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• Three Halves Doesn't Make A Whole

  The ill-ec-tro-nic - 2009-05-09 11:57:28

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  Upon seeing the flyer for Thursday's Honest Jon's party at Plastic People with it's triple header of Mark Ernestus, DJ Pete & Sleeparchive (live) I became rather excited at the prospect of seeing three techno legends in such intimate surroundings, although I did feel a little bewildered as to why this wasn't going to be on a rather more practical Friday or Saturday night.
  
  As half of Basic Channel / Rhythm & Sound as well as a whole host of other sub-projects, Mark Ernestus' music credentials are well and truly cemented in place as it's nigh on impossible to overstate the importance of these ventures in terms of both the original productions the pair delivered as well as the ongoing influence their sounds have across a whole manner of genres today. Given that I don't recall ever seeing Ernestus listed as a DJ on flyers and the like, I had a sneaky suspicion that he wasn't going to be a four deck wizard but I felt pretty confident that he would have some damn fine records in his box. And sure enough he did, although their shine was a little dimmed by his 'no-mixing' DJ approach and somewhat haphazard sequencing and cross-fading resulting in an almost 'school disco' type awkwardness at times as the crowd waited for the outros and intros to pass so they could resume their appreciative dancing. I'm trying to tread a little carefully here as I am such an admirer of his work and he is truly in the scene's premier league but it just felt a little strange that the razor-sharp perception of space and flow that Ernestus' productions exhibit seemed to be sadly lacking from his DJing; something I'm citing as more of a surprise than a criticism. At times though, it did feel a little as if you were watching him play records for himself on a Sunday afternoon.
  
  DJ Pete delivered a much more structured performance and for the first of his two sets, dropped a wealth of techno treats and maintained the momentum on the floor nicely. His set later in the night took things down a different path where he displayed his new-found passion for all things dubstep. The hefty bass sounded superb on Plastic People's system and sure enough he dropped some corkers but I couldn't help but sense that it wasn't really what the crowd were expecting or indeed what they were particularly wanting as the flyer had screamed 'techno, techno, techno' at them.
  
  Techno, however, is what they most certainly got when Roger Semsroth aka Sleeparchive stepped behind his controls as his stripped down brand of clinical audiophile sonics was just what the doctor ordered. His set was the undoubted highlight of the night and I found it much more dynamic than his performance at 2008's Bloc Weekend which was the last time I saw him. My only complaint is that I wish it had gone on for longer as I was enjoying it so much.
  
  So, all in all, it was definitely a worthwhile night to have attended but not quite the 5 hours of audio heaven I'd been hoping for.
  
  Sleeparchive - Hospital 03
  Sleeparchive - Papercup (buy)

  

• The Harlem Shakes

  Bon Ton - 2009-05-09 05:20:00

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  Well, I tried and tried, but me and the Hazards of Love just aren’t going to be BFFs. I had a previous commenter (thanks, Josh) who said that the title track was pretty good, and it came up randomly in my ipod, and I liked it pretty well, but like he said, the rest of it … eh. Not even the addition of Ms. Awesomesauce Worden can mitigate the ehness. Sorry, Colin and crew.

  But something else came up randomly on my ipod — keeps coming up, actually, and I keep thinking, “this song is excellent! What is it?” — and it is pretty much always from the Harlem Shakes’ album Technicolor Health, which they kindly sent to me way back in January. This blog is very fond of “Burning Birthdays” and the full-out brashness it blessed my ears with, so I was glad to see the Shakes continuing the trend.

  Technicolor Health is sometimes dissonant, sometimes chaotic, sometimes blippy and sometimes it goes bangety bang, but it’s all in the service of the sound. It’s a sound you have to work to get into, which is why I’m just writing about it now, I guess (yeah….). My favorite song is “Sunlight,” which combines a great beat with funny, ironic lyrics: I had a coat of many colors / sold it off online (PFork hates that line, which must be another reason to like it so much). And on the opposite end is the melancholic “Unhurried Hearts,” which (to me) laments the way life just rushes on like a freight train, and love sometimes misses us entirely.

  Nice work, guys! Sorry it took so long for the writeup. I’ll be over here rockin’ out to my ipod.

  The Harlem Shakes — Site | Myspace | Label (Gigantic)
  
  The Harlem Shakes — Sunlight
  The Harlem Shakes — Unhurried Hearts

• heavy rotation -- "the hazards of love 4 (the drowned)"

  sand is overrated - 2009-05-07 20:26:09

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  the hazards of love as a rock opera? i love it. i really do. what more could you ask for from an album? it's ambition on an epic scale, dramatic in its fairy tale story, interesting if not a little cliched, and oh so characteristically melodic for a colin meloy composition. highly looking forward to seeing it performed live in a few weeks.
  
  the decemberists : "the hazards of love 4 (the drowned)".
  from the lp the hazards of love (capitol, 2009)
  

  

• I just started to believe you

  Heartache with Hard Work - 2009-04-30 13:55:00

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  Dollhouse - Haunted
  
  This episode was in some ways a step back. It's a mystery-of-the-week much like the first few episodes. And while it does a little bit to push the larger arc, it's really more about characterization than anything else. So to some extent it was a disappointment, particularly after some very strong episodes in the past few weeks.
  
  That said, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with an episode that doesn't directly push the arc. All arc all the time can very quickly get to be too much. It's a very rare show that can survive such a pace without veering wildly off track or completely losing a sense of pace (season three of Babylon-5 perhaps being the only real example of true success). And as far as it goes, there was some good stuff here to expand on the characters we're slowly getting to know.
  
  The haphazardness of the opening episodes was frustrating because we had no reason to care about the people involved. Now that things have taken some shape, it's interesting to see how a mystery-of-the-week plot can reveal new things about the characters and the situation. I like the peeks into Adele's past. I really enjoyed seeing Boyd struggling with his new role (in a place he appears to increasingly feel skeptical about).
  
  Still...I can't help but regret episodes like this. The reason: I'm pretty convinced this show is going to get canceled. And while I'd love to see the slower-paced stuff if I felt confident they'd get a couple years to tell the story, if that's not going to be the case, I'd really like to get more into the heart of the thing.
  
  Some random thoughts on the episode:
  
  * * *
  
  I have a friend (the one who got me into Joss in the first place) who has speculated that Eliza Dushku is the Rob Lowe of Dollhouse. And further has wondered whether they realize that this is the case.
  
  In case the reference isn't clear, Rob Lowe was supposed to be the "star" of The West Wing in the initial plans. But it quickly became clear that the show was good because of the ensemble - and had little or nothing to do with Lowe in particular. I feel like the same thing is true here. Episodes which lean too heavily on Dushku can only be so good.
  
  Her acting abilities are growing on me a little bit. I felt like her portrayal in this episode had more going for it than some of her other ones. But still, she simply isn't good enough to carry the idea of the show on her back. It seems like they all (including Dushku herself) understand how good the "secondary" folks are - and aren't going to get all possessive about her "star" status. At least, I hope so.
  
  * * *
  
  Topher. I think he is, by far, the most divisive thing about this show. There are people who love him. There are people who think he is horrible. And there are people who are simply bored by him. I'm torn.
  
  But this episode may have been the turning point for me. I haven't been convinced that there was a lot of depth in his character. He seems to be more of a caricature than a real person. But the more I think about it, the more I think there's actually a lot going on with him - it's just well-disguised. Now, I realize that I'm treading into the fanboy world of the "Joss is a genius and if you don't understand it, it's because you don't get what he's doing" defense. But hear me out.
  
  I think Topher is Joss himself. Not in a clear, literal sense. But Topher is a representation of the things that Joss - and all of us who are like him - fear about ourselves. Smart, maybe too smart, clever but awkward, with a deep sense of discomfort at a world that sometimes feels far too easy and other times feel absolutely impossible. The massive geek who never found a friend to be equally geeky with.
  
  I think it's telling that we're seeing more and more of the staff of the Dollhouse making use of the dolls to fill their own needs. I think it's even more telling that what Topher needs more than anything is basically a carbon-copy of himself.
  
  There's something sweet about this episode. But there's also something deeply troubling. It suggests that people like Topher aren't just misunderstood outcasts. Instead, they really don't fit. They can seem lovable and goofy in their moments, but ultimately they inhabit a very different universe from 'normal' folks. And it might be the case that there simply is no easy way across that divide.
  
  I think I said in reviewing an earlier episode that Topher is a darker variation on Xander. I think that's becoming more and more clear. He's the comic relief in the same sort of way. He's the character most likely to sound like a Joss-character (full of quips and quick comebacks). And yet, he's deeply disturbed. And it's not clear that there's a way out.
  
  We're not meant to think of him as a bad guy, and yet...he may be more scary than the cynical and manipulative people in charge of the dollhouse. I appreciate that idea. Combine that with the good work they're doing in revealing the 'good guy' of Ballard to be perhaps more deeply disturbed and dangerous than of the the 'bad guys' and you've got at least the possibility of some interesting layers. Speaking of which...
  
  * * *
  
  Ballard and Mellie. I think we can put for rest once and for all the idea that Ballard is the White Knight, full of charm and good intentions, coming to the rescue of the pure and innocent.
  
  He is one seriously messed up dude right now. He's clearly fixated on Echo/Caroline, is continuing the charade with Mellie, and is discovering some deep dark pits in his soul that are entirely to be expected in people who fancy themselves Noble Heroes, but which he never expected to have to actually face.
  
  Sure, you can put some blame on the people manipulating him, but he's a willing participant at this point - and he knows it, too.
  
  * * *
  
  I found the actual main plot to be mildly suspenseful, but honestly I can't really bring myself to remember many of the details.
  
  * * *
  
  Finally, I'd like to write something about whether the attitude they have toward selfhood - that it exists in purely material terms, and that it can be captured and deposited in a computer databank ready for immediate retrieval at any point. But...I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
  
  I may wait until the show is over before I really make up my mind. To some extent it depends on how much they're committed to exploring it. One the one hand, it could be a Star Trek style pseudo-science that exists solely to enable the show to exist. If so, then it's lame but probably not worth wasting a lot of time on. We just have to suspend our disbelief and try not to ask too many questions that are going to be impossible to answer. On the other hand, they may actually be trying to do something with this. In which case, I'm going to want to see where they take things before speculating too much.
  
  All that I'll say now is that there is a LOT that they could do if they want. And I don't mean the hackneyed stuff that's been done a million times about 'where the soul is.' I mean deeper questions about who we're referencing when we think about subjects, about concepts of rights and responsibilities. About the significance of embodiment to consciousness and identity. About the possibility that the dollhouse is deeply troublesome not just because it enslaves 'real' people - but also because it enslaves countless other people that it literally creates, uses for a few days, and then disembodies and stores in a dark room somewhere.
  
  If consciousness is just the way that we account for the the capacity to see ourselves as beings, then what makes a 'constructed' personality any less of a 'person' than one that develops 'naturally'?
  
  That's a question that I hope Alpha is going to force us to start asking.
  
  * * *
  
  Source Tags and Codes - And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
  
  (see my post a week or so ago for other stuff from them)
  

  I don't know what in this world is trying to save me
  But I can feel its hand and it's guiding me in sign
  From lives I've tried to lead
  To the one that I received
  Each painted sign along the road
  Will melt away in source tags and in code

  

  

• Contrast Podcast Best of 2009 (So Far) Part 2

  lost in your inbox - 2009-04-21 23:06:00

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       It's a mouthful, but it has to be said: today's episode of the contrast podcast finishes looking at the best of 2009 (so far) part two. My pick (Fanfarlo) was in last week's show but you should definitely check it out this week, too, which you can do right here. Next week we're moving on and the theme will be "Yes," so please say yes and join in the fun.

       I've been thinking a bit more about what I consider the best of 2009 and to tell you the truth, two of my favorite albums thus far are from 2008! If I'd heard Amanda Palmer's Who Killed Amanda Palmer and Windmill's Puddle City Racing Lights when they came out last year, they definitely would have been on my top-ten list. It hasn't stopped me from listening to them this year, of course, but I can't put them on any year-end lists.

       I've picked up some new stuff as well, including The Decemberists' The Hazards of Love and Maria Taylor's LadyLuck, both of which are good but probably won't be in my top-ten either.

       The Hazards of Love is actually quite wonderful, musically. I liked the instrumentation immediately and being that I'm a big fan of Colin Meloy, I love his vocals and also those of Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) who sings a few songs.

       My issues are with the lyrics and the repetition. Now, I understand it's a concept album, almost like an opera of sorts in that there's a story and repeating themes, both musically and lyrically. But there's too much of it. I think the album could be shortened by about a third and it would hold my interest much better. Either that or be sung in a language I don't understand so that I wasn't as aware of all the repetition! So I probably won't be putting it on very often by choice but if it comes up randomly on shuffle I certainly won't turn it off.

       Maria Taylor's LadyLuck is also a decent record, with a few really good songs, but on the whole it's too over-produced for my taste. There are songs that practically sound like Muzak, with strings that are so over-laden with schmaltz that it makes my teeth hurt. I really like her better when she pares things down and keeps the production to a minimum.

       What does that leave for today? Well, I can't say for sure that the album will be on my year-end best-of list (I just ordered it so haven't heard it in full), but I'm really enjoying this song by Canadian Invasion. It's extremely catchy, very clever jangly guitar pop (shades of R.E.M.). And despite their name, they're from the Philadelphia area. I first heard of them through A Free Man, who lives in Australia. Funny how sometimes it takes someone from around the globe to point out what's in your own backyard!

  Canadian Invasion--"Standing on the Shoulders of the Carcass of John Mayer" mp3 off Three Cheers for the Invisible Hand (buy) Whatever you may think of the music, you've got to love the name of this song.

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• The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love

  Indie For Bunnies - 2009-04-19 22:14:59

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  Colin Meloy è un cantastorie. Nel senso più classico e letterale del termine. Raccontare storie è quello che ha sempre fatto, sin dai primissimi esordi, con i suoi Decemberists. Le canzoni che scrive sono narrazioni senza tempo di avventure per mare, battaglie e uniformi. Fantasmi, vendette e inganni. Personaggi surreali e bizzarri, amori tragici e tormentati. Nel loro EP d’esordio “5 Songs” c’è una canzone che si chiama “My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist”: solo un primissimo, già ben chiaro, esempio dei mondi strambi, curiosi, a volte anche crudeli, che i Decemberists sanno creare. Dopo quell’esordio si sono susseguiti quattro album e altre manciate di storie, cantate sempre in bilico tra folk figlio della tradizione e indie-rock saltellante. E si sono susseguiti anche segnali, che indicavano di volta in volta direzioni più vaste per la band di Portland, Oregon. Nel 2004 Colin Meloy e soci danno alle stampe l’EP “The Tain”: una traccia unica di quasi venti minuti che mette in musica un antico racconto tradizionale irlandese. Nel 2006 arriva “The Crane Wife”, disco la cui titletrack è una canzone in tre parti che rievoca un’antica fiaba giapponese. Considerato il percorso e visti i precedenti, insomma, non ci si stupisce a lungo per l’arrivo del nuovo disco “The Hazards Of Love”.

  “The Hazards Of Love” è il titolo dell’EP con cui nel 1964 fece il suo esordio la cantante folk inglese Anne Briggs. Nessuna delle canzoni lì contenute aveva però lo stesso nome del disco. Così Colin Meloy, che di Anne Briggs e della scena folk inglese di quegli anni è grande fan, pensa di scrivere lui una canzone con quel titolo. Una volta cominciato, però, si accorge di avere tra le mani una storia troppo lunga e complessa per essere racchiusa in una sola traccia. “The Hazards Of Love” inizialmente doveva essere un musical: quando quel progetto è naufragato è diventato il nuovo disco dei Decemberists.

  La storia è intricata e parla di solitarie fanciulle, uomini mutaforma, regine gelose, assassini perseguitati dai propri delitti, amori ardenti e tormentati, foreste incantate. Colin Meloy racconta e sceglie, come suo solito, le parole con cura, oscillando tra inglese arcaico e descrizioni di spietata crudezza. E non è da solo: Becky Stark dei Lavender Diamond interpreta Margaret, l’eroina della storia, mentre Shara Warden, ovvero My Brightest Diamond, dà voce in modo sorprendente alla gelosa Regina della foresta. Una rock-opera vecchio stile, lunga poco meno di un’ora per diciassette tracce complessive. Una volta si chiamavano concept album. Ed è proprio nell’epoca d’oro dei concept album, gli anni ‘70, che il disco trova le sue influenze più evidenti e più marcate.

  Oltre la storia e le voci, è infatti la musica ciò che più sorprende lungo il percorso di “The Hazards Of Love”. Mai si erano sentite così tante distorsioni in un disco del Decemberists: all’impianto folk acustico o semi-acustico, che resta la base musicale privilegiata, si affiancano suoni e soluzioni rock senza troppi compromessi, che sul principio non possono che stupire chi era abituato ai Decemberists più classici. Non mancano chiaramente i momenti più pacati, la serena “Isn’t It A Lovely Night”, la conclusiva “The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned)”, nè le tracce più ritmate, dove il marchio dei migliori Decemberists esce fuori con chiarezza, come “The Hazards Of Love 2 (Wager All)” o “Annan Water”. Sono però gli episodi più duri a sorprendere, con le chitarre acustiche messe da parte e lo spirito dei Seventies che emerge sicuro e prende la scena: la percussiva “The Rake’s Song”, l’hard-rock di “The Wanting Comes In Waves / Repaid”, fino al crescendo prog di “The Queen’s Rebuke / The Crossing”.

  Diventa evidente già dal primo ascolto: con “The Hazards Of Love” i Decemberists scelgono di fare un passo importante, ma anche azzardato e incoscente. Se un’evoluzione verso orizzonti rock più vasti e classici poteva essere prevista, la decisione e lo scarto con cui la band di Portland affronta questa rock-opera non possono non sorprendere. E’ un disco che rischia di scontentare tanti, per i forti richiami agli anni ‘70, per l’eccessiva lunghezza, per la difficoltà dell’intreccio. E’ un disco che richiede pazienza e attenzione, doti rare per l’ascoltatore di musica del 2009. Rischi che i Decemberists si sono presi e che alla resa dei conti li hanno premiati, non solo per il coraggio della scelta in sé, ma anche per la compattezza del risultato finale, per la qualità delle canzoni, del linguaggio, degli arrangiamenti. Non è semplice né immediato “The Hazards Of Love”, ma merita senza dubbio una possibilità. E una volta catturati dal flusso della storia può diventare davvero difficile riuscire a liberarsene.

  
  Band Site
  MySpace

  The Hazards Of Love [ Capitol - 2009 ]
  BUY HERE
  Similar Artist: Anne Briggs, Jethro Tull, Rush, Neutral Milk Hotel
  Rating:

  1. Prelude
  2. The Hazards Of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won’t Wrestle The Thistles Undone)
  3. A Bower Scene
  4. Won’t Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga)
  5. The Hazards Of Love 2 (Wager All)
  6. The Queen’s Approach
  7. Isn’t It A Lovely Night?
  8. The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid
  9. An Interlude
  10. The Rake’s Song
  11. The Abduction Of Margaret
  12. The Queen’s Rebuke/The Crossing
  13. Annan Water
  14. Margaret In Captivity
  15. The Hazards Of Love 3 (Revenge!)
  16. The Wanting Comes In Waves (Reprise)
  17. The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned)

• Concert Announcements / Music News (April 13, 2009)

  For the `records` - 2009-04-13 22:58:14

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  >I anticipate the next few months should be busy with concert/festival announcements. Guelph's Hillside Festival and TOronto's Harbourfront Centre World Routes festivals should hopefully have some announcements over the next few weeks as their respective websites indicate. Hip Hop festival Rock The Bells will return again this year and their website does have a listing of artists confirmed so far but dates and venues are still to be announced. Over the weekend I was pondering whether Virgin Festival, Rogers Picnic or the Olympic Island Concert would make a return this year; so far no word yet on the first two, but destiny has it that the Olympic Island Concert will return this year on July 11 - on the bill are Broken Social Scene, Explosions In The Sky, Thunderheist, Beach House, Apostle Of Hustle, and Rattle Snake Choir. Tickets $49.50 onsale April 17, although a Inside Edge members presale is currently taking place at www.edge.ca until Thursday evening.
  
  More exciting concert announcements courtesy of Against The Grain: psych-rock outfit Pink Mountaintops stop for a show at the Horseshoe on June 14, tickets $11.50 in advance, onsale April 16. Promoting their newest album "Hazards of Love" out now, The Decemberists with openers Heartless Bastards will play Kool Haus on August 3, tickets a whopping $30.50, onsale April 16.
  
  Colin Medley spotlights Jenn Grant in his video Soundcheck. Jenn plays the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia - her MySpace lists her playing the festival on July 3-5.
  
  The Toronto Star speaks with Neko Case about her new album "Middle Cyclone", major label record deals, and being a nature freak. She plays two way sold-out shows at Trinity St. Paul's on April 17 & 18. NPR has a stream of Neko's recent show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.
  
  NPR's offering an exclusive first listen, starting today, to Camera Obscura's newest album "My Maudlin Career" which is officially released next week. They play a show at Lee's Palace on June 27.
  
  Fazer has a very enjoyable interview with The English Beat's Dave Wakeling, speaking about director John Hughes, playing live, file-sharing, alcohol and the band's 30th anniversary. Good Stuff. The English Beat play two shows in Toronto at Lee's Palace this week, on April 15 (tickets still available I think) and April 17 (sold out).
  
  Rob from Burgeoning Metropolis has an entertaining e-mail exchange with Bryan from Black Hat Brigade. Comparisons to Wolf Parade and Modest Mouse aside (given that I'm really that familiar with those bands), I'm starting to dig Black Hat Brigade. They played a great set at Canadian Musicfest last month. The headline a show at Lee's Palace on April 23 with Australia's Youth Group and Toronto's Bellewoods also on the bill.
  
  NOW has a feature with Olenka and The Autumn Lovers including a few audio interview clips with vocalist/songwriter Olenka Krakus. They played a few local shows over the last few days and I didn't make it out to either but they'll return to open for Barzin at the Rivoli on May 1, before they head out east for a tour. I've been listening to Olenka and The Autumn Lovers self-titled debut which I should hopefully have a review of up soon.
  
  No Toronto date, but Ted Leo's playing the Tralf in Buffalo, NY on June 17. More dates at Brooklyn Vegan.
  
  Phil Spector's a musical genious but he's also a convicted murderer.

  

• "The Hazards of Love" The Decemberists

  ThaBombShelter - 2009-04-08 18:53:39

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  So, The Decemberists released another concept album. Not entirely sure what the "concept" of this one is, but word around the campfire is that there is one. There's not a convenient three song cycle that the album takes it's name from - oh wait, yes there is, only this time it's four songs, and they're all conveniently called, "The Hazards of Love". Well, there you have it then, this album's concept is "The Hazards of Love", the truth of which I'm sure many of the band's more emo contingent can all attest to.
  
  According to the Wiki, this album is more specifically about a love affair between a human and an animal/human hybrid. Only this time, in lieu of a crane who is also a seamstress, we've got a fawn who is also a man and a forest queen.
  
  I suppose I should probably stop being so facetious and come clean. I really, really enjoy this album, definitely more than "The Crane Wife,", and almost as much as "Picaresque." Although there is a bit of repetition, (ie- repeating guitar strains between many of the songs, repeating themes, repeating harpsichord intros, etc), I think it works when spread across the whole album. I just put together a playlist with several of the repeating songs and the similarities are much more obvious when stacked back to back like that. When taken in the context of the whole album (this is not a disc to be shuffled, that's for sure!) the tracks take on an almost subliminal feel, something that is only noticed after the seventh or eighth or fifteenth listen.
  
  One thing that is noticeable from the start, is the incredible impact that My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden has on several of the tracks, most notably, "The Wanting Comes in Waves". It's always refreshing to see two artists, who are great in their own right, come together and form something that is even more powerful than the sum of it's parts. I've enjoyed My Brightest Diamond for several years, and The Decemberists for even longer, but hearing the two of them together is something transcendent. After my initial infatuation with the bloodbath of "The Rake's Song" wore off (and despite my lingering affair), the song that keeps catching my attention (and the song I keep coming back to) is most definitely "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid".
  
  This is most definitely an album that must be listened to straight through (it's a perfect candidate for a vinyl purchase) and with a keen ear to the lyrics and the tale. This has definitely vaulted into my personal list of top Decemberists albums with little effort.
  
  "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" The Decemberists
  "The Rake's Song" The Decemberists
  
  ps- if you're not already following Colin Meloy on Twitter, you totally should.
  pps- if you're not already following ThaBombShelter on Twitter, you totally should!
  
  

  Official Wiki Buy
  

  

• We speak our vows and sorry whispers

  Heartache with Hard Work - 2009-04-04 11:11:00

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  The Hazards of Love 4 - The Decemberists
  
  Ill-conceived, poorly executed, tiresome, ridiculous. These are not words I ever wanted to write about a Decemberists album. And yet, what else can I do?
  
  That band that I fell in love with on Valentine's Day, 2003 (when they opened for Carissa's Wierd), they wrote dreamy songs that glowed like the porchlight of a house in the woods in the deep mist of a cold evening. Even more, they made music that beckoned invitingly. It was corny, occasionally overwrought, but never felt the least bit false. The result was songs like "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" or "Grace Cathedral Hill" - which expected a little something from you, but which were ready to reveal themselves if you made the effort.
  
  For the next few albums, they drifted further and further away from the magical sense of that first record. But you couldn't really begrudge them, because they were putting out basically a record a year and had still failed to produce a single song that I didn't like.
  
  However, all the warning signs were there. The experimentation with the prog-rock Tain EP, the movement toward longer, more operatic, less tuneful songs. Picaresque was a good album, but if what I loved about the band originally was the dreaminess of their sound, then it represented the experience of waking up and grimacing at a far less charmful world. Then there was The Crane Wife, which featured five songs that suggested a return - a glorious, beautiful return - but also had a run of four songs (The Perfect Crime 2, When the War Came, Shankill Butchers, Summersong) that ranged from boring to horrifically bad.
  
  The question was where they would go from there. Sadly, if Hazards of Love is any indication, they see their future as a literary prog-metal band. Gone is the gentle subtlety. Gone is the sense of restraint. Quirkiness has now been replaced by full-bore art-rock squalls. Frankly, it's a bit embarrassing to listen to in patches. And the few solid songs that dot the landscape are lost under the sea of "what were they thinking?"
  
  The record opens (opens!) with a minute of silence. At various points later in the record you almost wish they'd default back to that. The next track "The Hazards of Love 1" isn't terrible, but is pretty one-note.
  
  However, before you can lose hope, the next three tracks are all pretty decent, which is enough to give you a dollop of hope. "A Bower Scene" feels a bit too mid-period Death Cab, but is good enough. And then there's "Won't Want for Love," which incorporates female vocals and a bit of a dirty guitar riff into a pretty solid little track. Finally, "The Hazards of Love 2" would fit in reasonably on one of the past few records. In combination, they hint at what this record might have been.
  
  Unfortunately, things go downhill quickly. "Isn't It a Lovely Night" is a pretty spectacular failure to produce a male/female harmony. It's even more frustrating given how perfectly Meloy and Laura Veirs fit together on "Yankee Bayonet" from the last record. And then there's "The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid" which is the track I'm mostly thinking of when I talk about being embarrassed. Yikes. I hope to never hear that one again in my life.
  
  There are very few songs of note from there on. "Interlude" is pleasant, but at 1:40 it doesn't offer anything more than you'd expect from the title. "The Rake's Song" is like the zombie doppelganger of the character sketches from Castaways and Cutouts. Where that album portrayed the misbegotten in clever and intriguing ways, this time around it shuffles along with all the subtlety of a 2x4 to the face. "The Abduction of Margaret" is admittedly another nice track, but once again is only about two minutes long. But the next four tracks all fall into the "if I never hear them again, it'll be too soon" category. "The Hazards of Love 3" in particular, makes me grit my teeth just thinking about it.
  
  Finally, after wading through all that muck, there is one brief shining light in "The Hazards of Love 4" which is legitimately a very good song. It's almost enough to make up for some of the muck you had to wade through to get to it. Still, on an album pushing an hour, there's probably only 20 minutes worth of music I'll ever go out of my way to listen to again. And, considering this is coming from a band that might otherwise have challenged for the title of my favorite band of the aughts, that's pretty sad.
  
  Here's what it all comes down to. The thing I always loved about The Decemberists is the way that they could make music that felt like it was written just for me. They put themselves out there and invited you to join them on a romp. The Hazards of Love has none of that sentiment. This is self-absorbed art, made with pretension, cold and dark. They want you to Be Impressed or Be Amazed, but there's absolutely no sense of a shared connection. You can take it or leave it as you like, but there's no sense that they want you to be a part of it. For me, that's what sets it apart - and what ruins it.
  
  I realize I've completely failed to talk about the story of the album. That's because I'm simply not willing to put in the effort necessary to figure it out. Maybe it's clever, but I'm not really willing to listen to music I don't like to find out.

  

  

• Hanging On The Edge

  Mars Needs Guitars - 2009-04-03 00:01:19

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  WTF -- I started back music blogging but instead have turned this blog into my personal journal. Man, what the hell am I doing? Baring my whole soul and life to the friggin' internet. The only thing that doesn't stop me is the tight circle of cyber friends that I have, who are kind enough to comment on my posts and show a genuine interest in my well being. I think the rest of you that visit only want the mp3's I post. Can't fucking blame you for that, because that's why I post them. Kinda ironic though, sharing music that is really not mine to share. I don't have written permission to share the tracks I post. But, having said that, I will take down any track if anyone asks me to. I truly believe in the music and want people exposed to it and to buy it for God's sake.
  
