Ecstatic Soul

I can't stop listening to They Shoot Horses Dont They's album Boo Hoo Hoo Boo, and am searching out all there is to know about them. Luckily, they (and 1,299 + other bands) are playing at SXSW and I hope to be able to see them at least twice. I hear their live show is amazingly energetic, and I can see why.

If you're a big fan of horns, than maybe you want to check out Shane Krause of They Shoot Horses' other band Baron Samedi Ecstatic Soul Quintet. Whoo. And you thought Clap Your Hands Say Horses was a mouthful. Anyway, it's instrumental and wonderful and has a Hammond organ in it. Their label is called Hammondbeat and must feature a lot of bands with Hammond organs. Their album Feed a Fever is being released in early May. Here's a couple cuts from the album:

Ponytail and Cyclingshorts
Not an Afro in Sight

Be their friend.

(P.S. does anyone know how I can get my site to make the column where all my writing goes a bit wider? I'm feelin' a little claustrophobic these days)

Loony

Okay I really don't need to fly their banner for them anymore, but Tapes 'N' Tapes are pretty durn good. I remember when Chris started talking all this hype about them like they were the next big thing and I was like whaaaa. I listened and thought they were alright but not excellent. Well more and more spins of The Loon later and I can see Why Pitchdork gave them a Best New Music rating. I'm glad for them, and glad for Chris, because now his Gorilla vs. Bear Showcase is gonna be super popular, right?
I'm only posting this so I can post this song which is infectiously delicious. The part where his voice gets quieter reminds me of Gordan Gano of Violent Femmes. Anyone?

INSISTOR

Last Night Last Night

Okay so last night I got up on to Salt Lake City to see me some Matt Pond PA and Dios (Malos). Well, I get to the club, un-Google-ably named Club Sound, and they're saying Matt Pond has cancelled. That's a major bummer, but I proceed on, and apparently the venue is 21+. Their unhelpful website didn't say so and nobody really did. I don't know. LUCKILY right next door at Club Sound's conoine twin venue, also difficult to search for online, In the Venue, Low was playing. So I got myself into there to hear what they had.

There was some bluesy Rhodes and bass band that played first and I didn't like them much at all. They never said a word to the audience and had no vocals. I'd heard that Damien Jurado was opening for Low, but didn't know what he sounded like so I thought this band was him. I was a bit disappointed because Damien Jurado is coming back to Provo at the beginning of April with Rocky Votolato and I wanted to see him.

I've never seen Low before and don't really know what they look like, except that they have three people, two of them married and Mormon. So the next band came on, three people, two guys and a girl. I thought they were Low. The guy had the most beautiful voice I've heard in awhile. Reminded me of Nick Drake. I thought for sure I'd be a converted Low fan! And then he introduces himself as Damien Jurado. So now I am a giant Damien Jurado fan. I love his music, and downloaded his 2003 Secretly Canadian album Where Shall You Take Me? from eMusic on the strength of one song, "Abilene." So I'm glad he's coming back to Utah in April because I definitely will not miss it.

So then the real Low came on. I never got into them much, but live they are amazing. They're sort of lulling on record, but the volume was turned to 11 (sorry for the trite expression). Married couple Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker create beautiful vocal melodies. I was really blown away by Mimi's voice, just so beautiful. She also plays the drums standing up. Pretty hardcore. Anyway, it was a great show and I'm really glad that I went, if not only for my newfound love for Jurado's songwriting.
Might have some pictures later...

Low-Monkey
Damien Jurado-Abilene

Tonight Tonight

Tonight I have the pleasure of, like many bloggers before me, seeing Matt Pond PA and Dios (Malos) liive in concert. I haven't been to a proper show in quite a long time, so it'll be nice to get back to it. I'll be missing Low, but then I've never been their biggest fan so, you know.
Anyway, I loved Matt Pond PA's album Several Arrows Later and saw Dios at Austin City Limits and enjoyed them, so I suspect it will be a good good show! Review tomorrow I'm sure.

