Sea Dog

El perro del mar, nom de plume of Gothenburg's Sarah (don't know her last name), started making music in December 2003, already having worked with fellow Swede Jens Lekman and receiving acclaim for her self-titled album, out on Memphis Industries (UK's home to the Pipettes and the Go! Team).

El perro del mar is full of mournful yet somehow hopeful melodies completely focused on Sarah's voice. It might as well be an a capella album, as she provides her own "ba ba ba's" and handclaps to showcase her beautiful whispering voice.

God Knows (You've gotta give to get)
This Loneliness

Download El perro del mar from eMusic.

A Word About Van Occupanther

I know you've already heard 40,000 people telling you Midlake's new album The Trials of Van Occupanther is the new shiz, but now I'm hear to tell you it is.

When I first got the album I was thinking "Okay so nothing on this album's gonna hold up to 'Roscoe.' You guys were kinda dumb putting it as the first track cause that's all anyone's gonna listen to." But then I got to track two, "Bandits," and was re-thinking it. And then I hit "Head Home" and it was all over.

This album is one of the best Fleetwood Mac sound-alike records you'll hear all year, making it one of the best too. Their first album Bamnam & Silvercork (guys what does that even mean?) was okay but all the keyboards got a little boring/annoying. I'm not a big Flaming Lips fan so it didn't speak much to me. So I was pretty darn glad to get ahold of this one, because it's amazing.

In case you haven't heard one of the best songs of the year (I don't use that lightly):
Roscoe

It's Your Birthday and You're Still Stupid

Yaay today is my birthday. What other kid you know gets Sharpie highlighters and a watch for his birthday?

Jens Lekman sent me these songs for my birthday. So loving.
Happy Birthday, Dear Friend Lisa Michael
Are Birthdays Happy?

PS in case you don't know how old I am, ¡Forward, Russia! does!
(Hint)

Happy birthday! Throw away that MySpace rip, here's an official first look at the Rapture's new album Pieces of the People We Love.

The Rapture-Get Myself Into It

Pioneers

I feel pretty ashamed for not posting on yesterday's Mormon holiday Pioneer Day. In Utah they make a huge deal of it (getting off for school and parades) to commemorate crossing the plains to found Utah. So uhh here's the only song I could find about pioneers re-done for different times.

Bloc Party-Pioneers
Bloc Party-Pioneers (M83 Remix)
Tunng-Pioneers
Mystery Jets-Pioneers

Sorry I don't have any Mormon folk music to share, or even some Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Putting the Days to Bed

The Long Winters return to the scene with their new album Putting the Days to Bed on Barsuk Records. Singer John Roderick's voice isn't really like singing, just sort of a lilting talking voice. I saw them opening for the Decemberists a couple years ago and he was a pretty funny guy on stage, and the self-deprecating lyrics in the songs from When I Pretend to Fall didn't exactly have me falling head over heels, but I was interested in the new album, a new leaf.

Putting the Days to Bed feels much the same as When I Pretend to Fall, but more like a person who's been through more break-ups than long-lasting relationships. Roderick's pining melodies make Putting the Days to Bed worth hanging onto.

The Long Winters-Pushover

Buy Putting the Days to Bed from Barsuk.

Week End

Have a good weekend guys! I'm gonna be peacing it with the family all weekend so I probably won't be posting. Stay sweet.

Hot Chip-Plastic

Alela

Alela Diane sort of reminds me of Joanna Newsom in spirit but really nothing in sound. I don't know who she sounds like, but her voice is soulful and mysterious. Her newest CD The Pirate's Gospel is eerie and definitely folk if nothing else. A good genre would be, as her MySpace describes it, campfire gospel.
Follow the links.

The Rifle
The Pirate's Gospel

Buy The Pirate's Gospel directly from Alela on her website.

The Artist Formerly Known As Miss Piggie

Everyone loves a cover and most people like Prince. Most people like Tegan and Sara. Most people like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, they just don't know it yet. Prince's "When You Were Mine," a song mostly about break-up, is pretty well-known, and when people cover it it usually equals success. To me at least...

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone (ft Caralee McElroy)-When You Were Mine
Tegan and Sara-When You Were Mine

I wish NBC weren't jerks about Saturday Night Live skits on YouTube, otherwise I'd like to the hilarious Prince Show that's been on a couple times, with Fred Armisen as Prince and Maya Rudolph as Beyonce. Oh hilariousness. Instead, here's Prince on Muppets Tonight.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Added Princey goodnees: head over to Ryspace and download My Brightest Diamond covering "When Doves Cry." Now!

