Holy Ghost Tent Revival - Family

My favorite North Carolina head-banging bluegrass/ragtime band is coming out with a new EP, called Family. Available now on iTunes but not yet available in hard copy, Holy Ghost Tent Revival's 5-song EP (featuring a slew of guests) is a little different than the faster-than-you-ever-thought-possible rock bluegrass from their last album. They change it up quite a bit in fact genre-wise, even including a rapper in one song, but still stay true to their gritty, down South, banjo-laden sound. I think it is a testament their versatility as a group. My favorite track is probably the slow and sultry "Under Your Fingers" featuring the impressive vocals of Rachel Loeb. Check it out below:

Under Your Fingers [mp3] - (iTunes)

LA Love: Frankel

LA-based Frankel (real name: Michael Orendy) released his sophomore album, Anonymity is the New Fame, on Autumn Tone Records this year, on September 1st. Not only is the album title great but the record company's name is quite apt for this particular release I think, as it's the perfect album to usher in the Fall. The album is beautiful, calm and enjoyable, in a really understated, quiet way - very much like the cooling winds of Autumn, the winding down of Summer's excitement and preparation for winter. It really makes me want to curl up in a blanket with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa. Listen and enjoy.

Faux Science [mp3] - (iTunes)

Solillaquists of Sound/ Anti Sampler

Sollilaquists of Sound are a Orlando-based hip-hop quartet that blend dubstep, folk and afrobeat into a truly unique sound. They expertly balance hip hop with other musical genre characteristics, keeping the sound inventive and fresh. The rhythmic usage of the word "look" in the track below reminds me of Dido's "Who Makes You Feel" and the male vocals have a hint of southern indie folk in them, but as the song progresses, the hip-hop core just sinks into you. They just released their latest album No More Heroes in August and are featured on Amazon's Anti Sampler, which is full of other great tracks from fabulous artists and can be downloaded for free here.

Look [mp3] (iTunes)

Daphne Loves Derby

Daphne Loves Derby is an indie-rock group out of Kent, Washington. They are a band who truly owes their success (and their creation) to the internet, and at one point led Purevolume.com's unsigned artists page. On that same website they have over 5.5 million plays, not to mention more than 4 million on Myspace and 4 million on last.fm, yet they remain unsigned.

A couple of guys who formed a band while still in high school, and even junior high, DLD has stayed together long enough to put out 2 solid full-length albums as well as a few other shorter discs. If I had to describe similar artists I would likely somewhere between Mae, Death Cab for Cutie, and Copeland.

Daphne Loves Derby is in the studio right now making another album, and are touring this fall. Tour dates are here on their PureVolume page.

Cue the Sun! [mp3] - (iTunes)
Deserts Eating Oceans [mp3] - (iTunes)

International Finds: Bridezilla

In addition to amazing band names, I’m always a big fan when orchestral instruments are used in contemporary music, and particularly rock music. So you can imagine that I am a big fan of Australian band Bridezilla’s debut EP, which I would venture to describe as a bit like Ra Ra Riot meets a (slightly less angry and bitter) Fiona Apple but less polished. The EP starts out with my favorite track, the catchy “Brown Paper Bag,” then moves to the slightly edgier, “St. Francine” which I also really like, but from there the EP slows down quite a bit with “Forbidden.” The forth song, “Chainwork” is quite dramatic and pretty and reminiscent of the Tori Amos I knew and loved in my adolescence (who sadly no longer exists), and the EP finishes up with the instrumental-only “Mr. Young.”

All in all I’d say it’s a solid debut, and we could be seeing great things to come from them in the future. And I should add that most (or all) of the band members are only 18 years old (they started performing together when they were 16 I think). The EP recently came out in the US, and they have an LP due to hit the states early next year.

Brown Paper Bag [mp3] - (iTunes)

GFP Giveaway! Minneapolis Time.

This one goes out to all our Minnesotan readers (or folks visiting in the area). We've got a giveaway for two free tickets to see Loney Dear, Asobi Seksu and Anna Ternheim at First Ave (Hosted by The Current) on Oct 9th.

