I Hope Your Ears Bleed

Call + Response Documentary

Nathan — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 02:18:37 +0000

Did you know that there are more slaves today than there were during the days when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation? In fact there are some 27 million men, women, boys and girls that are being trafficked for labor, sex and profit. And this isn’t just in the third world countries where poverty rules the day. In fact 17, 500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the U.S. every year. When I first learned about this I could hardly believe it. This shocking truth was first revealed to me 2 years ago after reading a book by then 14-year old Zach Hunter, who after learning that slavery still exists started a campaign he called Loose Change to Loosen Chains where he asked his classmates to give all of their change that they had in the pocket to help free modern day slaves. In just the first two weeks he raised $6,000 at his high school. And through his efforts of bringing it to many different schools accross the country has raised countless more. I was blown away and have used this kid’s story to encourage kids and help them understand that they truly can make a difference if they put their mind to it.

Well I just recently read about another guy who was disturbed by the number of modern day slaves their are in this world and wanted to do something about it. Musician Justin Dillon and Fair Trade Pictures decided the best way to for them to make a difference was through their new documentary Call + Response, which hit theaters in October. Call + Respones “goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2007, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.” And he brings us these shocking truths along with a stellar soundtrack from numerous Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including Talib Kweli, Matisyahu, Cold War Kids, and former child soldier Emmanuel Jal. These talented artists help move this “chilling information into inspiration for stopping it.” This is the kind of thing that I believe music should be about. It should be about revealing truth and about bringing forth change. So please check this film out and let it change you. And please listen to these great songs, but if you like them, please don’t just rip them off my site. Please go to Itunes and buy them off the soundtrack. Because all profit from the film, dvd, and soundtrack go to different non-profit organizations that are helping to fight slavery such as International Justice Mission.

Cold War Kids - We Used to Vacation

Emmanuel Jal - War Child

Matisyahu - Indestructible

New Third Eye Blind EP

Nathan — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:04:03 +0000

Third Eye Blind is coming out with their first new material in over five years. That is right. I was still in high school the last time these guys released an album. And you can make fun of me all you want, but I am looking forward to hearing the new EP, Red Star. These guys might just be the epitomy of pop candy. They are the kind of stuff that when taken in small doses can get you on a real high. But too much of them will make you sick. The first single is pretty ridiculous, but I enjoyed it none-the-less. Don’t get me wrong, they sucked it up when I saw them open for Counting Crows, and they aren’t even in the same league as most of the artist we write about on here. But that doesn’t mean they can’t provide a great time with a song that has a killer hook, a catchy melody, and a sing-along chorus. Again, be careful to take this in small doses…or your ears might literally bleed.

Third Eye Blind - Non-Dairy Creamer

New Releases From Kanye and Stephen Colbert

Nathan — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:07:22 +0000

So as you can tell I was kind of rushed putting together my post about this week’s notable releases and failed to mention two very big ones that came out this week. The first one was the foxtail sportin’ Kanye West with his new album 808s & Heartbreak. Never been a huge Kanye fan, in fact most of my feelings toward him stem from my annoyance at the stupid things he has done and said. But musically I’ve been pretty impartial. He’s definitely gotten me to move with the beat more than once, but I’ve never been impressed with any album as a whole. But I’ve been more impressed so far upon the first listen to Hearbreak than I have so far. Maybe that is because it isn’t your typical hip-hop record, nor is it typical Kanye. In no way can you refer to this as a rap album. West sings throughout the entire album using the Auto-Tune effect and a TR-808 drum machine on every track. It sounds much more like an 80’s post punk album than a hip-hop or R&B record, which may be why I am able to enjoy it more than his previous works. But I still hesitate to give the most egotistical artist of our time any sort of props. I seriously don’t understand how this guy has been able to consistently capture the attention of both the main-stream radio listeners and the indie music snobs.

Kanye West - Street Lights

Now with this other release that I foolishly overlooked, I am baffled at how more people have not fallen in love with this guy. For those of you who are not avid watchers of the Colbert Report, this past Tuesday night Stephen Colbert, the current host of the Colbert Report teamed up with an all-star cast of musicians to bring to us a A Colbert Christmas. With the help of Willie Nelson, John Legend, Feist, Toby Keith, and Elvis Costello, Colbert is in search of a Christmas miracle. And a miracle is what he brings to us, with the release of this absolutely hysterical that came out on Thanksgiving Day. I don’t want to say to much in fear of spoiling what was one of the best and funniest Christmas musicals I have ever seen. Beyond just creating something for us to sing along and laugh to this holiday season, Colbert is also bringing joy with to those who can’t even afford a tv with which to watch his Christmas special, by donating a large portion of the proceeds to Feeding America. I just can’t say enough about how awesome I think this guy is. Here is a little glimpse into the humor and talent that is filled throughout this Christmas special, with John Legend and Stephen Colbert performing Nutmeg…

Here is a tracklist of the soundtrack to let you more of what you can expect.

