Kevin Drew: "Age of Consent" cover

One of my favorite New Order songs gets covered by Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew. It's up on PF today. Its pretty in that soft, sparse, Tori-ish kind of way. Check it out.

Phospherescent: Pride

I don't know where to begin with this one. Phosphorescent is one guy, Mathew Houck, and I think the best word to use to describe his music is sweeping. It's slow, it pleads, and it cascades left and right with rich vocal harmony and slow, plodding guitar strums. It has a lot of space. It's an expiremental approach to folk music, but there are still rich melodies at the surface that keep the songs sounding familiar, but just a little out of reach.

Listen to this one at night, when you're sitting at your computer by yourself. This stuff is like lotion-music. It's a little cold at first, but its thick and creazy, and it feels good once it soaks in.

As for the equation, I'm thinking: Mazzy Star x (Crosby, Stills & Nash + + Will Oldham + a pinch Band of Horses)

LINK: Phospherescent: Pride

RegnYouth Back in Action

After nearly a month MIA, one of the better MP3 Blogs, RegnYouth, is back in a big way. I think dude posted a good 30 albums in the last two days. He's got a truckload of 2007 releases worth a listen:

Radiohead: In Rainbows
Tuung: Good Arrows
Kanye West: Graduation
Beirut: Flying Cup Club
Fiery Furnaces: Widow City
Jens Lekman: Night Falls of Kortedala
Band of Horses: Cease to Begin
Sunset Rubdown: Random Spirit Lover
The Go! Team: Proof of Youth
Enon: Grass Geysers, Carbon Clouds

Hold Steady Live on KEXP

And on to bands that certifiably rock. Here's a live performance that the Hold Steady laid to tape for KEXP in Seattle.

Even better, there's talk of a new album in the Spring or Summer of 2008. Hells yes. In the meantime, Meg and I have tickets to go see them a week from today on, you said man, Halloween. It's on.

LINK: Hold Steady Live on KEXP

The Besnard Lakes: ... are the Dark Horse

Sorry for the delay on posts -- been really busy at work this past week. Here's a great album from 2007 from Canadian outfit The Besnard Lakes. The formula for this one is something along the lines of Steve Miller Band + Sigur Ros + Steppenwolf, with a smidge of Beach Boys thrown in for good measure. It's a solid rock disc, and one of the best debut albums of the year. Check out the track "Devestation" for a sure-fire mix CD opener.

LINK: The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse

Kevin Drew: Spirit If

Here's the new solo joint from Broken Social Scene's (frontman?) Kevin Drew. Most the reviews say it sounds like a BSS album, which is accurate. Honestly, I think he could have cut out a couple of the tracks and gone EP instead of full-length. If I had it my way, I'd rather see the better tracks make their way on to the next BSS album, especially since the band is playing on them anyway. Alas this album is still pretty solid anyway. Favorites are "Farewell to the Pressure Kids", "Lucky Ones", and hard rock-gone-dance stylings of "Backed Out On the..."

Link: Kevin Drew: Spirit If

Here's the video for "Backed Out On the...":

First Thougths on In Rainbows... after 2 listens

I'm not going try to tie these all together, so here we go with the list:

1. They're dont' seem to be any huge stylistic left turns -- the bands sounds like they've settled in a little bit -- but you can tell here that Thom's songwriting continues down the path of abstract and experimental. The best thing about listening to a Radiohead album for the first time is trying to predict which direction a feel or melody will go in. So far, I'm zero for, like, 500 on that. You cannot predict how Thom will write a line or how the band will fall in behind it, and that's what makes this group so artistically significant (and so commercially negligible).
   
2. I love that the album is only 10 tracks because that really helps the sequencing and flow of this disc tremendously. There are strong juxtapositions from one song to the next, but nothing sounds out of place.
   
3. When things do sound off -- for instance the way the drums and piano fight against each other on the final track, "Videotape" -- they're off in a way that seems original, organic and I don't know... intellectual?
   
4. Thom really hits some high notes on this record.
   
5. These songs are in no way whatsoever "catchy", even by Radiohead standards. The writing seems to wander quite a bit, but usually builds toward some kind of peak. This will probably change as the album soaks in. Kid A felt the same way the first time (and still does kinda).
   
