Walking With a Ghost

In honor of Halloween, I'm posting this White Stripes cover of Tegan and Sara's Walking With a Ghost. Not that it's a very Halloweeny song, but oh well.

Walking with a Ghost [mp3]

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Mother Mother

I'm really digging the newest album by Mother Mother. Here's a song from it with a Halloween angle.

Ghosting [mp3]

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Born Ruffian(s)

I had been under the impression before I went to see Toronto-based Born Ruffians play at SoundFix that Born Ruffians was a band. You know, it's Born Ruffians, plural. But for some reason only lead singer Luke LaLonde played for the first few songs and the other two members of the band joined for two or three songs at the end. I have to say I liked it much better when the whole band was on stage.

Born Ruffians have a lot of potential, but they seemed a tad bit ill-prepared for last night's show. I kind of like it when artists mess up occasionally - it makes them seem more real. So their occasional mistakes or forgetting the lyrics didn't bother me. But they seemed like they had thrown together the show at the last minute and didn't really know what they were performing. They looked confused and inexperienced. I felt more like I was observing a rehearsal than a performance. However, that being said, I still enjoyed myself and they have good music. I think they will become a stellar band once they get a little more performance experience under their belts and they are definitely a band to watch. They did open for Vampire Weekend at Summerstage after all, a show I regret to say I did not attend because of the rain. And I can see why they would be a good fit with Vampire Weekend. They both lack pretentiousness and have a relaxed air about them. And they managed to pull in a decent-sized audience to the dimly lit, intimate SoundFix bar.

Hummingbird [mp3]
Purchase Born Ruffians' new album, "Red, Yellow & Blue" on iTunes

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Maggie Walters

Maggie Walters is an Austinite who sings sincerely and sweetly alongside her thrashy guitars, using well-crafted lyrics that are so spot-on and honest, they seem to come straight from the pages of a diary. In her latest album, Midwestern Hurricane, Maggie incorporates a rough acoustic sound with the use of pedal steel, dobro, electric and acoustic guitars, allowing her sweet voice to counter while she innocently states harsh truths such as "he just stands by and he makes me cry/ like this is what dreams are made of." "Under the Table" is my favorite of the album, radiating that popular catchy indie-pop vibe with a dash of late 90's acoustic pop thrown in, but other fan favorites include "Fingerprints" and "Girls Like Us." The overall sound of the album is reminiscent of Garbage with a pinch of Sarah Sharp, and it has slowly but surely taken me over the more and more I listen to it.

Under The Table [mp3]

Download Midwestern Hurricane on iTunes

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Wallpaper

"Oh the Chewing Gum Ground" is a retro-rock guitar-driven punk album by Wallpaper that reminds me of the punk rock music from the '70s and '80s that my mother constantly tried to make me listen to growing up (she was a punk-rocker and thus I rebelled by listening to Britney Spears): a tad bit underproduced for my personal tastes, but poppy and upbeat enough to keep me bopping my head. That being said, I have matured beyond the point of automatically hating everything my parents like and I have come to realize the value of this kind of good ol' rock music. And at least this album doesn't sound like it was recorded in a garage by the airport like much of the music my mother likes to listen to, though I do have to say that it is perhaps a little more disinterested-sounding (probably due to the modern day hipster influence). Overall, this album has a good thing going on and it makes me a little nostalgic.

The album is due out November 4th, so check it out.

Pop Rocket [mp3]

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Womanizer

Considering how much I love Britney and all the drama that comes with her, I always seem to be a little behind. I guess I don't pay enough attention to tabloids and haven't been spending enough time on the blog scene lately, because I only this weekend found out that Britney came out with a new single when I heard it played at a club. Here are my thoughts:

Cons: her voice sounds even worse and more digitized than usual. It's a little repetitive. It's also a little too simple.

Pros: It's a little repetitive and simple (the public seems to like that - it makes the song easy to sing along to?), it's catchy, it's got a good dance beat.

I'm sure, like most of Britney's songs, it will grow on me the more I listen to it. I'm also glad she's sticking to dance music, which is what she does best, and not trying to come out with ballads or something.

Womanizer [mp3] - (iTunes)

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Michigan at CMJ

Last night I went to see some of my favorite Michigan bands at Union Pool. First up was Canada, who I hadn't seen before and had been wanting to see for a while. It seemed like a majority of the audience was also from Michigan, which was great because people were belting along to Canada's songs, which really emphasized the collaborative feeling of the band. It also helps that they rotate instruments and roles fairly frequently, so there isn't really a frontman or anything. I really enjoyed their performance and was glad I finally got to see them.

