Bon Iver cover The Outfield's "Your Love"

I love The Outfield's "Your Love" and Bon Iver does a great job of putting an entirely new twist on this 80's guilty pleasure:

Star Wars: The Old Republic

I sometimes forget that I can write about things other than music so I am going to take a little time to do just that. Bioware has finally released gameplay footage to their highly anticipated upcoming MMORPG PC game titled, Star Wars: The Old Republic. The game looks as if it is going to be based off Bioware's highly succesful RPG PC game, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). KOTOR stands as one of the greatest games I have played regardless of platform so I am obviously excited that they are working to take what was good about KOTOR and incorporate that into The Old Republic (not to mention things are back in Bioware's hands). Details have been kept to a minimum and no firm release date has been set, but at least we are beginning to see progress with the game. I will try to keep up with news of its release.

Chris Dane Ownes - "Shine On Me" (Hilarious)

Every so often the internet gods smile upon us we mortals and hand down absolute hilarious videos for our viewing pleasure. Just such a gift is this music video for Chris Dane Owens' song "Shine On Me." The concept of the video seems to be as if The Lord of the Rings movies incestuously mated with Robin Hood: Men In tights and the Narnia series. This turd of a video had me laughing from the onset but reaches its peak when we see Owens power strumming his green Grestch guitar (2:54 mark) and then blessing us with his awesome pirouetting skills. To add to the awesomeness Owens and the gang make sure there is no shortage of fans to breeze back his perfectly styled long blond locks. Heck, it is Chris Dane Owens' world and we are all just living in it. Rest assured that Chris Dane Owens' Album Blue Stone and the red hot single "Shine On Me" will NOT be making my 2008 best of lists.

Look for Chris Dane Owens to be touring soon and rockin' a Medieval Times near you...

Plants and Animals - "Feedback in the Field" (Video)

I have started thinking about my Favorite Albums of 2008 list but it is nowhere close to being definitive yet, however, you can count on Plants and Animals' Parc Avenue making the list in some manner. "Feedback in the Field" is a cool track from Parc Avenue that will leave you stomping your feet, but this video only adds to the coolness of this song:

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

I awoke the other night to The Rural Alberta Advantage's (RAA) song "The Ballad of the RAA" pulsing in my head and it was just the sign I needed to pick up the album and give it a few more listens. "The Ballad of the RAA" is a song that begins with the building of simplistic rhythm and synthesizer and courses through powerful raw vocals accompanied by beautiful chimes and then culminates with a stripped down acoustic guitar and vocal melody that makes your heart sink. This musical experience is echoed throughout the album without being repeated or uninteresting. Hometowns has an innate quality of being raw, powerful and honest all while appearing to not be trying too hard. In otherwords, RAA's music is sincere and not over produced with the right doses of raw edge and pure emotion. Give the RAA an acoustic guitar and they can rock you with intensity rarely heard out of the more subdued brother to the electric guitar and then they will turn around and sing lullabies that make you wonder if they had to perform an exorcism on this same acoustic guitar to make it so sweet.

I actually found out about The Rural Alberta Advantage on the Metacritic forums (great place to find new music by the way) a while back but have only recently been exposed to them with the release of Hometowns as one of eMusic's "Music Selects" series, as their album was only available through the band's website. I have seen comparisons of RAA to Neutral Milk Hotel and I will go ahead and agree with the similarities although I would say that RAA show a little more straight forward pop sensibility. Nevertheless, the RAA are traveling in good company to be compared to Nuetral Milk Hotel and they will not disappoint. I can see the RAA being somewhat of a Bon Iver indie Cinderella story with the snowballing of publicity they are suddenly recieving and seemingly coming out of nowhere.

If you don't have an eMusic account you can order RAA's Hometowns through their webpage found here, just clink on the "audio" link. Either way check the RAA out as they are definite pleasant surprise in 2008. -(8/10)

Blitzen Trapper - Hailey's in Denton , TX (November 25, 2008)

I have only recently dwelved into the world of Blitzen Trapper and from my limited time with these guys they sound like they would be an awesome band to see live. Conveniently enough the guys of Blizen Trapper will be making a stop at Hailey's in Denton, Texas, tomorrow night. I have been listening to a heavy dose of Wild Mountain Nation and Furr to gear up for this show. If you live in the DFW area and feel like seeing a good show I think this will definitely qualify as such.

