Yeserday I got a copy of Lou Barlow's new Mirror The Eye EP, and I can't stop listening to the opening track, "Yawning Blue Messiah."
I've never been super into Lou Barlow and Sebadoh -- or even Dinosaur Jr, whose new album will be covered here one of these days. I mean, sure he's kinda cool, and Sebadoh had some awesome songs, but I just never completely dug either. What's good with the Sebadoh reunion though? I know they're touring, but is there going to be an album? I actually only know they're touring because they're rolling through my hometown, Eugene, in a few days. Unfortunately I am, and will be, 1200 miles away.
Anyways, "Yawning Blue Messiah." Very good. One of my favorite tracks of the year so far.
Thanks for all of the wonderful "happy birthday" comments and emails that I didn't get.
Kidding. Of course.
Back to business.
So, as of the end of last month, Josh Ritter has a new EP out, Live at the Record Exchange. Of the six tracks on the EP, 2 are new; one is a John Prine cover, "Daddy's Little Pumpkin," and the other is one of his own "Bandits." Josh Ritter is one of the few singer/songwriters out right now that I listen to on a consistent basis. Right up there with Willy Mason, Jim Guthrie, Neko Case, etc. Pretty elite company. Josh Ritter- Daddy's Little Pumpkin (John Prine Cover)
Their latest album, Those The Brokes, has released without much commotion. Hell, I didn't even know the album had a single, let alone two, until I received a copy of the second, "This is a Song," a couple days ago. I guess I did receive it just a few days after it released (Feb 19), but still...
And if you're fiending for more Magic Numbers music, check out "Your Call," from the Concretes 06 album, The Concretes in Colour... The Concretes- Your Call
Yeah, that last one was kind of a stretch, but I felt like you deserved more than that single and its b-side.
Enjoy.
PS. Be on the lookout for the first Born by the River mix...
I think it would probably be impossible to dislike Sam Prekop's voice. That said, it would be hard for The Sea and Cake to put out a bad record. Everything they release is going to at least sound pleasant. They kind of have an unfair advantage.
I received an advance copy of The Sea and Cake's upcoming album (Due out May 8), Everybody, a few days ago.
I've only had a chance to listen to it a handful of times, but I definitely like what I've heard so far. They do manage to sound more like Belle & Sebastian than ever, though. Is that a good thing? I dunno... how much do you like Belle & Sebastian?
Sam Prekop calls Everybody “the most straight ahead, even ‘rootsy’ record we’ve ever made.”
I don't think rootsy is the first word that comes to mind when listening to this album, but I can definitely see where he's coming from there.
I can't help but like Owen Ashworth. I usually don't dig music that is even remotely electronic, but damn, Casiotone For The Painfully Alone is cool.
He released a split 7-inch with Foot Foot earlier this month (February 13). On it, Ashworth blesses us with an acoustic gem, "It's A Crime." I honestly think he should change the name, and ditch the electronics all together. I like him so much more when he's playing a guitar.
If you need more proof that he's better acoustically, check out "Jeanne, If You're Ever In Portland," from his 2006 Daytrotter Session. It is about one thousand times better than the original version.
It took me way too long to figure out that "Hero," which was requested yesterday, is not a new track. I searched and searched through all the different Weekend In The City related releases.
Eventually I figured out that "Hero" was a b-side to the 2005 "Two More Years" Single/EP. Then I found out that Hero only came out on certain versions of the single (Not the 7 inch, which is the first thing I found)
The Two More Years EP released alongside the Silent Alarm Remixed album... Kind of as a supplement.
I kind of feel bad only leaving you with one mp3 for the day, so I'll also give you this... The video for the Streets "Banquet" remix that also came out on the Two More Years EP...
What happened to the Modest Mouse I fell in love with?
I should preface this by saying that I don't dislike them because they're popular now. It's not like I've been down since 76 or whatever anyways.