6. As usual, Nigel Godrich has done amazing things with the drum and bass production. They sound more crisp than ever on this record.
   
7. And speaking of production, thank you for the strings, they make some of the more simple tracks sound absolutely huge. I wonder who wrote these arrangements.

There's more, but those are just a few of thoughts I had while listening last night. Those who've heard it, chime in with your impressions.

New Radiohead Comes out Today

Just a reminder that the new Radiohead album, In Rainbows, is available for download as of today. Yes, you can still pay whatever you want for it. To access the tracks, sign up for Radiohead's W.A.S.T.E. email list to receive a link to the download site (I don't have mine yet, so I guess that means be patient).

Early buzz is that it's more OK Computer than Kid A, and of course, great. (Though I wouldn't expect bad reviews to come from anyone over at Stereogum.) Happy listening.

UPDATE: It looks like you might be able to go to www.InRainbows.com to download it, but I can't even get the page to load, so I can't verify. Maybe the server activity will cool down tonight long enough for me to jump on and get that mother.

In the meantime, I'm shitting myself with excitement to listen to this. Unfortunately I have to go play in my euchre league so it's going to be at least 10pm before I get back, track it down and listen.

Digitalism: Idealism

Thanks to Mike C. for hunting this one down and sending it over. Digitalism is drawing a lot of comparisons to Justice for their similar "garage" approach to dance music, and to Hot Chip for the live sound, and full-band scale of their performances. Scope it.

Sorry, I haven't listened enough to write more. Check out the AllMusic review for guidance.

LINK: Digitalism: Idealism

New Bat For Lashes Video

Here's a new video I spotted over on Dick Darlington. He's right, this is great stuff -- a must for any fan of BMX. :)



Man, this one takes me back. Does anyone remember the old Nintendo cart called "California Games"? The BMX level? Man that was the shit. I was pro at that level and the hacky sack. Never could get down the half pipe level though -- that was nearly impossible. Rollerskating was another favorite.

A Pretty Great New Beirut Video

For the songs "Forks & Knives" off the new album.

New Stuff & Some Led Zeppelin

Here's the new EP from Midlake. If you haven't checked out last year's Trials of Van Occupanther, do yourself a big favor. This new releases features an acoustic take on that album's first cut, plus a couple of leftovers. Word is the band is currently writing and recording the follow-up, which is said to have same 70s rock approach.

Midlake: Oak and Julian EP

If you liked the last Band of Horses, this new album is more of the same. You can definitely hear the presence of all the new members (the last disc was mostly Ben Bridwell and one other guy, who since has left the band... I think). I predict Pitchfork giving this one a 7.5 rating. I'll give a 6 so far.

Band of Horses: Cease to Begin

Here's an all acoustic version (!) of the new Okkervil River release. I didn't even know this existed. Haven't heard this yet, but if you like the new album -- and you should -- this one is worth grabbing for curiosity sake.

Okkervil River: The Stage Names (acoustic version)

Need I say anything else: Best Zeppelin album ever: Houses of the Holy. You be the judge.

The full Led Zeppelin discography.

I posted this one a few months ago, but I wanted to bring it back up since it's probably still the best slice of dance music to get released this year. Just dirty, nasty, bloody disco.

Justice: †

The Hits Don't Stop

With the exception of the Jack White EP, all of this stuff is new or pre-new, so be sure to give it a listen. The one song I've heard from the new Prefuse 73 disc sounds like a return to form after a couple of sub-par (in my opinion) recent outings. Beirut should be an interesting listen at all, for anyone who loved the more developed full-band sound on the recent Lon Gisland EP.

I also posted the new Common, as I figure some of you folks might be interested in hearing that. I just can't get over the fact that Common refers to himself as a "socially-conscious love artist." I mean jesus, talk about over-indulgent self-awareness. Where do people come up with shit like this?

