I have a sweet spot for Fruit Bats, I must admit. Even envisaging a new album puts me in mind of cloud-watching, xylophones and ukuleles, daisy chains, eating delicious frozen yogurt of the Mr. Yogato variety. "My Unusual Friend" loses a little of the lo-fi twee feel, but substitutes it with an undeniable piano-pop sound and a few more power chords than usual.The Ruminant Band is set for an August 4 release, and Fruit Bats are touring this fall.
[all are highly rec'd!]
Fruit Bats - My Unusual Friend
Older:
Fruit Bats - Lives of Crime
Fruit Bats - Rainbow Sign
Fruit Bats' website/myspace/at SubPop
Labels: fruit bats, upcoming
Sondre Lerche: Heartbeat RadioSondre Lerche's upcoming release, out September 8, has me super excited. I had a bit of a love affair with Two-Way Monologue (2004), and enjoyed the two albums he's released since then. So far the only hint we have of what the album sounds like is a track Stereogum has up for streaming, but I'm sure there'll be more as we get closer to the release date. Also importantly, information about an upcoming tour is up, and Sondre Lerche is coming to both DC and Cleveland.
The tracklisting:
1. Good Luck
2. Heartbeat Radio
3. I Cannot Let You Go
4. Like Lazenby
5. If Only
6. Pioneer
7. Easy to Persuade
8. Words and Music
9. I Guess it's Gonna Rain Today
10. Almighty Moon
11. Don't Look Now
12. Goodnight
Older tracks:
Sondre Lerche - Say It All
Sondre Lerche - Sleep on Needles
Sondre Lerche's website/myspace
Labels: norwegian, sondre lerche, upcoming
Preliminary Assessment: Wilco (The Album)
0 Comments Published by Kate on Tuesday at 6/30/2009 12:49:00 PM.
I've been streaming Wilco (The Album) on NPR, and am liking it so far in an unremarkable sort of way. It's less of a from-old-men-for-old-men album than Sky Blue Sky, less peculiar than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but possibly a more lo-fi, less produced version of A Ghost Is Born. All good things, but nothing earth-shattering or life-changing so far.From Wilco (The Album):
Wilco - You Never Know [highly rec'd]
Older:
Wilco - Muzzle of Bees
Wilco - Magazine Called Sunset
Buy Wilco (The Album) directly from the band
Wilco's website/myspace
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Exclusive Wilco Song | ||||
| ||||
Labels: Colbert Report, upcoming, Wilco
I've been getting pretty excited about Regina Spektor's upcoming album Far lately. Culture Bully posted the music video for "Laughing With," earlier today. (Update: apparently the reason why the video hasn't made it onto YouTube yet is that her label wants you to buy the video on iTunes, which is just silly.)Here's a live performance of "Blue Lips."
Far will be released on June 23. So far only two tour dates have been announced, so I'll be on the lookout for more.
Regina Spektor - Blue Lips (highly rec'd!)
Regina Spektor - Laughing With (download or die!)
Regina Spektor's website/myspace
Labels: music video, regina spektor, upcoming
Band of Horses "Is There a Ghost?"
0 Comments Published by Kate on Thursday at 8/30/2007 04:01:00 PM.
At the beginning of August I complained a bit about the lack of of a leak from the new Band of Horses album, Cease to Begin, due out October 9th. Well, it's here, it's band-sanctioned, and I'd say it tops their previous album's blog-hit, "The Funeral." The word to describe it: Epic.Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost? [download or die]
Pre-order Cease to Begin at Insound
If you like Band of Horses, I'd say you're pretty much guaranteed to love this track from Middle Distance Runner's upcoming EP. They're DC-based, and I believe once-upon-a-time I caught them live by sneaking into Iota; I had to, seeing how it's a 21 and over sort of establishment...(thanks for the track goes to Joe over at Instrumental Analysis)
Middle Distance Runner - The Sun and Earth [highly rec'd]
Middle Distance Runner's Website/Myspace
On a really random note, Middle Distance Runner needs to get some better press photos. Just thought I'd mention that.
