Andrew Bird tour documentary to be released this fall

Andrew Bird is a stunning live performer. He's also one of those musicians who powers through seemingly never-ending tours without complaining (the last time I saw him, it was his birthday. who works on their birthday?!)

Anyhow, this fall, a movie will be released chronicling Mr. Bird's musical triumphs on stage and how they affected him personally. It's called Fever Year and will debut at the Vancouver Film Festival sometime between the September 29th and October 14th. I'll post more info as I get it.

Is This It?

via

band of the week: The Amarylas

This is awesome. My Spoonful says they're for fans of T-Rex, The Libertines and of Montreal. I couldn't have put it better.

The Amarylas - Sadie [mp3, highly recommended!]

Just listen. This British band is going to get big.

They have a couple of London shows lined up. Click HERE for more info

The Amarylas on MYSPACE

watch: Delta Spirit perform "Trashcan" + new album details

If you thought Delta Spirit sounded like a barn-yard band before, you're in for a doozy. Watch them perform "Trashcan" for Rolling Stone at Lollapalooza below:

Last week, I was lucky enough to see Delta Spirit perform four new songs at a sold out gig at Lincoln Hall in Chicago.

"Empty House", "Tear It Up", "Idaho" (my favourite) and "Otherside" will appear on the band's third album, which will feature new guitarist William McLaren (who previously played with Cults).

The album will be wrapped up in NY this year and will consist of the ten best songs chosen by the band from the thirty they wrote. Drummer Brandon Young describes the album as "the most exciting thing we've ever done". Delta Spirit are hoping for a February release, but nothing is set in stone yet.

More details in the video below:

watch: Foo Fighters at Lollapalooza

Last night, Foo Fighters wrapped up the weekend of music in Chicago with an intense, storm-defying set spanning their sixteen year discography. Dave Grohl was absolutely incendiary, getting the audience riled up and excited throughout the Foo's two hour set. Watching it, I couldn't help but be awed by Dave's enthusiasm, because it was more befitting to a local hero than to a mega-star. But that's just how Grohl is--modest, brilliant, and absolutely badass. At the end of the night, Perry Farrell from Jane's Addiction (who founded Lolla back in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band), came out and hugged Grohl. If you missed out being there or watching the stream, I very much suggest that you devote two hours to watching the following video. It embodies the freedom and energy of rock n roll that is otherwise lacking in hipster indifference.

You can watch the end of Explosions in the Sky first or skip to 16:44 to dive right into Foo Fighters. By far my favourite part of the night was Dave's banter at 1:45:54, before he renders a heartfelt version of "Times Like These". It's bound to make you laugh out loud.

Sunday Morning Covers

Albert Hammond Jr - Well...All Right (Buddy Holly cover) [mp3]

Elliott Smith - When I Paint My Masterpiece (Bob Dylan cover) [mp3]

MGMT - This Must Be The Place (Talking Heads Cover) [mp3]

Foo Fighters - Keep the Car Running (Arcade Fire cover) [mp3]

Jay Reatard - Gamma Ray (Beck cover) [mp3]

Lollapalooza 2011 Webcast

Much in the same vein as Coachella, Bonnaroo and other music fests this year, the organizers of Lollapalooza have decided to post a webcast of much of the weekend's exciting events for those unable to attend this year. If you have an internet connection, you can tune into the fun HERE

The sets include:

Friday, August 5th:
01:30 – The Vaccines
01:45 – TAB the Band
02:15 – Delta Spirit
02:30 – Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
03:00 – Foster the People
03:30 – Smith Westerns
04:00 – White Lies
05:00 – Two Door Cinema Club
05:30 – The Mountain Goats
06:30 – Bright Eyes
07:15 – The Kills
08:30 – Coldplay

Saturday, August 6th:
01:45 – J. Roddy Watson & The Business
02:15 – Walk the Moon
02:30 – Fitz & the Tantrums
03:00 – Black Lips
03:30 – Mayer Hawthrone & The Country
04:00 – Death From Above 1979
04:30 – Big Audio Dynamite
05:30 – Local Natives
06:00 – Ween
07:30 – Beats Antique
08:00 – My Morning Jacket

Sunday, August 7th:
01:30 – Imelda May
02:15 – Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses
02:30 – Noah and the Whale
03:00 – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
04:00 – The Cars
04:15 – Flogging Molly
05:00 – Portugal. the Man
05:15 – Cage the Elephant
06:00 – Arctic Monkeys
06:15 – Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley & Nas
07:00 – Explosions in the Sky
08:00 – Foo Fighters

video: Best Coast - Our Deal (directed by Drew Barrymore)

ah, forbidden love

yes, that is the kid sister from 500 Days of Summer

and yes, that is Maeby from Arrested Development

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

behind the scenes:

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

must watch video: Foo Fighters - Garage Tour

I love Foo Fighters. I love how real they are, and how genuine they've remained throughout all of their success.