How to enter? Just shoot us an email at guiltfreepleasure@gmail.com (that's without the 's' at the end) entitled "GFP Giveaway" with a short reason why you want to go. Then we'll chose an email at random and email you back to get your info. Pretty easy.

Hey Girl, Bamboo Shoots

Bamboo Shoots is an electro/alternative/pop group hailing from Em's neck of the woods. The group were the winners of the MTVu's Bets Music on Campus contest and have toured with the likes of the Plain White T's and Soulja Boy. Now their new album Armour is coming out, filled with danceable beats and catchy hooks and produced by Jerry Harrison (of Talking Heads). The following track is straight off the album and I cannot seem to get it out of my head, so I wish you all good luck with that.

Hey Girl [mp3]

Video: Princeton, "Martina and Clive Krantz"

We've covered LA indie-pop quartet Princeton a couple times before, and now we're doing it again. The video for "Martina and Clive Krantz," which can be found on the upcoming Cocoon Of Love (release date 9/26), is one of my new favorite things. Check it out below:

Martina and Clive Krantz from Andrew White on Vimeo.

William Fitzsimmons

Ah, William Fitzsimmons. That's really all that needs to be said. Self-proclaimed as one of the "oddest people you'll ever meet," William has a truly unique life story. Born the youngest child to two blind parents, his childhood years were filled with music as a means of communication. He is, quite possibly, my numero uno favorite artist on the scene today.

I was able to see him play here in Phoenix last "winter" and what I thought was awe before I saw him perform live was only magnified into pure admiration. A unique blend of self-effacing humor and heartfelt lyrics, he owned the stage and blew everyone away. From my front row seat at the show I took some videos which I am excited to share with you. Finally, I've been to my share of concerts, but his is without a doubt in my top 5 of all-time. He's currently in Europe til the end of 2009 but if makes his way around the States next year, he's a must-see!

"If You Would Come Back Home" iTunes


"Hazy" (Actually a Rosi Golan song, accompanied by William Fitzsimmons)


Cover of "Heartless" by Kanye West:

I Don't Feel It Anymore [mp3] - (iTunes)

Fanfarlo - Resevoir

UK band Fanfarlo is set to physically release Resevoir, their debut album, in the US on October 13th (it's available on iTunes now). The first word that comes to mind when I listen to this album is "pleasant." That may not seem like a big compliment, but it is. The whole album is just incredibly pleasant and familiar (not in the "I've heard this before" way but in the way that provides comfort and strikes a chord deep within). They remind me of a cross between Beirut and The National (which makes sense since their album was produced by Peter Katis - who has produced for The National and Interpol - at his home studio in Bridgeport, CT). Here's a video for one of my favorite songs from the album, "The Walls Are Coming Down":


For those of you New York readers, they're in town tonight and tomorrow night, so go check them out:
September 21 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
September 22 - The Bell House - Brooklyn, NY

Luna [mp3] - (iTunes)

Fredrik to release new album

One of my favorite international discoveries from last year was Sweden's Fredrik, whose album Na Na Ni really blew me away and made it to our top albums of 2008 lists. Lucky for me (and for you lovely readers), they're coming out with another album this year, Trilogi, on November 17th. Originally three separate EPs, they've been combined to form this album, which is apparently much darker than Na Na Ni but in listening to the one track that they've released to the world so far, I'm very much looking forward to the album.

Tracklist:

01 vinterbarn
02 milo
03 holm
04 den sista fabriken
05 vanmyren
06 ava
07 flax
08 under vattenverket
09 ner
10 tretusen violer
11 viskra
12 locked in the basement [mp3]
13 omberg

Sonos

I've always loved me some Acapella music, so I was psyched to find Los Angeles vocal collective Sonos in my inbox. They do sultry acapella covers of lots of hip artists: The Bird & The Bee (their cover of "Again & Again" is my favorite song on the album), Bon Iver, Radiohead, Imogen Heap, Rufus Wainwright, Bjork and Fleet Foxes just to name a few. Even if you're not into acapella music, you might find yourself liking Sonos. They really make each of the songs their own and they have a really sexy, low key style. Check 'em out!

