Shabbat Shalom
So, as you may have noticed, I took a much-needed blogging sabbath last week. It was partly for rest, partly because I was so busy that the juices just weren't flowing.
I spent this afternoon traipsing around downtown Austin with
Dan and Meghan, and by sundown, I had been in two different situations where Garth Brooks' alter ego, Chris Gaines, had come up. Weird.
I figured I'd break the fast with a little Sufjan. If you surf music blogs, you probably already have his song off the Tim and Jeff Buckley tribute album, but if you surf only my site, you don't have it. So here it is:
Sufjan Stevens - She Is [follow link, thanks,
callmeMickey].
Sufjan's also on the new
Half-Handed Cloud 7", What's the Remedy from
Asthmatic Kitty.
Dreams of Horses has some of the songs posted
here:
Half-Handed Cloud - Here's a List Half-Handed Clous - Ten Commandment Tombstone[follow links].
The Strokes Don't Want You to Buy Their Album!
They want you to
download it, song by song, over the next several months until it's released.
At least that's what it seems like, seeing that there are
'conveniently' timed leaks of new songs of theirs every few weeks lately. Evil conspiracy, or clever hipster marketing? You decide.
The Strokes - '15 Minutes of Pain' [link via
stereogum]
iBloc
The South London lads of Bloc Party sure are busy!
Pitchfork reports that Bloc Pary have released a digital-only single on
emusic and
iTunes.
The first song, 'Two More Years,' is a steady, driving track, reminiscent of 'Plans.' Now that I've said it, it's a LOT like 'Plans.' Hmmph. The B-Side, 'Heros,' is a little more of a departure from the Silent Alarm sounds we all know and love. The song meanders a little more, it's softer, like 'Plans' and 'Two More Years," but it moves well.
I still say that 'Pioneers' is their best song. What's your favorite? Any thoughts on the new single?
In other news,
Pitchfork reports that Beck is following Bloc Party's [and DFA 1979, Interpol, etc.] by releasing a remixed version of 'Guero.' Can't wait to hear it.
Free Yep-Roc
Yep Roc Records out of North Carolina have released a free album on
emusic.com with music from The Kingsbury Manx, American Princes, Robert Skoro and The Standard. The EP, entitled 'Four for Fall' includes two songs from each band.
Stream Songs Here from Yep Roc.
Taks, The Boy Disaster
So, my pal Phaedra told me about this band the other day because she's designing their next shirt. I didn't think much of it, but then an hour later, I found myself sauntering through
Waterloo, and I saw this poster:
It made me curious, so I found their
myspace page, and checked out some of the musak. Great stuff. Think Daniel Johnston, Rufus Waiwright, with some upbeat, keytar and piano driven riffs.
They don't have a website, but you can stream some song snippets on their
myspace page, or catch them
10/22/05 @ Progress Coffee in Austin. Enjoy.
Elliot Smith is the New Tupac
Apparently, recordings from beyond are uber-hot right now. Somehow, somewhere, someone found and published a bunch of unreleased Elliot Smith b-sides, and
gorilla vs. bear got the jump on publisticizing it.
Elliot Smith Basement II DemosIn other other-worldly news,
cnn.com asks
are you a 'Godblogger'? [thanks, Chris, for the link]
Take that 'Lost' Addiction on the Road, Junkie!
So, now all of a sudden, if the tech-heads weren't clamoring enough for the
iPod nano,
apple releases a new
video ipod. Apparently, you can download whole television episodes for $2. Including 'Lost'. That's when you know you have a problem.
The new iPod's not just better, it's the same price as always, and it's adopted a new, slimmer, nano-like body. Don't buy me one. I don't have the time or the money to watch 'Lost' every day.
So this begs the question: Which is the 'must-buy', the nano or the video iPod?
So, Elizabethtown, Huh? Me too.
The guy baffles me. He writes and directs arguably one of the best movies of the 80's [
Say Anything], he makes one of the best sports movies ever [
Jerry Maguire], and throws in a few great music films [
Singles and
Almost Famous] and then
Vanilla Sky, which, no matter what you say about the story, the ending, or the fact that it was totally ripped off from
Abre Los Ojos [Open Your Eyes], had a
superb soundtrack. Somehow, though, he is able to come up so short with
Elizabethtown.
Not this year, Cam.
Just like all Cameron Crowe films, the
soundtrack is memorable (Ryan Adams, Tom Petty, Elton John, Sun Kill Moon, My Morning Jacket[making a cameo - so funny], Patty Griffin [also w/a cameo], and Wheat [no relation]). There are touching moments and good laughs [I
LOST IT during the children's video], and Kirsten Dunst actually manages to act well. The problem is that the story just tries to do too much.
Watch it for the music and the musical cameos [Loudon Wainright III, father of Rufus Wainright also appears], but don't hold your breath for another Say Anything.
Link to download for Ryan Adams' demos, 'Exile on Franklin St."
Denton, TX Chanteuses!
