Saturday, March 31, 2007
Laura Gibson is from Portland, OR and plays a nylon-stringed guitar. On her latest (and first) full-length album
If You Come To Greet Me she (at times) sounds eerily like Julie Doiron or a folkier and less jazzy Norah Jones or maybe even Feist. Whatever. Her music has an almost timeless or even old-timey quality about it. I'd describe her music and prairie folk. I can picture her sitting in a meadow surrounded by tall grasses and blue skies with her hair blowing in the wind somewhere in Oklahoma. Gibson's featherlight Americana on
If You Come To Greet Me gets contributions from the members of Norfolk & Western and its arrangements augmented with piano, acoustic guitar, horns, lightly brushed drums, string arrangements, and more. A perfect record for some upcoming sunny summer afternoon and it is out now on
Hush Records.
MP3 |
Laura Gibson - Hands In Pockets If You Come To Meet MeMP3 |
Laura Gibson - Broken Bottle If You Come To Meet Me
I a big fan of Illinois (both the university and the band). And while the band
Illinois might share a name with my home state, they are actually based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I find that very interesting because my wife is originally from Pennsylvania, but now calls Illinois home. It can all be very confusing.
Illinois the band, however inappropriate their name to geographic relevance is, is pretty dog gone good. Their new EP
What The Hell Do I Know? is a veritable free-for-all of indie rock styles that is all over the map. It references a bit o' Modest Mouse ("Nosebleed"), the fuzz pop of Brendan Benson ("One On One"), the indie soul-pop of Cold War Kids ("Screendoor"), a little Birdmonster ("Headphones"), and more. I'm really not sure how they packed so much into only 7 songs
and made them all so damn catchy.
What The Hell Do I Know? is out now on the we-can-seemingly-do-no-wrong
Ace Fu Records. Highly rec'd!
MP3 |
Illinois - Alone Again What The Hell Do I Know?MP3 |
Illinois - One On One What The Hell Do I Know?
Friday, March 30, 2007
For the last month or so we've had the
Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 sitting in the kitchen playing steady shuffle of songs from my iPod as well as Amy's iPod and I can't heap enough praise on this product. It is an iPod dock and soundsystem whit a modern tubular design that looks almost as good as it sounds. And while not tiny and portable how you might think of it, the iM7 is easy to move and will function just about anywhere.
Over the weekend, we took it outside to enjoy on the deck and it performed just as well. It was (however) the sound quality of the iM7 that sold me. The unit sounds great at both low and high volumes and pumps out awesome bass for a unit its size thanks to a powerful subwoofer. The iM7's bass is (IMHO) much more powerful than the Bose SoundDock's and it is adjustable via the remote. Sound clarity is great and the bass is not muddy even at high volumes because of two pairs of woofers and tweeters which give the iM7 a sound that is comparable to that of many home stereo systems.
Other features on Altec Lansing's iM7 portable iPod "sound-dock-boom-box" include a wireless remote, a plethora of inputs and outputs on the rear of the unit that include video output for iPod (S-Video), and optional battery mode which provides up to 10 hours of operation time. Because it is a docking station, you iPod charges as you listen too!
Even though the iM7 weighs in at 10 pounds (without iPod or batteries) it has a soft rubber grip on the back of the unit that makes it very easy to carry around (and I know it will be going a lot of places with us this summer). The iM7's video outputs on the back also allow it to function as a video pass through and provides direct output of photo slideshows. In addition, the back of the iM7 also has a nifty nook to store its remote so you don't have to worry about losing it. The power cord isn't all that long, but if you plan on taking the unit outside to supply jams for your party, suck it up and just use an extension cord.
Overall, we love the Altec Lansing inMotion iM7 iPod speaker system and dock. It's sleek and simple design, killer sound, ease of use, and affordable price (it lists for $50 less than the Bose SoundDock) make it a winner in our book.
If you like LA's The Broken West, you'll most definitely like Chicago's
Penthouse Sweets. Both bands have that sun-soaked rootsy pop-rock sound that has just enough alt-country charm to make you fall in love at sunset. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it doesn't have to be. Great melodies and flawless (or perfectly flawed) execution that slowly rocks like The Replacements, Buffalo Tom, or Old 97's puts this band leagues ahead of most of the competition.
Penthouse Sweets have been a band for roughly 4 years and features former members of The Differents and The Dorks. I'm not totally sure if they are the same pop-punk Dorks that I saw a few times back in my UIUC days, but with as good as the Sweets are, it doesn't even matter. As good as this band is its also hard to believe that this band is self-releasing its records and doesn't have any label support behind them. Seriously. Have a listen friend 'em up on
myspace.
