2 Weeks to Go

Only 2 weeks until the music portion of SXSW is officially on. Bands will be converging on Austin, TX to show off their talent and get picked up by a label or good representation.

One of the bands showcasing is Let's Go Sailing. Hailing from sunny So-Cal, this group contains members of Irving and Silversun Pickups. Their producer, and Flaming Lips producer, Chris Chandler has been playing their cd in various forms of completion after Flaming Lips shows. "Melodically unpredictable, heartfelt and most of all, catchy," they are sure to garner much attention.

Sideways

Ms. Wright

Shannon Wright is set to release her fourth album with Quarterstick titled Let in the Light on May 8. With Andy Baker, who also produced Dyed in the Wool, she's created another fully emotive album. Let in the Light is softer but no less affecting. She has a way of pulling out all of those feelings you've pushed way down deep.

"There’s an intensity to her music that can move you to joy, tears, or terror. Such an honest portrayal of emotion leaves you wondering if you are actually meant to hear it, almost as if you stumbled upon a sibling’s diary and can’t help but read it--even though you know you shouldn’t."

Much like Cat Power, Joanna Newsom, and Tara Jane O'Neil, she'll be playing at Dirty Three's curated All Tomorrow's Parties in April. Her live show is intense and not to be missed. Hopefully, she'll fully tour for this album.

Defy This Love (from Let in the Light)

Black Little Stray (from Over the Sun)

Less Than a Moment (from Dyed in the Wool)

In-N-Out, Here I Come

Off to California today. Anything good happening in the LA area Friday night? I looked at the LAWeekly site, but nothing stuck out.

One thing I do want to hit is the Tinlark Gallery. One of my favorite artists named Julianna Bright has work in the Mind Full show at the Tinlark. This show ends Saturday February 24th, so get there quick.

Neko Case is on the road, too. I just missed her in LA by a week. Maybe you can catch her near you. Here's a track from the New Pornographers limited edition live cd they put out in December. Buy it here before it's gone.

Streets of Fire

Lots of Veirs

Laura Veirs has a new album called Saltbreakers. She's changed the name of her band from the Tortured Souls to Saltbreakers. They do some vocal backing and although Karl Blau has backed her before, this is a first as a group. The album will be available from Nonesuch on April 10th, but for now, you can listen to a new song called "Pink Light" on her myspace page.

Laura was also honored with a 45 person French choir named The Young Rapture Choir who recorded arrangements of her songs, and she's honored them in return by releasing a limited edition pressing on her own Raven Marching Band label. Hear their rendering of "Magnetized" here.

Her video for "Secret Someones" will be screening at SXSW, so I'm going to hope she'll be enjoying the fest.

Qui? Moi?

So, I've totally been on the foreign band bandwagon. Today, we bring you a couple from the Plasticines' LP1. They're from Paris and list influences as the B52s, Stooges, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They're also playing a couple of shows with another of their favs The Slits. It looks like LP1 just came out in France, so maybe it'll be a little more available soon? For right now, you can click here and order it from French Amazon or French itunes and others.

Lost In Translation

Rake

And for the drone lovers, here's a new one from Badgerlore's We Are All Hopeful Farmers, We Are All Scared Rabbits. Badgerlore is ex-Deerhoof member Rob Fisk and Ben Chasny of Six Organs of Admittance and Comets on Fire. Rob Fisk also plays in 7 Year Rabbit Cycle with Jamie (of Xiu Xiu) and fellow ex-Deerhoof-er Kelly Goode. Together Fisk and Goode run the label Free Porcupine Society.

Goodnight, Sweet Rabbits

Swedish folkpsychrock band Dungen (pronounced "doo-ngen") is at it again. After discovering hip-hop in his teens, Gustav Ejstes found a love of sampling, and decided he wanted to prove he could play all of the intruments used in his samples. So, he moved to his family's farm and made a studio in the basement, releasing Dungen. It got enough underground buzz to attract Virgin, who released Ta Det Lugnt in 2004 to much critical acclaim. They have a new album slated for a May release called Tio Bitar (translated means Ten Pieces).

Pitchfork interviewed Gustav about the new album here.

Below is a track from the new album. Please, again, don't let the foreign language put you off. Give it a few listens. Often times I find the bands from other countries are doing something different from those homegrown here in the states.

Familj

Summary of BARR

BARR is releasing a new cd with 5 Rue Christine in a couple of weeks called Summary. A "motivational speaker for lapsed indie and punk kids" BARR is doing is own thing. It's not rap. It's not pop. He's sometimes political and always engaging. Most times it's the politics of the heart he speaks of that hit you.

Typically, it is Brendan Fowler trying to strike up a conversation with you on his own, but this spring he'll be hitting the road with a band. Find him out there on the road with Marnie Stern.

The Song is the Single

Complete Consumption of Us Both




See a crisper version of the video here.

Just in case you missed it, Patty Griffin's new cd Children Running Through hit shelves. With help from Spoon producer Mike McCarthy, she's crafted another set of songs "that emphasize her effortlessly eloquent lyrics, her subtly indelible melodies and her sublimely expressive voice, while making judicious use of such sonic frills as horns and strings."

Check out Trapeze

She's on the road right now.

02.09.07 Philadelphia, PA WXPN World Cafe Live
02.13.07 Los Angeles, CA Hotel Cafe
02.17.07 Birmingham, AL Reg's Coffee House
03.09.07 Tucson, AZ The Rialto
03.10.07 Phoenix, AZ El Pedragal at The Boulders
03.11.07 San Diego, CA 4th & B
03.13.07 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern Theatre
03.15.07 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
03.16.07 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
03.18.07 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
03.19.07 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
03.20.07 Boise, ID Egyptian Theatre
03.22.07 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
03.23.07 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
03.26.07 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre

Rakes Crazy

Yeah, I've got some problems. DOH is listed no less than 6 times on the ol' Hype Machine's first page for The Rakes. Well, add another. The Rakes newest album Ten Messages will be out March 19. This new song made me curious.

When Tom Cruise Cries

You can hear the first single We Danced Together on their Myspace, download it from CallMeMickey, and get a live radio show version at the torture garden.

If you're one of the first 200 to preorder the 7" for We Danced Together, you'll get an autographed copy.

More Smoanna

Do you see Joanna Newsom's shadow in this pic? She's the photog. Good trivia. Anyways, just 'cause I'm excited about his date here in our neck of the woods (19April, Sons of Hermann), here's a track from the new Bill Callahan cd Woke On A Whale Heart due out in April thru Drag City. I'm not sure if he's taking a "break" from Smog or just not as shy.

This is the first single (coming on March 20th).

Diamond Dancer

Check out You Ain't No Picasso for another track.

Really quick. I know I gush about Electrelane a lot, but I'm highly anticipating their new album and tour. Their brand of post-rock is not usually adopted by girls. Their new album No Shouts, No Calls should be out later this year. Here's a preview.

To the East