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.

(Sort of) New Ryan Adams EP

From the Ryan Adams Myspace Blarg:

Ryan Adams Valentine’s Day EP available on Itunes on 2/10. Ryan’s best love songs.

Extra Cheese
Two
Blossom
Answering Bell
Evergreen
My Love For You is Real
Desire
Unreleased bonus track Hey There, Mrs. Lovely

In other Ryan Adams news, he apparently quit smoking and learned about the downside of 20 years of smoking from his dentist. True story.

Mp3: Ryan Adams - My Love For You is Real (Live)

The Ghosts of Pitchfork Past

Let me first state before writing this that for all the flack Pitchfork takes for being snobby, dismissive, or overly fickle, it is more of a good music source than bad. They deserve a good deal of credit for leading the charge of support behind the rise of acts like Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, or even Andrew Bird. I know I read it every day, and I bet most people that mock the site do the same. But I digress...

In recent years, it has become apparent that while the credibility and traffic (estimate) of the website seem to be riding a high, acts with less indie cred seem to have effectively disappeared off the site. To put it more concisely, you won't be seeing any Blues Traveler album reviews on Pitchfork anytime soon. A look back, though, shows that Pitchfork had a bit different perspective on things just a few short years ago. This could be indicative of the changing musical landscape, the evolution of particular acts, or of the writers' shifting tastes. It could, though, be a result of the music site's more stringent attempts to be seen as cutting-edge, and ultimately, an insight into their self-consciousness. It's hard to say, especially because their constantly-changing "search" feature rarely yields a full set of results from their massive archive of content.

However, the good people (computer?) over at www.archive.org have a great feature in which you can look back at the history of a website. It lets you read news from historic days, view old site designs, and so forth. Enter Pitchfork, and a world of interesting finds emerges. Check it:

Item A: Canada's Top 25 Albums of All Time

I'm not arguing that this feature is not meant to be funny, or even that it is inaccurate, but I would argue that Pitchfork just wouldn't put themselves out there by posting something like this today. Then again, maybe this is just foreshadowing of the site's current tendency to have reviews that are incongruent with their major lists. They did give this album a 4.2, after all.

Item B: Acknowledgment of Ben Harper, Days of the New, and Dropkick Murphys Via Reviews

There are some acts that Pitchfork likes to feature by giving them a scathing review, which are usually comical (see: Jet). Most musicians, however, are given what is effectively the silent treatment. Too college-y? No review. Too Nickelback-y? No review. We can mainly be thankful for this, as it saves time scrolling. However, Pitchfork used to actually cover a wider spread of performers for better or for worse. The acts listed above could probably be compared to, say...Jack Johnson, 3 Doors Down, and, well, Dropkick Murphys. All of which haven't gotten the acknowledgment of a review in years, if ever. Would it destroy Pitchfork's credibility if they posted a Jack Johnson album review? Probably not. Does it help their credibility by not posting a Jack Johnson album review? Maybe.

It's hard to answer either way, but basically, I just find the changing climate interesting. Since I've never seen a real discussion of the site, which doesn't allow readers to comment (which I presume is because it views itself as a music site, and not as an interactive blog), I think it's worth a look.

Bonus Item: The Rating System Explanation

10.0: Essential
9.5-9.9: Spectacular
9.0-9.4: Amazing
8.5-8.9: Exceptional; will likely rank among writer's top ten albums of the year
8.0-8.4: Very good
7.5-7.9: Above average; enjoyable
7.0-7.4: Not brilliant, but nice enough
6.0-6.9: Has its moments, but isn't strong
5.0-5.9: Mediocre; not good, but not awful
4.0-4.9: Just below average; bad outweighs good by just a little bit
3.0-3.9: Definitely below average, but a few redeeming qualities
2.0-2.9: Heard worse, but still pretty bad
1.0-1.9: Awful; not a single pleasant track
0.0-0.9: Breaks new ground for terrible

For those readers who may have stumbled upon Pitchfork in more recent times, the reviews can seem oddly specific in their rating. What distinguishes a 7.3 from a 7.6, after all? With a number of different reviewers, how can they have a credible review process that precise? It seems that for a time, although brief, the site did have some sort of explanation as to the meaning of review ratings. Now, however, the process is more cryptic (although the system above is hardly scientific).