11/25 - Denton, TX Hailey's (Doors open 9 p.m.)

Handsome Furs' New Album Info - Face Control

I have been out of town for a week and I am just catching up with things. It looks like some cool releases are on the horizon including news of a new release from the duo of Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry which are better known as Handsome Furs. The new album titled Face Control will be released by Sub Pop on February 3, 2009. Handsome Furs' initial release Plague Park was a sound first offering that held the 6th spot in my Favorite Albums of 2007 list. I am really excited about the release of Face Control as Dan Boeckner has really matured as a song writer with his offerings on Wolf Parade's At Mount Zoomer. Keep an eye out for this album but meanwhile a taste of what to come can be found here.

Face Control - Track Listing:

1. Legal Tender
2. Evangeline
3. Talking Hotel Arbat Blues
4. (Passport Kontrol)
5. All We Want, Baby, Is Everything
6. I'm Confused
7. (White City)
8. Nyet Spasiba
9. Officer of Hearts
10. (It's Not Me, It's You)
11. Thy Will Be Done
12. Radio Kaliningrad

Fleet Foxes "Sun Giant & White Winter Hymnal" La Blogotheque's - A Take Away Show

This is awesome! I am still angry that I missed these guys in a small and intimate venue in Fort Worth, Texas, but hopefully I will catch Fleet Foxes on their next tour. Thank you to Carlos and Andy for pointing me to this.

Rock-afire Explosion - MGMT's "Electric Feel"

First it was Usher's "In the Club" but now there is more goodness with the Rocka-Fire Explosion performing MGMT's "Electric Feel." The Rock-afire explosion is known to most as the animitronic band that was common place in the 1980's in Showbiz Pizza establishments around the U.S. It is coming upon things like this that makes me love the internet more than I loathe it... but just barely.



But wait, there is more! The guy who is making these videos for YouTube has a documentary that details his obsession with these animitronic robots. Man I love the internet!

It Came from Youtube...

Ra Ra Riot - "Too Too Fast" (Live)

Destroyer - "My Favorite Year" (Live)

Frightened Rabbit - "My Backwards Walk" with a little of The National's "Fake Empire" for Good Measure

Bon Iver - "Skinny Love" Live at Later With Jools Holland

I had never seen this performance of "Skinny Love" before tonight but all I can really say about it is if the emotion of this song does not move you than you than you must not be able to feel anything at all...

Sunset Rubdown - Granada Theater (Dallas, Texas) 9/29/2008

I need not write a review of the concert as you know I will say it was awesome. Spencer and the gang played several new songs as he put it that they needed to "warm up" to get these new songs ready to record. The highlight of the night for me was actually meeting Spencer and Camilla before the show. The venue was not very packed when I arrived and Spencer and Camilla were sitting at a table before the Hospital Ships set (which was great by the way). The two could not have been any nicer as they happily signed my copy of Random Spirit Lover and thanked me for coming to the show.

I was so star struck from meeting Spencer that both he and Camilla had to introduce themselves to me (as if I did not know their names). I asked if they were going to record a new record soon and Spencer said, "That's the plan." Thus, it looks as if Spencer is not going to rest on his laurels and his prolificness will continue.

Sadly, there was a fairly small crowd as I can only hope it was because the show was on a Monday night. Spencer had mentioned to me that it was their first show in Dallas but I hope it will not be their last due to the putrid turnout. To make matters worse some idiot near the stage kept clapping off beat and yelling loudly which obviously bothered the band. At one point Spencer acknowledged this idiot by saying, "That's cool but could you do it to the beat?" To further irritate the band the same idiot yelled requests for songs that had already been played which may have been a worse offense than a girl who yelled a request for a Wolf Parade song.

I enjoyed the concert overall on a personal level because I got to see my favorite band front row center and meet my musical hero (Spencer Krug). Meeting Camilla was very cool in its own right as if you have ever seen the band live (and know what to listen to on the records) she really does bring great personality to the songs. Let's hope the band makes it back to Dallas and that the area learns to love the musical theatre that is Sunset Rubdown.