Hair Hair Hair Hair

I'm just telling you, I need my haircut. And these songs are gooood.

Devendra Banhart-Long Haired Child
The Rakes-The World Was a Mess But His Hair Was Perfect (not the 18 minute long version. Get that at Green Pea-ness and then practice your best Dior walk)

[/lamest blog post everrr]

BOB

I was going thru a bunch of magazines and saw that these kids, Boys or Ballet, are on the "to watch list." They're from the United Kingdom and have toured with We Start Fires. I like the sweet voice over angular guitars. Looks like they haven't released any cds yet, but i'm sure they're working on it. So, since they're "ones to watch" check out their video.

Ce n'est pa un fin

Then go to their myspace and hear a couple other tracks

New This Week

I was lucky enough to have found Heather Duby with her first album. A soft and clean voice over cool beats hooked me. I don't have her new cd, so check out new tunes on her myspace page. But for now, listen to this from her debut Post To Wire.

Judith

Lilly Allen - Alright, Still (import)
Scott H. Biram - Graveyard Shift
Dykeenies - New Ideas/Will It Happen Tonight? (import sgl)
Feist - Open Season:Remixes and Collabs (finally as a domestic)
Fields - 4 from the Village (sgl import)
Franz Ferdinand - Eleanor Put Your Boots On (sgl)
French Kicks - Two Thousand
Lisa Germano - In the Maybe World
Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - I Spy/Call Me Ishmael (sgl import)
Golden Smog - Another Fine Day
Gossip - Listen Up! (sgl import)
Heather Duby - Heather Duby
Ladyfuzz - Oh Marie (sgl import)
Amy Millan - Honey From the Tombs (import) (on Arts & Crafts)
Minders - Bright, Guilty World
MSTRKRFT - The Looks
The Organ - Memorize the City (import sgl)
Lisa Papineau - Night Moves (sang with Air and m83)
Pipettes - We Are the Pipettes (import)
Tv on the Radio - Wolf Like Me (sgl import)
Thom Yorke - Eraser (on vinyl)
Working Title - About Face
X-Ray Spex - Let's Submerge:Anthology (2cd import)

Deer

I just wanted to post this track because I love it.
Thanksgiving-Dead Deer & Other Animals

Advice: It fits well on mixes before Mirah's "Don't Die in Me."
Okay fine here's that song too.
Mirah-Don't Die in Me

Buy Thanksgiving stuff from Marriage Records.

OOoh Nice

Okay here's my last little saucy bit of information for the weekend. The Decemberists finally updated the news section on their site and basically told us everything we already knew about their new record, The Crane Wife out October 3rd. Nicely though. they uploaded a demo of Part I from The Tain onto their MySpace page. How thoughtful of them!!

I share because I care:
The Tain Part I demo

What is the snare you ask? Apparently, a saucepan lid.

Mr. Postman

I've been waiting for an important piece of mail and the US Postal Service has been letting me down a lot. Pretty much every day. I blame you Ben Gibbard.

Pedro the Lion-Let Down (Radiohead cover)
I don't like Radiohead too much except OK Computer and like two songs off every other album. Get a better not-live version on PTL's 2004 Tour EP.

The Decemberists-From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea) (Demo)
This was originally on the PDX Pop Now! 2005 compilation but they later put it on the backside of the "16 Military Wives" 7". It has an extra verse that the version on Picaresque doesn't have. Collect them all!

Dreams of Horses Fun Fact: My senior year at school on Groundhog's Day I followed around a mailman all day.

Here's Your Friday

These are your anthems for tonight, okay? I'm not good at finding new hot dance tracks like other blogs, or super-hot remixes but I do have these two great songs to offer. Okay that being said, if I was a DJ (I'm not) these songs would be on my playlist. Now go and enjoy your weekend.

Jenny Wilson-Love Ain't Just A Four Letter Word
You might like her because she sang with The Knife on their song "Take My Breath Away" and got remixed by them. Same kinda beats I think.

Simian Mobile Disco-Hustler
Sooo naughty. Not really, just super hot.

Missy Elliott-Hot (Ratatat remix)
Speaking of hot, it's Missy.

Cheated Hearts

Here's the final product of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs video for "Cheated Hearts," in which they asked for people to send in submissions of themselves singing the song.



Oh an in case you haven't seen it, here's the video (Quicktime) for the glorious "Turn Into," which is a worthy contender for my song of the year.

I Hear You Drowning.

