South by Southwest 2010

So, seeing as how I haven't posted on here in many months, I feel an explanation is in order.

First, I realized that since there are other blogs that are better written, news sites that provide more news, etc. , I needed a new direction here (ideally one with realistic goals). Thus, I've decided to periodically add a streaming mix up here that is either of a category, or random, depending on the month. I figure if people are bored of listening to Pandora/Last.fm and are searching for new music, hopefully you'll stop here and find something new to check out.

And so, here is mix #1: SXSW 2010. All songs relating to bands I saw at, discovered because of, or was lucky enough to rediscover at South by Southwest this year. I saw many, but I tried to include a lot. Thoughts/suggestions/etc. are always welcome below:

More From the Fruit Bats! Wineries! Seattle! Live Videos! Etc!

DRINK MORE WINE FRUIT BATS!!! from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Ray Davies is NOT Going to Be Happy

So. Today I heard a song on the radio that would have been filed under your basic alt-rock aggression fest, but something was off; the song's verses sounded different, and almost recognizably catchy, as though I had heard it before. Then it hit me. Check out the comparison below. Do the verses sound almost entirely lifted? Am I imagining this? Are the Kinks uncredited long-time influences on modern aggro-rock? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here.

Canadian Songs/Videos from the Golden Era of MuchMusic

I had MuchMusic (from Toronto, CA) as part of my cable package growing up, so from the ages of 11 through 18 or so I had a strong education on a genre that was pretty much left untouched by MTV and US Radio. Due to a trip down memory lane, I ended up watching many of my favorites on YouTube today, and here are some of my old favorites. Warning: this list is so '90s. Any additions?





Tragically Hip - Ahead By A Century








And, of course, the band that made it big (unfortunately they left the best of it up in Canada):

Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band

Eric Johnson, also known as the newest full-time member of The Shins, is back working with his other Sub Pop act, Fruit Bats. The band is nearing the release of their fourth full-length album, which so far is shaping up to be their most fully-formed, confident sounding disc yet. Fruit Bats have always maintained a strong grassroots folk angle in their songs, but recently, they've embraced more of a polished sound, which is a decision that could see them breaking a bit further into the mainstream, or at least gaining a bit more notoriety. Check it out, both new tracks below are highly recommended.

Mp3: Fruit Bats - The Ruminant Band (via Subpop)
Mp3: Fruit Bats - My Unusual Friend (via Subpop)

For the uninitiated, here's another past great one from the band:

When U Love Somebody - Fruit Bats

Fruit Bats: Blog

Beirut - Live Session

Yet another great live Beirut video for sharing courtesy of the good people of La Blogotheque.

Beck - Sunday Morning (Velvet Underground Cover)

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico 'Sunday Morning' from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

You may have heard about Beck's latest project (re-recording The Velvet Underground & Nico in full in a 24-hour period), which is off to a strong start. His first release from the album is his cover of "Sunday Morning," and it sounds pretty great, if a bit straightforward. Check it (above) and the original (below).

And...the original:

Titus Andronicus - Upon Viewing Brueghel's "Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus"

My new favorite band of 2009: Titus Andronicus. We hosted them at CDU back in January, opening for Los Campesinos!, and their set was fantastic. It wasn't until a few months later, though, that I gave their album a proper listen. Glad I finally got around to it, though, as it is a great straight-ahead rock album and was enough to knock the precious indie-pop rut I was in right out (it'll be back though, it always is). Check out the video above and the Mp3 below, both tracks from the Seinfeld-referencing album "The Airing of Grievances."

Mp3: Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus

Suckers - Easy Chairs

If you like Akron/Family, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, and/or Yeasayer, I've got some high hopes that the song above, in video form, and below, in Mp3 form, will become your new favorite track of the moment. It's one fourth of the band's self-titled April EP (all of which is very good, I might add), currently available for under four dollars over at Amie St. The video, as you can see, is a bit odd but somehow fits the song. So far, 2009 has been a strong year for new releases by established bands, so it's great to see a new band emerge as an act to get excited about.

Mp3: Suckers - Easy Chairs

Say Hi - Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh

Annual summer mix underway, track #1 below. I'll post a full mix up here sometime soon. Listen, and bask in the musical glory.

Mp3: Say Hi - Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh (via Say Hi's site)

Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes (Live on Letterman)

I enjoyed this video way too much to not re-post. Thanks to IGIF.

John Vanderslice - Fetal Horses

John Vanderslice is the latest artist to offer up a unique incentive for those looking to purchase his album (Not -quite- as involved as of Montreal's last album, but hey). If you're one of the first 100 to pre-order his upcoming release, Romanian Names, included with your order will be a portion of analog tape from the cutting room floor from the album's sessions. Once its yours, you then own it and can go all Girl Talk with it and turn it into a mashup with a Three 6 Mafia song or whatever. Details here, first Romanian Names single below.

Mp3: John Vanderslice - Fetal Horses (via JohnVanderslice.com)

Black Lips - Short Fuse

I couldn't completely get into Black Lips until finally seeing them live a few weeks back. Their music is pretty much unabashed Garage Rock (with some elements of Punk), with continuous hooks throughout. Give it a listen below, that's really the best introduction. This'll probably be one of my favorite tracks of the year.