Cool Indie Drum Songs Starring The New Pornographers

I am musician (using the term loosely here) and used to listen carefully to the instrumentation of songs, but I have found that lately I just listen to songs as a whole. The idea for this post came during my morning commute when the New Pornographer's "Bleeding Heart Show" popped up during a shuffle sequence. Now I know this song is the star of a University of Phoenix commercial but let's not hold that against it. Kurt Dahle absolutely rocks the drums at the end of the song. Some guy in a Chevy Tahoe gave me a funny look as my arms flailed about during my tribute of air drums. Floored by Dahle's amazing pounding of the 'skins' I pressed on to try and remember more great indie percussion. Immediately my mind went to another New Pornographer's song "Use It" (talk about percussion driving a song) that happens to be on the same album Twin Cinema. Anyways, here are some other songs that the drums and percussion truly drive the song and make me look like a fool on my morning commute.

Please feel free to leave comments and list other such songs where drums are king...

New Pornagraphers - "Bleeding Heart Show"
New Pornagraphers - "Use It"
Sunset Rubdown - "The Taming of the Hands that Cam Back to Life"
Broken Social Scene - "7/4 Shoreline"

Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line

I know this album has been out for a while but I legally procurred it and I have a job so get off my back.

Wikipedia defines a Rhumb Line as:

In navigation, a rhumb line (or loxodrome) is a line crossing all meridians at the same angle, i.e. a path of constant bearing. Unlike a great circle route (for which bearing is not constant), following a rhumb line requires turning the vehicle more and more sharply while approaching the poles. At lower latitudes, however, a loxodrome may be easier to follow than a great circle. The effect of following a rhumb line course on the surface of a globe was first discussed by the Portuguese mathematician Pedro Nunes in the 1530s, with further mathematical development by Thomas Harriot in the 1590s.

Ok, now that I have my junior high opening to the essay (or review for our purposes) we will move on to the substance of the album because I don't know what the $#*@ a Rhumb Line is after reading the definition over and over.

Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line is the kind of album that I never thought I would like. After the first couple listens of the album my initial impression was that these guys were trying to be Vampire Weekend. If you are unfamiliar with my opinion of Vampire Weekend it can basically be summed up as music that is trying too hard. In fact, the first words I came across regarding Ra Ra Riot was in a forum in which some poster wrote, "They (Ra Ra Riot) are like Vampire Weekend but boring." It was with this quote I knew I was going to love these guys and decided to give the album a couple more spins before prematurely retiring it. I'm glad as "boring" to me has equated to sincere and good music. Now I have to admit that when I listen to this album I still picture northeastern preps/hipsters but I like these yanks much better than those previously mentioned. I'm going to go get my turtleneck out of the mothballs and give this album another go... -(7.5/10)

Ra Ra Riot - "Each Year"
Ra Ra Riot - "Too Too Fast"
Ra Ra Riot - "Can You Tell"

High Places - High Places

I haven't listened to the rest of the new High Places' self titled album coming out on September 23rd but this song is fantastic. I'll let it speak for itself...

High Places - From Stardust to Sentience

Women - Women

I'm convinced that Candian based band Women are doing every thing they can not to be found. It's next to impossible to find these dudes on the internet and I'm beginning to think that Women share the same agent and PR group as Osama bin Laden. Can you think of a more generic band name that will frustrate the shit out of a simple google search? Let's type "Women" ok, we're fucked here as there are only 782,000,000 hits. Let's try "women band" or "band women" ooh, only 5,940,000 hits this time... Ok, let's try "bands who should fire their agent/PR machine" now we have a manageable 42 hits this time, but still no sign of our Canadian noise makers. I'll save you the frustration as the band's website can be found here.

Women continue my frustrations as their album clocks in at about 29.5 minutes and with only 10 songs. Let's further the frustration with the fact that there are 2 songs that are roughly a minute long and 4 songs (including the 2 prior) that clock in under 2 minutes. 'God Bless You', Oh shit I just sneezed over an entire song... I'm thinking that Women have no agent or PR machine as there is no way they would ever release this album as it would be a slap in the face to the modern status-quo of what "suits" think an album should be (12-15 songs clocking in around 45-55 minutes).

Ok, enough of that banter. If you have read up to here and think I don't like this album, think again. Women's Women is the first thing to come around and kick me in my musical behind in several months. Women has become sheer bliss to my ears in that way that only musicians wanting to experiment and try new things can. Women is obviously an album that was written by a musician with no thoughts of commercial viability. In fact, It seems very much like an album written by musicians for musicians. There may be a little too much musical doodling on the album which makes 10 songs really about 6 or 7 in a traditional sense.