Next up was Chris Bathgate with an incredibly large band behind him, which was very different from the time I saw him play solo. I have to say I like him a great deal more with a band behind him. The fullness of his music really comes out when he has a band to play with, as opposed to just a looping pedal (as good as he was at utilizing that, it's just not the same as having 8 people on stage with you playing live).

Lastly (or well, lastly for me because I had to work in the morning so I left before the last band) was Frontier Ruckus, who came with their new album in tow. They were wonderful as usual. Gotta love any band that has a banjo and a saw. I'm very pleased with their new album, "The Orion Songbook," which has most of the songs from their old self-released EP, plus many new songs and a record label behind them (no longer does the album come in a DIY paper packet but in a real CD case). The setting felt a little less intimate than when I saw them at Living Room, but I still enjoyed their performance immensely and this time I could even sing along because I knew some of the songs.

The other great thing about the night was that the same faces came off and on stage all night - everyone was collaborating with each other and rotating roles. It's really great how everyone seems to really care about each other and about their music.

More photos here.

Look to the Trees [mp3] - Canada - "This Cursed House" (iTunes)
Every Wall You Own [mp3] - Chris Bathgate - "A Cork Tale Wake" (iTunes)
Adirondack Amish Holler [mp3] - Frontier Ruckus - "The Orion Songbook" (eMusic.com)

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Susanna

I listened to Susanna's song Hang Out while standing on top of a mountain in Oregon last week (picture above) and needless to say, it was a profounding experience. Susanna is what a fallen angel would sound like if it sang its pain for you. This minimalist singer hails from Norway and her innocent voice glimmers like crystal while emitting some of the most delicately dramatic music I've ever encountered. On her solo debut album Susanna wrote 12 "highly personal" songs and by listening to the album I can't even imagine what it would be like to hear her live. This is something special.

Hangout [mp3]

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Emily Wells

I've been meaning to write about this very unique, talented girl for a while now. Emily Wells, a former New York musician now based out of LA is a veritable one-person orchestra. On her album, "The Symphonies: Dreams Memories and Parties," she played up to 21 tracks of violin to get the full orchestral sound that she achieves on this truly one of a kind album. Her music is sassy but beautiful. She combines all sorts of modern genres in her sound, proving that orchestral music isn't limited classical or jazz. Her songs are truly symphonies for the 21st century. Check her out.

Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well and The Requiem Mix [mp3]
Purchase Emily's music on iTunes

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Schuyler Fisk @ the Casbah in San Diego, CA

Rock the Casbah, my friends.

While I was in San Diego, I went to the infamous and intimate Casbah to hear Schuyler Fisk, one of my favorite musicians, perform. The opener was a girl named Sharon Little, who just got done opening for Robert Plant & Alison Krauss on tour. I had never heard Sharon Little’s voice before and was shocked by the raspy richness that this little gypsy girl possessed. The thing that kept going through my mind as I listened to Sharon’s robust voice was “Joss Stone is the poor man’s Sharon Little.” The girl had pipes, but just as you thought she was going to storm the venue with a sonorous boom, she’d pull back. The result was a slightly disappointing feeling but a deep crave for more. Simply stated, she's absolutely addicting. For those new to Sharon Little, I'd recommend listening to "Follow that Sound" on her myspace. Sharon will be heading to Minneapolis Oct 29th as part of the nation wide "vote for love" tour with Matt White.

Even though Matt White was set to perform after Schuyler, it was apparent that most people were there for the Fisk. Schuyler came on stage with some amazing sparkly pumps, grabbed a guitar, and started things off with the poppy “I Don’t Belong To You Anymore.” Her band, consisting of a bass, drums, keys, glockenspiel and banjitar, accompanied her on her usual guitar-only songs like “Hello,” which was slightly off-putting but not displeasing, as they added new elements that transformed the song into a more grand affair. Clearly comfortable in her songs, Schuyler’s smooth voice grazed along the waves of melody and raised to great heights at the swells of each phrase. All in all, Schuyler performed 9 songs and one encore (in which she graced us with a rare piano performance), and I had a great time. Schuyler has two shows coming up in West Hollywood at the Troubadour in the next two months, so if you are in area, I would definitely attend.