A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All

01 Stephen Colbert: “Another Christmas Song”

02 Toby Keith: “Have I Got a Present for You”

03 Feist: “Please Be Patient”

04 Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson: “Little Dealer Boy”

05 Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart: “Can I Interest You in Hannukah?”

06 Stephen Colbert and John Legend: “Nutmeg”

07 Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend, and Willie Nelson: “(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”

08 Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend, and Willie Nelson: “There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In”

09 Stephen Colbert: “A Cold, Cold Christmas”

RW: Soulwax’s take on Eleanor Rigby

Cody — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:51:00 +0000

As the holidays near, i’m starting to wonder what I’m thankful for. The first thought is definately remixes. And if I’ve learned anything over the last few months, you can’t be thankful for remixes without Soulwax.

One of my favorite remix outfits, Soulwax hasn’t spread themselves too thin. Sometimes operating under different names, such as Too Many DJ’s, and other unknown aliases, the guy’s aren’t afraid to make some noise.

Familiar with the phrase, “If you’re not pissing someone off, you’re not trying hard enough?” Well these guys surely are, taking plenty of songs that most people would soundly think do NOT need remixing, and here we are gathered to talk about one such instance.

I love the Beatles. A lot of people love the Beatles, and apparentyly the guys @ Soulwax do too. Their remix of Eleanor Rigby shows some real love to the original version.

A few small notes I took when I first “tasted” the song:

DRUMS?!??
instrumental
works with the original flow of the song
keeps some of the stereo effects of the original piece
very electronic sounding
about the same length as the original song

Note: If you perfectly overlay the two songs…. it’s amazing.

Well with that I’ll leave you this remix, and have a happy & safe thanksgiving!

The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (Soulwax Remix)

Bon Iver to Release New EP ‘Blood Bank’

Nathan — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:07:41 +0000

Bon Iver is coming out with a new EP January 20 titled Blood Bank. Those lucky enough to catch him on his December tour won’t have to wait that long though. Vinyl copies of the EP will be for sale at all of the shows, and those that purchase the 12″ will get access to a free digital download that will be available when the album is officially released. According to the press release, “as much as “For Emma, Forever Ago” is about the cold, the Blood Bank collection is about the warmth that gets you through it.” I know I could use some warmth during these cold winter months. This sounds like an EP that is actually worth it. Too bad he isn’t coming my way. I swear I live in a musical desert. Hopefully I’ll be able to turn that around one of these days. Well stop reading my pointless rants and start watching and listening to this great performance. Here is a video of Vernon performing the title track in front of a live audience.

Bon Iver - Blood Bank (Live)

This Week’s Noteworthy Releases: The Killers

Nathan — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:40:34 +0000

Music

The Killers - Day & Age

The Killers have decided to jump the gun, but releasing their third studio album tomorrow instead of sticking with the traditional Tuesday release. Maybe they are just as excited for us to hear the album as we are to get to listen to it. Expect nothing but pure yet slightly ridiculous 80’s influenced synth-pop fun from these guys. Flowers has yet to write a song I didn’t enjoy. But don’t look to these guys to be inspired, rather just let them help you throw a killer dance party. No pun intended.

The Killers - Human

Death Cab For Cutie - Somthing About Airplanes Deluxe Edition

Also coming out this week is the deluxe reissue of Death Cab For Cutie’s debut studio album, Something About Airplanes. This double-disc is being released by Barsuk to celebreat the 10th anniversary of the original album’s release. The first disc will contain the original album in its entirety. And then the second disc has seven songs from the bands first ever seattle show. It is a great buy for any Death Cab fan at only $12. By the way if the only album you own by DCFC is Plans, you’re not considered a fan.

Death Cab For Cutie - Champagne From a Paper Cup

Win Free My Brightest Diamond Tickets

Nathan — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:07:37 +0000

Sorry I am so late on this guys. Maybe someday I’ll get caught up on my e.mail inbox and I’ll actually share something brand new with you all. But I felt like this was better late than never. For those of you that don’t know, My Brightest Diamond is in the middle of their Recession Blues tour, and simply because they are awesome, they are giving away 2 free tickets to two different winners every show day for the rest of the tour! Now the tour started a couple of weeks ago, so for those of you whose town she already hit, my apologies. I should have let you know sooner. But I figured since she still has like 15 shows left that I better get this info out for those who still have the chance to take advantage of it. Anyway, here is how it works. “Every show day at noon, Shara will make a Twitter (on the main page of the MBD website in the bottom left hand corner) with the city name and the quiz question. The first two people to respond with the correct answer to word@mybrightestdiamond.com will win a ticket (plus an extra ticket for a friend) for the show that night!” This is just one of the many reasons that we love Shara Worden. Here is a list of the remaining dates and one of my favorite tracks off the new album.

