music induced euphoria: 2009-07-05

Saturday, July 11, 2009

The Strokes Post #140

I stumbled upon this gem a couple of weeks ago. Highly recommended watching.

The Strokes - You Only Live Once (live) [mp3]

UPDATE:
youtube deleted the video, so I uploaded it to dailymotion:

PIPPEN84.SPACES.LIVE.COM TV-THE STROKES YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
by strokesjunkie

Saturday Music Definitions: Roof

I love roofs.

The Flaming Lips - Sleeping on the Roof [mp3]

Dashboard Confessional - Rooftops and Invitations [mp3]
from the band's last good album, Dusk and Summer

Port O Brien - The Rooftop Song (Daytrotter) [mp3]

Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof [mp3]

Okkervil River - Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed On The Roof Of The Chelsea Hotel, 1979 [mp3]
the last track from their fantastic album, The Stand Ins

Friday, July 10, 2009

The Strokes - Is This It (live, Roskilde festival) [mp3]

I love that Julian always sings "I'm too fucking tired" when they do the song live. I know it's a rudimentary difference, but to me, it delivers so much more than the lyrics on the album.

Band of the Week: The Dodos

The Dodos make great music because their music isn't complicated. It doesn't try to achieve some higher purpose, or be obscure for the sake of remaining esoteric. It sounds good. The proof of this is that I've exposed loads of different people to this band, and they've all enjoyed the band's solid sophomore album,Visiter (I have their debut in vinyl format, which is more difficult to share than a cd).

They layer jingly instruments and reverberating harmonies to create a sound that is not quite psychedelic, and not quite folksy, but a fantastic thing in between.

Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to hear their song "Fools" on a beer commercial. A few more pleasant surprises like that and I might become an alcoholic...

Originally a duo of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, the SF band has evolved to include Joe Haener on extra percussion. Their latest effort, Time To Die, is set for a September release, but it just leaked yesterday and I have been listening to it endlessly. More boldly inclusive of pop-hooks, the album reflects a kind of maturity that only can be achieved through trial and error, and experimentation with many different kinds of instruments.

Here's a taste:

The Dodos- Fables [mp3]
from Time To Die

I really love the this song, so give it a listen and meander into musical territory that indubitably derives from people well acquainted with the strange and fabulous things which the city of San Francisco offers.

this is simply gorgeous:

When it comes down to it, I love The Dodos because I don't have to THINK about liking them. Meric has a beautiful voice, and their albums are both enjoyable as background music or closely scrutinized through extra big headphones.

visit the band on MYSPACE and get listening [I remember when their site used to be myspace.com/mericlong....]

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Europe's "The Final Countdown" meets Spongebob

this mashup is hilarious, especially when one is under the influence:

courtesy of my younger brother, who knows that I have an affinity for Arrested Development.

The Strokes Post #139

The Strokes - Someday (live, Conan) [mp3]

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The Strokes Post #138

video: Andrew Bird - "Oh No" on Conan

holy crap! two nights in a row, two-thirds of the fantastic lineup for Saturday!
sososoosososossosoosososo excited.

he is so spastic and bloody talented, I adore him with every fibre of my being.

Andrew Bird - Oh No (Conan) [mp3]

stream The Dead Weather's debut album for free TODAY ONLY

click HERE to give it a listen
I haven't absorbed it yet; I'm still on the first song, but I thought I'd post the link to let more people listen to it as soon as possible.
I'll post a proper review soon.

the album goes on sale next Tuesday

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Grand Lake: (another) lineup change + new dates

Grand Lake had recently replaced drummer Ryan Parks with John Pomeroy, and I am sad to report that Erika Pipkin, who was a charging force behind the keys, is no longer a part of the Oakland band. nevertheless, I am confident that we can expect great things from the trio, who are currently working on new material

shows:
Friday, July 10 @ Metamusic, Santa Cruz w/ The Libra and The Inscape
Saturday, July 11 @ Rooz, Oakland, (Mission Creek Music Festival - as Headliner)
Thursday, July 16 @ Sophia's Thai Kitchen, Davis w/ Geographer (KDVS Cool As Folk Presents)
Wednesday, July 22 @ The Stork Club, Oakland, w/ Seasick, and Dirt Dress (Los Angeles) Bobby California (Rad Cloud) DJ's

Grand Lake - Sandusky Sunset [mp3]

visit the band on MYSPACE

new tour: Frightened Rabbit

the fantastic Scottish band have teamed up with The Twilight Sad for another American venture. unfortunately for me, when they come to SF, I'll only have been twenty for a month, which means I'm still 11 months shy of being admitted to the Independent. damndamndamn.