The following video is a forty minute compilation of the Foos playing in actual garages of a handful of incredibly lucky contest winners. Fans were asked to submit a short answer as to why Grohl and co should grace their garage. Here's what happened:

Sunday Morning Covers

Telekinesis - On a Plain (Nirvana cover) [mp3]

Eddie Vedder - Blackbird (Beatles cover) [mp3]

Beck - Diamond Dogs (Bowie cover) [mp3]

Nickel Eye - Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye (Leonard Cohen cover) [mp3]

The Strokes - Is This It: a decade of perfection

today marks the tenth anniversary of the greatest album ever released.
the world might be a mess but you can always seek refuge in this record and this band.

























write about what Is This It means to you and enter HERE for a chance to win a vinyl copy of the album. here's my two cents.

Classic Track Thursday

The Kinks - State of Confusion [mp3]

the title track from State of Confusion (1983)

video: Slash joins The Strokes for "New York City Cops"

this video, which is seven years old, is awesome:

Scorsese to release new George Harrison biopic

according to Spinner.com, the film will

trace the late Beatle's life using rare photographs, video footage and even "unreleased Beatles footage," and is complemented with a coffee table book by Harrison's widow Olivia -- will air on HBO in North America over two nights (Oct. 5-6), with a British DVD release date of Oct. 10.

you can preorder the book on AMAZON

Grand Lake to collaborate with Rogue Wave's Zach Rogue

from the HAD press release:

Fresh from a spring of recording in their home studio in San Luis Obispo, California natives Grand Lake have been selected by Zach Rogue of Rogue Wave to join him on the live incarnation of his latest project, Release The Sunbird. The band will join Rogue on bass, drums, and lead guitar, with the lineup rounded out by Caitlin Gutenberger of Sacramento's Two Sheds. The ensemble will be in place through the end of the year, in support of Release The Sunbird's first full length, Come Back To Us, which drops this Tuesday, July 26th.

In addition to their role as a backing band, Grand Lake will also be opening for Release The Sunbird at select dates. This includes this week's shows at Los Angeles' Hotel Cafe, and San Francisco's Swedish American Music Hall. The shows will find Grand Lake in their latest lineup, featuring Jameson Swanagon on guitar, Josh Barnhart on drums and Caleb Nichols on guitar and vocal. In addition to their already prolific back catalog, the band will also be making the live debut of a selection of new material written in recent months.

Tickets to both shows are available now:

7/26 - Hotel Cafe - Los Angeles

7/28 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco

Grand Lake - Which Days Were Those Days? [mp3]

watch: Arcade Fire - Scenes from the Suburbs

watch: The Strokes at Paleo

thank the heavens, they're bringing "Alone, Together" back

The Strokes, Paléo Festival Nyon 2011 (concert... by paleo

watching Strokes concerts makes me forget everything else in the world.

Sunday Morning Covers

Ryan Adams - Mansard Roof (Vampire Weekend cover) [mp3]

darling. absolutely darling.

Ryan Adams - Oxford Comma (VW cover)[mp3]

David Bowie - Across the Universe (Beatles cover) [mp3]

Alex Turner - Colour Of The Trap (Miles Kane Cover) [mp3]

Bon Iver - Who is it (Bjork cover) [mp3]

new songs: The Dead Trees - "Back to LA" and "Older"

the songs sound more like Little Joy than their own debut. "Older" also has a very Velvet Underground vibe. I like it. The Dead Trees played these tracks in frontman Michael Cummings' Los Angeles backyard for Fader Magazine

Back to LA:

Older:

must watch video: Zach Condon of Beirut joins The National for "Fake Empire" at Paleo

when I first watched this video via the live stream a few days ago, I literally screamed out loud when Zach Condon came out. his addition to the song is beyond breathtaking, and very much worth a view (or ten)

I've uploaded the entire concert on youtube, and it's a spectacular set. they even played "Secret Meeting" and a couple of really old tracks from their second album, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers

set list:

set list:

Start A War

Anyone's Ghost

Secret Meeting

Conversation 16

Slow Show

Squalor Victoria

Afraid Of Everyone

Bloodbuzz Ohio

Sorrow

Available

Lucky You

England

Abel

Fake Empire

Mr. November

Terrible Love

Beirut - Port of Call

I am obsessed with this song.