I heard the band for the first time when I snuck into my friend's older brother's room, and listened to Lonesome Crowded West about 10 years ago. But it wasn't until I heard The Moon & Antarctica a few years later that I really fell in love with them. Their music had a way of making me sad. It's not like I enjoyed being sad, though. I mean, come on... I was, for all intents and purposes, still a kid. The music just rattled me to the core. When Isaac Brock told me "The universe is shaped exactly like the earth; if you go straight long enough you'll end up where you were," it was the deepest, most profound thing I had ever heard.
So they've changed. Big deal. It's not a terrible thing. Good News For People Who Love Bad News yielded some great tracks. Of course, it also seemed to start their transition into the pop strata. "Float On," though admittedly a great, great single, may ultimately turn out to be the turning point in this band's career. We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank sounds, to me, like Modest Mouse making music that they think people will like. It doesn't sound honest. It isn't dangerous. I was just talking to a friend about the album, and I think he nailed it when he said that it was too safe for Modest Mouse. It sounds to me like they are trying to recreate Float On with most of the tracks.
I said a month or so ago, in jest, that I was regionally obligated to love Modest Mouse. I still love the band, but now it's more the way you love a good friend that you haven't seen in years.
Sorry you had to read through that. What can I give you as a reward...
Here's a track that you might not have heard. It originally appeared on the now out of print Interstate 8 EP in 1996. It reappeared later as a bonus track to the This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About vinyl release. As far as I know, that's it. Here it is in its original form:
Slow day today. Not much going on. I did get my hands on the new Willy Mason "Save Myself" single, though. Save Myself is probably my favorite track off If The Ocean Gets Rough. I can't get enough of it.
Anyways, it came with a pretty sick b-side, so here you go...
I also found a collection a couple days ago called Scraps. It's all unreleased or reworked tracks from Willy Mason's older stuff. Some of it is really, really good.
I've been feeling a little burnt out lately. Lots of shit going on. I think I'm only gonna throw up one post this weekend, so I'll go ahead and make it a good, wide-ranging one.
In fact, I think I'm gonna make this "What's New?" thing a weekly type deal. Maybe monthly. Or bi-weekly. Or bi-monthly. Whichever means twice every month. Or once every two weeks. Actually I'll just try to do it every weekend. I'll make it slightly more obscure music that you might not have otherwise heard about. Cool?
I'll start this week off with a band that I heard for the first time a few months ago, Woods. Not "The" Woods; just Woods. To be honest, when the first track clicked on, I thought it was a Devendra Banhart band. The lead singer has that familiar warble. Check out my favorite track from their album, At Rear House... Woods- Don't Pass On Me
This track is from a band that you're probably familiar with, Maximo Park. This is the first leaked track from their upcoming album. You might be familiar with the track, too. I dunno, I'm not really down with the band, but you might be, so check it out.
Hmmm, what next? I'll go with Hotel Alexis. Their album, Goliath, I'm On Your Side, has been out for a little while. If you haven't heard Hotel Alexis, they make quiet, I guess what would be described as country-folkish music. Nobody would actually use those words to describe it. That's a Born by the River exclusive. But anyways, the album has a kind of dark aura. I don't really know how to describe it. You're probably not going to feel it through a single track, so I would advise you to buy the album. It really is worth it, in my opinion. Hotel Alexis- Sister Ray
Next, how about Grinderman. I told Trost that I didn't want to do a whole piece on Grinderman because it would probably expose my lack of Nick Cave knowledge. I guess I just exposed it anyways, but at least I'm not trying to front, right? So yeah, Grinderman is a new Nick Cave project, and it rocks. I don't know what else to say about it. Sorry. Just listen. It's good. Grinderman- Go Tell The Women
How about Great Lake Swimmers. I got an advance copy of their new album, Ongiara, the other day. I've never really been into the band, but there are some tracks that I like, including this one...
Alright, to finish it up, how about one of my favorite songs of all time, covered by one of the greatest bands of all time. From Endless Highway: The Music Of The Band...
I'm sorry, I have more. I really just feel like I can't type anymore, and I really want to get this up tonight. I'll include some of the other stuff next weekend.