  I'm literally hanging on the damn edge here.. Exposed, bare naked to the fucking world. You know, when I had this blog running in 2006/2007, I used to get 1,000+ visitors a day. Not bad for a cheap ass blog like this. Now, I only get about 200 to 300 visits a day. Yeah, maybe it's because I just started back. Or maybe it's because I have transformed this fucker into my personal journal. I really don't know and it pisses me off. Thank God for cool aggregators like The Hype Machine and Elbows. Without those dudes, I would get 10 visits a day. And, who the hell actually really reads my ramblings. I would hazard a guess that the only folks who read are the ones who comment. And that gets back to my tight circle of cyber friends. Thank God for them. Otherwise, I would shut this SOB down in a friggin heartbeat. Why the hell do I do it then? What's the point? Maybe, just maybe it keeps my mind off of the millions of thoughts that plague my messed up brain. It gives me something to do and gets me out of myself. Which is a nasty place to be these days. I'm hanging on the edge here, holding on for dear life. Yeah, dear life, what a joke...
  
  I'm in such a pissy mood right now don't know why I am even writing this crap. I almost died last May and let me tell you, I didn't see any fucking tunnel with a light at the end. Two weeks on life support, in a coma and no friggin' tunnel with a light. Nothing but black space. Shit, I don't even remember. Two whole months in a hospital bed and all I remember is the second month. The fucking TV constantly on and getting my blood drawn at 4 am in the morning. And sharing the room with various psychotic individuals. What a nightmare. It left holes in my brain and memories I can never get away from. Yeah, you say, it can only get better from here. Right? Well, let me tell you. It's just as bad, even worse at times, compared to when I took that whole bottle of pills. It's supposed to get better isn't it? Yeah, right...
  
  It's a huge cliff and I'm straddling the edge of it. It's either up or down. And one fucking choice to make.
  
  So, now you know it all, all the bloody gory details. The guts of it all. That's Merz, one fucking open book. No secrets here. Just the facts. And what to do about this God forsaken blog. Yeah, I know I'm not up on the new stuff. Not posting about bands like Vampire Weekend. What a fucking lame name for a band. Makes me want to puke. I don't give a shit if their music is good, the name sucks so do they. All your gonna get out me is some old shit that I particularly like. It wouldn't be on my hard-drive, loaded up in iTunes, if I didn't like it. So, take it or fucking leave it. That's your choice. I don't give a shit if my visits go down to two a day. At least there will be two people I am pleasing. This ain't and never will be a GvsB or MOKB or Stereogum or.....whatever. Never in a fucking lifetime. It is what it is. Like I said take it or leave it, your choice. I got my own choices to deal with and that fucking cliff is tugging at me as best as it can. And my fingernails are bloody from holding on to the edge. But what do you care? You just want the music. So, here it is, old, used and abused but some of the best stuff you will find on any blog. Fucking Vampire Weekend..... Utter bullshit....
  
  
  THE ONLY FUCKING BAND THAT MATTERS....
  
  mp3 Should I Stay Or Should I Go
  
  THE CLASH - Live: From Here To Eternity
  
  
  THE OTHER ONLY FUCKING BAND THAT MATTERS - 30 years of fantastic music, my favorite band and you can go fuck yourself if you don't like them or their new album... I could give two shits...
  
  mp3 I Fall Down
  
  U2 - October
  
  
  And I will probably get a DMCA take down email about this one but WTF.....
  
  mp3 Magnificent
  
  U2 - No Line On The Horizen
  
  
  And these guys were the real deal...
  
  mp3 Dead Set On Destruction
  
  Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey
  
  
  And another real deal...
  
  mp3 My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg)
  
  The Ramones - Animal Boy
  
  
  And of course, you can't fucking forget the Shoegaze...
  
  mp3 Vapour Trail
  
  Ride - Nowhere
  
  
  And last but not least, you can't ever forget these guys....
  
  mp3 Paranoid Android
  
  Radiohead - OK Computer
  
  
  I could go on and on here but don't feel like waiting for two hours to upload this shit. So, as I said before, take it or leave it... One choice to make. Only one...

  

• This week just gone

  No Rock&Roll Fun - 2009-03-29 09:45:37

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  This month's most popular pieces:
  
  1. Free download: Glasvegas remixed
  2. Reluctant Idol: Leave me alone, begs David Cook
  3. PRS take on YouTube: Battle front round-up
  4. Video: MSTRKRFT on Jimmy Kimmel
  5. Featured Artists Coalition calls for end to criminalisation of music fans
  6. Rock sick list: Pete Burns in hospital
  7. Amy Winehouse sort-of sets fire to her hair
  8. Michael Jackson ticket presale allows O2 customers to experience Ticketmaster fail before anyone else
  9. Ofcom disapproves of Chris Moyles; Guardian suggests he's getting old, too
  10. Limewire offer tips on how to set up your own darknet
  
  These were this week's suggested new releases:
  
  
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz
  
  
  download It's Blitz
  
  
  
  The Decemberists - Hazards Of Love
  
  
  download Hazards Of Love
  
  
  
  Royksopp - Junior
  
  
  download Junior
  
  
  
  Pet Shop Boys - Yes
  
  
  download Yes
  
  
  
  Radiohead - 3 Disc reissue of The Bends
  
  
  download new The Bends
  
  
  
  Pendragon - Pure

  

• She Had It Coming, 2009

  Bon Ton - 2009-03-28 22:33:19

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  Off topic, does anyone have an “entry song” into “Hazards of Love”? You know, a song you can listen to and it gets you excited to hear the rest? Excluding the Rake’s Song, that is. I listened to the first three tracks and it was like, snoozeville, so either I am way off base or I just haven’t found the way into it. Any suggestions? (Confession: I kind of hate albums where the whole thing is one story. Excluding “The Wall.” But even that gets on my nerves sometimes.)

  Aaaand, back to topic in five, four three ….

  The ladies are rocking my socks off these last few months, with some really great stuff. It’s so much fun to look at my playlist and realize that it’s all women singing/writing/playing (yes, guys are great too, that’s not the point). Let’s recap, for those people who have been hiding under a rock for awhile.

  01. Lisa Hannigan — Sea Sew. Have I said enough about this album? I THINK I HAVE.

  Lisa Hannigan — Venn Diagram

  02. Camera Obscura — My Maudlin Career. This one is classic C.O. and very fun to listen to. It starts off with such a great track, “French Navy,” where Traceyanne Campbell laments the fleeting nature of love and its unholdability.

  Camera Obscura — French Navy

  03. Vienna Teng — Inland Territory. Her voice is so beautiful that she sneaks all kinds of social issues into her songs and you don’t even notice until you’re singing along.

  Vienna Teng — No Gringo

  04. Bat For Lashes — Two Suns. Spacy, nutty, gorgeous: it’s all still there in the fabulous mix that is Natasha Khan.

  Bat For Lashes — Travelling Woman

  05. Neko Case — Middle Cyclone. The usual mix of the unusual: startling violent images, mysterious lyric play, being stalked by a cyclone. You know; same old same old.

  Neko Case — Polar Nettles

  06. Jenn Grant — Echoes. Understated and beautiful folk with jazzy undertones; the lyrics almost remind me of Bjork sometimes :D but the music does not sound anything like Her Icelandiness.

  D/l two Jenn Grant songs in my previous post.

  Go forth and listen!

• We Be So Sincere With This Here...

  Souled On (Music, Art, Politics, and Life) - 2009-03-27 11:54:00

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  "The Waves Are High Today"---Don Adams (LimeLinx)
  "The Waves Are High Today"---Don Adams (YSI)
  
  Although I've been known to call out the pompous audacity of blah-blah-bloggers whose egos are too big for their tight-ass spandex britches, I have to speak for a moment with the bloated arrogance of a self-appointed tastemaker and declare this: you're stupid, uncool, and crazier than cat piss if you don't like Don Adams .
  
  Not only was Adams a mesmerizing vocalist who could effortlessly channel the spirits of Jackie Wilson and Otis Redding, he was somewhat of an intriguing and enigmatic character as well. Born in Glasgow in 1942 (I see you, Styler), the amazing vocalist was the youngest in a family of seven children. He was a scrawny kid who got picked on quite mercilessly during childhood, but he literally came out swingin' after undergoing intense daily training to become a boxer. As legend has it, Adams (born Donald McKay) emerged a scrappy little ass-kicker, feared by...well...just about everyone.
  
  Even as he began to pursue a career in music, it apparently wasn't uncommon for his violent temper to flare, often fighting people in the audience who didn't care for his performances. Perhaps not surprisingly, the first band Adams sang with was called The Macho's. He teamed up with the group in Germany, having moved there in the late '60s as a staff member of the musical Hair.
  
  The ballsy singer became a regular fixture of the club scene, and would soon come to be known as "the black voice from Munich". From a purely physical standpoint, that particular description was no more reliable than the other label that's often haphazardly applied to his style~ blue-eyed soul (see the pic below to test the questionable veracity of these claims).
  
  While the drive to categorize every-fucking-thing is a naggingly persistent feature of the human condition, it's often misleading and downright moronic to apply stereotypes or phony organizational principles to something as variable and unpredictable as music. Hearing Adams' stirring and incredibly affecting vocals will undoubtedly affirm this notion: the only way one can fully appreciate the immense gift of his artistry is to approach his material with absolute colorblindness and an uncluttered mind. Close your eyes and tell me the homie Don Adams ain't had no soul, children...
  
  Watts Happening (a reference to the 1965 LA riots) was originally recorded in Munich in 1969 and was treated to a limited release on the German Sunset label. The record was such an obscurity that it was damn near impossible to obtain, until Sonorama graciously reissued the LP in 2007 (along with bonus tracks culled from the archives). In addition to showcasing Adams' immeasurable talent, the LP boasts an impressive array of musicians who once comprised the cream of the local jazz scene in Munich.
  
  
  Following the album's original release date, Adams continued recording studio tracks, although the consensus was that his later material never matched the quality of his earlier efforts. In the '70s he appeared on German television as a member of Love Generation, and later relocated to Hamburg to join the Les Humphries Singers. However, according to the liner notes on the Watts Happening reissue, the vocalist's health and career began a downward spiral due to years of bad habits and excesses. He passed away in London in 1995 due to complications with his liver.
  
  "Sometimes I Don't Like Myself"---Steve Colt (LimeLinx)
  "Sometimes I Don't Like Myself"---Steve Colt (YSI)
  
  APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING: PART 2
  
  The first Steve Colt track I was introduced to was "Dynamite", an irresistibly infectious groove that's highly revered by a good many collectors who really know their shit. Larry Grogan of Funky 16 Corners aptly described the single as follows:
  
  "Speaking of brilliant proto-funk, Steve Colt's 'Dynamite' is as heavy as it comes. If ever another white guy laid down a 45 as heavy as this I haven't heard it. Colt grunts and screams his way through the tune backed by slamming drums and bass deep enough to throw the tone arm off the wax."
  
  I never actually copped the original 7" (sometimes compilations make life way too easy), but I used to occasionally price it on the internets just to check the going rate. The first time I saw the label on the 45 I was floored. This dude lookin' like the long-lost brother of Potsie on Happy Days laid down those killer vocals on "Dynamite"? Noooooo shit...(furrows brows, rubs chin).
  
  
  While the image on the label surely makes for a fascinating conversation piece, I didn't realize how badly I needed to have this side in my crates until DJ Blueprint (aka Mike from This Is Tomorrow) dropped the B-side ("Take Away") as one of his stellar contributions to the Love Lockdown series. Evidently I'm not the only one who fell in love with the song. Quite a few readers e-mailed me to see if I could possibly send them something else by Mr. Colt, so I decided to share one of the best songs from his Paradox LP (Vanguard, 1970).
  
  
  This particular track, and Paradox as a whole, was quite a different look for Colt in comparison to the vibe he had goin' on with "Dynamite" and its flipside. There's the obvious fact that he grew a nice furry David Crosby porn 'stache in the interim, but the music itself also underwent a fairly radical transformation towards the softer side. Many of the songs were written and produced by Brand Harris, but the album also features soulful interpretations of "Walk Away Renee" and Dylan's "Memphis Blues Again". In sum, if you dig the Muscle Shoals/Stax-Volt sound, there's a very good chance that you'll be feelin' this record as well.
  
  "Sometimes I Don't Like Myself" is arguably a bit maudlin and self-deprecating, but its vulnerability is also undeniably earnest and charming. You may find that it's more subdued and less gripping than "Take Away" in an immediate sense, but it's still tremendously affecting once the substance of the song settles in your soul.
  
  If you missed the post with "Take Away", be sure to take a moment to rewind.
  
  
  "Dumb I Sound/ATLiens (Tor Mix)"---Outkast vs. Sufjan Stevens (LimeLinx)
  "Dumb I Sound/ATLiens (Tor Mix)"---Outkast vs. Sufjan Stevens (YSI)
  
  It's not difficult to harbor some resentment towards Danger Mouse for dropping the Grey Album. I thought it was pretty damn terrific at the time, but who could have foreseen all the ugly little demon spawn that would be gratuitously birthed from its grossly overproductive loins?
  
  Fast forward to 2009, and the guy who's trying to be adorably quirky by smashing apples and oranges into the fruity concoction du jour is a Canadian fella by the name of Tor. In all honesty, I downloaded his Illnoize EP fully expecting to loathe every horrific moment of it. I couldn't imagine that it was going to be particularly aurally delightful to hear Sufjan Stevens' songs of emasculated tenderness struggle beneath the weight of some of the heaviest hip hop lyrics of all time.
  
  As it turns out, my fears were only half-assed justified~ a few of these mixes are actually rather legit. The Outkast redux is my favorite at the moment, but I fuck with a few of the other tracks as well. All in all, I gotta give Tor all due propers for...almost...changing the mind of a stubborn skeptic.
  
  Download the EP in its entirety here
  
  And...if (for some bizarre reason) you find yourself jonesin' for more Sufjan remixes, The Metermaids also dropped a free remix of Stevens mash-ups called...mmm hmmm...Illinoise.
  
  
  "Hang On To A Dream"---Cissy Houston (LimeLinx)
  "Hang On To A Dream"---Cissy Houston (YSI)
  
  Hopefully most of you know a thing or two about Whitney's mama, but if not, here is a brief rundown...
  
  Cissy Houston (born Emily Drinkard) entered the world on September 30, 1933 in Newark, NJ. Five years later she was already pursuing her musical aspirations, singing in a gospel act called the Drinkard Singers with her siblings. As a member of The Sweet Inspirations, she laid down backing vocals for countless artists and recorded a couple of albums with the group before deciding to go solo. In addition to recording her own material, Houston has performed in some capacity with the likes of Dionne Warwick (her niece), David Bowie, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Elvis, Chuck Jackson, Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Dusty Springfield, and of course, her daughter Whitney.
  
  In 1970, the powerhouse vocalist recorded a supreme album for Commonwealth United, entitled Presenting Cissy Houston. In what can only be seen as an unfortunate turn of events, her contract was sold to Janus Records later that year. While she recorded quality material for the label well into the mid-70s, she never received the promotional support she needed to facilitate her success. A prime example of this is that she rendered the original recording of "Midnight Train To Georgia", a song that popular culture clearly associates with Gladys Knight and the Pips.
  
  Midnight Train To Georgia: The Janus Years is a collection of her work with the label that showcases many of the forgotten highlights of her career. "Hang On To A Dream" is one of the finer moments, Houston's striking cover of a beautiful tune penned by Tim Hardin.
  
  Houston has been granted most of her accolades for her gospel recordings, but if you're more interested in delving into her secular material, this digitally remastered compilation serves as quite a worthy introduction.
  
  Dig deeper...
  
  
  "Funky Cat"---James Knight And The Butlers (LimeLinx)
  "Funky Cat"---James Knight And The Butlers (YSI)
  
  The music scene in Miami during the late '60s and early '70s never achieved the same legendary status as Muscle Shoals, Memphis, or Motown, but the southeastern region of Florida undoubtedly spawned some incredibly heavy funk and soul acts in the years preceding the disco invasion. The Miami Funk compilation spotlights some of the region's funkiest citizens, celebrating not only the artists who released major hit records, but some who were rather underappreciated and obscure. James Knight was a phenomenal musician and frontman who unfortunately happened to fall into the latter category.
  
  Born in Miami in 1946, Knight began playing the drums at age 2, joining a calypso band only four years later. At age 14, he started playing around on his brother's guitar, and became so accomplished within a short time that he was jamming with the likes of Sam & Dave, Gwen McCrae, Betty Wright, Frankie Beverly and Ben E. King by the following year.
  
  Around the time Knight turned 19, he formed a group called The Butlers (aka The Fabulous Butlers). The ensemble started doing shows outside of the Miami area, and would eventually perform with Joe Tex, The Chambers Brothers, John Lee Hooker, The Persuaders, James Brown, Muddy Waters, and many more of the era's most popular artists.
  
  
  While it certainly appeared that Knight was destined for success, his professional woes began shortly after he recorded his Black Knight LP in the '70s. According to the artist's website, the album was put on the back burner because studio executives cautioned him that the material was at least 20 years before its time. It's since been reissued and is available through many online retailers for a fairly reasonable price.
  
  "Funky Cat" has probably been comped the most times (with "Fantasy World", sampled by DJ Shadow, running a close second), and in my opinion, it's the standout track on the LP. It's to your discretion whether your dollars are better spent on copping Black Knight or a more diverse collection of tunes such as Miami Funk. I've read glowing reviews that compare Knight to stalwarts such as Jimi Hendrix, Charles Wright, and Sly Stone, but other collectors have expressed a degree of disappointment with the album as a whole (individual tracks can also be purchased via Knight's website, linked below). I personally kinda dig it, but my suggestion is to stream those bitches before you unass any cash, children.
  
  Dig deeper...
  
  
  "Kickin' Afrolistics"---The Afros (LimeLinx)
  "Kickin' Afrolistics"---The Afros (YSI)
  
  One of the illest things about having a giant music collection coupled with a long-ass history of abusing weed is...aww snap...I forgot. Nah...I'm just playin'. What's dope about it is pulling out throwback joints that you haven't listened to in forever because...ta da...those shits get to be brand new all over again. I had love for this record back in the day (produced by Davy D and Jam Master Jay), but right now it might just sound better than ever.
  
  If you skipped class on The Afros the first time or your silly ass wasn't born yet (dayuuuuummmm....it's hard to believe this album is almost 20 years old), get your learn on by diggin' deeper.
  
  
  "Oh, Baby"---The Time (LimeLinx)
  "Oh, Baby"---The Time (YSI)
  
  Every once in a while, I have to throw in a jam that will ensure the future generation of soul children, so you know...quit reading and go make some beautiful babies for the love revolution.
  
  Dig deeper...
  
  Before you check out, one last little bit of feel good~ a video by my homies Lady Daisey and Batsauce called "Magical". It actually came out quite a while ago, but it never loses its sublime sweetness and power to uplift. More from these two coming soon at SO:
  
  
  
  Word From Your Moms:
  
  "A verbal art like poetry is reflective; it stops to think. Music is immediate, it goes on to become."---W. H. Auden
  
  "It is the stretched soul that makes music, and souls are stretched by the pull of opposites--opposite bents, tastes, yearnings, loyalties. Where there is no polarity--where energies flow smoothly in one direction--there will be much doing but no music."---Eric Hoffer
  
  "All paths lead nowhere, so it is important to choose a path that has heart."---Carlos Casteneda

  

• This Week's (And Last Week's) Releases

  Instrumental Analysis - 2009-03-27 06:29:00

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  Since I slacked off last week, there are two weeks of releases in this post. Although they aren't the strongest of release weeks in both quality and length, there are still plenty of gems among the rough. This week features some great remastered albums and some excellent new artists for all to enjoy.
  
  Pearl Jam
  
  Ten(Legacy Edition) - Full Album Stream
  
  Harlem Shakes
  
  Technicolor Health - "Strictly Game" (via The Orchard) & Full Album Stream
  
  The Shortwave Set
  
  Replica Sun Machine - "Harmonica" (via Team Clermont)
  
  The Takeover UK
  
  Running With The Wasters - "Running With The Wasters" (via Ryko Disc) & Full Album Stream
  
  The Decemberists
  
  The Hazards of Love - Full Album Stream
  
  Dan Deacon
  
  Bromst
  
  Royksopp
  
  Junior - Full Album Stream
  
  Pet Shop Boys
  
  Yes
  
  Fridge
  
  Early Output 1996-1998 - "Astrozero" (via Temporary Residence)
  
  The Balky Mule
  
  The Length of a Rail - "Range" (via Indian.co.uk)
  
  1990s
  
  Kicks - "The Box" (via Beggars Group USA) & Full Album Stream
  
  Red Red Meat
  
  Bunny Gets Paid (remastered) - "Gauze" (via Sub Pop) & Full Album Stream
  
  O+S
  
  O+S - "Permanent Scar" (via Tool Shed Media) & Full Album Stream
  
  BELL
  
  Magic Tape - "Magic Tape" (via Two Syllable Records)
  
  Fever Ray
  
  Fever Ray - "If I Had A Heart" (via KEXP)
  
  MONO
  
  Hymn To The Immortal Wind - "Ashes in the Snow" (via Temporary Residence) & Full Album Stream
  
  Winter Gloves
  
  About A Girl - "Let Me Drive" (via Girlie Action)
  
  Amadou & Mariam
  
  Welcome To Mali - Full Album Stream
  
  Swan Lake
  
  Enemy Mine - "Spanish Gold 2044" (via SC Jag)
  
  Peter Doherty
  
  Grace/Wastelands - "New Love Grows on Trees" (via Astralwerks) & Full Album Stream
  
  Sarah Borges
  
  The Stars Are Out - "Better at the End of the Day" (via Sugar Hill Records)
  
  Condo Fucks (Yo La Tengo)
  
  Fuckbook - Full Album Stream
  
  Obits
  
  I Blame You - "Pine On" (via Sub Pop) & Full Album Stream
  
  The Vines
  
  Melodia - "Get Out" (via Worlds Fair)
  
  
  
  3/17
  
  The Show Is The Rainbow
  
  Wet Fist - "Made of Cardboard" (via Terror Bird)
  
  Mazes
  
  Mazes - "I Have Laid in the Darkness of Doubt" (via Parasol)
  
  Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  
  Beware
  
  An Horse
  
  Rearrange Beds - "Postcards" (via Be Resolute)
  
  Speck Mountain
  
  Some Sweet Relief - "I Feel Eternal" (via Green Light Go Publicity)
  
  Kinetic Stereokids
  
  Kid Moves - "Have A Nice Day" (via Fanatic Promotion)
  
  Reigns
  
  The House on the Causeway - "Everything Beyond These Walls Has Been Razed" (via Fanatic Promotion)
  
  Kelly Joe Phelps
  
  Western Bell - "Western Bell" (via Kill Beat Music)
  
  Wavves
  
  Wavvves - "So Bored" (via Force Field PR)
  
  DD/MM/YYYY
  
  Black Square - "Digital Haircut" (via Kill Beat Music)
  
  Caroline Weeks
  
  Songs For Edna - "Elegy" (via Force Field PR)

  

• Decemberists' "The Hazards of Love" gets band career high on iTunes chart

  OregonLive.com: Pop Music - 2009-03-25 17:16:01

  Share Serenade
  The Decemberists' new album, "The Hazards of Love." The new Decemberists album, "The Hazards of Love," is frankly gorgeous, and I say that as someone who hasn't always (rarely, really) connected with their music. Combine that with the huge exposure...

• Shorties (Leonard Cohen, Grant Morrison, and more)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-25 14:11:49

  Share Serenade
  

  NPR is streaming Leonard Cohen's Live in London concert, which is out March 31st as a 2-CD set and DVD.

  ---

  Wired's Underwire blog interviews comics writer Grant Morrison about writing the Batman comics.

  Wired.com: Zibarro, Bizarro World's own Superman, was a misfit riot.

  Morrison: Zibarro was the Morrissey Bizarro. The sensitive outsider on a world of lunatics. He was great to write.

  ---

  Will Oldham plays guest DJ at All Songs Considered.

  ---

  At the New York Times' Room for Debate blog, authors including Joyce Carol Oates and Erica Jong examine the lasting legacy of poet Sylvia Plath.

  ---

  Daytrotter's Wednesday session features in-studio mp3s from And the Moneynotes.

  ---

  Director Michael Carmona talks to the East Bay Express about the his documentary film, Pansy Divison: Life in a Gay Rock Band.

  "I'd say the Pansy Division fans came out the most and have appreciated it more than anyone," Carmona says. "It's definitely who we made the picture for." And in spite of the doc's warm reception among gay audiences, Carmona emphasizes that the main theme of the movie and band is breaking down barriers and challenging stereotypes related to sexual orientation.

  ---

  Brendan Canty, director of the Wilco live film, Ashes of American Flags (out April 28th on DVD), talks about the experience with Creative Loafing Sarasota,

  But to hear Canty tell it, he made the film for the same reason you or I probably would. "I'm a f**king fan," the 43-year-old says over the phone from the D.C. production studio he shares with Green. The result of Canty and Green's effort is Ashes of American Flags: Wilco Live, an 88-minute feature being screened twice next week as part of the Sarasota Film Festival. Discussing Wilco, Canty sounds downright giddy: "I see my favorite songwriter, Jeff Tweedy, coming together with my favorite guitarist, Nels Cline, and Glenn Kotche..." The sentence trails off in fanboy awe.

  ---

  Lala.com is offering an mp3 download of the new Decemberists album, Hazards of Love, for only $3.99.

  ---

  The Phoenix interviews author Leanne Shapton.

  What prompted you to tell the story of a couple through their belongings?

  I really like the idea of objects being haunted and holding more history than they appear to. I also wanted to talk about how we keep these things. What do you take from one relationship and bring into a new one? What can you not throw away? I was interested in the life and the romance of things, of objects that didn't have any value but sentimental value.

  Read Shapton's Largehearted Boy Book Notes music playlist for her novel, Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry.

  ---

  Minnesota Public Radio's The Current has the Broken West in the studio for a streaming performance and interview.

  Also in The Current Studio: A.C. Newman.

  ---

  NPR excerpts from Alan Moore's graphic novel, Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book 1.

  ---

  LaundroMatinee shares in-studio video and mp3s from My Brightest Diamond.

  ---

  Daytrotter's Tuesday session features in-studio mp3s from High Places.

  ---

  Lullabyes shares mp3s from one of Wavves' SXSW performances.

  ---

  Follow me on Twitter for links that don't make the daily "shorties" posts.

  ---

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  Online "best of 2008" music lists
  Online "best of 2008" book lists
  daily mp3 downloads
  Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and full album streams from this week's CD releases)
  weekly music & DVD release lists

  tags: music books popculture indie news

• Shorties (Leonard Cohen, Grant Morrison, and more)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-25 14:11:49

  Share Serenade
  

  NPR is streaming Leonard Cohen's Live in London concert, which is out March 31st as a 2-CD set and DVD.

  ---

  Wired's Underwire blog interviews comics writer Grant Morrison about writing the Batman comics.

  Wired.com: Zibarro, Bizarro World's own Superman, was a misfit riot.

  Morrison: Zibarro was the Morrissey Bizarro. The sensitive outsider on a world of lunatics. He was great to write.

  ---

  Will Oldham plays guest DJ at All Songs Considered.

  ---

  At the New York Times' Room for Debate blog, authors including Joyce Carol Oates and Erica Jong examine the lasting legacy of poet Sylvia Plath.

  ---

  Daytrotter's Wednesday session features in-studio mp3s from And the Moneynotes.

  ---

  Director Michael Carmona talks to the East Bay Express about the his documentary film, Pansy Divison: Life in a Gay Rock Band.

  "I'd say the Pansy Division fans came out the most and have appreciated it more than anyone," Carmona says. "It's definitely who we made the picture for." And in spite of the doc's warm reception among gay audiences, Carmona emphasizes that the main theme of the movie and band is breaking down barriers and challenging stereotypes related to sexual orientation.

  ---

  Brendan Canty, director of the Wilco live film, Ashes of American Flags (out April 28th on DVD), talks about the experience with Creative Loafing Sarasota,

  But to hear Canty tell it, he made the film for the same reason you or I probably would. "I'm a f**king fan," the 43-year-old says over the phone from the D.C. production studio he shares with Green. The result of Canty and Green's effort is Ashes of American Flags: Wilco Live, an 88-minute feature being screened twice next week as part of the Sarasota Film Festival. Discussing Wilco, Canty sounds downright giddy: "I see my favorite songwriter, Jeff Tweedy, coming together with my favorite guitarist, Nels Cline, and Glenn Kotche..." The sentence trails off in fanboy awe.

  ---

  Lala.com is offering an mp3 download of the new Decemberists album, Hazards of Love, for only $3.99.

  ---

  The Phoenix interviews author Leanne Shapton.

  What prompted you to tell the story of a couple through their belongings?

  I really like the idea of objects being haunted and holding more history than they appear to. I also wanted to talk about how we keep these things. What do you take from one relationship and bring into a new one? What can you not throw away? I was interested in the life and the romance of things, of objects that didn't have any value but sentimental value.

  Read Shapton's Largehearted Boy Book Notes music playlist for her novel, Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry.

  ---

  Minnesota Public Radio's The Current has the Broken West in the studio for a streaming performance and interview.

  Also in The Current Studio: A.C. Newman.

  ---

  NPR excerpts from Alan Moore's graphic novel, Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book 1.

  ---

  LaundroMatinee shares in-studio video and mp3s from My Brightest Diamond.

  ---

  Daytrotter's Tuesday session features in-studio mp3s from High Places.

  ---

  Lullabyes shares mp3s from one of Wavves' SXSW performances.

  ---

  Follow me on Twitter for links that don't make the daily "shorties" posts.

