Monday, May 24, 2010

Pearl Jam + Ben Bridwell do Temple of the Dog

Band of Horses, who's third album recently came out, have been on tour opening for Pearl Jam. Need I say more? No. Let's go on a mental journey, shall we? It's Friday night and your at Madison Square Garden; you saw Band of Horses and you're 30+ songs into Pearl Jam's show, when all of a sudden, (and predictable, in retrospect) Ben Bridwell steps out onto the stage and he and the band rip through a killer version of "hunger Strike" with Ben singing the Chris Cornell parts. You die and go to heaven. The End.

This is what it looked and sounded like. ba da bop ba ba...... I'm lovin' it.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Podcast vol. 7


I drive a Dodge Stratus!!

setlist:

1. Two Door Cinema Club - What you know
2. Bear Hands - What a drag
3. Bear Hands - Long Lean Queen
4. Frightened Rabbit - The Wrestle
5. Fang Island - Daisy
6. Peter Wolf Crier - Crutch & Cane
7. The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
8. Band of Horses - Compliments
9. Sleigh Bells - Crown on the Ground
10. Dawes - When My time comes
11. Mike Doughty - Year of the dog
12. Memphis Sleek - Alright (Ratatat remix)

Hope you like it:

Podcast vol. 7

The National - Terrible Love

This song has been out and available for some time. In fact it was the first song off the new album that I heard. But, there is something about this video that gets me going. From the people over at PitchfrokTV. This fucking rocks. Do your self and listen with headphones on at a loud volume.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Ooks of Hazard

this is amazing, great cover of a song you love. 7 ukulele's with an accordion, how can you go wrong.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks

"I think we've all had odd, lonely, fallow periods in life, where you find yourself detached from everything, drifting and lost. That's what [the title] means to me, but most importantly, it's the moments of joy afterwards, during recovery, that defines the dark period."
- Scott Hutchison (lead singer/rhythm guitar) on the title of The Winter of Mixed Drinks



After months of endless touring in support of Frightened Rabbit's previous album The Midnight Organ Fight. Scott Hutchison escaped to the small Scottish town of Crail to "get healthy and sane". It's a familiar story really, artist retreats to a secluded post to get away and ends up inspired and renewed. The result is the Scottish bands third album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks. I'm not sure if it's self-fulfilling that this album feels like it was created on the desolate shores of a seaside town or because I know that it was, that's what I envision when I listen to it. Either way, what an amazing accomplishment of an album. It would have been easy to completely drop the ball in an attempt to follow up The Midnight Organ Fight, an album with strong stand out tracks (Poke, Old Old Fashioned, The Twist, etc) Instead the band made an album of self discovery and we are all better for it.

The first track on the album, "things", is a crescendo of sounds that highlights the recording process and the production of Peter Katis (The National, Fanfarlo). The albums first single "swim until you can't see land", which came out late last year sounds better here in the context of the album then it did to me when I first heard it. Another stand out track is "the wrestle" which is highlighted by an interesting harmony and a build up, break down structure. Hutchison calls it "one of the most oblique songs I've ever written".

There are those that will hold this album up to the light of Midnight Organ Fight and see through it. Which is a shame because The Winter of Mixed Drinks certainly blazes its own trail. I, for one will be happy to walk on the Scottish shores and throw salt covered rocks into the sea.



Saturday, March 6, 2010

Echo ... Echo ... Big Echo

Here's a new post from a friend...

Alright, just a quick update. The new Morning Benders album I referenced in my last post is only a few days away from release. Leading up to the release date, they've been streaming the album for free. They have also posted a really cool video of the recording of one of their singles, "Excuses", in which they get by with a little help from (about 25 or 30) their friends. In addition to numerous John Vanderslice appearances on the video, I also spotted a heavily-bearded Gram LeBron, the guitarist from Rogue Wave. Check out the video below and also click the link to their website to download an MP3 of the track for free (at least for now).

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.



Download "Excuses" mp3 here:
http://www.themorningbenders.com/

Since I'm clearly guilty of overhyping the Morning Benders, let me also offer up another newish release to check out, just in case you're a hater of Big Echo. Mumford & Sons is an interesting Brit-Folk band that is just starting to break into the North American scene with their new album - Sigh No More. At first listen, this album definitely seems like a fairly ordinary folk offering. BUT ... if you let these songs play through (i.e. beyond just a 30-second iTunes sample track), they start to get really interesting. They usually set things up with a really nice vocal harmony (ala Fleet Foxes or Avett Brothers) and then all of sudden, BAM - rocking out vocals, cocaine-crazed banjo solos and enough energy to make you question whether you're still listening to the same album. In the end, they are somehow able to pull off a pretty unique album within a genre where homogeny is king. Start with the single "Little Lion Man" and I think you'll be back for more.


El Capitan

Monday, February 15, 2010

Podcast vol. 6 - Midwest edition



Sometimes all you need are some good friends, a ride to the airport and a reason to talk some shit. Also, music helps. Here's to all things good.
Thanks to Capt. Safety for sitting in and helping with this. Enjoy.

Poodcast vol. 6 - Midwest edition

Lineup:
1. Cold War Kids - Audience of One
2. Yeasayer - Ambling Amp
3. Maritime - Parade of Punk Rock T-shirts
4. Washed Out - Feel it all around ( Toro Y Moi remix)
5. Tigers Can Bite You - Opener
6. Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
7. Telekinesis - Coast of Carolina
8. Kid Dakota - Ten Thousand Lakes
9. Atmosphere - The Things that hate us
10. Spoon - The Mystery Zone
11. Built to Spill - Life's a dream

Saturday, January 9, 2010

podcast vol. 5



It smells horrible here, cause these songs are stinking it up like poo on your shoe.

Hope this finds you all doing well. This installment is a little heavy on electro pop, hopefully you haven't lost your sweet tooth in this post holiday season. Please share this with people that love music.

Lineup:

1. The Temper Trap - Sweet Dispostition
2. Freelance Whales - Starring
3. Horray for Earth - Surrounded by your friends
4. BlakRoc - What you do to me
5. Scenic Square - I Don't Want to go
6. Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimention
7. Local Natives - Airplanes
8. Toro y Moi - Talamak
9. Broken Bells - The High Road
10. Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
11. Real Estate - Beach Comber
12. Art Brut - The Replacements

Follow the link below:

Podcast vol. 5