have all clearly been inspired by the former Talking Heads frontman...this article aims to find out why.

Kanye West, known for his chronic obsession with himself, is planning a reality TV show for HBO. The last thing the world needs is more Kanye West television exposure. Apparently, in opposition to their long-standing tagling, HBO is just TV.

Jimmy Tamborello readies the next Dntel release, everyone else shrugs and wonders where the f*ck the new Postal Service album is. Just kidding Jimmy, sounds like you've got a great line-up of guests, including IGIF fav's Grizzly Bear and Conor Oberst. Keep it real dude, just remember where the money's at.

Pitchfork reports that Sigur Ros are working on a new album. Is that even newsworthy? Of course they are.

Monday, January 15, 2007

'Forkcast' Premieres The One Ted Leo Song We've All Already Heard, But Hey, At Least It's Studio!

How can so much joy and so much frustration come from the same exact feature premiere? Today, the MTV of the Indie world, in an effort to become more like a blog to connect with 'the kids,' did away with their Track Reviews section and instead replaced it with a new site section called Forkcast, or Pitchfork's unofficial new blog, if you will. Here's what Ryan Schreiber had to tell us. Note the careful omission of the word "blog:"

"Here at Pitchfork, we love changing our site around and confusing people. But today, there's actually a point: We've gone and launched Forkcast, our first new section in more than three years...So let's look back fondly on those bygone days when you'd have to fly to an undisclosed location in Berlin just to get your hands on a 12-inch of a blistering five-starred electro-house anthem. Or when we'd knock out a rave review of a b-side off an obscure limited edition 7-inch that'd already sold out its 500-run pressing. Or when we'd lose our minds over some Radiohead track that hadn't even leaked yet. Now you can finally download all that, straight off the Fork-- and yup, it's all legal and legit, like you worry about that."

If I was Matthew Perpetua, I'd be pissed. We don't want to get our panties in a bunch over this, it's more humorous than anything else. As long as they feel fine walking a shallow line of denial, I guess all I can do is sit back, relax, and collect the MP3s they'll be featuring. Like, say, this one:

[MP3] Ted Leo/Rx - Sons Of Cain

It's nice to see Ted Leo & Co. still in form after three years of extensive touring and gaping wounds to the head, a whole three years after Shake The Sheets. Now on Touch & Go Records, the band has pulled their sound even more in the direction we knew they'd always been heading. "Sons Of Cain," as well as the rest of the upcoming Living With The Living, is almost pure, unadulterated punk: flashy, political, raw, stripped down... but we like it, what can we say?

Reactions?

<-- Ted Leo & The Pharmacists -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Preorder Living With The Living

Goodbye To The Mother & The Cover

Well now's the time for me to eat my words. If this is any indication to where Clap Your Hands Say Yeah wants to take their sound, I'm all for it. Here's one of the best songs they've ever created:

[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Goodbye To The Mother & The Cover

The new album might not contain the same Western pop structure as their debut but it's certainly a huge step, not necessarily forward but perhaps more accurately sideways. They've changed so much for this to be considered a concept album...and I guess only time will tell how it's received and whether the band continues down this path on their 3rd album or heads back to their roots.

Some Loud Thunder hits shelves January 30th, but you can preorder the album now from Insound...and you'll get a copy of the album in MP3 form to download if you choose that route as well!

<-- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah -->
Official Site | MySpace Site | More MP3s | Preorder Some Loud Thunder

The Ruby Suns

"Reminiscent of The Zombies and The Shins’ artful trips......Astonishingly good harmonies – not even Brian Wilson’s comeback shows matched this perfect pitch. - MOJO

Wildly positive reviews from Mojo, The Independent, and Uncut grabbed the attention of Rough Trade and the now-defunct V2, and now The Ruby Suns' eponymous debut, originally released as Maasai Mara under the full name "Ryan McPhun and The Ruby Suns" will see a 2007 release in the US soon. And it's all so well-deserved:

[MP3] The Ruby Suns - Look Out SOS!

Right from the beginning of "Look Out SOS!" one can hear the clear Beach Boys/Zombies influence, as well as the obvious Shins similarities, but don't knock The Ruby Suns off as some half-baked derivation. This is the real deal, guys n' gals... the harmonies are gorgeous, the band's sound is remarkably lush...and nearly every song on their album has something to recommend. Here's one more gem:

[MP3] The Ruby Suns - It's Hard To Let You Know

I'm gonna go ahead and say this is my favorite discovery of 2007 as of yet. I love when an album comes out of nowhere and compells me to listen in awe from the first track to the last. What can I say, hopefully this band will do something for you guys as it did for me... Check out the links below for more info and MP3s:

<-- The Ruby Suns -->
MySpace Site | More MP3s | Buy The Ruby Suns

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Weekend Links

After recent payola-esq radio scandals, the FCC is looking to require radio stations to play more indie music. Occasionally I hear some Arcade Fire, some TV on the Radio, but hopefully something like this will open up radio to some of the lesser known indie acts that truly deserve the exposure.

V2 music label, home to The White Stripes and Gang Of Four (among others), is closing its doors, leaving its whole roster to fend for themselves. What's a has-been like Moby to do?

The Anchor Center serves up another great video track review. This time, it's for The Parson Red Heads' "Punctual As Usual." Check it out...we just might be blogging on this song later this week (but we said that last time and it fell through...hmm).

Annuals will be performing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien this Thursday, January 18th. Be sure to check it out, I'm sure it'll be the weirdest and most spectacular Conan set since The Arcade Fire's in 2005.

Grizzly Bear and Girl Talk treat Pitchfork to a great, ahem, exclusive, remix of "Knife." Glad to see Gillis is back in his form after his fairly bad mash-up for PB&J. Here's the track, which includes clips from Clipse's "Wamp Wamp," one of our favorite hip-hop songs of the year:

[MP3] Grizzly Bear - Knife (Girl Talk Remix)

Friday, January 12, 2007