  ---

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  Online "best of 2008" music lists
  Online "best of 2008" book lists
  daily mp3 downloads
  Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and full album streams from this week's CD releases)
  weekly music & DVD release lists

  tags: music books popculture indie news

  

  

  

• Try It Before You Buy It (March 24th Music Releases)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-24 17:45:13

  Share Serenade

  Try It Before You Buy It features free and legal mp3 downloads and full album streams from this week's music releases:

  
  1990s: Kicks
  full album stream
  "The Box" [mp3]

  
  
  Amadou & Mariam: Welcome To Mali
  full album stream

  
  
  The Balky Mule: The Length of a Rail
  "Range" [mp3]

  
  
  Condo F**ks: F**kbook
  full album stream

  
  
  Decemberists: The Hazards of Love
  full album stream

  
  
  Fridge: Early Output 1996-1998
  "Astrozero" [mp3] from Early Output 1996-1998

  
  
  Harlem Shakes: Technicolor Health
  full album stream
  "Strictly Game" [mp3]

  
  
  Jim Jones: Praying for Reign
  full album stream

  
  
  Mono: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
  full album stream
  "Ashes in the Snow" [mp3]

  
  
  O+S: O+S
  full album stream
  "Permanent Scar" [mp3]
  "We Do What We Want To" [mp3]

  
  
  Obits: I Blame You
  full album stream
  "Pine On" [mp3]

  
  
  Pearl Jam: Ten (Legacy Edition)
  full album stream

  
  
  Pete Doherty: Grace/Wastelands
  full album stream

  
  
  Red Red Meat: Bunny Gets Paid (remastered)
  full album stream
  "Gauze" [mp3]

  
  
  Royksopp: Junior
  full album stream

  
  
  Sarah Borges: The Stars Are Out
  "Better at the End of the Day" [mp3]

  
  
  Swan Lake: Enemy Mine
  "Spanish Gold 2044" [mp3]
  "A Hand at Dusk" [mp3]
  "Spider" [mp3]

  
  
  The Takeover UK: Running With the Wasters
  full album stream
  "Running with the Wasters" [mp3]

  
  
  Various Artists: True to the Game
  full album stream

  
  
  Various Artists: The Very Best of Prestige Records
  full album stream

  
  
  The Vines: Melodia
  "Get Out" [mp3]

  
  
  Winter Gloves: About a Girl
  "Let Me Drive" [mp3]

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous Try It Before You Buy It lists
  CD & DVD release lists
  online "best of 2008" music lists

  tags: music cd list indie album releases mp3 download free

• The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love

  surviving the golden age - 2009-03-24 16:31:12

  Share Serenade
  The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love
  In what can only be seen as their strangest move yet, the Decemberists release The Hazards of Love, throwing away their once beautiful indie pop for grandiose arpeggios and oddly placed stoner rock break downs.
  The album is actually an epic tale about about a girl named Margaret and her lover William, a shape-shifting forest dweller. Margaret discovers she is pregnant, and sets off into the forest to find William. There she is met by a jealous forest queen and a murderous knave and other crazy shit.
  Sound a bit heady? The music definitely reflects the story line. Each song just interconnects into the next making one long 60-minute track. The music is weighty and obtuse, often just as bizzare as the story line Meloy expects us to follow.
  It's not that I hate music that tells a story, but this kind of self-falating rock opera is the most egregious of all rock album offenses. If this has made any one more of a fan of the Decemberists, I will be surprised. However if it has managed to alienate some of the band's fan, I will find that incredibly believable.
  Rating: 2.4/10
  MP3: The Decemberists "A Bower Scene"
  Buy: iTunes, Insound

  

• Try It Before You Buy It (March 24th Music Releases)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-24 15:43:35

  Share Serenade

  Try It Before You Buy It features free and legal mp3 downloads and full album streams from this week's music releases:

  
  1990s: Kicks
  full album stream
  "The Box" [mp3]

  
  
  Amadou & Mariam: Welcome To Mali
  full album stream

  
  
  The Balky Mule: The Length of a Rail
  "Range" [mp3]

  
  
  Condo F**ks: F**kbook
  full album stream

  
  
  Decemberists: The Hazards of Love
  full album stream

  
  
  Fridge: Early Output 1996-1998
  "Astrozero" [mp3] from Early Output 1996-1998

  
  
  Harlem Shakes: Technicolor Health
  full album stream
  "Strictly Game" [mp3]

  
  
  Jim Jones: Praying for Reign
  full album stream

  
  
  Mono: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
  full album stream
  "Ashes in the Snow" [mp3]

  
  
  O+S: O+S
  "Permanent Scar" [mp3]
  "We Do What We Want To" [mp3]

  
  
  Obits: I Blame You
  full album stream
  "Pine On" [mp3]

  
  
  Pearl Jam: Ten (Legacy Edition)
  full album stream

  
  
  Pete Doherty: Grace/Wastelands
  full album stream

  
  
  Red Red Meat: Bunny Gets Paid (remastered)
  full album stream
  "Gauze" [mp3]

  
  
  Royksopp: Junior
  full album stream

  
  
  Sarah Borges: The Stars Are Out
  "Better at the End of the Day" [mp3]

  
  
  Swan Lake: Enemy Mine
  "Spanish Gold 2044" [mp3]
  "A Hand at Dusk" [mp3]
  "Spider" [mp3]

  
  
  The Takeover UK: Running With the Wasters
  full album stream
  "Running with the Wasters" [mp3]

  
  
  Various Artists: True to the Game
  full album stream

  
  
  Various Artists: The Very Best of Prestige Records
  full album stream

  
  
  The Vines: Melodia
  "Get Out" [mp3]

  
  
  Winter Gloves: About a Girl
  "Let Me Drive" [mp3]

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous Try It Before You Buy It lists
  CD & DVD release lists
  online "best of 2008" music lists

  tags: music cd list indie album releases mp3 download free

  

  

  

• New Music Tuesday

  RADIO CURE: A Music Blog From Down South - 2009-03-24 07:16:38

  Share Serenade
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Swan Lake- Enemy Mines
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Dan Deacon - Bromst
  

  

• This Week's Interesting Music Releases (March 24th, 2009)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-23 20:42:19

  Share Serenade
  

  The Decemberists fifth album, The Hazards of Love, is in stores tomorrow, but the self titled debut of Fever Ray (side project of The Knife's Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson) is my favorite new release of the week.

  From what I have already heard, I can also strongly recommend Amadou & Mariam's Welcome To Mali, 1990s' Kicks, Harlem Shakes' Technicolor Health, Jeremy Jay's Slow Dance, Mono's Hymn to the Immortal Wind, and Swan Lake's Enemy Mine.

  Three Radiohead studio albums have been remastered and are out tomorrow. The Bends, OK Computer, and Pablo Honey all come with a bonus CD of outtakes and rarities, and also are available in deluxe editions that include a DVD.

  Aside from the Radiohead remastered editions, the remastered Serge Gainsbourg classic album Histoire de Melody Nelson is wonderfully packaged and lovingly restored (especially the vinyl edition).

  What new releases can you recommend? Have I left anything off the list?

  This week's interesting CD releases:

  1990s: Kicks (vinyl)
  Amadou & Mariam: Welcome To Mali
  Arthur Russell: The Sleeping Bag Sessions (vinyl)
  Bacon Brothers: New Year's Day
  The Balky Mule: The Length Of The Rail
  Beep Beep: Enchanted Islands
  Big Country: The Final Fling (dvd)
  Charles Spearin: The Happiness Project (vinyl)
  Coheed & Cambria: Neverender: Children of the Fence Edition (4-CD & 5-DVD box set)
  Condo F**ks: F**kbook
  Craig Wedren: Role Models (soundtrack)
  Crosby Stills Nash & Young: CSNY/Deja Vu Live (2-LP vinyl)
  Dalek: Gutter Tactics (vinyl)
  Dan Deacon: Bromst (vinyl)
  Dan Hicks: Tangled Tales (vinyl)
  Decemberists: The Hazards of Love (vinyl)
  Dirty Projectors: Byond Uquafina
  Dukes Of Stratosphear: 25 O'Clock
  Dukes Of Stratosphear: Psonic Psunspot (remastered)
  Enter the Haggis: Gutter Anthems
  Eric Lindell: Gulf Coast Highway
  Fever Ray: Fever Ray
  Fireworks: All I Have to Offer Is My Own Confusion
  Fridge: Early Output 1996-1998
  Gramercy Arms: Gramercy Arms
  Green Day: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (2-LP reissue)
  Green Day: Kerplunk (vinyl)
  Harlem Shakes: Technicolor Health
  Husker Du: Candy Apple Grey (vinyl reissue)
  I.u.d.: The Proper Sex
  Indigo Girls: Poseidon and the Bitter Bug (with bonus CD)
  Jeremy Jay: Slow Dance (vinyl)
  Jim Jones: Pray IV Reign
  John Coltrane: Ascension (remastered)
  John Coltrane: Kulu Se Mama (remastered)
  Klaus Schulze: La Vie Electronique I
  KMFDM: Blitz
  Lotus Plaza: The Floodlight Collective
  The Lymyc Systym: Carved by Glaciers (vinyl)
  M. Ward: End of Amnesia (vinyl reissue)
  Mastodon: Crack the Skye (CD & DVD)
  Mastodon: Divinations (vinyl picture disc single)
  Merzbow: 13 Japanese Birds, Vol. 3
  MF Doom: Born Like This
  Minus 5: Down with Wilco (reissue)
  Mono: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
  MSTRKRFT: Fist of God (vinyl)
  O+S: O+S (vinyl)
  Obits: I Blame You (vinyl)
  Papa Roach: Metamorphosis
  Pearl Jam: Ten (2-CD & DVD Deluxe Edition) (2-CD edition) (2-LP edition) (2-CD & DVD & 4=LP & cassette edition)
  The Peekers: Life In The Air
  Peter Doherty: Grace / Wastelands (CD & DVD) (CD & DVD & T-shirt)
  Ponytail: Ice Cream Spiritual! (green vinyl)
  Radiohead: The Bends (remastered with bonus CD) (2-CDs & DVD)
  Radiohead: OK Computer (remastered with bonus CD) (2-CDs & DVD)
  Radiohead: Pablo Honey (remastered with bonus CD) (2-CDs & DVD)
  Rafter: 10 Songs
  Red Red Meat: Bunny Gets Paid (remastered with bonus disc)
  Royksopp: Junior (vinyl)
  Sarah Borges: The Stars Are Out (vinyl)
  Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson (remastered with bonus tracks) (vinyl)
  Shooter Jennings: Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings & 357's
  Stephen Lynch: 3 Balloons
  Swan Lake: Enemy Mine (vinyl)
  Various Artists: Classic Protest Songs from Smithsonian Folkways
  Various Artists: Hushabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Dolly Parton
  Various Artists: Keep Your Soul: A Tribute To Doug Sahm
  Various Artists: Putumayo Presents: Salsa
  Various Artists: Shrek: The Musical
  The Vines: Melodia
  Warren Zevon: Excitable Boy (vinyl reissue)
  Winter Gloves: About a Girl
  Wynton Marsalis: He And She

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous CD & DVD release lists
  Try It Before You Buy It (music from this week's CD releases)
  2008 Online Year-end Music Lists

  tags: music cd list indie album releases

  

  

  

• This Week's Interesting Music Releases (March 24th, 2009)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-23 20:42:19

  Share Serenade
  

  The Decemberists fifth album, The Hazards of Love, is in stores tomorrow, but the self titled debut of Fever Ray (side project of The Knife's Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson) is my favorite new release of the week.

  From what I have already heard, I can also strongly recommend Amadou & Mariam's Welcome To Mali, 1990s' Kicks, Harlem Shakes' Technicolor Health, Jeremy Jay's Slow Dance, Mono's Hymn to the Immortal Wind, and Swan Lake's Enemy Mine.

  Three Radiohead studio albums have been remastered and are out tomorrow. The Bends, OK Computer, and Pablo Honey all come with a bonus CD of outtakes and rarities, and also are available in deluxe editions that include a DVD.

  Aside from the Radiohead remastered editions, the remastered Serge Gainsbourg classic album Histoire de Melody Nelson is wonderfully packaged and lovingly restored (especially the vinyl edition).

  What new releases can you recommend? Have I left anything off the list?

  This week's interesting CD releases:

  1990s: Kicks (vinyl)
  Amadou & Mariam: Welcome To Mali
  Arthur Russell: The Sleeping Bag Sessions (vinyl)
  Bacon Brothers: New Year's Day
  The Balky Mule: The Length Of The Rail
  Beep Beep: Enchanted Islands
  Big Country: The Final Fling (dvd)
  Charles Spearin: The Happiness Project (vinyl)
  Coheed & Cambria: Neverender: Children of the Fence Edition (4-CD & 5-DVD box set)
  Condo F**ks: F**kbook
  Craig Wedren: Role Models (soundtrack)
  Crosby Stills Nash & Young: CSNY/Deja Vu Live (2-LP vinyl)
  Dalek: Gutter Tactics (vinyl)
  Dan Deacon: Bromst (vinyl)
  Dan Hicks: Tangled Tales (vinyl)
  Decemberists: The Hazards of Love (vinyl)
  Dirty Projectors: Byond Uquafina
  Dukes Of Stratosphear: 25 O'Clock
  Dukes Of Stratosphear: Psonic Psunspot (remastered)
  Enter the Haggis: Gutter Anthems
  Eric Lindell: Gulf Coast Highway
  Fever Ray: Fever Ray
  Fireworks: All I Have to Offer Is My Own Confusion
  Fridge: Early Output 1996-1998
  Gramercy Arms: Gramercy Arms
  Green Day: 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (2-LP reissue)
  Green Day: Kerplunk (vinyl)
  Harlem Shakes: Technicolor Health
  Husker Du: Candy Apple Grey (vinyl reissue)
  I.u.d.: The Proper Sex
  Indigo Girls: Poseidon and the Bitter Bug (with bonus CD)
  Jeremy Jay: Slow Dance (vinyl)
  Jim Jones: Pray IV Reign
  John Coltrane: Ascension (remastered)
  John Coltrane: Kulu Se Mama (remastered)
  Klaus Schulze: La Vie Electronique I
  KMFDM: Blitz
  Lotus Plaza: The Floodlight Collective
  The Lymyc Systym: Carved by Glaciers (vinyl)
  M. Ward: End of Amnesia (vinyl reissue)
  Mastodon: Crack the Skye (CD & DVD)
  Mastodon: Divinations (vinyl picture disc single)
  Merzbow: 13 Japanese Birds, Vol. 3
  MF Doom: Born Like This
  Minus 5: Down with Wilco (reissue)
  Mono: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
  MSTRKRFT: Fist of God (vinyl)
  O+S: O+S (vinyl)
  Obits: I Blame You (vinyl)
  Papa Roach: Metamorphosis
  Pearl Jam: Ten (2-CD & DVD Deluxe Edition) (2-CD edition) (2-LP edition) (2-CD & DVD & 4=LP & cassette edition)
  The Peekers: Life In The Air
  Peter Doherty: Grace / Wastelands (CD & DVD) (CD & DVD & T-shirt)
  Ponytail: Ice Cream Spiritual! (green vinyl)
  Radiohead: The Bends (remastered with bonus CD) (2-CDs & DVD)
  Radiohead: OK Computer (remastered with bonus CD) (2-CDs & DVD)
  Radiohead: Pablo Honey (remastered with bonus CD) (2-CDs & DVD)
  Rafter: 10 Songs
  Red Red Meat: Bunny Gets Paid (remastered with bonus disc)
  Royksopp: Junior (vinyl)
  Sarah Borges: The Stars Are Out (vinyl)
  Serge Gainsbourg: Histoire de Melody Nelson (remastered with bonus tracks) (vinyl)
  Shooter Jennings: Bad Magick: The Best of Shooter Jennings & 357's
  Stephen Lynch: 3 Balloons
  Swan Lake: Enemy Mine (vinyl)
  Various Artists: Classic Protest Songs from Smithsonian Folkways
  Various Artists: Hushabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Dolly Parton
  Various Artists: Keep Your Soul: A Tribute To Doug Sahm
  Various Artists: Putumayo Presents: Salsa
  Various Artists: Shrek: The Musical
  The Vines: Melodia
  Warren Zevon: Excitable Boy (vinyl reissue)
  Winter Gloves: About a Girl
  Wynton Marsalis: He And She

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous CD & DVD release lists
  Try It Before You Buy It (music from this week's CD releases)
  2008 Online Year-end Music Lists

  tags: music cd list indie album releases

• DOOM: Born Like This

  surviving the golden age - 2009-03-23 18:33:40

  Share Serenade
  DOOM: Born Like This
  Keeping up with what MF Doom is calling himself these days is a full time job. The thing that remains constant is his irrepressible flow of loosely stitched together non sequiturs.
  Born Like This has been described by DOOM as his "definitive album... not encapsulating but surpassing all of his previous work."
  The album's first track is the J Dilla produced "Gazzillion Ear". The song sounds like two tracks smashed together. But rather than sound haphazard it shines as indeed an encapsulation of the essence of DOOM: no chorus, random lyrics, and a steady flow.
  The album features appearances by Raekwon, Ghostface, Prince Paul, and Slug. The guests don't appear because of their ability to move units, but rather because of their ability to submerge themselves into character.
  DOOM, also, digs up NYC rapper Kurious for a guest appearance. His last release was the 2001 single "All Great" but his verse on "More Rhymin'" makes you wish he appeared more often.
  The truth is after listening to Born Like This, you wish DOOM released albums more often. Although fans will argue, I can say I believe this is the pinnacle of his career, every track is spot on with delivery, lyrical content, and production.
  Rating: 9.3/10
  MP3: DOOM "Gazzillion Ear"
  Buy: iTunes, Insound

  

• Again, I'm Reminded Why I Don't Like The Decemberists

  I Rock Cleveland - 2009-03-23 17:01:45

  Share Serenade
  From Colin Melloy's Twitter (Upon receiving a very pedestrian 5.7 album review from Pitchfork's Marc Hogan) : A call to arms! A Pitchfork Critical Mass e-Mooning! Send pics of your derriere (clothed or un-) to http://tinyurl.com/da9fup.
  
  And that URL happens to be Marc Hogan's email address at P4K.
  
  From the Daily Swarm
  

  

  

  

• He Didn't Start The Fire (But It's His To Put Out)

  ANALOG blog - 2009-03-21 03:49:06

  Share Serenade
  Robert Gibbs gave an admirably nimble response to the concern that his brand new administration is trying to do too much in the face of such a massive banking crisis. He compared the country's plight to a house that's on fire, and joked that you wouldn't ask the fire department to put out only specific parts of the blaze. You just want the fire out.
  
  True.
  
  But his metaphorical logic comes up short on one key point. Again, staying with the fire metaphor, if you look at the National Fire Protection Association's standard #1710, which deals with the protocol for the 'Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations', the problem quickly becomes clear:

  5.2.1.1* On-duty fire suppression personnel shall be comprised of the numbers necessary for fire-fighting performance relative to the expected fire-fighting conditions. These numbers shall be determined through task analyses that take the following factors into consideration:

  (1) Life hazard to the populace protected
  (2) Provisions of safe and effective fire-fighting performance conditions for the fire fighters
  (3) Potential property loss
  (4) Nature, configuration, hazards, and internal protection of the properties involved
  (5) Types of fireground tactics and evolutions employed as standard procedure, type of apparatus used, and results expected to be obtained at the fire scene

  -- NFPA 1710

  Our current 'On-duty fire suppression personnel' consists of one guy:
  
  
  
  That lonely name on the Treasury Department's website is Tim Geithner. It is abundantly clear to anyone with a TV that Geithner is stretched beyond his capacity. He does not have the resources to provide even a halfway decent response to a fire, let alone the several that are raging across our economy at the moment.
  
  And Geithner's problems are Obama's problems. Much as I like Obama (especially how he plays small ball), he may well be sealing his fate in these first few weeks by not focusing all of his efforts on putting out this fire in the banking industry. Like all newly elected Presidents, he has embraced the mirage of political capital. By way of buzzkill, he need only look back 4 years to when Bush declared a non-existent mandate which he promptly squandered on a Quixotic attempt to privatize Social Security. He was a lame duck before his second town meeting.
  
  Health care can wait. Education reform can wait. Everything. Can. Wait.
  
  Our Federal Reserve just dumped Weimar-esque amounts of currency into the economy because of Obama's lack of focus. We spent the past week talking about garroting AIG staff with piano wire. The House has channeled the collective outrage into a bill of attainder. The political chatter next week will certainly center around Timothy Geithner's ability to stay on at Treasury, and none of this will inch us any closer toward the exit of our current crisis.
  
  Obama needs to summon the strength that eludes him most: practicality. Instead of talking about food policy (which was the subject of his last weekly address), he should actually go back and listen to how plainly FDR spoke in his Fireside Chats. Skip the flowery rhetoric, skip the nuanced long-term outlook, and hunker down on concrete details. Explain the AIG collapse, apologize for the bonuses, promise to work ceaselessly to get a functioning Treasury Department in place and restore the vitality of the American banking system.
  
  His rival in the election sealed his fate when he notoriously 'suspended his campaign' to return to Washington to focus on a solution to the banking crisis. That was half a year ago. If Obama can echo McCain's sentiment that the fundamentals of our economy are strong (which they are), perhaps he can also embrace the wisdom of actually shifting into crisis mode. The collateral damage of idiotic acts of Congress and blathering talking heads is unimportant, but in order to keep it strictly collateral, he has to actually address the crisis head-on. If he doesn't, Obama will be a lame duck faster than his predecessor, and the country will be on a fast track to even greater calamity.

  

• Stream Decemberists' Hazards Of Love

  stereogum - 2009-03-20 12:01:27

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  We've added a full album stream to yesterday's post. Take a listen and join the discussion of Mr. Meloy's polarizing prog opera here.

  

• Decemberists debut new album at South by Southwest

  OregonLive.com: Pop Music - 2009-03-19 19:57:45

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  The Decemberists' new album, "The Hazards of Love." Portland's own indie/folk-rockers The Decemberists debuted their new album, "The Hazards of Love," at SXSW in Austin last night, and there's been a big response, less than a day later. Since I...

• Decemberists' Hazards Of Love Debuts At SXSW

  stereogum - 2009-03-19 10:41:26

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  Last night Austin's Stubb's Bar-B-Q hosted the live debut of Decemberists' Hazards Of Love, the latest morbid prog opera from a band famous for them. NPR.org streamed the ambitious performance of this dictionary rock LP start to finish, adding a chatroom so fans could ask each other what foxglove is in real time. Per NPR: "The Hazards Of Love tells the woodland melodrama of a character named Margaret who encounters such obstacles as a lecherous villain, forest royalty and rapacious, shape-shifting fauna." Who knew they had it in them? (Everyone knew they had it in them.)

  
  Continue reading Decemberists' Hazards Of Love Debuts At SXSW...

  

• Amorous Dangerous

  Faronheit - 2009-03-19 05:08:00

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  The word "rock opera" is thrown around far too little these days, and that's a good thing if you ask me. Far too many rock operas have turned out poorly, from The Who's "Tommy" to Pink Floyd's "The Wall." It seems that most bands expending the effort to tell a cohesive story while maintaining a strong instrumental base just seem to allow one or the other to fail and the end products are shaky at best. Why, of all bands, The Decemberists might try their hand at a rock opera is officially beyond my comprehension, though with some of the tales told through various songs on their previous records this probably shouldn't be a complete surprise. I mean, if they can do the 18-minute epic "The Tain" and succeed, why not a 60-minute opera? The idea doesn't feel completely stupid on paper, lest you consider all those previous attempts and failures.
  
  So we have "The Hazards of Love," what might be considered the magnum opus from The Decemberists. There are characters and an intriguing plot that I will not discuss for fear of misinterpreting it in some way. And as important as this story is to the entire record, I advise you to avoid even listening to the characters and plot exposition until you've gotten a good grip on the music itself first, because this sounds unlike any Decemberists album I've ever heard. A few songs are buttressed by some hair metal electric guitar power chords, among other things that may very well shock you about this record. Also the reliance on alternate vocalists, from Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond to Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond throw an additional few twists into thils wild ride of an album. They play various characters in this fictional world that Meloy has formed the plot around. So just listening to the performances themselves rather than the established plot will get you in good past the first few listens, at which time you can then work to find out exactly what's happened.
  
  Sonically speaking, "The Hazards of Love" is a very compelling record. Not knowing exactly what's coming next and wild variations in style and tone help greatly in keeping the listener fully engaged from start to finish. It also makes me wonder how well these songs would work solely on their own outside of the full rock opera context. "The Rake's Song" is getting airplay on a fair number of radio stations across the country right now, and I suppose that's testament to how you might be able to like these songs were a couple to pop up on your shuffle mode. But far and away, each song's power and magic work best within the confines of the entire record. They seem to make better sense where they're placed, even if you don't completely understand what the lyrics are babbling on about.
  
  The question that I'm left wondering is how many people are going to devote the time to giving "The Hazards of Love" its full due by listening to the entire thing from start to finish a multitude of times? In today's work-a-day world where single songs seem to be gaining more and more traction and the traditional album seems to be dying a slow and painful death, The Decemberists have composed a rich full length record that bucks the current trend. It is simultaneously inspiring and upsetting, knowing that some artists still believe the album has plenty of saving graces while much of the general public has lost interest or doesn't care because they'll just move on to the next thing. If you read this site often enough, you probably know by now that I almost always review an entire record rather than just a song or two. Sure, I may only give you that much in audio form, but the intention is to give you that small taste and see if it's to your liking before you jump in and make a full album investment. So while I am offering up a single song download from "The Hazards of Love" for your consideration, please be aware that this is sort of an "all or nothing" prospect when you're thinking about buying this album. A song or two on their own might appeal to your ears, but I promise you they work even better when made part of this rock opera. After all, you don't enter a movie theatre during the middle of a film, stay for 5 minutes and then leave, do you? Isn't that the purpose of a movie trailer? But getting back on point, this album may not be the best thing The Decemberists have ever released but I like to think of it as coming pretty damn close. With all the challenges that putting on a rock opera can bring, from characters and plotting, not to mention music to go along with all that, The Decemberists have avoided many of the pratfalls previous efforts have fallen into. This isn't a perfect album by any means, but it tells a great story with the band's typical flowery prose and great instrumental work at the helm. So long as they don't try to make a movie out of this, I'll be okay.
  
  The Decemberists- The Rake's Song [alt]
  
  Buy "The Hazards of Love" from iTunes now
  
  Preorder "The Hazards of Love" in a variety of formats from The Decemberists shop

  

• Video: Decemberists @ IFC Crossroads Party SXSW 2009

  Sonic Itch Music - 2009-03-19 00:36:04

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  I held off on investing much into the Decemberists for awhile, until they caught my attention @ ACL 2007. I only caught a couple of songs then, but have been curiously awaiting the next op to see them on stage. Last night confirmed the band’s ability and talent. With the band set to play their new release The Hazards of Love in it’s entirety @ tonites SXSW performance, they settled in for an evening of exploring their catalog of personal favs and hits, and a cover or two. Colin Meloy, playful with the crowd, and the band delivering on all promises one band of this talent is capable of delivering.

  A small snipit of what was witnessed:

  
  the Decemberists @ IFC Crossroads -

• This Week's Interesting Music Releases (March 17th, 2009)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-16 16:19:42

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  SXSW Music is this week, and that usually means a slow music release week.

  As with every Will Oldham release, I will be scurrying down to my local music store tomorrow morning to pick up his latest Bonnie Prince Billy album, Beware (and finally replace the annoying promo CD sent my way last month).

  I plan to pick up the Nick Lowe greatest hits 2-CD release, Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe as well as Willie Nelson's Naked Willie tomorrow.

  From what has already been sent my way, I can strongly recommend An Horse's Rearrange Beds, Black Joe Lewis's Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!, Sara Lov's Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming, White Lies' How to Lose My Life, and Wavves' Wavvves.

  The week's reissues are highlighted by four Scott Walker remastered albums. Boy Child 67-70, Classics & Collectibles, Sings Jacques Brel and Tilt.

  What new releases can you recommend? Have I left anything off the list?

  This week's interesting CD releases:

  An Horse: Rearrange Beds
  Annie Lennox: The Annie Lennox Collection (2-CD and DVD Deluxe Edition)
  Band Called Quinn: Sun Moon Stars
  Black Joe Lewis: Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! (vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Heaven & Hell (remastered vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Heaven & Hell (remastered vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Live Evil (remastered vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Mob Rules (remastered vinyl)
  BoA: BoA
  Bonnie Prince Billy: Beware (vinyl
  The Boy Least Likely To: Law of the Playground (import)
  The Damned: Anything (remastered with bonus disc)
  The Damned: Phantasmagoria (remastered with bonus disc)
  David Grissom: 10,000 Feet
  Decemberists: Hazards of Love (vinyl)
  Dylan in the Movies: Feel the Pull EP (import reissue)
  Eleni Mandell: Artificial Fire (vinyl)
  Gabriella Cilmi: Lessons to Be Learned
  Joshua James: Joshua James
  Joy Division: Leigh Rock Festival 1979 (import vinyl)
  Kelly Joe Phelps: Western Bell
  Les Claypool: Of Fungi and Foe
  Little Walter: The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967) (5-CD box set)
  The Love Willows: Hey! Hey!
  The Loved Ones: Distractions EP (vinyl)
  Marianne Faithfull: Easy Come, Easy Go (2-CD deluxe edition)
  moe.: Instant Live: Electric Factory
  Nick Lowe: Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe (2-CDs) (deluxe edition with 2-CDs and DVD)
  NOFX: Backstage Passport (dvd)
  Paramore: The Final Riot! (Blu-ray DVD)
  Pet Shop Boys: Love Etc. Remixes
  Principles of Geometry: Interstate Highway System (vinyl)
  Ruth Ruth: Live in Toronto
  Sam Bisbee: Son of a Math Teacher
  Sara Lov: Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming
  Say Hi: Oohs & Aahs (vinyl)
  Scott Walker: Boy Child 67-70 (remastered)
  Scott Walker: Classics & Collectibles (remastered)
  Scott Walker: Sings Jacques Brel (remastered)
  Scott Walker: Tilt (remastered)
  The Script: The Script
  Starsailor: All the Plans
  Static-X: Cult of Static
  Superdrag: Industry Giants
  Susumu Yokota: Mother
  Tom Waits: Romeo Bleeding: Live From Austin
  U2: 7 EP (import reissue)
  Various Artists: The Blues Box (7-CD box set)
  Various Artists: Juno Awards 2009
  Various Artists: Twilight Soundtrack (with bonus DVD)
  Various Artists Watchmen (soundtrack) (vinyl)
  Violens: V EP
  Wavves: Wavvves (vinyl)
  White Lies: How to Lose My Life (vinyl)
  Willie Nelson: Naked Willie
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Zero (single)

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous CD & DVD release lists
  Try It Before You Buy It (music from this week's CD releases)
  2008 Online Year-end Music Lists

  tags: music cd list indie album releases

• This Week's Interesting Music Releases (March 17th, 2009)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-03-16 16:19:42

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  SXSW Music is this week, and that usually means a slow music release week.

