the CAMERA As PEN™

golden bear

2006-08-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

it's not that often nowadays that i approach an album without any preconceptions or expectations of what i'm about to hear, either based upon the band's previous work or upon an avalanche of hype touting a band as the "next big thing" to come out of nowhere. perhaps that's what has made the debut record from austin's golden bear* such a pleasant surprise for me. after reading kaleb's rave review at sctas.com, i got the impression this was something special but was still sort of clueless about what i should expect to hear. once i popped it in the decks, there was no stopping the infection. each song made me love them more and more. it has quickly become one of my favorite records to be released in 2006. so i think the best way to leave it out there for you is to not give you any more to think about other than that. just take the next step and give it a shot. trust me. you will be rewarded.
you can download these songs below - which are available on the c-side records website - and listen to them, of course. but the best way to do it would be to drop the measly tenner and order the cd. when it shows up on your doorstep, you can listen to the whole album properly - in order, in its entirety, while lovingly gazing into the beautifully painted cover art.

MP3: ~~"a reason to be proud"~~
MP3: ~~"santa rosa"~~
from the album: golden bear
release date: 08/01/06
label: c-side
myspace: make like friends

*(not to be confused with the brooklyn-based grizzly bear, who are in and of themselves a whole 'nother fantastic species of musical ursidae)

ratatat

2006-08-15T11:32:00.000-04:00

dirty, rubbery, laserbeam guitar riffs always equal fun, if you ask me.
but no matter how many different ways you slice and dice it, no matter which angle you take to go about solving the equation, the solution you always end up at is that ratatat are frickin' cool as all get-out. after a promising debut and this highly enjoyable sophomore outing, these boys now officially reside in the portion of my heart that daft punk once occupied and then vacated years ago.

a friend of mine recently commented that "anyone who can put a sample of a wildcat in one of their songs and make it work is amazing."

AGREED!

MP3: ~~"montanita"~~
MP3: ~~"wildcat"~~
from the album: classics
release date: 08/15/06
label: xl recordings
myspace: make like friends

zookeeper

2006-07-06T23:17:00.000-04:00

"zookeeper is the name chris simpson has chosen for whatever new musical endeavors he is undertaking. chris simpson used to be that guy in mineral and the gloria record. chris simpson might have considered using his own name for his new music, but there is already a pretty amazing christian r&b guy using the moniker. chris simpson, the christian r&b guy's records can be found at pretty much any internet music site. zookeeper currently doesn't have any records, but please enjoy these works in progress. thank you for your time."
- from zookeeper's myspace page (2017 friends and counting)

MP3: ~~"trumpets"~~
MP3: ~~"snow in berlin"~~
MP3: ~~"empty graves (live)"~~
myspace: make like friends

pyramid

2006-06-26T10:53:00.000-04:00

charlotte, north carolina's experimental eight-piece pyramid have had their music featured in two david gordon green films, all the real girls and undertow. soon they can add the foot fist way - directed by dgg pal jody hill and starring danny mcbride (bust-ass from all the real girls) - to their list of soundtrack credits. the film was well-received at the 2006 sundance film festival, earning itself international distribution rights and possibly domestic rights in the near future.

film threat has this to say about the foot fist way:
"mix some bad santa, with a splash of napoleon dynamite and shake it up with a whole lot of whoop ass and you've got one of the funniest martial arts movies since they call me bruce?"

i'm curious to hear how pyramid's songs fit in with the comedic tone of the foot fist way, seeing as how the films in which their music has been featured previously were much more serious and introspective and had much more in common with their songs. it'll be interested to say the least.

a smattering of names that have been dropped in various reviews: jeff tweedy, sonic youth, jim o'rourke, john zorn, nick cave, a silver mt. zion, slint, sparklehorse, bright eyes, sixteen horsepower, tom waits, will oldham, mogwai...you should get the point by now.

though they've been together for roughly five years, the first american is the band's first album. definitely check this band out.

MP3: ~~"monster in the canyon"~~
MP3: ~~"umbrellas"~~
MP3: ~~"the engineer"~~
from the album: the first american
release date: summer 2005
label: n/a
myspace: add as friend

BUY IT FOR $10

balun

2006-06-25T08:55:00.000-04:00

"balún are three kids from the caribbean island of puerto rico. they are named angélica, josé and andrés. they like to make dreamy electro-acoustic melodies for imaginary films. they play several electronic and acoustic instruments such as melodica, violin, guitar and accordion. their music is inspired by little people called "balunes" that only appear at night."

here are 6 steps to beginning a wonderful love life with balún:

1. before meeting, do some research and get to know who you're dealing with. read this interview with balún over at motel de moka.

2. become myspace friends with them and ask them out for a nice evening. maybe a stop in a cutesy art gallery followed by an ice cream cone.

3. cheap date idea: get to know them better by heading over to the observatory to download their entire while sleeping e.p. (for free). end the evening with a long hug and a soft kiss on the cheek.

4. time to step it up and really turn on the charm. get dressed up and take them to a fancy restaurant. i highly recommend an e.p. collection, which compiles all three of balún's e.p.'s into one 19-song cd, for only *10 bucks*!

5. think about the possibility of a future together. there's a brand new full-length, something comes our way, coming out this month on brilliante records. maybe buy them some roses and jewelry to celebrate the occasion. it may be time to commit.

6. seal the deal. stay the night and on sunday morning, snuggle under the sheets with them and don't get out of bed until noon while listening to these whimsical tunes:

MP3: ~~"la bicicleta de cristal"~~
MP3: ~~"senecio"~~
MP3: ~~"hay una piscina en la nube"~~
from the album: an e.p. collection
release date: 2006
label: brilliante
myspace: add as friend

the radio dept.

2006-06-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

MP3: ~~"pet grief"~~
MP3: ~~"i wanted you to feel the same"~~
from the album: pet grief
release date: 05/30/06
label: labrador
myspace: add as friend

BUY IT FROM AMAZON

lansing-dreiden

2006-05-26T11:08:00.000-04:00

i've noticed the dividing island by lansing-dreiden has been receiving a somewhat steady stream of praise from other blogs around the net. and that sort of surprises me. i never would've predicted this as something that would end up being embraced by the mp3 blogosphere as a whole, what with them being so busy and all with their sufjan stevens, bloc party, gnarls barkley, and tapes n' tapes infatuations. sure, the dividing island boasts some pretty accessible songs (like the fantastic "a line you can cross" available below), but in the whole scope of things, i just figured lansing-dreiden were a bit too skewed and all over the board for most people's taste.
anyway, this was one of the releases that i was looking forward to most in 2006, after finding plenty to love on their previous efforts, the incomplete triangle and a sectioned beam (ep). i may have built up my expectations too much, as i was sort of underwhelmed when i finally got to hear the album, even though there are a few very promising tracks. but maybe after that initial disappointment wears off, i'll find myself gravitating towards it again and finding more to like about the album as a whole. so i will try to keep that attitude and enjoy it for what it is. i'm just glad to see them finally getting a little more recognition.

MP3: ~~"a line you can cross"~~
MP3: ~~"one for all"~~
MP3: ~~"two extremes"~~
from the album: the dividing island
release date: 05/09/06
label: kemado
myspace: add as friend

helios

2006-05-25T13:09:00.000-04:00

do not underestimate what i am about to tell you:
this album has blown me away more than any other release so far this year.
and i can only see it growing on me even more with additional listens.

here are two separate accounts of my initial experiences with helios, the alias of classically trained musician keith kenniff (a.k.a. goldmund):

the first time was in my car, during my morning commute to work two days ago. as i sat at a stoplight in the early morning, an old, beaten-down, rusted-out pontiac 3000-le sat waiting for the light to turn in front of me. it held a family of three, a young girl safely belted in the backseat. as "bless this morning year" poured through my car's speakers, my mind completely zoned out as i observed them, the sounds around me slowly and completely absorbing me. a feeling came over me that was so surreal, almost angelic. i felt as though i was being given a peek into the transient beauty and harmony of humanity.

yesterday afternoon. i set my imotion speakers up on the coffee table and played this record for the second time while i sat on the couch, my two-month-old son drifting off to sleep in my arms. somewhere around track 2, "halving the compass," the rich textures and gorgeous swells of eingya became a perfect match for the replete serenity and unquestionable comfort i could see on luke's face as he slept so peacefully.
the beauty of the moment almost overwhelmed me.

while i would not endorse the comparisons myself, i can understand why people will inevitably compare helios' sound to sigur rós'. the last time i felt so moved and overcome by a piece of music was the first time i heard ágætis byrjun.

MP3: ~~"bless this morning year"~~
MP3: ~~"dragonfly across an ancient sky"~~
MP3: ~~"paper tiger"~~
from the album: eingya
release date: 06/07/06
label: type
myspace: add as friend

phoenix

2006-05-23T07:21:00.000-04:00

MP3: ~~"rally"~~
MP3: ~~"long distance call"~~
from the album: it's never been like that
release date: 05/23/06
label: astralwerks
myspace: add as friend

the walkmen

2006-05-20T00:07:00.000-04:00

simply put, the walkmen are the cat's meow. solid!