Beirut - Port of Call [mp3]

that is all.

video: The Strokes - Trying Your Luck (ACL 2010)

this might be the best song Julian Casablancas has ever written

Girls - Vomit

Girls - Vomit (click to stream or enter your email below for a free download)

listen to the whole song through. trust me.

at first, it begins soft and slow, then it gets a bit feistier. finally, it ends in a 60's soul feel that is absolutely divine.

SF based Girls will release their third album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost on September 12th.

must watch videos: Arcade Fire at Bonnaroo

having seen this band in concert and having watched many, many YT videos of them on stage, I can attest to the fact that they generally kick a lot of ass. however, their set at Bonnaroo is something different all together. such intensity, such passion, such perspiration.

band of the week: Bare Wires

Bare Wires make music like a raunchy, punk rock Kinks. They're from Oakland. The songs speak for themselves.

tour:

Aug 6th: SF, San Frandelic Summer Fest
Sept 5th: Vancouver, w/Thee Oh Sees
Sept 6th: Vancouver, Lucky Bar
Sept 7th-11th: Portland, Music Fest NW
Sept 9th: Portland, w/Thee Oh Sees

Bare Wires- Ready to Go [mp3]

Wicker Park Fest this weekend in Chicago

Bummed about missing Lolla this year? Head on over to Milwaukee Ave (from North Ave to Wood St) this weekend and enjoy a weekend of fun and music. A mere $5 gives you admission and tons of bands to see, including Everest, Ha Ha Tonka, Wavves, Ezra Furman & the Harpoons, Blitzen Trapper and El Ten Eleven, a nifty little thing I found in my inbox today

Saturday:

Sunday:

preview the music HERE

book review: David Bowie: Starman by Paul Trynka

“He was unique. The only singer I ever worked with where virtually every take was a master.” -Ken Scott, record producer

David Bowie’s real name was David Jones, he took the name Bowie at an early age after becoming obsessed with Jim Bowie from the film The Alamo. From then on, it seemed evident that David would transform into a million different things, each more interesting than the last.

Former editor of Mojo magazine Paul Trynka has compiled a definitive biography of Ziggy Stardust entitled David Bowie: Starman. In it, he follows the rise of one of the most interesting figures of rock n roll history. In the prologue, Trynka describes a Bowie performance as a “spectacle of not-belonging”. And thus the mood is set for the entire book, which is devoted to unearthing the secrets behind the man who hid behind so many guises.

David Bowie: Starman begins with a brief familial biography, tracing Bowie’s self-identification with alienation and schizophrenia to his mother’s family, many of whom suffered from mental illness. The book then chronicles Bowie’s first exposures to music. In 1955, when he was eight years old, the young David heard Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” for the first time. He says that “my heart nearly burst with excitement. I’d never heard anything even resembling this. It filled the room with energy and colour and outrageous defiance…I always wanted to be Little Richard—he was my idol.” And so our journey begins.

This biography is very interesting and extremely well written. It explains little details about Bowie’s life, like the incident that resulted in him having two differently coloured eyes (it has to do with a love triangle, and a fist fight with a friend.)

From the beginning, Bowie was determined to be a star. He wanted to be an entertainer, a singer, famous. “He boasted a bright eyed teenage confidence and reacted to every break as if it were his by right.”

When he first became a fad in the local scene at age seventeen, he was influenced by the Beat novels of the time and thus adopted a nomadic lifestyle. Many of his early performances had to do with showmanship, and often lacked any singing at all. David Bowie, therefore, has always been determined to be a performer and entertainer above all else. Therefore, his artistic expression was never limited to music, but rather embodied a vast spectrum of experimentation, from his pansexual nature to his glamourized multi-media dance performances.

Bowie would charm woman after woman and in true hippie fashion, explore the world without being anchored by a job or having to worry about paying rent. He was a delightful addition to all social circles, and his peers would seek his presence without expecting anything in return but the pleasure of his company.

This book is thorough and detailed with respects to the intricate relationships which drove Bowie’s career, from Calvin Lee to Iggy Pop to Mick Ronson to Lou Reed. Trynka delves into these relationships through extensive narratives from the people closest to Bowie during all periods of his life, exploring not only his musical career but the accompanying drug addictions, sexual experimentation and his unparalleled influence on his fans and the entire music industry.