My Brightest Diamond - If I Were A Queen
11/22 - San Francisco, CA - Swedish American Hall
11/24 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre
11/25 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
11/26 - Los Angeles, CA - Hotel Cafe
11/29 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
11/30 - Albuquerque, NM - The Cooperage
12/03 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
12/04 - Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack
12/05 - Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree
12/06 - Knoxville, TN - Square Room
12/07 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
12/09 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
12/10 - Charlottesville, VA - Gravity Lounge
12/11 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
12/12 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
12/13 - New York, NY - (Le) Poisson Rouge

Song of the Day - Greg Laswell

Nathan — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:07:37 +0000

It’s been a while since I posted a cover song on here and boy do I have a great one for you today. My good friend Justin first introduced you all to Greg Laswell a little over a month ago with his most recent video starring none other than Elijah Wood, the hobbit himself. If you haven’t seen that yet you gotta check it out. This cover is exactly what a cover song should be. Taking the basics of another artists song and then molding it to fit your style of music. Now this only works if at its core the song was already solid. Some of you may disagree, but I think that Cyndi Lauper definitely deserves some credit. Laswell didn’t create something out of nothing here. Now I would choose to listen to his version a thousand times or more before I ever go back to the original, but that diamond was there to begin with. Laswell just did some of the dirty work and polished it out so that it actually can be heard. I don’t if any of that made any sense. But what I do know is that this is a fantastic cover song, which I am sure you will enjoy.

I hope you head for the hills.

Greg Laswell - Girls Just Want to Have Fun

RW: Johnny Cash - Port of Lonely Hearts

Cody — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:28:36 +0000

One of my favorite musicians of all time is The Man in Black himself. One day when I was stumbling around the music blogosphere, I found a remix that just grabbed me.

When I start to listen to this song I find that the echoey choir sound in the background reminds me of the pure emotion that the song drives initially. So the added sounds are merely nothing more than an audible representation of one persons emotional evaluation of the song.

Too technical? It sounds like it feels.

This remix is one of those… untraditional remixes, and because of that it becomes something much deeper and more important.

Johnny Cash - Port of Lonely Hearsts (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)

This song is sure to evoke some kind of emotion in you, and when it does I hope you embrace it.

I hope your ears really enjoy this one

Wedding Music

Nathan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:33:36 +0000

Saturday I attended the ceremony and celebration that took place for two of my very best friends who decided to give each other their hands (and the rest of themselves) in marriage. And I had a great time. Weddings have not always been something that I particularly enjoyed. But lately, especially when I am good friends with those getting married, I really enjoy weddings.

I think one of the main reasons is that there has been more emphasis on the celebration than the ceremony, which is the way I think it should be. Now I believe that marriage is a very sacred thing that should be taken very seriously. And assuming it doesn’t drag on forever I really enjoy a lot of the traditions that we have regarding the marriage ceremony, and would never want to get rid of it or diminish its importance and value. But I love that with the last several weddings I have been a part of, the whole weekend has just felt like one big party.

Another reason I have come to enjoy weddings lately is that people have felt the freedom to be creative with the music that they use during the ceremony. Hearing the music that people choose to have everyone in the wedding party walk down to or what they pick as their first dance has become one of my favorite parts of the wedding. And since Eric and Ashley did such a great job of picking music for all of these things I thought that it would make a great playlist worth posting for my faithful readers.

Devotchka - The Winner Is (Grandparents)

Coldplay - Life In Technicolor (Bridesmaids)

Ray Lamontagne - Shelter (Bride)

David Gray - The One I Love (Mr. and Mrs.)

Ray Lamontagne - You Are the Best Thing (First Dance)

Song of the Day - Leona Naess

Nathan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:07:41 +0000

I first mentioned Leona back in June in regards to her contribution to the great new LaMontagne release. I knew that if she was being asked to sing with Ray that she had to be good. But I had no idea that she was this good. She has such a sweet and warm sound, but it’s can be so catchy and fun at the same time. Let Leona be a little pick me up, but for the sake of us guys, ladies don’t listen to closely to what she’s saying.

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Leona Naess - Leave Your Boyfriends

Waterdeep is Back!

Nathan — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:07:09 +0000

Easily one of the greatest christian artists of all time, the husband and wife duo of Don and Lori Chaffer are making music together again. Praise the Lord!

