Bring Me Up: The Sound

Chris Garneau Premieres "Fireflies" On MTV LOGO's NewNowNext

2009-11-20T10:26:00.002-05:00

Record label Absolutely Kosher has announced the first official music video off of Chris Garneau's latest album El Radio. The single "Fireflies" has just been released to the public in Europe and North America.

A crew of only five people over the course of five days, traveled hundreds of miles from Sequoia National Park, to Yosemite, to Death Valley and everywhere in between, filming this hybrid music video-action/adventure film with only a few, limited resources. Shooting mostly guerrilla style and capturing elements at the spur of the moment along the whole route, Garneau was outfitted with home-made rigging and equipment to create the specific look and feel of the "Fireflies" video...which is a play on the famous Nintendo game "Legend Of Zelda". In addition, using the brand new, unvetted technology of the Canon 5D MARK II produced some of the clearest and most vibrant footage possible. On the forefront of the new media landscape this project is a rare example of true artistic collaboration and creative outpouring on every level.

"I love that son-of-a-b*tch!" laughs director Daniel Stessen of his old friend Chris Garneau. This long time friendship between Stessen and Garneau was instrumental in facilitating the unusual and rigorous shooting style that included sleepless nights, outback camping, and hiking for miles with hundreds of pounds of equipment into the forests and deserts. "We saw everything from snow in the Sequoia mountains to 120 degree temperatures in Death Valley," Stessen explained.

This is the second Chris Garneau video by director/writer Daniel Stessen (People-Food), this time with a new team of creative independents for "Fireflies" such as photographer Sam Gezari, production designer Tristam Steinberg, animator Mike Garza, and post production team Bonch.

World Tour Dates

11/27/09 - Freiburg, Germany - White Rabbit
11/28/09 - Munich, Germany - On3Radio Festival
11/29/09 - Heidelberg, Germany - Pret A Couter Festival
12/01/09 - Berlin, Germany - NBI
12/11/09 - Philidelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Chapel
01/01/10 - Bejing, China - Yugong, Yishan
01/02/09 - Shanghai, China - Mao
01/03/09 - Nanjing, China - Castle
01/05/09 - Wuhan, China - Vox
01/06/09 - Chengdu, China - Little Bar
01/08/09 - Changsha, China - 4698
01/09/10 - Guangzhou, China - Iron Age Space
01/10/09 - Shenzhen, China - Idutang Loft

All Smiles Release Two EPs

2009-11-17T09:35:00.003-05:00

Jim Fairchild has had an incredibly busy and amazing year this year, what with the release of both his full-length and two EPs--he's also been on the road a good chunk of the year playing guitar in Modest Mouse, and he's relocated to San Francisco, CA.

All Smiles' brand new five-song "Fall Never Fell" EP is available tomorrow through www.allsmilesmusic.com, all digital retailers, and at shows! Also--get this--between now and Dec. 25th, the digital version of All Smiles' mind-blowing full-length, "Oh For The Getting and Not Letting Go", will be available for only $5 if and only if you go to www.allsmilesmusic.com. While you're there, you can also grab "The Comparison Blouse" EP (also out tomorrow!), comprised of five demos from the OFTGANLG sessions, free of charge.

But, that's not all: tomorrow marks the first time that "Oh For The Getting And Not Letting Go" is available at retailers near you, thanks to the great folks at Burnside Distribution! As with All Smiles' full-length, both new EPs were recorded in Omaha, Nebraska and Los Angeles, California by co-producers Solon Bixler (Great Northern) and Nik Freitas (Mystic Valley Band). Both Freitas and Bixler lent their multi-instrumental talents to the record, along with drummer/percussionist Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse).

"Fall Never Fell" EP Track Listing:
1. Dolly, Don't
2. Fall Never Fell
3. The Way That I Come And Go
4. Tired Jaws
5. Water or Whisper

"The Comparison Blouse" EP Track Listing:
1. The Ones I Want To Live (demo)
2. It Never Saves Me (demo)
3. I Was The One (demo)
4. Brightest Beyond (demo)
5. All You Are Is A Human, Sir (demo)

Oh, Starling - Joy EP

2009-11-17T08:58:00.004-05:00

Oh, Starling is a new project for, husband and wife, Dan Craig and Jessica Sonner.

Who?
Dan Craig - Piano, Vocals, Drums, Guitar, brilliance.
Jessica Sonner - Piano, Vocals, Guitar

So for their first release...They took some traditional Christmas carols and added their own touches to them. Their goal is to give folks an idea of what is in store while also giving you some holiday cheer.

The Joy EP is all DRM-free.