Bowie himself attributes his multi-faceted musical career to the fact that he was not naturally talented. He says “I forced myself to become a good songwriter. I had no natural talents whatsoever. I made a job of work at getting good.” Trynka cleverly analyzes this by stating “having built up a technique from scratch once, he could do it again”.

Even in his early years, image was everything. When he was a little boy, mothers admired how clean and well-kept he always was; as a teenager, his peers both adored and envied his unique sense of style and glamour. According to Scott Richardson, for Bowie, being a performer was “I’ll do anything, play anything, say anything, wear anything to become a star, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And there was a tremendous hunger on the part of the audience for it too.”

For any devoted fan of David Bowie’s music, this book is a must read. It brings much needed perspective to the man who has fascinated generation after generation of young kids and adults alike, and influenced bands in every genre.

David Bowie: Starman was released today. Buy it on AMAZON

Beirut announce Chicago show (+tour dates)

Beirut will play Congress Theatre on Monday September 26. Tickets on sale Wednesday at 10AM. Get them HERE

Tour Dates:

07/05 – Ferrara, Italy @ Costello PIazza
07/07 – Republic of Serbia @ Exit Festival
07/09 – Slovakia @ Pohoda
07/12 – Arles, France @ Arles Fest
07/14 – Meco, Portugal @ Super Bock Super Rock
07/16 – Valencia, Spain @ Benicassim Festival
07/18 – Lyon, France @ Les Nuits de Fourviere
07/20 – Nyon, Switzerland @ Paleo Festival
07/29 – Portland, ME @ State Theater
07/31 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga
08/02 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
08/04 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix w/ Owen Pallett
08/05 – Sun. Aug. 7 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
08/12 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
08/14 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
09/02 – Dorset, UK @ End of Road Festival
09/04 – Stradbally, Ireland @ Electric Picnic
09/06 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
09/08 – Amsterdamn, Netherlands @ Paradiso
09/12 – Paris, France @ Olympia
09/14 – Brussels, Belgium @ AB
09/16 – London, UK @ Brixton Academy
09/21 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
09/22 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
09/28 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
10/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
10/09 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10/11 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Hall
10/25 – Richmond, VA @ The National
10/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
10/29 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs Waller Creek
11/11 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
11/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory

The new album, The Rip Tide will be released on August 30 but snag a taste below:

Beirut - A Candle's Fire [mp3]
review forthcoming.

Watch: Radiohead's entire Glastonbury 2011 set

As Thom says, the band plays "King of Limbs and shit"

set list:

Lotus Flower
15 Step
Morning Mr Magpie
Little By Little
All I Need
Separator
Give Up The Ghost
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Staircase
I Might Be Wrong
Bloom
Reckoner
The Daily Mail

Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Arctic Monkeys News

To all people familiar with The Strokes News, I am currently writing a similar website called Arctic Monkeys News. I'll be posting all new AM information there, so subscribe via RSS feed or follow the twitter. As always, thanks to all of my readers for their continued support.

Sunday Morning Covers

Arctic Monkeys - Take it or Leave It (The Strokes cover) [mp3]

Franz Ferdinand - What You Waiting For? (Gwen Stefani cover) [mp3]

Phoenix - Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (Bob Dylan cover) [mp3]

Arcade Fire - This Must Be the Place (Talking Heads cover) [mp3]

Andrew Bird - The Giant of Illinois (The Handsome Family cover) [mp3]

video: James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream (Jimmy Fallon)

this is the UK singer's first US television performance:

Blake will hit the blue stage at Chicago's Pitchfork Festival at 7:30 tonight.

The Black Keys talk about their new "raw" album: "the fastest we've ever played"

The garage-blues duo are planning to shift their sound for their forthcoming seventh album, which is due out later this year

from the SPIN interview:

"It's the fastest we've ever played," singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach says of the LP's new songs, which he says were inspired by the Clash, the Cramps, and old rock'n'roll, rockabilly, and garage rock records. "The new album doesn't sound like Brothers. It doesn't have that open soul feel to it. It's way more driving and the tempos are really fast."

"Pat's never played drums like this before -- he's never played this fast," Auerbach says of his bandmate. "He's definitely worried about being able to play some of these songs live."

Ryan Adams - Shine Through the Dark

If you ever catch yourself wishing Ryan Adams never went electric, this track is for you.