Despite what many may see as flaws to Women's approach in this debut should not keep them from giving it a listen. If the short run-time, experimental doodling and lack of traditional song forms bothers you let's be 'glass half full' types here and recognize serious talent and promise for the future. Even if you don't like the musical doodling the more traditional songs are every bit Grade A stuff.

Oh BTW, I'm going to abolish my own no album scoring rule for Robert A/K/A "Bullet" over at Put It In Your Face so that he might actually publish one of my reviews... -8/10

Women - "Group Transport Hall" (Your computer isn't broken, it's 1 minute of bliss)
Women - "Black Rice"
Women - "Lawncare"

Sunset Rubdown - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX

So I am going through the Granada Theater email with headlining groups "Deerhoof, The Mountain Goats and Electric Six" in the header and deciding to scroll down for grins "Holy $#!*,Holy $#!*, Holy $#!*" is spewing from my mouth as I see Sunset Rubdown is coming on September 29th. I just saw Wolf Parade on July 24th and they blew me away despite the high expectations I had entering that concert. Last time I saw Sunset Rubdown I had to drive 3 hours to Austin, TX so this will be a nice visit for me inside of the Metroplex to see the greatest band on the planet.

The Dodos - Interview

Here's a cool interview with the Dodo's that is intertwined with live performance clips:

Daytrotter Sessions - Annuals

The Annuals are one of those indie bands that are well known but seem to be slightly under appreciated (I include myself in this category). I fell upon the Annuals performing for the Daytrotter Sessions and it helps bring back a lost appreciation. Be He Me was one of my favorite albums of 2006 and these takes by the band bring a new breath of life to some of my old favorites. I always felt that "Ida, My" was a beautiful song but that the true emotion of the song was lost in translation in the studio, however it translates much better in this version.

Annuals - "Ida, My"
Annuals - "Dry Clothes"
Annuals - "Bleary Eyed"

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Millions of people wake up every morning and go about their daily lives but little do they know that they are sharing the planet with the new coming of musical genius in Spencer Krug and Wolf Parade. How is it that such genius is overlooked in popular culture while bands like Vampire Weekend grace the stage of Saturday Night Live and are widely acclaimed as the "next big thing"? I digress...

To be perfectly honest I was excited about the arrival of the new Wolf Parade album but was not floored as I am still reveling in the shear perfection that Spencer Krug last bestowed upon us in Sunset Rubdown's Random Spirit Lover. I thought about leaving any comparisons between Sunset Rubdown and Wolf Parade out of this post but when Random Spirit Lover and At Mount Zoomer are shaping up to be my favorite albums of this decade I think I should speak of both in the same breath.

At Mount Zoomer begins strong with a "Soldier's Grin" which has to be one of Dan Boeckner's strongest songs to date. Boeckner does not rest on his laurels with "Soldier's Grin" as "Language City" and "Grey Estates" are both top notch songs that have me holding Boeckner in higher regard than ever. I would even venture to say that Boeckner outshines Krug on this album and if you have ever read my blog you know that is a blasphemous statement.

Spencer Krug is no slouch and is not going to be outdone by any means. "Call It A Ritual" carries a stuttered pace of pure power and precision and I think will be the song that stands up best in time. "California Dreamer" has to be heard to be believed and when Wolf Parade comes to Dallas I know my mouth will be on the floor when I see the group perform this one live. "Bang Your Drum" is also a great song but a surprise as it seems more at home on a Sunset Rubdown album. I think this song is a great example in highlighting what Boeckner brings to Wolf Parade versus what Krug's bandmates do in Sunset Rubdown. Boeckner seems to bring out a more joyful and playful side of Krug as Sunset Rubdown plays on Krug's whimsical and fantastical imagery. The album closer "Kissing the Beehive" is not interested at all in slowing down the momentum as it takes what Boeckner and Krug have already thrown at you and decides to kick it up notch to make sure you are paying attention. Perhaps my favorite lyrics of the album show up here when Krug proclaims, "I wish I could believe in who you are. You hold your cup in the air and you call it a guitar. You put your face on the glass and you call it good cinema, oh. As if you didn't know that it would sting." As a master of imagery and passion Krug is making sure that when the album ends you are yearning for more.