MP3 |
Penthouse Sweets - Smt Blk Drs See You In BedMP3 |
Penthouse Sweets - Holiday See You In Bed
Loch Lomond started as a solo recording project of Ritchie Young in 2003 but has since become of full-fledged band consisting of 6 or 7 people (depending on who you consult). They are from Portland, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest and just like the forests that dominate much of that landscape, the band's music is mesmerizing, beautiful, and also rough around the edges.
The band recently released the
Lament For Children EP on the wonderful
Hush Records and the EP is full of highly-orchestrated (but lo-fi) and folk-tinged indie pop that reminds me of The Decemberists and sometimes The Shins. It is a great listen and (with 8 songs totalling over 40 minutes) seems more like an album than an EP. I'll describe the low key and melody filled songs on
Lament For Children as indie pop for pine trees. The EP is out now.
MP3 |
Loch Lomond - Tic Lament For ChildrenMP3 |
Loch Lomond - Bird And A Bear Lament For Children
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Does Chicago have its own indie rock sound? I would like to think that instead of a particular sound, it has a feel. A certain combination of Midwestern charm, rough edges, and melodic prowess.
Ozark Cousins certianly falls into that category (which is seemingly about the size of Lake Michigan right now) of killer Chicago indie rock bands. The band has just released their first album which you can download in its entirety
here. It is full of upbeat and orchestrated Chicago-style (I'm making them sound like a hot dog) indie rock like May Or May Not, Chin Up Chin Up, and Bound Stems. Or for those not from Chicago, maybe like Beulah, The Shins, or What Made Milwaukee Famous. In other (simpler) words, this is top notch stuff and features members of May Or May Not and
Driftless Pony Club. Razzle dazzle.
MP3 |
Ozark Cousins - The Bear S/TMP3 |
Ozark Cousins - Basghetti Western S/T
Even though the band
Richmond Fontaine calls Portland, Oregon home, their music oozes with the flavors and sounds of the Southwest. Listening to their latest album,
Thirteen Cities, I can picture the lingering desert smog over Phoenix or Albuquerque coloring the sunset deep shades of orange and red. That is due in part to the fantastically descriptive and real lyrics of frontman Willy Vlautin who (in addition to the band) just published his first novel
The Motel Life which is being compared to the writing of Steinbeck and Carver.
Lyrically,
Thirteen Cities is a generally sad record that (when combined with the lonely alt-country music that accompanies it) weaves tales about downtrodden Southwestern cities and personal woe. Vlautin sings in a plaintive and conversational voice about the clash between the desert and the continuing suburban sprawl and the hell it has become for the lower working class. It isn't a call to arms but it is definitely a condemnation.
Imagine the sound of steel guitar brushing up alongside mariachi-esqe horns as the wind blows sand and sage brush in the other direction. Its like being abandoned in the desert alone (with only your 1987 Ford F150 as refuge from the stifling heat).
Thirteen Cities is due out stateside in May. RIYL: Old 97's,
AM-era Wilco, etc...
MP3 |
Richmond Fontaine - $87 And A Guilty Conscience... Thirteen CitiesMP3 |
Richmond Fontaine - Capsized Thirteen Cities
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Hialeah is not just some town in Florida. It is also the name of a rock band from San Diego, California. Their 2006 album
Where You're Standing is full of muscular post-hardcore in the vein of
Frankie-era Braid, Jawbox, Helmet, and Elliott. The lilting bass and dynamic guitar interplay create swirling and temperamental grooves that are buoyed by just enough melody to keep it all afloat. It is damn fine stuff and you can even call it emo if you want to.
MP3 |
Hialeah - Bite Your Tongue Where You're StandingMP3 |
Hialeah - Nothings Automatic Where You're Standing
Blogger ate the first draft of this after I was done typing. Here is how it went as best I can remember.
I remember the first time I heard the music of Duluth, MN slowcore pioneers
Low. It was December of 1999 and my father had just read the Best Music of 1999 list in the Chicago Tribune and decided to purchase as many of the albums on that list as he could find. One of those was Low’s
Secret Name. After listening to the album his reaction was something like, “That music makes me want to kill myself.” Not surprising for powerful music that seems weighted down by burden and sorrow.
Low’s newest album
Drums And Guns comes on the heels of their most rockin’ and unexpected effort to date (
The Great Destroyer). And while I didn’t know what to expect from
Drums And Guns, except for the (for Low) upbeat “Hatchet” as a bit of relief in the middle, the album awfully fucking minimal and much more stark than the band’s previous work.
Don’t listen to
Drums And Guns while trying to fall asleep. It is like being trapped inside a nightmare. Alan and Mimi’s mournful harmonies drift atop sparse instrumentation that includes organ, piano, drums (both electronic and real), and the occasional guitar creating sorrowful almost hymn-like dirges.