I'm sure Letting Up Despite Great Faults are kinda tired of being likened to the Postal Service. I think they're more like PS's mellow little brother. The bleeps and blops are there, but it's a different affair now. The band is influenced by their musical peers the Notwist, Lali Puna, Sigur Ros, and Broken Social Scene also, so you can see the somber thing. 3Hive had this to say: "Electronic, acoustic, classical, it all goes together to create beautiful music. Letting Up Despite Great Faults create music from the heart, ignoring formulas and expectations, letting their freedom and creativity flow. There are no great faults, and hopefully no letting up."

I Hear You Drowning But I'm Tied
Maybe I'll Hide With You

Buy their EP Movement from their website.

Hang on Girl

I think I wrote about the Favourite Sons once but uhh here it goes again. Their debut album Down Beside Your Beauty doesn't come out until September 12th (on Vice), but hype is already growing. I say, let it grow even more. Don't really know much about the band but I've liked everything I've heard.

Favourite Sons-Hang on, Girl

PS can someone recommend a good book for me? I seem to be having a dry spell when it comes to wanting to pick up a book.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

The other night I watched Hedwig and the Angry Inch for the first time in awhile. I had forgotten how great it was, because my DVD was lost somewhere during my move to/from Utah. Toootaly bummer. Anyway the music, all written by Stephen Trask, is all very well-done and makes Hedwig a Rocky Horror Picture Show for a new century.

These songs were culled from the tribute compilation called Wig in a Box with big stars like Frank Black, Robyn Hitchcock, Yo La Tengo and Yoko Ono, Cyndi Lauper, Polyphonic Spree and Sleater-Kinney doing the songs from the movie.

The Bens-Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis version)
Spoon-Tear Me Down (with saxophones!!!)

Buy Wig in a Box.

Catch Hedwig and the Angry Inch and several other great movies (Before Night Falls, Boys Don't Cry, and Velvet Goldmine) during IFC's Queer Month, all through July.

The Rakes Virgin Session

The Rakes did a radio session in March for Virgin Radio in the UK and played two songs acoustically. I was skeptical to hear them stripped down like that but was very surprised at how great they sound. So good. Still mad at them though for not hitting Texas on their US tour, though. In the interview, they talk about touring and their second album.

Virgin Session 03/03/06
Interview
All Too Human (acoustic)
Open Book (acoustic)

Many thanks to The Torture Garden who originally uploaded it. You can download all three tracks in a .zip file there, along with several other Rakes demos and new live/rare songs.

Catch them on their brief brief US tour if you can.

14.07.06	Seattle (USA) - El Corazon (formerly Graceland) all ages show
15.07.06	Portland (USA) - Berbati's Pan
16.07.06	San Francisco (USA) - Great American Music Hall
17.07.06	Los Angeles (USA) - Troubadour

Holy Ghost Language School

I was pretty psyched when I heard Matthew Friedberger was working on a solo album, let alone TWO of them. Unlike Matt Skatterbrain, I had no qualms about Matt going solo. I was one of those fans who was like "Man! 'Sing for Me' is so awesome! Matt needs to sing more." He took me quite literally and axed Eleanor. Not forever I'm sure but it's nice to get everything he wants out there on his own. I'm glad he went and made two albums, Winter Women/Holy Ghost Language School for us. Thank you Matt. You are still amazing. I mean he was the brains behind the Fiery Furnaces anyway. Who likes girls anyway? Well I love Eleanor and will welcome her back anytime but for now I will thoroughly enjoy Matt's quirky tunes.

Here's a tune for free, courtesy of the albums' pimp, 859 Recordings.
Matthew Friedberger-Do You Like Blondes
Yes Matt, yes I do.

TOTALLY RELATED: Matt talks about buying records as a kid to Venus Magazine, from whom I stole the cut-in-half-Fiery-Furnaces promo pic.

+ Watch the trailer for The Science of Sleep, a movie I really wanted to see at Sundance but never made it to Sundance anyway even though it was an hour away. Talk about lazy...

Sew Sorry

I know my blog has been kinda poopy lately. I got my hours at work heavily cut so I only work two days now. So I should have lots and lots of time to blog right? I don't know I've just kinda hit a slum. Bear with me! I think the whole blogosphere is kinda slowing down for the summer so I don't think I'm alone. I'll trrry and do better I promise.
Okay well I think you will like this! The Gossip always get me movin' so here is their cover of Aaliyah's (RIP) jam "Are U That Somebody" off their upcoming EP Gssp Rmx, which features three remixes of "Listen Up!" and one for "Standing in the Way of Control" redone by Le Tigre. And then there's this beauty.