At Mount Zoomer is a fantastic album and will likely top my Top 10 albums of 2008, but I want to qualify this album in that I don't think it has Wolf Parade's best song to date. I agree with Wayne over at Ocean's Never Listen when he states of At Mount Zoomer, "While there is probably no song as perfect as "I'll Believe in Anything", there are plenty of perfect moments." Apologies to the Queen Mary is full of magic and splendor but Boeckner and Krug are growing as artists and erasing doubts of any sophomore slumps as this follow up is stronger on the whole. Let me further qualify At Mount Zoomer in that I think Random Spirit Lover is a superior album. I really think that Boeckner has truly come into his own and Krug's offerings are solid as well, but the artistry of Random Spirit Lover is a feat that still boggles my mind.

Genius walks among us and yet little know of Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner. What these guys are doing with their music is awe inspiring in the least. I began this blog for the purpose of spreading good music to people who would listen and while my passion wanes at times it is albums like At Mount Zoomer that remind me why I do this. Let's all appreciate what Boeckner and Krug have accomplished in their short careers as this is not just music but is truly art.

The Photographic - Pictures of A Changing World

I have decided I am going to stop posting scores for albums and just post quick blurbs about the one's I am listening to and enjoying. I feel that an album needs several months before the true value of its work can be measured. That being said here is a new and lesser known offering from The Photographic which is a two-piece instrumental duo hailing from Louisville, Kentucky.

The Photographic's Pictures of A Changing World is an offering of entirely instrumental music in the vein of Explosions in the Sky (EITS). The two band's are fairly similar in that they use their guitars to create simple melodies that drive the songs and build a sense of tension usually followed by moments of epic beauty. If one listens closely they can also hear shades of Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth's guitar attack and styling in their heyday. The Photographic and EITS carry similarities but both can be enjoyed in there own right. Give these songs a try and I definitely encourage listening to this album as a I find it even more ridiculous to use words to describe music that is entirely instrumental.

The Photographic - "Glass Saviour"
The Photographic - "Inception"
The Photographic - "Secure"

Jimi Hendrix's Isle of Wright Statue Defaced by Guitar Hero's Activision

I am big fan of Jimi Hendrix and I like Guitar Hero, but Activision is taking it a little too far by placing stickers on the Jimi Hendrix statue at the Isle of Wright to make it look like Jimi is holding a Guitar Hero controller. Shame on you Activision and shame on me for even bringing attention to this sacrilege as that is the only thing Activision wants. The article can be found here:

"To celebrate the fact that there will be two Guitar Hero performances on the main stage at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, Activision has re-branded the bronze statue of Hendrix that sits in the grounds of the island’s Dimbola Lodge, turning Jimi’s guitar into the aforementioned video game peripheral."

I Love Sports Tirades...

I love it when sports managers go off the handle on reporters and their stupid questions. Don't take this the wrong way as I think there is usually alot of stupidity blurted from both ends of the microphone. Here is a pretty funny clip from the "Mike and Mike Show" where they talk about such sports tirades and the most recent one from Seattle Mariners' manager John McLean.

Sunset Rubdown - New Songs in You Tube Land...

Sunset Rubdown's tour of Europe finds new songs from the band surfacing on You Tube. Both of the songs sound great but are not a tremendous departure from the band's previous works. Without further ado...

Denton, Texas - The Next Austin, Texas?

The New York Times has an interesting article detailing the rising independent music scene budding in Denton, Texas. Denton is home to the band Midlake and given my proximity to the city I need to personally look into this. Here is an excerpt:

“While Austin’s become more and more commercial, here it’s stayed more independent,” said Erik Herbst, owner of the Panhandle House recording studio. With its high-tech boom and music festivals like South by Southwest, Austin has seen its profile swell, leaving some artists disenchanted by the commercialism and higher rents. Even MTV’s “Real World,” mind you, has invaded the city. The cooler kids have decamped to Denton.

My Initial Impression of Wolf Parade's At Mount Zoomer

Well, I listened to At Mount Zoomer while on the road this weekend and this picture says it all...

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer Album Art is Here!

The cover art for Wolf Parade's previous album Apologies to the Queen Mary is mediocre at best and in my opinion does not reflect the music it is encasing. Fast Foward to 2008 and Wolf Parade's upcoming album At Mount Zoomer... now here is an album cover that embraces the disjointed, powerful and colorful pallet of sounds that Krug and Boeckner so graciously bestow upon it's listeners. If I'm this excited about the cover art for At Mount Zoomer just imagine how excited I am to play this album on repeat tomorrow on my 4 hour road trip?!

