I Hope Your Ears Bleed

Ray Lamontagne Announces New Album

Nathan — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:51:13 +0000

Next month Ray Lamontagne will release his 4th studio album. This time he seems armed with more than just his guitar and that raspy yet endearing voice of his. On August 17th, Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs will release God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise. Ray seems to have taken a new approach with this record. It appears that he wanted his backing band to have more of their fingerprints on the album. Not only is this his first record without his long-time collaborator/producer Ethan Johns, but he didn’t let his backing band (the Pariah Dogs who are listed on the album cover for the first time) hear the new songs until they day that they cut them.

I have to admit I was slightly disappointed with LaMontagne’s last effort, Gossip in the Grain, but I believe that we have yet to hear the best that this timeless troubadour has to offer. Ray recently told Rolling Stone that “I want to write music that will out live me. And I haven’t done it yet.” While I would disagree with that statement, I love to hear that he isn’t satisfied with what he’s given so far and it makes me all the more excited to hear not just this new record but the many that will assuredly follow.

New Avett Brothers Video “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise”

Nathan — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:20:45 +0000

The Avett Brothers have a recently released a video for their latest single off of their highly lauded and critically acclaimed album, I and Love and You, which came out last year and made my Top Ten of 2009 list, as well as Paste Magazine’s Top 50 Albums of the Decade (As much as I love this album, I don’t know how it beat out Emotionalism to make this list). The new video is for “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” one of my favorite tracks off of the new record. The animated video uses the illustrations of Jason Ryan Mitcham to depict the inevitable rise and fall of urban development, which Scott Avett says is right on par with the song’s message (Paste). It’s an excellent video for a great song off of a fantastic album. If you still aren’t on The Avett Brothers’ bandwagon, you really should hop on.

Where is Cut Copy going, and will they take us with them?

Cody — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:07:40 +0000

Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine

Nathan — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:12:35 +0000

An all-star collection of artists have collaborated to pay tribute to the great folk troubadour John Prine. The project titled, Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, was released earlier this week (June 22) on Prine’s very own Oh Boy Records. The album includes many of the current “monsters of folk,” with Conor Oberst and Jim James’ My Morning Jacket, along with several other indie-folk staples, like Justin Vernon, The Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter and many more. I have yet to hear the record but it is already receiving much love from the blogosphere and the greater indie community. Looks like a fun little adventure for Prine and folk enthusiasts. Be on the look out for Prine himself as he will be on tour this summer in support of his own recent release, In Person and On State.

Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows Tracklist

1. Justin Vernon of Bon Iver – Bruised Orange (Chain Of Sorrow)

2. Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band – Wedding Day In Funeralville

3. My Morning Jacket – All The Best

4. Josh Ritter – Mexican Home

5. Lambchop – Six O’Clock News

6. Justin Townes Earle – Far From Me

7. The Avett Brothers – Spanish Pipedream

8. Old Crow Medicine Show – Angel From Montgomery

9. Sara Watkins – The Late John Garfield Blues

10. Drive-By Truckers – Daddy’s Little Pumpkin

11. Deer Tick featuring Liz Isenberg – Unwed Fathers

12. Those Darlins – Let’s Talk Dirty In Hawaiian

Mates of State Cover Album

Nathan — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:26:01 +0000

There seems to be a trend of cover/tribute albums this year. The latest that has come to my attention is the new covers project by Mates of State called Crushes. The record was released last week and includes the duo’s unique take on many different artists, such as Belle & Sebastian, Fleetwood Mac, & Death Cab For Cutie.

The Connecticut based duo have apparently been “talking about doing a covers record for a long time.” I am personally glad that all the talking paid off and that this album has finally come to fruition. The few tracks that I have heard so far are very different from the original, but they stay within Mates of State’s unique indie-pop style. I am very excited to hear the rest of the record.

Lissie Covers Kid Cudi

Nathan — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 04:25:17 +0000

Back in April I introduced you all to a new singer/songwriter called Lissie, via her captivating cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” Well she is back again, this time with a stellar version of hip-hop artist Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” I am tempted to once again declare Lissie’s cover the better version of the song. I’m not convinced yet though. For those of you interested in hearing more from Lissie, you will be happy to know that her full-length debut, Catching A Tiger, is coming out later this summer. More on the new album in the weeks to come. For not enjoy this great reinvention of one of the catchiest rap songs of last year.

Interview with Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt

Nathan — Mon, 31 May 2010 17:36:38 +0000

We at IHYEB recently had the chance to do a little web interview with Neil Fridd, the frontman of Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. This is what he had to say:

IHYEB: What artists have been your biggest influences over the years?

Fridd: Jason Anderson, The Knife, Xiu Xiu, and more recently, Mississippi Records Tape Series Volume 15: “I Learned it All the Hard Way”

IHYEB: If you had to sum up your reason or purpose for making music, what would it be?

Fridd: How many people do you know who don’t like some kind of music? I can think of one dude I know who doesn’t like music and he’s tone deaf. It’s the grand unifier! The universal language whatever majig! How rad is it that making that can be your job?! That there’s some dude I’ve never met in japan who’s fucking bobbing his head to “Snowday!” That fucking rules!!! That’s the best job ever! It’s validation, that all these things I think and feel and think are important enough to put into song are felt by other people, and that they agree with them to the degree that they would come ot our shows and sing them with me, it’s reassuring, maybe I’m doing okay here…

IHYEB: What do you think of involving politics in music?

Fridd: For it. Have you heard the song “Thoughts Thinking About Themselves Under a Projector Witha Cracked Mirror and an Unfocused Lense” by Phlegm?

IHYEB: When writing a song, how much do you base what you write on how it will present in a performance?

Fridd: At first it was not at all. I’m writing our second album now, and I guess there’s a bit more of a conscious “oh yeah, this will be fun to chant with a bunch of sweaty kids!”

IHYEB: Do you dig Stevie Wonder?

Fridd: Dude, Sir Duke is my jam!!! It’s interesting that you bring him up…I was blasting that in the car last night and woke up this afternoon thinking that I’d really like to have him play my wedding…Steview Wonder and Jens Lekman seem like the best wedding bands…

IHYEB: Which comes first in terms of song writing: drums, lyrics or chord progression?

Fridd: Totally depends. Usually it’s some lyrics and scraps of melody that I keep singing over and over until it’s more fleshed out and then I find the chords under them. But that’s only about 50% of the time I’d say. Sometimes I come up with a rocking drum beat or killer bass line first. Depends…

IHYEB: I get the feeling that a lot of musicians have forgotten that music is supposed to be fun. Do you feel that is a revolution you are trying to start or just something that is innate?

Fridd: I would accept “a revolution that we’re a part of” but claiming to be the founding fathers of it seems ridiculously arrogant and ignorant. It was definitely a reactionary creation, a response to going to way to many fucking boring concerts at the Bowery Ballroom. I remember thinking it was such a treat when i went to a show there where people actually went nuts (the only one I can remember is an Akron/Family concert like 4 years ago. It was epic…) I wanted to make a band where that got to happen every time. It was a conscious decision but also something innate: It was what felt right, deep down somewhere in my chest.

IHYEB: The name. It’s terrible. Why?

Fridd: I was in high school. Get over it. U2, The Black Eyed Peas, Radiohead, are these good band names? No. Once a bunch of people like your music it doesn’t matter. The only good band name I know is Nero’s Day in Disneyland, and it’s taken.

Band of Horses Opens Infinite Possibilities

Sam — Sun, 30 May 2010 02:11:14 +0000

After nearly two and a half years in the making, Infinite Arms reveals some noticeable advances in Band of Horses’ already expanding creativity. Appropriately, the five-piece group took this creativity and ran in new directions. Just before the release of their last album Cease to Begin, the band relocated from Seattle to lead singer Ben Bridwell’s native South Carolina; and this new physical direction inevitably brought about new musical directions. Band of Horses has abandoned their catchy indie folk roots for a more wholesome Dixie drawl. Their third album carries a brooding – almost homely – feel to it. Written by Bridwell in a cabin in the Minnesota wilderness, the dozen songs making up Infinite Arms fluctuate between nagging sadness and giddy hopefulness.

A look at perhaps the worst track of the album, “Evening Kitchen,” ironically displays just how far this band has come. The song is at best heartfelt and at worst just mediocre, not necessarily skippable though; this speaks volumes of how much effort Band of Horses has thrown into this one release. The songs with the most country influence include “Factory,” “Older,” and “Neighbor.” The Southern undertones strangely seem to add to the songs’ quality instead of taking away from it. Clear splits from the widespread melancholy are “Dilly” and “NW Apt.” These tracks keenly echo the group’s alt-rock origins, forming distinctly optimistic breaks. One song sticks out for odd reasons; it is a bit difficult to take “Blue Beard” seriously when the polyphonic breakdown sounds too much like the hilarious Anchorman rendition of “Afternoon Delight”. The all-important best song though is a tossup between the first single, “Compliments,” and the title track, “Infinite Arms.” Although the former is catchier and better written, the layering techniques and genuine nature noises throughout the latter show telltale signs of higher production skills and focus.