Matt Pond PA-From Debris
Dios (Malos)-Feels Good Being Somebody

Come In Out of the Rain

One of my favorite things about last year was seeing the Decemberists three times in a weekend, and twice Scotland's Sons and Daughters were opening. I'd liked their EP Love the Cup (especially "Johnny Cash" and "Broken Bones") and was just getting to love their album The Repulison Box. Seeing them live made me love the band intensely, wanting more and more from them. Luckily they've put out a few singles for songs off The Repulsion Box with accompanying different 7" versions replete with B-sides. So here's one of my favorites off the Dance Me In EP/single, a Parliament cover.

Come In Out of the Rain (Parliament cover)

If you live in the U.K. and you're planning on seeing Morrissey on his upcoming tour for Ringleader of the Tormentors, be ready for Sons and Daughters as openers! Big things are happening for this band and I love it.

Scared of Fire

You might have heard that the new TV on the Radio record leaked. Thing is, it may or may not be mastered. The album also doesn't have a name but I bet it will be just as creative as Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes so don't you worry your pretty little head. The album builds on DYBB and sees the band exploring mooore crap. Ahaha sorry I'm a little tired this morning. Anyway you will like this album if you like TV on the Radio because they are good people that make quality music over and over.

Wolf Like Me (ahaha bands + wolves jokes here)
I Guess I'm Floating has more.
Buy TVOTR Stuff at Insound.
Or download it for free at eMusic.

Don't You Remember You Told Me You Loved Me Baby

The past month or so I've been obsessing over Sonic Youth's Goo. I never knew much about them until I heard Sonic Nurse in my sister's car on the way to Austin City Limits a couple years ago. Anyway Goo is a terrific album full of swooping guitars and Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore swapping mic duty, each doing a great job at it.
My favorite song off the album is "Tunic (Song for Karen)" I don't know what it is that made me love it, but it's just amazing. I wanted to know more about the song and found out the whole backstory on how it's about Karen Carpenter. It all fit! The song made so much more sense then, and meant a lot more. I grew up listening to the Carpenters, probably like many others my age and older. My mom had all their records blah blah blah. Anyway yeah. I was excited to see Sonic Youth had even covered "Superstar."

Sonic Youth-Superstar (The Carpenters cover)

Talk Talk Talk Talk

I remember at the end of the year everyone got hyped up on this new Swedish band Love is All even though their LP hadn't come out in the U.S. Sure enough it leaked online for everyone to get a chance to listen to it. I got it but never really listened to it. Lately, after my discoveries of listening to albums as a whole, I've been making lists of what albums I have that I should listen to all the way through.
Love is All's Nine Times That Same Song was on that list. So I decided to give it an entire listen, and can say it's pretty solid. I love the sound the band makes, even if they do have a saxophone. I hadn't realized the album was put out by What's Your Rupture? Records, which is good enough because they have Comet Gain and The Long Blondes ( finally got my Giddy Stratospheres 12" I ordered from Insound and can say it's nothing short of glorious.) So take a listen and I guarantee you will like.

Felt Tip
Buy Nine Times That Same Song from Insound.
Be their friend

Definitely Not Dead

Pitchfork gave Liars a very well-deserved 9.0 for their new album Drum's Not Dead. I'm so happy to see that they liked it, because sadly so many people rely on Pitchfork's opinion and it usually will make or break an album. I admit that sometimes I do see what they think about an album, but I don't rely my opinion on the album solely on their review.
Anyway, I'm really really happy to see the album get such a high score (the highest for '06 I think) and it'll only mean good things for the band this year. It's such a great album, I really can't get enough of it. They're going to announce a U.S. tour sometime soon. How sweet would it be if they toured with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Probably not since Karen O and Angus are dunzo. Thoughtful thinking. Who would you like to see open for the Liars on their U.S. tour?

Mocking Music has their first single off Drum's Not Dead and it's remix and a few others from the album.

(The photo I used isn't actually for the band, it's a poster Heads of State made for a movie "in which five guys look for love in the big city and happen to tell a whopper or two along the way.")