Unfortunately, I had to head out before Matt got on stage, but he's got plenty of shows coming up with Sharon Little that you should all look into. Before I left, I was able to pick up the Schuyler Fisk EP One World, Be Kind that is ONLY available for purchase at her shows.

Here's a track from it.

I Don't Belong To You Anymore [mp3]

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Fireflies

Chicago-based band Fireflies is the moniker of the amazingly talented, one-man project by Lisle Mitnik. I first heard about his music while fishing around on Myspace one day and have been utterly hooked ever since.

Mitnik's collection of songs takes a page right out of the book written by Belle and Sebastian, The Smiths, and the Magnetic Fields before him: sad lyrics about love and longing set to relentlessly happy, breezy pop tunes (arguably the best kind of sad songs around). When I first heard Fireflies I was drawn to a cover of the Talking Heads' "Heaven," which is unfortunately not available on Myspace anymore.

I wish I still lived in New York because I'd love to walk around the city during autumn listening to this band. "Everything's Hidden Away" and "I Was A Brontosaurus" are amazing examples of great indie pop, with just enough space between the chiming acoustic guitars and curt, clean riffs. The beautifully arranged instrumental track "Les Belles Etoiles" sounds like a lost Danny Elfman song; when I hear it I first think of Edward Scissorhands, and very soon after I get a strange nostalgic, contemplative feeling. Give it a listen and you'll see exactly what I mean.

In 2007, Fireflies released a full-length called Goodnight Stars, Goodnight Moon, as well as the Snowstorm EP. If you're a lover of indie-pop, or even if you're just looking to be converted, make your day a little better by checking this music out. You won't regret it.

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Ra Ra Riot @ Soundfix

Tuesday night, Ra Ra Riot did an intimate performance at SoundFix Records to promote their new much-awaited (by me at least) album, "The Rhumb Line." The first time I saw them was at the After The Jump festival in summer of 2007, and boy have they come a long way since then.

One thing I love about Ra Ra Riot is that they always seem like they're having so much fun on stage and they really seem like they get along. I got to SoundFix kind of early and the band was hanging out the whole time before the show, and they always seem to have a good chemistry on stage. I was also pleasantly surprised at the mixing at SoundFix, which wasn't nearly as terrible as I expected it to be for the 6-person band (though I have to say I was disappointed in the nonexistent lighting). Or maybe I was just standing close enough that it didn't matter?

Anyway, "The Rhumb Line" is great and it has all of my favorites that I've heard them perform over the last year and a half. It's a beautiful, poppy, catchy album. Lead singer Wes Miles' smooth vocals blend seamlessly with the rich string instruments as the poppy drum beat pushes each song forward. I think I can say with relative certainty that this will make my favorite albums of 2008 list.

Each Year [mp3]
Purchase "The Rhumb Line" on iTunes

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Efterklang music video

Today I'm going to post a music video. It was made with deleted scenes and unused footage from the film "In A Dream," which is a great documentary film about Philadelphia mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar and his family due out on HBO next year. You can also check out the trailer for the film on their Vimeo site (see link below). Efterklang's music is pretty experimental but it's quite dramatic, so it lends itself to cinema really well. See for yourself:

Efterklang - "Cutting Ice To Snow" from Herzliya Films on Vimeo.

This week also happens to also be Efterklang gift week and they're giving away mp3s and videos all week. Check out their website for the latest.

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Vampire Weekend and Crosby & Nash Are The Change

Sunday I managed to catch most of the Be The Change benefit concert (I missed the beginning of Vampire Weekend because I had to work on a Sunday, blargh). It was a pleasant, intimate, politically-charged show. It's always really nice to see artists speak up about their beliefs.

I should start by saying that I've always thought Vampire Weekend was a little... overrated. I liked them, but I wasn't obsessed the way so many other people seem to be. Seeing them live, well, I still think they're a tad bit overrated. Nothing about their performance struck me as particularly unique or memorable. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out they are much less pretentious than the majority of their fan base. In fact, they were quite unassuming - especially considering the rather sudden level of stardom they've achieved in only the past year or so - and toward the end I started to kind of understand what all the fuss might be about. They're a bunch of good looking guys who play simple but catchy tunes and seem very down to earth.

Crosby & Nash played next, and while I didn't think I would know any of their music, I was surprised to find out that I did. They played some really nice tunes and many of them rather political, which was fitting for the night. They were also rather unassuming for the legends that they are.