Formerly insulted as “Fleet Foxes plus reverb,” Band of Horses can now claim a truly unique sound. Any listener can hear in this new sound a heightened love for nature. These five men are no tree huggers, but with their move to the South came a deep harmony with all things outdoors. The fact that the band assigned a separate Chris Wilson nature photograph and hand-drawn illustration for every single song exhibits their fresh attention toward image and detail. With focus and natural talent comes amazing results. Although not infinite, Band of Horses’ abilities will take them far.

New Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros Video

Nathan — Thu, 20 May 2010 10:15:16 +0000

One of my favorite songs of 2009 finally got a video created for it. This is what the band had to say about this long-awaited video: “This video for ‘Home’ is a collection of some of our favorite memories over the past few years. We hope it feels like Home wherever you are watching this.” The video definitely does just that. It is very warm and inviting. I absolutely adore this song from beginning to end. The line in the chorus, “home is when I’m alone with you,” might be a little cliche, but it’s such a nice and very true sentiment. Last weekend I had the house to myself, for my wife was on a short little vacation to Maine with one of her best friends, and it’s not that I was miserable, I just wasn’t very comfortable. It didn’t feel like “home” without her here. Sounds sappy, I know. But it’s a fun and catchy song, and a now we have a great video to accompany it.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros “Home” from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.

Austin City Limits Announces 2010 Line-up

Nathan — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:30:11 +0000

The line-up for this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival has finally been an announced. I’m not gonna lie, I am a little disappointed. They have still managed to garner a big list of artists that I would love to see, I am pretty underwhelmed by the choice of headliners. While I have respect for the Eagles and can appreciate their past contributions to the music world, they are not the kind of band that I want to camp out in front of their stage in anticipation all weekend. In fact, if I am able to attend the festival this year, I will probably leave before their set so I can get back in time to save a vacation day from work. The Flaming Lips, The Strokes and Phish were all decent choices. I don’t love either of those groups albums, but I think their performances will be a ton of fun for all in attendance. While the other two (Muse & M.I.A.) definitely deserve an invite, I think they were pretty poor choices as headliners for festival of this caliber. While it doesn’t match up to Bonnaroo’s stellar line-up, it is still a pretty great one overall, and well worth the trip if you are able to get your hands on a weekend pass (which I believe are already sold out).

Here is a look at the rest of this year’s line-up.

ACL Music Festival 2010 Line-up

The Eagles
Muse
Phish
The Strokes
M.I.A.
Flaming Lips
LCD Soundsystem
Spoon
Vampire Weekend
Norah Jones
Band of Horses
Monsters of Folk
Deadmau5
Sonic Youth
Gogol Bordello
The National
Robert Earl Keen
The Black Keys
Broken Bells
Slightly Stoopid
Yeasayer
Pat Green
Rebelution
Beach House
The Sword
Matt and Kim
The XX
Portugal. The Man
The Temper Trap
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Girls
Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses
Local Natives
Gaslight Anthem
Lucero
Devendra Banhart
Blues Traveler
The Soft Pack
Gayngs
Amos Lee
Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Ozomatli
Richard Thompson
Martin Sexton
Manchester Orchestra
The Almighty Defenders
Miike Snow
Mountain Goats
Bear In Heaven
Mayer Hawthorne
Midlake
Foals
Switchfoot
Cage The Elephant
JJ Grey & Mofro
Kinky
Angus & Julia Stone
The Morning Benders
Hockey
White Rabbits
David Bazan
Asleep at the Wheel
Trombone Shorty & Orleans
Avenue
Nortec Collective
The Very Best
Beats Antique
Blind Pilot
GIVERS
Dawes
Band of Heathens
Charlie Mars
Two Door Cinema Club
Lissie
Sarah Harmer
Constellations
T. Bird and the Breaks
Chief
Frank Turner
Those Darlins
Carolyn Wonderland
Kings Go Forth
The Relatives
The Ettes
Qbeta
Mynamisjohnmichael
Basia Bulat
Balmorhea
Dan Black
The Jane Shermans
The Kicks
Ponderosa
Two Tons of Steel
Caitlin Rose
SPEAK
Run With Bulls
Maxim Ludwig
Gospel Stars
Heavenly Voices
Wesley Bray & The Disciples of
Joy
Jones Family Singers
Ashley Cleveland & Kenny
Greenberg
Buddy & The Straight Way
Travelers
Ruby Jane Smith
Verve Pipe
Frances England
Jellydots
Elizabeth Mitchell
Okee Dokee Brothers
Tom Freund
School of Rock
Q Brothers

What are your thoughts? Is this line-up up to par, compared to years past?

New Pete Francis Record and Video

Nathan — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:08:12 +0000

If it weren’t for Dispatch, I don’t know if my love for music would be what it is today. And it is hard to say whether or not this site would even exist if it weren’t for that first great Napster discovery. So it is hard for me to ignore anything that those guys are doing, even if their solo efforts will never amount to the greatness of their communal effort.

Which brings us to old Pete Heimbold, who has been recording under the moniker Pete Francis for the past several years. Francis has a new record that comes out today called The Movie We Are In. While he may have sung lead on many of my favorite Dispatch songs, I always felt that he was the weakest member of the trio. And I think that is becoming more apparent as I follow each of their post-Dispatch musical careers. But what I have heard of The Movie has a better sound than anything I’ve heard from him so far. It has more of an uplifting jam band groove to it than his previous solo efforts, which I feel suits him much better.

Inevitably though, I am sure that this album will simply serve as a sad reminder that Dispatch no longer exists and that I’ll probably never get that final concert or album that I so desperately desire.

Ain’t Nothin’ for Free (5.11)

Brad — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:07:52 +0000

So there wasn’t too much else this week other than iTunes, so I’m going to get right into it:

iTunes:

Single of the Week: “Catch Me If You Can” – Outasight (3.8) This is the kind of instrumental hip-hop I like. Lot’s of brass, an actual bass instead of a beat, and a little bit of that Motown style I love. I’ll give this song a nod.

Discovery Download: “Wells” – The Expendables (3.2) It reminds me of a fuller band version of Dispatch’s, with some nice jazz guitar, and a sort of Sugar Ray “rap” in the middle too. Not the strongest vocals, but a decent song.

Video of the Week: “Opposite of Adults” – Chiddy Bang (4.0) You know the video that Nathan wrote about a little bit back that he saw on Carson Daily’s filler between car commercials? Well, here it is for free! Nice, right? Creative remix of “Kids” by MGMT. “Somebody tell Roth that I don’t love college…”

Canción de la Semana: “Colores Colores Colores” – Furland (2.0) It sounds like a bad Waking Ashland song in Spanish, pretty flat.

And there you have it.

Bleed on!

Steel Train Covers La Roux

Nathan — Sun, 16 May 2010 15:19:30 +0000

Jack Antonoff and the rest of his band, Steel Train, were apparently floored by this year’s Coachella performance by La Roux. So much so, that they felt compelled to do an acoustic cover of their hit song “Bulletproof.” I wasn’t sure this synth-pop jam would be able to translate, but in the end I found myself humming along just as much as I do to the original.

Steel Train » La Roux from The Voice Project on Vimeo.

The Weekly Reaping (9.May.2010)

Nathan — Sun, 16 May 2010 03:39:38 +0000

So it was an awfully slow week as far as music releases go. But when The National release a new record, it doesn’t really matter what else is going on. Because you are going to want as much time as possible to dedicate to devouring that album. Because you know it will be as slow-cooker, but you know that it will only be a matter of time before you absolutely love it. Fortunately, or unfortunately; however you want to look at it, there really isn’t anything else worth mentioning. But don’t worry. We have plenty of great May releases yet to come.

11.May.2010

The National

High Violet

Full album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

RW: Satellite (Astronaut’s Remix)

Cody — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:30:47 +0000

Who is this Cody fella and why is he writing on here? I know! It’s been that long! I’ve been busy administrating the site and even exploring some new projects for IHYEB, but I’ve also kept my ear close to the ground. During one of my routine visits to the administration panel of the site I noticed that traffic to one of our posts had skyrocketed! I was taken aback, what had Nathan written this time. But it wasn’t Nathan at all! It was something I wrote six months ago!