Labels: band of horses, middle distance runner, upcoming
a peak at the new Matt Costa album
0 Comments Published by Kate on Wednesday at 8/29/2007 11:20:00 PM.
I'm hoping for an itsy bitsy one-track sort of leak sometime in the near future...
Until then: To The Man Cave found some live videos of new songs that will be on the album, and I've listened to Matt Costa's set on the Interface I don't know how many times recently.
Labels: matt costa, upcoming
I. LOVE. THE. WOMBATS. (yes! they're NOT Canadian...they're from Liverpool) I may hold a secret hatred for Joy Division, but I love this song from their newest yet-to-be-released single (due October 15th):Let's dance to Joy Division!The Wombats - Let's Dance to Joy Division [download or die]
and celebrate the irony
Everything is going wrong
But we're so happy!
Pre-order the single!
The Wombats' Website/Myspace
older:
The Wombats - Patricia the Stripper
The Wombats - Moving to New York
BONUS: Scissor Sisters - Paul McCartney
Labels: the wombats, upcoming
Ever since I popped Draw a distance. Draw a border. into my stereo about a week ago I've been listening to the Details on repeat, in part because I was almost immediately sure I wanted to post on the album, and in part because I wanted to discern if their music is the type that gets better with each listen. I'm still not sure.Draw a distance. Draw a border. places humorless, tension-fraught lyrics, written in complete sentences, over the backdrop of a vast musical landscape, with instrumentation that is imposing enough to advertise that the band's music must have some deeper meaning. The combination is a dangerous one, as likely to result in utter failure as success. The Details achieve the latter on a little less than half the album, but considering the scope of their attempt, I'd say that's worthy of notice.
The album concerns itself a good deal with the consequences of war and the politics behind it - personalizing all three, a formula that has been successful for the National and (occasionally) John Vanderslice. This doesn't work for the Details, who are at their best in songs that deal solely with the personal, not the personalized. Slow numbers don't work too well for them either, though oftentimes their best songs begin in quiet and build to a climax. They're Canadian, and I'm starting to wonder... maybe there's a Canadian musical conspiracy going down? Like Mike over at Obscure Sound, I wouldn't be surprised if they made it to radio.
The Details - Always, Always, Always, Never.
The Details - Capture and Develop
Draw a distance. Draw a border. will be released on September 25th.
The Details' Myspace
Labels: artist profile, canadians, review, the details, upcoming
Remember when you fell in love with John Vanderslice or the National? You'll be seduced by Sea Wolf too."Black Dirt" begins as a folk song sang to on a stormy night, transforming halfway through into rock number performed from death (I know this sounds sappy, stick with me). The song documents an imagined murder committed over broken promises and lies, but the song makes a promise of its own:
"But my heart no longer beats"You're a Wolf", which has become popular amongst bloggers, is, like "Black Dirt", a love story gone wrong. If this is any indication of Leaves in the River (to be released September 25), I'm going to love it.
My blood makes black dirt under your feet
Black dirt will stain your feet
And when you walk you’ll leave black dirt in the street"
Sea Wolf - Black Dirt [download or die]
Sea Wolf - You're A Wolf (alt link) [highly rec'd]
Pre-order Leaves in the River from Amazon.com
Sea Wolf's Website/Myspace
Irving - I Can't Fall In Love
Sea Wolf is a side project of Irving's Alex Church. I've only recently discovered Irving's 2006 album Death in the Garden, Blood on the Flowers (their 2nd), and have been enjoying it a great deal. Irving's myspace.
Labels: artist profile, sea wolf, song piece, upcoming
Beirut - A Sunday Smile (live)When I wrote about the new Beirut album, The Flying Club Cup, two weeks ago, I was incredibly frustrated that there hadn't been any leaks yet. Now we've got a live version of this track, at least (Thanks for the mp3 goes to Hate Something Beautiful).
Beirut's Myspace
Devendra Banhart - Seahorse [download or die]I've always thought Devendra Banhart was a little strange, and it's true, he is. But listening to "Seahorse" is like listening to 3 different songs - first you get the quiet, acoustic guitar-playing, muttering Devendra; then comes the psychedelic piano pop "I wanna be a little Seahorse" Devendra, who has multiple incarnations and is a little crazy; finally, you get Devendra of the electric guitar and drums, rocking & rolling like The Black Keys or the White Stripes. He still wants to be a seahorse - but hell, I'd kill to be a sea turtle. Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon has me girlishly excited. Listen to some more songs here.