Drums And Guns is deliberately and unsettlingly slow. It is almost painfully drawn out. Some of the adjectives I wrote down while listening to the album include barren, cold, sad, isolated, etc… It would be like listening to Nanang Tatang after years of drug abuse and a failed marriage.
Drums And Guns is out now on
Sub Pop MP3 |
Low - Breaker Drums And GunsMP3 |
Low - Always Fade Drums And Guns
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The world was saddened last year after it was revealed that UK noisemakers Test Icicles has broken up. Fear not! Dev Hynes (formerly of Test Icicles) has a solo project which he is calling
Lightspeed Champion.
Does it sound anything like Test Icicles? No, but (frankly) I don't care. He just recently put the finishing touches on an album that will be out on
Domino Records later this year. He recorded the record in Omaha, Nebraska with help from Mike Mogis and some of the Saddle Creek lads. Spiffy, huh?
MP3 |
Lightspeed Champion - Waiting Game DemoMP3 |
Lightspeed Champion - Moan Moan Moan Demo
Monday, March 26, 2007
As the weather here in Chicago gets warmer let the easy and breezy pop sounds of Chicago's own
Arwin wash over you. Their recently released EP
Bright Outside is a sunny slice of oven-fresh indie pop that is as refreshing as a tall glass of fresh squeezed lemonade on a warm spring day like today.
Alternately, the music of Arwin is like a smoothie made with 1 banana, a scoop of vanilla yogurt, some Byrds, a little Flaming Lips, a pinch of Radiohead, a dollop of Fleetwood Mac, and some Beach Boys orchestration. Once blended, it is a smooth and charming listen from a terrific band that more people need to know about. Seriously, these songs have been on constant repeat over here the last few days. Great stuff.
MP3 |
Arwin - Bright Outside Bright Outside EPMP3 |
Arwin - Meant To Be Bright Outside EP
What can I say about the new album from
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists. Well, its called
Living With The Living and it pretty much picks up right where his last record (2005's
Shake The Sheets) left off. It is yet another solid album full of the shimmering and visceral jangle-punk that Ted Leo has made his very own. As you might expect, he doesn't throw a lot of surprises at you. The music is loose without being sloppy and frenetic but with purpose. Leo (again) showcases his jagged, trebly and (IMHO)
terribly underrated guitar chops.
Living With The Living is a glorious and melody filled political and personal statement. Ted Leo wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't afraid to let his voice ring out and shout out his views about war ("Bomb Repeat Bomb"). He also isn't afraid to toss in a little reggae and splashes of Celtic influence for good measure either. One of my favorite moments on
Living With The Living is the droning guitar part at the end of "The Lost Brigade." It sounds like rays of sunshine breaking through a cloudy sky just before a WWII-era fighter plane breaks through and drops a full payload on an unsuspecting city.
If you like Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, chances are that you'll like or love this album too.
Living With The Living is out now on
Touch and Go Records.
MP3 |
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - A Bottle Of Buckie Living With The LivingMP3 |
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - La Costa Brava Living With The Living
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Evidently I'm not as hip as I'd like to think (no snide comments please). Only recently have I become enamored with the smokey and sultry vocals of
Amy Winehouse and I can't get enough of her latest Columbia Records album
Back To Black. I won't go on and on about it (or any of the tabloid-worthy drama that she seems to be involved with), but
Back To Black is
sooooooo good. It plays like a jazz-inflected interpretation of the classic 50's and 60's doo-wop sound with modern R&B production qualities. Motown in style but modern in scope. Perfect shoulder-shakin' music for the warm up we here in Chicago are gonna get today.
MP3 |
Amy Winehouse - Rehab Back To BlackMP3 |
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black Back To BlackMP3 |
Amy Winehouse - Rehab (Hot Chip Remix) MP3 |
Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Saturday, March 24, 2007
!!! (pronounced chk chk chk) is back. Their latest album
Myth Takes is overflowing with slinky dance-punk that has (somehow) mysteriously writhed its way up from the subterreanean depths. Guitars whirr and horns stab while the drums pump out dance floor banging beats like a candy factory gone awry.
The music makes you want to move. It is organic, glitchy, bouncy, and conjures images of darkly sweaty bodies that are moving hyper-motion.
Myth Takes makes your heart pound. Like NYC in the middle of the jungle, this is the perfect soundtrack for a dance party into the heart of darkness. "Yadnus" is like a sacrifical (and almost Rammstein-esqe) death march. A perfect and funky urban jungle dub disco deconstruction.
Myth Takes combines bits and pieces of almost every genre imaginable and distills them into relentless viscreal sexy disco-punk jams that (by comparison) make The Rapture seem safe. Fans of LCD Soundsystem, Black Dice,
Orblivion, and Gang Gang Dance should take notice. !!! has hit their stride.