Last Year's Model

I've never heard of a kalimba before. Apparently it's also called a "thumb piano" and is basically metal keys mounted on a wooden box. It originated in Africa. Playing it sounds interesting. "Rest the Kalimba on the fingers of both hands and hold it between your palms. Cover the vibrato holes with your fingers. Then pluck the keys with your thumbs. As you play you can un-cover and cover the vibrato holes as you like."
Why the heck am I talking about this? Why? You come here for music not lessons on weird African instruments. Well Laura Barrett plays one. Okay I didn't know who Laura Barrett was before yesterday, but she's got a beautiful voice and plays a kalimba. There that should be enough for you to love her, yes? Okay well here is evidence.

Laura Barrett-Robot Ponies

There, that enough? What if I said Final Fantasy loves the song and even covered it once or twice? Yeah I thought that might do it. Plus, Barrett doesn't only play the kalimba. She also has electronic and piano stuff too. Her EP Earth Sciences is, as far as I can tell a self-released effort.

Be her friend!

Sisters Rogers

The Rogers Sisters are, as their name says, sisters. And then there's a guy. Pretty confusing yes? No it's not that hard to comprehend.
Anyway...the band has released a couple efforts, and their new album The Invisible Deck (named after one of their father's card tricks) is forty minutes of rocking. I always thought the band was a little weird, but they've softened it down a bit but the rawking continues on. It's an excellent album. There have been plenty of those already this year! Year-end lists are gonna be mighty difficult..
The album is out March 27th on Too Pure.

Old:
I Dig a Hole
New:
The Light

Other news, I guess the new Fiery Furnaces has leaked. You can look for tracks all over blogs...
Also, Yeah Yeah Yeahs announced tour dates, skipping completely over Texas but hitting up Salt Lake City four days before the end of the semester? Yes please!

Nowhere Left to Run

So I know you all loved her "Yellow" cover with Bill Frissell, and then you went nuts over the cover of "God Only Knows," but what about her other new cover, "Thriller"? Have you heard it so many times that it's not funny or cool at all? Either way, I love Petra's way of doing all the instrumentation, it's just fantastic. I should've posted this over the weekend for your indie dance party but oh well.

Petra Haden-Thriller (Michael Jackson cover)

New This Week

Fiive notable releases have come out today! I've hyped two of them beyond relief, but I'm going to do it again. maybe the last time, maybe not.

They Shoot Horses Don't They releases Boo Hoo Hoo Boo. If you buy it you won't regret the purchase because these eleven tracks are all pure bliss to your aural senses.
I Guess I'm Floating has two tracks.
BUY IT!!!

Anna Oxygen's album This is an Exercise is a real masterpiece. The songs mix together, taking a melody or a beat and flowing through with it from one track to another. Great dance music if you ask me. Kinda reminds me of earlier Madonna.
Fake Pajamas
Dream. Dream. Dreams.
(they were meant to be heard like this)
BUY IT!!!

Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice are not for everybody. Their new album Gipsy Freedom is a struggle to get through, and I'm not so sure if it's so rewarding. 'Course I might still have a grudge for cancelling their show in Denton last summer. But, they might be your thing so I thought I'd mention it.
Don't Love the Liar
BUY IT!

Maximo Park is releasing Missing Songs,a compilation of b-sides and demos. Many of the tracks are really great and could have easily been on A Certain Trigger. Great release. They also released a single from their album, "I Want You to Stay" which has this remix on it:
I Want You to Stay (Field Music Remix)
BUY IT!

Dan Bejar of New Pornographers has his own band that hasn't received much press but probably will with their new release, Destroyer's Rubies. It's an amazingly beautiful album from start to finish, even if most of the tracks seem to be around seven minutes long. Truly great work.
Find enough Destroyer to fill your heart's desires.
BUY IT!!

Also, Big Stereo, one of my favorite blogs, posted up the Weird Science (Steve Aoki of Dim Mak and Blake Miller of Moving Units) remix of "Helicopter" featuring Peaches. Check it out.

Arrest Yrself

Hot Chip has a new album The Warning coming out this year. I think it's on DFA, and that would make sense. I thought that, after hearing the DFA remix of "Just Like We (Brakdown)" Hot Chip would be a full-out electro madhouse but their album Coming on Strong really wasn't. And neither was their Mexico EP. That was sort of disappointing.
Well the new album isn't. It's truly dancy. Anyway this song is good. I could see it being their next single after "Over and Over" gets all the hype it's gonna get. Seriously that song is gonna be huge.

