Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday Morning Covers
Villagers - Old Man (Neil Young cover) [mp3]
The National - Clampdown (The Clash cover) [mp3]
Decemberists - Cuyahoga (REM Cover) [mp3]
Stone Temple Pilots - Dancing Days (Led Zeppelin cover) [mp3]
Ben Sollee - Wild World (Cat Stevens cover)[mp3]
White Rabbits - Instant Karma (John Lennon cover)[mp3]
Grand Lake - The Tourist (Radiohead cover) [mp3]
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Andrew Bird - Useless Creatures
Andrew Bird at his psychedelic best. the instrumental bonus album to Noble Beast
2. You Woke Me Up! [mp3]
3. Nyatiti
4. The Barn Tapes
5. Carrion Suite
6. Spinney
7. Dissent
8. Hot Math
9. Sigh Master
ZIP FILE
Imaad Wasif - Wanderlusting
Imaad Wasif is the touring guitarist for Yeah Yeah Yeahs and an accomplished musician on his own merit.
it starts off so pretty and soft and ends in a furious frenzy of aggressive guitars
visit him on MYSPACE
The Strokes Post #624
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
record review: Telekinesis - 12 Desperate Straight Lines
In 2009, Michael Benjamin Lerner released a so-sweet-it-almost-could-make-you-sick debut album of hesitant love songs under the name of Telekinesis (which ended up being #1 on Music Induced Euphoria’s year end list). He wrote all of the music and played all of the instruments on the album, which Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie produced. His first words were “I’ve got a heart but it’s afraid to love//sometimes I think the damn thing’s full of rust”. Now any self respecting musician would never release the same album twice, so what did good ol’ Seattle musician go and do? Write an equally enticing if not as instantly alluring break up album called 12 Desperate Straight Lines, once again doing everything himself and recording with Walla at Jackpot! Studios in Portland. This time he opens with “We fell in love in the summer//by the springtime we were done”, paving the way for an album hailing bitterness and detachment above all else. "When you see me, you're gonna cry, you're gonna cry," he declares. He nods to the Cure on "Please Ask For Help" and "Country Lane". When Lerner does melancholy, he does it through and through, relying heavily on bass and sharp repetitions renouncing the love which he so desperately sought previously. “50 ways” is a tantalizing ode to heartbreak and is like a darker version of the Paul Simon classic. Powerful, controlled drums reign supreme on "I got you", a song that emulates the darker songs on Final Straw era Snow Patrol. “Dirty Thing” takes you back a bit to the sweet guitars of the debut but overall, the whole album is heart wrenching and digs deep into the darkest recesses of your memories. However, the album concludes with Lerner looking towards the sun, singing "I gotta get it right now" with The Thermals providing the back up "whoa uh oh oh's". He can't help himself, when all is said and done, he's an optimist who relies more on the Kinks than Joy Division for musical inspiration.
4.3/5
must watch video: The National on La Blogotheque
this version of "Ada" is magical.
and here's an older song of theirs that I just heard today:
from the Cherry Tree EP (2004)
BONUS:
The Strokes Post #623
if y'all were angry that MSG tix were 70 bucks...
The Strokes are playing a free show at SXSW on March 17
anddddddddddddd
daaaaaaaaaaamn.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
new Radiohead song/video: Lotus Flower (+ link to album)
from The King of Limbs, which got an early release today. buy it HERE
Thom Yorke decided to do drugs and pretend he was a mime. that hat is fucking cool. the song is closely aligned with In Rainbows stuff, that ethereal sound so removed from their earlier guitar driven albums.
Radiohead - Lotus Flower [mp3]
Thom Yorke decided to do drugs and pretend he was a mime. that hat is fucking cool. the song is closely aligned with In Rainbows stuff, that ethereal sound so removed from their earlier guitar driven albums.
Radiohead - Lotus Flower [mp3]
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Phoenix talk about their fifth LP
Phoenix talk about recording new album from PEDESTRIAN.TV on Vimeo.
it'll be "experimental" and "futuristic" and stray from the drum machines of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
The Strokes Post #621
via She's Fixing Her Hair
plus they'll Madison Square Garden on April 1st Bonnaroo on the weekend of June 9-12
plus they'll Madison Square Garden on April 1st Bonnaroo on the weekend of June 9-12
Radiohead to release eighth album this Saturday
well this is happy news!
preorder HERE
Arcade Fire win Album of the Year at the Grammys
not that I care, but it's still very awesome for them, and The Suburbs, which I love
bonus: THIS is hilarious.