But apparently this is old news. I just discovered that not only is Waterdeep coming out with a new album later this year called Pink & Blue, but that they released an acoustic album last summer called Heart Attack Time Machine. This is fantastic news, but so dissappointing at the same time to find out that I have been missing out for so long. According to Chaffer, Heart Attack Time Machine, their first album since ‘99 that wasn’t live or a worship album, is their “just-us-two-in-our-basement-with-acoustic-instruments album.” And then Pink & Blue is going to be more of a “let’s-have-a-party-and-whoop-it-up” kind of album. I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on both of these albums. So I realize that many of you may have never even heard of these guys. So today I give you a great example of why I get so excited about this incredibly talented couple. Here is the title track off of their 1999 album, Everyone’s Beautiful. Just put this song on repeat and let it sink in for a little while. Trust me, it will blow you away.

Waterdeep - Everyone’s Beautiful

Song of the Day - Passion Pit

Nathan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:08:07 +0000

I can’t even begin to describe to you the music of Passion Pit. It is just something you have to experience. All I know is that I cannot stop listening to these guys. This Boston based pop group started as nothing more than an ambitious Valentine’s gift for lead singer Michael Angelakos’ girlfriend. But you’ll soon see why it quickly developed into a full-fledged band with an EP and plenty of live performance opportunities, including the chance to open for Death Cab For Cutie. They were picked up by the Frenchkiss label which gave us their first official release with the Chunk of Change EP coming out earlier this year. And they are in the process of working on a full-length to be released sometime in ‘09, so the rumor goes. So open your ears and open your mind, because this is going to be a fun ride. Whatever you do just please give this song a full listen. Cause I am pretty sure that if you make it to the end you will really enjoy the strange but beautiful things that he does with the his voice and the keys and even the rhythm.

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead

Song of the Day: Joshua Radin

Nathan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:07:21 +0000

So does everyone remember a couple years ago when Zach Braff introduced us to the oh so talented Joshua Radin via the stellar soundtrack he handpicked for The Last Kiss. Well for those of you who didn’t listen the first time that Braff tried to convince you this guy was legit (probably because you never saw the movie), then maybe you’ll listen this time. The old college buddies have teamed up again, this time Radin is on the screen and Braff is directing the new video for the first single off of his sophomore album Simple Times.

And simple times is where we are taken, as Braff pulls out the old super 8 camera and takes us on a little road trip. For those of us whose lives have grown more and more complicated and messy as our relationships develop and we gain responsibilities and we enevitably screw things up, this video makes us long for simpler times. And for three minutes it takes us there. I encourage you guys to be inspired by this simple but gorgeous video and throw away some of the distractions that are preventing you from experiencing those simple times. Put everything aside and just take a road trip, or go on a second honeymoon. Do whatever it takes. But if nothing else play this fantastic song on repeat and allow yourself to day dream for a little while.

Joshua Radin - I’d Rather Be With You

Be sure to catch Radin’s performance on Conan tonight…it’s sure to make your ears bleed.

Q-Tip - The Renaissance

Brady — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:55:11 +0000

The master of minimalist hip-hop is back, still spitting fire after nearly a decade of record label exile. Q-Tip’s second official solo release (his last two records were axed by unsatisfied label bigwigs), The Renaissance, finds the industry veteran flowing and crooning atop restrained R&B compositions, a modern twist on A Tribe Called Quest’s jazzy grooves. Lead single “Gettin’ Up,” which has been in circulation for a few months now, embodies everything the record stands for, from its serene piano line to its decidedly romantic lyricism.

If The Renaissance is anything, it’s a love record. “Man and women get down,” the Abstract Poetic commands on the pulsing, disco-inflected “ManWomanBoogie”. Witness Q-Tip duet with Norah Jones (uh, what?) aside a charming stand-up bass on “Life Is Better”. But the talented MC never submits to idealism; “WeFight/WeLove,” a pause in the album’s incredible pacing, sees Q-Tip weighing the bliss of true love against loss of personal identity. Clarity in audio format.

The Renaissance somehow straddles nostalgia and innovation. For every old school splash of a cappella (”Dance on Glass,” “Johnny Is Dead”) comes the snap, crackle, pop of a drum machine or squawking synth. Stylistic flourishes aside, Q-Tip is still producing the most refreshing hip-hop in the genre. He’s still the same musical genius he was 20 years ago, and he probably always will be.

Q-Tip - Life Is Better (feat. Norah Jones)

RW: Woman

Cody — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:15:47 +0000

So we’re back to normal now. And to get things started off right, I wanted to pick something amazing. So, to thrust us back to normal, I’m picking an older song that I just recently discovered a remix of.

The song?