Ok, Bloc Party part deux is here. A couple days ago I brought you four tracks that came with various forms of A Weekend in the City, and today I have four more for you.
This first track, probably my favorite of the group, came out as a b-side to "The Prayer" CD single. Bloc Party- We Were Lovers
Ok, I believe that's it. If you have any other rare Bloc Party tracks that I haven't put up, I'd love to hear them/hear about them. Just drop me an email. Or a comment. Or whatever.
It's a story we've all heard before: Lupe Fiasco single-handedly bringing back real hip-hop and whatnot. I heard all the Tribe, De La, etc comparisons before I had heard Lupe on anything other than that Kanye track.
I liked "Kick, Push," but I didn't even listen to Food & Liquor for a while after it released. To be honest, the hype turned me off to the album initially.
So it turned out this kid really did have some skills.
Food & Liquor ended up battling Nas for my favorite hip-hop album of 2006, and, in the end, it probably came out on top.
"Daydreamin'," which features Jill Scott, was released last year as a single, but it never really came out as a proper single with b-sides and whatnot. It just had the album version/radio version/instrumental. Actually, I believe one version came out with "Kick, Push" as a second track, which doesn't make much sense to me, but whatever.
Anyways, it released this year the way it should have in the first place, with a couple of niiice b-sides that would have fit in nicely anywhere on the album.
Lupe Fiasco- And He Gets The Girl Lupe Fiasco- Theme Music To A Drive-By ..devious skill that make a strong-willed nigga wane/since a lil nigga hang/with the killas and distributers of caine/they dismemberers of swishers and refill it with the jane/then they tilt it and they lit it with a flame/then they took a pull of killa to the brain like...
And just for fun... Actually you've probably already seen this, but check it out again. Styles P., Papoose, and Lupe on BET. Lupe is nice as usual, but Papoose actually surprised me with a couple intelligent lines before he reverted back to gradeschool punchlines...
Over 100 soldiers died this month, I drop info/out of 100, the majority was negros
So I've noticed that Bloc Party released almost a whole album worth of bonus tracks and b-sides with various versions of their latest album, A Weekend In The City. I figure there's a good chance that you don't have all of them. I did a little digging, and compiled all that I could find...
These two tracks came as bonus tracks exclusively on the Target Weekend in the City release...
This track I've seen a couple places. It came out as a limited b-side to one of the versions of "The Prayer" single, but it also came out as a Best Buy bonus track...
I've never heard anything from this band before. I've actually never heard of this band. I'm telling you though, a good name goes a long way. When I came across the advance of their new album, Cotton Teeth, I didn't just cast it aside like I do with most... I saw the ill name and decided I'd give it a listen.
To me they sound, at times, like Wildflowers-era Tom Petty, or maybe Wilco during a melodic country-folkish moment... with the occasional synth layer of course.
I can see this album competing for serious time in the changer for quite a while.
Two nights ago the Arctic Monkeys played a secret show at Sheffield's Leadmill where they played 6 of the 12 announced tracks from their upcoming sophomore album, Favourite Worst Nightmare (due out April 23rd).
Here is the tracklist for Favourite Worst Nightmare...
01. Brianstorm 02. Teddy Picker 03. D is for Dangerous 04. Balaclava 05. Fluorescent Adolescent 06. Only Ones Who Know 07. Do Me a Favour 08. This House Is a Circus 09. If You Were There, Beware 10. The Bad Thing 11. Old Yellow Bricks 12. 505
So I just got the US release of Peter Bjorn and John's Writer's Block, and it came with a 6-track bonus disk. Two of the tracks, "All Those Expectations (Weak Mix)" and "Ancient Curse," released already as b-sides to the Young Folks single, and one of the other tracks, "Self Pity," released as a b-side to Lets Call it Off. Then there is a version of Young Folks called the "Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation," apparently done by Erol Alkan (it manages to sound curiously like the original version...), and the "original version" of Lets Call it Off. The only track from the bonus disk that I hadn't heard is called "Sitar Folks."