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

The first seven songs on Crystal Castle's self-titled debut album Crystal Castles are a tour de force of catchy and highly original tracts that left my jaw dropped the first several times I listened to the album. The only problem with Crystal Castles is that it is awe inspiring on the front end and then cannot carry the momentum. I am not going to give a full review of the album as I have not given it enough time to fully digest, (so maybe my "momentum" comment is premature) but for $6.99 on iTunes you have absolutely no excuse to not buy it. Plus, it just plain kicks ass and all the cool kids like it.

Crystal Castles - "Alice Practice"
Crystal Castles - "Untrust Us"
Crystal Castles - "Air War"
Crystal Castles - "Courtship Dating"

EDIT: So I listened to this album more this weekend and I could not be more wrong... this album is fantastic front to back.

Prince Performing Radiohead's "Creep" at Cochella

It's not that Prince covering "Creep" much less any Radiohead song has ever crossed my mind, but I'm going to file this under "things I never thought I'd see." The surprise value of this performance is the only reason I'm posting this otherwise it's just a bunch of Prince guitar noodling.

M83 - "Graveyard Girl"

M83's Saturdays = Youth received a score of 8.5 from Pitchfork while receiving an average score of 7.2 on Metacritic. I just downloaded the full album today but my initial impressions have me quite impressed. So far the song "Graveyard Girl" is the standout track blending 80's nostalgia with all the emotions of one's teen angst-ridden years. This song is some of the best shoegaze pop I have heard in a while and I highly recommend giving the song as well as the album a try.

Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual"

"Call it whatever you will" but it's a great new song from Wolf Parade. It's not often that one song is going to be cause for an entire post, but we are talking about Wolf Parade here. Check out "Call It a Ritual" which will be appearing on Wolf Parade's yet untitled LP set to be released on June 17, 2008. Meanwhile I will be salivating for the rest to come...

Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual"

Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue

Plants and Animals are yet another indie band to hail from the mecca of indie artists that is Montreal, Canada. Being a native Texan I know very little to nothing about Montreal, Canada, but I do know this; whatever is in the water up there needs to be bottled up and sold as liquid gold. I really didn't think another album could come out of the Montreal scene that I could enjoy on this level, but Parc Avenue crept up on me out of nowhere and I am loving this album. The best way I can describe the sound of Plants and Animals is to mix 70's radio, My Morning Jacket and Midlake in a blender and put a bit of Vodka in for kicks. Parc Avenue covers the gambit from Nick Drake jangly acoustic guitars to overdriven amps pounding out southern rock anthems. Parc Avenue will surely make the mix in my year end "best of" lists and I may regret giving the album only an 8.5, but only time will tell. -(8.5/10)

Plants and Animals - "A New Kind of Love"
Plants and Animals - "Good Friend"
Plants and Animals - "Bye Bye Bye"

The National - A Skin, A Night

The National's Boxer is my third favorite album of 2007 and if you do not already own a copy there is no excuse. To commemorate the greatness that is Boxer The National have enlisted the help of French Director Vincent Moon (who is responsible for the La Blogotheque's "Take Away Show" Series) to direct a film on the making of this classic album. Between my love for Boxer and the the "Take Away Show" series this could not be any cooler... Oh wait, yes it is, there will be a 12-track bonus CD titled The Virginia EP. Well Slap me silly and call me Susie because this is going to be awesome! Look for A Skin, A Night on DVD along with The Virginia EP on CD May 20, 2008.

M83 - Saturdays = Youth

When I listen to electronic based music it usually elicits one of two responses... (1). Linda Blair Exorcist style vomiting, or (2). The desire to strap on a skin tight black shirt and pump my fists in the air Guido/Jersey Shore style (see example here). So far I am enjoying these tunes so we will place them in the latter category. Saturdays = Youth is set to release on April 14, 2008.

M83 - "You, Appearing"
M83 - "Couleurs"
M83 - "Kim & Jessie"

Monster Mixtape

I'm going to be out of town for a while so I thought I would post a bunch of great songs I am currently listening to in my "Monster Mixtape". Enjoy.