The Gossip-Are U That Somebody (Aaliyah cover)

I mean we all love a goofy-named band, right? Isn't that the thing? Well here you go, Professor Murder. Four NY kids about to release their debut EP Professor Murder Rides the Subway. They've drawn comparisons to OCD LCD Soundsystem, Liars, Liquid Liquid and Talking Heads. Right?

Champion

<3 summer

Magic Marker Records records are the best summer records. PERIOD. Enjoy and soak in the sun. I need some because I have a killer farmer tan.

WARNING: mix features lots of cute, winsome lyrics and handclaps.
Dear Nora-Since You Went Away
Boy Crazy-Stark Street
Kissing Book-Superman vs. Lloyd
Boat-Last Cans of Paint
All Girl Summer Fun Band-Grass Skirt
Tullycraft-Rumble with the Gang Debs
The Best Friends Group-The Free Man

Buy out all of their catalogue.

PS In case you haven't heard this yet, it's the best song I've heard all year. Spiiiine-tingling.
My Brightest Diamond-Golden Star

[/mbd love for a while...]

Tix Tix Tix

My day has been consumed with tickets. Had to get my tickets for what might possibly be the last Sleater-Kinney show in Portland. Also, picked up my tickets for 2 Sufjan Stevens/My Brightest Diamond dates at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, which just happen to be nights of the Austin City Limits Festival. He's not been confirmed as an artist for the fest, but he'd be a nice addition. I am more hoping that my friend Shara (of My Brightest Diamond) gets a slot at the festival.

Shara - "Brave Elephant" (w/previous band Awry)

Sufjan Stevens - "What Goes On" (from A Sun Came)

want to stand or sit next to mike & me?
Sufjan Stevens tix for the Paramount in Austin on Sept 15 & 16
Sleater-Kinney tix for last show at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland on Aug 11

Lollipop

I like the Hidden Cameras. Sometimes they sing inconherently to my ears and I have nooo idea but I can just listen to the strings and keyboards and it's pretty cool. Those are sort of the best parts of the band I think. Oh and the singer, Joel Gibb, has a strangely addictive high-pitched singing voice that usually speaks in disjointed phrases to the music. But they do it so dang well that I can't get enough of their new album Awoo.

The Hidden Cameras-Lollipop

When they played this song at SXSW, Joel lamented that they hadn't been able to pick up lollipops to give to the entire audience, so he told us to pretend like we'd all gotten one. The sugary goodness stuck to me ever since. GO SEE THEM LIVE if given the chance. You might get a lollipop, or get on stage and play tambourine, or just have an enjoyable time.

Awoo is out September 15th on Arts & Crafts Records.

Amurica

For some reason America's so-called favorite sport is baseball. Hmm not for me. It's boring. But apparently it's kinda the epitome of America to some people. Maybe you're one of those people. Maybe you just like having an extra day off that feels like a Saturday and you too cringe at the thought of work tomorrow. Sorry. But this will delay some of the time okay?
To those of you that don't have the day off, sorry. Aaand for those of you whose birthday it is today, I'm sorry yours is over-shadowed by an entire country. But at least you get fireworks consistently on your birthday. I'm tired and hot so I'm gonna go...cool off by a fan or something. Enjoy what's left of your Saturday, er, holiday.

Blanket Music-Ballgame Song

CSS SUXXX!

Cansei de Ser Sexy hail from Brazil. The band met thru a photoblog version of myspace called Fotolog. Their album streets July 11. Art makers already(fashion, graphics, film, etc), it sounds like they put on a great show.

"Each of these nights turns into an adventure. Everything can happen: plastic balls war between the band and the audience, stage divings, panties showing, male underwear threw to the stage (and back), people playing with their backs to the audience the entire show and even people playing seated on the floor in a rare anti-show position."

Keyboards, guitars, and call and response vocals will not disappoint anyone who wants to shake it. They're super busy playing all over North America for the next 4 months.