So how many of you are into the whole iTunes/buying digital music scene? No one? That's cool. I didn't really think you were. It's probably safe to assume, then, that you haven't heard the Yo La Tengo iTunes exclusive live EP, right? I actually hadn't heard anything about it until I happened across it completely by chance.
From the Matador website: "There's really no better way to commemorate the way Yo La Tengo's awe inspiring 'I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Am Going To Beat Your Ass' has been screwed in so many of the year end polls (admittedly, not all of 'em, just those that we'll never again try to rig ) than with a new EP, exclusively available from the iTunes Music Store."
Amen.
The four tracks on the EP could not be more different. Two of the tracks, "Pass The Hatchet..." and "The Weakest Part," are from I Am Not Afraid Of You... The third track, Luci Baines, as I have discovered after copious amounts of research, is a cover of the mid-60's Arthur Lee track by the same name.
From Allmusicguide: "Like most of Arthur Lee's pre- Love releases, "Luci Baines" is a copy of another record, this time the Isley Brothers original, pre- Beatles version of "Twist & Shout." Written as a tribute to then-president Lyndon Johnson's daughter Lucy Baines Johnson, the almost bossa nova rhythm is about as infectious as the Isleys' version, and the band performance is pure frat house groove."
I'm not exactly sure where the last track is from. Someone want to fill me in? Yo La Tengo- El Es Gay
I used to have a really cool version of speeding motorcycle that Yo La Tengo did for a WFMU pledge drive, where Daniel Johnston actually calls in and does the vocals over the phone. If I can find that, I'll put it up later this weekend, so check back.
I'll preface this by admitting that I have never heard Willy Mason's first album. I've heard of it, is that good enough? No? Oh well.
I recently came across an advance copy of his new album, If the Ocean Gets Rough. I wasn't particularly intrigued at first; I didn't know much about Willy Mason. I had heard that he toured with the Decemberists once. Oh, and he claims to be 22.
That's pretty much it.
I said a while ago that the albums that end up sounding are the best usually sneak up on me. I never see them coming. That theory has, once again, held true.
To be honest, after a week of listening I really haven't found anything about this album that I dislike. From the beautiful second track, "The World I Wanted," that is probably going to hit painfully close to home for a lot of people, to the immensely catchy first single, "Save Myself," there aren't any weak spots on the album.
I wish I could bring you all 11 tracks. I would really encourage everyone to buy this album when it comes out on March 19th.
Willy Mason- The World That I Wanted Willy Mason- When The River Moves On
I have always wanted my life to be like a Hold Steady song. Well, I wanted to live like Sal Paradise or Henry Chinaski long before anyone had heard of the Hold Steady. You get the idea though.
I got the Australian Retail copy of Boys and Girls in America a few days ago (it released officially January 29th), and there are a few bonus tracks to go along with the 11 from the American release. My first response when I saw this was to flip, as the first bonus track is "For Boston." I immediately thought of The Dropkick Murphys- For Boston; the opening track from Sing Loud, Sing Proud is one of my favorite songs.
My favorite of the bonus tracks is "Arms and Hearts." It's a bit of a slower track, driven by a haunting drumline until the guitar falls in at about the 1:12 mark. It continues to creep along at the same rate until it blows up into the type of Hold Steady song that we have come to know and love at about the 2:26 mark. I'm really digging it.
Trost: this cloud cult is pretty decent Denton: I hate it
A few weeks later...
Denton: Im digging some of this cloud cult album Trost: you were telling me how much it sucked Denton: no...
As you will undoubtedly find out, I end up putting my foot in my mouth quite often. Another example: There is no way Arbouretum and The Besnard Lakes are going to be my two favorite albums of the year. What exactly was I thinking? Both albums are great, but damn, come on Denton...
Back to Cloud Cult...
You've probably heard The Meaning of 8, their newest album. I have NEVER liked them in the past, but I find myself coming back to this album time and time again. I was absolutely hooked after I heard "Your 8th Birthday." Cloud Cult- Your 8th Birthday
Anyways, I have come across a few tracks that the band recorded initially for the album. They were, for whatever reason, scrapped, along with a couple dozen others that will apparently "never see the light of day."