  As with every Will Oldham release, I will be scurrying down to my local music store tomorrow morning to pick up his latest Bonnie Prince Billy album, Beware (and finally replace the annoying promo CD sent my way last month).

  I plan to pick up the Nick Lowe greatest hits 2-CD release, Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe as well as Willie Nelson's Naked Willie tomorrow.

  From what has already been sent my way, I can strongly recommend An Horse's Rearrange Beds, Black Joe Lewis's Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!, Sara Lov's Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming, White Lies' How to Lose My Life, and Wavves' Wavvves.

  The week's reissues are highlighted by four Scott Walker remastered albums. Boy Child 67-70, Classics & Collectibles, Sings Jacques Brel and Tilt.

  What new releases can you recommend? Have I left anything off the list?

  This week's interesting CD releases:

  An Horse: Rearrange Beds
  Annie Lennox: The Annie Lennox Collection (2-CD and DVD Deluxe Edition)
  Band Called Quinn: Sun Moon Stars
  Black Joe Lewis: Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! (vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Heaven & Hell (remastered vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Heaven & Hell (remastered vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Live Evil (remastered vinyl)
  Black Sabbath: Mob Rules (remastered vinyl)
  BoA: BoA
  Bonnie Prince Billy: Beware (vinyl
  The Boy Least Likely To: Law of the Playground (import)
  The Damned: Anything (remastered with bonus disc)
  The Damned: Phantasmagoria (remastered with bonus disc)
  David Grissom: 10,000 Feet
  Decemberists: Hazards of Love (vinyl)
  Dylan in the Movies: Feel the Pull EP (import reissue)
  Eleni Mandell: Artificial Fire (vinyl)
  Gabriella Cilmi: Lessons to Be Learned
  Joshua James: Joshua James
  Joy Division: Leigh Rock Festival 1979 (import vinyl)
  Kelly Joe Phelps: Western Bell
  Les Claypool: Of Fungi and Foe
  Little Walter: The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967) (5-CD box set)
  The Love Willows: Hey! Hey!
  The Loved Ones: Distractions EP (vinyl)
  Marianne Faithfull: Easy Come, Easy Go (2-CD deluxe edition)
  moe.: Instant Live: Electric Factory
  Nick Lowe: Quiet Please: The New Best of Nick Lowe (2-CDs) (deluxe edition with 2-CDs and DVD)
  NOFX: Backstage Passport (dvd)
  Paramore: The Final Riot! (Blu-ray DVD)
  Pet Shop Boys: Love Etc. Remixes
  Principles of Geometry: Interstate Highway System (vinyl)
  Ruth Ruth: Live in Toronto
  Sam Bisbee: Son of a Math Teacher
  Sara Lov: Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming
  Say Hi: Oohs & Aahs (vinyl)
  Scott Walker: Boy Child 67-70 (remastered)
  Scott Walker: Classics & Collectibles (remastered)
  Scott Walker: Sings Jacques Brel (remastered)
  Scott Walker: Tilt (remastered)
  The Script: The Script
  Starsailor: All the Plans
  Static-X: Cult of Static
  Superdrag: Industry Giants
  Susumu Yokota: Mother
  Tom Waits: Romeo Bleeding: Live From Austin
  U2: 7 EP (import reissue)
  Various Artists: The Blues Box (7-CD box set)
  Various Artists: Juno Awards 2009
  Various Artists: Twilight Soundtrack (with bonus DVD)
  Various Artists Watchmen (soundtrack) (vinyl)
  Violens: V EP
  Wavves: Wavvves (vinyl)
  White Lies: How to Lose My Life (vinyl)
  Willie Nelson: Naked Willie
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Zero (single)

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous CD & DVD release lists
  Try It Before You Buy It (music from this week's CD releases)
  2008 Online Year-end Music Lists

  tags: music cd list indie album releases

  

  

  

• Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Begushkin Live at the IMC in Champaign, IL

  ThaBombShelter - 2009-03-15 14:39:16

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  I would say we made a pretty good choice for our first concert in Champaign-Urbana, our neighboring twin cities. I mean, how often do you get the chance to see Bonnie "Prince" Billy perform in an old converted Post Office? We made the 45-ish minute trip on Friday afternoon and found ourselves sitting in on Begushkin's sound check through the kindness of Seth Fein (of The Canopy Club). The venue was superb, with couches and a popcorn vendor, but it was the acts that made this performance something to remember. With opener Begushkin, Will Oldham and friends took us on an emotional trip, both inside and outside of ourselves, a trip that you could feel in your gut just by looking at Oldham's face as he shouted and cooed, spit and crooned.
  
  I wasn't very familiar with Begushkin before the show, but then, I didn't find out they were opening for BPB until Friday Morning. But after listening to the two tracks they had on their MySpace page, I knew I would enjoy them. Their sound was a beautiful combination of The Coral, Circulus, and The Arcade Fire, all swampy, maritime, minstrel rock. Emily was less enamored, but this brilliant combination was right up my alley. The lead singer was smarmy and intense, gently humping the microphone stand to keep tempo. While disconcerting at times, it did add a certain something to his presence, like a piratical lounge singer licking his lips and eying the wench in the back. Now that I think about it, his presence reminds me of how Serge Gainsbourg and Jarvis Cocker sound when they're at their smarmiest, sleezy and slimy and awesome. The songs didn't really reflect much of that smarminess, at least as far as I could tell. Rather, they were often medieval tromps through green pastures and dank dungeons, slaying dragons and gallavanting across the high seas.
  
  When Will Oldham and Co. made their way onto the stage I was struck by just how unassuming Oldham looked in person. I had never really made an effort to find out what he looked like before hand. I mean, sure, I had a vague idea, but not a truly clear mental image. And I certainly didn't have any idea what kind of performer he would turn out to be. I think the picture at the top there pretty accurately describes Oldham's stage presence. He is an intense singer, and by intense I mean INTENSE. And here I thought the lead singer of Begushkin was intense, that guy was comatose compared to Oldham.
  
  And it wasn't just on the barn-burners that Oldham drilled into us and everyone in the audience; it was on the dark, brooding songs as well, songs like, "I See a Darkness" and "Cursed Sleep". He sang with his hands and stood on one leg, he danced un-self consciously and shouted across the stage. He stared deep into the eyes of violinist Cheyenne Mize on songs like "There's a Girl in Me" and "Ain't You Wealthy" and I could see a connection. If they're not an item, you can call me fooled. I look at my wife like that, and I can't imagine not loving the woman locked within the gaze he gave her. This display of such emotional intensity should have come as no surprise, especially given the highly emotional nature of his recordings.
  
  But it wasn't all raw emotion. Our first impression of Oldham was one of wild-eyed craziness, a standoffish, unlikely rock star (or as Emily put it, "The ugliest man in Indie Rock"). But he would bely that incorrect first impression with funny rapport throughout the show, telling us the story behind, "The Champion" and making light of the wintry conditions outside and the wintry nature of his songs, lamenting their recent journey away from their hometown of Louisville. The drummer was also a sight to behold. Jim White was his name, and if he wasn't a jazz drummer in a former life, you can call me Sally. There was a fluidity to his motions; a kind of haphazard beauty that was never out of time. His arms were up and down, out to his sides and splashing into the cymbals, whiskers sliding across the skins, mallets booming into the small room. He was a liquid drummer, graceful and effortless, which is not what we would have guessed. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had found him outside on a bus-stop bench sleeping underneath a newspaper (not really, but he did look pretty dishevelled), and he was probably one of the best drummers I've ever had the pleasure to have seen. It was incredible.
  
  They ended the show with a short encore that included one of the most touching, loving, sincere, genuine, true songs I've heard in a long time. The song was called, "The Girl in Me" and at first folks were snickering as Will started with the first line, "There's a girl in me...", but while what followed was indeed humorous at times, it was also filled with touching duet lines between Will and Cheyenne. It had the unabashed cuteness of inside jokes between two life-long partners, the sort of things that sound silly to outside parties, but which have special meaning to those involved. It was so good, that when I came home I immediately tracked down what album it was on and ordered my copy of the pink-marbled, double LP compilation, "Louisville is for Lovers". It was a great end for a great show, and I'm sure it left a wonderful feeling inside everyone that was leaving that night.
  
  Check back tomorrow for photos, videos and live tracks!
  
  "Kings Curse" Begushkin
  "Ain't You Wealthy/Ain't You Wise" Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  "Cursed Sleep" Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  "So Everyone" Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  
  

  Begushkin- MySpace Buy
  Bonnie 'Prince' Billy- Official Wiki Buy
  

  

• The Promising 'Sunshine Cleaning' Fails To Shine

  :: The Playlist :: - 2009-03-13 13:43:00

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  A sweet, somewhat loopy modest family dramedy, "Sunshine Cleaning," is a well-intentioned, if ultimately not completely satisfying little picture that deserves better than where it ended up.
  
  Directed by Christine Jeffs ("Sylvia" with Gwyneth Paltrow in 2003), the trailer suggest an offbeat, "quirky indie" and while there are those muted notes to call it that would be cheap and lazy. What is really delivered is a more honest and auspicious character-driven indie that eventually and sadly, loses its way. Revolving a motherless family, a struggling single mother (Amy Adams), a slacker sister (Emily Blunt) and their get rich or die trying father (Alan Arkin), the story's underachieving plot kicks into gear when Adam's A.D.D. son is kicked out of school for seemingly innocuous misbehavior. To afford tuition, she concocts a plan to a start an odd biohazard removal/crime scene clean-up business -- brainstormed by the married cop she's sleeping with -- roping in her unreliable sister.
  
  Promising and quietly observed, 'Cleaning' loses sight of its charming spirit when it eventually tries to tie all its loose threads far too perfectly; its not in synch with what we've been given initially. The characters are sympathetic, unique and the performances are keenly compassionate (especially a spectacular Adams), but around the halfway mark it the picture begins to unravel on itself. With its endearing low-stakes it's the type of film that should let the plot chips lie where they may, but it can't resist the urge bowtie wrap and in doing so does itself a great disservice.
  
  There is something charming and beguiling in its first half, there's a great cast here (an excellent Steve Zahn too) for good reason and it isn't the pay (it clearly looks like a labor of love; we swear half the shot is underlit by an F-stop). Megan Holley's script has some wonderfully flawed and imperfectly underachieving characters within it. There is something definitely worthwhile in this picture trying to fight its way out, but its undone by one little cliche after another. Initially you can forgive the false grace notes, the actors imbue it all with highly-affecting heartful humanity, but after the third and fourth transgression in the second act you tend to simply feel resentment; as if the choices are betraying these appealing and winning people.
  
  The cast - rounded out by and oddball one-armed Clifton Collins Jr. - is solid, but Adams shines brightest as the mother and big sister to her aimless sibling (Blunt). She always conveys such an innate vulnerability and fragility its uncannily penetrating. When she quivers with emotions, a flurry of feelings in her face flutter in one pained glance, we too quiver and knows exactly how she feels.
  
  The main hokey part of 'Sunshine' which doesn't ruin it per se, but doesn't help, is the formulaic and near corny metaphor. By cleaning up the passed-on loved ones in other people's lives -- and helping out in some small measure the pain they have to deal with, they begin to dust-off the clues surrounding their mothers death when they were mostly too young to remember it. The little flashbacks are an aggravating uneven choice and its a game of little contriving story inches that eventually stack up against the picture's total grade.
  
  Musically, Michael Penn's score alternates between an winsome instrumental New Pornographers-like drive, a Jon Brion whimsy and a too-pronounced form of templated indie melancholy, it mostly works, but its forefront mix at times could have registered more subtly.
  
  We're still interested too see what writer and director do next. Lord knows its rare that a mother this well rounded and complicated is shown on screen, and there's a ton of promise in "Sunshine Cleaning," its just not quite fulfilled as brightly as it should be. [B-]
  

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• New Decemberists (Feat. Becky Stark) - "Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga)

  stereogum - 2009-03-13 09:32:55

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  The next song title in a collection of very Decemberisty track titles to come from the Portland outfit's forthcoming The Hazards Of Love is "Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga)." It's a distinct shift from the tanpura-and-strums of "The Hazards Of Love (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle The Thistles Undone)" and the balls of "The Rake's Song," unfolding as a funky, occasionally '70s-psychedelic folk rocker. It's a song sung from the perspective of Margaret, played here by Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark, who got herself knocked up by William (one Colin Meloy). As the album unfolds, their love is contested by a "jealous forest queen" voiced by My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden. In other words, Colin Meloy is thesaurus-rock's Woody Allen.

  
  Continue reading New Decemberists (Feat. Becky Stark) - "Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga)...

  

• Passion Pit @ Nouveau Casino (Paris) 3/2/09

  Radio Free Chicago - 2009-03-11 16:29:27

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  Every new venue I come across overseas, there's always the expectation that it will be as big as the Metro or Riviera given the names on the bill. So with trepidation I entered the Nouveau Casino for Passion Pit's first show in the city. Given the hype following the Massachusetts electro indie pop group in the States, you'd expect nothing but another big venue. Though, like other recent examples here of Alkaline Trio playing a venue smaller than the Fireside and Hold Steady playing somewhere smaller than the Bottom Lounge, there was the astonishment to see Passion Pit playing a 350-400 person venue on a random Monday night.

  The manager's videographer was caught by surprise that the show sold out with little press at all over here, contrary to our blogs' and music press' coverage. During the opening DJ's set, a random mishmash of tracks covering TLC, Nirvana, funk among others, you could move around easily as long as you dodged the scooter helmets attached to people's hips. Halfway into Passion Pit's set however, this flipped. Every step of the staircase was jammed (it'd be a fire hazard back in Chi-town), balcony brimming, and the cleverly conceived second floor glass-enclosed "smokers room" packed.

  Audiences are often unpredictable here. Unlike shows in the States, most people take an observing point of view, as if watching a movie. Given they're still new and fleetingly featured in one of the free daily papers (20 Minutes called them a mix between Scissor Sisters and Fatboy Slim), people seemed hesitant to burst into dancing when I've Got Your Number started off the night. Moments later, Better Things loosened the crowd and got the floor dancing away. Michael Angelakos and the rest were completely relaxed, not bothering to try French much, though explaining that his wasn't that great, even though "the last time I was here was on a French exchange."

  Though everyone was holding out for the stellar psychedelia of "Sleepyhead," I was personally skeptical on both how the EP would hold up as well as the new material from their upcoming debut album, Manners. No track titles were given during the show, save the finale. Chunk of Change dominated the set and was far more illuminating, far more uplifting performed live with gels of color sweeping over the crowd. The new material follows the same schema, solidifying their sound, though "Seaweed Song" will become the penultimate favorite. After calls for an encore (who'd've thought encore isn't encore, but "bis" over here), "Seaweed Song" closed out the night with Michael alone awash in dark blue light with his keyboard. The electric equivalent of a poignant acoustic ballad, it's a sweet interjection in their catalog of bobbing, bright electropop.

  Click here for the complete photo set

• The Submarines

  Alankomaat - 2009-03-09 11:33:25

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  The Submarines brachten vorig jaar het album Honeysuckle Weeks uit. John Dragonetti en Blake Hazard uit Los Angeles maken zonnige, niets-aan-de-handliedjes. Dit jaar verschijnen twee ep's met remixes van nummers die op het album staan. De eerste ep is al via iTunes beschikbaar. De tweede moet nog uitkomen. Op die laatste ep buigen de heren van Ra Ra Riot, die vorig jaar met het prachtige The Rhumb Line kwamen (zie ook hier), zich over Submarine Symphonika.
  
  

  MP3: The Submarines - Submarine Symphonika (Ra Ra Riot remix)
  

  The Submarines op MySpace
  
  
  

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• The Submarines

  Alankomaat - 2009-03-09 11:33:25

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  The Submarines brachten vorig jaar het album Honeysuckle Weeks uit. John Dragonetti en Blake Hazard uit Los Angeles maken zonnige, niets-aan-de-handliedjes. Dit jaar verschijnen twee ep's met remixes van nummers die op het album staan. De eerste ep is al via iTunes beschikbaar. De tweede moet nog uitkomen. Op die laatste ep buigen de heren van Ra Ra Riot, die vorig jaar met het prachtige The Rhumb Line kwamen (zie ook hier), zich over Submarine Symphonika.
  
  

  MP3: The Submarines - Submarine Symphonika (Ra Ra Riot remix)
  

  The Submarines op MySpace
  
  
  

   Subscribe in a reader

  

• The Submarines

  Alankomaat - 2009-03-09 11:33:25

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  The Submarines brachten vorig jaar het album Honeysuckle Weeks uit. John Dragonetti en Blake Hazard uit Los Angeles maken zonnige, niets-aan-de-handliedjes. Dit jaar verschijnen twee ep's met remixes van nummers die op het album staan. De eerste ep is al via iTunes beschikbaar. De tweede moet nog uitkomen. Op die laatste ep buigen de heren van Ra Ra Riot, die vorig jaar met het prachtige The Rhumb Line kwamen (zie ook hier), zich over Submarine Symphonika.
  
  

  MP3: The Submarines - Submarine Symphonika (Ra Ra Riot remix)
  

  The Submarines op MySpace
  
  
  

   Subscribe in a reader

  

  

  

• :: The Playlist :: - 2009-02-26 19:01:07

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  If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do it to?
  For us the answer is apparently: Yes. If it's ok for Jeffrey Wells to ask for and trade script publicly, it's evidently fine for us to jump off a cliff and do the same, right? We're bad at remembering what we're looking for so Wells' picks help. We're looking for Rob Marshall's "Nine," "The Men Who Stare At Goats," Jim Sheridan's "Brothers," Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life," Sam Mendes' "Away We Go," Werner Herzog's "Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans," Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock," Jim Jarmusch's "The Limits of Control," Soderbergh's "The Girlfriend Experience" (does a script even exist?), "Youth In Revolt," Ellen Page's "Whip It!," "The Time Traveler's Wife" (when the hell is that thing coming out?), Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg," "The Expendables," Lars Von Trier's "Antichrist," Alejandro González Iñárritu's "Biutiful" (if a script exists in English, which it must) and... that's all we can think of off the top of our head. We trade obviously, you probably know where to find us by now.
  
  - Also, you should probably follow us on Twitter now that we've given into that nonsense phenomenon (but how do you monetize it!?). Anyone want to hazard a guess as to how long that thing lasts?
  

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• Howling Bells - ‘Treasure Hunt’

  Who The Bloody Hell Are They - 2009-02-26 12:16:09

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  Howling Bells - ‘Treasure Hunt’

  Sydney’s Howling Bells have returned with a very confident sounding second album Radio Wars. The opener Treasure Hunt is a tidy cut of indie rock gem with Juanita Stein’s distinctive vocals leading the way through the rest of this sophomore collection. They have achieved the double whammy of radioplay in their hometown this week, scoring albums of the week with both local tastemaker FBi Radio and national broadcaster Triple J. I’m glad this album is a step up from their debut, where I wasn’t really into most songs except for Low Happening. After one listen through the album I would hazard a guess that this will fare better with both critics and fans.

  www.myspace.com/howlingbells

• The Curious Case of Fincher's 'Benjamin Button'

  :: The Playlist :: - 2009-02-23 15:54:37

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  Anyone want to hazard a guess of what happened "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" here? 12 nominations and only three technical wins?
  A lot of people predicted this from the outset, but with that many nominations - which lead the pack - clearly many people did appreciate 'Ben Button.'
  Was it
  - too cold?
  - too longwinded?
  - too slow?
  - too much of a bummer?
  - too "Forrest Gump"-y?
  - David Fincher's well-known, "I won't suffer fools gladly" attitude?
  - People appreciated the artistry behind the making of the film, but didn't love the film itself?
  - "Slumdog Millionaire"s populist appeal was too much of a juggernaut?
  
  We won't kick a dog while it's down, while we didn't care for 'Ben Button' at all, we do appreciate Fincher's work in general and the technical elements of the film were pretty great. As we Twitter'ed, even if the effects were iffy, inconsistent and not 100% on all the time (even Fincher said as much), their breakthrough achievements were worth honoring. However our gut tells us all those pieces that revealed "the magic," "the science" behind the movie in the New York Times and various other publications (including Paramount) only hurt the movie in the non-tech categories. Much of these behind-the-scene pieces revealed that Brad Pitt wasn't even there onset next to Cate Blanchett all the time and that might've put some people off. The technical achievements made here are impressive, but 'Button' was a film about the human heart that lacked soul and revealing the process wasn't necessarily the best of ideas in our opinion.

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• New Decemberists - "Hazards Of Love"

  stereogum - 2009-02-17 10:04:33

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  It was interesting to hear the Decemberists infuse shouts and distortion into the thornier, Valentine's and family values-friendly "The Rake's Song. As a followup, The Hazards Of Love's title track opens with a little bit of drone before acoustic guitars enter the picture and Colin Meloy tells us his true love went riding out in white and green and gray. It has less oomph than "The Rake's Song," yes, but there is something psychedelic (and jammy) about the instrumentation, which keeps it from snoring entirely. Also someone yells at the end, just in case you were nodding off. You can take a listen at the band's MySpace.

  The Hazards Of Love is out 3/24 via Capitol.

  

• All that etc.

  Reel Around The Fountain - 2009-02-11 19:27:54

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  Remixes and new releases from the past few weeks that are all worth the hype.

  Beirut's new album is slowly leaking, and everyone's excited over My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille. But I ask.. didn't we hear this three years ago on a b-side or something?

  Beirut - My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille
  Beirut - La Llorona
  

  Bishop Allen also have a new album called Grrr...., set to release in March.

  Bishop Allen - Dimmer

  IGIF have pulled together a stripped-down version of Lykke Li's Tonight, which is apparently the first song she ever wrote. Something a little special.

  Lykke Li -Tonight

  The Decemberists previewed a new song, The Wanting Comes In Waves, from their upcoming album, The Hazards Of Love, on BBC Radio. It features Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond.

  The Decemberists - The Wanting Comes In Waves

  Make sure to check out The Devoted Few's new one, Tom Said.

  The Devoted Few - Tom Said

  And another track from the upcoming release of Antony and the Johnsons

  Antony and the Johnsons - Aeon

  Ryan Adams is releasing a little Extra Cheese for Valentine's Day on iTunes, featuring this previously unreleased track, recorded at Daytrotter.

  Ryan Adams - Hey There, Mrs Lovely

  In case you missed it, which is not likely considering the anticipation, Sufjan Steven's new track.

  Sufjan Stevens - You Are The Blood

  And of course, remixes:

  Royksopp - Happy Up Here (Mr Vega Remix)
  Sebastien Tellier - Kilometre (Ted & Francis Remix)
  N.A.S.A - Watchadoin (David Starfire Remix)
  

  I think my bandwidth on this account is about to run out, if you desperately want a track featured in this post, email me and I'll send it your way.

• The Decemberists announce tour; play Tabernacle in ATL 6/3

  Cable and Tweed - 2009-02-09 15:42:45

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  Brooklyn Vegan reports that The Decemberists have announced summer tour dates, including a June 3 stop at Tabernacle in Atlanta. Pre-sale tickets are available today; they go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 13.
  
  The band will be supporting their forthcoming album, The Hazards of Love, and the details sound cool:

  On tour, The Decemberists will present a full performance of the album, a 17-song suite that tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake. Joining the band on stage will be Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden who deliver the lead vocals for the female characters. The band announced last week that they will give the debut live performance of The Hazards of Love when they headline NPR Music's South by Southwest showcase at Stubbs in Austin on March 18th.

  The tour:
  
  5/19 Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, CA
  5/20 Fox Theatre Oakland, CA
  5/21 McDonald Theater Eugene, OR
  5/24 Wilma Theatre Missoula, MT
  5/26 Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO
  5/27 Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO
  5/29 Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI
  5/31 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
  6/01 Lifestyle Communities Pavilion Columbus, OH
  6/03 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
  6/04 Memorial Auditorium Raleigh, NC
  6/05 The National Richmond, VA
  6/06 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
  6/09 Bank of America Pavillion Boston, MA
  6/10 Radio City Music Hall New York, NY
  6/11-14 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Manchester, TN
  
  The Hazards of Love is due on March 24.

• The Submarines

  3hive - 2009-02-04 05:35:00

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  You've heard the Submarines by now. They're getting a lot of buzz nowadays, but even if you haven't, just think of the commercial for a certain fancy cell phone that everyone seems to have these days. See, you have heard them.

  Our motto here at 3hive is "Sharing the Sharing," where we share free and legal MP3's. And there are so many times when we want to share an awesome band, but they don't have any free MP3's on offer. I've been wanting to share an old fave of mine since the start of 3hive, Jackdrag aka Jack Dragonetti, for ages. "Aviating" is one of those songs I just keep coming back to over the years. But no MP3's to share. Then he formed the Submarines with Blake Hazard, moving on from his eccentric folk-pop to more electric, pure pop. Their song "Peace & Hate" from their Declare a New State LP is one of my faves from 2006. But no MP3's to share. However, the day of sharing has finally come. For their current tour with the Morning Benders, this now husband-and-wife duo has released a free single covering the Benders' song "Waiting for a War." Patience pays, eventually.

  www.nettwerk.comwww.thesubmarines.com
  myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic
  

• The Submarines

  3hive - 2009-02-04 05:35:00

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  You've heard the Submarines by now. They're getting a lot of buzz nowadays, but even if you haven't, just think of the commercial for a certain fancy cell phone that everyone seems to have these days. See, you have heard them.

  Our motto here at 3hive is "Sharing the Sharing," where we share free and legal MP3's. And there are so many times when we want to share an awesome band, but they don't have any free MP3's on offer. I've been wanting to share an old fave of mine since the start of 3hive, Jackdrag aka Jack Dragonetti, for ages. "Aviating" is one of those songs I just keep coming back to over the years. But no MP3's to share. Then he formed the Submarines with Blake Hazard, moving on from his eccentric folk-pop to more electric, pure pop. Their song "Peace & Hate" from their Declare a New State LP is one of my faves from 2006. But no MP3's to share. However, the day of sharing has finally come. For their current tour with the Morning Benders, this now husband-and-wife duo has released a free single covering the Benders' song "Waiting for a War." Patience pays, eventually.

  www.nettwerk.comwww.thesubmarines.com
  myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic
  

• The Submarines

  3hive - 2009-02-04 05:35:00

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  You've heard the Submarines by now. They're getting a lot of buzz nowadays, but even if you haven't, just think of the commercial for a certain fancy cell phone that everyone seems to have these days. See, you have heard them.

  Our motto here at 3hive is "Sharing the Sharing," where we share free and legal MP3's. And there are so many times when we want to share an awesome band, but they don't have any free MP3's on offer. I've been wanting to share an old fave of mine since the start of 3hive, Jackdrag aka Jack Dragonetti, for ages. "Aviating" is one of those songs I just keep coming back to over the years. But no MP3's to share. Then he formed the Submarines with Blake Hazard, moving on from his eccentric folk-pop to more electric, pure pop. Their song "Peace & Hate" from their Declare a New State LP is one of my faves from 2006. But no MP3's to share. However, the day of sharing has finally come. For their current tour with the Morning Benders, this now husband-and-wife duo has released a free single covering the Benders' song "Waiting for a War." Patience pays, eventually.

  www.nettwerk.comwww.thesubmarines.com
  myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic
  

• Haunting Stuff From...

  The Devil Has The Best Tuna - 2009-01-27 22:30:09

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  The Tupelov Ghost
  Genre: Indie / Hardcore / Punk
  From: Cambridge / London, United Kingdom
  
  The Tupolev Ghost are a DC influenced post-hardcore band from Cambridge, UK. Formed in 2005 as a three-piece comprising James Parrish, Ben Perry and Steven Duggins, they recorded demo EP Take Courage at the Sick Room in autumn 2006.
  
  In early 2007, the band expanded to four when Andy Jenkin joined, having recently left Days Ago. The new line-up returned to the Sick Room in autumn 2007 to record The Alpha EP, released on Disjuncture in July 2008.
  
  The Tupelov Ghost sound is combustible, restless post-hardcore so edgy it's hazardous, a bracing cocktail of influences (52 according to their myspace site) which are shaken, but not stirred, with unbridled confidence and passion. It's a sound that recently pricked up the well honed ears of Kerrang, NME, Drowned In Sound and Big Scary Monsters, who signed them earlier this month.
  
  Go Try
  
  MP3 - The Tupelov Ghost - Diagrams
  MP3 - The Tupelov Ghost - First Prize
  If anyone from the IFPI is reading these tracks are linked direct from the Tupelov Ghost website.
  
  Go Visit
  
  The Tupelov Ghost - Myspace // Website
  Label - Big Scary Monsters // Big Scary Monsters Myspace
  
  Go View
  
  The Tupelov Ghost
  Mistletoe & Wine
  
  
  
  

• Find Me (Shilpa Ray, Santos Party House & Mercury Lounge, 12/12/08 & 1/18/09)

  Heart on a Stick - 2009-01-26 18:22:00

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  (Art via sweet n' sour's Flickr)(more)

  Shilpa Ray - I Only Have Eyes for You (mp3)(buy?)

  L's and G's, dudes and duds, Ms. Shilpa Ray (myspace) is your next great Rock and Roll Singer.

  If you're lucky.  Also:  Maybe not yet!  But (a), this is the Internet, where all praise comes in the form of premature ejaculation; and (b), it's so fucking there, it really is.