Arrest Yourself

Shoot the Horses Tonight

Canadian carnival popsters They Shoot Horses Don't They are having a CD release show tonight in Vancouver. If you live there, I recommend going. It's at 156 West Hastings, with other bands like Hank and Lily and Hot Loins. No idea who they are but I'm sure it'll be an interesting show.

Speaking of, I got the new album Boo Hoo Hoo Boo today and gotta say I am loving it! It's so much fun, pretty much non stop hotness and trumpets galore. I highly recommend you buy it when it comes out on Kill Rock Stars on Tuesday!

Emptyhead

Orbiting Man

Okay just wanted to post this real quick. I got this track off a compilation from Copper Press Magazine. I don't know anything about Tenki except they've been around awhile and that this song is pretty much amazing with the trumpet blasts and the...greatness. Anyway have a good Friday night!

Croupier
Buy their album View Of an Orbiting Man.

Wake Up Love

Maybe I only heard about Squeeze Me I Squeak because of my last post. Maybe. That's sort of lame to be posting about it so quick, isn't it? Well SMIS is totally worth it.
Comin' out of Bordeaux France, Valerie Hernandez likes to dress up wearing an adorable rabbit head hat while she performs. Sometimes, Melanie Valera (Tender Forever duh) performs with Valerie to create beautifully adorable pop songs. She only has a demo as far as I know, that you can get by sending Valerie your own demo or a mixtape or something. Pretty cool idea. Trading is always nice. Learn more at her MySpace.

Wake Up
For fans of: Tender Forever, the Blow, Anna Oxygen, other girly pop singers.

ATTENTION: If you live in the Dallas metroplex, get yourself down to downtown Dallas to see Voxtrot kick off their nationwide tour. Also appearing will be Denton's The Happy Bullets and Tacks the Boy Disaster all at The Cavern!

Forever

Just renewed my subscription to eMusic today. Not trying to convince you of anything, just saying 40 downloads for $10 is a pretty good deal in my opinion. My first album that I downloaded was Tender Forever's The Soft and the Hardcore. I'd seen posts on 'em on other blogs and liked what I heard, plus she's on K Records. Tender Forever is really just Melanie Valera playing sweetingly lovesick songs about love and being loved.

Take it Off

I was gonna download Anna Oxygen's new album but forgot it doesn't come out till next Tuesday. Bummer! Anyone have any other suggestions what I should use my remaining downloads on?

New Attitude

I don't think a lot of you like the Dirty Projectors. Are they too weird? I admit they are to some extent. But I'm excited for Dave Longstreth's new EP, New Attitude. I was looking around for information about it, because I'd heard it's coming out in a little while. Well it's going to be a vinyl-only release, although he said he'll have CD editions on tour with him and the vinyl comes with a CD. Pretty darn cool of them. The EP's being released on Marriage Records, which is a pretty darn cool record label if I do say.

Imagine It

Okay this is going to sound stupid and I'll lose all my cred, but tell me this doesn't sound like something off of The Brave Little Toaster. Like when they're in the apartment and all the new appliances sing the song about how cool technology is? This sounds just like that. Believe me. Dave Longstreth+ Electronic Blips = Magic.

Let's Pray for Rain

I've seen a lot of posts around about Two Gallants. They're gonna be pretty big this year, I'd imagine. Their album, Who the Toll Tells comes out next Tuesday in the U.S. on Saddle Creek. I tried listening to the album song by song and it didn't work. It's an album and I finally realized I need to play the whole thing through the hear what the fuss is about.
Taking their name from a James Joyce short story is pretty cool. I like that. Lots of people have said it sounds like they're reinventing songs from other time periods, and that's sort of true. The song "Long Summer Day" is a point-in-case, what with the old timey clip tagged at the end of the song with lyrics from the song. I don't know if it's an old song they changed and rearranged, but I like it a lot.
Definitely the highlight, the denouement of the album, where you really understand what it's all about, is the gritty "Waves of Grain." It reminds me of Grapes of Wrath for some reason. Truly magnificent. They're going on tour across the U.S. with Pink Mountaintops (are they worth checking out?) in April so I recommend you go see them.