Tour Dates:
September 22 -  PORTLAND, OR - The Aladdin Theater
September 23 - SEATTLE, WA -  Fremont Abbey
September 30 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Hotel Utah
October 2 - WINSTON, SALEM, NC - NACA Conference South
October 7 - NASHVILLE, TN - Next Big Nashville (Cannery Ballroom)
October 9 - LOS ANGELES, CA - UCLA's Royce Hall*
October 13 -  NEW YORK, NY - The Living Room
October 27 - NEW YORK, NY - Symphony Space*
October 30 - COVINGTON, KY -  NACA Conference Mid-America
November 7 - PORTLAND, OR - NACA Conference West
November 8 -  SANTA ROSA, CA - Spreckels Perf Arts Center
November 14 - HARTFORD, CT - NACA Conference Northeast
January 30 - LOS ANGELES, CA - A Cappella Festival @ UCLA

Everything in its Right Place (Radiohead Cover) [mp3] - (iTunes)

Flashback Friday: Badfinger

This song has been popping up occasionally on the amazing Minnesotan radio station the Current, and everytime it does, I'm happy about it. So for this week's flashback friday, I hope all enjoy a little Badfinger. Blare it out the windows today.

No Matter What [mp3]

Glass Pear - Streets of Love

Last week Glass Pear released their debut full length album Streets Of Love. We've blogged about them before on GFP about their well-known "Last Day Of Your Life" track and are happy to report that Glass Pear still consists of Keane-like piano melodies and well-crafted instrumentation. Frontman Yestyn Griffiths is not new to the songwriting realm, as he helped co-write many of the tracks on older sister Jem's albums Finally Woken and Down To Earth. Most of the album contains mainstream-friendly rock-alt ballads with focus on fresh piano and clean drumwork (courtesy of their drummer Tash), although there are a few songs here and there that take on a different vein, whether it be the simplistic and beautiful guitar-based "My Ghost" or the quick-beated Cure-inspired romper "Streets Of Love." The culmination of ten tracks results in an album that's well polished and cohesive, and the track entitled "Morning Light" that was separately released speaks of a more accomplished Radiohead sound that hints of the band's future growth.

My Ghost [mp3] (iTunes)

Noah And The Whale - "The First Days Of Spring"

London indie/folk/rockers and makers of beautiful music Noah And The Whale (named after director Noah Baumbauch and The Squid And The Whale - also worth checking out) are releasing their 2nd album on October 6th, entitled The First Days Of Spring. But don't be fooled -- the title track is so emotional and melancholy that it really recalls autumn or early winter, not spring, even though it's about spiritual rebirth and preparing to give yourself a second chance...something we could all use once in awhile. The whole album is available to listen to on Myspace, and after a cursory listen it sounds like all 11 songs are destined for my as-yet-empty "Autumn 2009" iTunes playlist. I'll be posting a full review shortly after the release date...so stay tuned.

Noah And The Whale are also planning a 7-day jaunt through select US cities, starting with LA (hurrah!) I'm buying my ticket today. If you live in any of these places, you might want to follow suit:

10/20 - The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA
10/22 - Swedish American Hall - San Francisco, CA
10/24 - Crocodile Cafe - Seattle, WA
10/25 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
10/29 - Lake Shore Theatre - Chicago, IL
10/30 - The Pike House - Pontiac, WI
10/31 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto

And without any further ado -- put on some huge headphones, lay down, and check out the title track from The First Days Of Spring.

New video from The Lovely Feathers

Loving this song.

Tour schedule:
Sept 29th - Tasty World - Athens, GA
Sept 30th - Club Downunder at FSU - Tallahassee, FL
Oct 3rd - Duke Coffeehouse at Duke University - Durham, NC
Oct 4th - Rock N Roll Hotel - Washington, DC 
Oct 6th - Garfield Arthouse - Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 7th - Bowery Ballroom - New York City, NY
Oct 8th - The Middle East -  Cambridge, MA
Oct 9th - Higher Ground, Showcase Lounge - South Burlington, VT
Oct 10th - Iron Horse - Northampton, MA
Oct 11th - Soundlab Buffalo, NY
Oct 13th - Schuba’s - Chicago, IL

The Dodos' Time to Die out TODAY!