WOMAN by Wolfmother. That’s right, the guitar hero classic.

Wolfmother - Woman (MSTRKRFT Remix)

Well this remix is compliments of one of my favorite remix groups, MSTRKRFT. And just like I said a month ago with The Stills, this song retains most of it’s rock elemants and doesn’t come out sounding like a piece of techno.

Well with that said, I’m glad to finally be back away from a month of Avalanches, (whom I adore) as well as an extensive election season.

I hope you’re ears have a wonderful day!

Jars of Clay - Closer EP

Nathan — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:16:26 +0000

Jars of Clay is one of the few Christian rock bands from my childhood that have continued to make new and original music with each album. Not only that but they are doing it well in my opinion. While I still can’t say that they have made anything as good as their debut album, at least they are consistently striving to do so, and fortunately for us they are allowing their musical style to develop and evolve as they get older. They just came out with a new EP a couple of months ago that is a great example of what I am talking about. With the title track they push even take us even farther away from their acoustic beginnings with a fun and very melodic synthesizer driven pop song, that is better than anything I’ve heard in a while from these guys. Also along with two other new tracks, they also did new versions of two of the better tracks off of their first album. While I found them interesting, I doubt I’ll ever choose to listen to either of them over the original again. But keep an eye on these guys. I don’t think that we’ve heard the best from them yet.

Jars of Clay - Closer

Song of the Day: Okkervil River

Nathan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:06:48 +0000

I am slowly becoming obsessed with this band, and in particular this fantastic song. I love artists who consider their voice as one of their most valuable instruments and treat it as such in the song. Yeah the song has great lyrics, but I am glad that they are willing to use their voices for more than just delivering the words that they’ve written. It warms my heart the Sheff just spends about the last minute and a half of the song just sing “la la la.” I absolutely love it. And then the other guy singing in the song has such an awesome voice, that reminds me a lot of jens lekman. If anyone knows who it is I’d love to know. I also love the poppy and addictive Motown bassline that’s straight out of the 60’s. But that’s not to say that the music isn’t innovative and new. The music they are making is definitely original and unique. They are just doing an incredible job of taking bits and pieces from the artists that have influenced them and making it their own. For those of you who haven’t yet heard this song, I must warn you: you will get addicted. Today I don’t hope…I know.

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines

RW: October Avalanche - Remixes

Cody — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:36:23 +0000

Well, we’ve done it. We went an entire month on The Avalanches. So to finish it all up, we’re going to put the icing on the cake with two remixes that The Avalanches have their signature sound on.

First up, Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining (The Avalanches Good Word For The Weekend Remix).

This song actually sounds like a missing track from Since I Left You. It’s so beautifully done, I’d really never know the difference. What makes this so much different from an Avalanches original track is that their signature style is only applied to the background of the song, and not onto the vocals at all. A beautiful listen, and one that is perfectly blissful, and perfect for relaxing.

A huge change of pace now, Belle & Sebastian - I’m A Cuckoo (Avalanches Remix).

This is completely different, almost so well done that you’d think they were playing along live with the tribal music. Doesn’t have any retro throwback sounds to it, but is still amazing, and it inspires that same sense of hope and wonder that I’ve come to expect from any Avalanche song.

*~*

Well thats it! We resume regular programming next week with some more great remixes. Tell us what you thought of this series in the comments, we’re anxious to see what you thought, and if we should do it again.

All in all, have a safe halloween.
And please don’t let yourself get stuck in an avalanche.

Unless it’s an avalanche of awesome music.

This Week’s Noteworthy Releases: Ryan Adams

Nathan — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:07:21 +0000

Music

Ryan Adams - Cardinology

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Fix It

I absolutely love this guy. I think that he is one of the greatest songwriters of our time. And he is doing it at such a record pace. He has had at least, one full-length release a year since 2000. And there isn’t a one that I don’t like. And that includes my first listen of Cardinology. If you were a fan of Easy Tiger I think that you will find this one easy to enjoy. But don’t take that to mean that this one is “a lot of the same.” It’s a solid album from an artist who continues to mature and surround himself with great musicians as the years go by.

Jon Foreman - Limbs & Branches

Jon Foreman - The Cure For Pain

Our good buddy Jon Foreman, frontman of the Christian rock outfit Switchfoot, has been a busy guy the past several years. Switchfoot released two albums back to back, Nothing Is Sound in ‘05 and Oh! Gravity in ‘06, both of which I was greatly disappointed in. Then as Jon Foreman he released four seasonal EPs in ‘07 and ‘08- Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. And then tomorrow he gives us a sort of best of collection taken from those EPs. And in case you never listened to them and since we regrettably have not mentioned them on here, they are fantastic. His writing is back up to par, comparable to some of the writing he did with Legend of Chin or Learning to Breathe, both of which are must haves for any one who has ever even thought about liking Switchfoot.