  She's been howling around town for a half a decade, now, most prominently as the lead in now-defunct local cult faves Beat the Devil (myspace).  The bass-drums-harmonium (and sometimes snow shovel) trio released a single, self-titled EP, which was spare and dark and, aside from the character Ms. Ray's instruments brought, a bit too regular. 

  Ray hails from a strict Hindu household in New Jersey where "Western music was forbidden," has rationalized dragging the harmonium she's been playing since age eight on to the contemporary stage by calling it "shoegaze."  She shares neck-up and waist-down allegiances with P.J. Harvey, has guts that display an obvious, professed love for Janis Joplin.  The back of her throat hangs over the lip of a juke joint stage, the tip of her tongue twists along apartment hallways in search of that unseen neighbor who's always blasting jazz 78s through his hangover.

  The something-old rubbing against something-older vibe comforts and haunts.  Similarly, Ray's writing alternately drops just-dated pop culture references in ways both poetic and profane.  Old Beat the Devil material rhymed "Half-off at Macy's!" with "pedophiles are easy" ("Plea Bargain"), described time spent in inside your head as "a Carnival Cruise line without Kathy Lee Gifford" ("Shine in Exile").  From the gorgeous "Beating St. Louis," available on her new CD, A Fish Hook An Open Eye:  "We watched Law & Order ‘til the shame grew numb/while the drummer danced with the Devil in his Underoos."

  She avoids self-satisfied cleverness by delivering discontent.  Retro elements aren't there for cute context, the aim is less borrowed timelessness than an expression of being time-lost.  In the Biblical honky-tonk "The Coward Cracked the Dawn," Ray not only gets away with the now-tired comic trope about God having an answering machine, manages to sing the Big Guy's entire banal outgoing message and make it swoony and musical, but combines existential dilemma and petty technological frustration into evidence of abandonment, screaming "The batteries are dying in his cell!" at the sky over and over and again.  The band's approach to "I Only Have Eyes for You" could be considered obvious, punching up fellow Brooklynite Harry Warren's 1934 nugget, flushing The Flamingos' ghostly, romantic "doowopshebop;" I've no idea if any of the song's many other covers have been done in a similar fashion.  Less important than the immediacy of the attack is the way it sets Ray snatching at Al Dubin's lyrics like they're a lifejacket, the maniacal repetition and bent melody replacing any notion of creepy courtship or declaration of fidelity with the sense that she's very close to needing a cane and a German shepherd.

  When and How can be trumped by a resolute Why, and above all, here, there's that Voice.  She can growl and she can bark, and she sounds like she means it when she does, but as foundation there's this full, husky moan that reverberates against her harmonium and peaks into a sweet lilt at the end of phrases.

  Shilpa Ray's voice is the MGM lion with the world's biggest thorn in its paw.

  Beat the Devil - Raging Bull Blues (mp3)(buy)

  She calls her new group "Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers" (Ray's the only woman); if there's anything positive about the moniker, it's that it might inspire casual curiosity.  Hey, made me look.  But it's self-defeating, makes the effort sound like nothing more than a lame lark, a bad Wednesday night bar band.  Other roadblocks to easy adoption:  They do not have a website, but do have a myspace page.  She's finally started selling her new eight-song CD at shows (there's currently no other way to purchase it), yet only plays one or two numbers from that recording in the band's live sets (We got "Filthy and Free" at Santos; the "Eyes" cover at Merc and a goosed version of "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" at (I think) both; Ray might reserve quieter numbers for her occasional solo gigs).  "My parents raised me to be incredibly humble and stupidly modest," she says. "I still hate them for that."

  If humility or modesty seem antithetical to a potential rock goddess, they mostly extend to matters practical... where they might comingle with a simple lack of discipline.  If you prefer a rock star with the inability to maintain inhibitions, that's on display on stage.  At Santos Party House in December (where Ray introduced her band thusly:  "We are the Spice Girls"), in what looked like a beige wifebeater with a stray peacock feather hanging from her brow, she looked like no one so much as Candy Slice, turning from the mic between lines to bang her head, generally as out of control as anyone harnessed to a harmonium could manage.

  A month later at the Mercury Lounge, she'd traded her bourbon for water (it was a Sunday night) but still ended the night with half a head of hair matted against her face.  "I'm sweating like a pig!" she laughed.  She laughs a lot, at almost everything, which is endearing for a while, then a little unsettling.  Stage banter careened through subjects ranging from catheters to Texas Toast to horn-sized zits to tweens discussing Twilight in the ladies room.  "I believe all the garbage I say.  I take myself very, very seriously," she said, not.

  If a willingness to go splat on stage isn't a deep enough casserole of crazy for you, there's a thread of self-loathing running through her lyrics.  Well beyond that old Jake LaMotta nod up there, you'll find:  "I'm ashamed when I'm jealous/I'm ashamed when I'm in love/I'm ashamed when I'm resurrected on my own"  ("Woman Sets Boyfriend on Fire"); "In my mind I can't be happy/I stink of depravity/Just an aching dark cavity" ("What the Fuck Was I Thinking," which sums itself up with, "I'm a freak"); "I'm so messed up but I got nothing to prove it... I'm not a good person.  I'm not a good anything." ("Looking for Mr. Goodbar").

  Except she is.  Because no one actually wants their rock heroes to self-immolate, the most important crazy about Shilpa Ray is that she's crazy good at doing this.

  Shilpa Ray - Beating St. Louis (mp3)(buy?)

  There are problems.  Including Ray and her sideways accordion, there are six members (two guitars, bass, drums, keys) in this band and they put out way too much sound, much of it plugging up the exact same sonic space in which the singing takes place; given Ray's propensity to slur her words, not a lot of lyrics survived either club's PA system.  On the CD, the arrangements are often nicely done; up there in "St. Louis" those're some nice guitar fills, the electronic beats work well; on stage everything mushes together.  The best moments at the show came when most of the band dropped out, even when Ray relinquished the damned squeezebox.  The prescription seems simple, strip everything down and build it up until you have nothing more than you need (which might also help highlight some kind of progression throughout, some songs just haul everything out and sit there)... but watching her it's clear that Shilpa Ray needs all that noise, that she gets off on the cacophony.

  There can seem to be control problems with her vocals, especially when she hurls shit out like Nuke Laloosh.  If you're smitten enough to make excuses, though, those aren't problems at all.  Extreme moments will wander off-key, but those hearken back to a time when red-needle distortion, not Auto-Tune, was the prescribed corrective.  There can be emphases on odd beats, breaths taken in awkward spots, but she makes these feel like non-choices.  Her phrasing is more than correct, it's definitive.  She can sing plain-but-tight lines like "Coward's" "You ungrateful fuck, you're out of luck" or "My girl, I'm gonna conquer some countries!" (the bouncy "Filthy and Free") into aural landmarks.

  Not that she's pausing long enough to figure out where she's at.  The new CD is quite good, but the live set's most memorable songs have yet to be recorded.  There's a great new tune called "Erotolepsy;" the title's from Jude the Obscure but chunks of the song show Ray out-bloodhounding Deputy Marshall Samuel Gerard, demanding a hard-target of every dollhouse, steakhouse, whorehouse, poorhouse, madhouse... And "Chelsea Clinic Physical," an unreleased song from the Beat the Devil era, has been oomphed up and fleshed out into a giant jammy anthem.  A natural set-closer, it's built around calls of "Do you love your freedom?"  It should be available right goddamn now and should be a great doggamn hit.  But this is the Internet, and we get impatient around here.

  Shilpa Ray and (sigh) Her Happy Hookers will be appearing at (Le) Poisson Rouge on February 5th (tix) and at Southpaw with Harlem Shakes on Valentine's Day as part of BAM's Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival (tix).  You should go, and you should buy her record.

  Also there:  Radio Flyer Review (Santos)

  *

  It's real nice to have good music to write about again.  Hooray 2009. Related:  Awwww.

  *

  Forest Fire (myspace) opened at the Merc.  They were fine, though their best bit was this speech from lead singer (who looked like Christopher Reeve-as-Clark Kent):  "We're technically not a big enough band that we can turn down requests, yet.  We just can't play any songs but the ones we learned for this set."  You can download their album for free, legally, here.

  Atarah Valentine (myspace) opened at Santos and, wow, yikes.  Definitely not my thing, and though he seemed like a sweet kid and there was some love in the room for him, I couldn't help but think he'd fit right in as a nightmare contestant during the audition rounds of American Idol.  One bit of constructive criticism:  None of his songs managed to have an ending.  Even those who wanted to applaud couldn't figure out when to do it.

  *

  "Xtra Compressed for Maximum Listener Fatigue."  Brills.

  *

  

  Before the Santos show I walked into Wendy and Lucy (which I keep calling Wendy and Lisa) having heard nothing other than accolades for Michelle Williams' performance and that the film was from the director of Old Joy (which I had yet to see).  And left devastated.

  Though I haven't seen many movies over the past year - I've kept up with some of the Oscar-bait (Milk is important, but too pragmatic to be a great film, more stuff like Penn dancing on the steps, please; Slumdog Millionaire is good stuff as long as its framing device is an excuse to tell an interesting story, less so when the framing device becomes the story; WALL-E is undeniable, but after its remarkable first half-hour the rest gets too frantic and pat - and wordy!) - I cannot imagine any 2008 film having a greater effect on me.

  The plot is so slim that it seems wrong to reveal any of it.  Williams is Wendy, Lucy is Wendy's dog (something I would have known had I ever seen the poster); they're making their way from the Midwest to Alaska in hopes of finding cannery work.  Something goes wrong.  That's it.

  Sucker-punched in my sweet spot:  Wendy's driving to Alaska, sleeping in her car, heading to Ketchikan like the kids I met on the ferry up there.  And it's a dog movie, and I saw it at a time when I probably should not have been seeing any dog movies.  For anyone who has ever said to a dog, "I know," out loud, as an apology, there's some rough going here.

  The huge difference between Wendy's story and any lark in which I engaged is that her entire support network has fallen away and her means are meant to grant her a one-way trip.  There's something in the lifeblood of this country, still, that screams Go West, and the film's thinning fannypack effectively posits the current credit crunch as a 21st-C mirror of Dust Bowl days.  Only Wendy's compact doesn't have the ragged humanity, or the company, of a truck full of Joads.  She has Lucy, and a destination, and not much else.

  The triumph of Williams' performance is that she keeps Wendy human.  It is not a showy performance, it is not a showy film.  She and director Kelly Reichardt resist the urge to hold the girl up as a symbol of her generation, an archetype, a saint.  It would be so easy to do so, we're told next-to-nothing about Wendy; other than a brief phone call to a sister back home, we've no idea what set her off on a haphazard quest.  There's nothing demonstrative in the girl's personality, no charm, no sense of opportunism or outrage.  She does some dumb things, she's human, maybe the whole thing is a dumb thing.  Williams and Reichardt keep her from being a void by focusing on her powerlessness and denying her victimhood.  The lack of backstory is a lack of options.  The focus is on isolation, how gossamer the structure of society can be once certain bonds are no longer there.  Every step you take is falling, falling.

  The film could not be any more different than Into the Wild, an obvious comparison.  That was a direct portrayal of real events, its lesson that the American countryside can be pretty and that people are worth knowing.  The people Wendy meets along the way here are kept strangers, though they are all recognizably human.  There is some kindness, some cruelty, mostly (a sometimes apologetic) self-interest.  Wendy and Lucy reminded me most of a couple works I haven't experienced for some years, Lars Eighner's book Travels with Lizbeth - where I saw the phrase "dumpster diving" for the first time - and Agnes Varda's Vagabond.

  Reichardt is one heck of a director, accomplishes the difficult task of making a well-planned film feel passive.  She includes just enough details to make her story a story and her people people, just enough movement to acknowledge the frustration of aimlessness. This is a different film than Old Joy, which enjoyed the traditional benefits of personal interplay and a lush, zen center.  (The two films share the director's dog, Lucy, who plays a dog named Lucy in each.)  Wendy is a slow film, and a short film (80 minutes), and a great film.

  It is still playing at Film Forum, where it has been held over again and again.

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  • "Is Traffic Heavier Now?"
  • "It Takes a Lot of Energy to Be Drunk All the Time" (Ida Maria, Mercury Lounge, 1/15/09)
  • Soul Money Blood Votes (Afro-Punk Festival, Fort Greene Park, 7/12/08)
  • "Please Don't Close Your Door" (Oliver Mtukudzi/ Habib Koité/ Daby Touré/Yossi Fine/Extra Golden, Prospect Park Bandshell, 8/03/08)
  • Uno Amor Something Something Something (Erykah Badu, Wingate Field, 8/5/08)
  • "It's Rock and Roll. Remember? Isn't it Fabulous?" (Semi Precious Weapons, Mercury Lounge, 7/28/08)
  • "I Think This is a Massive Ball of Undergarments" (MGMT/BMSR/TT, McCarren Park Pool, 7/27/08)
  • "This is the Part Where We Beg Them. SARCASTICALLY." (Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Central Park Summerstage, 7/06/08)
  • Yellow is Not a Neutral Color (Devo/Tom Tom Club/Dan Deacon, McCarren Park Pool, 6/26/08)
  • Ugly Americans (Firewater, Cordero/Skeleton Key, Southpaw/Bowery Ballroom, 5/24 & 5/27/08)

• The Decemberists' The Hazards Of Love Album Art

  stereogum - 2009-01-22 14:00:11

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  After all those Always The Bridesmaid singles collections, the more distorted, heavier, and, yes, slightly Billy Joe Armstrong-esque "The Rake's Song" suggested the Decemberists' new full-length The Hazards Of Live might be going in a ballsier direction. Relatively speaking here. This is the Decemberists we're talking about. As far as the tastefully minimal woody album art, we're told it was designed by Colin's (living) wife, so at least we can assume the aforementioned dead spouse, pest-killing track isn't autobiographical. Probably.

  

• Futurecast: 01-16-09

  Faronheit - 2009-01-17 03:46:42

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  Every now and then on a Friday I like to run a segment I dub "Futurecast," in which I pass along to you some mp3s from forthcoming albums worth listening to. It's pretty simple, really, so let's get on with it and get the weekend started right!
  
  M. Ward (ft. Zooey Deschanel)- Never Had Nobody Like You
  The new M. Ward album "Hold Time" is out on Feb. 17th. It features guest contributors on a few tracks, and one of them just happens to be Ward's She & Him co-conspirator/actress Zooey Deschanel.
  
  Elvis Perkins in Dearland- Shampoo
  Elvis Perkins in Dearland is back with a new, self-titled album on March 10th. If you've yet to hear anything by this singer-songwriter and his backing band of misfits, you're missing out.
  
  David Byrne and Dirty Projectors- Knotty Pine
  Charity compilation "Dark Was the Night" features about a million great indie artists doing collaborations and original tracks and all that. So not only are you getting new music by these artists, but the proceeds also go to a good cause! Here's one track from that album, which has Dirty Projectors and David Byrne working together. Get the full record on Feb. 17th.
  
  Black Lips- Starting Over
  New Black Lips album is titled "200 Million Thousand," and it's out on Feb. 24th. Not much else to say, except that this band is great and I'm looking forward to this record a whole lot.
  
  Neko Case- People Got A Lotta Nerve
  Neko Case solo records are always interesting affairs, and she typically does a great job. I expect nothing less from her upcoming one, "Middle Cyclone," which'll be released on March 3rd.
  
  The Decemberists- The Rake Song (left click)
  The upcoming Decemberists album is supposed to be a rock opera, which is great if you're into that sort of thing. I'm holding off judgment until "Hazards of Love" arrives on March 24th, but this thing could either be genius or fail massively. This preview track from the album can be heard out of context I suppose, so if you're looking for an idea of what The Decemberists are going for, give it a listen.

• 2009: Looking Forward; Or The Year of Animal Collective

  oceans never listen - 2009-01-16 21:46:48

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  The future. So exciting. Returning favourites. New discoveries. Disappointments. Surprises. Well, this next week will see the first big releases of 2009 hit the shelves. Seemingly all starting with A, with Animal Collective staring down from above. The four have become three, but their talent level is not going down. In fact, some pundits are suggesting this is their best work. I'm not sure about that, but I have no doubt that their new album is a spectacular success. So, here are a few things I am looking forward to in 2009.
  
  Merriweather Post Pavilion-Animal Collective
  Once again this excellent band of men have astounded us. I have been listening to this bliss constantly since the leak happened a couple of weeks ago. Today, I bought the CD. I love it. It's a kiss of sunshine, a shower of love. Their most pop like record is pretty damn great. I still think "Feels" is their epic work, but this will do. Muchly.
  
  MP3: Brother Sport (live)
  
  Noble Beast-Andrew Bird
  This one leaked a while ago. I haven't had the chance to give it a big listen yet. But of what I have heard I can surmise this. It's very good. However, I need a lot more time to give it a proper evaluation.
  
  MP3: Oh No
  
  Blood Bank-Bon Iver
  I am so excited to see this wonderful artist next week. As a special treat, we have a brand new 4 song EP being released next week. The songs sound superb. Hopefully we will have a new album sometime in the next 12 months.
  
  MP3: Blood Bank
  
  Get Guilty-A.C. Newman
  I jumped all over this one when it leaked too. I love it. The first three songs are just killer. Beautiful melodies, great vocals. And the rest of the album is pretty good too. I recommend this release highly.
  
  MP3: Submarines Of Stockholm
  
  Skin Of Evil-Blackout Beach
  Get this album. It is astounding. I ordered it from the label and received it a couple of weeks early. Stunning, heart wrenching. A powerhouse. So unique.
  
  MP3: Cloud Of Evil
  
  The Mountain-Heartless Bastards
  I loved their last album. Robust, strong, meaty rock. With amazing vocals. The first song I have heard from the album sounds pretty good. So I look forward to getting the album upon its release in February.
  
  MP3: The Mountain
  
  Hold Time-M. Ward
  I have listened to a few tracks of Mr Ward's new album. Out in February. No drastic changes here, just more Ward goodness. Soulful and direct.
  
  MP3: Never Had Nobody Like You
  
  To Willie-Phosphorescent
  Willie Nelson covers? I actually find Willie Nelson's voice to be very annoying. However I go anywhere where Matthew Houck goes. So, I go.
  
  MP3: Reasons To Quit
  
  Middle Cyclone-Neko Case
  I think I wrote about this. I think I love her. No, I know I love her.
  
  MP3: People Got A Lotta Nerve
  
  Face Control-Handsome Furs
  The love affair continues. Dan, you got me. This is just brilliant. If you have a copy now, make sure you buy it when it is released in March. This album is just pure joy and excitement. "Plague Park" was a statement of truth. This is four more layers on top. Much more, danceable shall I say. The electronic patterns are heavier and Dan has never sung better. Alexei and Dan have created a piece of ecstasy for all the world to enjoy.
  
  MP3: I'm Confused
  
  S/T-Elvis Perkins In Dearland
  I wrote about this a couple of days and now I have a song to post. If this is any indication of the quality of the album, then we are in for a treat.
  
  MP3: Shampoo
  
  Hospice-The Antlers
  Well and truly on their bandwagon. I am very excited by the prospect of this self released album, due in March. The two songs given to the internet are just wonderful.
  
  MP3: Two
  
  Beware-Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
  It's Will Oldham people. Will friggin' Oldham.
  
  Enemy Mine-Swan Lake
  It's Dan Bejar, Spencer Krug, Carey Mercer. Could I be any more excited?
  
  The Hazards of Love-The Decemberists
  Is this band about to jump the shark? "The Crane Wife" was great, but I wonder if bands can sustain greatness on a major label. Well, Pitchfork debuted the first slice from the new album today. Wow! It's truly great. I love it. Expectations are high again.
  
  MP3: The Rake's Song
  
  Now We Can See-The Thermals
  Now on Kill Rock Stars and with a new drummer, let's hope for more fiery and passionate music from this Portland trio. April, we await.

• Daily Downloads (Decemberists, Dirty Projectors, and more)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-01-16 13:20:02

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  Today's free and legal mp3 downloads:

  Camper Van Beethoven: 1990-02-13, Boston [mp3,ogg,flac]
  "Chase the Blues Away (Tim Buckley cover)" [mp3]
  other Camper Van Beethoven posts at Largehearted Boy

  Carla Bozulich: 2003-11-11, San Francisco [mp3,ogg,flac]
  "Times Square" [mp3]
  other Carla Bozulich posts at Largehearted Boy

  Decemberists: "The Rake's Song" [mp3]* from he Hazards of Love (out March 24th)
  other Decemberists posts at Largehearted Boy

  Dirty Projectors & David Byrne: "Knotty Pine" [mp3] from Dark Was The Night (out February 17th)
  other Dirty Projectors posts at Largehearted Boy

  Glacier Hiking: "Save Some" [mp3] from The Color By Number EP
  other Glacier Hiking posts at Largehearted Boy

  Great Northern: "Houses" [mp3] from Trading Twilight For Daylight (out April 28th)
  other Great Northern posts at Largehearted Boy

  Odawas: "Harmless Lover's Discourse" [mp3] from The Blue Depths (out February 17th)
  other Odawas posts at Largehearted Boy

  Said the Whale: "This City's a Mess" [mp3]
  other Said the Whale posts at Largehearted Boy

  Southeast Engine: "Black Gold" [mp3] from From the Forest to The Sea (out February 17th)
  other Southeast Engine posts at Largehearted Boy

  Venice Is Sinking: "Ryan's Song" [mp3] from AZAR (out March 31st)
  other Venice Is Sinking posts at Largehearted Boy

  Today's free and legal recordings of live shows, rarities, and demos available via bittorrent:

  Bloc Party: 2008-10-22, Wuppertal [flac]*
  other Bloc Party posts at Largehearted Boy

  Bob Dylan: 1996-11-22, South Bend [flac]*
  other Bob Dylan posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Dirty Three: 2009-01-09, Victoria [flac]*
  other Dirty Three posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Duke Spirit: 2009-01-13, Berlin [flac]*
  other Duke Spirit posts at Largehearted Boy

  Glasvegas: 2009-01-14, KDLE [flac]*
  Glasvegas: 2009-01-10, Seattle [flac]*
  other Glasvegas posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Hold Steady: 2008-08-14, Washington [flac]*
  other Hold Steady posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Jam: 1978-08-25, Reading [flac]*
  other Jam posts at Largehearted Boy

  Wilco: 2008-12-06, Rochester [flac]
  other Wilco posts at Largehearted Boy

  *registration required

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous mp3 and bittorrent downloads

  2008 Lollapalooza downloads
  2008 Bonnaroo downloads
  2008 Coachella music downloads
  2008 SXSW music downloads and streams
  other music festival downloads

  Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and album streams from weekly CD releases)
  weekly CD release lists

  tags: music download indie mp3 bittorrent

  

  

  

• Daily Downloads (Decemberists, Dirty Projectors, and more)

  Largehearted Boy - 2009-01-16 13:20:02

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  Today's free and legal mp3 downloads:

  Camper Van Beethoven: 1990-02-13, Boston [mp3,ogg,flac]
  "Chase the Blues Away (Tim Buckley cover)" [mp3]
  other Camper Van Beethoven posts at Largehearted Boy

  Carla Bozulich: 2003-11-11, San Francisco [mp3,ogg,flac]
  "Times Square" [mp3]
  other Carla Bozulich posts at Largehearted Boy

  Decemberists: "The Rake's Song" [mp3]* from he Hazards of Love (out March 24th)
  other Decemberists posts at Largehearted Boy

  Dirty Projectors & David Byrne: "Knotty Pine" [mp3] from Dark Was The Night (out February 17th)
  other Dirty Projectors posts at Largehearted Boy

  Glacier Hiking: "Save Some" [mp3] from The Color By Number EP
  other Glacier Hiking posts at Largehearted Boy

  Great Northern: "Houses" [mp3] from Trading Twilight For Daylight (out April 28th)
  other Great Northern posts at Largehearted Boy

  Odawas: "Harmless Lover's Discourse" [mp3] from The Blue Depths (out February 17th)
  other Odawas posts at Largehearted Boy

  Said the Whale: "This City's a Mess" [mp3]
  other Said the Whale posts at Largehearted Boy

  Southeast Engine: "Black Gold" [mp3] from From the Forest to The Sea (out February 17th)
  other Southeast Engine posts at Largehearted Boy

  Venice Is Sinking: "Ryan's Song" [mp3] from AZAR (out March 31st)
  other Venice Is Sinking posts at Largehearted Boy

  Today's free and legal recordings of live shows, rarities, and demos available via bittorrent:

  Bloc Party: 2008-10-22, Wuppertal [flac]*
  other Bloc Party posts at Largehearted Boy

  Bob Dylan: 1996-11-22, South Bend [flac]*
  other Bob Dylan posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Dirty Three: 2009-01-09, Victoria [flac]*
  other Dirty Three posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Duke Spirit: 2009-01-13, Berlin [flac]*
  other Duke Spirit posts at Largehearted Boy

  Glasvegas: 2009-01-14, KDLE [flac]*
  Glasvegas: 2009-01-10, Seattle [flac]*
  other Glasvegas posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Hold Steady: 2008-08-14, Washington [flac]*
  other Hold Steady posts at Largehearted Boy

  The Jam: 1978-08-25, Reading [flac]*
  other Jam posts at Largehearted Boy

  Wilco: 2008-12-06, Rochester [flac]
  other Wilco posts at Largehearted Boy

  *registration required

  also at Largehearted Boy:

  previous mp3 and bittorrent downloads

  2008 Lollapalooza downloads
  2008 Bonnaroo downloads
  2008 Coachella music downloads
  2008 SXSW music downloads and streams
  other music festival downloads

  Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and album streams from weekly CD releases)
  weekly CD release lists

  tags: music download indie mp3 bittorrent

• New Song : The Decemberists : The Rake's Song

  My Old Kentucky Blog - 2009-01-16 12:50:53

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  The Decemberists will release The Hazards Of Love this coming March 24th, and they've made a new song available for free download. The Rake's Song is a seriously rockin', yet woeful, tale of wife death and child murder. Yay! Geez. Sonically though, I really like where these guys might be heading!
  
  The Decemberists - The Rake's Song
  
  --------------------------------------------------------
  
  Official Site | MySpace | More MP3s | eMusic | Subscribe To RSS Feed
  

• The Decemberists

  Alankomaat - 2009-01-15 18:30:33

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  Hij is nog warm: The Rake's Song van The Decemberists. Het nummer staat op het album The Hazards of Love dat 24 maart verschijnt. De groep stelde de song beschikbaar via haar website, die al snel overbelast was. Alankomaat hield vol. Niets te danken.
  
  

  MP3: The Decemberists - The Rake's Song
  The Decemberists op MySpace
  

   Subscribe in a reader

  

• The Decemberists

  Alankomaat - 2009-01-15 18:30:33

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  Hij is nog warm: The Rake's Song van The Decemberists. Het nummer staat op het album The Hazards of Love dat 24 maart verschijnt. De groep stelde de song beschikbaar via haar website, die al snel overbelast was. Alankomaat hield vol. Niets te danken.
  
  

  MP3: The Decemberists - The Rake's Song
  The Decemberists op MySpace
  

   Subscribe in a reader

  

• The Decemberists

  Alankomaat - 2009-01-15 18:30:33

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  Hij is nog warm: The Rake's Song van The Decemberists. Het nummer staat op het album The Hazards of Love dat 24 maart verschijnt. De groep stelde de song beschikbaar via haar website, die al snel overbelast was. Alankomaat hield vol. Niets te danken.
  
  

  MP3: The Decemberists - The Rake's Song
  The Decemberists op MySpace
  

   Subscribe in a reader

• New Decemberists - "The Rake's Song"

  stereogum - 2009-01-15 12:37:44

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  Colin is not fooling with that track title. The first song from the Decemberists' forthcoming The Hazards Of Love LP is a cautionary tale of what happens to a rake when he marries too young. The tale being: his wife dies birthing their fourth child leading Colin to off the remaining "three little pests" (pro tip: feed one foxblood, drown another in a tub, burn the last for incurring your wrath). It's a steamroller by Decemberists standards -- vamping on four chords, roughed up by pounding toms and a lot of curdling, hollered "alrights" -- but it's got a happy ending: after all that murder, our anti-hero winds up a contented bachelor. All's well that ends Colin should see a shrink.

  

• New Decemberists track - "The Rake's Song"

  Cable and Tweed - 2009-01-15 10:53:18

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  The Decemberists release a new album titled The Hazards Of Love on March 24. Today they released the first single via their website. It's titled "The Rake's Song," and if you dug The Crane Wife (my #1 record of 2006, incidentally) or generally enjoy the band's spunky side, you'll like this. I have a feeling it'll be getting a lot of play around C&T; HQ.
  
  The Decemberists - The Rake's Song [at Zshare]
  
  The Hazards of Love is now available for pre-order.

• The Rake's Song

  DREAMS OF HORSES - 2009-01-15 09:39:41

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  Head on over to The Decemberists' website for a FREE download of a new song from their upcoming album The Hazards of Love called "The Rake's Song"! Enjoy!!
  

• the look on your face

  the torture garden - 2009-01-13 22:19:32

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  {via}
  
  Frightened Rabbit - Keep Yourself Warm
  
  Somehow this song builds a perfectly accurate image of a cheap student bedsit, the kind I've only seen in Britain. The floating organs at the start rise from some tinny guitars like heat from a cheap radiator, flecked with the thin paint haphazardly raked across the wall. You can see someone reaching over the bed to turn the heat up hurriedly, having rushed into the still-icy room - bringing their own heat with them, but wishing to be surrounded by more, along with whoever they've found themselves lying with.
  Afterwards, there are awkward silences. There's the muffled sounds from the room next door. Eyes scanning the walls settle absently on patches of sellotape and missing posters. The heat is turned off, the room is suddenly less welcoming, the bed much smaller.
  All this the song creates perfectly, so listen, and enjoy, but never ever leave the album playing at the wrong time. You know.
  