The previously unreleased song was the first one Ryan wrote after he "quit" music

Ryan Adams: Shine Through the Dark by Under the Radar magazine

the song can be found on the upcoming charity compilation album, Live from Nowhere Near You: Vol II (which hits stores on July 19). you can view the whole tracklist and preorder the album HERE

Radiohead - The Daily Mail (from the basement)

watch the band perform The King of Limbs HERE

an ode to the greatest.

Some people are always surprised when certain types of people get angry or upset if their favourite bands release subpar music. If they sell out or lose their artistic vision, certain music snobs take it very personally.

What most people don't understand is the terribly primal relationship some people have with their favourite bands.

This is due to the fact that listening to music, for the most part, is a very solitary activity. Be it an ipod or a record collection, a lot of people have a certain--very specific--set of music that they like to listen to. It might overlap with others' but for the most part, it's as unique as our very DNA.

Music, then, becomes something consistent for these types of people. You know to expect greatness from your favourite songwriters, because that's what they've delivered so far and that's the very magic you fell in love with in the first place.
When you're sad, music doesn't kick you down. It comforts you and helps you sleep and forget the pain. When you're happy, music sounds a million times more vibrant, like a drug intensifies sensual pleasure. When you're angry, music is there to calm you down. When you're lonely, music keeps you company. When you need some inspiration for writing poetry or training at the gym, music is always there.

Music doesn't judge us. It can become our very best friend in the world. This is why it hurts so deeply when musicians forget that very relationship which they cultivated in their youth, and instead try to please the toxic radio.

Let us take a moment and appreciate certain artists who never disappoint.

Because in a world where absolutely nothing is what it seems like at first glance, Julian Casablancas' magic is still as true as it was when I heard "Is This It" for the very first time.

music video: Arctic Monkeys - The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala

music video: The Strokes - Taken for a Fool

it's only a matter of time before all the cool kids start wearing American flag tank tops...

Arctic Death - Bathe My Heart

more HERE

Rare Velvet Underground Bootleg: Scepter Studios, 1966

via WFMU

The following bootleg contains mp3s ripped from a super rare piece of vinyl a guy found in NYC for seventy five cents and ended up selling on Ebay for twenty five grand. Some of the songs are strikingly different from the versions on the Velvet Underground's celebrated debut album, The Velvet Underground and Nico. Download the zip file HERE or grab a taste below:

The Velvet Underground - Waiting For My Man (April 1966 Scepter Studios) [mp3]

tracklisting:

1. European Son
2. Black Angel's Death Song
3. All Tomorrow's Parties
4. I'll Be Your Mirror
5. Heroin
6. Femme Fatale
7. Venus in Furs
8. Waiting For My Man
9. Run Run Run

video: The Black Keys Live at Melkweg 2006 (plus new album details)

In this recent interview, Patrick Carney revealed that a new Black Keys album could see the light of day by the end of this year:

“We’re hoping (the album) comes out later this year,” Carney said. “Working in Nashville is cool. It’s a great city. Dan’s studio is amazing as well. But it took us a little bit longer to make this record than it did to make Brothers and that’s partly because we made it in the town we’re living in. We knew going into making this record that it’s not a good idea to do that because you can get distracted easily, but we’d been travelling so much we needed to be home.”

Stephen Colbert presents a rock odyssey with Jack White (part 3/3)

I love it when Colbert wears red on red.



BONUS:

The Lonely Island ft Akon - I Just Had Seeeeeeex

this song makes me laugh so much:

Akon: "if you've had sex in the last thirty minutes, then you're qualified to sing with me!"

Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle

The London band have just released one of their most ambitious songs to date. The song demands attention--big time-- and combines an energetic piano loop with house beats. It's a far stride from their morose debut I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose, however the band still retains their star gazing sensibilities.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle by Bombay Bicycle Club

A Different Kind Of Fix is out 29th August.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue

this is how I woke up feeling

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue [mp3]

Classic Track Thursday

Stephen Colbert presents a rock odyssey with Jack White (part 2/3)

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

watch: epic Paranoid Android mashup

this video takes various portions from thirty five youtube covers of the Radiohead epic and brings them together to perfect, mesmerizing harmony

the distorted part in the middle is spectacular.

Everything is a Remix

Do you think that Led Zeppelin, Star Wars or Quentin Tarantino are soooo original and innovative works of genius?
think again.

Everything is a Remix is a four part video series (of which three parts have been released). It is a truly engaging breakdown of creativity, invention, and "remixing".

watch it below:

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 2 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 3 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Stephen Colbert presents a rock odyssey with Jack White

part 1 of 3:

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

I think Stephen Colbert thoroughly disturbed poor Jack.

new song: Radiohead - Staircase

from the studio for From the Basement, Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich's internet webcast.

