The National: High Violet

The National's High Violet can be found here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7225/TheNational.zip

Also, Crystal Castle's new one is up on the iDisk.

New Records

I added the new Broken Social Scene & the new New Pornographers records to the iDisk. Enjoy.

joe henry - blood from stars

Joe Henry's been around for a while, but has never really garnered much mainstream attention... perhaps following the same course as Tom Waits in that regard. He's mixed it up quite a bit in the past with elements of country, swing, jazz, folk. Blood From Stars continues with the genre-challenging theme. It took a few spins for it to soak in for me, but since taking hold has really stuck with me. Interesting note: Joe's married to Madonna's sister, Melanie Ciccone, and their son Levon Henry plays sax on the album.

White Rabbits - It's Frightening

I haven't listened to this much at all, I just got it for my birthday, but I wanted to get it up to you guys. It's produced by the lead singer of Spoon, so that gives you an indication of the genre of music it is. So far from what I've listened to, it's excellent alt-pop. Enjoy.

Broken Bells

Broken Bells is a collaboration between Danger Mouse & James Mercer (front guy for the Shins). After listening to an All Songs interview with them, its safe to say that Broken Bells is a band, not a Danger Mouse produced Shins record. It reminds me of Phoenix because its a slickly produced pop record for indie kids. Check out tracks 1, 5, 1o to start.

3.5 stars on Paul's iTunes

Dawes - North Hills

Dawes is a new roots rock group drawing a lot of comparisons to The Band. That was enough of an endorsement for me to catch them at the Triple Rock recently. While I was expecting something different with the aforementioned comparisons, I was still impressed enough with their energy and live sound to pickup their recent North Hills album, and share with ya'll. Here's a short review: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/28688909/review/30455332/north_hills

Two Palate Cleansers: Fanfarlo and Mumford & Sons

Both of these albums are heavy rotation here. They're quite different. Fanfarlo was hailed as Arcade Fire lite, and on a few songs that assessment is pretty obvious. I wasn't sold on their high praises on the first three to four listens, but after a while they definitely rock with lots of energy. Give I'm a Pilot, Comets, and It is Growing. But everything but the bonus tracks really work.




Mumford & Sons has the same amount of energy, but it's more, I don't know, folky and bluegrassy. This one is definitely worth a download. Start at the start and listen through to the end. You won't be disappointed.

Flaming Lips cover Dark Side of the Moon

Information Button. Instead of a review I have directions.

1) Download The Flaming Lips cover of The Dark Side of the Moon.

2a) Listen to album.

2b) Shake your head in disgust.

3) Burn CD and place in your motor vehicle go for a drive.

4a) Roll down your driver's side window.

4b) Whip CD out the moving vehicle.

5) Mutter to yourself, "What the Fuck was that."

The Swell Season - Strict Joy

I just had to upload this one, it being Kyle's favorite music and all. This is the Academy Award winning duo's follow up to their first album & Once movie soundtrack...It's pretty good. Glen Hansard remains the stronger songwriter than his female counterpart, and you can tell which songs each one wrote. But her singing and piano playing more than make up for that. Overall, this one never hits the heights of their previous efforts, but it's worth a listen.

Charles Ives - Three Places in New England

It has been a long time since I posted. Years, in fact. I just haven't been listening to much rock music. Mostly old time country. But lately, I've been listening to 20th Century classical music.

I've been reading the book The Rest is Noise: Listening to the 20th Century by Alex Ross, trying to get a better handle on the century that produced Schoenberg, Bartok, John Cage, and Philip Glass. I'm only a about a fourth into the book after a month of reading, because when you read a book about music you spend a lot of time listening to what you're reading about.

I recently read a section about Charles Ives, an early 20th century American composer who worked at an insurance company by day and composed by night. He was an outsider in the American scene, but he was greatly admired in Europe. He composed using tonal and atonal techniques that predate their use in Europe, but no one really knew about it because he was so isolated. He was "modern" before the rest of the world know what "modern" was.

The piece that struck me the most were three tone poems called Three Places in New England. Read the Wikipedia entry to learn more about each piece. But if you choose to listen, you'll hear dissonant, haunting, disturbing, and beautiful music that will, if you're like me, stick with you for days. It's famous for it's use of quoting folk songs, spirituals, and patriotic melodies. The third piece, meant to evoke a river in Massachusetts, is a sung folk-sounding melody backed by a swirling, atonal dissonance of strings that curl around your ears like wisps of fog.

Away We Go - Motion Picture Soundtrack

This soundtrack is mostly Alexi Murdoch songs, and if you have Alexi Murdoch's Time Without Consequence album, then you have most of these songs. But there are a few new ones...though I'm not sure if they're available elsewhere, and there's also a smattering of other artists.

Here's the track list (songs by Alexi Murdoch unless otherwise stated):

All My Days
Blue Mind
What is Life - George Harrison
Song For You
Golden Brown - The Stranglers
Towards The Sun
Meet Me In The Morning - Bob Dylan
Breathe
Wait
The Ragged Sea
Oh! Sweet Nothin' - The Velvet Underground
Orange Sky
Crinan Wood

Vampire Weekend-Contra

I will preface this review with a quick point about Vampire Weekend (V.W.) I loved their first record. If I were to make a top 10 albums of the 00's, V.W. would be on the list.