Myth Takes is out now on
Warp Records.
MP3 |
!!! - Heart Of Hearts Myth TakesMP3 |
!!! - Must Be The Moon Mtyh Takes
Friday, March 23, 2007
Nicole Atkins calls Neptune, New Jersey (a shore town just down the cost from Asbury Park) home. She now calls NYC home and (in addition to opening for the likes of indie rockers like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The National) she was named one of Rolling Stone's top 10 artists to watch earlier this year.
Her songs are throwbacks and recall the buoyant girl-group pop songs of the 50's and 60's and would provide the perfect soundtrack to an Under The Sea themed high-school dance. Her voice has been compared to Loretta Lynn's (not a bad compliment at all) and (by me) Gwen Stefani's. Needless to say that I'm pretty excited for her forthcoming major label debut called
Neptune City. The record drops June 26th.
MP3 |
Nicole Atkins - The Way It Is Neptune CityMP3 |
Nicole Atkins - Carouselle Bleeding Diamonds
"You gotta hear this one song - it'll change your life."Although many people first heard
The Shins because of the excellent 2004 film Garden State, many others have know about them longer than that. After two great albums (
Oh, Inverted World and
Chutes Too Narrow) for
Sub Pop Records it seems that the Shins are poised to be crowned kings of the indie pop universe.
Their third full-length
Wincing The Night Away was recently released to critical and commercial acclaim. While a little different and (to me) darker and more serious than previous albums, it isn't too much of a departure for the band. More of a refinement. Frontman and principal songwriter James Mercer is (once again) in top form as he crafts some of the most perfectly charming pop songs you'll hear all year.
The album begins quietly with "Sleeping Lessons" and ends with a whisper and the fade-out of chirping birds during (what is probably my favorite song on the record) "A Comet Appears." In between (however) there are moments of pure brilliance. There is the little banjo lick in "Australia," the woah's near the end of "Phantom Limb," and the funky little jam at the end of "Sea Legs" to name a few of those moments.
Wincing The Night Away is definately a lusher and more orchestrated than any of The Shins' previous releases. There are more strings and layers upon layers of melodies cascading into each other. It also seems like Mercer and the band are vividly aware of their success and their shiny new crowns as the kings of indie pop. Thankfully for all of us fans, The Shins are able to live up to the hype and deliver another great album.
MP3 |
The Shins - Phantom Limb Wincing The Night AwayMP3 |
The Shins - Split Needles Wincing The Night Away
Thursday, March 22, 2007
The music of the London duo
Phelan Sheppard is perfect for early morning when the dew is still on the grass, before the sun has risen, and just before the coffee is done. Their latest album
Harps Old Master is full of airy ambient folktronica that is much less bombastic than (say) stuff from Four Tet. This record is much more about texture.
Keiron Phelan and David Sheppard are (duh?) Phelan Sheppard. Sheppard is currently writing a biography of Brian Eno and is also part of the group Ellis Island Sound as well. The duo also records as State River Widening who's last album
Cottonhead has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. You should check that record out as well.
As for
Harps Old Master, it is a fairly minimal and organic sounding album. Mixing little electronic noises and digital artifacts with instrumentation like woodwinds, chimes, various percussion, drum machines, strings, and filtered acoustic guitar, the result is something that comes in somewhere between driving ambient (if there is such a thing) and fluttering melodies wrapped around lite-hop beats.
It is the sound of falling snow that catches the glint of the setting sun. It is the sound of the Earth turning on its own axis.
Harps Old Master is a fantastic album that is available now from the
Leaf Record Label.
MP3 |
Phelan Sheppard - Water Clock Harps Old MasterMP3 |
Phelan Sheppard - Tjarno Harps Old MasterMP3 |
State River Widening - Madder Hues Cottonhead
Why does San Diego, CA have weather that is just about perfect all year long? And why then does every band I seem to come across on the interweb from San Diego seem to be really good? Dumb luck perhaps or something more than that?
My latest San Diego "find" is a band called
Alta Voz that sounds like ghostly and fractured math-rocking apparition of At The Drive-In or maybe a less Latin influenced Mars Volta. I should also note that any band that garners comparisons to ATDI from me (or anyone else) had better be damn good. Alta Voz
is damn good. The music rocks really hard at times but also has an almost haunting and ethereal quality to it as well. Much like some of the more brooding tunes from Death Cab's
Transatlanticism album effect-laden guitars chime and wash over propulsive and relentless backbeats. However you describe Alta Voz, they have a new full-length record
City of Echo that deserves your attention. It is available from CD Baby if you aren't from their neck 'o the woods.