Film

Quantum of Solace

Since there wasn’t much worth talking about with movie releases this week I thought I would take an early start at getting you excited about the new Bond movie. Quantum of Solace is coming out this weekend in the UK and then in two weeks here in the U.S. I was a huge fan of Casino Royale, I think that the series definitely is on an upswing. Let’s see if they can pull it off again. This preview definitely makes me believe they will.

I hope you head for the hills.

Song of the Day: Wild Sweet Orange

Nathan — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:30:47 +0000

Here is a great track off of the debut album from Wild Sweet Orange. I haven’t heard much from these indie rocksters from Birmingham, AL. But I fell in love with this track and have heard nothing but good things about their full-length debut from Canvasback Records. So listen to this great track and go check out their cd. Maybe some day I’ll have the time to do so myself.

Wild Sweet Orange - 10 Dead Dogs

RW: October Avalanche - At Last Alone

Cody — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:12:10 +0000

Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Remix Wednesday. I wanted yesterday to be special all by itself.

So last month before I’d even started thinking about doing this October Avalanche series, I posted a remix of “Since I Left You” (link). This is what inspired me to do this entire series.

So here we are, talking about the final EP the band put out, At Last Alone. Nine tracks, 5 remixes, 4 rare/unreleased.

I’m only going to highlight my favorites today, but true fans will want the entire EP.

2.A Different Feeling (Ernest St. Laurent Remix)
A much softer version, of the song. This is my favorite way to enjoy this song, and it’s more polished feel comes across nicely, in a way that does not seem to betray the original.

4. Electricity (Dr. Rockit’s Dirty Kiss)
My favorite remix of Electricity, it reimagines the song in an entirely different way. The remix brings new light to some of the more obtuse sounds hidden in the song, as well as introducing some really cool new sounds. I prefer the original version, but this one is really cool to listen to also.

5. Thank You Caroline (Andy Votel Remix)
Thank You Caroline is one of the rarer tracks by the Avalanches, (anyone missing the original version can email me) but all the while still one of the best. Thank You Caroline is an original piece of music by The Avalanches, and it blows my mind in it’s simplicity. This remix pays excellent tribute to the late great song, until about halfway where it starts to do it’s own thing.

*~*

Only one week left! I’ll be going over some stuff where The Avalanches did remixes for other bands. It’s going to be great, so come back next week on our usual time (Wednesday).

Until then, don’t get caught in an Avalanche.

100th Post: Thank You Umbrellas!

Nathan — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:07:05 +0000

100 posts. I can hardly believe it. I guess you could say we’re pretty legit now. Maybe? Well, I really didn’t think that I would last this long, or that I would have this much success. So first of all I would like to thank all of you loyal readers. Without you guys this would just be me rambling to myself for no reason about music I already know about. So thank you for your support and encouragement. It is my desire that for the next 100 hundred posts that we would provide a place for you to come and discover new music that doesn’t suck and that is helping make this world a better place. So in my effort to do just that and my desire to honor a band that is not only one of the many inspirations for writing this each week, but the band that gave us our name. So it is with my pleasure to introduce to you….Umbrellas.

I first discovered this band right before the release of their self-titled debut off of their record label The Militia Group in the summer of 2005. From the moment I first heard the piano intro to the opening track, ‘ The City Lights’, I knew that I was going to fall in love with this band. Scott Windsor has created the perfect blend of pop music: between his soft and airy voice, the catchy melodies flowing from the piano, smooth guitar riffs, tight drum beats, and then throw in a little hint of depeche mode-like electronica. It is like heaven in my ears. And I haven’t even mentioned his phenomenal lyrics. Some say he’s pretentious. I say he’s brilliant. There were many moments during my first experience with this album that literally gave me goose-bumps. The first one was through the entirety of the aformentioned opener. It can still do it to me almost three years later. It is an absolutely fantastic song.

Umbrellas - The City Lights

And then the second moment came in the song that brought us to where we are today, ‘Ghost’. This song builds to an incredible chorus where Windsor just belts out such a gorgeous refrain that contains the words from which we got our name. It’s hard to not get goose-bumps just thinking about that first listen. But it isn’t just the chorus that gets me. I love every word to this song, and I hope that you will come to appreciate it as much as I do. And I hope that hearing this song will also give you a greater love for our site and the history behind it.

Umbrellas - Ghost

Ghost

I don’t know what I’m doing or where I’m going.

When I get there and I sort things out,

I hope that I do it well.

It’s the excitement, the anxiety, then the let down.

It’s the vivid dreams that fall away from our memory.