  {Buy}
  
  ---
  
  Also: Bell Orchestre have announced a new album! Replete with an Aphex Twin cover, it would seem - more details here.

• KINGBLIND - 2009-01-13 09:37:04

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  2009 Album Releases to look forward to
  
  20 January Tuesday
  Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
  Antony And The Johnsons- The Crying Light
  Andrew Bird- Noble Beast
  Bon Iver- Blood Bank
  John Frusciante- The Empyrean
  Carl Newman- Get Guilty
  Or, The Whale- Light Poles And Pines
  
  27 January Tuesday
  Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band- Working on a Dream
  Franz Ferdinand- Tonight
  
  3 February Tuesday
  Von Bondies- Love, Hate, and Then There's You
  
  16 February Monday
  Morrissey- Years of Refusal
  
  17 February Tuesday
  ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead- The Century of Self
  Architecture in Helsinki- That Beep
  Robyn Hitchcock- Goodnight Oslo
  M. Ward- Hold Time
  
  24 February Tuesday
  JJ Cale- Roll On
  
  3 March Tuesday
  Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
  Revolting Cocks- (RevCo) Sex-O Olympic-O
  Soundtrack Of Our Lives- Communion
  U2- No Line On The Horizon
  
  10 March Tuesday
  Burn Halo- Burn Halo
  Handsome Furs- Face Control
  
  17 March Tuesday
  Kelly Clarkson- [Title TBA]
  MSTRKRFT- Fist Of God
  
  24 March Tuesday
  Dan Deacon- Bromst
  The Decemberists- Hazards Of Love
  Royksoop- Junior
  
  7 April Tuesday
  Bob Mould- [Title TBA]
  
  9 April Thursday
  Lady Sovereign- Jigsaw
  
  Anticipated Future Releases
  (+44) [Title TBA] 2009
  Ambulance LTD [Title TBA] 2009
  Tori Amos [Title TBA] Spring/Summer 2009
  Melissa Auf der Maur Out of Our Minds 2009
  The Avalanches [Title TBA] 2009
  Basement Jaxx [Title TBA] 2009
  David Bazan [Title TBA] 2009
  Blur [Title TBA] 2009
  Broken Spindles [Title TBA] 2009
  Built To Spill [Title TBA] Spring 2009
  The Divine Comedy [Title TBA] 2009
  Pete Doherty [Title TBA] 2009
  Dr. Dre Detox 2009
  Doves [Title TBA] April 2009
  Eminem Relapse Spring 2009
  Flo Rida R.O.O.T.S. Spring 2009
  Freebass [new Peter Hook band] [Title TBA] Mar 2009
  Ace Frehley [Title TBA] 2009
  From The Jam [Title TBA] 2009
  Fugees [Title TBA] ?? 2009 [delayed]
  Peter Gabriel [Title TBA] 2009
  Noel Gallagher [Title TBA] 2009
  Gang Of Four [Title TBA] 2009
  Garbage [Title TBA] 2009
  Teddy Geiger The March 2009
  Lisa Germano Magic Neighbor Mid-2009
  Ginuwine [Title TBA] 2009
  The Gossip [Title TBA] 2009
  Happy Mondays [Title TBA] 2009
  Keri Hilson In a Perfect World 2009
  Indigo Girls [Title TBA] Feb 2009
  Michael Jackson [Title TBA] 2009
  Jay-Z The Blueprint 3 TBA
  Junior Boys [Title TBA] 2009
  Lamb Of God [Title TBA] Feb 2009
  The Like [Title TBA] 2009
  Lil Jon Crunk Rock ?? 2009
  Love Grenades [Title TBA] Summer 2009
  Lynyrd Skynyrd [Title TBA] Early 2009
  M. Ward [Title TBA] 2009
  Shirley Manson [Title TBA] 2009
  Massive Attack [Title TBA] Spring 2009
  Mastodon Crack the Skye Mar 2009
  Matisyahu Light 2009
  Metric [Title TBA] 2009
  MF Doom & Ghostface Swift & Changeable 2009 ??
  Mongrel [Title TBA] Summer 2009
  Muse [Title TBA] 2009-10
  Naughty By Nature Anthem Inc. 2009
  New Pornographers [Title TBA] 2009
  Nina Sky The Musical 2009
  No Doubt [Title TBA] 2010
  OK Go [Title TBA] 2009
  Pearl Jam [Title TBA] 2009
  Pet Shop Boys [Title TBA] 2009
  Placebo [Title TBA] May 2009
  Prince Lotus Flower 2009
  Prince MPLSOUND 2009
  The Rakes [Title TBA] 2009
  Rakim The Seventh Seal Spring 2009
  Rancid [Title TBA] 2009
  John Rich [Title TBA] 2009
  Roxy Music [original lineup including Brian Eno] [Title TBA] 2009
  Nate Ruess of the Format [Title TBA] 2009
  Seaweed Small Engine Repair ?? 2009
  Simple Minds [Title TBA] Winter 2009
  Sixpence None The Richer [Title TBA] 2009
  Stars [Title TBA] 2009
  Starsailor All the Plans Mar 2009
  Stellastarr* [Title TBA] 2009
  Stone Temple Pilots [Title TBA] 2009
  Tortoise [Title TBA] 2009
  Velvet Revolver [Title TBA] 2009
  Gillian Welch [Title TBA] 2009
  Wilco [Title TBA] Spring 2009
  Amy Winehouse [Title TBA] 2009
  Patrick Wolf Battles 2009
  The Wrens [Title TBA] Fall 2009
  ZZ Top [Title TBA] 2009

• Sometimes it takes a bar jukebox

  out the other... - 2009-01-07 14:31:02

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  ... to remember how great something sounds.  Or at least to let some long-forgotten feelings of love bubble up to the surface.  If you had asked me yesterday afternoon to list 5,000 of my favorite songs, it would have taken me a long, long time to remember that this song belongs on that list.  But it does:

  Cake - "Shadow Stabbing"

  5,000 is probably pretty excessive - if I had to hazard a guess, "Shadow Stabbing" is probably in the top 1,000 at least.  But the point is that until last night I had mostly forgotten that. 

  I tend to forget that the rest of Comfort Eagle, and Cake in general, is fairly excellent, though while I think I'm going to love this band for quite some time, they're one of those I really have to be in the mood to listen to.  There's something really quirky/playful about their music - which of course, is the reason I love them in the first place, but it's also a reason why they have never really been the first thing I'm in the mood to listen to.  I'm revisiting a bit of their catalog today and while some of the songs border on timeless, most of them are just fun. 

  The closest the band came to perfection was 1998's Prolonging the Magic (1998?  I know, that's when I was in high school and all, but it seems crazy that the album is more than ten years old now), when they knocked it out of the park with an album that included "Mexico," "Never There," "Guitar," "Walk on By," "Sheep Go to Heaven" AND "Let Me Go."  I know it was a different time, and I listened to music in a different way, and I was much more impressionable, but still - I can't imagine feeling quite this positive about anything I've heard in the last year a full decade from now. I will never, ever believe that the best music I'll ever hear is in the rear-view mirror, but I do believe that my best music-listening years are behind me.

  Then again, who knows - Vampire Weekend may sound spectacular on a bar jukebox in 2018.

  Cake - "Let Me Go"

  

• Michael Penn Writing 'Sunshine Cleaning' Score

  :: The Playlist :: - 2009-01-06 13:01:55

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  This "Sunshine Cleaning" (via Cinematical) poster is totally underwhelming and the film itself sort of looks like the twee, quirky indie flick we've been complaining about lately, only with female leads instead of emo boys, but call us crazy, but we loved the trailer and frankly, switching the genders makes this genre fresh-er. First off Amy Adams rules and Emily Blunt is rather great as well. Add Alan Arkin and Steve Vaughn to the mix and you have a great cast.
  
  What's more the poster reveals that L.A. singer-songwriter Michael Penn (the husband of Aimee Mann) has written the score to the film. Penn recently composed the score to "American Teen," and he also worked with Paul Thomas Anderson a lot in his early career writing the scores to "Boogie Nights" and "Hard Eight." He also did the Zach Braff-starring film, "Last Kiss" (ok, that one's not so great, everyone needs a paycheck from time to time).
  

  Synopsis: A thirty-something maid (Adams), is trying to create a better life for herself and eccentric eight-year-old son Oscar. Her burn-out younger sister Norah (Blunt) still lives at home with their father Joe (Arkin), who's on the latest of a life-long string of get-rich-quick schemes. When Rose learns of the big money to be made in the crime scene cleaning and bio-hazard removal business, she and Norah partner up to create their own company, "Sunshine Cleaning."

  Either a bonus or a plus, depending on your perspective is that it's "produced by those that brought you 'Little Miss Sunshine.' " A so-so film that got nominated for an Oscar because the Academy wanted a glint of happiness in their otherwise dour Oscar-baity choices. The director is Christine Jeffs, who helmed the decent, "Sylvia" with Gwyneth Paltrow in 2003.
  
  Here's the trailer again for those that missed it. "Sunshine Cleaning" comes out in limited release March 13 via Overture Films.
  
  

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• Leftovers and a Look Ahead

  Metro Distortion - 2008-12-31 10:20:33

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  As the holidays and 2008 come to a close, I thought I'd pull out a few other stand-outs that didn't make my top 20 albums list but were noteworthy nonetheless.
  
  "Dance":
  Friendly Fires - s/t
  Van She - V
  
  2008 seemed to be a big year for dance albums, from Cut Copy to Hercules & Love Affair, but the two albums above received very little fanfare and, to me, where the best of the bunch. I've been listening to the Van She album nonstop for the last month.
  
  Mainstream:
  Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
  Coldplay - Viva La Vida
  
  Both of these albums exceeded my expectations and were actually quite good. I just didn't listen to them very much.
  
  From the U.K.:
  Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
  The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
  Glasvegas - s/t
  Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
  The Week That Was - s/t
  
  Kaiser Chiefs rebounded after a lackluster second album. Unfortunately, Bloc Party did not. The others are all solid debut albums and are worth checking out.
  
  Hip Hop:
  Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
  
  Trendy, sure, but there are some great tracks on here.
  
  "Indie":
  Black Mountain - In the Future
  Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk It Off
  Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
  Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
  Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains - s/t
  Grand Archives - s/t
  Love as Laughter - Holy
  Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cardinology
  The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
  Secret Machines - s/t
  The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
  Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
  
  Twelve albums that I think fell under the radar for the most part. All had some good to great songs but were ultimately a bit uneven.
  
  Looking forward to 2009:
  1.13 - Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
  1.20 - John Frusciante - The Empyrean
  1.27 - Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
  1.27 - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Working on a Dream
  2.10 - Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) - Keep It Hid
  2.17 - Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
  3.10 - Handsome Furs - Face Control
  3.24 - The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
  
  Many others to look forward to in 2009 that don't yet have release dates including: Doves, Pearl Jam, Wilco, Mastodon, and New Pornographers to name a few.
  
  Happy New Year everyone!

• Rate 08: Valete

  No Rock&Roll Fun - 2008-12-31 08:15:01

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  Those sadly missed during the year:
  
  Rod Allen - founder & frontman, The Fortunes
  Neil Aspinall - "fifth Beatle"
  Jeremy Beadle - presenter and promoter
  Joe Beck - jazz guitarist
  Bill Belew - stylist to Presley
  Michael Berniker - producer
  MC Breed - rapper
  Ola Brunkert - drummer, Abba
  Dorival Caymmi - bossa nova pioneer
  Paul Cole - cover star, Abbey Road
  Arcani Crosswords - rapper
  Paul Davis - songwriter
  Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
  Klaus Dinger - drummer, Neu! and Kraftwerk
  Mikey Dread - engineer and dj
  Ronnie Drew - singer, The Dubliners
  Syke Dyke - Trouble Funker
  Richey Edwards - Manic Street Preacher formally presumed dead
  Danny Federici - organist, The E-Street Band
  Jerry Finn - producer
  Steve Foley - drummer, The Replacements
  Frosty Freeze - Rock Steady Crew man
  Aaron Fuller - singer, Plan 9
  Gidget Gein - bassist, The Spooky Kids
  Drew Glackin - bassist, The Silos
  Isaac Hayes - singer
  Robert Hazard - songwriter
  Jeff Healey - bluesman
  Don Helms - guitarist
  Jesse Helmes - censorist
  George 'Wydell' Jones - songwriter & doo-wop artist
  Mahendra Kapoor - playback singer
  Miles Kington - jazz musician and humourist
  Eartha Kitt - actor and legend
  Tony Kostrzewa - distributor
  David Lander - manager
  Brian Lourie - drummer, Slaughter
  Ray Lowry - cartoonist
  Robert Lucas - singer, Canned Heat
  Humphrey Lyttelton - jazz artist
  Miriam Makeba - singer & campaigner
  Alex McCulloch - guitarist, Me Vs Hero
  Mitch Mitchell - drummer, Jimi Hendrix Experience
  LeRoi Moore - saxophonist, Dave Matthews Band
  Bryan Morrison - manager
  Marc Moulin - experimentalist, Telex
  Adam Nodelman - experimentalist, Sunburned Hand Of Man
  Earl Palmer - drummer
  Rob Partridge - PR
  Jason Rae - saxophinist, Haggis Horns
  Lita Roza - singer
  Ruedi Rymann - yodeler
  Nick Sanderson - drummer, Clock DVA, Jesus & Mary Chain and The Gun Club
  Noel Sayre - violinist, The Black Swans
  Mike Smith - singer, The Dave Clark Five
  John Stewart - singer, The Kingston Trio
  Shakir Stewart - executive
  Levi Stubbs - singer
  Chase Tatum - manager
  Artie Traum - folk figure
  Elmer Valentine - founder, Whisky A Go-Go
  Jerry Wexler - executive
  Norman Whitfield - songwriter
  Eric OG Woods - rapper
  Richard Wright - keyboardist, Pink Floyd
  Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - self-appointed guru

• 2008 is overrated : albums of the year (6-10)

  sand is overrated - 2008-12-30 15:06:23

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  click here for tracks of the year 1-10
  click here for tracks of the year 11-20
  click here for tracks of the year 21-30
  
  looking back on this list and this year, i think i could have easily stopped at five albums and been done with it. in recognition of that fact, i think this list deserves to be split into two parts. it's not that albums six through ten are not very good, it's just that my preference for the first five is so clearly apparent. anyway, here's the first part of the albums that i loved this year:
  
  

  6. fleet foxes fleet foxes sub pop, june 3, 2008

  
  "he doesn't know why"
  "blue ridge mountains".
  

  maybe it's a bad sign that i have a hard time figuring out what to say about fleet foxes. i have yet to find any particular personal connection to any of the songs on a lyrical level and, save for one or two exceptions, i don't even know if i could identify by name most of the songs on the album. all i know is, i was immediately hooked on this album over the summer, put it down for a few months, and then got even more hooked when i picked it back up over the fall. i can think of nothing else in my recent library that sounds quite like fleet foxes, so i'll keep on listening and keep on loving this until it no longer sounds fresh. something tells me that won't happen any time soon.

  
  
  

  7. conor oberst conor oberst merge records, august 5, 2008 "milk thistle" "moab".

  
  

  it was tempting to dismiss conor oberst's first solo album in, oh, 15 years, as an album to be taken less seriously than a regular bright eyes release. but to miss conor oberst was to miss an album that stands up well to any bright eyes release, recent or past. oberst's evocative lyrics, though sometimes incomprehensible, shine through as always, but content-wise they seem to be an extension of cassadega's turn toward a calmer, seemingly more comfortable soul. oberst indulges some whims and even seems to have some fun on tracks like "i don't want to die (in the hospital)" and "nyc - gone, gone". but it's when he recalls his inner tom petty, on "moab", and then gets to his most introspective, on "milk thistle", that repeated listens pay off the biggest dividends. it seems strange to listen to a conor album without mike mogis, but in case there was any doubt, conor oberst makes clear that he has the talent to go it alone.

  
  
  

  8. honeysuckle weeks the submarines nettwerk records, may 13, 2008 "submarine symphonika" "you, me and the bourgeoisie".

  
  

  blake hazard and john dragonetti are in love, and they want to sing you songs about it. the follow-up to 2006's declare a new state!, honeysuckle weeks makes clear that blake and john's fairy tale lives on. if declare a new state! was the story of the pieces being irresistibly drawn back together, honeysuckle weeks is the story of those reassembled pieces being superglued together. if declare a new state! was a story that seemed too good to be true, honeysuckle weeks is the evidence that sometimes the fairy tale actually sticks. every song on the album is about love in some form or another, and only three of the ten songs fail to mention the word. it is clearly what is on their mind and in their hearts.

  
  
  

  9. in ghost colours cut copy modular interscope, april 8, 2008 "hearts on fire" "far away".

  
  

  much like fleet foxes, i'm finding it a little difficult trying to figure out what to say about in ghost colours. maybe it's that the 80s synth-rock-pop dynamic is so different from most of what i listen to these days. maybe it's the lyrics, made to seem nearly overly earnest by the dancehall beats. maybe it's that this album takes me back to erasure, depeche mode, and growing up in the 80s. or maybe i need to stop trying to figure it out and just enjoy this immensely enjoyable record for what it is--a great listen.

  
  
  

  10. xoxo, panda and the new kid revival her space holiday mush records, october 7, 2008 "the new kid revival" "sleepy tigers".

  
  

  given how undeniably poppy and catchy this album is, i wasn't quite sure how lasting an impact xoxo, panda and the new kid revival would have on me. but it's several months in and i still can't quite get enough of it. i love the melodies, i love the sometimes-kitschy lyrics, and i love the story behind the album's stylistic departure. who knows, this one may not last that long with me, but for now it's still all about what sounds good, and this still sounds really, really good.

• KLANG!

  DREAMS OF HORSES - 2008-12-18 11:05:48

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  'Round here we really love the Rakes. And we are overjoyed that they have announced a new album titled KLANG on March 23rd in the UK (probably in the US the 24th, the same day as the Decemberists' Hazards of Love!! Too much excitement for one day!). The album will be preceded by the first single "1989," which you can get a sneak peek at above in the unofficial video filmed during the recording of the album. And here's the tracklist:
  
  You're In It
  That's the Reason
  The Loneliness of the Outdoor Smoker
  Bitchin' in the Kitchen
  The Woes of the Working Woman
  1989
  Shackelton
  The Light From Your Mac
  Muller's Ratchet
  The Final Hill
  Never Get Married
  
  Normal The Rakes-The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect

  (From their previous album Ten New Messages)

  
  

• Fall Out Boy: Folie a Deux

  surviving the golden age - 2008-12-15 19:33:06

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  Fall Out Boy: Folie a Deux
  Folie a Deux is Fall Out Boy's fifth studio album and the follow up to 2007's platinum selling Infinity on High.
  It's hard to argue with a band as big as Fall Out Boy. They are clearly one of the biggest rock bands right now. Their generic style and tongue-in-cheek writing make them perfect for the Hot Topic crowd, but slightly harder for critics to enjoy.
  Fall Out Boy is getting slightly smarter with their popularity. They enlist jack-of-all-trades Pharrell to produce the album. They also employ backing vocals from Rock 'n' Roll Hall-of-Famers Elvis Costello and Debbie Harry as well as from Lil Wayne.
  The truth is if the liner notes didn't tell you that Debbie Harry or Lil Wayne were on the tracks, you would have no idea. Fall Out Boy layer so many backing vocals of everyone from band members to label mates, that no one is distinct.
  Fall Out Boy, although getting people's attention through those moves still make the same music they always have. Their lyrics are packed with references from pop culture. Their music is full of "borrowed" guitar riffs. With the slightest amount of care they could be enjoyably post-modern, instead they seem haphazard and artless. Its a telling sign for this generation, that Fall Out Boy seems to be their voice.
  Rating: 4.9/10
  MP3: Fall Out Boy "She's My Winona"
  Buy: iTunes

• New Old Andrew VanWyngarden (Of MGMT) - "Supervolcano"

  stereogum - 2008-12-15 14:47:33

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  MGMT currently possess some pretty fancy hair and an album, Oracular Spectacular, that NME considers the best of the year. Just three years ago, though, Andrew VanWyngarden was still a student at Wesleyan, penning songs about volcanoes for an Earth & Earth Science class. Instead of Ben Goldwasser by his side, it was Ethan Leinwand (also Wesleyan '05), and the exact name of the class was (we think) "Hazardous Earth: Stuff That Will Kill You." Crazy liberal arts schools. Take a listen. This was before they were accompanied by very sexy girls who can dance for real (or body paint).

  

• New Old Andrew VanWyngarden (Of MGMT) - "Supervolcano"

  stereogum - 2008-12-15 14:47:33

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  MGMT currently possess some pretty fancy hair and an album, Oracular Spectacular, that NME considers the best of the year. Just three years ago, though, Andrew VanWyngarden was still a student at Wesleyan, penning songs about volcanoes for an Earth & Earth Science class. Instead of Ben Goldwasser by his side, it was Ethan Leinwand (also Wesleyan '05), and the exact name of the class was (we think) "Hazardous Earth: Stuff That Will Kill You." Crazy liberal arts schools. Take a listen. This was before they were accompanied by very sexy girls who can dance for real (or body paint).

  

• The Decemberists reveal 'Hazards of Love' tracklist

  Cable and Tweed - 2008-12-12 12:37:20

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  Colin Meloy, photo by The Falconer
  
  One of my favorite bands, The Decemberists, today revealed the tracklist for their forthcoming Hazards of Love LP. Could any other band get away with this?
  
  1. Prelude
  2. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
  3. A Bower Scene
  4. Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
  5. The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
  6. The Queen's Approach
  7. Isn't it a Lovely Night?
  8. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
  9. An Interlude
  10. The Rake's Song
  11. The Abduction of Margaret
  12. The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing
  13. Annan Water
  14. Margaret in Captivity
  15. The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
  16. The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)
  17. The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)
  
  Hazards of Love is due for release on March 24.

• The Decemberists' Hazards Of Love Has A Pretty Decemberists-y Tracklist

  stereogum - 2008-12-10 18:01:32

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  Recently the Decemberists have issued three volumes of Always The Bridesmaid singles collections and been anachronistically featured in a Mad Men opening sequence, but now it's all about their Hazards Of Love. And it's got the sort of parenthetically inclined, waterlogged tracklist you'd expect to come from Colin's quill. Examples include "Annan Water," "Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga)," "The Hazards Of Love 4 (The Drowned)," and most excellently, "Hazards Of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)." A true friend to writers with wordcounts, this guy. Here's the rundown in 17 track titles featuring lots and lots of syllables:

  

• RIP Robert Hazard

  bag of songs - 2008-12-06 15:19:43

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  Robert Hazard 011, originally uploaded by WXPN FM 88.5 - xpn.org.

  
  A moment of tribute today for legendary Philadelphia musician Robert Hazard who died unexpectedly August 5, 2008 at age 59 after surgery for pancreatic cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. While Robert is probably best known for his song Girls Just Wanna Have Fun covered by Cyndi Lauper and more recently by Miley Cyrus, early songs like Escalator Of Life and Change Reaction established him as one of Philadelphia's finest. A great loss indeed.
  
  Robert Hazard - Troubador
  Buy Troubador
  

• Review: Deerhunter @ Emo’s 12.2

  Sonic Itch Music - 2008-12-04 17:26:18

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  With Deerhunter, we have a band that takes their name from an impressive war film of the 70’s, but their music has more to do with unnerving Russian roulette scene that seared itself into our collective conscious, than it does the entire film. With every song, Bradford Cox has transformed himself into Christopher Walken’s character and is spinning the barrel of his existential revolver, squeezing the trigger, smiling at his luck, and inviting us to try.

  From the onset, we were met with oscillating fuzz and feedback loops that felt more like creatures from the ether swooping down on Emo’s and perching on the rafters as onlookers. Cryptograms kicks in and Cox’s voice swoons over the microphone with a ghostly reverb, the drawbridge extends itself over the hazardous moat, and we are in Deerhunter’s eerie Microcastle.

  The Atlanta quintet drew from all of their recorded material to date and followed their intro with the propulsive Never Stops. Josh Fauver and Moses Archuleta held down the fort with a steady-punch bassline and a compelling kick drum, which then gave way to the epic, metal-wind chorus, as the band locked in to drive the song’s message home. It was made clear early, we were witnessing something special, something unaware of its own end.

  As they intently moved through their discography, an insight began to dawn on me. The crew’s music functioned more like an incantation, the space we occupied felt more like a meeting ground for the living and the dead, and I was never more comfortable with my own mortality. There was a strange reassurance looming in the air comprised of banshee wail and Deerhunter music. Gone was the contrived head-bob and inappropriate mosh-pit, in it’s place, a committed engagement by a mesmerized audience. This was a full-blown trance, and despite my talkative friend’s wishes that “everyone should be jammin’ out,” I concluded the only thing jammed was her noodle and it prevented her from receiving transmissions from this ghost frequency. I was tired of Cox having all the fun, so I took the gun, spun the barrel, pulled the trigger, got lucky, and smiled back.

  By the time they reached Nothing Ever Happened, a song that could make a serious run for song of the year in the underground circuit, I couldn’t imagine anything going wrong for these ATLiens.  Nothing boasted it’s undulating hiss, exclamatory bass, Whitney Petty’s infectious lick, the tandem shimmer of Lockett Pundt and Petty’s guitars, Cox’s math-rock guitar trickery a la Van Halen, a climax culminating into a pitch-bending audio assault, and a challenge to one’s musical palate and sanity. What a great place to be!

  Deerhunter’s last half of the set bounced around from new to old, to mistakenly-leaked, and back to new. At one bookend there was the grimy dance-pop of Weird Era release Operation, and at the other Twilight at Carbon Lake, a modern-day version of Santo and Johnny’s Sleepwalk. Everything in between confirmed a peculiar feeling. Although every member of Deerhunter is an integral part of its anthem(ic) sound, it’s Bradford Cox that appears to be in two realms at once, in the here and now and the hereafter, a beacon transmitting messages from a frequency which we should all hope to be attuned to. He possesses a musical soul that extends itself from the beginning of Rock’s musings to places Rock music has yet to go. At Carbon Lake’s thunderous, crescendo into tremulous, guitar fury, abrasive shrill, and percussive cacophony, I was relieved to find that we all survived this daring game of sonic Russian roulette and comforted by this thought. Once in blue moon, we encounter a band that reaches conceptual bliss, and Deerhunter is that band.

  

  

  

• Hope

  Good Rockin` Tonight - 2008-11-27 10:07:44

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  After the US election, the general consensus is that once again we have hope in the world. It seems natural then to revisit a classic album from 1977 with the same title, Hope.
  
  Hope is the second album released by the Canadian group Klaatu, in September 1977. It is a concept album, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, about the sole survivor of an arrogant race of beings, who warns space travelers of hazards in the last days of his life. By the time this album came out, the rumour that Klaatu were actually the Beatles reformed had died down. Klaatu were just three talented Canadian boys. For more info about the whole Beatles comparison stuff inspire by their first album, you can check out my earlier post which goes into more detail about the whole phenomenon. It's quite fascinating.
  
  The recording is rich in both musical content, as one of the most powerful combinations of rock and classical orchestral music to that date, and in production values, sounding like a modern recording, even though it was created in the late 1970s on a relatively small budget by a few people. Many fans and critics consider Hope to be the most creative of the Klaatu albums, and a high point of 1970s production standards. I've heard some say it has a slightly Pink Floydish feel to it. Not to mention the stunning artwork of the album. Which nowadays is becoming a thing of the past.
  I resurrect Hope here for any first timers to hear or a blast from the past for any who may remember the whole phenom.
  
  Hope by Klaatu
  The Loneliest of Creatures by Klaatu
  Buy It
  
  
  Funny Toon

• The Fireman

  Jonk Music - 2008-11-22 18:38:16

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  "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight"
  from the album Electric Arguments
  2008
  
  
  
  There's simply no way of discussing this album without first addressing its origin and personnel. The Fireman is a duo consisting of Youth (Killing Joke bassist and jack-of-all-trades producer of experimental electronica and ambient remixes as well as the more mainstream rock of the Verve and Guns 'N Roses) and Paul McCartney (who needs no parenthetical).
  
  McCartney had always been fascinated with the experimental possibilities of electronic music, and with Youth's studio wizardry, the Fireman released two albums of far-out electronic ambience. Initially, they hid their identities, allowing Fireman's music to swim out into the musical landscape unfettered by the loaded preconceptions that their names exude. However, the duo's identities were inevitably outed.
  
  McCartney and Youth no longer attempt to shroud Fireman in anonymity. And that's not the only change this time around. Unlike 1994's Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest and 1998's Rushes, which were ambient electronic experiments, Electric Arguments is basically a standard pop album, complete with concise structure and prominent vocals.
  
  McCartney's latest offerings, especially 2007's Memory Almost Full, were like sonic chicken noodle soup, familiar and comforting but also unexciting. McCartney was consciously playing the musical role of "Paul McCartney, " staying safe and giving us what we all expected but nothing more, nothing new.
  
  On Electric Arguments, McCartney throws out the can of Campbell's condensed and improvises a new recipe from scratch, impulsively dashing in pinches of spice, haphazardly tossing in whatever ingredients come to mind. The result is an exciting, strange and unexpected stew.
  
  The opening song announces this exploratory spirit quite definitively. "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight" is a dirty, noisy blues sure to make some fans verify whether they haven't mistakenly bought the wrong album. The feedback and guttural vocals that close the song shed light on the underexposed side of McCartney's persona behind "Helter Skelter."
  
  But this album isn't all blistering freak-out jams. In fact, it doesn't stick with any one sound at all. It's almost as if Youth and McCartney recorded four separate EPs, each cohesive in their own right, but then threw all the tracks into a Hefty bag, shook it up and out came the hodgepodge that is Electric Arguments. While this might irreparably fault lesser albums, it adds to this album's off-the-cuff charm.
  