Radiohead's drummer Phil Selway is joined by Portishead's Clive Deamer.

Radiohead - Staircase [mp3]

presale password: Arctic Monkeys at House of Blues in Chicago

As part of the post Lollapalooza shows (which include Delta Spirit, The Pains of being Pure at Heart and Black Lips), the Arctic Monkeys will play Chicago's House of Blues on Saturday August 6th. Tickets go on sale on Friday morning but you can get presale tickets now by entering the word "MACARENA" in the fan presale box.

Listen: The Strokes cover A Salty Salute (with a hidden bonus)

here is an mp3 from May 19, 2004 of The Strokes covering Guided By Voices' "A Salty Salute". At the end of it, he wishes some of his friends (including Nick's then girlfriend and current wife Amanda De Cadenet) but the very best bit is at the very end, when Julian introduced "Hard to Explain" by revealing that he's getting married

The Strokes - A Salty Salute (Live at Summerstage '04, Central Park, NY) [mp3]

Classic Track Thursday

“Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die?”

Flaming Lips + Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros + a cemetery:

must watch video: Arcade Fire perform "We Used to Wait" for a Chicago radio station

Arcade Fire performs "We Used To Wait" on Sound Opinions from WBEZ on Vimeo.

Win sounds so good here. his voice is delicate and perfect.

watch: Arcade Fire Documentary

via Consequence of Sound:

Fucked Up's Damian Abraham interviews Win and Will Butler. They talk about how much their home influenced them and their slow but steady rise to fame. Watch that and much more in the twenty three minute documentary below:

record review: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Never a fan of Fleet Foxes’ debut album (I love their live sound but didn’t enjoy the recorded versions of their music), their second album, Helplessness Blues, took me by surprise. The album, which incurred many losses from the band (financial, emotional, personal), is absolutely stunning. It garners lush sounds, perfect harmonies and, oddly enough, sharp lyrics from frontman Robin Pecknold, who struggled a lot while writing this album. When he sings: "What makes me love you/what do I see in your eyes--besides my reflection", you can just hear heartbreak in his voice.

Helplessness Blues flows beautifully, a result of the band’s tried and true efforts to record everything at once, flaws and all. The two songs with slashes in their titles ("The Plains/Bitter Dancer" and "The Shrine/An Argument") remind me the most of Simon and Garfunkel, weaving gentle yet gripping stories of love, loss, and the mingling of souls. The latter song contains a very avant garde horn solo which is kind of off putting at first but it’s one of the most memorable bits of the album, and it grows on you.

“Bedouin Dress” has a very old time folksy violin part which I love. When overlooking the oft-harsh lyrics, the entire album is very peaceful and calm--like something you'd play for your child if they were sick.

“Grown Ocean”, one of Fleet Foxes’ most musically ambitious tracks, closes Helplessness Blues perfectly by looking to Sufjan Stevens for inspiration. Pecknold sings as if he is completely at ease on a beach coast, and the song’s soft, steady percussion is the icing on the cake. That is, if cakes could be made with granola and twigs...

4.5/5

Fleet Foxes - Montezuma [mp3]

watch: The Strokes' entire set at Bonnaroo

holy wow

head over to The Strokes News to watch the entire gig and download the entire concert (in mp3 form) HERE (I uploaded the zip file, it's safe)

record review: Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and See

Arctic Monkeys have come a long way since their hyperactive debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, evolving into a darker, more mature sound heavy on the drums and distortion. They have changed and they have blossomed, but there are certain essential elements which define the band that haven’t changed since 2006. Alex Turner’s interesting lyrics and voice that makes anyone melt weave within songs that are both subversive and groovy.

That being said, Suck it and See is much more like the Sheffield band’s second and third albums than their debut. It seems like the band have found what really drives them artistically and continue to push the limits therein. They draw a lot from the far away guitar sound that Johnny Marr perfected in The Smiths and all of the songs on their fourth album - whether aggressive or slowed down - are deeply emotive. This album makes you feel things, and that's what makes it great. There is not one weak link here, and while the songs are all superbly crafted, they somehow form a very cohesive album when taken together.