You can check out the archive of Pitchforks of yore below.

Wayback Machine: www.pitchforkmedia.com

My Three Favorite Songs of 2009 (...so far)

[photo by Sarah Cass, prob. the best band photo-taker around]

Predictable, perhaps. But at least I'm honest about it. Here you go...a half-song sample of one, a high-quality video of the next, and an Mp3 courtesy of Jagjaguar records for the 3rd. Enjoy.

Handsome Furs - Evangeline



Animal Collective - My Girls

Mp3: Bon Iver - Blood Bank
Buy: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Buy: Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
Pre-Order: Handsome Furs - Face Control

The Bran Flakes - What It's All About

Please watch this video. Think Yatta meets Kid Koala.

From the forthcoming album I Have Hands, out on Illegal Art on Feb. 24, 2009.

Video: The Bran Flakes - What It's All About
Mp3: The Bran Flakes - Various Tracks

Albums of the Year, 2008 Edition

Ok, so it's not a top 10. Not even a top 11. I aimed for 10, ended up with 12. But here they are, my favorite albums of 2009.

One of my favorite developments of 2008 was the continued progress of live performances on the internets. As such, with the top 12 below are some of the best performances from the albums listed.


12) Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

It's hard to deny that Wolf Parade have their own distinctive sound. It seems that on this album, though, some started wondering if that sound had grown tiresome. To me, At Mount Zoomer, while perhaps lacking the immediate impact of the group's debut album, is a great second album. The single "Language City" remains one of my favorites of the year. You can check the track out over at Sub Pop Records' site.

Mp3: Wolf Parade - Language City

11) Why? - Alopecia

I thought I had essentially written off the marriage of hip-hop and rock to irreconcilable differences after the late 90s brought us some of the most awful music ever. This album makes the case that they may be able to co-exist peacefully after all, if done correctly. Why?'s sound is that of a couple of guys who benefited from growing up in a world where they were exposed to Public Enemy, Pavement, and The Beach Boys. And also probably went to the psychiatrist a lot. Anyway.

Video: Why? - The Vowels pt. 2 (Live)

10) Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

I think young music fans sometimes associate loudness with intensity of performance. I know that personally, I've learned to appreciate that sometimes softer performances can be just as impactful, if not more so, than ones that try and make your ears ring for days. Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago is an album that is very soft, and rather subtle, but is one of the more powerful records of the year. Check out the video below for a sample.
Bon Iver - "For Emma" from MySpace Transmissions

9) The Walkmen - You & Me

One expectation I didn't have for this album before it came out was for it to sort of creep me out. But it does. Oddly, this is a good thing. After you get a track or two in, you get the feeling that you've wandered into an early 20th-century smoky lounge. This world of sound that The Walkmen created for this new album works to great effect, as it draws upon some of the best moments of their earlier work, but puts it into this unique context. If you give the concert below a listen, try "Canadian Girl," a song that exemplifies the album's sound.

Video: The Walkmen - Live in Concert

8) Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane

Prior to 2008, I knew Chad VanGaalen primarily through YouTube, where his work had been featured several times (he has animated a number of music videos for past releases). He also stood out because of his unique vocal style. For Soft Airplane's release, VanGaalen animated several short promo videos, each with about a minute long preview of a song from the album. My favorite is the first one, which uses the song "Willow Tree," one of the best songs on the album. Rather than going overboard in terms of production on the track, it is largely focused on the singer's voice and a steady banjo line. You can check out the preview below.

Video: Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane Promo 1 (feat. "Willow Tree")

7) Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

Narrow Stairs starts off with what I think may be Death Cab's best written song to date, "Bixby Canyon Bridge." I'm not entirely sure if I would have thought that before reading this great article in Paste Magazine; it made me interested in the track before I had ever heard it. Essentially, Ben Gibbard took a Jack Keroac-inspired trip in hopes of having a life-changing experience, and to put it simply, ended up disapointed. That trip led to the aforementioned lead-off track, which chronicled Gibbard's emotional let-down. I suppose it's a simple concept for a song, but for such a specific experience, it manages to lend itself as relatable.