The Notwist - "Good Lies"
Tokyo Police Club - "In a Cave"
The Evangelicals - "Skeleton Man"
Throw Me the Statue - "About To Walk"
Tyler Ramsey - "Ships"
Atlas Sound - "Recent Bedroom"
Destroyer - "My Favorite Year"

Yeasayer - "2080" (Take Away Show)

I know I have not been writing much lately but there is little that has excited me and I'm not go to write for the sake of writing. Let's couple this with the fact that alot of my posts lately have been dealing with La Blogotheque's "Take Away Show" series. Well the series $#@!*&% rules so here is another "Take Away Show" from Yeasayer and yes it is pretty $#@&*!# awesome too. Meanwhile, I hope I can find something that does excite me because the buzz for alot of recent releases (ex. Vampire Weekend and Atlas Sound) are not doing much for me; however, that is the subject for an entirely different entry. Enjoy peeps.

#87.2 - YEASAYER - 2080
by lablogotheque

Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now Youngster...

Los Campesinos! are the very definition of what fun indie-pop should sound like. I first heard the pop goodness of Los Campesinos! in the summer of 07' and have been eagerly awaiting their first full length release ever since. Well that time is upon us with the release of Hold On Now Youngster... and these pop virtuosos do not disappoint. I usually find that the pop approach to music wears quicker than other forms, but there is some quality about Los Campesinos! that has a lasting effect and the only analogy I can make to that is they have the staying power of Broken Social Scene. I do not want to draw anymore similarities between the two as they are both their own animal, but both produce pop music that you just don't tire of listening to.

Hold On Now Youngster... is somewhat short clocking in at a meager 43:14 minutes but there are no real weak songs so that will make up for its brevity. The only other negative I find in this release is that I am not fond of the album art at all, however, I doubt that will affect your enjoyment of this pop gem in the least. It's a good thing CD's and mp3's don't wear out like LP's as I think I am going to put this CD through its paces for a while. (9/10)

Los Campesinos! - "Death to Los Campesionos!"
Los Campesinos! - "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks"
Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"

Throw Me the Statue - "Lolita" (Take Away Show)

La Blogotheque brings us more goodness in their Take Away Show series this time with Throw Me the Statue's "Lolita". Throw Me the Statute just released their debut album Moonbeams on Secretly Canadian and is worthy of checking out.

Indie pop on a Seattle ferry ride... why the hell not?

Throw Me the Statue - Lolita
by lablogotheque

Help me pick a guitar...

I have an opportunity to get one and/or both of these fine guitars at a decent discount. I already own a Fender Stratocaster, a Fender Telecaster and two (2) Gibson SG's. I know I like both of these guitars but I want to see what you think. Please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks.

Gibson ES-339



Gibson Hummingbird Modern Classic

Samamidon - All Is Well

So I decide to do things the right way (legally speaking) and I am paying for it. I ordered Samamidon's (Sam Amidon's solo moniker) latest release All is Well from Insound.com and I have been bashing my head against the walls in anticipation of its arrival. From the moment I heard "Saro"I absolutely fell in love with Samamidon's sound and immediately ordered his albums' All Is Well and But this Chicken Proved Falsehearted. I am always drawn to emotion and sincerity in music and Samamidon is chalk full of both.

Sam Amidon was raised in a family of folk musicians and while this influence is ever present in his sound he brings his own flavor to the mix. The material on All Is Well consists of Samamidon's contemporary takes of traditional folk tunes that are eerily beautiful and goose bump inducing. I am taking a trip to the southern hemisphere soon and I hope to receive the CD before I leave, but for those that have not heard Samamidon yet I strongly urge you to give him a try.

Samamidon - "Saro"
Samamidon - "Wedding Dress"
Samamidon - "Sugar Baby"
Samamidon - "Tribulation" from But this Chicken Proved Falsehearted

La Blogotheque - Take Away Show

La Blogotheque has a street performance series called "A Take Away Show" and it is nothing short of phenomenal! The performances and the artists are all top notch and I absolutely recommend... no, I COMMAND YOU to check it out. Here are some of my favorites so far:

Menomena - "Wet and Rusting": The children dancing in the street is, well as the guys in the band say, "That was the cutest thing I've ever seen."

#62.3 - Menomena - Wet and Rusting
by lablogotheque

The National - "Start a War"

#40.3 - The National - Start a war
by lablogotheque

Vampire Weekend - "Mansard Roof"

#80.1 - VAMPIRE WEEKEND - Mansard Roof
by lablogotheque

Mixtape 3

The Terribles - "Those Songs"
The Papertiger Sound - "Magnetic North"
Samamidon - "Saro"
Xiu Xiu - "In Lust You Can Hear the Axe Fall"
Chris Walla - "Sing Again"

The New Pornagraphers and Okkervill River Tour Together

Good News: The New Pornographers and Okkervill River are teaming up for several dates in early 2008.