MP3: ~~"louisiana"~~
MP3: ~~"lost in boston"~~
from the album: a hundred miles off
release date: 05/23/06
label: record collection
myspace: add as friend

king biscuit time

2006-05-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

steve mason released two promising ep's under the name king biscuit time while his main job, the beta band, was still in existence. now that they're not around anymore, his time has been freed up enough to turn kbt into a full-time gig. it's been rumored that, since finishing black gold, mason has quit the music biz, making this both his first and final full-length record. ouch! that's one seriously cold slap in the face - and while our other cheek is still stinging a bit from the one the beta band gave us in '04. but who knows? maybe the rumors are only as true as the same ones which were aimed at dave chappelle after he hightailed it to africa.

and then a bulletin just posted on myspace...
"i want to say thank you all so much for the messages of support and love. it has been a whacked out time for me and the messages meant so much, really. i'm very lucky to have such people who are into the moosic i make. thank you.
i do feel alot better now and will return. want to apologize for cancelling the tour but it was not possible to do it at the time. but that will be happening at some point. working with a friend on her music right now which is helping me get back into it. album came out monday, very happy with it and hope you get on it.
peace and general warm vibrations to you all,
steve."

and the whole world breathed one big sigh of relief!

thought i'd share some of the moss that the rolling black gold stone is gathering on the world wide web:

"black gold is easily the equal to anything the beta band made, perhaps even better."

""rising son" is a psychedelic lullaby that will burn itself into your subconscious whether you want it to or not, "c i am 15" is an intriguing piece of lo-fi hip-hop that just about manages to out-gorillaz gorillaz."

"this belated debut album defies you not to join the canonical dots that start, perhaps, with george harrison's lesser-known revolver songs, proceed to pink floyd's pastoral scarecrow, take the scenic route round can, kraftwerk and augustus pablo's wistful melodica, swerve off to gerry rafferty's baker street, then hit the home straight through talking heads and brian eno to arrive next door to strumming melancholics elliott smith and eric matthews."

"...an album of skew-whiffed pop that grabs fistfuls of electronica, reggae, avant-business, sunshine-drenched melodies and square-shouldered funk - then presses them through a cookie-cutter of oddball goodness that can't fail to satisfy."

"mason's creaky, lonely voice...was always the rubber cement that held the betas' rickety balsa wood genre constructions together. and he's yet to lose his knack for gentle beauty."

"his droll delivery is cunningly balanced by the intricate vocal harmonies which make a 33 year old scot sound like a chorus of, slightly scuffed, angels."

listen to these tunes, then say thanks and wish him well by buying his record.

MP3: ~~"kwangchow"~~
MP3: ~~"rising son"~~
from the album: black gold
release date: 05/15/06 (import & digital download)
label: pop tones
buy it: hmv / amazon uk
myspace: add as friend

bonus MP3: ~~"pirates"~~ (available on myspace)

grandaddy

2006-05-12T06:52:00.000-04:00

this post really needs no explanation, does it? they're freaking GRANDADDY.
they were awesome. they were loved and had a ton of fans, but apparently only broke fans who did not have enough dough to buy their cds and t-shirts and stickers and tanks of gas. because as hard as they busted their asses for 14 years - hard to believe, isn't it? - to bring everyone some good music, at the end of the day, they didn't have much to show for it. you can only take that kinda crap for so long, you know? so they're taking their ball and going home. just like the beta band. and i don't blame them, either, but i will miss them terribly.

MP3: ~~"jeez louise"~~
MP3: ~~"rearview mirror"~~
MP3: ~~"elevate myself"~~
from the album: just like the fambly cat
release date: 05/09/06
label: v2
myspace: add to friends

drowned alive...or not

2006-05-11T23:19:00.000-04:00

did anybody watch the david blaine special on monday night? that boy was hooked up to a feeding tube and a catheter (in case he had to go #1), living in an 8-foot spherical aquarium for 177 hours. i'm pretty sure that is a new world record.

as a finale to his underwater endurance stunt, blaine also attempted to set a new record by holding his breath for nine minutes - the mark was set at 8 minutes and 58 seconds by germany's tom sietas. if you saw the special or read the news, you know blaine didn't quite reach his goal - two minutes short, actually. but seven minutes and eight seconds is still pretty impressive in my book. his time was a whole minute or so better than his trainer's record and his trainer was an expert free-diver from performance freediving. it's worth noting that there's only a small handful of people who can hold their breath for more than four minutes. let's also not forget that david was chained up, too, and had to free himself from those binds while simultaneously trying to break the record. towards the end of the seven minutes, blaine began to convulse underwater, at which point the rescue team went in and pulled him out. blaine's trainer said that if they had not, he would still be in the bottom of that sphere holding his breath.

while blaine's attempt fell short of the record, i still maintain that the whole stunt was very intriguing to watch, albeit a little too stretched out for dramatic effect and just *begging* for stu scott's jaw to be duct-taped shut. throughout the whole performance, though, i found myself glued to the television to see how it would pan out.

since his release from the hospital, blaine has already been quoted as saying that he wants to give it another shot, after he's in better shape and sans the week underwater prior to the attempt.

so maybe this is a little late for this, but while the event is still fresh in people's minds, i'd like to share this playlist that i created on monday night but just didn't have a chance to upload to the web until earlier this morning. enjoy, people.

~~DOWNLOAD: DrownedAlive.zip~~

david blaine: drowned alive...or not
01 badly drawn boy - ~~magic in the air~~
02 spoon - ~~30 gallon tank~~
03 pinback - ~~soaked~~
04 red house painters - ~~bubble~~
05 idaho - ~~wet work~~
06 belong - ~~i'm too sleepy...shall we swim?~~
07 múm - ~~sleep/swim~~
08 m83 - ~~i guess i'm floating~~
09 two lone swordsmen - ~~hope we never surface~~
10 boards of canada - ~~aquarius~~
11 colleen - ~~bubbles which on the water swim~~
12 colleen - ~~summer water~~
13 pan*american - ~~lights on water~~
14 the dead texan - ~~the struggle~~
15 velour 100 - ~~sky from underwater~~
16 my bloody valentine - ~~lose my breath~~
17 adorable - ~~breathless~~
18 british sea power - ~~fear of drowning~~
19 the knife - ~~you take my breath away~~
20 ellen allien & apparat - ~~bubbles~~
21 namelessnumberheadman - ~~going to breathe again~~
22 havergal - ~~drowned men~~
23 pedro the lion - ~~winners never quit~~
24 the smiths - ~~i started something i couldn't finish~~
25 the walkmen - ~~we've been had~~

danielson

2006-05-09T12:09:00.000-04:00

i guess you could safely say that daniel smith was ten years ahead of his time. he's been doing his thing since way back in 1996, playing the role of father figure to christian music's bastard stepchildren, the danielson famile. the only quandry for smith was that back then most people, especially the christian listening community, shrugged his work off as pure novelty. they never saw the genius in it. while sitting at the christian bookstore's listening station, going through demo tapes, you put a prayer for every hour into the deck and suddenly found your ears lambasted by some whacked-out freaky falsetto-ness. you passed the headphones to your friend, who then asked you "what the heck is this?" and after replying, "i don't know, but it sure is weird, isn't it?", you got a nice hardy-har-har laugh and then slapped that five iron frenzy tape into the walkman and got your ska-lleluia on.

i like what the allmusic guide has to say about danielson:
"the danielson famile is unmistakably a christian band, but in the same way that flannery o'connor was a christian writer. they reject the conventional set of christian symbols and subject matter while at the heart of every song, underneath the weirdness, is a perfectly orthodox christian message; and smith's falsetto vocals are downright shocking, an effective tool in cutting through the barriers to convey these messages. no contemporary christian radio station in their right mind would ever play danielson, they're just too out there. they sound like captain beefheart's magic band joined by the partridge family at some roadside revival along the jersey turnpike -- definitely an acquired taste."

flash forward to today, ten years and one sufjan stevens later, and - thanks to the likes of animal collective, deerhoof, devendra banhart, the microphones...and i would even include clinic - weird, experimental free-form music is "in" and daniel smith suddenly finds himself in the thick of things. honestly, who would've thunk it?
and that, my friends, is the only explanation i can find for why smith is finally getting some of the respect, attention, and admiration from fans and peers that he has always been due. ships is smith at his grandest and most grandiose, and it includes contributions from every member of the danielson famile tree over the years (yes, that includes stevens), as well as many other artists (why?, serena maneesh, the aforementioned deerhoof, etc.), is probably the most accessible and accomplished thing he's ever done and arguably the strongest batch of songs he's ever put together on a single record.

noteworthy update (thurs., 5/11): well, well, well. what do you know? the almight pitchfork has just recognized the brilliance of this record, as well. editor ryan schreiber gave it a whopping 9.1 rating this morning, welcoming it into the prestiged halls of their best new music list.

MP3: ~~"cast it at the setting sail"~~
MP3: ~~"did i step on your trumpet?"~~
MP3: ~~"kids pushing kids"~~
from the album: ships
release date: 05/09/06
label: sounds familyre

uusitalo

2006-05-03T14:43:00.000-04:00

i have a feeling that whenever i post tunes that are more electronic in nature and less rock-oriented, visitors of the camera as pen just sort of gloss over it. i seriosuly hope that's not the case. i actually listen to a LOT of electronic music ranging from minimal, ambient stuff to heartpounding dancefloor. and i have just as much appreciation and passion for these forms of musical expression as i do for any other form. techno is all about pulsing through your system and making you feel something, taking over your senses and your attitude. the men and women behind the decks and laptops are using the most advanced technologies our society has to offer a musician to transmit that and express that in a different manner than most would employ. that's extremely appealing to me.
perhaps that's why i've enjoyed uusitalo's tulenkantaja as much as i have.
vladislav delay - a.k.a. luomo and/or uusitalo - lies somewhere between those two extremes mentioned earlier. tulenkantaja, delay's second album created under the 'uusitalo' handle, is an intriguing and pleasureable excursion through some of his favorite pieces of finnish literature. he has basically translated these narratives - excerpts of which fill the beautifully designed cd sleeve - into "tekno" (techno heavily informed by that of berlin, cologne, and detroit) via some fairly straightforward grooves and basslines, clubby dancefloor rhythms, washes of noir-ish minor-key synths, and field recordings. there's a tremendous amount of warmth and vitality in these tracks that certainly counteracts the frosty-looking photography that adorns tulenkantaja's cover artwork.
for delay, this is a remarkably personal record. both his father and mother have roots in finnish literature; his father was an author, his mother a member of the fairly well-known, freethinking literary group of 1940s finland, the "tulenkantaja" (from which this album gets its name). for the listener, the intimacy definitely comes across, making this a very human affair, considering that techno usually has a very cold and computerized feel.