Bixby Canyon Bridge

6) Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Folk-influenced music had a great year in '08, and front and center is this release by Blitzen Trapper. The band got a lot of critical buzz in 2007 after releasing Wild Mountain Nation (which incidentally only had a few songs that I really enjoyed), but have started to reach a wider audience after months of touring (including a stretch with Fleet Foxes opening for them in the Spring). Furr is an album that ranges between rock and acoustic folk, but remains consistantly enjoyable throughout. One of the album's standouts is below.

Mp3: Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer

5) Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology

Although Ryan Adams has been playing with The Cardinals for awhile now, Cardinology seems to mark a turning point; Adams now is just as much the lead singer for the band as he is a singer with a backing band. The music benefits from this shift, as the moving parts all work together well. Check out an acoustic performance from the band from "Coffee and Cardinals":


4) Islands - Arm's Way

Often times it seems like when a band has a great debut, the sophomore album ends up with better singles, but less overall continuity on the whole (Band of Horses, for instance). With Islands, it almost seems like the reverse. Arm's Way felt like more of a complete album to me than did Return to the Sea (though it did lack a truly great single like RttS's "Rough Gem," which is probably why it didn't quite get the same amount of critical acclaim). Either way, this album was on repeat all year long for me. Second single "Creeper" is below in video form.

Video: Islands - Creeper

3) Thao with the Get Down, Stay Down - We Brave Bee Stings and All

I've gone on quite a bit this year already about these guys and gal, but I would say it's well deserved. Their album is great, their live show is great, and Fall '09 will (likely) be the release of their next full-length. Lots to look forward to with this group.

Mp3: Thao with the Get Down, Stay Down - Yes, So On And So On

2) David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Please go into this album with no expectations, but please do listen.

Full Album Stream - David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today


1) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

On their MySpace page, under Tour Dates, Fleet Foxes have this entry for next Saturday (seriously):

Upcoming Shows

( view all )

Jan 17 2009 11:30P

Saturday Night Live - scared out of brain

Don Pardo’s House, NY

It's hard to imagine a band coming so far in just a year - Exactly 364 days before this upcoming SNL performance, the band was signed to Sub Pop Records to release their first full-length album. That's a scary-fast rise for a folksy band with no real radio-ready singles, but still, a well-deserved trip to the top. Listen below for evidence of pure musical excellence.

Fleet Foxes - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

(Everything But) Top 10 Albums of 2008

So in neurotically compiling my favorite albums of the year, I came to realize just how many songs/albums/artists I was going to be leaving off my list in order to make the list a bit manageable. Therefore...I present to you, many other far less manageable lists. Top 10 albums to follow in a few days.


Top 5 songs of 2008 that are not represented in my top 10 albums:

Wale - The Opening Title Sequence (youtube)
Any hip-hop song that is built upon the premise of sampling the theme from Seinfeld is off to a good start in my book. When that's added to the ultra-skilled style of Wale, mentioned here earlier this year, you get an attention-grabbing song that hopefully is just the start for this dude.

BOAT - Topps (Mp3)
Love documented for this song back in July. Hopefully at this time in 2009, I'll be posting the next BOAT full-length as one of the year's best.

M83 - Graveyard Girl (youtube)
Although their last album, Before the Dawn Heals Us, was a favorite of mine several years back, I was somewhat skeptical that M83 would ever produce a song that I enjoyed as much as "Don't Save Us From the Flames;" not necessarily because I thought the act wasn't capable or talented enough, but rather because I liked the song so much. Roy over at Odd Lyric did a great write-up that looks a bit at M83's evolution that I highly recommend if you're interested in checking out more of their music.

Delta Spirit - Trashcan (youtube, live @ Club Downunder 10/18/08)
Last year at Club Downunder, we had Delta Spirit here opening for Dr. Dog, and I only caught a portion of their set, as I was unfamiliar with the majority of their music. After being impressed seeing them again this summer, I was pretty excited when we booked them again, this time for a headlining show, in the fall. This tune in particular is a great, upbeat example of the band's soulful live rock show. The video above (from the aforementioned fall show) is not great quality, but the sound comes across pretty well.

