Peter Bjorn and John: The Young Folks

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."

Peter Bjorn and John- Sitar Folks

I guess there's a good chance that you haven't heard all of those b-sides yet, so I'll go ahead and pass them along as well...

Peter Bjorn and John- All Those Expectations (Weak Remix)
Peter Bjorn and John- Ancient Curse
Peter Bjorn and John- Self-Pity

And just for fun, from their last album, 2005's Falling Out...

Peter Bjorn and John- Teen Love

That's all for now.

Yo La Tengo Is Not Afraid Of You...

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.

Yo La Tengo- Luci Baines

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

Also, just for fun, and to stick with our Daniel Johnston theme (well, I guess it's not a theme yet. I'll establish it as a theme now)

Yo La Tengo- Speeding Motorcycle

Daniel Johnston- Speeding Motorcycle

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.

Someone Should Check Willy Mason's Birth Certificate

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

Also, check out his 2005 single, Oxygen.



Willy Mason- Oxygen

Enjoy.

The Hold Steady...

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.

The Dropkick Murphys- For Boston

Alas, it is not the same track. It is, however, still worth listening to.

The Hold Steady- For Boston

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.

The Hold Steady- Arms and Hearts

Then there is a curious departure...

The Hold Steady- American Music

Is this really the Hold Steady? I can dig it...

And just for fun... Cattle and the Creeping Things from the Hold Steady's set at Lollapalooza 2006.

(Shout out to A.J. Pierzynski?)

The Hold Steady- Cattle and the Creeping Things (Live)

That's all for now.

Three Cheers for the King of the Jungle Gym...

About a month ago...

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."

Cloud Cult- 818
Clout Cult- Step Forward

And my personal favorite...

Cloud Cult- May Your Lives Be Long

I actually like "May Your Lives Be Long" more than quite a bit of the stuff on the album, and that's saying something; it's a very, very good album.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, check out the "Chemicals Collide" video...



Enjoy.

What ever happened to the Brian Jonestown Massacre?

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.

Brian Glaze- Don't Believe in Love

End: Tangent)

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.



Hmmm, the Dolly Rocker Movement... Syd Barrett?

Syd Barrett- Dolly Rocker

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."

Jokes aside, I'm really digging this album.

The Dolly Rocker Movement- My Friend
The Dolly Rocker Movement- Hers and Mine

A Purple Journey Into the Mod Machine released sometime at the end of 2006. I really don't know the official date.

So go ahead and drop some acid, give these two bands a listen, and let me know what you think.

The Decemberists: From Portland to Winooski

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).

You guessed it, I have a copy of the single, and I'd like to bring you the b-sides.

The Decemberists- After the Bombs
The Decemberists- Culling of the Fold

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)...

The Decemberists- Your Love (Outfield Cover)

Ah, what the hell, here's another cover...

The Decemberists- Wuthering Heights (Kate Bush Cover)

Enjoy.

New Arcade Fire...

On January 31st the Arcade Fire played a show at St. John's in London. At the show they played a cover of the Clash's "The Guns of Brixton," and, well here it is:

The Arcade Fire- The Guns of Brixton (Live)

And just for the hell of it, here is the original:

The Clash- The Guns of Brixton

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...

The first single:

The Arcade Fire- Black Mirror

One more...

The Arcade Fire- Intervention

Enjoy.

Kings of Leon

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:

Kings of Leon- On Call

Because of the Times will release April 3rd, and it is one of the 2007 albums that I am truly looking forward to.

He Goes by N Now

Real quick.

Nas.

The best doing it. The best to ever do it. Nas is hip-hop.

MC Shan, Raheem, Doctor Ice, Kangol, Kool Moe Dee, Sha Rock, Tito, Grandmaster Caz, Lique, Dana Dane, Pebblee Poo and Just Ice.

Nas- Where Are They Now? (80's All Star Remix)

Redhead Kingpin, The Original Spinderella, Rob Base, Father MC, Monie Love, Mike G, EST, Positive K, Das EFX, Lords of the Underground, and Dres.

Nas- Where Are They Now? (90's All Star Remix)

Breeze, Kam, King Tee, Candyman, Threat, Ice T, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Conscious Daughters, and DJ Bobcat.

Nas- Where Are They Now? (West Coast Remix)

Hope you can appreciate these for what they are.