Listen:

Oh, Starling - "Silent Night" (mp3)

Upcoming show:

Saturday, December 12th, 2009
The 2nd Annual "HomeVibe" for the Holidays Concert! - 6pm
Gothic Theater
3263 S. Broadway
Englewood, CO

Price: $15 adv/$20 (buy tickets early)

Featuring:
Braddigan (of Dispatch) Full Band
Dan Craig
Jessica Sonner
Megan Burtt
Katey Laurel

FOR TICKETS AND INFO:
www.homevibepresents.com

Enjoy!

Agent Ribbons Hit the Road

2009-11-16T20:14:00.003-05:00

Sacramento's Agent Ribbons hit the road on a month long tour on Saturday. This end of the year tour has them sharing the stage with Beep Beep, Rabbit Children, Weed Diamond and more.

Lauren Hess and Natalie Gordon first met in '06 over a shared moment of disposing of dead bats at a Sacramento record store where Natalie worked and Lauren frequented. After learning of their shared tastes, the girls booked their first show within weeks in San Francisco. A year later, they hit the road twice; the first time led to the discovery of their third member Naomi Cherie, the second saw them to both coasts as the support act for fellow Sac locals CAKE. Now on the road again, we shall see what comes of the girls this time.

There's a retro, cabaret-style quality to their songs and some reviewer's have described them as "Victorian punk."

Take a gander:

Enjoy!

Agent Ribbons Tour Dates

Nov 14 2009 9:00P
Lil' Red Lion w/ Monster Women and Barbara Manning Arcata, CA

Nov 15 2009 8:00P
Ground Kontrol w/ Swallows, Helen Money + DJ Nate C
Portland, Oregon

Nov 16 2009 8:00P
Rotture w/ Lost Lockets
Portland, Oregon

Nov 17 2009 9:00P
Sunset Tavern w/ Slow Skate
Seattle, Washington

Nov 18 2009 9:00P
Empyrean
Spokane, Washington

Nov 21 2009 9:00P
The Woodshed
Salt Lake City, Utah

Nov 22 2009 9:00P
The Hi-Dive w/ Fissure Mystic and Weed Diamond
Denver, Colorado

Nov 24 2009 9:00P
The Zoo Bar
Lincoln, Nebraska

Nov 25 2009 9:00P
TheSlowdown w/ Beep Beep and Thunderpower
Omaha, Nebraska

Nov 27 2009 8:00P
Ames Progressive
Ames, Iowa

Nov 28 2009 8:00P
Turner Hall w/ Papercuts and Camera Obscura
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Nov 29 2009 8:00P
Beat Kitchen
Chicago, IL

Dec 1 2009 8:00P
Daytrotter Session! (www.daytrotter.com)
Rock Island, Il

Dec 2 2009 8:00P
TBA
Chicago, IL

Dec 3 2009 8:00P
Bauhaus Kaffee presented by Unique Ink art
Fredericktown, Missouri

Dec 4 2009 9:00P
O'Dowd's Plaza
Kansas City, Missouri

Dec 5 2009 9:00P
75th St. Brewery
Kansas City, Missouri

Dec 6 2009 8:00P
TBA
Oklahoma City, OK

Dec 8 2009 8:00P
Trunk Space
Phoenix, Arizona

Dec 10 2009 8:00P
The Bootleg Theatre with F

Do you EAR what I EAR?

2009-11-10T09:29:00.006-05:00

EAR FARM and Let 'Em In Studios are thrilled to present Do you EAR what I EAR?, a holiday album for the Association to Benefit Children. Featuring original and classic holiday songs from Tom Tom Club, Sean Bones, tUnE-yArDs, Julie Doiron, Sharon Van Etten, and more, this exclusive compilation will be available for digital download on EAR FARM starting on December 1st with a suggested minimum donation of $5.00.

All of the proceeds from this project will go directly to the Association to Benefit Children, an outstanding New York-based service dedicated to permanently break the cycles of abuse, neglect, sickness and homelessness among disadvantaged children and their families. Awarded a four-star rating by Charity Navigator, ABC carries out this mission through a series of compassionate, sustainable, comprehensive and integrated services.

Do you EAR what I EAR? is the final result of nearly four months of inspired collaboration and efforts among an incredibly talented and generous group of bands and musicians, the comprehensive recording and mixing services of Nadim Issa and Let 'Em In Studios, and the mastering expertise of the Lodge. EAR FARM coordinated and curated the compilation, inviting a spectrum of genres and sounds into the project and working with both dear friends and musicians they've long admired.

The official cover art and final tracklisting are forthcoming, but for now check out the teaser graphic below and feel free to contact either Matt Tyson (matt@earfarm.com) or Mike (mike@earfarm.com) for further details, info, etc. Be sure to head to the EF Store Page on December 1st for the good of your heart and ears.