The Strokes Post #620
I woke up needing to listen to this song. so I did as I tend to do and listened to it on repeat as it rained softly outside.
Monday, February 14, 2011
concert review: Grand Lake, Yuck, Smith Westerns
Last night at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, three midrange indie bands played their hearts' content to a packed crowd, as the show was completely sold out. Some was good, some was bad, and some was just plain melodic.
All of the band's newer, soft songs have power on stage as lead singer Caleb Nichols has amazing stage presence, however, his stage banter was super humble as always. The band played mostly new songs from their forthcoming EP as well as one from their debut LP Blood Sea Dream ("Concrete Blonde on Blonde"...released by the brand new Hippies are Dead label, and previously on an EP). Grand Lake have had yet another line up change, and they're back to being a trio. Ex Port o Brien drummer Josh Barnhart is currently their drummer and John Pomeroy, who used to play drums for GL, is currently on bass and keys. They played two covers, including a heart wrenching version of "The Tourist" by Radiohead. Overall, a great set from one of the Bay Area's best local bands, even if they have relocated a few hours south.
Spin heralded them as one of the best five bands of February, but at best they sound like an indie version of a power pop band a la The All American Rejects, acoustic songs interspersed and all. A few bearable riffs and the token chic on bass. "I could be your suicide on this one", the London frontman sang. Steer clear please.
The Chicago band was youthful and spirited, as the lead singer introduced "Dance Away" with "you should...fuck your girlfriend to this song". Somehow they sounded distorted and crisp at the same time. The vocals were confident, and the last part of "End of the Night" sounds a lot like 60's pop at its finest. The music is dreamy and feather light as well as melodic, and the band is not afraid to churn out a piercing Beatles-esque riff in nearly every song. They remind me a bit of MGMT at times, although substantially less weird. Do come out and see them.
Grand Lake
Yuck
Smith Westerns
The Chicago band was youthful and spirited, as the lead singer introduced "Dance Away" with "you should...fuck your girlfriend to this song". Somehow they sounded distorted and crisp at the same time. The vocals were confident, and the last part of "End of the Night" sounds a lot like 60's pop at its finest. The music is dreamy and feather light as well as melodic, and the band is not afraid to churn out a piercing Beatles-esque riff in nearly every song. They remind me a bit of MGMT at times, although substantially less weird. Do come out and see them.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday Music Definitions: Joy
when was the last time you experienced random joy? this morning, I was driving and midway through my umpteenth listen of "Under Cover of Darkness", I just started laughing uncontrollably. I'm so happy right now. life is beautiful.
The Strokes Post #619
Albert's interview with SPINNER
What is the right frame of mind for the band?
It's complicated, but we got to a point where we would need all of us on the same page, and the band is only as strong as the weakest member. Sometimes it just takes time. People go and do stuff, no one really knows how to deal with success, at least me personally. We never parted ways, we always spoke, we just let it naturally take its course until eventually we all wanted to get together and make music and it was exciting. We were all ready to share.
How much pressure did you feel?
The pressure is what we like and what we don't like, it's our filter of how we pick things. It's not like an everyday thing. The pressure I myself feel is just the idea of releasing something, I want to hear something different and cool and exciting. Pressure comes more from deadlines. When it wasn't right and we had to do it again, the label was like, "I thought we were going to release it over the summer," and we said, "Well, we can't." That feels like pressure to me.
read more HERE
Friday, February 11, 2011
must watch video: Arcade Fire on KROQ
the incredible band crowds into a little radio studio to preform my two favourites from The Suburbs
Arcade Fire – Ready To Start (KROQ Session) [mp3]
Arcade Fire – Month Of May (KROQ Session) [mp3]
Arcade Fire – Ready To Start (KROQ Session) [mp3]
Arcade Fire – Month Of May (KROQ Session) [mp3]
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