So I’ve returned for the first remix of the week in SIX MONTHS! It’s also kind of an excuse to talk about Guster, one of my favorite bands. The remix I’ve brought with me today is the Astronaut’s remix of Ganging Up On the Sun classic “Satellite”. I can vividly remember the first time I heard the original version of this song, and it kind of gives me chills just picturing it. Why the chills? It was a moment when I realized that what just happened to me is a permanent and life altering change.

Is this remix going to change your life? NO. It most certainly will not. But, if you’re willing to stick yourself out there a bit and be vulnerable, Ryan Miller and his sweet sweet voice will pick you up and give you a giant musical hug. Brian will play you the softest hand drum solos, Adam will write you a beautiful lullaby, and maybe, just maybe, Joe will let you crash on his couch.

Guster is love! Maybe I’m getting carried away. Just maybe. But I can’t contain my excitement! The group has finished the recording process of their album coming out this september, and this quickly spells another word.

T – O – U – R

My favorite live show I’ve ever been to was Guster! I’ll be attending the Conan O’Brien live show this saturday, but he can eat his irish heart out. Nathan and I both attended that show in all it’s ping-pong ball throwing glory, and I’d do it over and over again if I could.

I’m getting off point.

Well, this new album will be the newest thing since the Satellite EP which included this remix. This is also the last song from that EP if you don’t count two live cover songs of The Beatles and Bonnie Tyler.

What I’m trying to say is, if there were a “Previously on Guster…”, this is it.

Ain’t Nothin’ for Free (5.4)

Brad — Mon, 10 May 2010 09:01:58 +0000

Boy, do I have a gold mine for you all this week! I’m a little giddy if you can’t tell.

Firstly, one of our favorites, Peter Bradley Adams, has one, “For You,” for download right now. You don’t even have to add yourself to one of his email lists or anything. And yes, I know that if you’ve used Pandora for more than two hours you’ve heard of him before, but you probably didn’t know about this, so here it is!

http://sarathan.com/free/peterbradleyadams/PBA/ForYou.mp3.zip

Second-of-ly, Urban Outfitters has its own nice little 25 song download on their site right now. There’s some pretty cool stuff on their like Surfer Blood and The Morning Benders.

I’d go for it if I were you (and I’m talking about the song mind you).

http://lstn.urbanoutfitters.com/9/

iTunes:

Single of the Week: “Cool my Heels” – Nikki Yanofsky (2.7) This is a nice poppy jazz song with some bright vocals.

Discovery Download: “Change of Time” – Josh Ritter (4.3) This is where it gets “awesome,” in the words of Tracy Jordan. Josh Ritter is one of the best song writers of our day. “The Temptation of Adam” might be my favorite song of all time. He keeps it up here even busting out Leviathan. If you like finger picking, lyrics, and a good vibe, you like Josh Ritter. Also, his new album is on sale at Starbucks right now.

Video of the Week: “Take Everything” – Greg Laswell (4.0) It keeps rolling here. A pretty cool, “in reverse” video to a very likable song. I really love Greg (@Justin does too! He interviewed him a while back), especially his voice. He’s a little like a cross of Mat Kearney and Andrew Bird and somewhere in between how good those two artist are as well. Definitely a find!

Canción de la Semana: “Muérdete la Lengua” – Francisca Valenzuela (2.5) This is a lot like a slower Addison Road song in Spanish. Maybe something like a Fiona Apple song without piano…is that even fair? I don’t, but anyways, it’s okay.

That’s all I’ve got!

Bleed on mi compadres!

Bradley

The Weekly Reaping (2.May.2010)

Nathan — Sun, 09 May 2010 05:25:59 +0000

Thus far, May is taking the cake for 2010 when it comes to music releases. Plenty of great releases this week from both new and veteran acts, including the fantastic Josh Ritter album, that is available for purchase on Amie Street for only $5. Yet even with all these excellent releases, my top two most anticipated releases of the year are yet to come.

We finally got official notice that the great Christopher Nolan will be giving us another edition to his brilliantly revamped Batman franchise. No word yet on who the villian will be. It’s gonna be hard to top the the previous two performances by Cillian Murphy and Heath Ledger.

Apparently Letterman has decided to get into the music business. His new record label is launching this summer with the release of their first signed band, Runner Runner. I’m curious to see what kind of impact this might have on Late Night and the music featured on the show.

On a more unfortunate note, it was announced just the other day that the recent acquisition of Lala by Apple, will result in the shutting down of the music streaming site. I’m pretty bummed, but hopefully it will lead to iTunes giving us more than a 30 second preview. Here is a site worth checking out as a possible replacement, My Friends and Music.

4.May.2010

Broken Social Scene

Forgiveness Rock Record

Full Album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

Greg Laswell

Take a Bow

The Hold Steady

Heaven is Whenever

Full Album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

Josh Ritter

So Runs the World Away ♥

Josh Ritter – Change of Time

The New Pornographers

Together

Full Album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt

I Love You! I Love You! I Love You and I’m in Love with You! Have an Awesome Day! Have the Best Day of Your Life!!

Chiddy Bang – “Opposite of Adults”

Nathan — Mon, 03 May 2010 11:57:23 +0000

Last Friday night I was out late watching my beloved OKC Thunder lose a heartbreaking buzzer-beater to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. It was great game, but I was really hoping to see game 7. When I got home, my sweet wife had fallen asleep on the couch with the TV on and the hilarious Jimmy Fallon had rolled over to the enigmatic and mundane Carson Daly. For whatever reason I ignored my usual impulse to turn him off and just sat down to veg for a few minutes. To my delight he was wrapping up Music Week on Last Call. And surprisingly enough he was in the middle of an interview with a pretty interesting hip hop duo called Chiddy Bang.

Chiddy Bang is a pretty typical product of the current music scene. They haven’t even released an album, yet they are already getting a feature spot on late night television. And their one big hit that helped get them noticed is one of the guys rapping over an MGMT sample. They are just two guys that met in the dorms their freshmen year of college. A kid that could rhyme and actually deliver and a musician that grew up with computers and knew how to lay down a beat. They may not be super original, but they are a ton of fun. These youngsters show a lot of promise, and I am excited to hear what they come up with next.

Ain’t Nothin’ for Free (4.27)

Brad — Sun, 02 May 2010 15:50:20 +0000

Courtesy of one of our readers Mitch check out http://www.originalpenguin.com/page/music_dl. They have some cool stuff on there like “Norway” by Beach House, which iTunes released as one of their free singles back sometime near January. Great song, so if you missed it check this place out!

Also, don’t miss what @Nathan put about the Paste Bannaroo Sampler either! Some awesome stuff there, I love that list!

iTunes:

Single of the Week: “Forever” – Murs & 9th Wonder (0.7) Pretty much hip-hop trash. No special rhymes, hooks, or vocals. Don’t worry about it.

Discovery Download: “Remember Last Time” Avi Buffalo (3.2) Pretty sweet song by a pretty sweet band. Lots of instrumental time, but that’s might be because it’s quite a long song (7:28). It’s a good get.

Video of the Week: “I Feel Better” – Hot Chip (2.9) This is an English, sort of synth-pop band along the lines of Metronomy. You’d never be able to tell by the music video, though. Seriously, this is one weird video. I just watched it and I really don’t know what to say except, “floating heads,” and that probably doesn’t make any sense. You should get it to watch it just once, if for nothing else.

Canción de la Semana: “‘BabyRock’ Rock” – Clorofila (1.8) Somehow this is in English. It kind of takes the whole “canción” edge off of it. There’s still some solid accordion rocking in the background, but that’s about all the south of the border flare you’ll get. Besides that it is a modern soft rock song without kick. Sorry for the disappointing week.

Bleed on friends!

Bradley

The Weekly Reaping (25.April.2010)

Nathan — Sat, 01 May 2010 14:52:07 +0000

It’s been a slower week for music comparatively, but I’ve still got a couple great releases worth checking out. If you’ve never listened to Gogol Bordello before, go ahead and skip down to their late night performance. They are one of those bands that is best experienced live. I rarely take the time to listen to their studio albums, but their live performance is awesome. Also a little note about The Mynabirds, this is a new project from Laura Berhenn, the female half of Georgie James. Enjoy this great spring weather, and get ready cause the month of May is packed with highly anticipated releases. As always, I hope your ears bleed (but not literally).

27.April.2010

Alcoholic Faith Mission

Let This Be the Last Night We Care ♥

Full Album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

The Mynabirds

What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood

Gogol Bordello

Trans-Continental Hustle

Full Album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

Peter Frampton

Thank You Mr. Churchill

B.o.B.