MP3 |
Alta Voz - Bayonets City Of EchoMP3 |
Alta Voz - Makeshift City Of Echo
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
I can't remember a day as full of great new releases as yesterday was. New releases from Modest Mouse, Low, Ted Leo, Andrew Bird, and LCD Soundsystem all hit stores yesterday. You'll see reviews of them all very soon, but (for now at least) there are bigger fish to fry.
I got an email from Brian of the always awesome NYC indie rock band
Beat Radio this evening. He indicated that they have a new EP called
Safe Inside The Sound on the horizon and that he wanted to share a song from it with me. I'm going to share that song with you and also re-post for probably the fourth time their great song "Treetops."
MP3 |
Beat Radio - People Are Talking Safe Inside The SoundMP3 |
Beat Radio - Treetops The Great Big Sea
The Chicago band
Let's Get Out Of This Terrible Sandwich Shop suffers from a terrible (but memorable) band name. What they lack in concise band-naming skills they more than make up for with fun and sprightly Farfisa tinged indie pop songs. Oh yeah, all the band members have backgrounds in improv comedy (some with Chicago's famed Second City) and (thus) much of their music could be safely considered pretty goofy cheese ball stuff in the vein of They Might Be Giants or Presidents of The United States of America.
Funny, catchy, entertaining stuff. Their 8-song EP is available now from
Audio Lunchbox.
MP3 |
Let's Get Out Of This Terrible Sandwich Shop - Bye You EPMP3 |
Let's Get Out Of This Terrible Sandwich Shop - Hatchet EP
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Sometimes I think that I should change the name of this blog to, "Dammit Jim! I'm a blogger not a web designer." Basically, I realized that this layout doesn't align properly and looks all kinds of screwy in IE7 and in Firefox. I will be forever in debt to anyone that can help me fix the alignment issues and get the background to show up correctly. Thanks.
I was first exposed to the smooth voice and stellar piano playing of
Steve Winwood through my father. Winwood was part of a number of great groups in the 60's and 70's like Traffic, Blind Faith, and the Spencer Davis Group. He (in fact) even played organ on the Hendrix classic "Voodoo Chile."
That's fine and well, but the music my dad exposed me to was (mainly) Steve Winwood's solo stuff. The songs are flowing with melody and despite sounding somewhat dated because of the synths and drum sounds, all the songs below are (IMHO) classics. If you are looking for a place to start your Winwood collection, check out his greatest hits collection called
ChroniclesMP3 |
Steve Winwood - Valerie Talking Back To The NightMP3 |
Steve Winwood - Higher Love Back In The High LifeMP3 |
Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life Back In The High Life
Monday, March 19, 2007
Would you be interested in indie rock that is melodic yet sometimes abrasive? You might just like the latest album from Nashville, Tennessee's
Hotpipes. Their latest (and also self-titled) album is out now on
Liquid Panda Records. It is a fantastic record that I've been listening to quite a lot lately and one that I would recommend to fans of Modest Mouse, Joggers, and Man Man. Maybe like a drunk indie rock version of Queen that just don't give a f%&k. How's that sound?
MP3 |
Hotpipes - Song For The Late Riser S/TMP3 |
Hotpipes - Starter Kit S/T
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Set Your Goals is a San Francisco bay area band that takes its name from the band CIV's first album. This band (and better than CIV did) blends pop-punk and hardcore the way that New Found Glory did circa
Nothing Gold Can Stay. In other words, the music is poppy and catchy but there are enough breakdowns to satisfy most of the hardcore kids as well; like and energetic pairing of Grade and Home Grown.
Bands like this seem like a rarity amongst the lets-see-how-fast-we-can-get-on-MTV crowd of bands like Fall Out Boy. Honest and heartfelt lyrics that are to a crowd of people like a match is to a can of gasoline. You can (and definitely should) pick up a copy of their latest album
Mutiny! today. It is out now on
Eulogy Recordings. The band is also on tour now with Anti-Flag and Alexisonfire. Hot damn.
MP3 |
Set Your Goals - Mutiny! Mutiny!MP3 |
Set Your Goals - Echoes Mutiny!
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Inspired by a three week trip he took to China in 2005,
Kenny Garret's latest album
Beyond The Wall is an intersting and innovative mash-up of Western jazz and traditional Chinese influences in an almost Coltrane-esqe way. The music is fresh and (while relatively hushed and somewhat meditative overall) there are moments of sonic fury throughout. As a lot of jazz and Eastern music is, this is music with many spiritual overtones.
On
Beyond The Wall Garret's alto saxophone is joined by the legendary tenor sax Pharoah Sanders and vibes of Bobby Hutcherson. It's and all-star cast that plays brilliantly on this record. Sometimes restrained and sometimes frenetic, it is hypnotic and stunning music from one of today's best jazz men.
Beyond The Wall is out now on the ever expanding roster of
Nonesuch Records.