  One sound is that of the previously mentioned "Nothing Too Much": blistering blues with a vengeance. Then there is more traditionally Macca-esque fare replete with flowing melodies and a laid-back aura. The twee "Two Magpies" takes its lyrics from a nursery rhyme, and "Light from Your Lighthouse" is a folksy sing-along. Even though they are more predictable, they exude a long-absent freshness. For example, on the latter track McCartney explores the sinister tones of his vocal range's bottom end, undercutting the otherwise pastel tune with darker shades. It's hard to imagine such ambiguity existing in Memory's two-dimensional landscape. Another recurring sound on Electric Arguments is a wide-eyed spiritual sound. It's U2-ish, triumphantly idealistic yet less overbearing. Tracks in this vein, like "Sing the Changes," sparkle with their lyrical optimism and inspiring musical force.
  
  The album closes with five tracks of a more experimental and electronic bent, many lacking prominent vocals or recognizable structure. At their worst, these experiments are meanderingly indulgent; at their best they're hypnotically captivating, such as pulsating "Lovers in a Dream." It's much more fascinating to hear McCartney occasionally trip up while trying new things than to hear him go through the motions as he has on his past few albums.
  
  Perhaps the fact that this isn't truly a McCartney release has eliminated any pressure to conform to a preconceived identity. Or maybe the act of collaborating, especially with a creative foil like Youth, has brought out a hidden side of his talents. Whatever the roots of this risk-taking may be, the result is an exciting album that enriches and expands our understanding of McCartney's endearing personality and immense talents.

  ~ David Wagner, The Daily Californian

• The Fireman

  Jonk Music - 2008-11-22 18:38:16

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  "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight"
  from the album Electric Arguments
  2008
  
  
  
  There's simply no way of discussing this album without first addressing its origin and personnel. The Fireman is a duo consisting of Youth (Killing Joke bassist and jack-of-all-trades producer of experimental electronica and ambient remixes as well as the more mainstream rock of the Verve and Guns 'N Roses) and Paul McCartney (who needs no parenthetical).
  
  McCartney had always been fascinated with the experimental possibilities of electronic music, and with Youth's studio wizardry, the Fireman released two albums of far-out electronic ambience. Initially, they hid their identities, allowing Fireman's music to swim out into the musical landscape unfettered by the loaded preconceptions that their names exude. However, the duo's identities were inevitably outed.
  
  McCartney and Youth no longer attempt to shroud Fireman in anonymity. And that's not the only change this time around. Unlike 1994's Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest and 1998's Rushes, which were ambient electronic experiments, Electric Arguments is basically a standard pop album, complete with concise structure and prominent vocals.
  
  McCartney's latest offerings, especially 2007's Memory Almost Full, were like sonic chicken noodle soup, familiar and comforting but also unexciting. McCartney was consciously playing the musical role of "Paul McCartney, " staying safe and giving us what we all expected but nothing more, nothing new.
  
  On Electric Arguments, McCartney throws out the can of Campbell's condensed and improvises a new recipe from scratch, impulsively dashing in pinches of spice, haphazardly tossing in whatever ingredients come to mind. The result is an exciting, strange and unexpected stew.
  
  The opening song announces this exploratory spirit quite definitively. "Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight" is a dirty, noisy blues sure to make some fans verify whether they haven't mistakenly bought the wrong album. The feedback and guttural vocals that close the song shed light on the underexposed side of McCartney's persona behind "Helter Skelter."
  
  But this album isn't all blistering freak-out jams. In fact, it doesn't stick with any one sound at all. It's almost as if Youth and McCartney recorded four separate EPs, each cohesive in their own right, but then threw all the tracks into a Hefty bag, shook it up and out came the hodgepodge that is Electric Arguments. While this might irreparably fault lesser albums, it adds to this album's off-the-cuff charm.
  
  One sound is that of the previously mentioned "Nothing Too Much": blistering blues with a vengeance. Then there is more traditionally Macca-esque fare replete with flowing melodies and a laid-back aura. The twee "Two Magpies" takes its lyrics from a nursery rhyme, and "Light from Your Lighthouse" is a folksy sing-along. Even though they are more predictable, they exude a long-absent freshness. For example, on the latter track McCartney explores the sinister tones of his vocal range's bottom end, undercutting the otherwise pastel tune with darker shades. It's hard to imagine such ambiguity existing in Memory's two-dimensional landscape. Another recurring sound on Electric Arguments is a wide-eyed spiritual sound. It's U2-ish, triumphantly idealistic yet less overbearing. Tracks in this vein, like "Sing the Changes," sparkle with their lyrical optimism and inspiring musical force.
  
  The album closes with five tracks of a more experimental and electronic bent, many lacking prominent vocals or recognizable structure. At their worst, these experiments are meanderingly indulgent; at their best they're hypnotically captivating, such as pulsating "Lovers in a Dream." It's much more fascinating to hear McCartney occasionally trip up while trying new things than to hear him go through the motions as he has on his past few albums.
  
  Perhaps the fact that this isn't truly a McCartney release has eliminated any pressure to conform to a preconceived identity. Or maybe the act of collaborating, especially with a creative foil like Youth, has brought out a hidden side of his talents. Whatever the roots of this risk-taking may be, the result is an exciting album that enriches and expands our understanding of McCartney's endearing personality and immense talents.

  ~ David Wagner, The Daily Californian

• Finally Friday

  speed of dark - 2008-11-21 07:49:59

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  We are one week away from what is known in retail parlance as "Black Friday," traditionally the heaviest shopping day of the year. Since Mr. Folkie and I saw Zach and Miri Make a Porno,, I can't help remembering the scene where Delaney, who is black, is told by the boss that he has to work on Black Friday. The tirade that follows is both bizarre and hilarious--typical Kevin Smith.
  
  Can You See the Sunset brings us some tunes from the stack of CDs from his overflowing mailbox--a hazard of music blogging. I have stacks too, and it's really hard to keep up.
  
  Lost in Your Inbox also posts some new music today, one with Calvin Harris vocals. Scroll down, and you'll find us discussing Craig Ferguson and Scottish accents.
  
  Thanks, Captain Obvious has brand new music from Anathallo's new album, Canopy Glow.
  
  Count Me Out has featured Horsefeathers, Deerhunter, and new Andrew Bird this week on video.
  
  And Contrast Podcast #138 covers affairs of The Heart. My contribution will probably show up again on my Favorites of 2008, so check it out.
  
  This one is for Indie Mom:
  Chris Walla: Everyone Needs a Home from Field Manual (2008)
  MySpace | Website | Label: Barsuk
  Buy at Amazon.com, iTunes
  
  Buildings and Trees: November, unknown album (2005)
  Download: CNET
  
  Trembling Blue Stars: November Starlings from The Last Holy Writer (2007)
  MySpace | Label: ElefantRecords
  Buy at Amazon.com, iTunes, and eMusic
  
  The National: Mr. November from Alligator (2005)
  MySpace | Website | Label: Beggars Banquet
  Buy at The National Shop, iTunes, and eMusic
  
  Photo by alt-gramma: native California wild grapes

  

• A Small Step For Mankind

  The Devil Has The Best Tuna - 2008-11-10 19:00:02

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  We Landed On The Moon!
  Genre: Indie / Rock / Pop
  From: Louisiana United States
  
  We Landed On The Moon!, who have the unfortunate distinction of being the 'official band of TigerDroppings.com', is a 5-piece band from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  
  The band initially formed as a trio (Melissa Eccles, guitarist/keyboardist John Lambremont and guitarist Brad Ourso) after being asked by American actor, comedian, writer, and film director Jay Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers, Beefest), to provide a song for the Dukes of Hazard soundtrack. The initial sessions were so productive that they released them as 'The Kill Ralphie' EP. After Ourso left to pursue other projects the band were beefed up with Ryan Rushing (drums), Stephen Bowling (bass) and Jonathan Kolich (guitar) and are scheduled to release their next album 'These Little Wars' next month.
  
  Unlike Neil Armstrong and co We Landed On The Moon! don't boldly go where no man has gone before preferring to keep their feet firmly on terra firma perfecting the anthemic power pop that pitches it's tent in the gardens of Blondie and Rilo Kiley.
  
  They've thrown everything, including the kitchen sink, into the self released 'These Little Wars' which give it the surprising feel of a major label release. If they can do this on a limited budget imagine how good they'd sound with the backing of a major!
  
  'These Little Wars' is a good album but at times We Landed On The Moon! sound like they are operating a little too far within their comfort zone. If they take a few risks, expand the musical pallet a little and leave the kitchen sink at home then their next album could just be the one.
  
  We have lift off, well almost.
  
  
  Go Try
  
  MP3 - We Landed On The Moon - Re Your Letter
  MP3 - We Landed On The Moon - The Night Was Open
  
  
  Go Visit
  
  
  We Landed On The Moon - Myspace
  
  Go View
  
  We Landed On The Moon
  One Of A Kind
  
  

• The Decemberists Bring Conan "Days Of Elaine"

  stereogum - 2008-11-04 13:14:17

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  It was originally reported that the Decemberists were going to go the current events route and play "Valerie Plame" for their Election Day-eve spot on Conan. Instead, they offered up a tiny Obama button and Always The Bridesmaid Vol. 2 A-side "Days Of Elaine." Guess they didn't want to offend O'Brien with "O New England"'s conflicted view of Boston. More likely, it was good timing: Vol. 2 came out today. You can watch the performance at Hulu. Conan's very impressed by the rhythm guitar.

  Always The Bridesmaid: Volume I and Volume II are out now digitally via Capitol and on 12" vinyl via The Decemberists' Y.A.B.B./Jealous Butcher. Volume III's out 12/2. You can pre-order the complete bundle here. The band's working on their next full-length, Hazards Of Love.

  

• Is 'The Wrestler' Inadvertently Shortchanging 'Slumdog Millionaire'?

  :: The Playlist :: - 2008-10-31 12:13:27

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  Ok, a thought after having watched the "Slumdog Millionaire" trailer. Without getting too pissed about it, one can't help but feel slightly annoyed at "The Wrestler." It's another Fox Searchlight film which they're probably pushing harder because of Mickey Rourke and its Oscar chances (which frankly, outside Rourke aren't exactly amazing), and we liked the film and all, but it's not as good as 'Slumdog' (though it is admittedly oranges and apples, but if we had to choose...). One can't help but thing the rush-job (which includes a haphazard poster and not the greatest trailer on earth, not bad either, but...) for Danny Boyle's film is not only because of Searchlight's last minute acquisition of the film (which included a rapid, turn-around date of November 12), but because their key resources are probably moving towards Darren Aronofsky's film which is inadvertently shortchanging 'Slumdog.'
  
  It's a minor quibble and probably one that comes out of economic results, plus it makes sense - "The Wrestler" is probably going to speak to mainstream, English-speaking audiences in a way that Boyle's film can't (it's 40% Hindi, 60% English, is set in India and features no well-known stars), but we can't help but be a little bummed about that prospect. Still Foxlight admirably does a great job of pushing indies into the mainstream and we dug both films, so there's no hate there. We're just hoping all their eggs don't have to go in one basket. But something to think about, the economy is fucking up everyone's world, including the film one. Still, we hope to see Danny Boyle and 'Slumdog' at the Oscars.
  

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• DMBQ and Monotonix: live @ WFMU Record Fair (mp3) (video)

  WFMU`s Beware of the Blog - 2008-10-30 12:18:43

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  What were we thinking unleashing two of the world's most hazardous rock groups -- Tel Aviv's Montonix and Tokyo's DMBQ -- on the WFMU Record Fair this past Sunday? Well, we had both group sign declarations -- in blood -- assuring us that they would not set any fires. But they still nearly managed to bring the Record Fair to a grinding halt with their predictably unpredictable antics.

  Monotonix kicked off the whole mess with vocalist Ami Shale immediately dumping a full trashcan on the drummer's head. After scaling the walls of the Metropolitan Pavilion, Ami disappeared into the crowd. Soon he resurfaced on the other side of the room, ready to jump...

  (video by kreuhnkohrman)

  (read more, plus video + audio after the jump)

  As the security staff strapped on their riot gear, Andy came to the rescue. He fought through the crowd and told Ami, "This is not good behavior, brother. You cannot be up there, you're going to get this whole thing shut down". This was a language that Ami understood, he did not want to be "banded" in America like he apparently has been in Israel and Canada. So he stepped down with grace even as the crowd continued to yell "jump!".

      (video by Lani)

  Most of the microphones we set up to record the performance were rendered useless within minutes, but Scott W brought a long mic cable to follow the chaos, helping to capture the following audio: Setlist: 1. Ride | 2. Summers and Autumns | 3. Body Language (mp3) | 4. Flash? (mp3) | 5. Deadly Weapon (mp3) | 6. (Come Closer / Jump! / Banded rant) (mp3) | 7. No Metal (mp3)

  Just when we thought it was safe to browse for more records, Tokyo's Dynamite Masters Blues Quartet (DMBQ) appeared. They riffed and violin-bowed their guitars into an echoplex frenzy, and before we knew what was happening, drummer Shinji Wada had re-assembled the kit atop a sea of humans. Vocalist Shinji Masuko donned an apocalyptic gas mask, wrapped himself in other people's coats, and -- as one angry listener described, "sounded like a prehistoric creature trying to deliver a breech offspring, and not succeeding". He must be referring to the epic closing number, called "Are You?". Take a listen to DMBQ live at the WFMU Record Fair: 1. She Walks (mp3) | 2. Taste (mp3) | 3. Floweerr & Nothing (mp3) | 4. Are You? (mp3)
  

  more Record Fair video from kreuhnkohrman:

  All live audio posted under a Creative Commons license
  All images (cc) Tront except the mooning photo c Dan Bodah and the bottom right Gas Mask photo c The Junes

• If that really is your name - Part two

  inkiostro - 2008-10-27 17:48:47

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  "Oh Valerie Plame, if that really is your name, I will shout the same from on high.Dear Valerie Plame, I’ll look for that long exchange, outside of the bureau de change in Shanghai.I was just some stupid boy on a bus when your nom de guerre was code name Caroline.So my Vespa became your chariot From the green zone Marriott to be etched upon my mind." Valerie Plame è la canzone dei Decemberists che apre il bellissimo Always the bridesmaid, trio di singoli pubblicati dalla band di Portland. Una dolce attesa prima del loro quinto album Hazards of love, in uscita ad Aprile, per la seconda volta sotto l'egida della Capitol. Sei canzoni che segnano un ritorno alle sonorità di Picaresque, dicono alcuni - o addirittura dei due primi album. Staremo a vedere. Per quanto mi riguarda, personalmente, Meloy e soci hanno raggiunto risultati tali che ogni delusione non sarebbe che relativa, all'interno di un amore cieco e incondizionato. Ma è un problema mio.   Nel frattempo, tutti si chiedono, chi è Valerie Plame?     Valerie Plame: ma è davvero quello il suo nome? Se proprio vogliamo metterla giù dura, il nome esatto della bella signora bionda nella fotografia è Valerie Elis Plame Wilson, tenendo conto del cognome del marito Joseph C. Wilson, l'ex ambasciatore del Gabon e di São Tomé. E costei è la protagonista di una tra le vicende politiche più note del decennio negli states: il cosiddetto Plame affair o Plamegate.   Per farla breve (ché è una faccenda lunga e complicata) nel Luglio del 2003 Wilson scrive un corsivo nel New York Times intitolato "What I didn't find in Africa". Il succo dell'articolo è: le dichiarazioni dell'amministrazione Bush riguardo ai rapporti "plutonici" tra Niger e Iraq, tra le principali giustificazioni dell'intervento militare nel paese asiatico, erano semplicemente esagerate e inaffidabili. Qualche giorno dopo, il noto giornalista conservatore Robert Novak scrive un articolo nel Washington Post in cui, rispondendo alle precedenti accuse di Wilson, diceva, tra le altre cose, che Valerie Plame, la moglie di Wilson, era un'agente della CIA sotto copertura.   Oops.   Come l'informazione fosse arrivata a Novak, e di seguito al pubblico dominio, è successivamente al centro di uno degli scandali di spionaggio più imponenti della storia americana. Che portò alla condanna di Irve Lewis Libby, detto Scooter. Giuro. Scooter: chi era costui? Non altro che il capo delo staff di Dick Cheney. Ah, ecco. Ostruzione della giustizia, spergiuro, falsa testimonianza ad agenti federali. Uno dice, in galera e buttano via la chiave. Nah. Due anni di condanna. Che divennero due anni di libertà condizionata e una notevole multa in denaro. Toh, guarda.   Tre anni più tardi, nel Luglio del 2006, Joseph Wilson e Valerie Plame (la cui carriera nella CIA era ovviamente terminata nel momento in cui la sua copertura era stata sputtanata) sporsero una denuncia civile nei confronti di Scooter, del vicepresidente Dick Cheney, e dell'allora vice capo dello staff di Bush, il rubicondo e viscido Karl Rove, per il loro ruolo nello sputtanamento in questione. Il giudice incaricato archiviò la causa. Per capirci, a Robert Novak non hanno nemmeno detto bif, anche se ora sta morendo per un cancro al cervello.   Tutto qui? E Valerie? La nostra cara Valerie Plame? Ha scritto un libro, è uscito un anno esatto fa, e si intitola Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House. E visto che in America l'occasione fa l'uomo ladro, pur essendo un paese dove possono far saltare la copertura di un agente della CIA per vendetta politica senza che nessuno si faccia un giorno di carcere, qualche tempo fa i coniugi Wilson hanno annunciato la loro collaborazione come consulenti a una sceneggiatura di un film tratto dal libro.   E dicono che Valerie Plame sarà interpretata da Nicole Kidman. If that really is her name. Oh, yes, it is.     The Decemberists - Valerie Plame (MP3) The Decemberists - Valerie Plame (live @ Daily Show with Jon Stewart) (video streaming)  

  Pubblicato da kekkoz | Commenti (1)
  
  Tags: indie-gestione, guarda te, namedropping, blogcrossing
  
                                     
  
  

• Kevin Smith Goes All '90s With 'Zack And Miri Make A Porno' Soundtrack; Disc Due Nov 11

  :: The Playlist :: - 2008-10-27 11:54:30

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  There's generally no accounting for taste when it comes to Kevin Smith, but the "Zack and Miri Make A Porno" soundtrack has some decent tunes on in. Sort of. The film leans heavily on bad '90s nostalgia hits like Primus and Marcy Playground, but even some of those types of one-hit wonder tracks are ok (Len's "Steal My Sunshine," while kind of annoying now, is a decent pop song, we suppose). The nostalgia makes sense too considering, 'Porno' starts off at a high school reunion and what follows kick starts the narrative off into high gear, but the use of Primus at the beginning is haphazard, out of nowhere and odd.
  
  Due November 11 on Verve records, the 23-track soundtrack disc also features songs by the Jesus & The Mary Chain (yeah, it was in "Lost In Translation," but we approve of the song), DMX, Blondie (sweetly used in the film), MC Chris, Canadian indie-rockers The Dears, Bronski Beat, and the Pixies' "Hey," from Doolittle and a song that might just be the most memorable, "movie-music" moment in the film (which despite our usual distaste for Smith, a movie we didn't entirely dislike). The Dears track runs a close second on the memorable music moments (a wistful song that captures the more endearing qualities of the film quite well).
  
  Featured in the film, but not the movie is heinous struggle-rock '90s band Live ("Hold Me Up"), Forbidden Ensemble ("My Assistant Will Take Notes"), DJ Kool ("Let Me Clear My Throat/Klassic Cool Original Version") and Steely Dan's Donald Fagen ("New Frontier") but most, if not all of the film's key tracks are represented on the dic. The rest of the tracks on the album are the score by James L. Venable ( who also contributed the song, "Smile, I Think She Likes You") which we honestly thought was godawful and pretty similar to lame sitcom music. This guy composes a lot of ham, music for all the "Scary Movie," "Epic Movie" franchise, "Powerpuff Girls," "Deuce Bigalow European Gigolo," all the Kevin Smith films and a lot of other low-grade stuff. If you buy the disc, try and tune that stuff out. It was really annoying in the movie.
  
  Zack and Miri Make A Porno soundtrack tracklist
  1. The Idea Comes...Hard
  2. Wynona's Big Brown Beaver - Primus
  3. Sex & Candy - Marcy Playground
  4. Steal My Sunshine - Len
  5. Salutations
  6. Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat
  7. The Rosie Defense
  8. Just Like Honey - The Jesus & Mary Chain
  9. The Money Montage
  10. Star Whores
  11. Fett's Vette - MC Chris
  12. Meet The Producer
  13. Dreaming - Blondie
  14. Delaney's Lament
  15. Party Up (Up In Here) - DMX
  16. Hey - The Pixes
  17. The Worst Porno You've Ever Seen
  18. You And I Are A Gang Of Losers - The Dears
  19. Ain't Love Grand
  20. I Love You - Climax Blues Band
  21. The Dutch Rudder
  22. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off - Jermaine Stewart
  23. Parting Shot
  
  The Dears - "You And I Are A Gang of Losers"
  

  The Playlist - The sweet spot where movies and music meet.

• Evil Dead: The Musical

  Good Rockin` Tonight - 2008-10-25 00:48:00

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  The Evil Dead is a 1981 horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell. The film was extremely controversial for its graphic violence and gore, being initially turned down by almost all U.S. distributors, until a European company picked it up. Because of its graphic violence, the original version of the movie was banned in several countries.
  
  The movie spawned two sequels and the Evil Dead Trilogy has an intense cult following with fans clamoring for a fourth installment. If you haven't seen it or have no idea what these movies are about then I heartily recommend you run out and rent all three of the trilogy and make a night of it. Essentially you either get it or you don't. Personally I rate the trilogy at number 1 in the best horror flicks of all time, with Romero's Living Dead series coming in second.
  
  Enter Evil Dead: The Musical which is a Canadian off-Broadway show based on the cult classic film series. With the approval of both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, a musical version of the film was staged, enjoying a successful workshop in Toronto and performances at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal in 2004. The New York off-Broadway production started previews on October 2, 2006. The Official Opening Night performance was November 1, 2006 and it ran, performing 8 times per week at the New World Stages, until February 17, 2007. Toronto producers announced a new Toronto production of the show, starring Ryan Ward at the Diesel Playhouse which started May 1st 2007. The musical loosely follows the original incorporating elements of all three movies.
  
  This is a show I would have given my left nut to see as Fans enjoyed the "splatter zone" -- the first three rows of the theater where patrons could count on a good blood-soaking. Ticket buyers in the Splatter Zone were advised to dress down. Hazards included gallons of stage blood and fake gore. (Ponchos were provided during the 15 minute intermission before Act Two).In fact, Toronto fans began wearing white t-shirts to take home later as bloody souvenirs which inspired the show's marketing team to start selling "I Survived the Splatter Zone" souvenirs. Fortunately, Evil Dead: The Musical has been been released on CD and it is freakin' awesome. This is a must have CD for Evil Dead fans. People unfamiliar with the movies probably wouldn't get any of the tunes but they're surprisingly good with some great humour thrown in. Here's a rough rip of the album and I strongly suggest you scoop the real album up if you can find it. Limited Time only.
  

  192 kbps
  
  1. Book of the Dead
  2. Cabin in the Woods
  3. Stupid Bitch
  4. Housewares Employee
  5. Evil Trees
  6. It Won't Let Us Leave
  7. Look Who's Evil Now
  8. What the Fuck Was That?
  9. Join Us
  10. Good Old Reliable Jake (Intro)
  11. Good Old Reliable Jake
  12. Housewares Employee (Reprise)
  13. Death is a Bitch
  14. I'm Not A Killer
  15. Evil Puns
  16. Bit Part Demon
  17. Good..Bad..I'm the Guy with the Gun
  18. All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons
  19. Ode to an Accidental Stabbing
  20. Boomstick
  21. Do the Necronomicon
  22. It's Time
  23. We Will Never Die
  24. S Mart
  25. Blew That Bitch Away
  26. Groovy
  
  Copy and Paste this link into your browser to download
  http://rapidshare.com/files/152458541/EDead192.rar
  
  
  Funny Toon

• Evil Dead: The Musical

  Good Rockin` Tonight - 2008-10-25 00:48:00

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  The Evil Dead is a 1981 horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell. The film was extremely controversial for its graphic violence and gore, being initially turned down by almost all U.S. distributors, until a European company picked it up. Because of its graphic violence, the original version of the movie was banned in several countries.
  
  The movie spawned two sequels and the Evil Dead Trilogy has an intense cult following with fans clamoring for a fourth installment. If you haven't seen it or have no idea what these movies are about then I heartily recommend you run out and rent all three of the trilogy and make a night of it. Essentially you either get it or you don't. Personally I rate the trilogy at number 1 in the best horror flicks of all time, with Romero's Living Dead series coming in second.
  
  Enter Evil Dead: The Musical which is a Canadian off-Broadway show based on the cult classic film series. With the approval of both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, a musical version of the film was staged, enjoying a successful workshop in Toronto and performances at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal in 2004. The New York off-Broadway production started previews on October 2, 2006. The Official Opening Night performance was November 1, 2006 and it ran, performing 8 times per week at the New World Stages, until February 17, 2007. Toronto producers announced a new Toronto production of the show, starring Ryan Ward at the Diesel Playhouse which started May 1st 2007. The musical loosely follows the original incorporating elements of all three movies.
  
  This is a show I would have given my left nut to see as Fans enjoyed the "splatter zone" -- the first three rows of the theater where patrons could count on a good blood-soaking. Ticket buyers in the Splatter Zone were advised to dress down. Hazards included gallons of stage blood and fake gore. (Ponchos were provided during the 15 minute intermission before Act Two).In fact, Toronto fans began wearing white t-shirts to take home later as bloody souvenirs which inspired the show's marketing team to start selling "I Survived the Splatter Zone" souvenirs. Fortunately, Evil Dead: The Musical has been been released on CD and it is freakin' awesome. This is a must have CD for Evil Dead fans. People unfamiliar with the movies probably wouldn't get any of the tunes but they're surprisingly good with some great humour thrown in. Here's a rough rip of the album and I strongly suggest you scoop the real album up if you can find it. Limited Time only.
  

  192 kbps
  
  1. Book of the Dead
  2. Cabin in the Woods
  3. Stupid Bitch
  4. Housewares Employee
  5. Evil Trees
  6. It Won't Let Us Leave
  7. Look Who's Evil Now
  8. What the Fuck Was That?
  9. Join Us
  10. Good Old Reliable Jake (Intro)
  11. Good Old Reliable Jake
  12. Housewares Employee (Reprise)
  13. Death is a Bitch
  14. I'm Not A Killer
  15. Evil Puns
  16. Bit Part Demon
  17. Good..Bad..I'm the Guy with the Gun
  18. All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons
  19. Ode to an Accidental Stabbing
  20. Boomstick
  21. Do the Necronomicon
  22. It's Time
  23. We Will Never Die
  24. S Mart
  25. Blew That Bitch Away
  26. Groovy
  
  Copy and Paste this link into your browser to download
  http://rapidshare.com/files/152458541/EDead192.rar
  
  
  Funny Toon

• Interlude: Wrapping Up

  ÜœberDrivel - 2008-10-01 00:12:00

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  It's over. Summer flew by this year, and in the last few weeks of August, the free shows kind of petered out, no thanks to some nasty rain. But there were some good ones. I don't really have the time or energy to go this far back, so I'm just going to post some photos up here, and let them speak for themselves. Looking forward to 2009!
  
  
  
  

  The Dirty Projectors - South Street Seaport, August 15th
  

  
  MP3: The Dirty Projectors - Hazard Lights
  MySpace: The Dirty Projectors
  Official Site: The Dirty Projectors
  
  
  
  

  Ra Ra Riot - Virgin Megastore, Union Square, August 19th

  
  Ra Ra Riot plays at Music Hall of Willamsburg on October 17th. I might have to see them for a fifth time. The Rhumb Line is great!
  
  MP3: Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine
  MySpace: Ra Ra Riot
  Official Site: Ra Ra Riot
  
  
  
  

  Violens - South Street Seaport, August 22nd
  
  

  Free track over at RCRD LBL.
  
  

  MySpace: Violens

  
  
  
  

  Grand Archives - South Street Seaport, August 22nd
  

  A few tracks, including the one below, over at Pitchfork.
  
  MP3: Grand Archives - Sleepdriving
  

  MySpace: Grand Archives
  Official Site: Grand Archives
  
  
  
  

  Ebony Bones - McCarren Pool, August 24th
  

  MySpace: Ebony Bones
  

  
  
  

  
  

  Titus Andronicus - McCarren Pool, August 24th
  

  MySpace: Titus Andronicus
  

  
  
  
  

  Yo La Tengo - McCarren Pool, August 24th

  
  MP3: Yo La Tengo - The Summer (KEXP Session)
  MP3: Yo La Tengo - I Feel Like Going Home (Live on KCMP)
  MySpace: Yo La Tengo
  Official Site: Yo La Tengo
  
  
  
  

  R.I.P. MCCARREN POOL!

  

• Pictures - Service - 09.15.08

  kissatlanta.com - 2008-09-18 00:50:11

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  Service 09.15.08

  

  I can honestly say that I haven't had so much fun on a Monday in a long time. In fact, I had so much fun I barely got drunk... well until I was done dj'ing anyway. I kinda worked my way through as many styles as I could and then all of a sudden found myself cranking out a bunch of 60's stuff. I quickly realized I had struck a cord with the crowd, as the floor became so energized it was nearly hazardous. Thanks to everyone who made this Monday one of our favorites.

  61 Photos

• Green Man (Friday)

  funfunfun - 2008-08-22 18:13:06

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  It feels odd that this is my first festival review on funfunfun. I went to Reading for six consecutive years in my teens but since starting this blog my summer's have been barren. I wouldn't have gone to Green Man if it weren't my brother, Joss. He's been working at festivals for the last two summers and with his position at Green Man he was given a +1, which he generously offered to me. I snapped it up in an instant. For his kindness i thought i'd give him, and his girlfriend Becky, a review spot for eahc band we saw so after every band i write about you'll see "J says" and "B says" and then a few words. To be honest some of them are probably better than anything I could muster.
  