“Black Treacle” hosts a super familiar guitar lick and “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala” could have been taken from Pulp’s discography. “Library Pictures” draws from Arctic Monkeys’ second album more than any other track on Suck It And See, however, there are many allusions to their past work throughout the LP (the following track, “All My Own Stunts” sounds like a song from their third album Humbug). “Love is a Laserquest” is eerie and gorgeous like “Cornerstone” was before it. “Brick By Brick” cements the band’s place as a serious rock band (and one under the wing of Josh Homme), no frills, just volume.

The title track may be the best love song Turner has ever written, and it’s not the lone romantic sentiment on the album. Turner sings “when she laughs the heavens hum a stun gun lullaby” on “Reckless Serenade”, easily the best track on the album, which builds itself over a simple bass line and Alex’s slowed down croon. Here we find AM at their finest, cohesive and slowed down, and leaving an imprint on your memory that is not easily forgotten.

4.9/5

Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and See [mp3]

Beirut - Goshen

I love this track because it reminds me of The Walkmen's Lisbon.

Beirut - Goshen by ListenBeforeYouBuy

Beirut's fourth album is called The Rip Tide and will be released at the end of the summer.

Beirut - East Harlem

the previously unreleased track has finally been recorded in studio. download it below and preorder the seven inch HERE (out on June 14). you won't be able to buy the single at a record store...Beirut are selling it exclusively on tour.

Beirut - East Harlem [mp3]

support your local record store and get a free Arctic Monkeys print

via Domino Records...

The new Arctic Monkeys album 'Suck It and See' is out next week on June 7th. We are so very excited about the album that we've partnered with independent record stores across the United States to offer you a little something extra for supporting independent retail. Visit a participating indie store to pick up a copy of 'Suck It and See' on CD or LP and you will also receive a limited edition individually numbered Arctic Monkeys letterpress print free with your purchase (while supplies last). A partial list of participating stores is below. If your local store is not listed, please contact them about their participation.

Atlanta – Criminal Records
Austin - End Of An Ear
Austin - Waterloo Records
Baltimore - Sound Garden
Berkeley - Rasputin Music
Berkeley - Amoeba Records
Bloomington – Landlocked Music
Boise - Record Exchange
Bowling Green - Finders Records
Branford – Exile On Main St.
Burlington - Pure Pop
Charleston - Monster
Cincinnati – Shake It
Claremont - Rhino/Mad Platter
Colorado Springs - Independent Records
Columbus - Magnolia Thunderpussy
Dallas – Good Records
Denver - Twist and Shout
Encinitas - Lou's Records
Eugene - CD World
Fords - Vintage Vinyl
Greenville -Earshot
Hollywood - Amoeba Records
Houston - Cactus
Indianapolis - Indy CD & Vinyl
Indianapolis - LUNA MUSIC
Knoxville - Disc Exchange
Las Vegas - Zia Records
Lawrence - Love Garden
Lawrence - Kief's
Lexington – CD Central
Long Beach - Fingerprints
Louisville - earX-tacy
Miami Beach - Uncle Sam's
Milwaukee - The Exclusive Company
Minneapolis - Electric Fetus
Missoula - Rockin' Rudy's
Nashville – Grimey’s
New York - J&R Music World
New York - Other Music
New York - Permanent Records
New York - Sound Fix
Newark - Rainbow Books and Music
Norman – Guestroom Records
Oklahoma City – Guestroom Records
Omaha - Homer's
Orlando - Park Avenue
Phoenix – Stinkweeds
Phoenix - Zia Record Exchange
Portland, ME - Bull Moose Music
Portland, OR – Jackpot Records
Portland, OR - Music Millennium
Raleigh - Music Monitor Network
Raleigh - Schoolkids
Richmond - BK Music
Richmond - Plan 9
Rochester - Lakeshore Record Exchange
Rochester - Record Archive
Sacramento - Dimple Records
Salt Lake City - Slow Train
San Francisco - Amoeba Records
San Jose - Streetlight
San Luis Obispo – Boo Boo Records
Santa Rosa Beach - Central Square
Seattle - Easy Street
Seattle - Silver Platters
St Louis – Vintage Vinyl
Syracuse - Sound Garden
Taylorsville - Graywhale
Toledo - Culture Clash
Tuscaloosa - Oz Music
Ventura - Salzer's
Walla Walla – Hot Poop
West Babylon - Looney Tunes
Wilkes-Barre - Gallery Of Sound
Yakima - Off The Record

watch: The National's entire set at Fox Theater last year

last May, The National played Oakland's beautiful Fox Theater. karmafia captured the show as part of a graduate research project, and the audio/visual quality is amazing. you can watch the songs individually on the youtube channel or enjoy the entire set below.