The Adventures of Bobby Ray

Late Night Performances of the Week

The Hold Steady on Letterman

Gogol Bordello on Jimmy Fallon

Lady Danville

Brad — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:45:17 +0000

So I was doing sound for a concert a short while back that turned out to be a nice little surprise. You know those concerts you go to where you end up liking the opener way better than the headliner. Well, I was lucky enough to have one of those recently. Though L.A. locals, The Rescues, put on a decent show, my hat goes off to openers Lady Danville. The three piece, consisting of a piano, cajon, guitar and three part harmonies, nailed it. Their take on pop folk was refreshingly smooth and quite The Dodos-esque. I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys took off by the end of the year. They are still unsigned and only have one self-titled, five song EP out right now, but some shows with Anberlin and Jack’s Mannequin later in the year should give them a nice boost. Plus, they are super chill and some of the easiest guys to do sound for, big plus.

My favorite track – “Tired Magician” http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Tired+Magician/2rPsYX

Needtobreathe Concert Review

JD — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:17:07 +0000

Mark my words, or rather my wife’s words: Needtobreathe won’t stay “Christian” very long. Their last two albums were released by Word Records and Atlantic Records, both owned by Warner Music Group. So, technically the band is not solely “Christian” even now, but nonetheless the statement still holds. This is not to say that the band members won’t remain followers of Jesus Christ. It is more a commentary on CCM as a whole. It sucks. But there is hope and that hope is Needtobreathe. They told the 1,000 or so people in attendance on several occasions that they were a rock band and they proved it repeatedly. Thus, word will get out and these five guys will eventually have a following of people who don’t sit in pews and carry Bibles.

We arrived in the middle of their first song, “The Outsiders,” and they were already jamming. Two electric guitars, one bass, one set of drums, and a rocking keyboard. It wasn’t a creative mix of instruments, but great googly moogly did they mix well.

They have been a band for nearly eleven years now and it showed. They didn’t talk much, except to thank the audience. Appreciation was expressed for the attendance because as Bear Rinehart said, “We’ve played plenty of shows with eleven people.” The band’s maturity was something that might go unnoticed by a novice show attendee, but it was obvious to anyone who has seen one too many immature artists pop off about politics, spout some ridiculous joke, or just mumble about something because he or she feels that its artsy. Thankfully, none of that was on the menu. Needtobreathe simply played and played well. Their timing was spot on, maybe save one instance in a jam session. The fact that they nailed nearly every transition and tempo change was a testament to their maturity and skill as musicians because they changed pace a fair amount of times. They still had to look at the drummer for the ending blasts, but I got the idea it wasn’t so much for timing as it was that they were just communally experiencing rock music. Either way, they killed the beginning, middle, and end of every song. What more do you want of a rock group?

They covered The Beatles and Ben Harper and put them into one medley: “Better Way” and “Get Back.” The Beatles cover was a nice throwback; the Ben Harper inclusion made me smile for the next three songs. I’m always glad when artists, especially Christian, pay homage to talented artists. And let’s be honest, no one is more talented than Mr. Harper.

The most captivating song of the night, however, was, as expected, “Washed by the Water.” I wasn’t looking forward to it leading into the night because I knew it was their most famous song. It’s like John Mayer playing “Your Body is a Wonderland;” it’s cliché and gets all the irreverently annoying eighth grade girls to scream. And Christian eighth grade girls are even more irritating. All that said, as the night progressed I realized that these were musicians and a simple crowd-pleasing, generic performance of the song wouldn’t be enough. Sure enough, they saved it for last and belted it sans sound system. He sang, “Daddy was a preacher,” then half the crowd started singing along and the other half shooshed them. “No reason to get hostile with anyone,” Rinehart said as he stopped singing. “But, I can’t sing over all of you so shut up.” (jokingly, of course) And they did, for the most part. He began again. Two acoustic guitars and just Rinehart’s voice pounding out the words. Notes were strained and sometimes hard to hear in the back, but that little chapel’s roof got blown up by one man’s unamplified voice. It was soul and it was real.

By the way, Needtobreathe is a blend of Kings of Leon and Band of Horses. If you don’t believe me, buy a 12 dollar ticket to their show.

Best Cover Song of the Year: Passion Pit does Cranberries

Nathan — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:38:47 +0000

So I know that just this past weekend I was raving about the folk cover of MGMT’s “Kids” being one of the best things I had heard this year, but I have already found something to take it’s place. A couple weeks ago Passion Pit released a deluxe edition of their stellar 2009 album, Manners and I foolishly paid no attention. If any of you have yet to purchase one of the catchiest pop records of the past decade, go ahead and take advantage of this deluxe reissue. Along with the hook-laden tracks that made up the original record is a “stripped down” version of both “Sleepyhead” and “Moth’s Wings” and then a kick-ass version of the 90′s hit, “Dreams,” by the Cranberries. Apparently “Dreams” has become a staple at their live shows as of recent. The song was recently featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered and can be heard below.

Ain’t Nothin’ For Free (4.20)

Brad — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:22:24 +0000

*Quick note, I’ll be switching the nomenclature of these to the date of the releases that week (Tuesdays). Somehow this coincided with 4.20, tee hee.

Erin McKeown has two of her songs for download right now. One really good one, “Minneapolis,” and an okay live version of her song “Cosmopolitan.” She’s like a little more poppy and more folksy Ingrid Michaelson.

Matthew Mayfield (on tour with NeedtoBreathe) has one of his, “Fire Escape,” for free to download right now. I’m pretty sure Matt Nathanson’s musical embryonic cell split and this guy came out. Seriously, they are completely interchangeable, so if you like Matt…

How long have you been a fan of José González? You know the Swedish guy with most Swedish of all names? Oh, only since 2008′s In Our Nature. Then you probably haven’t heard of his previous band Junip. Well, they are coming out with a new record this year and just put up a single, “Rope an Summit,” free to download if you join their mailing list. Check it out. It is José + a full band.

http://www.junip.net/

Lastly, for our weekly iTunes:

Single of the Week: “If I Die Young” – The Band Perry (3.9) If I haven’t already told you, I’m not a huge fan of country. It’s kind of hard for me to get in to any of it. Every once in a while, though, I find a really happy or ridiculous one that sucks me into country’s dark void. This is one of them. Maybe not the most innovate music (I’m fairly certain you can sing T. Swift’s “Should’ve Said No” over this song perfectly), but the lyrics are my muse.

Discover Download: “Odessa” – Caribou (3.8) You know you are cool when you can name your song something from either ancient Greek or Roman literature. You are even cooler if you can name your band after Canadian wildlife. Basically, sounds like an electronic version of a King of Convenience song. Good enough for me.

Video of the Week: “The Getaway” – Athlete (3.5) An above average (just barely) video to a fairly decent song. It sounds like an O.A.R. single with Chasen’s lead singer as frontman. Nothing brilliant, but something I’ll most likely be keeping in my library.

Canción de la Semana: “La Pastillita” – Chino & Nacho (2.1) Translated this means “The Pastillita,” seriously I tried two different websites and this is all I got. Anyways, typical Reggaeton. I found myself yelling “uh!” and “sí” a lot.

Until next time.

Bleed on!

The Ooks of Hazzard Cover MGMT’s “Kids”

Nathan — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:23:29 +0000

My favorite discovery of the past week would have to be a brand new folk group called The Ooks of Hazzard. They are brand new and as far as I know only have one song, but I absolutely love them and can’t wait to hear more. Their first song is a video of the group performing the uber catchy MGMT hit, “Kids.” When I first saw them all lined up with just a bunch of ukuleles, an accordian, and a cajón drum, I had no idea how they were goin to pull off the best electronic-dance hit of 2008. But they more than just pulled it off. This video is fantastic. The vocals are a little rough at times, but overall it has a fun rough country sound, and I appreciate that they all take their turn singing. I think it adds to the feel of the performance. I just hope this isn’t the last we hear of these guys.

The Weekly Reaping (18.April.2010)

Nathan — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:33:16 +0000

It’s been another great week for music. Plenty of new releases worth checking.

This week I’m adding a new aspect to the reaping. While I would love to be able to give you a rating for each album listed, that just wouldn’t be possible, because I rarely have time to listen to all of the albums I will post. But what I am going to do instead is highlight one of the albums in red to signify my most loved ♥ release of the week.

Lead singer Ryan O’Neil and bassist Dan Perdue of Sleeping At Last have started a new blog that I think is worth checking out. So far it has just been some ramblings on their time on tour and random bits of whatever that they find interesting.

Paste Magazine has teamed up with the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival to bring us a free music sampler with songs from several artists that will be performing at this year’s festival, including She & Him, Dr. Dog, Blitzen Trapper and many more. Click here to download your free sampler: 2010 Paste Magazine Bonnaroo Sampler.