After 1 distracted listen (hangin' with H), I am moderately impressed with V.W.'s sophomore record "Contra." I loved the first single Horchata and agree with the pitchfork review that Giving Up the Gun is the best song on the record. The rest of the record is a little less consistent then the debut. Pitchfork argued that the step forward a is positive; i'm not so sure. V.W. added some more quirky instrumental moments that deconstructs the songs more then I like. But, I like more driving instrumentation (this explains my distaste with The Dirty Projectors & love for Interpol) Overall, it's a very good followup and V.W. will not fall victim to the sophomore slump. V.W. is here to stay.

4 out 5 of P2's iTunes

PS-Greg and saw V.W. at the Triple Rock during their 1st tour. V.W. came across as genuine & happy to have success. I like supporting people that understand their privileged opportunities.

Tracks: 1, 8, 5, & 7 to start

The Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca

I picked up the Dirty Projectors album "Bitte Orca" over the summer after Stereo Gum raved about its greatness. I don't hear it. I think its over produced, over busy, and without focus. They may be the point of the record and I just don't get it. Thats fine, I can't enjoy everything. For starters: I love the song "No Intention" and enjoy the songs "Cannibal Resource" & "Stillness is the Move." The rest of the album was filler. 2 out of 5 on P2's iTunes.

Múm - Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know

A great album by a great Icelandic band. Released 21.08.2009 with songs about fish and breast milk–how can a person go wrong? You should listen to this album... or maybe you're, in fact, listening to it at this very moment and you don't even know it. Yes, it is that good. They put on a fantastic show at The Walker in late October. Mind you, I'm a bit biased. I once drove from Minneapolis to Lawrence, Kansas to see them play... Happy New Year, enjoy!

The Rural Alberta Advantage-"Hometowns"

I found 2009 to be a very disappointing year in music. I've been enjoying the end of the year lists and podcast, but continue to be less then impressed. So, I am going to declare The Rural Alberta Advantage's (RAA)debut "Hometowns" the best record of 2009.

Musicheads reviewed it with a comparison to Neutral Milk Hotel's brilliant album "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea." I quickly rushed out to buy it. Initially, I was lukewarm on the RAA, but it has really grown on me.

Try tracks: 6, 1, & 4 to start.

If you like it and live in the cities, I'm going to see the RAA on January 15th.

Alec Ounsworth: Mo Beauty

The Decemberist's lead singer does nothing for me, but the front man for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah totally does, and his new album "Mo Beauty" rocks. I don't think his vocal range is as great as it is with the band, but his style is definitely still there. For the most part the songs hang together well. There's a range of rocking alternative tracks and calmer, quieter ones.

Highlights for me include "When You've No Eyes", "Me and You, Watson", "Modern Girl (...with scissors)", and "Obscene Queen Bee #2".

Give it a listen.

The xx: xx

The xx offer an album with a lot of space. It's open and simple, with sultry female lead vocals and some (surely hipster) guy accompanying her. The duets really works for me. Start with VCR and Stars and Basic Space and Islands and really the whole album is solid. It's mostly electronic with industrial accents, some nice guitar, maybe hand clapping, and piano. This has been called the one of the greatest make out records of the decade. Not that I've tested it out or anything. Flint is has a dearth of appealing women. But *in theory* this album should be excellent for wooing. Report back in the comments.

Them Crooked Vultures

The final supergroup of the year is the most interesting. Them Crooked Vultures is Josh Homme from Queens of the Stones on guitar and vocals, drummer Dave Grohl of Nirvana fame, and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards. A one sentence review could be: Imagine a more prog-rock version of Led Zeppelin.

The best way to start is with #6 Scumbag Blues. You'll be transformed back to late 60's Cream and at the 1:08 mark the keyboard solo is best 18 seconds of music this year. Throughout the record the rhythm section is awesome; they are loud, imposing, booming, and almost make up for the boring songs. That is the problem; unfortunately, the album is just OK. The guys from Sound Opinions reviewed it well by saying that songs just aren't there. I agree. After 6, try 1, 5, and eventually 2 & 3.

3 out of 5 stars on Paul's iTunes

Felt – Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez

The Felt boys are back and this time your boy Aes Rock is the drummer.



Slug and Murs are back with another Felt project for the backpackers to get giddy about. This time with the tantalizing addition of Aesop Rock on production. An interesting choice for sure, Aesop certain brings a different flavor to Felt. And I have to admit that I like his production. But this album is way too long and too serious at points. To me, a Felt record should be fun and a bit silly. It should be an opportunity for Slug and Murs to let go, show off and rap about women they'll never get.

Don't get me wrong, this album is worth a listen. It's just not the best Felt record, but Slug and Murs are both too good to sleep on this. Highlights for me include Protagonists, Felt Chewed Up, Henrietta Longbottom, and She Sonnet.

Enjoy.

Phoenix: Two Albums

Drew a request for two more Phoenix albums, and they're up now: Alphabetical and It's Never Been Like That. I saw them in-store at the Fetus last time I was in the cities, and they're fun.

p.s. The New Moon soundtrack and Built to Spill's new one are also up. Enjoy