One album that just barely missed the cut for my Most Anticipated Albums of 2012 list is the new one from Sigur Ros. Valtari is the name of the new record that it is set to release on May 28th. They have released the first single from the album along with a video. Had I heard “Ekki múkk” before making my list earlier in the year, it might have helped surge Valtari in to the top 10.
The Avett Brothers are coming to town tonight. They will be playing a show at the Brady Theater which is a gorgeous sit-down venue, and I am more than thrilled to get to see them for a second time this evening. I saw them back in 2009 at Cain’s Ballroom shortly after the release of I and Love and You. Cain’s is a standing only ballroom and let’s just say that the house was a rockin’. It was a great show, which I wrote about here, but I am hoping that with a more intimate venue, we will get an even more intimate show with an atypical song selection. These guys know how to rock, but they also know how to swoon. Some of my favorite songs of theirs are ballads and I have put together a list of the five slow-tempo songs that I would most like to hear played at the show tonight. (I decided not to include any songs that were played in the last show, such as “Murder In the City”.) Hope you enjoy the list. What songs would be at the top of your list?
A couple months ago I shared with you a new online music startup that was offering 10 albums for 10 days for 15 bucks. It the first attempt at bundle/bulk marketing in the music business that I am aware of, and from what I can tell, the first go-around was very successful. The proof being that yesterday Sound Supply announced Drop #2 with 10 new albums, all for only $15. I didn’t end up purchasing Drop #1 because I had already spent my music budget for the month by the time it came around, but I was very tempted and I knew a couple people who did and really enjoyed. It looks like they got another good group of albums to offer up, including works from two artists previously featured on IHYEB: Sleeping at Last and Right Away, Great Captain.
A new source of good music for me recently has been a new video series called Watch Listen Tell. WLT is a non-profit music channel dedicated to creating unique acoustic performances. And one of my favorite performances that I have seen thus far is from a band called Dry the River. It’s a very stripped down and unique performance of their song “Bible Belt.” I think fans of Laura Marling will be pleased.