For those of you who couldn't make it to the show but would still like to support the Be The Change project by Music For Democracy, click here to find out what you can do to get involved. This election may well be the most important election in your life time, after all.

Oxford Comma [mp3] - Vampire Weekend (iTunes)
Teach Your Children [mp3] - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (iTunes)

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Wallis Bird

Hey kids, long time no see. I'm currently on a road trip traveling through various parts of the country and have found myself without internet connection longer than anticipated, so I apologize for the lack of posts these past few days. To make it up to you, not only do I hope to catch a few artists here and there on the west coast to provide some fab concert reviews, I got a rental car with XM radio and am discovering all sorts of artists I've never heard of before that I can't wait to share with you, like Wallis Bird.

First of all, can I just say that if her name hadn't been as wonderfully memorable as it is, all may have been lost. I was driving on the edge of some really intense twisty cliffs when she came on the radio and didn't dare attempt to take a hand off the wheel to grab a pen to jot down her name, but luckily enough, "Wallis Bird" stuck in my memory banks. Wallis hails from the UK and makes wonderful young indie-pop music with her guitar twinkling in and out with each strum. Her vocals are quirky and strong, and she could easily be compared to Colbie Caillat on a song like "Slow Down" and more of an Ani DiFranco on others, like "Counting to Sleep". I was surprised that I hadn't heard of her before, and if you haven't either, take a listen.

Slow Down [mp3]

Counting to Sleep [mp3]

Purchase "Spoons" on iTunes

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Waiting to Die

I thought I posted this song a while ago. Perhaps I didn't because every time I listen to it I feel like I'm tempting fate (I always skip it in airplanes and cars). I'm not normally superstitious but I don't want to invite bad luck by humming along to lyrics like "It's just a day like any other day. A beautiful day for an accident, let's say..."

Nonetheless, it is a really good song. It's sweet and relaxed, despite the rather morbid lyrics and the underlying political message. I would say a good driving song, but like I said before, I won't listen to it in the car so as not to invite an accident.

Waiting to Die [mp3] - Zero 7 - "The Garden" (iTunes)

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Be The Change: Update to include Vampire Weekend!

This just in! Vampire Weekend has been added as another special guest to this Be The Change event that I posted about the other day. A limited number of $50 general admission tickets will be available, so get them now!

A-Punk [mp3] - Vampire Weekend (iTunes)

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Lake

Short update for today - check out Washington band Lake. Their new album "Oh, The Places We'll Go" is due out October 21, 2008. While I think it might actually be a better summer album, I guess it could work for the Fall too. It's poppy but laid back - perfect for a nice drive in the country to look at the beautiful Autumn leaves. It's simple, but there's something pleasant about its simplicity.

Bad Dream [mp3]

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Pomegranates

The Pomegranates are an indie rock/pop band that have been repeatedly compared to Modest Mouse by the media. Their music is fresh, honest, and seemingly has tens of thousands of bolts of electricity running through it at all times. Definitely invigorating. Their first album just came out in May and I expect lots more to come from these kids.

In the Kitchen [mp3]

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Automatic Drawing

The LA band formerly known as Streets on Fire has released a new EP under their new name, Automatic Drawing. But no worries - despite the change in name, their music still has the same sound and even two of the same songs. The EP is called "The Captain and the Sea EP" and I'd say that the title track is my favorite. It's laid back and a tad bit melancholy, but catchy and with a poppy, dramatic flair. While I do miss the complimentary gentle boy/girl vocals that are present on the two tracks carried over from the old EP but not on the three new tracks, I think the new EP is overall pretty solid. And I don't believe they intend to entirely abandon the male/female vocal stylings of their earlier songs.

Check them out and vote for them as The Deli magazine's next LA artist of the month here.

The Captain and the Sea [mp3]

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Be The Change

I know this isn't a political blog, so I try not to get into to politics too much here, despite my passion for it. But this is something I couldn't refrain from sharing because it combines my love of politics and music and supports a good cause, "Be the Change," which is an initiative to get out the vote in swing states. It's a private event with special guests David Crosby and Graham Nash. Tickets available here.

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Lukestar

I always love to support my fellow Scandinavians, so here is a track from Norwegian band Lukestar and their recent release, "Lake Toba." I like that each song contains a lot of contrast - you have soft, pretty female vocals with gentle electronica morphing into heavy, dramatic rock with boisterous male vocals. But the album overall is routed in an infectious dance pop that is growing on me more and more with each listen.