MP3: ~~"kalajuttuja"~~ ('fishing stories')
MP3: ~~"lumimies"~~ ('snowman')
from the album: tulenkantaja
release date: 05/16/06
label: v. delay's own imprint, huume recordings
BUY CD (only $12.98!)

feist!

2006-04-26T17:58:00.000-04:00

if you have never heard of leslie feist, well...you obviously have not spent much time perusing mp3 blogs during the last two years. but let's just move forward here. a good start would be to make a bee-line down to the record store to pick up let it die (or just follow that nifty link to purchase it *cheap* at insound).
once you do that, allow yourself to have some time alone with it (after you hear it, you'll be sharing it with everyone and long for that alone time you once had but took for granted). it won't take long for that velvet voice to settle in and make itself comfortable in your life. but don't rush back here just yet. give her some time to mingle around. let's say a year or two. then and only then can you return to this here blog and grab these tracks from her new remix and collaboration buffet, open season. yeah, yeah, yeah. i know. the mp3's i'm posting now will no longer be up in two years, but just shut up - i'm dead serious about this! if this is your first exposure to miss feist, then i am just not permitting you to download these tunes. sometimes you just have to lay the smack down, you know? i better not catch you. dead serious.
as for the rest of you..enjoy these two faves of mine from this somewhat hit-or-miss collection.

MP3: ~~"inside and out (apostle of hustle unmix)"~~
MP3: ~~"mushaboom (postal service mix)"~~
from the album: open season (remixes and collabs)
release date: 04/25/06
label: arts & crafts
BUY IT

j. tillman

2006-04-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

i've been a strong supporter of j. tillman since day one. okay, well, maybe it wasn't day one but i did fall for his gentle, comforting brand of acoustic balladry nearly two years ago when i saw damien jurado, richard buckner and dolorean at the magic stick in detroit. sometime about mid-set, jurado gave up the stage for his drummer (that would be tillman) to get out from behind the kit, pick up the guitar and share a few of his own songs. it was simply breathtaking.
after just releasing a limited edition (and now out-of-print) pressing of his second full-length solo album, long may you run, j.tillman in january, he's already making rapid progress on the follow-up to that album, entitled minor works. so why would i start to ease up now? especially since tillman's been sending out bulletins to all his myspace'friends' (including me) saying that he was posting tracks from his new work-in-progress. so i'm passing things on here...for my two friends who don't have a myspace account.
oh, and is it just me or is j. tillman the new darling of mp3 blogs in 2006? i mean, even jesus loves j. tillman.

MP3: ~~"darling night"~~
MP3: ~~"jesse's not a sleeper"~~
MP3: ~~"crooked roof"~~
MP3: ~~"with wolves"~~
from the album: minor works
release date: (still in the works)
label: keep recordings

adem

2006-04-25T16:43:00.000-04:00

"it's another concept album. it's about space. and cosmic things. and people" - adem ilhan

yummy.

alright, look. i could sit and write an encyclopedia about how much i love adem, but i don't have time to do that. i'm not really even supposed to be blogging right now (for undisclosed reasons). besides, i'm in a hurry to get these songs into your hands so that you'll all rush out and buy love and other planets. the cinderella story of my 2004 record collection (read: out of nowhere, one of my very favorites), was adem's homesongs, his first outside the realm of his full-time band fridge*. and here is ilhan with a new album that's blowing me away AGAIN! it's been a mainstay in my car stereo and ipod for the past month and likely will be for a long time. much like homesongs, love and other planets is already charming to begin with, but bound to get even better with age. another highly recommended choice!

MP3: ~~"love and other planets"~~
MP3: ~~"these lights are meaningful"~~
from the album: love and other planets
release date: 04/24/06 (uk release only)
label: domino
BUY THE CD/LP

*great scott, marty! adem, kieran and sam are hard at work on a new fridge album!

mole harness

2006-04-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

a few weeks ago, the always dependable, tastemaking aaron coleman (a.k.a. almost cool) wrote up a review of the new mole harness album, a present from the future. having no previous exposure to mole harness myself, aaron's words would be crucial in my decision to explore mole harness any further or just cast it aside: "uk artist james brewster creates rippling electro-acoustic music that mixes delicate and melodic guitar work with subtle processing in a way that manages to sound original in a world overpopulated with ambient music. it's as if tim hecker has suddenly lightened his mood a bit and teamed up with the instrumental guitar work of jose gonzalez." with a description like that, i was easily swayed and decided to do some digging on my own. as usual, the first thing to do is to visit the artist's official website. so i did. shortly thereafter, i discovered one of brewster's favorite artists is christian fennesz. stop, i've heard enough. that's enough for me to check out the tunes. isn't it for you, too?

MP3: ~~"in a strange sea"~~
MP3: ~~"parapet and slipway"~~
from the album: a present from the future
release date: january 2006
label: stray dog army
BUY CD ($14.63 USD)

glissandro 70

2006-04-17T22:30:00.000-04:00

MP3: ~~"analogue shantytown"~~
from the album: glissandro 70
release date: 04/18/06
label: constellation
BUY CD ($13.00)

morrissey

2006-04-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

MP3: ~~"life is a pigsty"~~
MP3: ~~"i'll never be anybody's hero now"~~
from the album: ringleader of the tormentors
release date: 04/04/06
label: attack/sanctuary
BUY CD ($14.50)

keith fullerton whitman

2006-04-11T01:53:00.000-04:00

here we have three 1-minute excerpts from keith fullerton whitman's brand new ep, lisbon. i am forced to only post excerpts rather than complete tracks for one main reason: the entire ep is actually just one, single 41-minute track - a live recording of kfw's october 4th, 2005 performance at lisbon, portugal's galeria zé dos bois (pictured here). as such, i cannot post a complete track or else i would be giving you the entire recording for free. and we all know nothing's free these days. right?
anyway, these excerpts don't come anywhere close to capturing the magic of keith fullerton whitman's performance in lisbon, but they are only intended to give you a small taste of it. this is something that must be listened to in its entirety and all at once. i beg you to.

"this recording...is in my mind the perfect encapsulation of all of these elements into a single lilting piece of static sine-tone harmonics, squared-off electric guitar haze, clangorous room-tone eruptions, and high-end synth freakouts."
- keith fullerton whitman

"at times the performances are somber and gentle, progressing along with a slow grace and subtle nuances, and there are other moments when Whitman destroys that vibe with tension and dissonance."
- neptune records

i don't think i could have said it any better myself - highly recommended!

MP3: ~~"excerpt 1: 8:00-9:00"~~
MP3: ~~"excerpt 2: 23:30-24:30"~~
MP3: ~~"excerpt 3: 33:30-34:30"~~
from the album: lisbon (ep)
release date: 04/04/06
label: kranky
BUY CD (only $9.99)

wilderness

2006-04-11T01:01:00.000-04:00

MP3: ~~"emergency"~~
from the album: vessel states
release date: 04/11/06
label: jagjaguwar
BUY CD ($12.99)

the flaming lips

2006-04-06T13:50:00.000-04:00

honestly, how could a new flaming lips album be anything but a lock for 'album of the week' status? it really does deserve it. i've heard a lot of people busting the lips' balls, but this is just a feelgood - damn good! - record. and wayne coyne is one humble, down-to-earth guy who's armed with plenty of valuable wisdom for all of us, which is quite remarkable when you consider the many others like him in the industry who have had the same level of success that the flaming lips have had but who are either complete jerkoffs or are just retarded. die! mystics! die!

MP3: ~~"the yeah yeah yeah song (with all your power)"~~ / video: lo / med / hi
MP3: ~~"my cosmic autumn rebellion"~~
from the album: at war with the mystics
release date: 04/04/06
label: warner bros.
BUY CD ($15.99)

amy millan

2006-03-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

check it out. i can blog with a baby in my arms!

the people over at arts & crafts and galleryac.com and are kind enough to be sharing this free download from the upcoming, three-years-in-the-making solo album from stars' amy millan. honey from the tombs features not only amy's wonderful vocals, but a bottomless well of talent from that good ol' incestuous toronto bunch: evan cranley & chris seligman (stars), kevin drew & brendan canning (broken social scene) and charles spearin (broken social scene & do make say think) all appear on the record. if amy has that many things going for her, there's no way it can be bad.

MP3: ~~"skinny boy"~~
from the album: honey from the tombs
release date: 05/30/06
label: arts & crafts
BUY THIS CD

midlake

2006-03-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

midlake are currently sole possessors of my 'most anticipated album of the year' slot. initially, i was expecting van occupanther to come out this month. then it changed to sometime in april. now they're saying hopefully on june 5th. i'm telling you - these dudes are a tease. and in the same time it's taken to continue pushing the release date back further and further, the album's title has changed from simply van occupanther to the more extensive and slightly more perplexing the trials of van occupanther.

in the midst of all this uncertainty, however, there's one thing i can count on:
this album is gonna completely rule.
i loved their last one, bamnan & slivercork and from what i've heard so far, i'm gonna love the new one just as much, if not more. "roscoe" seems to be the song that's popping up on all the other mp3 blogs lately, most notably on gorilla vs. bear, where chris has called it his favorite song of the year so far and has posted it like 3 times now, if my tally is correct. and it is a dandy. so i'll post it now for everyone to hear. i posted the title cut for a bit, but was asked very politley to take it down for good reasons that i fully respect.
july, i gotta wait all the way until july. sigh...
and damn! i wish i could see them with the flaming lips at sxsw.

MP3: ~~"van occupanther"~~
MP3: ~~"roscoe"~~
from the album: the trials of van occupanther
release date: ~~06/05/06~~ 07/25/06
label: bella union

kieran hebden and steve reid

2006-03-03T07:32:00.000-05:00

seems like everything kieran hebden (four tet, fridge) puts his hand to turns out to be nothing but superb - his own albums challenging and inventive, his remixes almost always a marked improvement upon the original track. it's a little more difficult to claim his "midas touch"-like abilities when he collaborates with another artist who's not too shabby themselves. and that's what hebden has done on his latest work of gold, joining forces with the one and only steve reid (former drummer for miles davis, fela kuti, james brown, sun ra & plenty of other reputable names). and yet, one listen to the exchange session: vol. 1, and whoever wanted to oppose my claim would be left with no more evidence to further their half of the argument than they may have started out with.

what's so freaking mindblowing about this collaboration is that it took place in the span of only one day. ONE MEASLEY DAY! there are days when i can't even change out of what i slept in the night before. i mean, these are two dudes who, other than a chance encounter at the 2005 london jazz festival, were complete strangers. they get into the studio for one day and what comes out of that brief partnership sounds like the product of two wholly unified musical souls. this is a match made in heaven, if i've ever heard one. 37 minutes of magical, controlled cacophany. it's brilliant.

MP3: ~~"electricity and drum will change your mind"~~
from the album: the exchange session: vol.1
release date: 02/21/06
label: domino
BUY THIS CD

his name is alive

2006-02-03T08:17:00.000-05:00

MP3: ~~"the darkess night"~~
MP3: ~~"mama, don't you think i know"~~
MP3: ~~"your bones"~~
from the album: detrola
release date: 01/24/06
label: silver mountain media group (via reincarnate music)
BUY THIS CD

j. tillman

2006-02-01T07:31:00.000-05:00

alright, kids. listen up.
these two songs come from the long awaited sophomore effort from seattle-bred j.tillman, damien jurado's frequent touring companion and the former drummer of saxon shore. long may you run, j.tillman was just released on monday, january 30th by keep recordings and is chock full of beautifully hushed, acoustic ballads - some even peppered with banjo. tillman's songs are sparse and gentle, but his voice gives them an almost haunting quality. this album is not to be missed, but surely will be by many (only 150 in existence). so treasure it.

also, if you happen to live in the seattle area or you like to do that internet streaming thingy, then make sure to tune in to KEXP this saturday (feb.4th) when j.tillman will be performing live in the studio. he was also recently interviewed by the burgeoning indie interviews. it was supposed to be posted in early january, but i can't find it anywhere on their page. hmmm. guess i'll cut them a little slack, though, since they did put i will return in the #6 slot of their list of the best albums of 2005 - wait, wasn't it released in '04?
my, my.

MP3: ~~"my waking days"~~
MP3: ~~"seven states across"~~
from the album: long may you run
release date: 01/31/06
label: keep recordings
BUY THIS CD ***hurry! limited edition of 150!!!***

ester drang

2006-01-29T17:19:00.000-05:00

i posted about ester drang back in november of last year when word of their third album, rocinate first began spilling off tongues, just as a faint whisper. some of you that have been with me for awhile may remember that post and may still have the song of theirs which i shared. not long after i posted "come back alive", i was emailed a link from a kind soul to mp3s of the rest of the album's songs. so i've been listening to it for a couple months now. but for most people, this week was the first opportunity to finally listen to rocinate in its entirety, as it was released by jade tree on january 24th.

many bands fail to grow musically because they find a sound that feels good to them and then they just start churning out music in that same mold for each subsequent album, never stepping outside their comfort zone. on rocinate, though, ester drang have taken another decent-sized step away from the bounds of their comfort zone. they've managed to successfully add a few new elements and dimensions to their repertoire without straying to far from the sound that won over many fans like myself.

so, once more, i'll post "come back alive", the first cut off the new record.
also, here are two more songs that i feel really illustrate the growth ester drang have made:

MP3: ~~"come back alive"~~
MP3: ~~"smoke and air"~~
MP3: ~~"caledonia"~~
from the album: rocinate
release date: 01/24/06
label: jade tree
BUY THIS CD

cat power

2006-01-24T13:06:00.000-05:00

it's gals week here at 'the camera as pen.' or so it seems, huh?

with new releases this week from both jenny lewis and cat power, i had a tough time deciding which of these two countrified songstresses deserved the 'album of the week' distinguishment. but when all was said and done, i had to give the edge to ms. chan marshall. the greatest just seemed to be the more...timeless of the two albums. besides, if i gave it to lewis, how would that effect the validity of chan's album title? it would make it a lie. and we here don't like to point fingers and call people liars. so i'll give her the benefit of the doubt and pronounce that this week, cat power is, in fact, the greatest.

sure she's traded in some of her electric guitar noodling for lapsteel and horns, and it could be argued that it's either a step in the wrong direction or something that completely suits her. but whichever side you're on, marshall's sultry vocals and angsty lyrical themes are still the centerpiece here and that's all it takes to make this...album of the week!

MP3: ~~"the greatest"~~
MP3: ~~"lived in bars"~~
MP3: ~~"the moon"~~
from the album: the greatest
release date: 01/24/06
label: matador
BUY THIS CD

jenny lewis

2006-01-24T07:51:00.000-05:00

here are a couple songs off of jenny lewis' brand new solo record, rabbit fur coat. this is her first venture into the world of solo artistry, having honed her skills previously with the band rilo kiley, whose 2004 album more adventurous turned out to be quite the endearing little record. this one is not too shabby either. but it's hardly just lewis and her guitar here. besides the appearance of benjamin gibbard, m. ward and conor oberst on one song ("handle with care"), she is backed up by the watson twins - are we supposed to know who these girls are??? - throughout much of the album. also, rabbit fur coat is co-produced by m.ward and mike mogis. the presence of these two guys in the making of this album lends it an immeasurable dose of credibility, at least in my eyes (and ears).

if you're not like me, though, and you have a certain number of hangups about some of the supporting cast involved on this record, you can just forget them. because once you sit down and listen to this record, you will surely put them out of your mind and latch onto lewis' charm, her biting wit, and the honey voice with which she tells her tales.

for whatever it's worth, here are a few songs that i've enjoyed listening to and have selected to share with you. pay special attention to the lyrics of "the charging sky", as that was the main thing that i liked about it. also, it's a weird connection to make, but i do have to say that lewis' manner of singing on "melt your heart" reminds me a lot of...elliott smith.

MP3: ~~"rise up with fists"~~
MP3: ~~"the charging sky"~~
MP3: ~~"melt your heart"~~
from the album: rabbit fur coat
release date: 01/24/06
label: team love
BUY THIS CD

acid house kings

2006-01-17T07:56:00.000-05:00

from the very same swedish label that brought us the radio dept., the legends, and suburban kids with biblical names, here come the acid house kings singing and playing sweet little pop tunes just as well as any of the aforementioned bands.

MP3: ~~"do what you wanna do"~~
MP3: ~~"this heart is a stone"~~
MP3: ~~"7 days"~~
from the album: sing along with the acid house kings
release date: 09/13/05
label: labrador
BUY THIS CD

brian mcbride

2006-01-16T07:08:00.000-05:00

anybody that likes the stars of the lid or the films of david gordon green should love this brian mcbride 2005 solo album, when the detail lost its freedom.

mcbride is one half of stars of the lid - adam wiltzie's solo work as the dead texan is amazing, too - and this album is gorgeous. mike linnen does a lot of the guitar work, and you can see at mcbride's kranky page, that linnen has worked on music for several of david gordon green's movies, which are all astounding: george washington, all the real girls, and undertow.

really beautiful stuff.

MP3: ~~"a gathering to lead me when i'm gone"~~
MP3: ~~"our last moment in song"~~
from the album: when the detail lost its freedom
release date: 10/31/05
label: kranky
BUY THIS CD

shugo tokumaru

2006-01-08T02:55:00.000-05:00

MP3: ~~"mist"~~
from the album: l.s.t.
release date: 2005
label: compare notes
BUY THIS CD

mount eerie

2005-12-12T19:14:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"great ghosts"~~
from the album: eleven old songs of mount eerie
release date: 12/06/05 BUY IT!
label: p.w. elverum & sun

thanksgiving

2005-12-06T06:29:00.000-05:00

(posting this song again since i'm naming thanksgiving the 'album of the week.'
if you missed it the first time, don't do it again.)

song: ~~"dead deer & other animals"~~
from the album: thanksgiving (self-titled)
release date: 12/06/05 BUY IT!
label: marriage records

jose gonzalez

2005-12-02T06:22:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"heartbeats"~~
song: ~~"crosses"~~
song: ~~"stay in the shade"~~
from the album: veneer
release date: 11/29/05 BUY IT!
label: hidden agenda

for wishes

2005-11-29T01:11:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"the farthest expanse is us"~~
song: ~~"60ºN 30ºW"~~
from the album: i will burn your winter
release date: 2005 BUY IT!
label: utter east

thanksgiving

2005-11-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!

~~"dead deer & other animals"~~ from the album thanksgiving
~~"you belong to the blood"~~ from the album cave days & moments
~~"ageism"~~ from the album the river
~~"off with yr hats"~~ from the album nothing
~~"before you died"~~ from the album we could be each other's evidence

CONSIDER PURCHASE! (of all the above albums)

label: marriage records

midlake

2005-11-24T09:02:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"balloon maker"~~
song: ~~"kingfish pies"~~
song: ~~"some of them were superstitious"~~
song: ~~"mopper's medley"~~
from the album: bamnan & slivercork
release date: 06/14/04 BUY IT!
label: bella union

song: ~~"paper gown"~~
song: ~~"excited but not enough"~~
song: ~~"roller skate (farewell, june)"~~
from the album: milkmaid grand army (ep)
release date: unknown

kelley polar

2005-11-23T06:58:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"here in the night"~~
song: ~~"the rooms in my house have many parties"~~
from the album: love songs of the hanging gardens
release date: 11/15/05 BUY IT!
label: environ

jens lekman

2005-11-22T01:24:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"black cab"~~
from the album: oh you're so silent jens
release date: 11/22/05 BUY IT!
label: secretly canadian

idaho

2005-11-20T09:47:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"when sunday comes"~~
song: ~~"echelon"~~
from the album: the lone gunman
release date: 10/25/05 BUY IT!
label: idaho music/retrophonic

song: ~~"much closer now"~~
from the album: we were young and we needed the money
release date: 09/03/02 BUY IT!
label: idaho music/retrophonic

wilco

2005-11-15T08:37:00.000-05:00

>>ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Nov.15-21) <<

song: ~~"company in my back"~~
song: ~~"wishful thinking"~~
from the album: kicking television: live in chicago
release date: 11/15/05 BUY IT!
label: nonesuch

menomena

2005-11-10T19:12:00.000-05:00

(I had a change of heart)
>>(NEW) ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Nov.8-14) <<

song: ~~"water (excerpt)"~~
song: ~~"flour (excerpt)"~~
song: ~~"light (excerpt)"~~
from the album: under an hour
release date: 11/08/05 BUY IT!
label: FILMguerrero

song: ~~"e is stable"~~
from the album: i am the fun blame monster
release date: 09/07/04 BUY IT!
label: FILMguerrero

grizzly bear

2005-11-08T01:05:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"merge (dntel remix)"~~
song: ~~"shift (circlesquare remix)"~~
from the album: horn of plenty (2xCD w/ bonus remixes)
release date: 11/08/05 BUY IT!
label: kanine records

annie

2005-11-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"the wedding (BIG edit)"~~
from the album: unreleased
original version of track appears on annie's contribution to the k7 series, dj kicks
release date: 10/25/05 BUY IT!
label: k7

ester drang

2005-11-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"come back alive"~~
from the album: rocinate
release date: 01/24/06 PRE-ORDER IT!
label: jade tree

sun kil moon

2005-11-01T07:21:00.000-05:00

>> ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Nov.1-7) <<

song: ~~"tiny cities made of ashes"~~
song: ~~"neverending math equation"~~
from the album: tiny cities
release date: 11/01/05 BUY IT!
label: caldo verde

song: ~~"carry me ohio"~~
from the album: ghosts of the great highway
release date: 11/04/03 BUY IT!
label: jet set

halloween, alaska

2005-10-31T05:55:00.000-05:00

song: ~~"drowned"~~
from the album: too tall to hide
release date: 09/13/05 BUY IT!
label: east side digital

amusement parks on fire

2005-10-29T15:44:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"venus in cancer"~~
song: ~~"venosa"~~
from the album: amusement parks on fire (self-titled)
release date: 05/31/05 BUY IT!
label: reincarnate music

voyager one

2005-10-26T00:02:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"salvation"~~
song: ~~"floating bridge"~~
from the album: dissolver
release date: 09/06/05
label: tokyoidaho records

animal collective

2005-10-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"did you see the words"~~
song: ~~"grass"~~
song: ~~"turn into something"~~
from the album: feels
release date: 10/18/05 BUY IT!
label: fat cat

boards of canada

2005-10-18T17:39:00.000-04:00

>> ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Oct.18-24) <<

song: ~~"oscar, see through red eye"~~
from the album: campfire headphase
release date: 10/18/05 BUY IT!
label: warp

j. tillman

2005-10-17T07:28:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"my waking days"~~
song: ~~"seven states across"~~
from the album: long may you run
release date: sometime this fall
label: keep recordings, maybe?

song: ~~"lilac hem"~~
song: ~~"cecille, my love"~~
from the album: i will return
release date: 2004 BUY IT!
label: keep recordings

the lonelyhearts

2005-10-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"next year is shaping up to be real awesome"~~
song: ~~"the museum of tolerance"~~
from the album: dispatch
release date: June 2005 BUY IT!
label: DIYorELSE

great lake swimmers

2005-10-11T12:47:00.000-04:00

>> ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Oct.11-17) <<

song: ~~"various stages"~~
song: ~~"bodies and minds"~~
from the album: bodies and minds
release date: 10/11/05 BUY IT!
label: misra records

song: ~~"moving pictures, silent films"~~
song: ~~"i will never see the sun"~~
from the album: great lake swimmers (self-titled)
release date: 04/05/05 BUY IT!
label: misra records

the clientele

2005-10-11T00:52:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"since k got over me"~~
song: ~~"(i can't seem) to make you mine"~~
song: ~~"e.m.p.t.y."~~
from the album: strange geometry
release date: 10/11/05 BUY IT!
label: merge

song: ~~"tracy had a hard day sunday"~~
from the album:
outta town outer space: a west coast pop experimental band covers EP
release date: 2002 BUY IT!
label: earworm

why?

2005-10-07T12:46:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"rubber traits"~~
song: ~~"sanddollars"~~
from the album: elephant eyelash
release date: 10/04/05 BUY IT!
label: anticon

king biscuit time

2005-10-07T08:22:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"C I AM 15"~~
from the album: C I AM 15 (single)
release date: 09/26/05 (uk only) BUY IT!
label: poptones

unbunny

2005-10-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"x"~~
from the album: the typist (ep)
release date: 10/04/05 BUY IT!
label: important records

song: ~~"i leave stones unturned"~~
song: ~~"pink lemonade"~~
from the album: snow tires
release date: 08/10/04 BUY IT!
label: hidden agenda records

explosions in the sky

2005-10-06T02:17:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"look into the air"~~
from the album: how strange, innocence
release date: 10/11/05 (re-issue) BUY IT!
label: temporary residence

song: ~~"memorial (edit)"~~
from the album: the earth is not a cold, dead place
release date: 11/03/03 BUY IT!
label: temporary residence

song: ~~"a poor man's memory"~~
from the album: those who tell the truth shall die, those who tell the truth shall live forever
release date: 09/04/01 BUY IT!
label: temporary residence

metric

2005-10-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"poster of a girl"~~
song: ~~"monster hospital"~~
from the album: live it out
release date: 09/27/05 BUY IT!
label: last gang

the go! team

2005-10-04T12:57:00.000-04:00

>> ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Oct.4-10) <<

song: ~~"the power is on"~~
song: ~~"junior kickstart"~~
song: ~~"bottle rocket"~~
song: ~~"huddle formation"~~
from the album: thunder, lightning, strike
(u.s.) release date: 10/04/05 BUY IT!
label: memphis industries / columbia

grandaddy

2005-09-30T14:32:00.000-04:00

song: ~~"pull the curtains"~~
from the album: excerpts from the diary of toddzilla (ep)
release date: 09/27/05 BUY IT!
label: v2

max avery lichtenstein

2005-09-22T10:06:00.000-04:00

artist: max avery lichtenstein
song: "tarnation"
from the album: tarnation (original film score)
release date: 10/08/04 BUY IT!
label: tin drum recordings

more downloads from the tarnation soundtrack here.

tess wiley

2005-09-21T10:11:00.000-04:00

artist: tess wiley
song: ~~"not quite me"~~
song: ~~"delicate skin"~~
from the album: not quite me
release date: 03/29/04 BUY IT!
label: tapete records

the lassie foundation

2005-09-20T19:27:00.000-04:00

artist: the lassie foundation
song: ~~"you're just lucky"~~
song: ~~"money money"~~
song: ~~"face your fun"~~
from the album: face your fun
release date: 01/2005 BUY IT!
label: northern records

max tundra

2005-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

artist: max tundra & franz ferdinand
song: ~~"do you want to? (max tundra remix)~~

artist: max tundra & the futureheads
song: ~~"decent days & nights (max tundra remix)"~~
from the album: decent days & nights (single)
release date: 05/10/05 BUY IT!
label: 679 recordings

song: ~~"lysine"~~
from the album: mastered by guy at the exchange
release date: 11/12/02 BUY IT!
label: domino

song: ~~"bill sholem quintette"~~
from the album: some friend you turned out to be
release date: 04/26/00 BUY IT!
label: domino

black moth super rainbow

2005-09-16T06:06:00.000-04:00

artist: black moth super rainbow

song: ~~"lost, picking flowers in the woods"~~
from the album: lost, picking flowers in the woods
release date: 09/13/05 BUY IT!

song: ~~"trees and colors and wizards"~~
song: ~~"i am the alphabet"~~
from the album: start here
release date: 05/11/04 BUY IT!

song: ~~"i think it is beautiful that you are 256 colors, too"~~
song: ~~"boatfriend"~~
from the album: falling through a field
release date: 04/10/03 BUY IT!

label: graveface

devendra banhart

2005-09-15T06:48:00.000-04:00

>> ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Sept.13-19) <<

artist: devendra banhart
song: ~~"quedate luna"~~
song: ~~"i feel just like a child"~~
from the album: cripple crow
release date: 09/13/05 BUY IT!
label: xl recordings

havergal

2005-09-09T10:08:00.000-04:00

artist: havergal

song: ~~"i am a frequency"~~
from the album: elettricita
release date: 05/04/04 BUY IT!

song: ~~"fires in the attic"~~
song: ~~"lungs for the race"~~
from the album: lungs for the race
release date: 04/02/01 BUY IT!

label: secretly canadian

lewis & clarke

2005-09-08T08:01:00.000-04:00

artist: lewis & clarke
song: ~~"bare bones and branches"~~
from the album: bare bones and branches
release date: 06/14/05 BUY IT!
label: summersteps records

the radio dept.

2005-09-07T08:49:00.000-04:00

artist: the radio dept.

song: ~~"pulling our weight"~~
from the album: pulling our weight (ep)
release date: 11/19/03

song: ~~"why won't you talk about it?"~~
song: ~~"against the tide"~~
from the album: lesser matters
release date: 04/01/03 BUY IT!

label: shelflife/labrador/xl

the legends

2005-09-06T19:44:00.000-04:00

artist: the legends

song: ~~"he knows the sun"~~
from the album: public radio
release date: 09/14/05

song: ~~"make it all right"~~
from the albums: up against the legends
release date: 10/05/04 BUY IT!

labels: labrador/lakeshore

richard swift

2005-09-06T06:42:00.000-04:00

>> ALBUM OF THE WEEK (Sept.6-12) <<

artist: richard swift
song: ~~"lady day"~~
song: ~~"as i go"~~
from the album: the novelist/walking without effort
release date: 09/06/05 BUY IT!
label: secretly canadian

my favorite

2005-09-05T09:39:00.000-04:00

artist: my favorite

song: ~~"burning hearts"~~
from the album: the happiest days of our lives
release date: 11/04/03 BUY IT!

song: ~~"working class jacket"~~
from the album: love at absolute zero
release date: 05/15/99 BUY IT!

label: double agent records

n. lannon

2005-09-02T23:47:00.000-04:00

artist: n.lannon
song: ~~"turn time around"~~
song: ~~"hollow heart"~~
song: ~~"demons"~~
from the album: chemical friends
release date: 06/15/04 BUY IT!
label: badman recording co.

Broken Social Scene

2005-08-27T22:31:00.000-04:00

~~Broken Social Scene - "7/4 (Shoreline)"~~

In late-2002, pretty much out of nowhere (Canada, to be precise), a little band (ok, 10 members isn't so little) by the name of Broken Social Scene completely burst into the arena. With a brilliant debut album, You Forgot It In People, that reaped lavish praise from every critic whose desk it crossed (i.e. - Ryan Schreiber) and every listener whose speakers it blared through (i.e. - mine), they rapidly transformed themselves from barely-known band of misfits into a household name - well, in indie-households, at least. In other words, they totally blew it up.
Broken Social Scene, the band's self-titled follow-up to You Forgot It In People, should quell any fears that this collective was simply a flash in the pan. On the contrary, it proves they're a major force to be reckoned with.
"7/4 (Shoreline)" is a lushly orchestrated hyper-kinetic pop marvel. Comparing it to the band's previous catalog of songs, I'd say it would lie somewhere between "Pacific Theme" and "Almost Crimes". One thing it's got going for it is a chance for us to hear some of bandmember Leslie Feist's vocal histrionics. After spending the last year and a half getting acquainted with Feist's smooth side on her solo album, Let It Die, getting to hear her let loose with BSS and rock out once again is extremely satisfying.
Ever since the entire album leaked to the internet last week, I've noticed a lot of other bloggers saying that they were shocked upon first hearing it. It wasn't at all what they were expecting to hear. It threw 'em for a loop. That, in my opinion, is one of the album's great strengths. What would be interesting about a predictable band? Who wants to hear someone rehash the same songs all over again album after album? Not me, thanks. But then, inevitably, most add that the record slowly grows on them. I must admit that my appreciation for it was a bit more...immediate. It didn't take long - maybe one or two listens - for these songs' infectious melodies to get lodged in my head. However, I can understand how some might find this new album to be one that requires just a little bit more effort than the first. Maybe it is because there aren't any clearcut standout tracks, no "Stars & Sons", no "Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" - nothing that immediately jumps out at you and shakes you. So if you have some trouble adjusting at first, give it a few more chances. You'll eventually get "superconnected" to each and every one of the songs. For me, the thing has been a fixture in my car stereo all week.
Details of Broken Social Scene can be found here. It will be released on October 4th by Arts & Crafts. I assure you that it will immediately be added to my collection at that point (a 2nd disc with 7 more songs will be included with the initial pressing). It would also be a frickin' blast to hear these new songs played live...

It's Meaningless

2005-08-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

~~Summer at Shatter Creek - "All My Little Words" (MF cover)~~
~~Boy Omega - "Papa Was a Rodeo" (MF cover)~~
(please cntrl-click or right-click and save/download to your own computer)

Since Kaleb over at SCTAS is a good friend of mine, I couldn't go without mentioning the latest project he's put together and released under the Slight Record moniker. The beast is It's Meaningless, an online collection of Magnetic Fields cover tunes from a wide variety of artists (some more well known than others). Over the past two months, Kaleb's posted two new tracks per week. This week saw the 15th and 16th tracks coming from some fairly well-respected acts - Summer at Shatter Creek and Boy Omega, respectively.
I'm so proud of you, Kaleb, for providing a vehicle for these artists to pay tribute to the wonderful, wonderful MF. If you were here now, I'd give you a big hug.
Hey, everyone, grab these two tracks and BE SURE TO HEAD OVER THERE AND GET THE REST!!!.

Mount Eerie

2005-08-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

~~Mount Eerie - "I Hold Nothing"~~
~~Mount Eerie - "What I Actually Am"~~

Alright now. Geez. It's been about two weeks since my last activity on the blog. Things have been nuts.
I figure a good way to get things going again here is with a little Phil Elvrum. How 'bout it, kids?
Mount Eerie's new full-length album, No Flashlight was released today. Just be aware that when you go down to your local record shop, finding it may be somewhat of a challenge. So I'll give you a tip. Look for it in the vinyl section. The CD is packaged along with a vinyl LP, so trying to fit it on a CD rack would pose a bit of a problem. So there's the inside scoop. Then again, you might as well just order it directly from Phil himself at P.W. Elvrum & Son and save yourself the trouble of locating it.
It's become quite clear to me that No Flashlight is without doubt the best thing from Elvrum since The Glow, Pt. 2 (the album that won me over), back when Mount Eerie was called The Microphones. This kid is so original in his art, people. 'I Hold Nothing' is simply gorgeous, hauntingly meditative and intensely personal.
I'm serious, folks...buy the album if you like these toonces. This is one of those records that you really must purchase to get the whole experience. It would not be the same without having the cover art to gaze upon and the liner notes to pour over while taking in the music. Just downloading all the songs, burning it to a CD-R, and using two different colored Sharpies® to label it would be a total injustice.

Jaga Jazzist

2005-07-27T12:43:00.000-04:00

~~Jaga Jazzist - "Oslo Skyline"~~

I'm seriously convinced that I'm a complete sucker for any band that has more than 6 or 7 members in it.
Case in point: Do Make Say Think, Broken Social Scene, Architecture in Helsinki, The Polyphonic Spree, The Arcade Fire, Out Hud - am I forgetting any here? - Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Hank, etc. Now I can add the Norwegian collective known as Jaga Jazzist to that list.

This band comes recommended for fans of hugeness, all vast and expansive and everything. It's sort of a bombastic fusion of space-rock, free jazz, post-rock and electronic experimentation. With ten members (3 are siblings) in the mix, it's really no surprise that any attempts to attach one single label to Jaga are utterly useless.

Anyway, I don't know what else to say about them that you can't find out by heading over to their site and reading in their press page or in their glowing reviews. Another reason to visit their website: If you're still not sure about them after hearing "Oslo Skyline", there's a few more full mp3 samples from their previous albums over there. So, seriously, make sure you go by it (the site). And make sure you go buy it (the newest album, What We Must, which I am totally loving right now). I'm absolutely mystified as to how this group slid under my radar for so long (they released their first recordings in 1994).

Update: Borrowed Tunes just posted something about Jaga Jazzist shortly after I put this up, except that they have 2 other tracks from What We Must for you to hear. I lose, you people win.

The Russian Futurists

2005-07-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

~~The Russian Futurists - "Paul Simon"~~
~~The Russian Futurists - "Our Pen's Out of Ink"~~
~~The Russian Futurists - "Still Life"~~
~~The Russian Futurists - "Hurtin 4 Certain"~~

Lots of pounding beats, banging keyboards, blasting horns, and incredibly endearing vocals. Loads of fun, in other words.
So much has been said already about the Russian Futurists and these songs have been spread around on countless other mp3 blogs, like, months ago. But I couldn't just let it all go by without giving it some mention here. I just enjoy Matthew Hart's music way too much to not post a sampling of some of his tunes. Hopefully, these songs here will find some ears that haven't already heard them. In that event, I can rest easy that someone's week was just made a little shinier.
All four songs above are off of Hart's latest album, Our Thickness. It was released by Upper Class recordings, a great little label out of Toronto who represent another highly enjoyable band, as well: The Cansecos. Follow both of the links I've included in this post. There are more mp3 samples to be had from the Russian Futurists' previous 2 albums. I'd really just recommend buying both Our Thickness and Let's Get Ready to Crumble, though. It's well worth your money.
Trust me, dude. I know from experience.

Sanso-Xtro

2005-07-16T07:14:00.000-04:00

~~Sanso-Xtro - "The Last Leaf"~~
~~Sanso-Xtro - "Unsentimental"~~
~~Sanso-Xtro - "Blue Signal"~~
~~Sanso-Xtro - "Misplaced Feather"~~

Here are four songs from Melissa Agate, who goes by the codename Sanso-Xtro. Last year, Type Records released a sensational album by the young wunderkind Khonnor. Sanso-Xtro appears to be their baby this year, quickly scooping her up after receiving a gorgeously packaged 6-song demo from this talented multi-instrumentalist.

Hailing from Australia, Agate came to Type with some experience already under her belt, having previously played drums and guitar for aussie bands Salt and Sin Dog Jellyroll. Venturing out from behind the drumkit and moving to London, she picked up the ukelele, kalimba (an African 'thumb piano'), analog synthesizers, and a small array of other instruments. Add all this together and multiply by a laptop computer and thus is born the digital soup that is Sanso-Xtro's Sentimentalist.

Great Lake Swimmers

2005-07-03T18:50:00.000-04:00

~~Great Lake Swimmers - "Moving Pictures, Silent Films"~~
~~Great Lake Swimmers - "I Will Never See the Sun"~~
~~Great Lake Swimmers - "Bodies & Minds"~~

The first two songs there are from the Great Lake Swimmers' self-titled debut album, which was released back in 2003. GLS just released a new batch of song - an album entitled Bodies & Minds - back in March. The third track available above is from that record, obviously (it's the title track). It's the only one I could find. And it's notably "rockier" than anything off their debut. You can listen to four more tracks off of Bodies & Minds - if your system supports Real Audio formatted files - over at Weewerk Records. If you like these songs, you can and should purchase either one of the GLS albums or both of them, for that matter.

I like what Misra Records has to say about them:
"With subtle colorings of acoustic guitar and piano, lap steel and accordion, it's Toronto-based songwriter Dekker's voice that carries the Great Lake Swimmers. The reverby echo of Dekker's vocals is the perfect accompaniment for a dark night on a moonlit porch or a long drive through the wide open, only lit by the dim glow of headlights. Addictive like the finest narcotics, this debut is an emotional, stirring album that is not meant to just be listened to. It's meant to be soaked in."
(read more)

Damien Jurado

2005-07-03T18:15:00.000-04:00

~~Damien Jurado - "White Center"~~
~~Damien Jurado - "Lion Tamer"~~
~~Damien Jurado - "Black Boys"~~

Damien Jurado is easily one of my favorite songwriters out there. He's up there right alongside the likes of Sufjan Stevens, David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones), Sam Beam (Iron&Wine), Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco). I think anyone who likes any of those guys would have a real easy time getting into Jurado's stuff. However, his music is more akin to that of some other elder statesmen - Springsteen, Dylan, Nick Cave - than to that of any of his contemporaries.
The first two songs can be found on his latest work, On My Way to Abscence. The third is an outtake from the recording sessions for that album.
Watch the video for "Lion Tamer" over at Jurado's website.

New Series of Directors Label DVDs

2005-06-21T14:43:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to take a second to share with all of you that Palm Pictures has announced the specs for the next four DVDs in their Directors Label series, which will be out on September 13, 2005.

Volumes 1 through 3, which collected the works of Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, and Chris Cunningham, are *ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL* viewing and should be sitting on the shelves in the collections of every single person who truly appreciates the art of music video and/or incredibly innovative filmmaking. In laymen's terms, they're totally fricking cool!

And the next four look to be...well, not too shabby themselves. Volumes 4 through 7 will feature the works of Mark Romanek, Jonathan Glazer, Anton Corbijn, and Stéphane Sednaoui, respectively. You can go to the Directors Label site (via the link above) to see all the details (a full site should be up shortly).

Pouring over the details myself, I see numerous videos for songs from the following artists: U2, R.E.M., Depeche Mode, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Tricky, NIN, Garbage, Metallica, Travis, Mercury Rev and Björk. And that's just the ones that have 2 or more videos included in this set. I may have missed some, too. Anyway, there's a lot more there - including some really recent stuff, lest you get the impression that this is just a collection of videos from the mid-to-late 90s. Not so. Personally, I will be looking forward to the Glazer collection the most. That will probably be the only one I'd be willing to buy prior to renting. But, of course, I will be Netflix-ing all four editions as soon as they're available.

I don't think Sept. 13th can come soon enough.

I can't remember who tipped me off on this news, but it was one of you other bloggers out there included in my list of links off to the right there. I can't figure out which of you I got it from now. Anyway, thanks.

Caribou

2005-06-10T12:46:00.000-04:00

~~Caribou - "Barnowl"~~

Last night, Caribou played the Magic Stick, with Junior Boys in the supporting slot. The Russian Futurists were supposed to be there, as well, but they were detained at the Canadian border for stupid paperwork reasons. Makes a lot of sense, seeing as how they had already been let in weeks ago and have been touring away through the States prior to crossing back into Canada for a short leg of the tour. Anyway, the fact that the RF's weren't there makes it a little easier for me to digest missing this show. I saw Caribou with Four Tet and Prefuse 73 two years ago, way back when Dan Snaith was still using his Manitoba moniker. It was unreal. Two sets of drums, bear masks, the hilarious video for "Jacknuggeted" playing in the background. His live performances of material off of Up in Flames simply blew me away and stole the show. That's why I would have liked to see him again last night to see what kind of cards he's playing nowadays. However, I had more important things knocking at my door, so it was a no-go from the outset. Any Detroiters out there go to the show? If so, I'd like to hear how it was. Pictures would be a double-bonus.

Anyhow, the track above is taken from Caribou's latest: The Milk of Human Kindness. It's worth the buy. For real, though.

Sufjan Stevens

2005-06-07T14:37:00.000-04:00

~~Sufjan Stevens - "Casimir Pulaski Day"~~
~~Sufjan Stevens - "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts"~~
~~Sufjan Stevens - "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."~~

Sometime in the last couple days, Opus published his review of the new Sufjan Stevens album, Sufjan Stevens invites you to Come On Feel The Illinoise!.
Do yourself a favor and skid over there to read his writeup, because more than likely it will be the best one to be written about it when all is said and done. It's an outstanding review. I feel like there's nothing more I could say myself about it!

While you're reading that, go ahead and play these songs, which have been extracted from the record for you to preview. Then, of course, I beg all of you who like it to purchase the CD when it comes out July 5th, courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty. Don't be a bum.

Four Tet

2005-05-31T16:49:00.000-04:00

~~Four Tet - "Smile Around the Face"~~

A friend of mine recently shared with me that he felt there weren't enough exciting 'movers' in music nowadays. Some names he mentioned were Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley. According to him, these were all artists who were never able to find contentment staying in one place for very long, dabbling in numerous musical styles over their long - or in a few of these cases, abruptly cut short - careers.

Kieran Hebden, perhaps better known as Four Tet, is a man determined to move forward in his musical endeavors. His is a movement in a completely different environment as the the one of the aforementioned artists, though. Where those previous artists were constantly pushing the very limits of human capabilty, Four Tet is pushing the boundaries of musical experimentation on an inhuman level, using laptop computers and drum machines rather than a guitar or a saxophone or live drums (any traditional instrument, really).

The songs Hebden comes up with using these tools are noticeably steeped in electronic free-jazz, hip-hop, and gamelan. In a recent interview, Hebden claimed that the drums on his record would be impossible for anyone to play on a real set of drums, even with the best drummers of our time sitting behind the kit. He also pointed out that during the recording of Everything Ecstatic, he would completely throw out anything he came up with that he felt sounded like it could've fit comfortably on his previous record, 2003's Rounds. Maybe this is the type of movement and constant genre-bending that my friend wishes was more prevalent nowadays.

But beyond that, this song - or any other that you could pluck out of Four Tet's ouevre - will just make you feel so good. What a great thing to be able to have said about you as an artist, that you can be so equally innovative and utterly enjoyable. Kudos to you, Mr. Hebden. Exceptional work here.

Hank

2005-05-17T17:26:00.000-04:00

~~Hank - "Ferox"~~

Fans of last year's cheerleading indie rockers The Go! Team should find plenty to like in Toronto's "ever-evolving entity" Hank. The two bands share a very similar appearance and sound: an army of singers, juiced up party-inducing guitars, wacky samples, the occasional horn blast, extremely raw production and an unshakable ability to put a person in a fun mood. The most noticeable difference is that the members of Hank don't wear t-shirts that spell out their band's name (maybe only because there's not enough letters). Another distinguishing factor is that Hank actually find some time during the course of their sophomore effort, How to Prosper in the Coming Bad Years, to slow it down on a few tracks. Although it's probably good to spice things up with some variety, the uptempo numbers are still head and shoulders above the slower jams in terms of potential for pure enjoyment. "Ferox" is one of those and at two minutes and forty-four seconds, it's also the longest track in the group. The CD can be queued up and listened to in its entirety in less than a half-hour, which I've learned does nothing but cry out for one to click that little 'repeat' button and run through it all again. Genius. Hey, all you A.D.D. kids, here's some audio ritalin for you.

That would have been a nice note to end on, but I absolutely must take a second to mention the wonderful handmade packaging: Hank-member Paige Gratland made envelopes and sleeves for every single copy of How to Prosper... - I think only 500 were pressed - using nothing but old magazine cutouts and a foil stamp. Snag one of these beauties for yourself over at Insound or The Blue House (before it's out-of-print).

P.S. - Oh, Canada, does your well of stellar musical collectives ever run dry? I'm beginning to think not.