20.April.2010

Aqualung

Magnetic North

The Doves

The Places Between (best of…)

Full Album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

Horse Feathers

Thistled Spring ♥

Kate Nash

My Best Friend Is You

The Radio Dept.

Clinging to a Scheme

Rufus Wainwright

All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu

Who Are You New York? – Rufus …

Willie Nelson

Country Music

Full Album Stream (courtesy of Spinner.com)

Late Night Performances of the Week

Jakob Dylan & Neko Case on Letterman

And with a rare live performance, the Colbert Report is a runner up with the Gorillaz’ “Stylo.”

The Colbert Report

Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Gorillaz – Stylo

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Fox News

New Video from The XX, “Islands”

Brad — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:31:15 +0000

My favorite ablum last year was XX by the XX. One of my favorite songs on the album is “Islands.” They just made a music video for it. Check it out!

The Weekly Reaping (13.April.10)

Nathan — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:00:14 +0000

Here is a quick list of the notable releases for last week.

13.April.2010

matt pond PA

The Dark Leaves

The Tallest Man on Earth

The Wild Hunt

MGMT

Congratulations

Kaki King

Junior

The Middle East

Brad — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:18:06 +0000

The title may be misleading because this has much more to do with Australia than the near East, but hang with me for a second.

So, I was down under a few weeks ago and was pleased to find the average Aussie’s taste in music superior to that of our own. During a party I found myself listening to Miike Snow and Passion Pit instead of Miley Cyrus and Ke$ha. It nearly brought me to tears. Along my trek (Dare I call it a walkabout?), I met a few music enthusiasts, one of whom I’m still trading suggestions with. We’ve gone through a handful of artists, my favorite of whom has been The Middle East. Now you see the title wasn’t all for naught.

The Middle East is a nice folksy band with a little perkier tempo than most. They just played at Coachella (which I despise for the record), so I assume they are picking up steam. They’re currently working on some new stuff which should come out soon, but for a temporary sample check out this music video.

Bleed on!

Bradley

Lissie Covers Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”

Nathan — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 12:00:04 +0000

Ain’t Nothin’ for Free (Vol II)

Brad — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:28:00 +0000

Back for this week’s free stuff -

In Coldplay’s newsletter this month they added a link to one of the London bands they play with. The band is called Goldheart Assembly and they have a nice pop folk single for free on their website. (link – http://fiercepanda.co.uk/goldheartassembly/) If you like Coldplay or Mumford & Sons, you should check it out.

As for iTunes:

Single of the Week: “Something Good Can Work” – Two Door Cinema Club (4.5) This is one of the best songs I’ve heard from free on iTunes this year. It is a dancible indie pop song with a great hook. My room mate and I started grooving to this one the first listen. Somewhere between Paulson and The Strokes.

Music Video: “Acapella” – Kelis (1.9) You already start off in the whole when you spell “A Capella” wrong and also use it as the title for an electronic song. Add in an obscene amount of body paint/body art/scantily cladness coupled with a forgettable dance song and you have the music video this week.

Discovery: “There is a Way” – NewWorldSon (2.3) This is pretty much just a typical okay contemporary Christian gospel song. There’s really nothing else to say. It is… okay.

Canción de la Semana: “Buscaré” – Si*Sé (2.4) This title has something to do with looking for something. I’ve found that there is a negative effect to translating Spanish pop songs. I’m always disappointed. In this song she who shall be referred to as Si*Sé, says the title quite a bit. I assume she is still looking. Anyways, this is pretty much a soft rock, smooth jazz song without any pizazz.

Bleed on!

Bradley

Hurricane Bells – Tonight is the Ghost

Nathan — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:25:26 +0000

Hurricane Bells is a fairly new project by former Longwave frontman, Steve Schlitz. Created with little more than his Macbook and an Mbox, Tonight is the Ghost, was digitally released on Vagrant Records late last year to much critical acclaim. The album is a moody batch of songs that span the spectrum, from airy atmospheric ballads to “guitar-jangling” indie pop. A great record for fans of Band of Horses or fans of Jim James and his various projects.

Additionally, “Monsters,” a b-side track from Tonight, was included on the indie trendy New Moon soundtrack.

2009 was a good year for Schlitz, and 2010 is looking to be just as bright. He is currently on tour in support of Tonight is the Ghost, which finally received a physical release today. Unfortunately he is touring with garbage rock band Blue October. But starting in Los Angeles on May 7th, he’ll kick off his first headlining tour. Definitely worth checking out if he’s coming to a city near you.

He’ll be in Tulsa on April 29th @ Cain’s Ballroom. Tickets are still available.

Hurricane Bells – “This Year” Music Video from Hurricane Bells on Vimeo.

Nearly Forgotten: Laura Marling, Tunng

Nathan — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:07:34 +0000

A couple of days ago I did an overview of notable releases. Somehow I managed to exclude two of the better ones.

Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to this album yet. I loved her debut, and have read nothing but positive things about I Speak Because I Can. It’s exciting to continually hear that this album grows on you, because I already enjoy it quite a bit. It really does amaze me that this girl is only 20 years old, but regardless of her age, she is one hell of a songwriter.

Tunng – …And Then We Saw Land

With the departure of co-founder Sam Genders, the band’s 4th studio album has a completely new and bigger sound that has been described as “epic folk disco brass magnificent.” It’s a nautically themed British folk-pop record. What more can I say?

Tunng – Hustle from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Cass Harris – Four for the Road

Ain’t Nothin’ for Free (Vol I)

Brad — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:25:14 +0000

In case you didn’t know, the music industry is currently under overhaul. With the recently new factor online music now plays and how readily available illegal music is, people in the industry have had to rethink their entire market structure. Tons of new strategies have been employed including “organic” grassroots fan bases, a return to vinyl, and LEGAL free music.

Ever since Radiohead released “In Rainbows” with the option of zero pounds, the trend of free music has seen exponential growth. Whether you want to call it a “bait-and-switch” or a way to build trust with a potential fan base, it has become increasingly popular.

Because of the influx of free music, we wanted to make sure everyone is up on it. I mean, missing free stuff womps. So here are some strategies to get free music.

1) Join all your favorite artist’s mailing lists. For example, last month Meiko gave out a free song when she opened her new online store to her mailing list. The emails can sometimes get overwhelming, but this is also how I got Coldplay’s “LeftRightLeftRightLeft.”

2) Also, if you have multiple artists you like on one label, add the label’s mailing list or myspace. Vanguard did a holiday sampler which had around 20 free songs on it (Nathan wrote about this earlier).

3) Now we start getting to the big dogs – Amazon. If you get on Amazon and go to songs for download -> price -> free, you can find some cool stuff. (if that doesn’t work just look at www.stumbleupon.com) Right now the best songs on there are one of Liam Finn’s, “Norway” by Beach House, and “Ambling Alp” by Yeasayer. This pool doesn’t update a lot, but good stuff does get put in there and typically stays for a while.

4) Lastly, iTunes! The music giant is by far the best place to get free music. Not only does iTunes give out 4 free songs on a weekly basis, but periodically they’ll do larger 20 song samplers. And, in addition, iTunes puts out some great stuff. This year alone they’ve had Vampire Weekend, Laura Veirs, Beach House, Mariah Carey, and more. You get a total mix with iTunes. Last year I think back to back weeks I got The xx’s music video for “Crystallized” and Justin Bieber’s “One Time.” It is kind of a fun grab bag.

Accordingly, iTunes is where I’ll be focusing my efforts because of volume and quality. The iTunes free songs come in four distinct categories each week: Single of the Week, Music Video of the Week, Discovery Download, and Cancion de la Semana. Each title is a pretty good description of what you’ll get. (And yes, I have quite the Latin music selection in my iTunes now. You’ll be surprised how useful it can be.)

This week: (my rating out of five)

Single of the Week: “Bien o Mal” – Julieta Venegas (3.0) I suppose this song doubles as the Cancion de la Semana this week, since I can’t find one. A nice poppy Spanish song with a driving beat. Female vocals, something like a good summer single by Natasha Beddingfield, just in Spanish.

Music Video of the Week: “Everybody In Love” – JLS (2.6) Kind of a modern Boyz II Men crossed with a Backstreet Boys song. The ballad’s music videos is pretty normal except that a very “white” feel for a Boy II Men kind of band. See for yourself.

Discovery Download: “The Mama Papa” – Plants and Animals (2.8) First of all, the cover art weirds me out. Look at it at your own risk. A low-fi Strokes/U2 type band. A decent single, nothing too much to talk about.

Cancion de la Semana: Same as Single of the Week for this week.