Right now "Lake Toba" is only available in Europe, but they signed with Flameshovel in the US and so hopefully we will see a release here soon.

White Shade [mp3] (iTunes)

Myspace them

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Changing of the Seasons

A fitting title for the time of year, as summer fades away and the temperature cools. Also a descriptive title for the tone for this album.

I became familiar with Swedish singer Ane Brun two years ago-ish through Paste Magazine. I loved the simple beauty of her songs (both technically and emotionally) and the ease of her unique, rich voice. Song No. 6 is one of my all time favorite songs and probably one of the most romantic songs I've ever heard. And the tragic, aching, grasping Rubber & Soul made the phrase "it tugged at my heart strings" no longer a silly cliche, but a legitimate way to describe a physical response to music for me.

I have to say her new album, "Changing of the Seasons," wasn't quite what I was expecting and seemed to me a bit of a departure from her last album, "A Temporary Dive." It's a little busier. Her voice is less effortless (and that shaky thing she does with it is more prevalent). And thus far none of the songs have quite the intense emotional impact that the two songs I listed above did on me. That being said, it's still an incredibly strong album. The songs maintain their simple beauty and she has some truly haunting melodies. Each time I listen to it, the album grows on me. And while the impact may not be quite as fierce at first, there is still a great deal of feeling in these songs. It's definitely an album that rewards the repeat listener. And I have to say that I like the way many of the songs on this album are more complex than on her previous album. She experiments with different genres more too, which I always appreciate.

The album comes out here in the US on October 14th and for you New Yorkers out there, Ane is playing at Living Room on October 22nd.

Lullaby for Grownups [mp3]
Purchase Ane Brun's music from her website

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IJM's AMJ tour @ CPC

IJM stands for International Justice Mission and is a human rights agency that is made up of lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals. IJM finds communities that have extreme corruption and massive exploitation, usually in the form of forced-labor slavery, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and/or police brutality. They figure out how that community runs, infiltrate the systems, rescue victims and prosecute those responsible. IJM was founded by Gary Haugen, the man who gathered all the evidence needed for the investigation of the Rwandan genocide on behalf of the United Nations. After Rwanda, Haugen determined that there was a need in the world for an organization whose sole purpose was to make sure that horrific acts of oppression like the many that took place in Rwanda were put to an end. The result was IJM. Although IJM is still relatively small, in 2007 alone, IJM rescued 1663 victims.

IJM now has a AMJ tour going on until October 26th - AMJ standing for Art, Music, Justice, and I was lucky enough to be invited to attend one of the concerts last night. The line-up consisted Sara Groves, Sandra McCracken, Charlie Peacock, Brandon Heath and Derek Webb. Those of you who are religious may recognize them as Christian musicians- IJM, like it's founder, has a core of Christian morals, hence the Christian artists- but, mind you, it wasn't all "praise god" every which way, moreso a nod towards the religious roots. The focus was all on the horrible conditions that many people live through every day and simply raising awareness of IJM and its purpose. The concert opened up with all 5 musicians onstage while the video screens played a film showing a collection of images and quotes as well as clips from Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech. The musicians from then on out each got their time in the spotlight with their respective songs, with a little collaboration here and there.

I've gotta tell you- and I know that many out there may roll their eyes at this- but I think sometimes Christian music can just be so powerful in the way that the songs are constructed- the pure compositional aspect of it. For some reason, I feel that often a modern Christian song will contain more sophisticated chord progressions than a song from any other genre out there on the radio these days - maybe it's partly influenced by these musicians being raised on hymns or something, I don't know, but still...the quality of chordal music found within the Christian genre can be so remarkably solid and well...smart. Then again, that's just my opinion, you're welcome to disagree with me. But many times throughout this concert I couldn't help but think to myself, "Now this is quality music. This is real."

Sara Groves was pretty much responsible for this tour, and she has been actively helping others for a long time now. She and her family adopted a village and hope to have each one of the 1000 children in it sponsored by the end of the tour- she is obviously heart and soul for this cause. She sang "I saw what I saw" live with the video playing on the screens behind her. Check it out, and enjoy a mp3 from each artist (save for Charlie Peacock) featured in this wonderful and meaningful tour.

Rich Young Ruler by Derek Webb [mp3]

Add to the Beauty by Sara Groves [mp3]

I'm Not Who I Was by Brandon Heath [mp3]

Lock and Key by Sandra McCracken [mp3]

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