Today marks the release of The Dodos' 3rd album, Time To Die. It also marks the addition of a third member, 21-year old Keaton Snyder on the vibraphone, to the San Francisco-based band. Despite beefing up the band and the involvement of Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Fleet Foxes, The Shins) The Dodos maintain their relatively simple, upbeat, percussion-driven sound that makes their music so delightful and damn catchy. Not that I'm even sure exactly what a vibraphone is, but I like the addition. And I have to say this album seems perfect for the oncoming Autumn. I can just see the beautiful Fall leaves falling as I walk down the street to this album.

Tour Dates (with Ruby Suns):
9/26 - Henry Miller Library - Big Sur, CA
9/27 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
9/28 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
9/29 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ
9/30 - Modified - Phoenix, AZ
10/2 - House of Blues, Pontiac Garage - Dallas, TX
10/3 - The Orange Show - Houston, TX
10/4 - Austin City Limits Festival - Austin, TX
10/6 - Club Downunder - Tallahassee, FL
10/7 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
10/8 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
10/9 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington DC
10/10 - Talking Head - Baltimore, MD
10/12 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
10/13 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
10/14 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
10/15 - Middle East Downstairs - Cambridge, MA
10/16 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC
10/17 - Lee’s Palace - Toronto, ON
10/19 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
10/20 - Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
10/22 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
10/24 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
10/25 - Aladdin Theatre - Portland, OR
10/26 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC

Regina Spektor @ The State Theater in Minneapolis

Regina Spektor kicked off her American tour in Minneapolis on Friday night and I was privileged to attend (many thanks to Stephen from Big Hassle Media for wrangling those tickets). Before I start the review though, I must say one thing:

Regina fans, don't do drugs. Especially if you plan to attend one of her concerts and managed to get seats in the first two rows. Because you'll stand up, dance as if you have invisible glowsticks that you need to twirl as high as you can above your head, sing drunkenly loudly, and try to drop it like its hot even though Regina is singing "Lacrimosa." Oh yeah, and you'll make everyone hate you. And quite possibly refer to you as the idiotic crimped-hair brunette with a red shirt that looks like a bear tried to maul her who is alongside a vapid Kate Gosselin look-a-like with a tacky outfit. I don't know, that might happen. I've never taken drugs prior to a concert, so of course this is all merely speculation, but you will detract much of Regina's performance for those who have the misfortune of being at the same concert and sitting within a mile of you, so just don't do it.

Ok, to the concert. Regina graced the stage in a cute tessellation dress with red mary jane pumps, grinning ear to ear, and sat down to the Steinway grand piano to start things off with a bouncy "The Calculation" with a cello, violin and drums in tow. Regina's voice carried strong and true but with a noticeable edge of apprehension. Regina commented on how she was nervous given the fact that it was her first show in a while and she was kicking off her states tour. She did make a few mistakes here and there throughout the concert, but the audience was quick to let her know she was still awesome in their eyes. She was personable with the audience in her usual cute quirky-bashful way, and made sure to tell us that she thought Minnesota had the best beds in the world (she was sleeping a solid 12 hours every night).

The concert was as good as expected, because you receive nothing less from Regina Spektor, but I was bit let down that the first 9 songs (save for "Ode to Divorce") all came from Far, and every one was played alongside the additional instruments. I know Far is her most recent release, but at the same time, I wasn't expecting that many songs from one album nor in that sort of concentration. It saddened me to hear her say "That's an old one, some of you may not know it" after performing "Ode to Divorce," as if Soviet Kitsch was her unknown or forgotten album. For "Dance Anthem of the 80s," Regina stepped away from the grand piano to a Yamaha synthesizer, where she pressed various buttons to mimic the album's version and gave us all a much welcomed "SOLO."

The infamous seafoam electric guitar was brought out for Regina's guitar songs, "Bobbing for Apples" and "That Time", where Regina let loose and got wonderfully lost in her vocals while rocking it out with energetic strums. I know there's been some past debate on how many songs Regina can play on the guitar, but until I see evidence otherwise, those are the only two songs she's got. Regina returned back to the grand piano for a quieter, more intimate set of piano-only pieces consisting of Apres Moi, Poor Little Rich Boy, Lacrimosa and Man of A Thousand Faces. Although some may say that the song choice brought the concert down from the high energetic tone in which it had started, I think Regina is at her best when she is left with her piano and the freedoms of performing by herself, and I was certainly enjoying it more. The second half of the concert felt more relaxed and true. "Apres Moi" was beautifully expressive, especially when Regina softly and prophetically spoke the lyrics "Be afraid of the lame, they're inherit your legs, Be afraid of the old, they're inherit your souls," etc over the piano line. "Lacrimosa" was also exceptionally beautiful, but unfortunately I was not able to fully appreciate it due to the spectacle of dancing drunk girls in front of me. I wish Regina had gone into more of her older songs where her creativity really has moments to shine. I am quite shocked that she did not play "Ghost of Corporate Future" or "Consequence of Sounds," as those are what I consider to be classic Regina concert choices. I still dream of the day I get to hear "Rejazz," "Loveology" or "Baby Jesus" live.

The encore was one I was slightly dreading, as I knew it was going to pander to many in the audience who were only familiar with her radio-played numbers. Regina did play the standard "Sampson" and "Fidelity" alongside "Us" and "Hotel Song," but added some nice touches, like during "Sampson" when the backdrop behind Regina became a night sky and the entire theater audience was speckled with star-like lights. Regina performed a double encore number of "Love You're A Whore," a Country-esque song that is slightly raunchy (see photo, left, for her "harder! harder!"), quirky and fun. She let loose during that song, rocking back and forth and belting it all into the microphone. It was a fantastic and uplifting way to end the evening, and I think all would agree. Plus, Regina made this face:




Setlist: The Calculation, One More Time With Feeling, Eet, Machine, Two Birds, Laughing With, Ode to Divorce, Blue Lips, On the Radio, Dance Anthem of the 80s, Bobbing for Apples, That Time, Apres Moi, Poor Little Rich Boy, Lacrimosa, Man of a Thousand Faces. ENCORE: Sampson, Us, Hotel Song, Fidelity, Love You're A Whore

More Pictures...

Regina Spektor

ARMS

ARMS is the brain-child of Todd Goldstein, the guitarist of Brookyln group the Harlem Shakes. ARMS started out as a lo-fi bedroom project some moons ago but as turned into a whole touring band. "Kids Aflame" is the title track off their upcoming US debut which drops October 27th and features my favorite instrument, the ukulele. If this track is any indication of the album, we're looking at wonderful toe-tapping pop with a love for fuzzy shoegaze and the randomly awesome (see this music video).

Kids Aflame [mp3]

These United States - Everything Touches Everything

I meant to post this forever ago... These United States came out with their third album in 18 months on September 2nd. Everything Touches Everything is another great bluesy, country rock album from the DC-based band. I feel like it's maybe a little bit more "chill" than some of their previous ruckus rock but the album maintains their casual, gritty tone and has some pretty catchy numbers, my favorites being "Conquest & Consequence" and the title track. Listen and enjoy. And check out the tour dates:

09/14/09 Santa Fe, NM Corazon
09/15/09 Tucson, AZ Plush
09/16/09 San Diego, CA Beauty Bar
09/18/09 Los Angeles, CA The Troubadour w/ Everest, Parson Red Heads
09/19/09 Davis, CA Sofia's
09/20/09 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord
09/21/09 Ashland, OR Stillwater
09/22/09 Bend, OR Silver Moon
09/23/09 Boise, ID Downtown summer series
09/24/09 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
09/25/09 Seattle, WA High Dive
09/25/09 Seattle, WA KEXP - Live Session
09/26/09 Yakima, WA Yakima Center
09/27/09 Moscow, ID John's Alley
09/29/09 Salt Lake, UT Urban Lounge w/ Slim Cessna's Auto Club
10/01/09 Omaha, NE Slowdown
10/02/09 Grinnell, IA Grinnell College
10/03/09 Madison, WI Der Rathskeller
10/04/09 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
10/06/09 Iowa City, IA The Mill
10/07/09 Chicago, IL Subterranean
10/09/09 Louisville, KY Skull Alley w/ Jessica Lea Mayfield
10/09/09 Louisville, KY WFPK - Live Lunch
10/11/09 Athens, OH NPR's Mountain Stage radio show at Ohio Univ. w/ Southern Culture On The Skids
10/21/09 New York, NY Pianos CMJ Showcase w/ Evan Dando

Everything Touches Everything [mp3] - (iTunes)

tUnE-yArDs

Merrill Garbus is the person behind tUnE-yArDs, and she did it all on a digital voice recorder and mixed it together using shareware mixing software. Add her ingenuity with those elements and you get lo-fi indie-alternative tinged with nitty gritty drum thumps and anti-folk flares. Merrill uses her main instrument, the ukulele, beyond the point of recognition and her voice has remarkable range, going from soft and gentle to full-out power belt/scream. Her debut Bird Brains dropped in August limited to a special 1000 screen-printed release with a full release planned for November. Her strongest song is "Sunlight", and "Lions" is sure to be big, but I also enjoy the way "Fiya" displays fine uke picking and just gets better and better as you get further into it, so give them both a listen below.

Sunlight [mp3] (iTunes) link fixed
Fiya [mp3] (iTunes) link fixed

Flashback Friday: Frontier Psychiatrist

Ok, so this isn't that much of flashback because the song came out in 2000 but I had forgotten it existed until I was reminded of its awesomeness in Lise's car the other night. From Australian band The Avalanches, this song is definitely the one of the best uses of sampling and scratching I think I've ever heard. Plus the video is pretty spectacular too.

Frontier Psychiatrist [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Yellow Bird Project

The Yellow Bird Project is a Montreal-based nonprofit organization that collaborates with indie bands to make unique artistic awesomeness happen on a regular basis. It benefits charities such as Amnesty International, St. Jude's Childrens Hospital, Teenage Cancer Trust, Acoustic Neuroma, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund and many, many more. Bands on board with YBP include Au Revoir Simone, Rilo Kiley, Of Montreal, Bon Iver, The Shins and The National. YBP recently released an Indie Rock Coloring Book, which was just too cool to ignore posting about. Plus, and I know its a bit early to start thinking about this, but any of the items they sell would be an amazing gift for those savvy-indie-music friends you may have come the Holidays. While you browse the website, go ahead and enjoy their theme song, created by folksy Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man On Earth.

A Field Of Birds (Yellow Bird Project Theme Song) [mp3]

Princeton's Cocoon of Love

LA-based indie pop Princeton, the group our very own LA-based Diana has blogged about before, is releasing their debut album Cocoon of Love on September 29th. I'm not normally one to directly quote the PR release, but I can't pass this one up: "Stacks of herbal tea, a glow-in-the-dark monument, paperback writers, the Wall Street Journal, a departing Mercedes, The Metamorphosis, a series of Cambridge-commissioned paintings, video arcades, graffiti, and a cyclist on the Autobahn all figure prominently into Princeton's musical sketches." Princeton is now engaged in a massive tour alongside Ra Ra Riot, Maps and Atlases, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, and Tune-Yards. Standout dates are listed below the mp3, but for a full list, check out their myspace.

Calypso Gold [mp3] (iTunes)

Sep 10 Castaways Ithaca, NY $ &
Sep 12th Mohawk Place Buffalo, NY &
Sep 17th Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN $ &
Sep 23rd Granada Theater Dallas, TX $ &
Sep 24th Emo's Austin, TX $ &
Sep 25th Warehouse Live Houston, TX $ &
Oct 1st 9:30 Club Washington, DC $ &
Oct 4th Knitting Factory Brooklyn, NY &
Oct 8th Terrace Club Princeton, NY
Oct 21st Pianos / Force Field PR CMJ Day Party New York, NY
Oct 21st Cake Shop (CMJ) New York, NY
Oct 24th The Delancey / This Side Up /Deli /Young and Hungry CMJ Party New York, NY

$ = w/ Ra Ra Riot
& = w/ Maps and Atlases

Owen

Owen is Mike Kinsella, one of the more influential figures - along with his brother Tim - in the development of what (I do perceive to be) the Chicago indie scene in the late 90s. [See, that was clever because Owen has an album called I Do Perceive, and...yeah.]