MP3 |
Kenny Garrett - Beyond The Wall Beyond The WallMP3 |
Kenny Garrett - May Peace Be Upon Them Beyond The Wall
Friday, March 16, 2007
I just watched the Fighting Illini men's basketball team blow a 13 point lead over the last four minutes of tonight's NCAA Tournament game against Virgina Tech. Fire Bruce Weber now. We all knew he couldn't recruit, but now I'm questioning whether or not he can coach at all.
The Illini had the game in hand. They f'ing choked. Yes, VT stepped up the defensive pressure mightily and their press stifled Chester Fraizer and company, but c'mon guys, this is the Big Dance. Play like it.
When Bruce Weber left Southern Illinois to come to the U of I, I thought it was a good move. Looking back, however, Southern seems to be doing just fine without him around (a #4 seed this year with a damn fine team). Former Illini coach Bill Self is also doing fine, mainly because he can recruit the best kids in the country to go to Kansas with barely more than a phone call. And to think that the A.D. at Illinois wouldn't even interview current Ohio State Thad Matta when the position was vacant. Dumbass. Fire Bruce Weber now.
I thought that when the bracket was announced for this year's NCAA Tournament that Illinois was better than a #12 seed, but I was proved wrong. Fellow Illini fans, we need to take notice of this. The #12 seed the team got this year is probably as good as it gets for the foreseeable future. The cupboard is bare and it's only going to get worse. Mark my words: Illinois will not be part of 2008's March Madness. Fire Bruce Weber now.
New Young Pony Club is an indie rock band from London that throws down ass-shaking 80's new wave inspired grooves. Something perhaps like a female-fronted version of The Rapture. Their song "Ice Cream" is even featured on a commercial for Intel. Anyhow, if you feel like dancing (it is March Madness after all) peep the tracks below from their EP on
Modular Records.
MP3 |
New Young Pony Club - Get Dancey S/T EPMP3 |
New Young Pony Club - Descend S/T EP
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
It was 75 degrees in Chicago today and with the early onset of daylight savings time, things seem just about perfect around here. It is that feeling that makes me think of
The Connells. This Raleigh, NC band had its heyday in the early 90's but (surprisingly) is still active despite many lineup changes. I recall getting their now long-out-of-print 1993 album
Ring for Christmas from my older cousin Steve when I was fifteen years old. The music is essentially jangly southern power-pop with subtle Celtic influences, but is also much more than that. I can probably attribute my feelings about this music to nostalgia, but that doesn't diminish just how good this stuff is. On
Ring The Connells are in perfect form and (IMHO) created a record that should have been a huge hit but that remains amazingly under appreciated. Easily one of the best power-pop rock albums of the 90's.
MP3 |
The Connells - Slackjawed RingMP3 |
The Connells - 74/75 RingMP3 |
The Connells - Insane In The Brain (Cypress Hill Cover) When Pigs Fly
Monday, March 12, 2007
Clark Sabine (at one point) had a solo project he called Disconnect but changed the name when additional members joined the fray and it became a full band. All that being said, the band is from the DC area and goes by the name of
Statehood. In addition to Sabine, the band also features Eric Axelson and Joe Easley (both formerly of The Dismemberment Plan) on bass and drums. If the tunes they have posted are an indication of things to come, this is a band you'd better keep an eye on.
MP3 |
Statehood - Disconnect DemoMP3 |
Statehood - Blank Eyes Demo
Coming off as something like a reserved 80's inspired Four Tet with more ambient leanings,
Ayate makes some nice chilled-out soundscapes. He is from Shibuya, Tokyo the songs below would be right at home on the
Lost In Translation soundtrack. Its always nice when digging aound myspace unearths little gems like these.
MP3 |
Ayate - Umi MP3 |
Ayate - Taiyou
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Native Oregonian
Joshua English is set to release
Trouble None, his first solo album full of great acoustic guitar based indie pop songs, on April 17, 2007. 'Tis really
really good stuff. For the uninformed, Joshua English was the former frontman of the Boston indie-pop band Six Going On Seven, and (more recently with three former members of Snapcase) the post-punk band Attractive.
Because of his distinctive vocals and (as the press release states) acerbic lyrics, English manages to set himself apart from the rest of the bland singer-songwriter pack. In addition to playing a few shows at SXSW, he'll be touring the west coast with CYSTSFTS faves Jonah Matranga and Frank Turner this month as well. If you can, try to catch him live and pick up a copy of his new record.
Trouble None hits stores on April 17th, 2007 courtesy of
Welcome Home Records.
MP3 |
Joshua English - Little Betty Trouble NoneMP3 |
Joshua English - I Wanna Be Adored (Stone Roses Cover)
Friday, March 09, 2007
Another band from San Diego? Yep.