One last note, I have a not necessarily “free” suggestion. Right now if you go to www.emusic.com they have a deal that if you sign up right now you get a free 35 song download. How it works is you pay a monthly amount (I’m on a $12 deals) and you get a certain number of download in that month period (for me it’s 24). That works out to $0.50 a song, which isn’t too bad, and I haven’t seen an album cost more than 12 downloads, so for some you get bonus tracks. (e.g. “Illinois” – Sufjan Stevens). Also, if you get down to one download on your free trial, they give you a bonus ten to finish downloading an album, if you start your pay period then. Ultimately, I just got 45 free downloads this weekend!

It’s a pretty sweet deal. They don’t have everything, but they have enough that I’ve got like 20 some albums in my cue to download right now, so I’m satisfied.

Anyways, enjoy, get you some, and don’t pay the man when you don’t have to!

Bleed on!

Bradley

New Release Tuesday

Nathan — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:39:17 +0000

Here is an update of some notable albums that were released yesterday.

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim – Here Lies Love

With the help of Fatboy Slim, Byrne created a fascinating cd/dvd combination album written about the Imelda Marcos. He enlists some of the greatest female voices out there, including Santigold, Martha Wainwright, Camille, and Shara Worden to sing the 22 different tracks. “The story I am interested in is about asking what drives a powerful person—what makes them tick?” says Byrne about the project.

Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame

The band’s Anti-Records debut doesn’t stray too far from their stylistic roots. It may be a little less cheery than their most recent efforts (lyrically that is), it is still very upbeat and melodious. Much to enjoy from this veteran indie-pop group.

Jakob Dylan – Women and Country

Jakob Dylan is going back to the folk roots of his childhood. Hopefully the influence of his father and the experience as the Wallflowers frontman will help Dylan to avoid the inevitable sophomore slump. He made a couple smart moves with enlisting the help of T Bone Burnett and Neko Case.

Jonsi – Go

Sigur Rós frontman, Jon Thor Birgisson, is holding nothing back with his first solo record. Not only is he venturing out on his own, but this is also his first record to sing in English. That seems like an awfully big risk to take, but from what I’ve heard so far, I’d say he pulled it off.

Monsters of Folk “Dear God” Video

Nathan — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:06:23 +0000

Monsters of Folk wrote a letter to God and put and on their debut album. The song is appropriately titled, “Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)”. It is a fascinating letter that asks the age old question, “If your love is still around, why do we suffer?” They are real honest and also manage to make some great observations about who our God is. It is obvious that at least one, if not all of those guys are seeking the truth. Hopefully it isn’t long before they stumble upon it.

Well just recently they made a mesmerizing video to accompany this great tune. I had a hard time taking my eyes off it for even a second, especially during the first 2:00 minutes. Definitely one of the best videos that I have seen this year.

Monsters of Folk – “Dear God” from Shangri-La Music on Vimeo.

She & Him, but mostly She

Nathan — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:39:34 +0000

There’s a warmth in the sad, measured gallop of “Thieves,” the first song off of She & Him’s Volume Two, and it’s undeniably charming. The final swell of amber guitars, strings and voice beams straight to the chest, lights it up like a summer sunset.

But She (actress Zooey Deschanel) and Him (folkster M. Ward) stubbornly park their feel-good cabooses in that light for the duration of the record, and it’s not long till the sunset loses its magic. After another 40 minutes without relief, the sunset is just boring. Too much milk and honey.

Thank Ms. Deschanel, Volume Two’s resolute playwright and inescapable host. Her face, framed in gently arranged bangs and big Bambi eyes, is familiar – the actress starred in “500 Days of Summer,” “Yes Man,” and a television commercial for cotton, of all things.

Volume Two feeds on this puppy-dog routine. One imagines Ms. Deschanel in a perpetual curtsy during these recording sessions. Most every song revels in ‘60s-inflected baroque pop, all of them written for the whir of bicycle spokes in the summery montage of another twee film about two irresistibly whimsical white people.

After three-and-a-half songs of Ms. Deschanel, center stage, in waltzes M. Ward, his voice a watery BBQ sauce (organic and reduced-calorie, naturally), only to retreat backstage for the entire second act. The arrangements, though, are undeniably his: hear those feathery snare drums and polite lap steels, nestled snugly in a bed of charming doo-wop harmonies? Have you yet enjoyed the sound of ‘cute’?

You have now, and you’d better like it, buddy, because this is the Zooey Deschanel Hour, and your radio dial is stuck on this godforsaken AM frequency for a long, long 13 songs.

“I had some brand new shoes, they were all red but they gave me the blues,” she whispers near Volume Two’s end. This, of course, is the part of the story when, after being wronged by her man, she wonders whether she can forgive him.

Somehow, some way, she does, and it all turns out peaches, just as everyone suspected it would. “I didn’t mean to,” a chorus of Zooeys sings sweetly in “Over It Over Again,” fooling no one.

Sigur Ros Frontman Busy in 2010

Nathan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:09:36 +0000

While there has been no talk of a follow-up to 2008′s phenomenal Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust, Sigur Rós fans have much to be excited about. The Icelandic frontman, Jon Thor Birgisson has had a busy 2010 so far. He has written and recorded a new “solo” album that is set to be released digitally on April 6th along with a limited edition box-set. The new album, Go, follows in the poppy footsteps of Med Sud and I believe is his first record to be written and recorded in English (although you can hardly tell that upon first listen). On a recent session BBC Radio session Jónsi plays a stellar cover of MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” which is much better than anything off of MGMT’s new record. He also has collaborated with contemporary classical composer, Nico Muhly to shoot a video for one of the first singles from the new record, “Kolnidur.”

Introducing: Adam Howard

Nathan — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:47:31 +0000

There is a young singer/songwriter that I want to introduce you to. Currently he is just a student at John Brown University, writing and playing music for his friends and family. I have a feeling that it won’t be long before his words and music are being heard by much larger audiences. There is a very raw power in his voice that reminds me of the likes of Damien Rice. He may not have the most soothing or pleasing voice, but he sure knows how to use it. Like Rice, his voice is one of his best instruments and he uses it stir up emotions in you that you didn’t even know were there. His debut album, Shadows & Shapes, is a piano driven record that explores one of man’s greatest fears: of being alone. It’s a very introspective and heartfelt record that I think shows a lot of potential of great things to come from.

Take a listen to a few of my favorite tracks from Shadows & Shapes. You can find the album on Emusic, Amazon, or iTunes. It’s a great record, through and through, and hopefully this album is merely the tip of the iceberg.

I had the opportunity to interview Howard recently.Here are some of his thoughts on the album and what is to come.

IHYEB: Did you record this album yourself?

Adam: Yes and I played all of the music, except for the upright bass and cello throughout the album and the electric guitar on the whisper track.

IHYEB: Where did you do the recording?

Adam: Various places…mostly places at JBU and around Tulsa. I think I used six or seven different pianos with the intent of capturing the character of the song in the character of the piano itself (that was the intent anyway).

IHYEB: How long have you been playing the piano? Did you teach yourself?

Adam: I started playing the piano mid-way into my senior year of high-school. I borrowed a digital piano from a friend so that I could learn to play in order that I might be able to play at my grandmother’s wedding reception. So, yeah I taught myself.

IHYEB: Have you ever had any formal musical training?

Adam: Not really…I had adrum lessons in the sixth grade (but I didn’t really learn how to play the drums until like 9th grade). I also played the violin in my middle-school and high-school orchestras. I don’t really do well with formal music, mainly because I can’t read music. I could probably learn if I applied myself, but I guess I never valued it enough (even though I am quite envious of people who formally understand music, especially of those who can sight read music really easily).

IHYEB: What was your inspiration for the record?

Adam: Life, I suppose was my inspiration…the dark side. It is about going to sleep at night and facing your fears and dreams and hopes and failures. It is about the figurative shadows and shapes in life, that may not be what we take them for…like the album cover, seeing the shadow of a lamp and thinking that it’s a ghost.

IHYEB: So what’s next for Adam Howard?

Adam: Well I sort of rushed this album because I told myself that I would release an album or EP by the end of last semester. So I rushed it in order to keep the promise I made to myself. But I have another album I am already working on that I am not going to rush. I’ll finish it when I figure out how to record in a manner that meets my liking.

MGMT Streaming New Album on Website

Nathan — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:05:46 +0000

MGMT is giving fans an early listen to Congratulations, the follow up to their phenomenal Grammy-nominated debut, Oracular Spectacular. The new record isn’t due out until April 13th, but right now you can stream the entire thing for free from their website. This random act of kindness was prompted by the unfortunate leakage of the new album. Fortunately for us, these guys kept a positive attitude about the situation: “Hey everybody, the album leaked, and we wanted you to be able to hear it from us. We wanted to offer it as a free download but that didn’t make sense to anyone but us.” It makes sense to me. But I’m still grateful for this nice little treat. Hope it makes your ears bleed.