The Kinsella family lore dates back to Cap'n Jazz, an influential experimental emo band that garnered a cult following in the Midwest and beyond. At their formation in 1989, Tim was 15, and Mike was 12. Not only would this set the bar for their future talents ludicrously high, it would heavily shape the empirical progression of their music.

Following the breakup of Cap'n Jazz in 1995, Tim formed the (often intentionally cryptic) indie piece Joan of Arc and again asked his brother to play drums. The group is still active, releasing the album Flowers earlier this summer (in June) which was their 12th (12th!) full-length studio album.

However, in 1997 Mike decided to stretch his singer/songwriter skills and departed to form American Football, arguably the most influential instrumental-based emo band of the decade. (And I mean emo as it was a sound then, not your Fall Out Boys and Panic At The Discos, and whatever whippersnappers are on my lawn these days.)

For its varying time signatures and confessional-spoken lyricism combined into what are now considered traditional indie measures - elements Kinsella would later incorporate into the foundation of Owen - their self-titled release became a seminal moment for what it meant for a label to define its act as "emo," in that the genre's sound and sensbility were finally merged by Kinsella's project. Maybe this is overstating it quite a bit, but many bands thereafter sought to match or replicate this style, and when their attempts were seen as hackneyed, the fracturing of the loose-ended organization of all things "emo" began to take hold.

At the turn of the century - nay, millennium - Tim asked Mike to bust out the kit once more for the short-lived Owls. But by 2001, Mike was already well-established as his own entity, what with his plain-styled and well-defined sense of sound. Naturally, his departure led to the solo-project under the moniker of Owen.

Confused? Just know that Mike simply knows how to write one hell of a melody, and it shines in Owen. Need more? He plays all the instruments, records out of his mom's basement, and the soft-yet-complex acoustics with sweeping-but-not-overpowering piano and cello movements match that type of delicate, wholesome, heart-on-sleeve sensibility.

On September 22nd, his latest album New Leaves is released, which is available for preorder now at Polyvinyl (via the link). I'm going to go ahead and guarantee this will make a perfect autumn album, and not because of the title. Well, partially. And for those fortunate enough to be living in Chicago, on September 18th, Mike will be playing with a full band at The Beat Kitchen as part of a pre-record release party.

Consider me jealous. For now, I've been anxiously relying on his MySpace for leaf samples, as it were, along with reliving some of my favorite tracks for his previous effort, At Home With Owen - one of my favorite albums of...2006? Really? I can't believe it's already been that long. This is a favorite track of mine off of said album, "The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi." (Album is chocked full of literary references. Enjoy it.)

The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi [mp3] - iTunes

Fall 2009 Tour:
9/16 Urbana, IL
9/18 Chicago, IL (Beat Kitchen)
9/19 St. Louis, MO
10/8 Philadelphia, PA
10/9 New York, NY (Mercury Lounge)

10/10 Brooklyn, NY (Union Hall)
10/11 Allston, MA
10/16 Oswego, NY
10/24 Halifax, Nova Scotia

Unexpected Sheet Music

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

White Rabbits on tour!

One of my favorite albums this year is It's Frightening by White Rabbits, who recently announced they're going on tour. Here's the schedule (although they appear to be skipping NY? Sadness...):

9/23 - Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
10/17 - Rock And Roll Hotel - Washington, DC *%
10/18 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA *%
10/20 - Club Hell - Providence, RI *%
10/21 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA %
10/22 - Higher Ground - South Burlington, VT %
10/23 - Il Motore - Montreal, QC *
10/24 - The Drake Hotel - Toronto, ON *
10/25 - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI *%
10/27 - The Firebird - St Louis, MO *%
10/29 - Blue Note - Columbia, MO *%
10/30 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO %
11/1 - Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ #%
11/2 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA #%
11/4 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA #%
11/5 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR #%
11/6 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC #%
11/9 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN %
11/10 - Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI %

* - with Suckers
# - with Local Natives
% - with Glass Ghost

Percussion Gun [mp3] - (iTunes)

Holiday Hash - Labor Day edition

Happy Labor Day! Just out of curiosity, I typed the word "labor" into my iTunes to see what comes up on this beautiful day off and here's what did:

9-5ers Anthem [mp3] - Aesop Rock - Labor Days (iTunes)
Labor (It's a Holiday) [mp3] - Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk (iTunes)