Fever Sleeves (named after a Q And Not U song?) play some sort of disjointed post-rock-core something that is fueled by angular guitars and which falls somewhere between Cap 'N' Jazz, The Dismemberment Plan, and maybe Shudder To Think. That sounds about right to me. Basically it's technical and aggressive without being either mathy or hardcore. Anyhow, if you like bands like Make Believe and Plastic Constellations, I think you might also like Fever Sleeves. I do.
MP3 |
Fever Sleeves - Awkward Moments Ketchup & Mustard DemoMP3 |
Fever Sleeves - Remember When Everything Hurt Ketchup & Mustard Demo
Thursday, March 08, 2007
By now virtually everyone should know that the new
Wilco album
Sky Blue Sky is slated for a May 15th release date on
Nonesuch Records with the following tracklist:
1. Either Way
2. You Are My Face
3. Impossible Germany
4. Sky Blue Sky
5. Side with the Seeds
6. Shake it Off
7. Please Be Patient With Me
8. Hate it Here
9. Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
10. Walken
11. What Light
12. On and On and On
MP3 |
Wilco - Impossible Germany (Live) Live In MilwaukeeMP3 |
Wilco - What Light Sky Blue SkyWhat you may not know is that
The Autumn Defense (featuring John Stirrat and Pat Sansone of Wilco) already has a new self-titled album out. Like their last album
Circles was, their new album is full of AM radio ready pop-rock that recalls the sounds of the 60's and 70's. It is the audio equivalent of a sunset in a William Faulkner novel with golden and burned in sepia toned vocal harmonies spilling from the speakers and a hint of relaxed Southern charm. Or is that the glow of the firelight on a cold winters night with just a smidge of slow jam? Not exactly folk-rock and certainly not adult-contemporary rock, The Autumn Defense (like Wilco) beautifully defies any easy classification.
I had the opportunity to see a stripped down version of the Autumn Defense live a few years ago when the opened for Jeff Tweedy in Chicago, and I've been a big fan ever since. Their new self-titled album is out now on
Broadmoor Records and certainly deserves a little of your time. RIYL: Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, The Pernice Brothers, etc...
MP3 |
The Autumn Defense - Feel You Now S/TMP3 |
The Autumn Defense - We Would Never Die S/T
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
I'm not sure how it happened, but I seem to have stumbled across a lot of good bands from San Diego, CA recently. One of those bands is
Irradio. I would describe them as sort of a cross between The Dismemberment Plan and TV On The Radio. Well, maybe if those two bands were siblings, Irradio would be their little brother whose troublemaking friends were Fugazi and Q And Not U. You know, spastic post-punk that you can dance to that also has some rough edges and atmospheric weight to it. Serious music from a band that doesn't take itself too seriously. I'm actually not really sure how their last album didn't get way more attention than it did. (Did it?)
Even though my wife and I have enjoyed their 2004 album
Make-Up For The Inaugurated since its release, the band (at least to me) seemed to have all but disappeared. Their main website went dormant some time ago and I didn't hear much about them for awhile. Recently (however) the band's myspace page has been updated with a few songs from their new demo. Hopefully this is an indication that a killer new Irradio record is on the horizon. In the meantime, feast your ears on the tracks below.
MP3 |
Irradio - We Downsize Make-Up The InauguratedMP3 |
Irradio - New Diversity Make-Up The InauguratedMP3 |
Irradio - Think About The Dream Sexy Wolf DemoMP3 |
Irradio - Call The Nation Sexy Wolf DemoMP3 |
Irradio - The Wonderful Sexy Wolf Demo
Oreskaband is a group of six teenage girls from Japan that are armed with noting but their instruments. The band plays an infectious style of edgy ska-pop that is reminiscent (at times) of Mustard Plug and the poppier side of LTJ. Now I was introduced to Japanese ska back in the mid 90's through bands like Kemuri and have always found their appropriation of the genre to be top notch and Oreskaband is no different. In addition, all the girls' vocals are sung in Japanese which adds an interesting element for us westerners. This is definitely a band that third-wave and modern ska fans should check out.
MP3 |
Oreskaband - Pinocchio S/T EPMP3 |
Oreskaband - The Boys S/T EP
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
As my wife and I (and a few friends) were stuffed like sardines in a bright yellow cab as it scurried across Chicago on Saturday night when I heard a song by
The Softlightes on the cab's radio. How unexpected. As I think I've mentioned before, The Softlightes is the new project of frontman/singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ron Fountenberry, formerly of The Incredible Moses Leroy.
The debut album from The Soflightes is called
Say No To Being Cool, Say Yes To Being Happy is light and airy pop music that isn't gimmicky in the least. Sugary sweet melodies just seem to float into your ears. (As I've stated before) I was a big fan of Moses Leroy, so its not surprising I like this.