Waves of Grain
Las Cruces Jail (Radio Edit)
Find more music by Two Gallants.

Come on Past

I might have already posted this song before but get over it! I love it. It's a new Fiery Furnaces song. Don't get too excited, it's from a session they did on KEXP in April of last year, I think during CMJ. Anyway this is an acoustic version of a song that is going to be on their new poppy, girly album Bitter Tea. If this song is any inkling of what the rest of the album may hold, I'm gonna love it as much as EP.
I wonder what the full band version is gonna sound like. Probably lots of Matt's signature weird keyboard noise, I think. Anyway, Bitter Tea drops April 18th on Fat Possum.

Teach Me Sweetheart

Gold Lion's Dead

So after we all went crazy over the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs song "Gold Lion" the band's like "Hey I think people like it!" so they made a video for it. It's pretty good, lots of fire.

Watch it here. (Link fixed)

Can't say I'm in love with the song. I like it a lot, but like listening to a sped up version I made for myself. It's like the Diplo Edit but still yeah. Just the faster vocals is what I needed. I'm excited for the album!

And in case you wanted to see it, the Director's Cut of the "Y Control" video:
Windows High | Real High

Oh No! Snow!

"How full of the creative genius is the air in which these are generated!
I should hardly admire more if real stars fell
and lodged on my coat."
--Henry David Thoreau

I really don't like snow that much. It's sort of cool at first, coming from Texas I haven't seen it much. Well now it's just plain annoying. it hadn't snowed here in a long time and it's been pretty sunny even though only in the 40's temperature-wise. Well the snow is back and it makes me a little sad. The snowflakes are gigantic! Crazy. Anyway I'm sorry this post sucks but I woke up late-ish and have class soon.

Laura Veirs-Snow Camping (I would never camp in the snow. Ever. But this song is beautiful.)
Elliott Smith-Angel in the Snow

Aaand then go watch some Winter Olympics. I haven't watche much. I saw Bode Miller lose at Alpine Skiing and that guy Shaun White and Gretchen Bleiler. They were both pretty good. I ought to watch some more.

Love Love x4

Okay yes it's Valentine's Day and you are going to be slaughtered by all the songs about love today. I can smell it. For one, Matt has a bunch of Valentine's "anti-love" songs up if you want them and are into hating love.
Soo for me it's not about a loved one. well it's many loved ones. My family and friends and all of my readers! Thanks so much for everything you guys do, and for coming each day to read what I have to say.

And now a song from someone who's music I've fallen in love with lately:
Jens Lekman-The Wrong Hands

Or, for love-haters:
Belle and Sebastian-I Don't Love Anyone

If you haven't made Valentines for loved ones, I recommend using these.

You Aren't Allowed to Say

I don't know why The Cribs aren't doing hot in the U.S. Are you tired of British bands landing on your soil, America? Do they make you cry? They might rock based on a formula, but you cannoy deny their power. They are growing. They are also teaming up with OC loves and going on tour.
Just got an e-mail announcing that The Cribs have been picked up to tour with Scots Franz Ferdinand and Washingtonians Death Cab for Cutie on their co-headlining tour that already makes your head hurt. Will the two fanbases rip each other apart? Will the Cribs bring them together? Probably not. If anything, the Franz fanz will become Cribs fanz on the tour. Ch-ch-check it out.

The Cribs-Mirror Kissers

Tour dates (many already sold out):
Wed 03/22/06 Portland, OR Memorial Coliseum
Thu 03/23/06 Sacramento, CA Sacramento Conv. Center
Fri 03/24/06 Reno, NV Reno Hilton
Mon 03/27/06 Tucson, AZ University Of Arizona
Wed 03/29/06 Austin, TX The Backyard
Thu 03/30/06 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
Fri 03/31/06 Grand Prairie, TX Nokia Theatre
Fri 04/07/06 Durham, NC Duke University
Sat 04/08/06 Camden, NJ Tweeter Center At The Waterfront
Sun 04/09/06 Ithaca, NY Cornell University
Tue 04/11/06 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall
Wed 04/12/06 Boston, MA Agganis Arena
Thu 04/13/06 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
Fri 04/14/06 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
Sat 04/15/06 Montreal, QC CEPSUM @ Univ. Of Montreal
Mon 04/17/06 Toronto, ON Docks Concert Theatre
Tue 04/18/06 Detroit, MI State Theatre
Wed 04/19/06 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
Thu 04/20/06 Minneapolis, MN Northrop Auditorium
Sun 04/23/06 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Th. For Perf. Arts
Tue 04/25/06 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference
Wed 04/26/06 Calgary, AB Stampede Park


Buy the Cribs last album The New Fellas from Insound or iTunes.