07.17 – Hoboken, N.J. at Maxwells
07.18 – Brooklyn, N.Y. at Siren Festival
07.19 – Chicago, IL at Bottom Lounge w/ Headlights
07.19 – Chicago, IL at Pitchfork Festival
07.21 – Detroit, Mich. at Magic Stick
07.22 – Toronto, Ontario at Horseshoe Tavern
07.23 – Montreal, Quebec at Petit Campus
07.24 – Providence, R.I. at Jerky’s
07.25 – Northampton, Mass. at Iron Horse Music Hall
09.13 – Morrison, CO at Monolith Festival
09.14 – Salt Lake City, UT at Urban Lounge
09.15 – Boise, ID at Neurolux
09.16 – Seattle, WA at Neumo’s
09.17 – Portland, OR at Musicfest NW at Dante’s
09.18 – San Francisco, CA at The Independent
09.20 – Los Angeles, CA at Knitting Factory
09.22 – Tucson, AZ at Plush
09.24 – Austin, TX at The Mohawk
09.26 – Birmingham, AL at Bottletree
09.27 – Atlanta, GA at The Masquerade
09.28 – Tallahassee, FL at Club Downunder
09.29 – Orlando, FL at The Social

Frightened Rabbit - Poke (daytrotter) [mp3]

visit the band on MYSPACE

new song: The Cribs - We Were Aborted

with ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr as a part of their permanent lineup, The Cribs can only get better.

this song is louder and more powerful than a lot of their old work, and I'm quite excited about their forthcoming fourth studio album, entitled Ignore the Ignorant and set for a release on September 7th

The Cribs- We Were Aborted [mp3]

visit the British band on MYSPACE

Maroon 5: back in studio recording LP #3

they're in Switzerland, and lead singer Adam Levine says the new record will sound like the Maroon 5 which we have grown to love (which I'm assuming is the fantastic funk sound they honed on their second album).

“It’s us, just newer, better, fitter, happier, stronger. It’s going to be good.”

read more on RS

apparently, he recently did a cover of Sinatra's “The Way You Look Tonight.” I've gotta get my hands on that.

Maroon 5 - Woman [mp3]
from the soundtrack to Spiderman 2, and one of my favourite songs ever.

video: Death Cab for Cutie - "Little Bribes" on Conan O Brien

the band performed a stellar version of the opener of their latest EP, The Open Door, on Conan last night.

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes (live, Conan) [mp3]

I am very, very excited about Saturday, when I'm seeing them AND Andrew Bird at Berkeley's Greek Theatre. Ra Ra Riot will also be playing.

The Strokes Post #137

I have a fantastic bootleg for you all today.

one of my readers has directed me to mp3s of a concert that took place at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville North Carolina in May of 2006.

I've noticed that the band has a tendency of beginning with "Ize of the World" in their 2006 concerts, which makes me incredibly happy (it makes me hopeful that the band loves the song as much as I do...then again, that probably isn't humanly possible). that song is one of the most underrated pieces of genius of the 21st century.

they even cover "Walk on the Wildside", which they have time and time again dishonestly promised never to repeat again, much to my amusement.

the concert sound quality is simply fantastic, so go ahead and download the first half below, and get listening. you can grab the rest tomorrow.

1. Intro (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

2. Ize of the World (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

3. The End Has No End (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

4. Red Light (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

5. Juicebox (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

6. The Modern Age (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

7. You Only Live Once (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

8. Last Nite (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

9. Take a Walk on the Wildside (Lou Reed cover) (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

10. Hard to Explain (live, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium) [mp3]

Monday, July 6, 2009

new Arctic Monkeys song: "Crying Lightning"

our favourite boys from Sheffield have been playing the tune for a while at gigs but the proper studio version has finally surfaced!

Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning [mp3]
shivers. so damn good. I love what the band has progressed to.

Humbug drops on August 25th, and you can bet that the album will emanate this dark maturity that the Monkeys have been displaying as of late.

Patrick Wolf records a DAYTROTTER session

most excellent.

he played two songs off his latest, The Bachelor, and one off of his groundbreaking The Magic Position

Patrick Wolf - The Sun is Often Out (Daytrotter) [mp3]

head on over to read the article (which centers around his lack of enthusiasm for the hours of morn) and download the rest of the songs

Panic at the Disco loses half its members

it always comes as a shock to me when bands that start out as friends part ways. Ryan Ross (who played guitar and wrote the songs) and Jon Walker (who played bass, he was a few years older than the rest of the band) have left the band to pursue other musical endeavours.

as you may or may not know, their original bassist, Brent Wilson, was replaced by Jon after their first album was released.

this new bout of dissipation will definitely take a toll on the band's sound, which had evolved on their sophomore LP into Beatles-esque maturity.

I remember the good old days, when people thought I was making the band name up when I told them about Panic (back then, their name had an exclamation mark in it)...ah, yes, burning loads of copies of that first album in 2005...hot damn I haven't listened to that in ages.

the band had excellent chemistry on stage. this news is saddening.

Panic at the Disco - The Weight (The Band cover) [mp3]