Devendra Banhart's Myspace
(his new website is so cool!)
Sambassadeur - Subtle Changes [highly rec'd]ME: This isn't Sambassadeur! No way, their last album was practically twee.
NOT-ME: That was sooo obviously Anna Persson's voice. You fail.
ME: Oh, they're Swedish, I should have seen this coming. Who do they sound like now? WHO?
NOT-ME: Failure!
ME: They sound kind of orchestral...like, aww shucks, I give up.
NOT-ME: Ha. The song is called "Subtle Changes"... that's actually hilarious, in an ironic way.
ME: Okay, maybe it sounds like that new The Most Serene Republic song? or Sufjan? maybe it's kind of like when Camera Obscura upgraded its sound between Underachievers Please Try Harder and Let's Get Out of This Country?
NOT-ME: I know, comparing music is soooo rough. And you stink at it.
ME: Why do all these twee pop bands keep making their sound big and complex? It's the fragility ("like a baby bird who has fallen from the nest...") us twee-heads like!
NOT-ME: Get off that twee crack, now!
(Thanks for the mp3 goes to Hits in the Car)
Sambassadeur's myspace
Jose Gonzalez - Down The Line [download or...fail at life?]I declared my love for Jose Gonzalez a week ago (read it!) and didn't want to post an mp3 and have to take it down immediately. But I don't want to be stingy, and when a track or two leaks off your album, you just have to embrace it. When the whole thing leaks, you have to fight it. This is a case of the former. And In Our Nature will be amazing.
Jose Gonzalez's Myspace
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - I Never Thought I Could Feel This Way For A BoyPop is pop is pop is pop is pop is pop is...it's kind of catchy, but I don't have a lot else to say. I Bet You Say That To All The Boys was a pretty fun album, and this one sounds like it might be even funner. That's not a word. (Thanks for the mp3 goes to MOKB)
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir's Myspace
Randomness: When I read this today, I was incredibly jealous. I want a surprise like that to show up in my mailbox! I mean, I get cool CDs in my mailbox, but if the new Georgie James, Maritime, or Matt Costa album were to appear in my mail one day my life would pretty much be complete.
Labels: band dump, Beirut, devendra banhart, jose gonzalez, sambassadeur, scotland yard gospel choir, swedes will take over the earth, upcoming
I'd never listened to Jose Gonzalez until 3 weeks ago, when I first heard his song "Crosses." To say the least, I was pleasantly blown away and rendered incapable (until now, I hope I do him some measure of justice) of expressing the intangible dark quality to his music that so enchants me. The closest comparison I can think of is if the ghostly re-incarnation of Nick Drake were to suddenly appear, guitar in hand, and play so sadly and so sweetly as to convince me that he had never died at all.For apparent reasons I don't consider myself enough of an expert to compare what I've heard of In Our Nature (to be released on September 25th) to Veneer, but in the songs I have heard certain themes seem to resonate clearly. I'm going to hazard a guest or two here, but some of my guesses are informed by the fact that supposedly the videos for In Our Nature will deal with the sins of humanity - you can see the music video for "Down the Line" here, I found it a little disturbing. The world is a place that has veered from paths of righteousness to where man's evil rules: Gonzalez sings, "It's not about compromise" and "What's the point if you hate and kill for love?" and those of us who read the newspaper every day know the world he's speaking of.
Label folks...I didn't want to post "Down the Line" and have you tell me to take it down immediately, so I'm posting an mp3 containing the first 36 seconds of the track, enough to make any good music nut deeply unsatisfied and desperate to hear the full track. Please let me keep it up.
Jose Gonzalez - Down the Line (36 sec sample) (In Our Nature)
Jose Gonzalez - Stay in the Shade (Veneer)
Jose Gonzalez's Website/Myspace
Important Tour Dates:
October 2 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
(more here)
Labels: artist profile, folk, jose gonzalez, upcoming
Catching Up To The Cool Kids, Part 1
2 Comments Published by Kate on Wednesday at 8/01/2007 12:01:00 PM.
The Most Serene Republic: Population (October 2nd) The beginning of "Sherry and her Butterfly Net" is chaos, an orchestra confused and about to begin its first performance. Clarity emerges in the mess through a piano, an emissary for the radiance that arrives within seconds. So direct, unfolding, the first sung words are "Play this song." The result is breathtaking, but I can't describe it, hearing it is a must. I can't wait for the album.from Population: [DOWNLOAD OR DIE]
The Most Serene Republic - Sherry and her Butterfly Net [alt link 1, 2]
An older song:
The Most Serene Republic - You're Not An Astronaut (Phages)
The Most Serene Republic at Arts & Crafts/Myspace
Tracklisting for Population:
1. Humble Peasants
2. Compliance
3. The Men Who Live Upstairs
4. Present of Future End
5. A Mix of Sun and Cloud
6. Battle Hymn of the Republic
7. Why So Looking Back
8. Sherry & Her Butterfly Net
9. Agenbite of Inwit
10. Career in Shaping Clay
11. Solipsism Millionaires
12. Multiplication Desks
13. Neurasthenia
The Weakerthans: Reunion Tour (September 25th)Reconstruction Site (2003) was everything an album is supposed to be, a complete group of songs with a distinct sound and narrative perspective. "Night Windows" lives in retrospection, in that place where you think of how things would have been if she (or he) had stayed, wandering down dark streets in the middle of the night not caring if you're noticed, not caring for anything because the past is so vivid. If you stepped back in time and slapped yourself in the face, could things have been different?
The Weakerthans - Night Windows [alt link] (Reunion Tour)
The Weakerthans - New Name for Everything (Reconstruction Site)
Website/Myspace
Tracklisting for Reunion Tour:
1. Civil Twilight
2. Hymn of Medical Oddity
3. Relative Surplus Value
4. Tournament of Hearts
5. Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure
6. Elegy for Gump Worsley
7. Sun in an Empty Room
8. Night Windows
9. Bigfoot!
10. Reunion Tour
11. Utilities
Important tour dates:
October 26 - Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
October 28 - Washington, DC 9:30 Club
(more here)
Previously:
Junior Senior: Hey Hey My My Yo Yo (August 14th)
Caribou: Andorra (August 21st)
Architecture in Helsinki: Places Like This (August 21st)
Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (August 21st)
Jens Lekman: Night Falls Over Kortedala (October 9th)
Maritime: Heresy and the Hotel Choir (October 17th)
Randomness: Gawker, I now hate you. I will wage blog war over this most recent offense. We both know which city will emerge victorious. Anyways, no one in their right mind goes on a first date at Union Station; get your facts straight.
Labels: band dump, most serene republic, upcoming, weakerthans
Things to look forward to: Matt Costa and Jens Lekman
2 Comments Published by Kate on Friday at 7/27/2007 08:26:00 AM.
There's a new Jens Lekman album to be released October 9th! It's called Night Falls Over Kortedala.Stereogum leaked a new track a day or two ago:
Jens Lekman - Friday Night At the Drive-in Bingo (Night Falls Over Kortedala)
Jens Lekman - Black Cab (Oh You're So Silent Jens)
Jens Lekman's Website
The tracklisting:
1. "And I Remember Every Kiss"
2. "Sipping on the Sweet Nectar"
3. "The Opposite of Hallelujah"
4. "A Postcard to Nina"
5. "Into Eternity"
6. "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You"
7. "If I Could Cry (It Would Feel Like This)"
8. "Your Arms Around Me"
9. "Shirin"
10. "It Was a Strange Time in My Life"
11. "Kanske Är Jag Kär i Dig"
12. "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo"
Matt Costa also has a new album coming out on October 2nd, to be titled Unfamiliar Faces. Songs We Sing was one of my favorite albums last year, so I'm seriously excited.Matt Costa - Yellow Taxi (Songs We Sing)
Matt Costa's Website
(Update: here's the tracklisting)
1. Mr. Pitiful
2. Lilacs
3. Never Looking Back
4. Emergency Call
5. Vienna
6. Unfamiliar Faces
7. Cigarette Eyes
8. Downfall
9. Trying To Lose My Mind
10. Bound
11. Heart Of Stone
12. Miss Magnolia
Wilco, Metric, and Final Fantasy are all doing some touring in the U.S. this fall (though not together) and all failing at it. "Why?" you ask. No DC or Ohio dates, that's why!
Though when it comes to touring, Ryan Adams is awesome. Knows where to go.
Labels: jens lekman, matt costa, upcoming
Lately I've been listening to We, the Vehicles on repeat, seeing how I missed it when it was first released. Then I was trying to come up with an excuse to post "For Science Fiction" until I realized it was from Maritime's upcoming album Heresy and the Hotel Choir, to be released in October. This is the part where you point and laugh at me. Go ahead.Maritime's appeal (which would be a lot easier to explain if I weren't so tired right now, I've been feeling sick all day) seems to lie in its instinctual combination of world-weariness and the "catchy factor," with instrumentation that ripples with energy and disillusioned lyrics. If it helps, my tolerance for not-exceptionally-awesome music is very low when I feel as crappy as I do right now. Actually, that fact that I'm writing about Maritime while being sick should be a give-away on its own.
the first two are [download or die]
Maritime - For Science Fiction (Heresy and the Hotel Choir)
Maritime - Guns of Navarone (Heresy and the Hotel Choir)
Maritime - Young Alumni (We, the Vehicles)
Buy We, the Vehicles at Insound
Maritime's Website/Myspace
Labels: artist profile, maritime, pop, rock, upcoming
Iron and Wine: The Shepherd's Dog preview
0 Comments Published by Kate on Thursday at 7/19/2007 02:13:00 PM.
Nothing about Iron & Wine's music has ever been revolutionary, nothing about Sam Beam's songwriting hasn't been done before. With a voice ancient and balmy as an ocean breeze, Sam Beam always struck closest to my heart when he told stories - it's no wonder that my favorite Iron & Wine song is "Jesus the Mexican Boy." Our Endless Numbered Days (2005) was an album obsessed with mothers, God, lovers, and what happens when the world goes wrong. The past lived within the present, and Sam Beam's imagination was clearly obsessed with the possibilities of a troubled Southern past with songs like "Free Until They Cut Me Down" and "Sodom, South Georgia."With most of the Shepherd's Dog sitting on my computer and the Boy with a Coin single in my hand, I wonder where those obsessions have gone. Are they still there hiding in Iron and Wine's music? I'm not sure.
What I can tell you is this: with the Shepherd's Dog, I get the sense that Sam Beam has metaphorically placed his voice and Iron & Wine's instrumentation on an anvil and hammered it to perfection. The sapless quality of the vocals is gone, and while I miss the prominence of the guitar and lo-fi feel of older Iron & Wine recordings, I think the change is for the better.
Iron & Wine - Boy with a Coin (single)
Iron & Wine - Resurrection Fern (The Shepherd's Dog)
Iron & Wine - Jesus the Mexican Boy
The Shepherd's Dog will be released on September 25th.
Buy the Boy with a Coin single from Insound
Iron & Wine tour dates - all of these are in the UK in October
Labels: Iron and Wine, upcoming
new Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
3 Comments Published by Kate on Tuesday at 6/19/2007 09:40:00 AM.
I first wrote about Grace Potter last August with their release of Nothing But the Water, and was recently excited to discover they have a new album, titled This is Somewhere, coming out on August 7th. From what I'd heard of the new album, the band seems to have upgraded their instrumentation a few notches (which may have been p-word induced, but I don't care), with arrangements that now match Potter's lyrics and soulful vocals. The Nocturnals still reside in that delicate place between old style Rock & Roll, Blues, and (*gasp*), Country, but it seems to be a perfect fit.Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Stop the Bus (from This is Somewhere)
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Some Kind of Ride (from Nothing But the Water)
Pre-order This is Somewhere from Amazon.com
Their Website/Myspace
Labels: Country, grace potter, rock, upcoming
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