Chase the Night

Got an e-mail from James Minor, manager of Voxtrot. Had some stuff to say about this band New Sense out of Wisconsin. They're opening for Voxtrot on a few dates, which is a pretty good pairing. New Sense's sweet harmonies will pair up well with the Voxtrot pop sound we've all come to love.
Here's my favorite song that I've gotten to hear. It's a new one, not off their EP Flowers Before Hours out on Brilliante Records. The song is a simple drum machine beat with swirling New Order synths all over it. It sort of sounds like Phoenix if they were American and their singer sounded a bit like Adam Levine, in a good way. The other track, "Rollerskate" is a stutter pop song that would be prime for a good remix or three.

Chase the Night
Rollerskate
Yr gonna wanna be their MySpace buddy.

Upcoming tour dates:
2/14 NYC - Pianos - 7:30PM slot
2/15 NYC - Rothko - 9PM slot w/ Mercy The Contours
2/16 NYC - Living Room - 8PM slot
2/26 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club w/ Voxtrot
2/27 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Voxtrot, Tapes 'N Tapes

Buy Flowers Before Hours on iTunes for $4.49

So You Could Be Rich

I'm sure you know by now and if you didn't you do now, that the new Flaming Lips album At War With the Mystics has leaked. I haven't listened to it all the way through yet, but like what I hear. I was sort of worried when I heard "Mr. Ambulance Driver" on the Wedding Crashers soundtrack because it was really slow and not that great. But this album has some really good songs, like the one I'm posting right now. I'm sure it will be swallowed and forgotten when other bloggers post other possibly better songs, buut I like this one a lot.

Flaming Lips-Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
(No, it's not a tribute to Karen O a la Ben Lee's "The Mysterious Mythology of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, sadly)

SLARAFFENLAND

Danish/Swedish band Slaraffenland has a sound akin to a less jump-ropey Go! Team or a thoroughly upbeat Sigur Ros or Broken Social Scene without the singers. Their instrumental songs are packed with instrumentation and beautiful melodies belying the band's Scandanavian heritage. The name is Scandanavian for "Land of milk and honey," which explains the band's sweetness, with horns and organs all mixing to form something truly beautiful.
Their last effort, a 4-track 3" EP entitled Jinkatawa which is limited to 500 copies. They look really beautiful and are hand-designed.

Shuto-Uchi
Cockaigne

Be their friend.

I Smell the Blood of an English Man

Okay so I have no idea who Man Man are. I heard the name and always thought they were some Animal Collective spin-off. Are they? They very well could be. They're a whole lot more interesting. Think gypsy circus tunes. Because that's what I'm thinking. Their new album, Six Demon Bag, is ridiculously entertaining. It's full of crazy piano driven, macabre Vaudevillian tunes (band member names include Honus Honus, Les Mizzle and Pow Pow and they all play interesting instruments like "caveman voice" and sexual trap kit" and "gravel pit forethroat"). Very much recommended. It's being release on Ace Fu on February 21st. Get your valentine a rain check for this album and they might love you.

Van Helsing Boombox

Cats Cats Cats

Okay I really wanted to post this clip. I'd never seen Family Guy before I came to college. And now I think it's hilarious. Anyway I really thought this clip was funny. I love how the show just has so many pop culture references that, if you're not up on your celebs and weird media knowledge, many of the shows funnier jokes will be lost upon you.


To keep it musically related, here's Chan Marshall who recently cancelled her entire upcoming tour. Sad face here.
Cat Power-Knocking on Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan/Guns 'N' Roses cover)

Also, if you have never done so, please go read Stuff on My Cat. It's amazingly cute everyday.
(P.S. I love YouTube)

You Don't Need a Boyfriend

So some might call my love for the Long Blondes obsessive. A bit ridiculous since the band hasn't release anything but singles. But they are all so good! So good. I love them all. Please somebody get these kids a record deal! If only I had enough money I'd do it myself. Alas I don't (go figure) but I can show off this really great band for you all to goggle at and adore also.

So here's a newish song called "Once and Never Again." Pitchfork talked about it today calling it "Dear Abby"-shtick chick pop. Hilarious.

The Long Blondes-Once and Never Again

Veins

I wrote up about the Paper Cranes awhile ago. I thought their songs were cute and upbeat, with charming melodies and a nice voice. Well their debut ep Veins is being released on February 23rd. Are You Familiar? has some information about it. Apparently the EP is being released on fledgling label Unfamiliar, of which AYF? obviously has a part in. Their distributing through Insound just like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah did last year and then they blew up. So will the Paper Cranes blow up? I hope so. Just listen to this track, a remix of their song "Deus Ex Machine Gun" by Run Roc.

Deus Ex Machine Gun (Run Roc Remix)

Duh, of course you're gonna friend them on MySpace where you can hear their great song "I'll Love You Till My Veins Explode."

Madonna/Gorillaz

I don't think I've ever posted on Madonna or the Gorillaz, but today I'm gonna talk about both. I didn't watch the Grammy's last night (I think I was watching Lost instead for the first time) but I really wanted to see the collaboration between Madonna and Gorillaz that had been talked about. In case you don't know, Gorillaz are cartoons. So they were like holograms and stuff. Pretty awesome. Watch the clip here:


Oh and here's an extra track off the Japanese version of Confessions on a Dancefloor
Fighting Spirit

My Old Kentucky Blog has some Gorillaz tracks you might not have heard before.

Anna O

I've had my eye on you, Anna Oxygen, for quite some time now. My sister introduced me to her CD All Your Faded Things a couple years ago and I like it bunches. I have an affinity for girl electro pop, especially when they perform in fron of a screen which shows little movies and stuff. I love 'em all equally. So when I heard Kill Rock Stars was putting out Anna O's new album This is an Exercise I got pretty pumped. And now they've posted a song from it. And guess what.
It sounds like Prince's "Doves Cry" and it is amazing.

Anna Oxygen-Fake Pajamas

Oops

I'm sorry I've been sucking pretty hard at posts this week. You know, I got school and stuff. But anyway today I will try and make it up to you! By starting out, I will post this song. It is a Juan Maclean remix that is probably going to be released sometime soon, maybe as a 12" or maybe on a new single. I don't know. But I ripped it from DFA's MySpace so I don't got a lot of information. Anyway.

The Juan Maclean-Love is in the Air (Mock and Toof Remix)

Take Our Hands Out of Control

Okay I know you already heard from Stereogum the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs track "Gold Lion." Well apparently it's available from iTunes for real downloading! Pretty amazing. What do you guys think of the track? After the Diplo edit, it seems kind of slow, but I still like it a lot. I was right when I thought I heard acoustic guitar in the edit, because it's in the track.
There's another song on iTunes called "Let Me Know." They won't let you buy it because I have no idea. But I listened to the 25 second snippet and liked what I heard. I'm glad the band has sort of tamed it down a bit, but I wonder what it'll do to their live show?

Buy Gold Lion from iTunes.

Unrelated, Come Pick Me Up has a few Police covers.

Whispertown

BV beat me to it buut I was gonna talk about the band Whispertown 2000 today. They're playing with Jenny Lewis on her upcoming tour. They're also releasing their first album on Rilo Kiley's label Brut/Beaute in March. Their songs are similar to Rilo Kiley's. But with a little more of Jenny Lewis' solo stuff feeling. Anyway, you ought to listen if you think that Rilo Kiley is cool and you think their judgements are A-okay. Sorry this is kind of a pitiful post, I have to go take a test and then have classes blah blah college student stuff.

Fear It
Gonna Hafta
Download a lot more mp3's at their website.

Some Places You Could Go

Don't have anything to post about, so I thought I'd point out a few things other bloggers have been doing.