set list:
1) MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS
2) ANYONE'S GHOST
3) BLOODBUZZ OHIO
4) AFRAID OF EVERYONE
5) BABY WE'LL BE FINE
6) BRAINY
7) SLOW SHOW
8) SQUALOR VICTORIA
9) ALL THE WINE
10) LEMONWORLD
11) LITTLE FAITH
12) CONVERSATION 16
13) APARTMENT STORY
14) GREEN GLOVES
15) ABEL
16) ENGLAND
17) FAKE EMPIRE

18) RUNAWAY
19) SORROW
20) MR. NOVEMBER
21) TERRIBLE LOVE
22) ABOUT TODAY

video: The Strokes - Gratisfaction on the Ellen show

Sunday Morning Covers

Radiohead - The Rip (Portishead cover) [mp3]

Elliott Smith (ft Grandaddy)- My Sweet Lord (George Harrison cover) [mp3]

Neil Young - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (Bob Dylan cover) [mp3]

Gnarls Barkley - Reckoner (Radiohead cover) [mp3]

Yo La Tengo - Speeding Motorcycle (Daniel Johnston Cover) [mp3]

The Dead Weather - Are Friends Electric? (Gary Numan cover) [mp3]

Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers - Maggie's Farm (Dylan cover) [mp3]

Sunday Morning Covers

Spoon - Roller Coaster (13th Floor Elevators Cover) [mp3]

Not to be a a shameless self-promoter but...

check this out:

http://illuminatedanglophiles.blogspot.com/

join the discussion and spread the word!

concert review: White Denim at Bottom of the Hill (26 May)

What's better than putting on a Hendrix album? Going to a White Denim gig and hearing Jimi's eternal spirit channeled through the raw power of the Austin band. Mesmerizing the audience with five-plus minute solos dripping with psychedelic goodness, White Denim had the crowd movin and shakin like it was 1969. Weaving song into song with hardly any breaks, White Denim rocked hard as if prog rock never faded into obscurity. Lead singer James Petralli showed off his impressive range by fluctuating between a soft, sultry hybrid of Devendra Banhart and Wayne Coyne and his rock-your-balls off a la Black Sabbath state of mind.

I always find is very difficult to describe this band's sound, as they draw influences from a vast spectrum of genres. You can hear bits and pieces of southern rock, grunge, jazz, psychedelia among a myriad of other things but the best way to describe this band is that they’re incredibly loud.

White Denim turned to crowd pleaser "I Start to Run" in the middle of the set and it incinerated the dance floor. Guitarist Austin Jenkins continuously pointed his instrument at various bandmates and audience members as if it were a ray gun and the band had a ton of fun on stage, grinning and really letting the music wash over them as they sunk into a veritable state of grunge indebted nirvana. White Denim obliged the crowd’s desperate and loud pleads for an encore, and ended the night triumphantly with a level of noisy distortion which would put Husker Du to shame.

photos:












Go out and see this band. You’ll thank me later.

5/27 - Visalia, CA at Cellar Door
5/29 - Portland, OR at Bunk Bar
5/30 - Quincy, WA at Sasquatch Festival
6/01 - Salt Lake City, UT at Urban Lounge
6/02 - Denver, CO at Larimer Lounge
6/03 - Lawrence, KS at Jackpot Music Hall
6/16 - Memphis, TN at Hi Tone
6/17 - Atlanta, GA at Drunken Unicorn
6/18 - Nashville, TN at The Basement
6/19 - Louisville, KY at Uncle Slayton's
6/21 - Washington D.C. at Rock N Roll Hotel
6/22 - Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brendas
6/23 - Northampton, MA at Pearl ST
6/24 - Boston, MA at Brighton Music Hall
6/25 - New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom
6/27 - Montreal, QC at Il Motore
6/28 - Toronto, ON at El Mocambo
6/29 - Indianapolis, IN at Rock Lobster
6/30 - Chicago, IL at Schubas
7/1 - Columbia, MO at Mojo's
7/2 - Norman, OK at Opolis

acoustic videos: Alex Turner does "Suck it and See" and "Love Is a Laserquest"

White Denim play Bottom of the Hill tomorrow night (Thursday, 26 May)

the Austin based noise/grunge/psychedelic band is currently supporting their newest album, D

White Denim - At the Farm (live at the Ghost Room) [mp3]

join in on the fun for thirteen bucks and an ID with a birth year prior to 1990. Fake Your Own Death and Angel Island will open the show.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2

this looks so grandiose, my mouth is watering a little: