Band of Horses at Amoeba Records (full performance)
Wow!
Looking forward to Austin City Limits Festival. The more I hear (and see), the more I like.Thanks Amoeba Records.
Digging the Virtual Crates: Catherine Wheel
I hear that Rob Dickinson is re-releasing his 2005 solo debut Fresh Wine for the Horses on June 10th with a bonus disc of acoustic Catherine Wheel tracks. I can’t wait to pick this up myself.
Pre-Order Fresh Wine for the Horses: Amazon
Catherine Wheel – Delicious (Video)
Bringing Quirky Back: Alan Wilkis
Falling on the right side of fine line between contrived and convincing, Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Alan Wilkis brings an indie sensibility to the electro-pop sound of the 80’s with a huge dollop of soul on his solo debut Babies Dream Big. From ABBA to Zappa the entire lexicon of pop is well represented and feels so, so good. Among the 10 cuts you’d be hard pressed to find a moment that is not crafted with the utmost respect for it’s influences which range from the Stevie Wonder-esque funk of “It’s Been Great” to the 50’s Motown of the tender “I Wanna Know” with nods to Prince, ELO and Nintendo along the way. This is a must-have for all fans of all things 80’s. Don’t just take my word for it, check out my favorite track “It’s Been Great” below and hop aboard yourself.
Alan Wilkis – It’s Been Great (MP3)
Hot Stuff: Santogold
A few months ago I caught some buzz on Santogold as someone to check out. At the time, her record wasn’t out, and I simply forgot about it. This week I found a slip of paper (amongst many) on my desk that said simply ‘Santogold.’ Coincidentally, her album dropped in the US this week.
This might be my pick for 2008 so far.A knee jerk reaction would be to compare her to M.I.A. However, that comparison is unfair to both parties. Sure, there might be some stylistic similarities in some of Santogold’s tracks, but she’s hardly “this year’s M.I.A.” Rather, Santogold is straddling the fence between indie rock and hip-hop/dance. The current single, “L.E.S. Artistes,” is very much in the rock idiom. Check out the video:
Hot track!
Other parts of the album are more in a hip hop/dance vein, and are executed equally well. For example:
Santogold – You’ll Find a Way (mp3)
Give the album a spin. This along with the new Roots and Jamie Lidell albums are basically all I’ve been listening to all week. Three hot releases in one week – score!
Scarlett’s New Album
You know, after hearing this Listening Party stream of Scarlett Johansson‘s album, color me impressed. Not that I expected her to release a pile of garbage like Paris Hilton, but you never know what to expect with the actress turned singer debut album (did I just call Paris Hilton an actress?). But ScarJo’s got a lot of impressive things going with this album: first of all, Anywhere I Lay My Head is essentially a Tom Waits cover album – 10 of the 11 songs are Waits songs. Secondly, it was recorded here, at Dockside Studio, deep in Louisiana bayou country. And thirdly, she brings in quite the supporting cast: David Bowie sings on a tune, TV on the Radio producer David Sitek produces, and also appearing are Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zimmer, and Sean Antanaitis from Celebration.
Anywhere I Lay My Head is released on May 20th.
Album Stream Playlist
1. Fawn
2. Town with No Cheer
3. Falling Down
4. Anywhere I Lay My Head
5. Fannin Street
6. Song for JoNew Tunes: Bridges and Powerlines
I hadn’t heard of NYC’s Bridges and Powerlines until they hit my inbox. But it’s a great sign when a song grabs me by the 00:03 second mark, which this one did. After the intro, a “Road to Nowhere”-like rhythm eases in, and what ensues is four minutes of quality power-pop.
The band formed back in ’05, and is made up of singer Andrew Wood, bassist Keith Sigel, guitarist Jon Crockett, and drummer Pete Mucek. Their first full length album, Ghost Types, was released just yesterday (April 22). I haven’t had the opportunity to take in the whole album yet, but if this very strong opener is any indication, you’re gonna want to dig a little deeper into these guys.
Bridges and Powerlines – Uncalibrated (mp3)
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Buy Ghost Types on: emusic, itunes, insound, tonevendor
Jon Regen – Let it Go
Photo: Merri Cyr
Sometimes an album just hits the mark. Let it Go is one of those records. There is something to it that just feels like home. I’ve spent two weeks soaking up the tracks, something that as Pete pointed out in a recent post is sometimes hard to do with all the music we listen to. Jon Regen has taken on the singer/songwriter genre from a point of view not often seen. The New Jersey native has a Jazz pedigree but the heart of a pop songwriter with the ability to make words and music move your heart through the arc of a relationship’s highs and lows.
From the first notes of the opening title track through to aptly titled “The Last Song” there is no emotional stone left unturned. I really struggled with what tunes to share with you all as there are no duds here. I choose the heartfelt “Better Days” and the beautiful “Finding My Way Back to Me”. Check these out and pick up the record at the links below so you can tell all your friends that you were listening to this guy before he hit it big.
*Note: I’ve reloaded the audio files and they should be working now. My apologies to those who have tried to listen.
Jon Regen – Better Days (MP3)
Jon Regen – Finding My Way Back to Me (MP3)
Buy Let It Go: CDBaby | iTunes
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
New Tunes: Kris Delmhorst’s Shotgun Singer
One bonus (and frustration at the same time) of this bloggin’ hobby of mine is the flood of music that comes my way. In a just and perfect world, I could spend all day giving these tunes a fair listen. Just so you know, my wife and I are in the market for a sugar daddy or sugar mama to finance our family while I sit and listen to music. Well, my wife probably wouldn’t be totally up for that, but it sure sounds good to me.
Kris Delmhorst is one of those established, respected singer-songwriters that I’d never heard of. I’ve spent the last couple of months listening to her upcoming album, Shotgun Singer (Signature Sounds Recording Company). It’s her 5th album, and really grows on me with each listen.
Kris spent a lot of time holed up in a rural Massachussets cabin with a minimal amount of recording gear and a bunch of instruments: guitars, cellos, a Rhodes electric piano, mandolins, vibraphones… and she brought in reinforcements like Sam Kassirer (who produced Josh RItter’s latest album) to help her arrange, mix, and chip in on percussion and keys. The result is a strong, adventurous album of indie-folk-pop.
The “poppiest” of the record is this catchy tune. Other standout tracks for me are the seamless, flowing “To The Wire” and the haunting rhythm of “Heavens Hold the Sun”. This album will be hanging on my iPod for a while. There’s something fresh and new to discover about it with every listen.
The Ickmusic *ding* of approval is hereby affixed to Kris Delmhorst’s Shotgun SInger….
Kris Delmhorst – 1000 Reasons
Shotgun Singer will be released on April 22nd.
Music and Ads: Let Me Sleep On It
By no means do I think it’s a great idea for respected musicians to shill products on TV. But once in a while, as hard as it may be to stomach, I can’t help but be entertained. Case in point, the use of Meatloaf and “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” in a new AT&T “GoPhone” commercial. Oh, and that’s 80’s teen queen Tiffany playing Mom.
Another recent surprise is the appearance of Grandaddy’s music in the advertising world. “A.M. 180” shows up in the new Dodge Journey ads…
Grandaddy – A.M. 180
This one comes from Under the Western Freeway.
First Listen: Kensington Prairie
The perfect compliment to a cold and rainy day in New England, the debut record from Canada’s Kensington Prairie is one of the finest slices of Dream Pop I’ve heard since The Sundays Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. The heart and soul of the group is Rebecca Rowan (singer/songwriter of Vancouver’s Maplewood Lane) whose voice drifts gently over the lush layers of guitars, mandolins and Rhodes pianos. Simple and emotional the songwriting is first rate with themes of life’s recollections, love, yearning, and lonesomeness. The record opens with the nostalgia of “Time on Our Side” and makes its way through nine thriving tracks fading with the closing track “Dissappear From View” leaving you wanting more.
The full length debut Captured in Still Life will be released April 22nd. For now check out the lead off single “Crooked Things Straight”. There are a few more tracks available for preview at the group’s official site (including my personal favorite “Letters That I Send”).
Kensington Prairie – Crooked Things Straight (MP3)
Links: Official Site | on MySpace