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
If you read my best of 2007 post way back last January, you saw that Okkervil River's last album, The Stage Names, was my favorite release of last year. Although I did enjoy this year's follow-up, The Stand-Ins, "Lost Coastlines" clearly stood out to me as a cut above the rest of the album. You can check it out, in video form, below.

Top 5 shows of 2008:

1) Beirut – Sasquatch! Festival, George, Washington (How come?)
2) M.I.A. – Sasquatch! Festival, George, Washington (How come?)
3) Alejandro Escovedo – Stubb’s, Austin, TX (How come?)
4) Of Montreal – The Moon, Tallahassee, FL (How come?)
5) Mittens on Strings – The Hideout, Austin, TX (How come?)

Album That Would Have Battled it Out for My #1 Had I Been Able to Justify it's 2008 Re-Release as an Actual Release Date:

Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse
I've already gone on a bit about this album already, so I'll just present to you one of my favorite Take-Away Shows of 2008.

#90.4 - BOWERBIRDS - In our talons
by lablogotheque

Best Random Live Video Featured on the Internets That Was Not on the Take-Away Shows:
Yeasayer - 2080 (On Pitchfork.tv's Don't Look Down)



And finally, the albums that just missed my top 10 of 2008 (aka Honorable Mentions):

Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Hand claps, intricate instrumental arrangements, whistling, and hooks everywhere. They even use a ukulele. I mean, how could you not like this band? More to come in 2009.

Dr. Dog - Fate
With a darker feel than it's predecessor, 2007's We All Belong, Fate was Dr. Dog continuing along it's harmonic path but taking a sidestep in a slightly new direction. Their music has always sounded rich and full, but this newest effort is even moreso, and placing it outside the top 10 was difficult.

Lambchop - OH (Ohio)
Few bands have a more pleasant sound than Lambchop. If I had to make them the middle point between two bands, they would fit halfway between Silver Jews and Iron & Wine. Sounds ridiculous, but check them out and it may make sense.

Missed Posts of '08: The Little Ones - Boracay

If asked to name the band best at writing pop hooks today, I'd probably have to say The Little Ones. I can't even attempt to surpass the eloquence of the following statement regarding their debut album, Morning Tide, by Funky Cold Sabrina, who says "Makes me want to eat skittles..."

Anyway, the song "Boracay" was first featured on the Terry Tales & Fallen Gates EP, which was released in April. The track is also included on Morning Tide, which was released later in the year. The song is a great example of the act's instant appeal. I'm going to pretty much leave it at that and encourage you to check out an interesting interview with the band over at STLMTM.

Mp3: The Little Ones - Boracay
Buy: The Little Ones - Morning Tide

The Light Footwork - The Art of Everyday Communication, Part 1

This video/song should've been huge.

Big hopes for the next album.



Also, please buy their Split EP with Tereu Tereu, it's completely great & worth it.

Missed Posts of '08: R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious

[photo credit: kk+]

Between a busy schedule and wanting each post to stay up for at least a few days at the top, there's been a lot of songs this year that I've wanted to feature but haven't had the chance. Since we're nearing the end of 2008, I figured I'd try and highlight a few of my favorite tracks of the year that I previously missed. First up: R.E.M., whose lead single "Supernatural Superserious," off 2008's Accelerate took me a bit off guard (and emerged as my favorite since "Imitation of Life"). I've always considered myself a big fan of the band (who are now nearing the 30 year mark together), but I think I had instinctively lowered my expectations after 2004's disappointing Around the Sun. Accelerate is an overall return to form for the band, and this single was a great example of the fun, reinvigorated sound of their live show that I was lucky enough to catch twice over the course of just a few months.

Mp3: R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious
Video: R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious (features just about every version online)

Clues - Perfect Fit

What happens when you mix a member of The Unicorns with a member of Arcade Fire with several Montrealites that I don't know? Well, based on the first song from the mysterious new band Clues, the answer is that it sounds like about 70% Unicorns, 10% Arcade Fire, and 20% non-identified. Which is to say, big thumbs up so far. The band has their debut album coming out at some point in 2009, and it is being released on Constellation. Please listen ASAP thx.