Spoon

2005-05-13T14:19:00.000-04:00

~~Spoon - "I Turn My Camera On"~~

How Spoon's Gimme Fiction didn't make it into Pitchfork's "Best New Music" section and only garnered a 7.9 rating is a mystery I will never be able to solve. It's blasphemy, I tell you. The album is easily one the best three records to be released so far this year. I think the exclusion (and big slip-up) by Pitchfork is more a testament of their pretentious snobbery than anything else. When it comes to reviewing records that have already received a decent amount of acclaim elsewhere, the ignoramus writers over at the 'Fork tend to either completely bash it or at the least give it a less than stellar rating (Case in point: Gimme Fiction, or even Beck's Guero). Seriously, how do Antony & the Johnsons deserve the distinction and yet Spoon's best album to date is elbowed out? Pitchfork sucks, man. That's why it's such a b&@# that I won't be able to NOT pop over everyday still. Ah, inner turmoil at its worst and on its most irrelevant level!

why?

2005-05-10T13:30:00.000-04:00

~~Why? - "Sanddollars"~~

The "flow" of Yoni Wolf, better known as Why?, has always toed the line between rapping and singing. At least to me it has. If you don't agree, I urge you to go dig up his 2003 release, Oaklandazulasylum. Give a quick listen to "Woman, Eye, 'No.'" or "A Little Titanic" and you'll undoubtedly hear what I'm getting at. Heck, he even hints at his future sound: "I'm a singer in a rock and roll band / it sounds pathetic / but to tell the truth / I don't regret it."

That leads us to his new release, the Sanddollars EP, on which there's no question that Wolf has taken a definite turn towards more singing and less rapping. It's not just his vocal stylings that have changed, though. A few of the songs are more fleshed out rock songs with guitar, piano, and drums (the title track that I'm posting above being the best example). It's also quite evident that Wolf had actual melodies in mind when crafting these numbers.

Now, this may put off some fans, as there was plenty to like about Oaklandazulasylum. Why fix something if it's not broke, right? His non-linear, homemade, bedroom hip-hop poetics on that album were incredibly inventive and refreshing. I'd attest to that myself. But let's not kid ourselves, artists have to show progress and change slightly if they want to stay relevant and interesting. Besides, more than half of what made Why?'s first album so great were Wolf's quirky and super absurd lyrics. And there's no shortage of that on Sanddollars. Although they're coming out in a more "sing-songy" delivery, it's really not that far off from what it sounds like when he's rapping. It's pretty deceiving, really, how the presence of instrumentation can make him sound so different. Plus, like I stated earlier, he always strode that fence anyway.

So what's really not to like about this track? That's right. Nothing. It's a freaking good time!
Listen without any preconceived expectations routed in your love of Why?'s earlier sound (if you had any) and then enjoy the hell out of this song. And don't forget to catch him on tour, if he's coming to your town and you feel so inclined.

Seu Jorge

2005-05-01T09:08:00.000-04:00

~~Seu Jorge - "Starman"~~

I don't know about you guys, but the thing I'm looking forward to most next week is the Criterion release of Wes Anderson's latest masterpiece, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The DVD's scheduled release is May 10th and it will be available in two different formats: a single-disc version and then one with a second bonus disc that should be packed to the gills with special features.

In the film, Seu Jorge (City of God) plays Pelé, one of Steve Zissou's crewmembers. More specifically, he was the one who could be found singing and strumming his guitar to the tune of several David Bowie classics (en Português). His Brazilian reinterpretations were a wonderful touch to the film. And this track is probably my favorite of the bunch. I don't see how anyone could NOT feel good while listening to it. There are a few more on the rest of the film's soundtrack, so if you like this one you should really check out the rest. Besides Jorge, there's plenty more to enjoy: an array of vintage british punk, some Iggy, some actual David Bowie and, as in several of Wes Anderson's previous works, you'll also get a smothering of Mark Mothersbaugh's casio-inflected compositions. I'm sure you all remember that unbelievably catchy and equally berserk "Ping Island" piece that Team Zissou pipes in through those special rabbit ears they installed on their helmets. But if you ask me, Seu Jorge completely stole the show. I never even liked David Bowie.

Cass McCombs

2005-04-26T16:31:00.000-04:00

~~Cass McCombs - "Sacred Heart"~~

I've seen this song posted on several other mp3 blogs in the past, and as much I hate to be repetitive, I just had to post it here because I love it so much. Cass McCombs does the Morrissey so so well, better than anyone maybe, especially when he sings that line that sounds like "foreign car, foreign car." Plus, I absolutely love the tones that he gets out of the guitars in this song - and the rest of the album, for that matter - and the way that they so smoothly transition from being raucous and unrelenting to something completely opposite...how shall I put this...peaceful and soothing, like driving over hills in the countryside.

It's cold and rainy here in Michigan right now and this is the perfect song for this sort of day. The funny thing is that about a week and a half ago, when PREfection was getting heavy rotation in my car's system, it was sunny and beautiful outside and this ethereal pop song was just as marvelous then, as well. This whole album is incredible: stunningly gorgeous pop melodies drenched in reverb and densely layered fuzz, and slowly pushed along by distant and thunderous rhythms. If you enjoy music that shares some or all of these traits I've just attributed to Cass' record, then do look into adding this one to your collection. You won't be sorry.

Sam Prekop

2005-04-13T13:46:00.000-04:00

~~Sam Prekop - "C+F"~~

I've been listening to the new Sam Prekop, Who's Your New Professor?, a LOT since it was released last month. But most of that has come in the last week, as I've been getting myself into something I like to call "Chicago-mode" (I know, really inventive).

You see, in 2 days, I'll be in Chicago for the weekend with my wife. Never been there before, so it should be a good time. I always enjoy exploring new cities and seeing new sights, people, and architecture (like that building pictured above that was on the cover of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). We're staying at Hotel 71, which seems to be situated right in the middle of the downtown area, close to everything we'd want to check out. It's just a block off of Michigan Ave., close to all the museums and Magnificient Mile and basically everything we'd like to check out. I just want to have a good time, try to immerse myself in Chicago's culture as much as possible, and maybe even learn something about the city's history at the same time. A few things we're already sort of planning on doing - besides some shopping (I've been told there's an H&M in Chicago) - are going to the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sears Tower, Navy Pier, & the Shedd Aquarium. We also might try to catch the Owen/Decibully show at Schuba's on Saturday night. Unfortunately, our stay this weekend is sandwiched right between two shows that I would have liked to see: Scotland Yard Gospel Choir on Thursday night at the Metro and Damien Jurado on Sunday night, also at Schuba's. Oh, well.

So, anyway, it seems like we have plenty to keep us busy for two and a half days. But if anyone else has any suggestions they feel like sharing with me before my trip, I'd love to hear them. A Cubs game? I don't know. I just don't want to come back from our trip and regret having NOT done something while we were there. I never found an In-n-Out Burger while in San Diego last year, and to this day I still get a little riled up when something reminds me of that place. So please leave comments below. I hear there's a Cheesecake Factory there, which is something we do not have here in the D. Might have to hit that, too.

In the meantime, I'll be listening to this Sam Prekop CD. You go buy it and then meet me in Chicago so you can thank me.

Leslie Feist

2005-04-07T15:06:00.000-04:00

~~Feist - "One Evening"~~

I've long sung the praises of Leslie Feist here at this site. Strange that it's taken practically a year since Let It Die came out for it to start to building up steam now. It's been sitting there, happily waiting in the wings, poised for the kill. I've only just begun to hear people rave about this gorgeous album on other mp3 & music blogs. It really does baffle me that it's taken this long.
In terms of the last year or so, Let It Die may very well be the record that's gotten the most play in our household. It's one of those albums that is so good from beginning to end that each time you give it a spin, a new song on it becomes your favorite. And every song on there has it's turn in that spot, at one point or another...and then again later. That's one of the true marks of a superb album. And, in fact, this svelt tune was the one to capture my attention the most the last time it was played.
At the end of 2004 I posted this list of my favorite albums of the year. In retrospect, Feist probably deserved to be higher in my rankings. I don't know what I was thinking at the time I put the list together. Her album might've even been worthy of the top spot. Actually, yeah, it is. There. I said it. I've officially revised my original list. Feist was #1 in 2004. Wonder if I can count it in 2005, too...
~~Anyway, as of this posting, "One Evening" is being offered as a free download at the iTunes Music Store. Get it there, if you prefer it that way.~~

Mitch Hedberg Tragically Dead at 37

2005-04-01T23:21:00.000-05:00

Mitch Hedberg (February 24, 1968 - March 30, 2005)

I'm ashamed to say that when I first heard it I thought it was an April Fool's joke. I still want to that to be true. But I'm seeing reports about it in a lot of places (USA Today, Comedy Central, Wikipedia, etc). This is a tragedy. Mitch was a true, up-and-coming legend-to-be in comedy. He was actually already a comedic legend in my book. I know he made me laugh harder than any other comedian ever has. I don't think there will ever be anyone like him again. He was not your ordinary standup comedian. He was such a unique dude. Seeing him do his bit in Detroit a couple months ago suddenly means a lot more to me now...

Starflyer 59

2005-03-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

~~Starflyer 59 - "Something Evil"~~

Alright, so we're two weeks away from a brand new Starflyer 59 album, Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice, from these 10+ years Tooth & Nail veterans, so I thought it'd be a good time to dish out this little preview. It's the only track off the album that I've heard so far, but it's enough bait for me to bite the hook again. I've never passed up a SF59 disc and I don't think I ever will. Every record is just solid. This song here contains this sort of...brooding, spooky rubber-band-stretching-wider-and-wider guitar riff that lurks up behind you and ensnares you. Pretty sweet, if you ask me. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the record. I've heard nothing but good stuff said about it so far.

UPDATE: Just found this song, too. Might even like this one better. Enjoy...

~~Starflyer 59 - "Good Sons"~~
(where'd it go? you missed it! come back often so you don't miss out on future mp3s.)