I won’t be your sorrow anymore,

or that crutch that validates those pictures inside your head.

When you hear this song I hope your ears bleed.

‘Cause it’s in this song that I hear you.

When you hear this song I hope you head for the hills.

It’s there that you’ll find me and you’ll lose me.

‘Cause it’s there that you’ll be beautiful.

Simply gorgeous. Well I’m not going to even touch on their sophomore release today. But I’m sure you’ll read about it here at some time in the future. Until then…I hope your ears bleed.

Song of the Day: Feist

Nathan — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:30:11 +0000

Here is a great live performance from Feist and her boy toy Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene. This song was recorded live last year on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. This song is completely unreleased as far as I know. These two sound great together, which I’m sure you will agree. It’s great little tune, with very sweet lyrics. Hope you enjoy it.

Feist - Safety Brakes (ft. Kevin Drew)

ED-Correction: This song has in fact been released. It can be found on Drew’s soloish album, Spirit IF…. I add the “ish” because a good majority of BSS were involved in the project, and the actual album cover reads: “Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew”.

MVW: Efterklang

Justin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:46:53 +0000

I cannot get enough Efterklang, a band from Copenhagen, Denmark. I like to refer to them as Sigur Ros’ way more eccentric (and as a result strangely more attractive) sibling. I don’t know about their popularity over in the Nether-regions, but based on their upcoming tour it seems they are making some headway in the States. I plan to go see them when they hit up Hotlanta in May, and if their videos are any indication of what their live show will present I am pretty excited to see them. And since they have quite a few video’s out (their songs just beg to have images accompaning them; heck, I am even working on a video featuring their song “Mimeo”) I thought to myself, “Why limit today’s post to just one music video?” So I am going to do something crazy and offer up three. I know, it is a special day.

Efterklang - Swarming

Efterklang - Caravan

Efterklang - Cutting Ice to Snow

It should also be mentioned that the last video is not technically a music video, but rather clips from the documentary “In A Dream” by Jeremiah Zagar. I felt it was too beautiful a song and video to exclude based on a technicality.

I hope your eyes (and ears) bleed.

This Week’s Noteworthy Releases: Of Montreal

Nathan — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:07:27 +0000

Music

Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping

Of Montreal - Id Engager

I haven’t gotten the chance to hear this whole thing, but what I’ve heard I really enjoyed. And that is coming from someone who hasn’t been much of fan in the past. Obviously I enjoyed such great tracks as ‘Wraith Pinned to the Mist’ or ‘Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse’. But I think I might have to go out and pick up this album.

Parts & Labor - Receivers

If you have been keeping up with the blog, you will know that I just recently discovered this band and that my knowledge of their existence doesn’t extend beyond a single track that I posted off of this week’s release. But that track was good enough to earn this album a spot in this feature.

Brett Dennen - Hope For the Hopeless

Brett Dennen - Make You Crazy (ft. Femi Kuti)

I have been impressed with this young fellow from the beginning. He has an incredible voice and seems to have a great heart as well. He has been doing a lot lately use his influence to help those less fortunate than him. And fortunately for us, he’s been doing it while making great music at the same time. Go out and buy this guy’s album. Ain’t no reason you shouldn’t go out and buy this album.

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns

I absolutely loved Final Straw when it first came out, in fact I still love it. Although it was way over commercialized, I still was able to enjoy Eyes Open. But if their first single, ‘Take Back the City’ is any indication of the way their new release is going to go, I don’t think I should even bother. The song was just tailor made for pop radio and has no substance to it whatsoever. Just another anthem pop song for junior high boys and girls to sing along pump their fists to. I hate to see great potential like that go sour. Here’s to hoping I’m wrong.

Film

Pride and Glory

Edward Norton is the man. He is easily one of the best actors of our time. The story for this one doesn’t look too promising, but I will go simply to see Norton’s performance. Boy has this been a sorry year for film. It seems like I’m just gonna have to wait for Christopher Nolan to give us another addition to his incredible Batman series.

Thanks for reading. Hope your ears and eyes bleed this week.

Wilco Covers Big Star

Nathan — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:10:00 +0000

I have no idea who Big Star is. But I just recently found this fantastic cover of one of their songs done by Wilco. I can’t really give an opinion on which is better since I’ve only heard the cover, but I am so enamored by the cover that I don’t really have a desire to hear the original. I can’t imagine it being any better than this. But I guess it’s only fair that I give them some credit for writing a great song. Who knows maybe I’ll be writing a whole piece on this mysterious Big Star soon. But until then, enjoy this great cover, by the great people formally known as Wilco.