A Late Renaissance for This Veteran Poet

Brady — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:13:34 +0000

Gil Scott-Heron sounds older than 60. Years of cigarettes, cocaine and prison time have weathered his voice, scrubbed it with sandpaper. What remains is thick and careful and potent, like some forgotten whiskey. His voice is timeless.

Especially on I’m New Here, the poet’s first proper record in 16 years, which sounds like the Tibetan Book of the Dead as interpreted by William Faulkner as produced by Portishead. Still, that description underestimates the record’s touchstones, made by decades of artists that Scott-Heron himself influenced.

In fact, nearly a third of I’m New Here is cover songs (bold, considering the record doesn’t even spin for half an hour), but as blues standards, they’re the perfect canvas for Scott-Heron. All is cyclical with this raspy poet.

This is most obvious in the two parts of “On Coming from a Broken Home” that bookend the record. Lyrically, Scott-Heron sees just and vicious circles of morality: “If you’ve got to pay for things you’ve done wrong, uh, I’ve got a big bill coming,” he follows with a laugh on “Being Blessed (Interlude).”

That sort of casual introspection typifies I’m Not Here. It shows the poet also feels older than 60 – death looms ahead like a tall, scruffy pine and casts a shadow over all these song-poems.

Scott-Heron even anticipates his eulogy and mocks it in advance: “As every -ologist would certainly note, I had no strong male figure, right?” he says in the first song.

With much help from producer Richard Russell, I’m New Here is blues for the future. There are nods to folk, R&B, and hip-hop and some songs even recall dubstep, the most successful electronic movement of the past few years. But somehow all of it together makes for a lonely listen.

The best example is “New York Is Killing Me,” which is a classic blues tune recast in harsh streetlight. Russell uses cymbals, warped handclaps and a gospel choir to assemble I’m New Here’s darkest and best song.

If the record has a theme, it is uncertainty: in God (“if there is one,” he sneers, only to beg for His mercy a few songs later), in time (“Where Did the Night Go”) and in safety of any kind (“Running”).

But in his age, the poet is always certain of himself. “I was guided to get here,” he states, saying elsewhere, “I did not become someone different that I did not want to be.”

So while Gil Scott-Heron remains sure that his life was exactly what it was supposed to be, we remain sure of his genius. I’m New Here is an old-time record completely devoid of clichés, and one of the best records of this young year.

Gorillaz’ “Plastic Beach,” a Great Beached Whale

Brady — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:07:55 +0000

Gorillaz have been one of pop’s wackiest successes since “Clint Eastwood” invaded airwaves nearly a decade ago. It’s hard to believe a cartoon band lasted this long, even harder considering the group releases new music about once every five years.

Of course, it’s all the brainchild of former Blur front man Damon Albarn, a challenging and prolific songwriter, and illustrator Jamie Hewlett. The duo stays busy with an endless roll of side projects, thus Plastic Beach, the group’s newest album, comes a full half-decade after the fluke commercial success of Demon Days.

Plastic Beach is a braver record in every way, especially in its bevy of guest spots. Albarn wipes Snoop Dogg of grit and leaves him alone in a sterile soundscape. He employs the influential mutter of former Velvet Underground singer Lou Reed in a barroom piano jam. Veteran rap troupe De La Soul makes “Superfast Jellyfish” the jam of the spring.

It’s worth noting that many of Albarn’s collaborators are washed up music legends. The word here is “rebirth.” He treats these musicians as actors in his giant production, and Plastic Beach proves him a brilliant director – he rouses unexpectedly great performances from almost all of them.

The secret to Gorillaz lies in this pluralistic approach, and Plastic Beach is its realization. It’s as if the shattered pieces of world culture washed up on a beach, and Albarn, with the help of some friends, was there to reassemble them in his own demented way.

Speaking of pollution, the muse is an imagined island, composed of all the ocean’s floating trash. Plastic Beach is as a concept album should be: strange and messy and full of wit. Hewlett’s stylized version of the future is impossible and idyllic. The main characters aren’t cartoon characters anymore – they’re environments.

The result is a great beached whale of an album, one that was really written for sunshine. Albarn has a knack for breezy, winding melodies, as heard in the title track and “Broken,” the record’s best song. Elsewhere, the charming, carbonated sound of the band’s 2001 debut bubbles to the surface. (“Superfast Jellyfish,” “On Melancholy Hill”)

Still, Albarn wrote more than 70 songs for this record, and some of that blubber remains, sandwiched between distinct pop gems. Mos Def’s contributions to “Stylo” and “Sweepstakes” are especially disappointing – the latter sounds like M.I.A. with the cream filling sucked out. Two other songs relegate the funk-cacophony of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble to musical wallpaper.

Regardless, it’s a thrill to hear Albarn evolve from rock star to curator. He’s become a socially conscious prophet and vital pop musician. Plastic Beach is an undeniable success, especially in timing – I can’t think of a better soundtrack for spring break.

IHYEB.com

Cody — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:36:28 +0000

Alright! It’s official. We are now the proud owners IHYEB.com.

We will be using this shorter domain for our posts on twitter, and for a few things here and there!

No related posts.

Eluvium’s “Similes,” A Restful Void

Brady — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:08:54 +0000

My first listen of Eluvium’s new record was interrupted barely five minutes in, when I fell asleep.

To my credit, Similes is an impenetrable, arrhythmic fog. Matthew Cooper, the man behind the moniker, has a track record of ambient releases, a genre born in the space between transcendent and tedious.

Brian Eno, the musician widely credited for the creation of ambient, once wrote that the music “is intended to induce calm and a space to think.” In this context, Similes rushes to buy wallpaper and curtains before building a doorframe. Cooper, an obvious member of the Pro Tools generation, squanders fine-tuned production on half-hearted song fragments.

Still, Cooper knows the trappings of ambient music: soft tones, innocuous chords, slow tempos and no singing. He violates that last rule for the first time on Similes, but does so timidly by burying his tuneless mutter low in the mix. He should have known better.

He also should have known that chaining Similes to a single mood would trap the record inside its own murky aesthetic. These are drones, not songs. Repeating the same progression for 11 minutes (“Cease to Know”) is no longer experimental – it’s lazy and it leaves little room for evolution or enjoyment.

Even more constrictive is Cooper’s reliance on piano and back-masked guitar, which lays a soggy foundation for every song on Similes. “If the colors and the shapes were clearly more defined,” he sings in the finale, a condition he would do well to indulge.

Sadly, of all the emotions the record strains to evoke, the only apparent one is disappointment. Deep yearning should lead to action, and this is Cooper’s problem: his voice is all welled tears and no balled fists. Only a child could enjoy this sort of sad indulgence.

The result is a piece of music unsuitable for active listening. Ironically, Similes is a soundtrack to its own failure.

No related posts.

OK Go Live At the Midland

JD — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:01:24 +0000

I have to preface the OK Go show in Kansas City with a few initial warnings and observations. The first is that if you go to an OK Go show expecting to understand any of the lyrics that frontman Damien Kulash is blaring out, you will be gravely disappointed. He belts a good voice, but it is mostly trumped by the instruments and muddled in good, yet somewhat incomprehensible falsetto. Second, if there is ever a free OK Go show in your area and you think, “I’ll show up around start time and get in no sweat,” you might want to think again. We rolled up to the venue an hour and forty-five minutes before the show was set to start (mind you, there were three openers) and encountered a line stretching nearly a block. We were able to secure tickets somewhat easily, but showing up “on time” would have made for a disappointing evening. Third, if there is a show you want to see at The Midland or Uptown Theater in Kansas City and you are debating attendance, suck it up and go. Both venues will surprise and delight, and Kansas City is the tops. I recommend the Midland over uptown, but only because of connotative experience.

Concerning the show, the Chicago-based band simply knows how to perform. They want to be known for more than just their “wicked cool and creative” music videos and they very well should be. However, it’s going to be tough for them to get proper recognition for such things as showmanship and musicality if they keep recording such “wicked cool and creative” music videos. We were informed at the show that they recently stayed up until four in the morning with 12 NASA engineers plotting their next video. So be on the look-out for something nebular (space joke). Although their show did live up to music video hype, the “music” of the evening did not steal the show. It might sound horrible to a musician’s ear, but the most intriguing aspect of their show didn’t rely on musical ability. Their creativity in presentation was what kept all eyes stage-centered.

They performed the song, “What To Do,” to the tune of traditional hand bells. Kulash made a statement regarding how they were going to do what Sunday morning had failed to perfect. While the hand bells didn’t sound all that great and Kulash’s voice, due to mic positioning, sounded a country away, it was a noble and engaging effort. The attempt might have been less than “Sunday morning perfection,” but the guts to stick their neck out and attempt hand bells is quite astounding, especially given how awful the hand bells typically sound.