20 Jazz Funk Greats has a new Liars remix from their new single and an Erase Errata track from some compilation. I've been listening to Drum's Not Dead a lot. It makes a great running/briskly walking record, for those of you who do that sort of thing.

The Prettiest Pony has the new MSTRKRFT remix for Wolfmother's "Woman." Check out their other posts, they have about 29087 other great remixes/new dance stuff.

Take Your Medicine has finally put up his very first podcast.

Brooklyn Vegan went to the Plug Awards last night and has a recap.

The Rich Girls Are Weeping have had plenty of great posts in the last week or so, with Go! Team and Patrick Wolf remixing Bloc Party and Annie, respectively. And some Feist remixes.

No One Ever Dies Young

New York's Favourite Sons are probably ready for what 2006 has to bring. They're releasing an EP due in late March and they're finishing up recording a full length. They're playing SXSW and rumor is that they've signed to Vice Records. Get ready to be hearing about them a lot!

Sadly I don't have any mp3's of the band and can't find any, so you'll have to suffice hearing them on MySpace.

Hunter

Jana Hunter pretty much first got heard by everyone on Devendra Banhart's Golden Apples of the Sun compilation. Banhart has taken her under his wing, released a split LP with her and put out her very first full length Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom as his first record on his new label, Gnomongsong.

Restless
Befriend her, hear more music.
Buy Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom.

Garrison did an interview with her at IndieInterviews.

Sleep Late

My sister sent me the new Dirty on Purpose EP Sleep Late For a Better Tomorrow and I have to admit that I am mighty chuffed with it. The five song-wide extended player is lush with guitar pedals and swooning vocals. Dream pop at its finest, amazing for an overcast day like today.

Mind Blindness
Buy the EP on iTunes
Be their friend.

ELSEWHERE: Torr has a new leaked Morrissey track from his new album Ringleader of the Tormentors!! Go check it out.

Put It On the Ground

A know a couple people posted about these guys, Kid Theodore, yesterday but they also sent me an e-mail about their music. I fell in love with the songs they sent. Basically, the handclaps. I am a sucker for handclaps in just about any form. "Lonely Angel" sounds like Britt Daniel fronting Wilco playing Belle and Sebastian or something. I don't know, it's ridiculously amazing and this may be why: "Each band member comes from different musical backgrounds and influences. Because of this, it is hard to put a finger on exactly what Kid Theodore sounds like. But if you could mix early Tom Waits with the Kinks, or Belle and Sebastian with Johnny Cash..."

Listen at their MySpace.

I am super blessed because they're playing with Voxtrot when they come through Salt Lake City at Kilby Court! Talk about amazing.

LCD Soundsystem Demo Track

This right here is an unreleased demo track by James Murphy from awhile back. It didn't make it's way onto LCD Soundsystem's first album or as a single because, well, hear what James had to say about the track when talking to Pitchfork:

What a terrible song. I hate it. It's an old song that I worked on that I was unsatisfied with, essentially, and it wasn't relevant to my life anymore. It sounded like Peaches. I was really into Peaches at the time, having fun with drum machines. In the end, it wasn't me. Didn't feel right, and I didn't like it...it made its way onto the internet eventually. And that's where it should stay. If people have the song and they like it, hell they care if it's on the record or not? It's not a good song.

The feature Pitchfork was doing was a sort of Jukebox Jury. It's interesting to hear what he has to say about other music and about his own. The song isn't as strong as other stuff off the album, but I don't think it's that awful. Have a listen.

Where is Love

ALSO! Check out this amazing my DFA loves Hot Chip. It's for their song "Over and Over" and it's pretty crazy.
Windows Media / Real Player

I'm Around I'm Okay

Chris beat me to it, but Voxtrot finally has an mp3 of their new song "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives" from the same-titled EP which comes out April 4th. Speaking of, you can start pre-ordering the EP from the band at their website. Or if you can't wait that long, you'll be able to pick up the EP from the band on the West coast branch of the tour.

Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives

Also, if you're in Brighton this Friday February 3rd, check out Voxtrot singer Ramesh Srivastva doing a DJ set at How Does it Feel to Be Loved?