Wandering Sons

A fellow Wisconsinite slid this on my desk the other day. Worth a listen--a bit bluesy and reminiscent of Elivs Costello (thanks, Kyle). They come around every now and again and their live shows are supposed to be worth the cover. Enjoy.

Bright Eyes-Cassadaga

Bright Eyes' new album, Cassadaga for your listening pleasure.

Again, no time to listen to it, but wanted to post for you this weekend.

For those who don't know them, they are led by Conor Oberst, who is a lively, well dressed, handsome man, and likes to sing about rainbows and ice cream.

The National-Boxer

One of my favorite bands as of late, The National, are fantastic on album, but not so hot live.

2005's Alligator was one of my favorite albums of that year, along with many of the all powerful bloggers. They have 3 previous albums on their first label, The National. Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, and Cherry Tree.

I have not had a chance to listen yet, I wanted to post it as a little weekend present to you'all.

The first single is Fake Empire.

Plague Songs

Probably the weirdest "concept" album I have ever run across. And this is coming from someone who who knows the driving force behind Frankenstein The Rock Opera.

The concept is straight forward and interesting. It is a collection of 10 songs done by various artists each interperting one of the ten bibical plauges as described in the Old Testament book of Exodus. I am not going o pretend I know why or try to pointificate on the meaning of why. I will direct you to allmusic.com's telling.

What I will tell you is that there are 10 very peculiar songs, by pecurlar artists. Some of them you may know some of them not. It is something you can listen to when you need to have something to go along with the bible.

Also as a side note if you start this album right when the MGM lion roars in the beginning of Cecil B DeMille's The Ten Commandments you are in for a trip and a half.

This post updated while listening to Stranger's Almanac by Whiskeytown.

Pan's Labyrinth

Here is the score for Pan's Labyrinth, the latest film written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. Set in postwar repression during the fascist regime in Spain in 1944, a young girl named Ofelia, living with her pregnant mom and adoptive father (a tyrant), creates a dream world filled with fantastic fairy tale creatures. The composer, Javier Navarrete built the score around a simple lullaby tune. Navarette and the score was nominated for an Academy Award. The movie won Academy Awards for art direction, best cinematography, and best makeup. It also won numerous international awards. It is coming out on DVD May 15.

Voxtrot - Voxtrot

Found and posted at the request of Chris. I'll let him elaborate.

Donuts - J Dilla

You've probably read a lot about this album - how Jay Dee was in the hospital, dying, and putting this thing together in his bed, using whatever records his pals brought him while he laid there with a turntable and laptop.

Though it's just an instrumental hip-hop album, it's probably the saddest collection of songs I've ever heard. The quality is very, very high.

So enjoy these Donuts. They're very sweet.

Oh, and t3h hits: I've got ratings on "Stop!", "The Diff'rence", "Time: The Donuts of the Heart", "Two Can Win", "Don't Cry", "Thunder", "One for Ghost", "Bye.", and "The Last Donut of the Night", but remember that we've all got different taste (mine is pretty bad) and you might like some different cuts than me.

Word.

The return of GNR

Uploaded to the site is the album "Whenever it's Done", which in reality is the long-awaited – since 1993 in fact – album by Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy". No release date has been set yet, so enjoy this bootleg, because who knows when the actual album will come out.

-Jason

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists-Living With The Living

Ted Leo Rocks! His live shows Rock! Ted Leo brings the ock to Rock.

This is indie rock goodness. No strings attached rocking.

Rock this shit while rocking out.

Tracks to check out: Who Do You Love, Colleen, and La Costa Brava. But please don't stop there, keep rocking with the RX bandits.

Great Lake Swimmers-Ongiara

The first word that comes to mind when I think about Great Lake Swimers is mellow, also maybe haunting. Definitely for fans of Andrew Bird, Badly Drawn Boy, My Morning Jacket, Wilco.

Based out of Toronto, this indie-folk, roots music and alt country pop outfit (straight from their website), sings amazing tunes with lyrics to boot.

No specific tracks to check out, just give it a listen.

I URGE YOU ALL TO TRY IT. Let me know your thoughts and I can post the first 2 if you like.

Feist - The Reminder

You may recognize Leslie Feist as the female vocals on the last Kings of Convience album, Riot On An Empty Street. She is also a contributor to Canadian post-rock including Broken Social Scene and Apostle of Hustle. Sometimes delicate, sometimes boisterous, The Reminder is a fantastic album that shows of Leslie's many talents. My favorite tracks so far include My Man My Moon, Sea Lion Woman, Brandy Alexander, and How My Heart Behaves. Enjoy.

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

It hadn't even made it into the scurvy hands of internet pirates when Wilco streamed their newest album, Sky Blue Sky, on their website this past Saturday evening. Of course, it didn't take long for files to start circulating after that. But maybe that was the point, beat the pirates at their own game and control the buzz. The stream is down now, but you can download a track from the album at wilcoworld.net. Lucky for you, I've posted the complete album for your previewing pleasure. It's a good album and I've got some opinions about it which I'll share another time. But for now, my favorite tracks include Either Way, Sky Blue Sky, Walken, and What Light. Give it a listen and share your opinions here. Enjoy.

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

The latest offering from Isaac Brock and his Modest Mice with a little help from Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Not as immediately striking as their previous albums but there are some great tunes on here including Dashboard, Missed the Boat, and Spitting Venom. Enjoy.

Son Volt - The Search

I'm not sure that you could rightfully call this band Son Volt since Jay Farrar is the only remaining original member. None the less, the biological father of Alternative Country has created another album to remind us all that the genre is not yet dead no matter how hard Jeff Tweedy tries to kill it. I haven't given this one much of a listen yet, but my earlier impression is that it is good, but not great. I really enjoyed their last album, Okemah and the Melody of Riot, and it took me a while to come around to it. So, I'll give this one a chance. Enjoy.

Pulp: Peel Sessions

I love Pulp.

I love Jarvis Cocker.

I hope you do too!!

Peel Sessions combines songs from all of the seminal Pulp releases, from 2004's highly underrated We Love Life, to the classics, This Is Hardcore, Different Class and His and Hers, all the way back to the early days of It, Freaks and Separations.

Jarvis is the lead singer of Pulp, and gives us his first solo album. It came out in November in the UK, should hit the states in March. Those lucky few going to Coachella will get a glimpse of this modern genious. Yeah, I said it. There is a secret song after a long pause on the final track, which was passed around the web a while back. It is called Cunts Are Still Running The World, and was written exactly one year after the big flop that was Live 8.

1983, Bitches!

I've got little else to say except that She's So Unusual came out in 1983, and if you were around then, you rocked out to it (because it was turbo-ubiquitous - even lil' ol' me in bumbletruck, Minnesota had it on cassette), and then probably engaged in what became two decades of backlash against Cyndi Lauper.

But go back in time, and take a listen with fresh ears. This album rocks out in a way that only a one-shot pop album can. Loaded with singles, and sporting remarkably light early-80s synth production (synthesizers have never sounded so great on a record as here, paired with Cyndi Lauper's strong, bouncy voice), this is a triumph. This release includes three live tracks that don't really add much, but there they are.

Anyway, enjoy the trip down memory lane if you were there. If you weren't, well, here is a hell of a time capsule.

Andrew Bird is Dr. Stringz

It is unfortunate that this is not on Armchair Apocrypha

Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition

A little throwback for all ya playa haters, well, thrown back to 2004.

Murs, a founding member of Living Legends out of California who claims to be "More Coldplay than Ice T", and 9th Wonder, a producer from Little Brother out of North Carolina, formed to make this instant classic. They continued to work together on 2006's excellent Murray's Revenge (on both Kyle and My best of the year lists)

Part of the whole indie or underground rap scene, the album is just plain excellent. The production taps into a little of everything, focusing on R&B, straight beats, and jiggling hooks. Murs lays down sick vocals and rhymes that are straight up ghetto but has all the emotion and relevance that this genre of hip hop is best known for.

A 45 minute film based off of this album was made by Murs and some friends and released late 2005 as a deluxe edition. Have not seen it but would love to. Anyone???

Apostle of Hustle-National Anthem of Nowhere

The new album from Broken Social Scene's Andrew Whiteman.

This is Ap0stle of Hustle's second disc, after 2004's Folkloric Feel.

A great sound similar to BSS, indie folk experimental or whatever the fuck you want to call it.

Another excellent album from our good neighbors to the north, Canada! Reminds me of a good joke...eh!

From their press release:
'National Anthem of Nowhere’ is for everyone who feels that they have no voice or can’t be heard. They hear this title and something stirs inside them. Then they hear this song and they feel that they “know” it. They meet strangers in nowhere places and will never forget those meetings. They wander out into the suburban, in-between zones and there they are welcomed.

blues boy and pre string spaghetti

i know. long time, no post. my apologies.

two things i'd like to share in attempts to get back into your collective good graces: 1) a fantastic live recording of bb (blues boy) king and his band circa 1965. bb and lucille swing, the band jumps and the audience wails. 2) spaghetti western's debut, before they added string co. to the name... my latest impulse purchase. not as musically strong as the quiet mob EP, but worth a listen or two.

p.s. thanks for the great postings and tunes. 700 hobo names and neon bibles - you just can't beat this shit with a stick.