Another stunt that is not specific to OK Go yet still packed a mean punch was Kulash’s mic cam. We were in the balcony so we got a stellar view of the screen on which the cam was being displayed. It was eerie. Kulash stared at us (via his mic) in a discolored black and white setting. Honestly, I don’t even remember the song being sung at the time. I was more concerned with the Wizard of Oz, a.k.a. Damien Kulash, glaring down at me.

The last effect involved lighting. This encompasses a few things. They had psychedelic lighting on the back of their jackets that scrolled, which was fairly cool. Obviously they had classic stage lighting that highlighted Kulash, faded in and out, and accompanied the screen show. But, the neatest lighting trick of all (and the one that made for the best pic) was the colored lights around the guitars that they donned toward the end of the show. With all stage lighting turned down, they appeared with different colored lights outlining their guitars. It was at this point that OK Go busted into “This Too Shall Pass,” inviting the audience to stand in for the vocals of the Notre Dame marching band. Tim Norwind, bass guitar and backing vocals, said that our singing wasn’t as good as a group of Europeans (Spanish, I think) who didn’t know English. While that upset a few of the audience members who were hoping for their big break, most of us were harmlessly amused by the comment.

The band did play “Here It Goes Again,” but they didn’t cart out treadmills for a video reenactment. They did, however, display dancing treadmills on the projection screen. If you haven’t listened to the song without the visual effect, I highly recommend trying it just once. The song can stand on its own. Of course, it is much better when it runs on treadmills.

New OK Go Video “This Too Shall Pass”

Nathan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:07:03 +0000

As I sat down to write today, I thought man it’s been a while since I’ve posted a good video. So I started to browse some other blogs to see if I could find any that I loved. Then I remembered that a couple of friends of mine went to see OK Go in KC this past weekend. So from the creative minds that brought you “that awesome treadmill video” and “that hilarious garden dance video” I bring to you “that sweet marching band in the woods video.” I should pay closer attention to these guys.

OK Go – This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

Leaving a Legacy

Nathan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:05:07 +0000

I had the great opportunity of doing some good ol’ manual labor yesterday at work. I spent the afternoon by myself workin’ on our indoor climbing wall. It was a little slow movin’ but I really enjoyed it, because it gave me the opportunity spend some time alone with my thoughts (which unfortunately doesn’t happen all that often) and of course it gave me a chance to catch up on some old podcasts.

Seeing as I am kind of obsessed with podcasts and subscribe to a ridiculous amount, I had a lot to listen to, from a fun and fascinating podcast about the Muppets, to a live music session with the Cold War Kids, to an interview with Rosanne Cash done by NPR’s Terry Gross. They were all really fun and entertaining, but it was the Rosanne Cash interview that really stood out among the pack. At the time of the interview, Rosanne had recently released her newest album, The List. This record is a collection of cover songs that she selected and recorded from a list that her father, the legendary Johnny Cash, had given to her when she was just 18. He recognized that his daughter was missing out on a good majority of the music that had influenced him, so he made a list of the ’100 essential country songs’ and gave it to her as a both a gift and a bit of a homework assignment. What an incredible gift.

The rest of the afternoon,I found myself of how much I would have loved to receive a gift like that and how excited I am be able to pass on a list like that to my own children someday. Then I started thinking through what my list would be called and what songs I would put on it. But then I thought back to a question that Gross had asked during the interview. Terry pointed out the fact that the past several years had been rough on Rosanne, with the death of both of her parents and her stepmother June Carter and then she lost her voice for three years then to top it all off had to go through brain surgery. “It’s been a rough period. And when people go through a rough time, I mean some people turn to religion, some people turn to drugs or alcohol, some people have nothing to turn to, some people are lost, some people find this inner strength…there were times in your father’s life when he turned to drugs or pills and, but through all his life, I think he had a sense of Jesus in his life….So what about you? (What) have you had that has kept you through all this?” To which Rosanne responds “I adhere to the religion of art and music and small children.”

Yeah it’s pretty awesome that Johnny was able to have such a great musical influence on his daughter. The List is an incredible album. I highly recommend it. Her cover of Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country” is incredible and the duet she does with Springsteen on “Sea of Heartbreak” is breathtaking. But unfortunately it won’t last. As wonderful and powerful as music is, if she keeps looking to it alone for healing and comfort, she will eventually be let down. I am still thrilled about that day that I get to pour hours into making the perfect Beach Boys mixtape for little boy or little girl to listen to while they go to bed. But I am even more excited about the opportunity to spend every day sharing with my kids the love that Jesus has given to me. And it is my hope that rather than getting focused on grooming my child’s musical tastes that I will be able to pass on something much greater. So what kind of an impact are you going to have on your children? And are you being intentional with what you pass on to them?

Cold War Kids – Behave Yourself

Nathan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:34:08 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, Cold War Kids released their follow up to their sophomore slump, Loyalty to Loyalty, with the stellar Behave Yourself EP. Despite being only 14 minutes long, this record is as big of a step in the right direction as Loyalty was a step in the wrong direction. After the release of the Loyalty in late 2008, followed by several poor reviews of their live shows, I had all but written them off when I heard Behave. After grooving to, being swooned by and then being inspired by Behave Yourself, once again I find myself eagerly awaiting the next project from Cold War Kids. Especially since I just recently heard that on their next record they are going to be working with producer Jacquire King, whose most recent credits include the new Norah Jones record, which we loved, and one of the best rock records of 2008, Kings of Leon’s Only By the Night.

Twitter Twoubles

Cody — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:02:59 +0000

This post isn’t so much about music, as it is about our inability to tweet correctly.
I’m going to give it one more go, or it might be something we just don’t do for a while.

Cross your fingers?

EDIT: I fixed it! Hooray!

Yeasayer “Odd Blood”

Sam — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:09:46 +0000

Brooklyn-based trio Yeasayer amble back from a three year self-induced exile with what sounds like a trippy jungle-clearing drum circle turned synth-heavy blip hop rave: Odd Blood. With their second full-length album, this tight-knit group of family members (lead singer and bassist are cousins) and childhood friends (lead singer and guitarist grew up ogether) step away from the urban folk roots of their acclaimed debut, All Hour Cymbals and reach out to an equally appealing subcategory of the musical spectrum, electronica. As on “Mondegreen” and “Love Me Girl,” quasi-frontman and lead singer Chris Keating occasionally takes a page out of Empire of the Sun’s book with his overly dramatic high-pitch utterances that cut the flow almost too noticeably. Unlike Luke Steele though, Keating knows he is no the emperor of any celestial bodies – or dance floors for that matter. This sophomore release does not disappoint the anxious fan craving new tunes to fill their oversized headphones. Fortunately, Yeasayer has managed to find the happy medium between sticking to the familiar and experimenting with the foreign.

Although Odd Blood touches on styles from several eras of musical and artistic evolution, Yeasayer remains at its core a psychedelic band hat enjoys challenging itself. Indeed the most spot-on description of their sound came from the three gentlemen themselves: “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel.” Guitarist Anand Wilder steps up his game, innovating new and even more transcendent distortions for the ear’s pleasure. “Strange Reunions” is a glorified jam session of which any Cry Baby critic would be proud. Bassist Ira Wolf Tuton proves he is certainly not afraid to fan the flames of experimentation; occasionally transforming his four strings into a digital flute like it is no big deal. The slow, tongue-in-cheek ins and outs of “The Children” display an unheard of grandeur for “that other string instrument” – the much-too-often ignored bass. Vocalist Chris Keating shows the most noteworthy strokes of genius of the album; even if he is unwilling to admit it. Keating is the heart and soul of Yeasayer. He vents an increasing curiosity with synthesizers like a kid with a new toy on his hands, not quite fully mastering it before putting it to real use. Rolling and thumping through the thickets of raw poetry, the fatherly ballad that is “Ambling Alp” attests to Keating’s songwriting talent in case this whole keyboard business does not work out. No need for precautions though. The warped bass beats and oh-so-danceable ivory riffs of “Rome” form easily the best song of the album…and perhaps the year.

Often compared to the likes of Animal Collective, MGMT, and Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer despises the idea of “scenes” or any gathering of several artists dictating what sounds good or bad. What sets these three musicians apart from other under-the-surface bands can be summed up with one word – chemistry. As evident on their lovable, energetic La Blogotheque sessions, the members of Yeasayer know each other through and through, their strengths and weaknesses, their preferences and pet peeves. With only two songs under three minutes in length, this sophomore release proves that Yeasayer is no mere throwaway indie blip on the radar screen. Odd Blood begs for dissection, ushering forth new discoveries with every listen.