Beirut: The Flying Club Cup
Jack White: Cold Mountain EP
Liars: self-titled (2007)
Prefuse 73: Preperations
Common: Finding Forever
Los Campesinos: Sticking Fingers Into Sockets EP

Jens Lekman: Night Falls Over Kortedala

The new Jens Lekman album could be described as "cuter than a button" which is an expression my grandma used to use, and one which never made much sense to me. Speaking of Grandmas, yours would probably dig Night Falls Over Kortedala because Jens is only one or two degrees removed from Frankie Valli or Barry Manilow. Jens has a clear knack for pop melodies, but he's soft and buttery.

That's right, if Jens continues his successful career, it's entirely likely that your grandkids may one day wonder how you ever liked "that kind of music" and why it was cool in it's time (though it's really not at all).

People are either going to love this album or say to themselves, "Wow. I didn't realize it before, but this guy is kind of a puss." I mean, just look at the cover. Who cares though, there are some great songs, and some cheesy songs, and some cheesy songs that are great.

LINK:
Jens Lekman: Night Falls Over Kortedala

For good measure, I'm throwing in a couple bonus links. Check out the new Jose Gonzalez and a full discography from The Knife.

The Knife: Complete Discography
Jose Gonzalez: In Our Nature

Animal Collective: "Peacebone"

"Why again do people like this band?" That's been my primary impression of Animal Collective since purchasing their Here Comes the Indian album on a recommendation. That was both scary, and really really boring. Noise collages just aren't for me.

But, their new album, Strawberry Jam is nice and accessible -- almost campy for a band that has enjoyed most of their success on the predication that they are difficult to listen too, and therefore uniquely hardcore in their own right. Anyway, the new album isn't quite easy listening, but's a real gem of modern psych-rock. There's definitely a quirky, circus-style Beach Boys-thing, with a wall of electronic noise happening throughout the disc.

Here's the first track off the album, called "Peacebone". If you like this song, you will like Strawberry Jam.

Friday Roundup

Here's a bunch of links I gathered from the furthest reaches of the information superhighway, including a bunch of highly anticipated new releases that just hit. I'm especially stoked to check out the new Rogue Wave and Jens Lekman discs when I get home this evening.

NEW:
Rogue Wave: Asleep at Heaven's Gate (2)
Jens Lekman: Night Falls over Kortedala
High On Fire: Death is Communion
Okkervil River: The Stage Names
Iron & Wine: Shepherd's Dog (+ 2 others)
Chromeo: Fancy Footwork

RECENT & CLASSIC:
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna Are You the Destroyer
Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks
Traveling Wilburys: Volume 1
Beirut: Lon Gisland EP
Pinback: (self-tited)
The Stone Roses: (self-titled)
Art Brut: Bang, Bang, Rock'n Roll
M.Ward: Transistor Radio

Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests Of...

Normally the whole dude-with-acoustic thing doesn't do much for me, but Josh Ritter is a different kind of dude-with-acoustic. Lyrically he's almost embarrassingly warm and charming. The songs themselves have that undeniable Woody Guthrie kind of authenticity, almost like there's a little role for all of us in each number. They're not all overwrought with emotion, just honest folk tunes from somebody who seems like a good, wholesome dude. This album plays like a friend who's just calling to check in and tell you what's been going on.

LINK:
Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests Of...

Electrelane: No Shouts, No Calls

Here's an all-female band that fucking rocks. Is that sexist?

LINK: Electrelane: No Shouts, No Calls

Los Campesinos - Sticking Fingers in to Sockets

This is their new EP. Their stuff seems a combination of a punky Architecture in Helsinki and the chick that sings the chorus in Len's "Steal My Sunshine." Seriously though, did that girl resurface in this band?

This disc is a shorty but a goody. You can tell this is their first real recorded material because the songs have a shitload of energy, excitement and straight up youth. Quick changes, and a lot of ideas crammed in to small spaces. I'm curious to hear what some of you guys think of this band (play the video below and comment).

LINK:
Los Campesinos - Sticking Fingers in to Sockets

Los Campesinos - "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives"

Great song and one of the more intense videos I've seen lately. Low budget animation at its best!



Their whole EP is kickin'. I will try to hunt it down.