Ramona Falls

Ramona Falls is the solo side project of Menomena's Brent Knopf and I must say that I have huge respect for those who are in a great band and go on to produce something of their own with the same amount of dedication and talent. In case you missed it, Ramona Falls celebrated its debut release earlier in August with Intuit, a collection of swirling and tortuously layered masterpieces. The more I listen to the album, the more I fall in love with it. It follows along the vein of other beloved bands like Loney Dear and Grizzly Bear, but at the same time there are many many moments when Knopf takes it all to a completely different level that thrills me - like the addition of fast light beats about a minute in "Russia" or the playing of rhythm with the twangy southern guitar in "I Say Fever" before it is transformed into a fuzzy slight grunge-rock anthem. There are so many well-crafted pieces in this one, I highly recommend checking it out and purchasing the album.

Russia [mp3] (iTunes)
Melectric [mp3] (iTunes)

Flashback Friday: Plus Fair.

This is an extremely quick post today, because I need to rush out the door to go met Em for our traditional Minnesota State Fair excursion. In honor of the state fair, I looked up the word "fair" on my itunes and decided to post the two tracks below, the David Byrne one because for me, that's a blast from the past, and the Ann Reed one for obvious reasons, but please note that the fair isn't really that Country. Have a fantastic friday everyone, and I hope to see you fellow Minnesotans eating deep fat fried food on a stick later today (I will be the girl with the Beer on a Stick in one hand and the AMAZING butter-drenched corn on the cob in the other.)

My Fair Lady - David Byrne [mp3]
My Minnesota State Fair - Ann Reed [mp3]

The Noisettes

The Noisettes are a band from London comprised of lead singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa, drummer Jamie Morrison and guitarist Dan Smith. Their debut album Whats the Time, Mr. Wolf? emerged in 2007 and their sophmore release Wild Young Hearts drops in the US on September 22nd. Their sound has a post-punk rock feel with sizzling 60s throwbacks here and ther and I'm kinda in love with them, if only because Shingai's hair is FIERCE. Check out the vid and mp3 below and tell me you agree.

Never Forget You [mp3] (iTunes)

CouchCrash @ Southpaw

Friday night, I attended the very first concert that I myself co-organized with my friend Jason for NYC CouchCrash. I must say, it was a smashing success. Something around 200 people showed up and had a blast! I'm not going to write too much about it because I'm short on time, but all the bands were fabulous, and the whole night built in a really phenomenal way. The bands totally fed off each others' energies (and the audience's). The bands were, for those who missed my earlier announcement: Shark?, Ravens & Chimes, Urban Sun and Midnight Spin. Below is a slide show and some mp3s for your listening pleasure. Special thanks to all those who helped make it possible (especially Southpaw!).

I've Got Friends [mp3] - Shark? - Fear! EP
Rhythm In The Dark [mp3] - Midnight Spin - Through the Mojo Wire EP
The Faraway Sound of Cars [mp3] - Ravens and Chimes - Reichenbach Falls (iTunes)
Practice Me [mp3] - Urban Sun - Practice Me (iTunes)

New song from Headlights + Tour w/ Anni Rossi

Here's the first single from Headlights upcoming album, Wildlife, due out October 6th. Also, tour dates below (some of which are with my former Arts High School classmate Anni Rossi, an awesome viola-player / singer-songwriter):

10/15 Iowa City, IA The Mill
10/16 Dekalb, IL The House
10/17 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle *#
10/21 Allston, MA Great Scott *#
10/22 - 10/23 New York, NY CMJ
10/24 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie *#
10/25 Washington, DC DC9 *#
10/26 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 *#
10/29 Birmingham, AL Bottletree #
10/30 Memphis, TN Hi Tone Cafe #
11/05 Denver, CO Hi Dive #%
11/06 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court #%
11/07 Boise, ID Neurolux #%
11/10 Portland, OR Berbati's Pan #%
11/12 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord #%
11/13 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland #%
11/18 Austin, TX Emo's #%
11/19 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves #

* = w/ The Shaky Hands
# = w/ Pomegranates
% = w/ Anni Rossi

Get Going [mp3]