Bad News: Only the Okkervill River side of this awesome coin will make it to my neck of the woods, but I will take what I can get.

04-05 Dallas, TX - Granada (Okkervill River Only)

Ida - Lovers Prayers

Ida releases its 7th album Lovers Prayers today and it is garnering well deserved attention around the blogosphere. Lovers Prayers is a warm and inviting album and will surely receive more of my attention in the coming weeks.

Ida - Lovers Prayers
Ida - The Killers 1964

The Bad Plus - "Flim" (Aphex Twin cover).

I know little of jazz trio The Bad Plus other than what I read of them here at indiemuse.com. That being said, I have always enjoyed Aphex Twin's beautiful song "Flim" and to find that someone took the initiative to cover the song much less do a fantastic job of it is all the more exciting. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do. Thanks to indiemuse.com for pointing me to this.

More Greatness from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Smashing Pumpkins - "Disarm" Rocked Out!

The whole "unplugged" thing is so overdone. Let's take an acoustic ballad and rock it out! This version of "Disarm" can be found on the Vieuphoria DVD. Oh, I miss the days when the Smashing Pumpkins were good...

My Morning Jacket reveal new album title.

My Morning Jacket has revealed the title for their newest album which is to be called Evil Urges. There is not a tracklist yet but the album will be released June 10, 2008.

Upcoming Shows:

03-10 Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theatre
03-13 Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall (SXSW)
03-15 Austin, TX - St. David's Church (Jim James solo) (SXSW)

MGMT-"Time to Pretend"

OMG! Scarlett Johansson Album

OMG ya'll! Scarlett Johansson's new album Anywhere I Lay My Head is set to drop on May 20, 2008 and will feature 10 Tom Waits cover songs. No Way!

If I'm excited at all about this it is solely for the reason that I now have an excuse to post a picture of Scarlett Johansson. Tommy Likey!

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

From Andrew Bird's graceful voice to Armchair Apocrypha's cover art minimalism or a 'less is more' approach is ever present in this album. I will be the first to admit that a photo of a bird on the cover of an Andrew Bird album is as cheezy as Warrant's "Cherry Pie" analogy, but the simplicity of this photo is a simple and powerful representation of Bird's music. While I say that Armchair Apocrypha takes a minimalist approach, what I mean by this is that the instrumentation of the album is not overrun with synthesizers and electric guitars, but only with what seems at every given moment just the right amount of noise producing devices (including Bird's whistling). It is a good thing that Bird does not choose to overpower his music with noise as his lyrical prowess is second to none. I picked up Armchair Apocrypha after the new year but if I had this album before making my 2007 Top 10 Album list it would have easily snuck into the mix. Furthermore, the song "Scythian Empires" would easily have made my 2007 Top 10 Songs list with "Plasticities" not far behind at all (both very good songs). (8.5/10)

Andrew Bird - "Scythian Empires"
Andrew Bird - "Plasticities"
Andrew Bird - "Heretics"

Bose SoundDock Portable

To celebrate my new raise I decided to splurge on something for myself. So far, the SoundDock has really impressed me by the sound it puts out for its size. Additionally, the SoundDock maintains a good sound quality the louder you turn it up. It is also portable as it has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which will be nice for long drinking days in the backyard. Now the portable SoundDock is $100 more than the regular one, but hey I just got a raise. At least I didn't spend it on hookers and blow!

New Albums Coming Soon In 2008.

1. Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams: If this album is anywhere near as good as Destoyer's Rubies we are in for a treat .

• "Foam Hands".

2. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular: Put in CD, Shake Ass! -

• "Time to Pretend"

3. Hello Blue Roses - The Portrait Is Finished & I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty...- More Dan Bejar?! Well as the kids say these days 'woot'! -

• "Hymn"

4. Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride: Better than being Billy Goats? -

• "Sax Rohmer #1"

5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend: Did Paul Simon go Indie? May grow on me... -

• "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa".

Mixtape 2

Feist - I Feel It
Caribou - Melody Day
Andrew Bird - Plasticities
Radiohead - 4 Minute Warning
Sunset Rubdown (Xiu Xiu Cover Song) - Apistat Commander