Mp3: Clues - Perfect Fit (link courtesy of spin.com)

Interview - The Octopus Project

Texas-based band The Octopus Project create the sort of music that intensifies and reveals more layers the more times you listen through. Their sound is heavy on the electronics but avoids the common pitfall of too much repetition. Currently known as one of Austin's best local bands, it seems to be a matter of time before they become a national fixture. They recently took the time to answer some questions from the road, which you can check out below.

What is the best description of your music that you’ve read (in a review/feature/etc)?

There’s a (now defunct) magazine called Resonance that wrote a pretty amazing article about us. It was literally the dream article that said all the things I’ve always wanted someone to say about us. They even put us on the cover. Unfortunately, the issue that featured us was the first issue to not be printed, and didn’t come out on newsstands. It was an amazing article though!

One of the things that The Octopus project is known for is as being a big part of the Austin music scene – How has the area affected your music, and would you say that there is an “Austin sound?”

I think living in Austin is amazing. It’s my favorite town in the world. The general vibe around town is pretty relaxed, and incredibly friendly, so it’s possible that sneaks into our music somehow. I think we’re happy folks, and living in Austin makes us happy, so I suppose that might have something to do with the way we approach making music.

I don’t think there is one particular “Austin sound,” but I do think we have a pretty amazing scene going on. There are a million bands in town, and the community is incredibly supportive of musicians. That environment seems to foster creativity and a general excitement about doing your own thing.

How do your songs begin? Do they start out from an electronic place, or does the songwriting process begin with a more stripped-down instrument and then evolve?

Every song we write is different, but most of them come from a sound or idea from one person, then things get passed around a bit between the rest of us for a while before we consider something to be complete. We tend to like to work on things by ourselves – sitting in front of the computer, or at the practice space. Also, if one person has specific ideas for a song, sometimes they’ll just write the majority of the song, and the rest of us will figure out how to play the parts/change things around a little bit to make them our own. Almost every song touches all of our hands at one point or another.

However, it’s pretty rare that we’ll write a song while we’re all in the room together. We tend not to jam a whole lot. It’s really fun, but I feel like most things we make up at practice have a tendency to sound like Stereolab – long and droney. Which is great, but I think we're going for a different thing. It often takes us a while to write new songs by passing them back and forth, but I feel like we work really well together that way.

What is your current favorite new or lesser-known band at the moment?

We’re all pretty into diverse things, so it’s hard to pinpoint one band. But, to name some: Ananda Shankar, Satyajit Ray, Alice Coltrane, Dead Science, Diagonals.

Are there any albums that are indispensable in the tour van rotation?

We tend to listen to a lot of quiet, minimal stuff in the van. Things that are really repetitive are pretty awesome to drive to. Right now, we play a bunch of stuff by Steve Reich, Johann Johannsen, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Popol Vuh.

If you could play a show alongside any artist or band, ala the Beck tour that had The Flaming Lips as his backing band, who would it be?

If I had to pick any band in history, the Beatles would be a pretty easy choice. But, as far as current bands go, I think Deerhoof, Sonic Youth or Flaming Lips would be pretty high up there.

What has been your proudest achievement as a band to date?

Hmm…. I’m pretty proud of the fact that we’ve been a band for a while now, and are still really excited about the things we do. I don’t feel like we’ve gotten burned out, and still feel like there’s so much we have left to explore.

What artists that you listened to growing up most influence the music you’re now making?

I was pretty obsessed with bands like Sonic Youth, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, and Velvet Underground when I was in high school, and I know their musical ideas definitely creep into our music every once in a while. One of the things I liked most about those bands is that they were always more than just rock bands. All of those bands was/are first and foremost, excited about experimenting with sounds, but at the same time they know how to write amazingly beautiful songs. That’s a balance that we strive for as well.

How would you define success as a band?