Denton, TX artist
Bosque Brown is getting a little press nowadays, since getting a little attention from Damien Jurado. The attention is well-warranted. When I hear her voice, I think of Cat Power's Chan Marshall [
mp3 w/Handsome Boy Modeling school, via
gorilla vs. bear], but with a little something else that I can't put my finger on. If you want more of her story, you can head to her
MySpace page. All's I'm saying is that she and
midlake make me proud to claim D-Town.
Bosque Brown - Still AfraidBosque Brown - Red RosesBosque Brown - Went WalkingIn other Denton news,
Amanda Leggett put out her debut album a few weeks ago, and it is certainly worth a listen. The Austin-via-Denton singer/songwriter has put together an extremely mature debut, available at
CDFuse, where you can stream some of her songs. There's more to come about Amanda's album in a later post. I'm just kicking myself now for not being in town when Bosque Brown and Amanda Leggett played a house show here in Austin.
Bloc Party Blasted into Space by a Gun!
Bloc Party - Helicopter Video
What Made Austin Famous
This is a big Tuesday for Austin live music, conisdering we're still getting over the ACL Festival, and we're months away from SXSW.
Tuesday, we Austinites get to choose between Architecture in Helsinki at Emo's and
The National/Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/What Made Milwaukee Famous @ the Parish.
I'm afraid I may have waited too long for the Parish tickets, and I think they're sold out, but can you imagine more hype on one bill right now?
what made milwaukee famous - heliodramawhat made milwaukee famous - almost always neverwhat made milwaukee famous - iDecide
buy 'Clap Your Hands Say Yeah' @ insoundclap your hands say yeah - upon this tidal wave of young bloodclap your hands say yeah - over and over again [lost and found][I know I've posted those Clap Your Hands songs a hundred times, but you
need them. I know of a few girls who traveled through the Arizonan desert for hours on an empty tank, laughing hysterically, trying to decipher even one word from
'The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth', and if that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is!]
Yellow Country Teeth [live @ KCRW, link via
callmeMickey].
Oh yeah, and...
Game, Horns.
No O.C., MLB
The
Lost/The O.C. debate recorded a critical blow this evening when
Fox decided to preempt October's The O.C. episodes with Baseball playoffs.
Now, don't get me wrong, I
love October baseball, but I don't know if my interest in The O.C. can survive such a hiatus, with Lost in full swing right now. This troubles me.
You may be thinking to yourself, what is the big deal, these shows don't even air at the same time, but there is only room in my heart (and schedule) for one tv addiction, other than
Texas Longhorn Football,
Sports Center, and random
IFC viewings.
Can the O.C. survive?
Neutral Milk Hotel are so 2005!
So, a while back [1996], Neutral Milk Hotel released
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea on
Merge Records.
Then, a while back [2005],
Domino Records re-released it.
I'm not going to lie to you, it took a re-release of the album, numerous friend recommendations, and finally,
Katie's blogging about it's
10.0 in Pitchfork that got me to hit up
eMusic and get it, and I'm glad I did.
This album seems to have reached legendary status in the 9 years since its release, and it gives an almost instant indie-cred boost with its mention. Numerous indie darlings list it in their hypothetical Top 5's, and in spite of all of that, it's actually a great album.
In the week since I got it, I have not stopped listening to it. At first, it was because of the honesty in Jeff Mangum's voice, then it was the beauty of his words. The themes of religion, love, intimacy and beauty are expertly woven with dreamlike playfulness throughout the album, and the instrumentation almost sounds as if Wayne Coyne were being backed by a lo-fi Wilco coverband. But it all works, and it all fits, and it all sounds like it was recorded in a hurry with no forethought, and then once you listen more closely, it all sounds so perfectly planned.
I can rarely say that I am inspired by a song to live better or love better, but
Two Headed Boy, Pt. 2 makes me feel regret for not having loved my family and friends better, and it makes me hope to know God more, and really let myself fall in love, no matter the consequences.
Daddy, please hear this song that I
sing,
In your heart there's a spark
that just screams
for a lover to bring
a child to your chest,
That could lay as you sleep,
And love all you have left
Like your boy used to be, long
ago,
Wrapped in sheets warm and wet.
And in my dreams you're alive and
you're crying,
as your mouth moves in mine, soft
and sweet,
Rings of flowers round your eyes
and
I'll love you for the rest of
your life (when you're ready)
And when we break
We'll wait for our miracle,
God is a place where some holy
spectacle lies.
And when we break
We'll wait for our miracle,
God is a place you will wait for
the rest of your life.
Two-headed boy,
She is all you could need,
She will feed you tomatoes
and radio wire,
And retire to sheets safe and
clean,
But don't hate her when she gets
up to leave.
Two Headed Boy, Pt. 2 Live in San Francisco, 1998 [link via
Elephant6.com]
Stream "Holland, 1945"
... More The Strokes, More The Better.
The Strokes - You Only Live Once [link via
stereogum].