We haven't heard anything from the Brian Jonestown Massacre since God is My Girlfriend, the last track from their 2005 We are the Radio EP, faded out. The Brian Jonestown Massacre- God Is My Girlfriend
(Begin: Tangent
Well, that isn't *entirely* true. Ex-BJM member Brian Glaze released his first solo album last year, Let's Go to the Sea. That kind of counts, right? It isn't a bad album at all. Jangly, guitar driven, 60's sounding psychedelic pop that earned inevitable comparisons to Roky Erickson, Syd Barrett, and Sky Saxon.
You're probably wondering what made me think of Brian Jonestown Massacre, yes?
A few weeks ago I came across the 5-track debut self-titled EP of a band called LSD and the Search for God. You should know, I am a sucker for cool band names. The ridiculously awesome band name, coupled with the EP's cover, had me expecting the greatest album in the history of the world.
After a quick listen I realized that it was probably not the greatest album in the history of the world. It is, however, a very cool album. Think My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus and Mary Chain, or, more recently, the Brian Jonestown Massacre on a shoegazing day. LSD and the Search for God- This Time LSD and the Search for God- Starting Over
LSD and the Search for God's debut EP released officially on January 16th. Go buy it... You won't regret it.
Ah, but this is only the beginning.
A couple days ago I elected to continue my journey down into the proverbial rabbit hole when I picked up a copy of an album called "A Purple Journey into the Mod Machine," by a band called the Dolly Rocker Movement.
The band's myspace describes their sound as "What would happen if Bolan,Barrett & Donovan went flying high on the west coast with Saxon & Bonniwell. An aural assault of psychedelic splendour and garage rock with the occasional splash of folk/country."
A more fitting description there never was. Although, they could have also just said "Sounds like: the Brian Jonestown Massacre."
The Decemberists hail from Portland, Oregon, about 2 hours north of the city I was raised in. I've seen them live a number of times dating back to around 2002, and they never disappoint. I loved their first two albums, but I thought Picaresque (2005), their third album, was kind of a let down. Their newest, The Crane Wife (2006), definitely has its moments. The album's fourth track, "O Valencia!" would qualify as one of these moments, and The Decemberists have wisely elected to release it as a single (February 15th).
If you bought The Crane Wife from iTunes or Tower Records, you may have heard one (or both I guess) of these tracks. "After the Bombs" was released as a bonus track with the album on iTunes, while "Culling of the Fold" came as a bonus track from Tower Records. Our sources tell us that the latter was the last track scrapped from The Crane Wife, and was likely done at the behest of Capitol Records.
I guess those might be old news to some, so here is the best/worst cover of all time from a show the Decemberists performed in Burlington, Vermont (the city I was born in)...
A low quality copy of Neon Bible (set to release March 6th) is floating around the net, but we don't mess with low quality at Born by the River. If you haven't heard it, here are a few tracks from the album...
Kings of Leon are such an underrated band. For some reason *cough*pitchfork*cough* they're completely ignored in the United States. I played both of their first two albums to death. I don't understand how you could listen to the Kings of Leon and not have a smile on your face.
I hate how they've been written off as "southern-fried strokes."
I've always thought of them as a 21st century Molly Hatchet. Maybe even James Gang. Just good ol' southern rock.
"Lets throw on some Kings of Leon, kick back, drink some beer, and shoot the shit."
Anyways, Kings of Leon have had the first track, "On Call," from their upcoming album, Because of the Times, up on their myspace for a while now. Needless to say, I'm digging it. Anyways, I've gotten my hands on the mp3, so if you'd like it, here it is:
All of the music here is posted with the intention of introducing people to bands and artists that they may not have otherwise heard. The mp3's here are for sampling purposes only. If you wish for us not to post your music, please email us and it will be taken down immediately. If you like what you hear, please buy the albums, go to the shows, and do whatever it takes to support these bands.