I think bands are successful when they are making music that they are happy about. We were talking with a friend the other day, and he told us about a band that he knew who had been together for 20 years. They barely ever tour, and don’t really put out too many records, but have practiced every Tuesday night for the last 20 years. They just love what they’re doing, and love being together, and that’s really what it all boils down to. Making money and being recognized by your peers are great, but at the end of the day you have to be happy with what you are doing and whom you are doing it with. Those are the measures of success to me.

So, a tour ends, and you all head back to Austin. What’s the first place you go? And, if it’s different, what is your favorite spot in Austin?

There are so many great things about Austin. We all love swimming at Barton Springs, watching movies at the Alamo Drafthouse, and eating at our favorite restaurant, Uchi. Just being home is pretty amazing though!

If budget wasn’t an issue, what kinds of things (if anything at all) would you like to incorporate into your live show?

I don’t know what we’d do. We’ve always had an enormously tiny budget, so we’ve had to work around that. I think there’s so much more you can do when you have no money versus a huge budget. It forces you to think more creatively.


Mp3: The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies
Video: The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies

Passion Pit - I've Got Your Number

Some of you may have read about Passion Pit lately due to the release of their new video for "Sleepyhead," off of their EP Chunk of Change. That track is promising, but to me it doesn't stand up terribly well over repeated listenings. Thankfully, Passion Pit brings the real jams elsewhere on their EP. One of my favorites is "I've Got Your Number," which you can find below. For those of you that think you might like your MGMT with a bit of a Postal Service filter, give this one a shot.

Myspace: Passion Pit
Stream: Passion Pit - I've Got Your Number

Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

I was trying to decide if I should post this song for the past few weeks, but as I can't get it out of my head, I think that's a sign that it's time. Maybe if I pass it along to others, we can share the "Ring ring, I hang up"'s. Try to think of it in a sharing candy kind of way, not in a videotape in The Ring kind of way.

Be sure to check out the 1:22-1:33 instrumental break in the song - it's a great little example of the attention to detail that the band shows at their best moments.

Mp3: Deerhoof - Offend Maggie

Abrahamson & The Façade - Julie

I know nearly nothing about this artist, except that it is a solo project by Tyler Futrell, and that he's made a track worth sharing. The song starts off with a slow tempo and a guitar accompaniment, but takes a number of interesting turns as the full five minutes or so play out. Check it out for yourself below.

Mp3: Abrahamson & The Façade - Julie

Wale - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.

It's been awhile since I heard a hip-hop artist that stuck out as being head and shoulders above anything else out at the moment*. DC rapper Wale sounds like an artist that desperately wants to be the best at what he does, and after hearing just two of his albums, I'm convinced that he's already there. I'll just leave it at that, but please do yourself a favor and download both The Mixtape About Nothing (an entire album that uses Seinfeld clips/samples, oh yeah) and 100 Miles and Running for free at Wale's myspace. Also, below is Wale rapping over Justice's D.A.N.C.E. Re-adjust your favorite artist lists accordingly.

Mp3: Wale - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
Video: Justice - D.A.N.C.E.

*Credit to the music master Willis for the heads-up on this one.

Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare

Matt and Kim, the Mates of State in reverse (or at least on reverse instruments), are on the verge of releasing a new album, Grand. The first single from the album, "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare," features a decidedly less lo-fi sound for the duo, which works great on this track. When you just have a drum set and keyboard to work with, the sound is going to be pretty minimalistic, but the higher level of production here though fills out the sound in a positive way. You can find the track at the Matt & Kim-friendly site below.

Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare

R.I.P. Paperthinwalls.com

Sad day, as one of my favorite non-blog, sort-of music blog roundup websites, Paper Thin Walls, announced it is ending its run. Check out their "PTW's Almanack: The Greatest Hits" feature to see some of the best featured on the site over the years.

mr. Gnome - Night of the Crickets

So I just recently came across this band/song/video and though a bit odd, all are worth a look. The band's sound reminds me off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, perhaps with a bit more of a mid-90s-alternative-nation-appeal to it. Keeping with that theme, the video is reminiscent of the kind of videos that you would stumble upon while watching late night MTV back when it was good and did things like play music videos. Oh, 120 Minutes, where have you gone?

"Night of the Crickets" by mr. Gnome