Mp3: Black Lips - Short Fuse

Outside Lands Festival Announcement

Just caught this excellent promo video for San Francisco's Outside Lands Festival. Creative, funny, and a pretty gigantic lineup:

Dead Man's Bones - Name In Stone

It's not too often that an actor or actress can successfully transition from working in films to making interesting music. If you're thinking Bruce Willis or Jennifer Love Hewitt bucked the trend, you should stop reading, because you're not going to like this. Ryan Gosling, however, who is probably best known for starring in "Lars and the Real Girl" and "The Notebook," is apparently a pretty good musician. His new project, Dead Man's Bones, is most noticeably reminiscent of Arcade Fire, if for nothing else than that press photo above. Seriously, though, check out the two live singles the band has released below. You'll probably like them both.

DEAD MAN'S BONES - "NAME IN STONE" from biz3 publicity on Vimeo.

Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You

After the large undertaking of working on the Sasquatch! 2009 mixes, I had some trouble deciding what artist/track to feature next up here. Just as I had resigned myself to waiting for the next one to strike me, the weather went crazy in Tallahassee, with tornado/flood/hail warnings all over (including a jarring siren & "Seek Shelter!, Seek Shelter!" speaker announcement on campus yesterday evening). This led me to have a pretty vivid dream that I was at home in NY and looked out the window to see a giant Tornado spinning overhead. When combined with seeing the poster above (for sale here) in Austin, and reading a great article about Neko Case (who incorporates the weather/nature as a theme throughout her latest album) in this month's Paste (abbreviated version here), I decided to take the sum of events as a sign. Neko has probably my favorite voice of any female vocalist today, and she has made a number of great records already. Her latest, Middle Cyclone, takes yet another step forward, pairing her vocal range with songwriting that builds upon past efforts. Check out album standout "This Tornado Loves You" below.

Stream: Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You

This Tornado Loves You - Neko ...

Video: Middle Cyclone Album Preview
Buy: Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Sasquatch! 2009 Mix: Day 3 - Monday

Now that the Sasquatch! 2009 lineup is official and many weeks old, it's time to start getting excited. Enter this mix, which I'll do in 3 parts, sorted by day of performance. Check out some bands that you may not be that familiar with, and get pumped for some acts that you know you're looking forward to. And so, I give you part III, Sasquatch! 2009: Monday.

1) Girl Talk - Play Your Part (Pt. 1) (Wookie! Stage)
2) Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
3) Grizzly Bear - On A Neck, On A Spit (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
4) Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer (Wookie! Stage)
5) Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
6) Ben Harper - Burn One Down (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
7) Horse Feathers - Working Poor (Yeti Stage)
8) Bishop Allen - Middle Management (Wookie! Stage)
9) Beach House - Used To Be (Yeti Stage)
10) Black Moth Super Rainbow - Sun Lips (Wookie! Stage)
11) School Of Seven Bells - Connjur (Yeti Stage)
12) Tobacco - Truck Sweat (Dance Tent)
13) Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
14) Santigold - Lights Out (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
15) BLK JKS - Lakeside (Yeti Stage)
16) The Dutchess And The Duke - Reservoir Park (Yeti Stage)
17) Loch Lomond - Northern, Knees, Trees, and Lights (Yeti Stage)
18) Explosions In The Sky - Your Hand In Mine (Wookie! Stage)
19) Demetri Martin - The Wisdom Song (Feat. Demetri's Mom) (Comedy Tent)

Mp3s(via SendSpace): Sasquatch! 2009: Monday
Lineup: Monday

Sasquatch! 2009 Mix: Day 1 - Saturday

Now that the Sasquatch! 2009 lineup is official and one whole day old, it's time to start getting excited. Enter this mix, which I'll do in 3 parts, sorted by day of performance. Check out some bands that you may not be that familiar with, and get pumped for some acts that you know you're looking forward to. And so, I give you, Sasquatch! 2009: Saturday.

1) Doves - Words (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
2) Shearwater - Red Sea, Black Sea (Wookie! Stage)
3) Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele - Meet Me In The Garden (Yeti Stage)
4) Kings of Leon - The Bucket (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
5) Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
6) M. Ward - Never Had Nobody Like You (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
7) Passion Pit - I've Got Your Number (Wookie! Stage)
8) Arthur & Yu - There Are Too Many Birds (Yeti Stage)
9) Bon Iver - For Emma (Wookie! Stage)
10) DeVotchKa - The Clockwise Witness (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
11) The Decemberists - O Valencia (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
12) Blind Pilot - Go On, Say It (Wookie! Stage)
13) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Down Boy (Sasquatch! Main Stage)
14) King Khan & The Shrines - Torture (Wookie! Stage)
15) Owl City - The Saltwater Room (Wookie! Stage)
16) Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band - Anchors Dropped (Yeti Stage)
17) Ra Ra Riot - Each Year (Yeti Stage)
18) Death Vessel - Deep In The Horchada (Yeti Stage)

Mp3s(via SendSpace): Sasquatch! 2009: Saturday
Lineup: Saturday

Take Away Show That Was Not (But Could Be If): Thao w/ the Get Down, Stay Down - Beat

Direct from the Take Away show archives, Thao with the Get Down, Stay Down, performing "Beat," live in Montreal, QC. Unsure if this one will ever make it up to La Blogoteque's main site, but here it is in all it's hi-def glory.


THAO AND THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN :::: BEAT (HEALTH, FIRE & LIFE) from Philippe Tremblay-Berberi on Vimeo.

Beirut - A Sunday Smile (Live on Letterman)

Beirut's return + Letterman's approval + Great Sound (hard to say for one of the late shows, but they accomplished it here) = Greatness.



You can pick up Beirut's new EPs tomorrow at this fine retailer.