Wilco - Thirteen

I Wish I Lived in Virginia

Nathan — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:08:36 +0000

On October 26th, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will be putting on a benefit concert in Richmond, VA to urge Virginians to vote for “the change our country needs,” in other words Barack Obama. The show will be free and open to all Virginia residents and students. Tickets are required but will be given 2 at a time on a first-come first-served basis. So if you are any sort of Virginian I urge you to hurry and go get your tickets, this is not a show you will want to miss.

Although I have been greatly disappointed by anything Matthews has done in the past decade, he still put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. And Live at Luther College w/ Tim Reynolds is one of the best live albums I’ve ever heard. It is just Matthews and his acoustic guitar. He is supported not by his infamous band that help him create the jam band sound that he is famous for, but only his friend and fabulous session guitarist, Tim Reynolds. Together they create, in my humble opinion, one of the best acoustic sounds to be found. I am sure that most of my readers will be annoyed by this post and will be tempted to just ignore it. But please listen to these rare and fantastic acoustic versions of the songs that made us fall in love with Dave. Let them take you back to the mid-90’s when there was still just a tiny glimmer of good music on the radio.

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - One Sweet World

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - #41

Song of the Day - P.O.S.

Nathan — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:07:17 +0000

I can’t find anything about this band. I received this song from a song of the day podcast out of Minnesota. As my readers probably know. It isn’t often that rap or hip-hop catches my attention. But this song had a beat that sucked me in. And for once I wasn’t completely turned off when I started listening to the lyrics. As you can imagine, with a name like that, my google search proved fruitless. So if any of you know anything about these guys please help me out. I would love to hear more from them, as I’m sure you will agree once you take a listen.

P.O.S. - I Made It From Scratch

RW: October Avalanche - Since I Left You (Part 2)

Cody — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:48:12 +0000

Last week I wrote about the debut album from The Avalanches, “Since I Left You”.

This post is just a continuation of where I stopped. So it’s going to feel shorter. So to make up for it, I’m doing 4 songs instead of three.

On a personal note, my Vinyl copy of this album arrived last week. It has a different version of “Frontier Psychiatrist”. Trust me, the version I’ll be uploading is the superior version. If anyone is truly interested, I can record the vinyl to get that different version. (email: demands [at] codybrom.com)

10. Electricity
This is one of the best tracks of the album right here. It’s so perfectly elegant. It rolls up multiple styles in one big burrito of musical love. The sounds are so different that this song just feels out of place compared to other tracks on the album. The sounds are perfect and the flow is great. Definitely a great candidate for any great study-rock playlist.

13. Frontier Psychiatrist
Great song, or Greatest song? Opening with some crazy lines from a film, the drums immediately kick in setting a nice beat behind a very dramatic setting. The haunting choir and horns suck you in instantly. The comedy styling of Wayne & Shuster get turned into a chilling vocalization of a nightmare visit to the psychiatrist. Most of the song makes zero sense, but the sound of it all is breathtaking. At the halfway point, the drums with the delay effects sound brilliant, and then we return to the lyrics. “Ranagazoo let’s have a tune!”. The end is quite odd, “some birds are funny when they talk”. This is my favorite song on the album and embodies everything The Avalanches are.

16. Little Journey
This really is just a warm-up track, but it’s nice and sweet and enjoyable, and sets up one of the best songs on the album.

17. Live At Dominoes
Second to last track, and it’s a wonderful infusion of retro sound and electronic. I especially enjoy the end when things begin to shift more to a sound full of strings. This is just a wonderful mash of samples and is a fun little romp.

There it is. A wonderful album. If you want it? GO BUY IT! It’s worth every penny. Maybe even a few more than that. I bought my vinyl copy from Tower.com, but they also sell that album as a compact disc.

Alright friends, just two weeks left. Next week is a really cool EP, “At Last Alone”. Be sure to tune in, pretty much all those mp3’s are impossible to find.

Enjoy the sweet avalanche. Ω

Song of the Day: Uzi and Ari

Nathan — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:07:18 +0000

Here’s another band that I’m completely unfamiliar with that managed to get one of their songs floating around in my Itunes library. This song has got a great sound with some Thom Yorkesque vocals. And it ends with a very simple but gorgeous horn arrangement that really brings the song together. Your ears are sure to bleed.

Uzi and Ari - Wolf Eggs

MVW: Greg Laswell “How the Day Sounds”

Justin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:07:05 +0000

First thing I want to say about this video: for a guy that once played a hobbit, Elijah Wood sure is funny.

Second thing: I cannot get enough of the opening shot in this video. Its not all that original, but it just sets the tone and feel of the video so effectively.

Finally: Does anyone know who that 3rd fellow is? I am too lazy to do the research…

Greg Laswell - How the Day Sounds

Ears=bleeding.