Go See Them

w/Diplo
07-13 Buffalo NY Calumet Building patio
07-14 Toronto ON The Mod Club
07-15 Monteal PQ La Sala Rossa
07-16 Ottawa ON Zaphod Beeblebrox
07-17 Boston Great Scotts
07-19 New York NY Avalon
07-20 Brooklyn NY Warsaw
07-21 Philadelphia PA Mummers Museum
07-22 Baltimore MD Sonar
07-23 Washington DC Black Cat
07-24 Atlanta GA Drunken Unicorn
07-25 New Orleans LA The Republic
07-26 Houston TX Warehouse Live
07-27 Austin TX The Parish
07-28 Denton TX Haileys
07-29 Lawrence KS The Granada Theatre
07-30 Chicago IL The Pitchfork Music Festival
07-31 Minneapolis MN Varsity Theater
08-02 Calgary AB Hi-Fi
08-04 Vancouver BCCelebrities Nightclub
08-05 Seatle WA Neumos
08-06 Bellingham WA The Nightlight Lounge
08-07 Portland OR Doug Fir Lounge
08-10 San Francisco CA Mezzanine
08-11 Los Angeles CA Ex_Pix
08-12 San Diego CA Casbah

w/Ladytron
09-20 Miami FL Studio A
09-21 Orlando FL The Social
09-22 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse
09-23 Asheville NC Orange Peel
09-25 Washington DC 9:30 Club
09-26 Philadelphia PA Theater of Loving Arts
09-27 New York NY Webster Hall
09-28 New York NY Webster Hall
09-30 Boston MA Avalon Ballroom
10-01 Montreal PQ Metropolis
10-02 Toronto ON The Docks
10-04 Cleveland OH Beachland Ballroom
10-05 Columbus OH Wexner Center
10-06 Chicago ILVic Theatre
10-07 Lawrence KS The Granada Theatre
10-09 Denver CO Bluebird Theatre
10-10 Salt Lake City UT The Depot
10-12 Portland OR Berbatis Pan
10-13 Seattle WA Showbox
10-14 Vancouver BC Commodore Ballroom
10-16 San Francisco CA The Fillmore Auditorium
10-17 Los Angeles CA John Anson Ford
10-18 Solana Beach CA Belly Up Tavern
10-20 Dallas TX Gypsy Ballroom
10-21 Austin TX Stubbs
10-22 Houston TX The Meridian
10-24 Tempe AZ The Clubhouse
10-27 Mexico City Mexico City Hall

Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above

Meeting Paris Hilton

Odio, Odio, Odio, Sorry (non-album track)

This Week's Releases

Monday's Imports
Aberfeldy - Turn You On
Lily Allen - Smile #1 & 2 (sgls)
Jose Gonzalez - Hands on My Heart (sgl)
Love Is All - Nine Times That Same Song
Peaches - Downtown (sgl)
Pipettes - Pull Shapes (sgl) (Here's the video courtesy of antville)
Robots in Disguise - Get Rid
Royksopp - Royksopp's Night Out (Live Ep)
Sleepy Jackson - Personality (One Was A Spider...)(2cds)
Regina Spektor - On the Radio (sgl) (Here's the video courtesy of antville)
Dusty Springfield - Ultimate Collection (4cds)
TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain

Tuesday's Domestics
The Bronx - The Bronx
Johnny Cash - Roots & Branches
Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
Alice Peacock - Who I Am

I Promise

You're not tired of wolf bands. Not yet. Because here's Sea Wolf, ready to steal your heart. And they will thieve it and no more blood will pump through yr body. Okay that's too graphic. But from the producer Phil Ek (Modest Mouse, Quasi, The Shins, Band of Horses, David Cross...the list goes on) comes Sea Wolf. And you won't mind being invaded by this wolf okay? Just download and listen and let it all slip away.

Sea Wolf-Black Dirt

Palo Santo

How did I avoid Shearwater's Palo Santo for so long? I have no idea, but it's "hauntingly beautiful" just like every other reviewer in the world has said. There are a couple surprising turns in the album, mostly the eerie foot-stomper "Red Sea, Black Sea" (formerly known as "Turn Your Transmitters Off" and available from their website at one time).
The rest of the album is pretty much cut-and-paste Shearwater, but a little more atmospheric I think. Probably the doings of their drummer/percussionist. When I saw them live he was the most intriguing part of the band, especially using what looked like a piece of rubber on a violin bow on their xylophone to make that finger-on-crystal sound.

Shearwater-Johnny Viola

Buy Palo Santo.

They're headlining a slew of dates through july with Court & Spark opening.
06/30/06 Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
07/01/06 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
07/02/06 Kalamazoo, MI @ Kraftbrau Brewery
07/03/06 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
07/05/06 Boston, MA @ TT the Bears Place
07/06/06 Brooklyn, NY @ Magnetic Field
07/07/06 NY, NY @ Mercury Lounge
07/08/06 Philadelphia, PA @ Kyhber Pass
07/10/06 Washington, DC @ Warehouse Next Door
07/11/06 Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
07/14/06 Austin, TX @ Emos
07/15/06 Denton, TX @ Secret Headquarters