Say No To Being Cool... is out now on
Modular Records.
MP3 |
The Softlightes - If The World Had Cookies Say No To Being Cool...MP3 |
The Softlightes - The Microwave Song ...Say Yes To Being Happy
Don't you ever just want to slow things down and stop to catch your breath once in awhile? Things are so fast-paced and people (myself included) don't seem to have the time to get everything done that needs to be done. Multitasking and mobile devices are now a necessity for most. Heck, I can actually remember a time before the internet and before 85% of people had a mobile phone. These days (however) I too wouldn't be able to function with my mobile phone or my iPod. And as companies start combining the two (Apple's iPhone, the Moto KRZR, etc...) things begin to get interesting.
One such marriage of mobile music and phones comes in the form of the new
Cingular Music service. Now I'm currently running many of the
Cingular Music applications though my new
Samsung SYNC phone and I must say that many of the features of both are pretty awesome.
The phone itself is unassuming at first, but when bundled with a 1 gigabyte mini SD card, USB cable, software, and earbuds, it becomes a pretty cool alternative to carrying two mobile devices. When playing music on my Samsung SYNC phone, I was most impressed by the quality of the music that came from the tiny speakers on the phone. While not as loud simply because of their size, the quality rivaled that of the speakers integrated into my laptop. The phone also has a 2 megapixel camera that is the best I've seen on any mobile phone.
A phone that plays music? I know you are thinking, "Big deal." Well,
Cingular Music offers many really cool features. Users can subscribe to streaming radio stations of every genre imaginable, order music through Napster, and even connect to any of 25
XM Radio stations. The first song I heard through Cingular's streaming
Mobi Radio was a Yeah Yeah Yeah's song. Not too shabby. YOu can also get weather and even stuff from NPR. Another ridiculously cool feature that
Cingular Music offers is something they call
Music ID.
Cingular's
Music ID is essentially an application on the phone that will name any song you are listening to. Start up the
Music ID application, hold the phone up to whatever song you are trying to identify and 15 seconds later the name of the song and the artist pops up on your phone. Seriously. I tried it out with three songs. Lily Allen's "Smile," "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, and Braid's "Please Drive Faster." All three were identified without a hitch.
The only snag that I've run into is that my Samsung SYNC phone's memory card doesn't read about 90% of the time. It's a tiny little memory card that fits in a tiny little slot and you gotta jam it in there just right or else it doesn't read, and even then... Even so, if you are a Cingular subscriber, I'd totally recommend getting the music package.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Does anyone remember Dill Records? That was the name of Mike Park's label (and a reference to his band Skankin' Pickle) before he changed the name to
Asian Man Records. It seems like such a long time ago. I also bring this up because one of my favorite albums of all time was originally released on Dill Records. It is Slapstick's punk-ska masterpiece
Lookit!.
Slapstick was an energetic and snotty punk-ska band from Elgin/Chicago, IL that played from about 1993-1996. I think the first time I saw Slapstick was when they opened for Less Than Jake at the Fireside. From that day until their offical last show at Metro, I probably saw the band live a dozen times or so and was never disappointed. Maybe it was because I was 16 or 17 years old and nostalgia has colored my memory, but those were some of the best shows I've ever seen. In November of 1997 I even got to see the band play two reunion/benefit shows at the Fireside Bowl. Those were amazing times.
Since their breakup in 1996, the former members have gone on to play in bands like The Honor System, The Broadways, Tuesday, Less Than Jake, Colossal, Duvall, Smoking Popes, Whale|Horse, Lawrence Arms, Alkaline Trio, and The Falcon. Pretty impressive, huh? I could say that Slapstick was the best band ever, but they weren't. Yeah it was an absolutely perfect marriage of crunchy rock guitars, rocksteady bass, punk rock backbeat, and bright melodic horns, but they were sloppy, rebellious, teenage punks.
Despite having two 7" records, a few compilation appearances, and
Lookit!, the only remaining music of theirs still in print is their green
Discography CD. Luckily for us, it contains a majority of their recorded material. I have two copies of the
Lookit! CD and the
Discography. You should really go to
Asian Man Records and buy this today.
MP3 |
Slapstick - The Park DiscographyMP3 |
Slapstick - Sick Of This Place DiscographyMP3 |
Slapstick - Colorado DiscographyMP3 |
Slapstick - Almost Punk Enough DiscographyMP3 |
Slapstick - Broken Down DiscographyMP3 |
Slapstick - The Punks DiscographyMP3 |
Slapstick - Alternative Radio Discography
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Last night the wife and I (and a bunch of friends) went to see the comedic genius of
Jim "Hot Pocket" Gaffigan. He has forever changed how I view
Ho 