  Firstly I have to mention the site. Glanusk Park, in the middle of the Brecon Beacons, is such a picturesque setting for a music festival. Encircled by green, lush hills, next to valley-cutting river, its perfect scenery for the music on offer, which is of a folky, indie persuasion. I was taken aback when I first laid eyes on the main stage, with its amphi-theatre-like slope around it and the table-like hillock behind it.
  Cats In Paris kicked off the festival for me with a noisy, synth-led beauty. Sometimes it sounds haphazard but when it comes together, like on single Foxes, they make exquisitely twisted pop songs. Unfortunately I had to leave them premature to carry on playing to the early birds so that I could meet my bro at the Folkey Dokey stage and watch Cardiff trio, Threatmantics. The band play folk that frequently is attacked by punk invaders, turning violins from purring felines to screeching beasts and guitars into jet engines. Its sloppy at first but as the set progresses it gets better and even moving. (J says "foolhardy, diligent, kickass, smart ass", B says "mediocre to bloody brilliant")
  
  As it was sunny (one of the only times all weekend but I'll get to that...) we decided to go and sit by the Main Stage, unaware of what was waiting for us. As we got comfy on the grass, four oldish Canadian enter stage right and started playing. These were Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir and they were ruddy brilliant. Playing lightspeed bluegrass numbers and slower country ones, they picked up the mood of the crowd and made it feel like a festival for the first time. The pace of the hoe-down numbers got a good portion of spectators dancing to the beat of this huge bass drum and twangy banjo and frontman Judd got the nicest sound out of his harmonica. It was great to dance and lay-around to. (J says "jangly, speedy, heart-warming, oaky rustic blend", B says "bad fucking ass, go see")
  We couldn't move due to the sunshine so stayed at the Main Stage to watch Fight Like Apes. I'd heard good whispers about these lot so I was interested to see what they were like. Their odd, electro punk wasn't bad but after such a rustic band, they felt out of place with the surroundings. Keyboards were squealing and everything was distorted and it did get some little kids rocking out by the side of the stage but it didn't feel right. Even their cover of McClusky's Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues wasn't enough to pull them into positives, they just didn't seem right all round. (J says "Mostly uptempo, predominantly boring", B says "YeahYeahYeah's mixed with the 00's")
  
  The Green Man Cafe was our next port of call for a drink and to see Rod Thomas. His description in the programme talked about disco beats, hand claps, loop pedals and was the reason we ventured to the tiny stage, it was a little bit mis-leading. When I thought disco beats, i was thinking bass-heavy, ground-shaking blast not drum beats from a Casio keyboard but what we saw was a pleasant set from a singer-songwriter just trying to be a bit different. Using the loop-pedal, he self-harmonised and added hand claps and tambourine to the tracks but after a few songs, Rod and his songs got a bit cheesy. The best moment came when he enter the crowd for his final song and sang only accompanied by a ukulele. Maybe that's the way he should go. (J says "Tried hard with occasional okayness", B says "Nice music but since he's Billy-No-Mates")
  
  The evening was filled with even more solo goodness by two singers from bands I really admire. Lou Rhodes, from electro, dancey, odd act Lamb, has an amazing voice and now she's turned her hand to more folksy matters, her voice can be even more instrumental than before. Unfortunately, while her voice is so clear that its seems to cleanse your skin, her tunes aren't up to much and after half an hour I was really after something with a bit of kick to it.(J says "Lovely, boring songs", B says "Beautiful voice but up herself")
  
  Luckily Ben Ottewell was headlining the Green Man Cafe to give us just that. Known for his deep, gravelly voice in the bluesy sextet Gomez, Ben knew how to please his audience and played a set comprising mostly of his band's best songs. Get Miles, Hangover Cup, Here Come the Breeze were all present, drunkenly and probably very loudly accompanied by half the crowd. It was a delight to see him on such a tiny platform and it made me feel quite old to think that Gomez's debut came out ten years ago, its such a solid album. Highlight of the set was Make No Sound, accompanied by a friend on guitar and Ben's voice soared into the Friday night air. (J says "Exactly what I wanted", B says "He touched me to the bone")
  After such a rousing end to the evening, the night began triumphantly in the Rumpus Room with much dancing, green moustaches, beer can feet and tidy gestures, but, i guess, you had to be there...
  
  Cats In Paris - Foxes
  Threatmantics - Sum Sum
  Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir - Buried Them In Water
  Fight Like Apes - Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues
  Rod Thomas - Debris
  Lou Rhodes - The Rain
  Ben Ottewell - Get Miles (live)
  
  To see more of Green Man check out my (quite fuzzy) photos on my flickr
  

• Hot Club de Paris; Live at Dead Lake

  Come Pick Me Up - 2008-08-10 11:04:28

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  "You were meant to keep us safe, and sit tall upon the landscape."
  
  

  Hot Club de Paris is a band that I never would, nor ever could, take my eyes off of. They are doubtless one of my favorite bands. I've followed them closely (see past post) for the better part of 3 or 4 years now, starting with their decidedly tongue in cheek demo "sometimesitsbetternottostick..." and the debut that followed, Drop It Till It Pops, back in 2006. Their second studio album, which is inexplicably called Live at Dead Lake, is fraught with the same haphazard guitar work and Liverpublian charm as its predecessor. Interestingly enough, the band derives influence from American greats from the post-punk underbelly such as Cap'n Jazz and Owls, but in addition wield their own British sine qua non that makes them ever more enjoyable.
  
  Hot Club de Paris - Hey Housebrick
  Hot Club de Paris - I Wasn't Being Heartless When I Said Your Favourite Song Lacked Heart
  
  more info...
  Official Site
  Myspace
  Purchase
  

• Mind-Blown on a Saturday Afternoon

  Diagnosis: No Radio - 2008-06-28 12:55:20

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  Okay, if you haven't gone and downloaded the new Girl Talk album, "Feed the Animals", you really need to. I mean, you know this guy's shtick by now and this one doesn't really do anything fundamentally different from "Night Ripper", although it seems to me it's a little less heavy-handed with its hiphop samples. That is, Gregg Gillis isn't so much laying his frantic collage of pop hooks behind extended hiphop samples; he's integrating them more fully into the songs. It still has the breathless name-that-tune vibe of his earlier efforts, but it seems a little less ADD. When, for instance, Deee-Lite and Nirvana are seamlessly blended together, you get the feeling that both samples have been digested by the DJ, not just thrown together haphazardly. And yes, there's some Metallica in there and, well, I don't want to spoil any of it. I'm not sure it'll bear repeated listening: the primary joy of Girl Talk is just that: primary. It's the act of discovery, of puzzling out. What's left once the mystery's solved remains to be seen, but for now, this is speeding up a day that'd otherwise be creeping by.
  
  Of course, maybe I'm just happy because there's a lot more classic rock on here. A lot.
  
  Get it here.

• why would you settle for less when the world gives you more?

  sand is overrated - 2008-06-22 12:11:21

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  blake hazard and john dragonetti are in love, and they want to sing you songs about it.
  
  in 2006 the couple released the first formal product of their long-time collaborations together, declare a new state!. it was an album that chronicled how a trans-continental divide split their relationship into pieces, only to be drawn together again by the immutable force that is love, and ended up on a number of year-end best-of lists, including mine. the album was a snapshot in time, reflective of events that spawned its creation, and the same story gets retold again and again with each subsequent listen, leaving only the possibility that the happy ending continues ad infinitum. and so, two years later, one has to wonder--whatever happened to blake and john?
  
  the answer, at least for now, is that the fairy tale lives on. if declare a new state! was the story of the pieces being irresistibly drawn back together, honeysuckle weeks is the story of those reassembled pieces being superglued together. if declare a new state! was a story that seemed too good to be true, honeysuckle weeks is the evidence that sometimes the fairy tale actually sticks. every song on the album is about love in some form or another, and only three of the ten songs fail to mention the word. it is clearly what is on their mind and in their hearts.
  
  me thinks that people will generally fall into two camps with the submarines. those whose outlook has been shrouded with cynicism by the sting of past regrets will find honeysuckle weeks to be a maudlin exercise in sickly sweet schmaltz; while those who can or just prefer to revel in their own naivete, those who are currently living what blake and john are singing about, or those who think they're on the verge of living what blake and john are singing about, will love honeysuckle weeks. me--i love it.
  
  and for those from the first camp, the submarines let it be known in their leitmotif that they haven't given up on you either:
  
  the submarines : "submarine symphonika"
  from the lp honeysuckle weeks (nettwerk music group, 2008)
  
  

  if you live in the city and you want it to burn
  because you think nobody could learn
  the delicate demons and loneliest ways
  of a heart that's been broken
  
  say what you will
  love finds you
  even when you've given it up
  
  one after another you've seen love affairs turn
  from the glorious start to the crash and burn
  but now that you've promised never again
  it's exactly when you'll fall in
  
  you've sworn off clubs and bars, fridays with the girls
  you say home is where you'll be, but soon your own sweet love
  who needs you will be lying in your arms
  
  say what you will
  love finds you
  even when you've given it up
  
  everybody deserves to be adored
  why would you settle for less
  when the world gives you more?
  
  the hurt has you numb
  but it'll soon make you strong
  and your loveliness goes on and on
  
  say what you will
  love a heart that's been broken
  love finds you
  even when you've given it up
  

• Do You Know The First Thing About Music? Part 2

  Souled On (Music, Art, Politics, and Life) - 2008-04-18 11:50:22

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  As promised, here is the second installment of original songs that became more famous after they were covered by other artists. If nothing else, I had to revisit the concept so I could see how long it takes this genius to plagiarize my entire post again. Damn...I'm all about peace and love, but some peoples are just downright uncivilized, ya know?
  
  Today's post is dedicated with respect to the genuine soul children in the house...you know who you are.
  
  Be easy, kids...
  
  "Tainted Love"---Gloria Jones (zShare)
  
  "Tainted Love"---Gloria Jones (savefile)
  
  *Written by Ed Cobb, a musician, songwriter, record producer, and sound engineer. He was affiliated with a wide array of artists in some capacity or another, including The Four Preps, The Standells, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Brenda Holloway, and Steely Dan.
  
  *Gloria Jones became fully immersed in the music business as a backing vocalist for many popular artists, including Etta James, Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Phil Spector, and Jerry Garcia. She was also a songwriter, penning tunes for Motown acts such as The Jackson 5, The Commodores, and The Four Tops.
  
  *In 1964, Jones released the original version of "Tainted Love", a slice of northern soul that ultimately met with greater success in the UK than it did in the United States.
  
  *Jones joined the group T. Rex in 1973 or '74 (depending on whose account you believe), playing keyboards, clavinet and assuming background vocal duties. She became romantically linked with the group's lead singer Marc Bolan, with whom she had a child in 1975 (model/musician Rolan Bolan). Marc Bolan played guitar and assisted with the songwriting on Jones' Vixen LP, released in 1976. One of the more memorable moments on the album was a revamped version of "Tainted Love". Jones has always been forthright in admitting that she didn't particularly care for the song in its original form.
  
  *Jones' life changed drastically in September of 1977 when she crashed into a tree, and was subsequently accused of driving under the influence of alcohol. Bolan died instantly in the passenger seat, and Jones sustained numerous injuries, but recuperated during hospitalization and managed to survive the incident.
  
  Although Jones is generally vilified as a result of this unfortunate event, it's been reported that both parties were drinking at least moderately on the night of the accident. Although Bolan is known to have had somewhat of a fascination with cars (they were the subject matter in many of his songs), he never had a driver's license and adamantly refused to get behind the wheel.
  
  Another point of interest: the license plate on the vehicle Jones was driving that fateful day was FOX 661L. It's a bit creepy, but Bolan's song "Solid Gold Easy Action" (1972) contains the following lyrics: "Life is the same and it always will be, easy as picking foxes from a tree,", eerily foreshadowing some of the tragedy's specific details. The sycamore tree the couple crashed into now acts as a shrine memorializing Bolan and is still frequently visited by his fans.
  
  At the time of the accident, the couple had been residing in the UK, but Jones soon relocated to Los Angeles with their son, apparently evading the allegations she faced in the UK. After achieving minor musical success in the 1990s, Jones moved to Africa, where she currently runs an orphanage based in Sierra Leone.
  
  *In the early '80s, "Tainted Love" became a huge hit for the group Soft Cell. Their version appeared on their Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret LP, reaching #8 on the U.S. charts and #1 in the UK. In 2006, the SC rendition was sampled on Rihanna's "S.O.S. (Rescue Me)".
  
  *Other covers of this tune have been rendered by Marilyn Manson, Ruth Swann, Coil, Inspiral Carpets, Paul Young, and many more.
  
  
  "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me"---Lou Johnson (zShare)
  
  "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me"---Lou Johnson (savefile)
  
  *Music written by Burt Bacharach; lyrics by Hal David
  
  *Despite having cut some very good soul records, Lou Johnson remains a relatively unknown figure in popular music history. Johnson's first signing as a solo artist was with the Big Top label in New York. During his tenure there, he teamed up with Burt Bacharach and Hal David, who provided the uptown soul singer with some very promising tunes in their formative years as a songwriting duo. Despite the possibilities inherent in their collaboration, Johnson was plagued by a series of career misfortunes. For example, his recording of "Reach Out For Me" essentially flopped, while Dionne Warwick's cover turned the song into a commercial success. "Kentucky Bluebird (Send a Message to Martha)" didn't even crack the Hot 100 for Johnson, yet when British teen idol Adam Faith revisited the tune, it became a chartbusting hit.
  
  "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" ended up being Johnson's most successful recording, but it reached its peak in 1964 at #49. Hopeful that the single may be more appealing to soul fans in the UK, Bacharach arranged for Johnson to perform the song on the British television show Top Of The Pops. Johnson failed to establish a strong fan base as a result of the appearance, but Sandie Shaw enjoyed a #1 hit in the UK when she released her cover of the song later that same year.
  
  Johnson would later be signed to both Cotillion and Volt, but significant fame and fortune would continue to elude him . He maintained a bit of a cult following and became somewhat of a fixture on the LA club circuit, but his career as a studio recording artist came to a halt in the early '70s.
  
  *Bacharach and David were working with Dionne Warwick at same time they were trying to assist Johnson with establishing his career. She was allegedly the first to record the tune, but only for demonstration purposes. Eventually, this first take was rearranged and re-recorded, being officially released in 1967 as the B-side to her "Who Is Gonna Love Me" single.
  
  *In addition to Sandie Shaw's cover, other versions of "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" were offered by Brenda Lee, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebells, Barbara Mason, The Stylistics, Dionne Warwick, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, R.B. Greaves, Johnny Mathis, José Feliciano, Stanley Turrentine, and more. The group Naked Eyes released a very popular cover that peaked at #8 in the U.S. in 1983. Their rendition can still be heard to this very day on an elevator near you. I ain't gonna lie, though. That shit used to be my...ummm...jam.
  
  
  "Hard To Handle"---Otis Redding (zShare)
  
  "Hard To Handle"---Otis Redding (savefile)
  
  *Written by Otis Redding
  
  *As I mentioned when I posted Patti Drew's cover of this song, Redding's original version of this song wasn't released until the year after his death.
  
  *Unlike many of the other artists featured here, Redding's music is hardly an obscurity amongst popular music fans. However, that certainly doesn't mean that none of his songs became more commercially viable in the hands of other artists. As just one example, consider that everyone and their mama associates "Respect" with Aretha Franklin, despite the fact that Redding wrote and originally recorded the song.
  
  "Hard To Handle" has endured a somewhat similar fate. Otis' version of the song peaked at #51 on the popular music charts in the U.S., while The Black Crowes revisited the tune more than two decades later, when it climbed to #26.
  
  *Other covers of this song have been rendered by The Grateful Dead, Etta James (in her Otis medley), Tony Joe White, Andrew Strong, Dynamo's Rhythm Aces, and more.
  
  
  "You're No Good"---Dee Dee Warwick (zShare)
  
  "You're No Good"---Dee Dee Warwick (savefile)
  
  *Written by Clint Ballard, Jr.
  
  *Forever relegated to the shadows of her superstar sister, Dee Dee Warwick is yet another artist whose enormous talent never fully blossomed into commercial viability.
  
  After singing in gospel outfits and recording as a backing vocalist, Dee Dee began cutting her own records in 1963, when she released the original version of "You're No Good" (Jubilee 5459). Although the track was produced by the celebrated duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the record failed to properly launch her solo career. It likely didn't help matters that Betty Everett released a rendition of the tune that same year, especially considering that her cover met with some modest success on the charts. To this day, Betty Everett is often mistakenly cited as the artist who released the original version of the song.
  
  Over the course of her recording career, Dee Dee did manage to crack the R&B Top 20 a few times. However, she still qualifies as an underappreciated soul artist in my book blog. It seems she never had a chance to truly flourish in the spotlight, having been eclipsed by not only her sister, but by Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, and a host of other beloved soul sisters who were on the scene at the time. It's largely a matter of personal opinion whether the oversight was due to Warwick lacking superstar qualities, or the fault of the music industry for not backing her with enough promotional weight.
  
  For those wishing to dig deeper into her career, Dee Warwick: The Collection LP (pictured above) makes for a worthy introduction.
  
  *"You're No Good" has also been covered by artists such as Van Halen, José Feliciano, Elvis Costello, and Wilson Phillips.
  
  Undoubtedly, the most popular rendition was sung by Linda Rondstadt, who had a #1 single with the tune in 1975. I've never particularly been a fan of Rondstadt's music ("Blue Bayou" might just make my list of the worst songs of all time), so I think I'll shut up before I type something stupid.
  
  "Harlem Shuffle"---Bob and Earl (zShare)
  
  "Harlem Shuffle"---Bob and Earl (savefile)
  
  *Written by Bob Relf and Earl Nelson; co-arranged by Barry White and Gene Page; produced by Fred Smith. Relf would later admit that the song was based on Round Robin's "Slauson Shuffletime", a tune that namechecked an avenue in Los Angeles. The duo decided to give the track a bit of a New York twist, and the rest is music history.
  
  *They recorded the song in 1963 and it was was released as a 7" on the Marc label. It peaked at #44 on the pop charts, but its main success came upon re-release in the UK in 1969. The song rose to #7 on the UK charts, but by that time, the duo had already gone their separate ways. Nelson was recording under the alias Jackie Lee, and had enjoyed success with a hit dance record called "The Duck". The duo briefly reunited for a tour, but by the early '70s they had parted company once and for all.
  
  *George Harrison of The Beatles once called their version of the song the greatest record of all time.
  
  *The song was most famously sampled on House Of Pain's "Jump Around".
  
  *The track has been covered by Booker T & The MG's, The Righteous Brothers, The Belle Stars, The Boogie Kings, and more.
  
  Released on their Dirty Work LP and as a 7-inch single in 1986, The Rolling Stones issued what is undoubtedly the most well-known cover of the tune. Their incredibly popular rendition reached #5 on the U.S. charts and peaked at #13 in the UK.
  
  A fact about their version you may not know...Bobby Womack and Tom Waits were two of the background singers on the track.
  
  
  "Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)"---Lorraine Ellison (zShare)
  
  "Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)"---Lorraine Ellison (savefile)
  
  *Written by Jerry Ragovoy and Chip Taylor
  
  *If Lorraine Ellison is remembered at all, it's usually for recording the original version of another song penned by Jerry Ragovoy, the oft-covered "Stay With Me" (Loma, 1966). Although she had previously charted with "I Dig You Baby" in 1965, "Stay With Me" reached #11 on the R&B charts and #64 on the pop charts. As legend has it, Ellison was blessed with a stroke of good fortune when Frank Sinatra cancelled a studio session, and she stepped in to record with an orchestra who'd been left hanging when Ol' Blue Eyes failed to appear.
  
  Ellison had another modest hit in 1967 with "Heart Be Still", her last single that made any headway on the charts. She released "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" the following year, but the song failed to gain any recognition until Janis Joplin recorded it for her I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama! LP (Columbia, 1969).
  
  Lorraine Ellison's voice absolutely blows me away on some of her recordings. She was another exceptional vocalist who should be honored with a more prominent placement in music history. If you ever have a chance to pick up any of her material on vinyl or CD re-issue, I sincerely doubt you'd disagree. Her rendition of "Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)" is damn good, but it's hardly her most stunning moment on wax. If you like this, you should love the rest.
  
  
  "Fever"---Little Willie John (zShare)
  
  "Fever"---Little Willie John (savefile)
  
  *Written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell (under the pseudonym John Davenport); some sources suggest that Little Willie John co-wrote the tune, but this hasn't been confirmed to my satisfaction.
  
  *Without doing an actual count, my guess is that I've posted more versions of "Fever" than any other song I've ever featured on these pages. Why? I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I think of "Fever" as being one of the sexiest songs of all time. Its appeal on that level may be a bit understated in comparison to the vast of array of explicit bump-and-grind records I could obviously brand with that distinction, but for me, R. Kelly ain't got shit on Little Willie John. (I can think of a few lewd jokes I could crack right about now, but...ahem...guess I'll just leave that alone for the time being)
  
  At any rate, I'm not going to reinvent the wheel and mention all of the cover versions there are of this tune. If you can read backwards, there's plenty of information about other renditions of this tune in previous posts. Instead, I'd prefer to do a brief introduction to Little Willie John for the benefit of the unfamiliar:
  
  John was easily one of the most essential recording artists of the '50s and '60s. His gospel-tinged vocal style undoubtedly had a profound influence on the evolution of soul music, having been blessed with a voice that was far more powerful and mighty than his small stature (he was only 5'4") might suggest. He recorded for labels such as Savoy, Rama, Prize, and King, frequently enjoying hit records that crossed over from R&B into the popular music sector.
  
  On March 1, 1956, John recorded the original version of "Fever" at King Records studio in Cincinnati, Ohio. Although the record was quite successful, Peggy Lee's cover would get more play on the radio and end up garnering a higher position on the popular charts. Many have contended that despite this, Little Willie John's version actually sold significantly more copies.
  
  On May 18, 1966, John was convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison for allegedly stabbing a man to death. He died in Washington State Prison on May 26, 1968. His official cause of death is listed as a heart attack, although conflicting reports suggest he died of pneumonia or asphyxiation. On December 19th of that same year, James Brown released an LP called Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things as a tribute to the deceased legend.
  
  Fundamental Supplementalz:
  
  In the first installment of the series, I briefly discussed the way that hip hop generally handles covers. As I said, it isn't commonplace within the genre for all of a song's elements to be duplicated from one artist to another. However, I mentioned that freestyling is one of the essentials of the game, in which MCs deliver improvisational lyrics over an instrumental version of a track previously recorded by another artist or crew. Here are a few prime examples:
  
  
  "WPFW Freestyle (1994)"---Black Thought and Malik B of The Roots
  
  "You Ain't A Killer '08/ Hot 97 Freestyle"---The Clipse/Re-Up Gang
  
  "Stretch and Bobbito Freestyle"---OC/ Large Professor
  
  When I mentioned last time that I was going to fire shots at an MC for dropping the same basic "freestyle" on 3 separate occasions, you probably never guessed that I was going to snitch on Jay-Z. My regular readers know that I've been a loyal Hov fan since day one, but right is right and wrong is dead fuckin' wrong. Judge for yourself, but I think his wordplay is a bit too similar to be considered off-the-dome:
  
  
  "1991 Freestyle at Big Daddy Kane's B-Day Party"---Jay-Z
  
  "1993 Freestyle"---Jay-Z
  
  "1995 Freestyle w/ Big L on Stretch & Bobbito (Part 2)---Jay-Z
  (*Yo...if you're offended by misogyny, violence and/or homophobia, you may want to skip over the first portion of this joint. Big L was a dope MC (R.I.P.), but he was known to get downright raw and ignorant at times. If you just want to hear Jay's verses, start listening at about 1 min. and 19 secs. into the track.
  
  Videography:
  
  Vintage footage of Gloria Jones performing "Heartbeat" live:
  
  
  A Gloria Jones performance from 1977, singing "Go Now". Marc Bolan introduces her at the beginning of the clip:
  
  
  Word From Your Moms:
  
  "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence."---Frederick Douglass

• Record Shop

  STOPLIGHT SLEEP: Muisc & Comics - 2008-03-30 10:54:20

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  Circa 2001. I'm working at a regional music chain in Jackson, TN. This is both the best and worst job I've ever had. My musical vocabulary and frame of reference increases ten fold in the year or so I spend there, and I meet many people who positively influence my knowledge and taste. I also encounter countless "morons" who grate my nerves with their questionable taste and inane questions. Worst of all, I become a cultural elitist (partially due to the film education provided by a roommate and a video production course), a personality trait I have only wrestled into submission in the last couple years.
  
  Present. Inspired by my newly acquired speakers, I've u-turned away from the internet as my primary source of new music. Over the last decade the mode of transfer from my music has shifted in much the same way as yours (you being the ubiquitous blog-reader) likely has: from exclusively CD to almost exclusively mp3 (or some other digital equivalent). Although I'm completely confident in the ability of a digital audio file to deliver an experience equal to that of CD, I'm not confident in the ability of my computer or iPod or internet storefronts to consistently deliver that experience. What follows is a list of my praise and gripes:
  

  • The iPod classic and PC, while good in storage capacity, portability (iPod), and user friendliness, require add-ons (external DAC, controler/line-in adapter) for optimum performance.
  • BLEEP, 7digital, Anthology Recordings, and similar sites have the quality right, but their selection is limited or caters toward a specific market.
  • Amazon and iTunes (the two biggest digital music retailers) are headed in the right direction, but still aren't the perfect solution.
  • Nine Inch Nails had a great idea with their latest release, but bandwidth was a problem early on.
    

  The--possibly foolish--reaction has been to invest almost embarrassing amounts of cash on CDs, occasionally of tracks that I'd previously acquired (legally or otherwise). Not since my time at the CD store have I so haphazardly consumed round, silver plastic. In the last two weeks, I've popped into Barnes & Noble (of all places) to look for CDs. The first time I was hoping they might have the new Kills album, and last night I was taking advantage of their 40% coupon. Both times, I hoped--fruitlessly--to see my friend/acquaintance who works there.
  
  During his appearance on All Songs Considered, Thom Yorke stated that he missed the experience of record shopping. My time shopping the decent-but-inadequate CD section of our local B&N became about an attempt to reclaim that music shop experience, and even though there was no one around who's taste I would turn to, I picked up the Nick Cave album that sat in my friend's recommendation slot by the counter.
  
  I realize that the try-before-you-buy nature of mp3s and music blogs are a more efficient and streamlined method of achieving the same effect. But there's a unique experience in filing through rows of CDs or vinyl while chatting and listening to someone else's selection. I don't want to give up all that technology hath wrought, but I don't want to throw out the indie shops either.
  
  In the spirit of that idea, and the upcoming Record Store Day, here are my favorite record stores:
  
  Grimey's Nashville, TN
  If I ever move to Nashville, this place will have something to do with that.
  Memorable purchase: DJ Shadow Preemptive Strike (used vinyl)
  
  Euclid Records St. Louis, MO
  I've only been there once, but the layout, selection, and staff were all top-notch. I'll be making a visit soon.
  Jason Molina Let Me Go, Let Me Go (vinyl/CD)
  
  Last Chance Memphis, TN
  Memorable Purchase: Hot Snakes Audit in Progress (vinyl)
  Shangri-La Memphis, TN
  Memorable purchase: Dead Kennedys Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (used? vinyl)
  When I lived farther down the Mississippi, these places (especially LC) were weekly stops.
  
  The Disc Exchange Knoxville, TN
  Another one I've only visited once . . . over five years ago, but they had a nice variety and friendly staff.
  Memorable purchase: The White Stripes White Blood Cells (CD, original Sympathy for the Record industry release)
  
  
  
  

• She & Him

  Country Pinball Machine - 2008-01-10 00:24:39

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  A couple months back I heard a duet that M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel did for a still unreleased movie named The Go-Getter. Matt was soundtracking the film, and at the behest of director Martin Hynes teamed up with Zooey to take on the classic Richard & Linda Thompson tune, When I Get to the Border.
  
  Zooey and Matt then began collaborating on a set of demos and songs she had been working on for a while. Repeat, this is not some haphazardly thrown together actress turned singer gig. Anyone who's seen Zooey on the silver screen can attest the girl is talented. For many years she used to perform in a jazz cabaret act, then there's that bit in Elf when Zooey gave us a glimpse at her voice. M. Ward isn't exactly a slouch either, 2006's Post-War is still one of my favourite records.
  
  Word comes out that a full album of this collaboration will be coming out in March. Going under the moniker of She & Him, the album will simply be called Volume 1.
  
  Today I'll leave you with the previously mentioned When I Get To The Border. Also, presumably to be featured off the new album, Change Is Hard. And because I'm irresistibly falling in love with this, I'll include a shortened version of Magic Trick off the aforementioned M. Ward album, Post War.
  
  Once again, all files are sendspace links, so just click the link to get 'er.
  
  M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel - When I Get To The Border mp3
  M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel - Change Is Hard mp3
  M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel - Magic Trick mp3
  

• Helium Disco

  Bricolage Fantasy - 2008-01-06 20:52:36

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  .

  I thought I could organize freedom

  -flickr

  .

  ” Pt.2. Helium Disco ”

  01. Sub Dub : Dawa Zangpo , Dawazangpo EP Vol 2 [EP] (Totally Killing It Productions, 1995)
  02. Innerstance.Beatbox : Helium Disco , Hazardous Materials (The Consumers Research & Development Label, 2005)
  03. Foxgluv : Treats and The Tricka , Flame And Fortune (Cyberset Music, 2005)
  04. Teargas & Plateglass : One Day Across The Valley , Black Triage (Waxploitation, 2006)
  05. Badawi : Battle Cry , Clones & False Prophets (ROIR, 2003)
  06. Cat Five : On the Rise , On the Rise (Catfiverecords, 2002)
  07. Approach : Hey Y’all , Ultra Proteus (Datura Records, 2002)

  note: Second part of electroclash lists, but with heavy hip-hop.

  see also: Electrolicious, What would you do
  image: bricolage.108