A small paper singer/songwriter with a green shirt, brown pants & a big dream!

2009-11-10T08:19:00.002-05:00

For "City Life" the first single from Matthew Ryan's new release Dear Lover, the Nashville-based indie folk rocker asked fans to show him their city life.

Over the course of a week, his paper likeness was emailed to over 100 persons across the country and around the World. A short story of his travels is chronicled the "City Life" video, posted on YouTube: View The Video for "City Life" click HERE.

Dear Lover is the twelfth release for Matthew Ryan and his first via The Dear Future Collective. The full album is available on Blurt as an exclusive stream. It was released digitally on October 27th and will be in-stores on February 16, 2010 through CIMS/Junket Boy.

"Every now and then an artist you thought you knew and liked will suddenly, without any warning, release a disc that takes their art to a whole new level. Rarely has electronic and folk music been married so successfully. Dear Lover is Matthew Ryan's most daring, most remarkable, most compelling, and most emotionally wrenching album yet." - Joe Hill, author "Heart Shaped Box" and "Twentieth Century Ghosts"

Bravery Spectator

2009-11-10T08:07:00.001-05:00

The new album by The Bravery, Stir The Blood, comes out on December 1. With the album's first single "Slow Poison" being played on radio stations throughout the land, the song "Spectator," which will be on Stir The Blood, will also be released tomorrow on the Vampire Diaries soundtrack.

Listen:

The Bravery - "The Spectator" (mp3)

Lekman blurb

2009-11-05T09:49:00.001-05:00

Besides having a few songs featured in Drew Barrymore's Whip It , 2009 has been a bit quiet for JENS LEKMAN. But he'll be starting 2010 out right by playing three shows at Chicago's Empty Bottle starting New Years Eve.

12/31/09 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle (SOLD OUT)
01/01/10 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
01/02/10 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle

Manchester Orchestra news

2009-11-04T09:03:00.002-05:00

Columbia Records and Favorite Gentlemen are excited to announce the video premiere for Manchester Orchestra's second single, "Shake It Out," on MySpace. The premiere will last for 48 hours and begins on November 6 at 3pm EST. It can be seen at www.myspace.com/manchesterorchestra. The video is a brilliant homage to 1980's action films (tongue firmly planted in cheek).

The powerfully epic "Shake It Out," the second single from Manchester Orchestra's sophomore album, Mean Everything To Nothing, was just sent to Modern Rock radio and was met with great excitement. "I've Got Friends," the first single from Mean Everything To Nothing spent 26 weeks on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and reached the #8 spot at its peak. Alternative Press recently named the song as one of the top 100 songs of the decade.

Manchester Orchestra just finished hugely succesful tours with Brand New as well as Silversun Pickups. They will be joining Brand New and Glassjaw for their very special hometown show at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, NY, on November 28th. They are off to Europe in November to open for Biffy Clyro and to do headline dates in Germany.

Upon their return, the band will be partnering with rock radio stations for the following holiday shows in December:

12/2
101.9 RXP Holiday Event
Hammerstein Ballroom
New York, NY

12/3
WBRU Holiday Bizarre
Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
Providence, RI

12/5
WPBZ Buzz Bake Sale 2009
Cruzan Amphitheater
West Palm Beach, FL

12/6
97X Next Big Thing
Ford Amphitheater
Tampa, FL

12/12
KBZT Holiday Hootenanny @ RIMAC
UCSD Campus
La Jolla, CA

12/15
Q101 Twisted Christmas
House of Blues
Chicago, IL

Dear Lover: listen to this. Then you'll know

2009-10-27T14:46:00.002-04:00

On October 27, Matthew Ryan and Blurt present an exclusive stream of Dear Lover, available digitally on October 27th and in-stores on February 16, 2010 through CIMS/Junket Boy.

On Dear Lover, his twelfth recording, Matthew Ryan offers his most personal collection yet, navigating the intimate space between lovers where passion, doubt, fear and desire co-exist. This is the first release for The Dear Future Collective.

"Every now and then an artist you thought you knew and liked will suddenly, without any warning, release a disc that takes their art to a whole new level. Rarely has electronic and folk music been married so successfully. Dear Lover is Matthew Ryan's most daring, most remarkable, most compelling, and most emotionally wrenching album yet." - Joe Hill, author "Heart Shaped Box" and "Twentieth Century Ghosts"

"Dear Lover: listen to this. Then you'll know." - Kevin Roberts Saatchi & Saatchi World Wide CEO

Blurt is a quarterly magazine and multimedia website covering music, comedy, politics, culture and assorted debauchery. Blurt is brought to you by the creative team behind the lauded HARP Magazine (called "America's best music magazine" by NPR's Bob Boilen and "the best music magazine in the country and the one that musicians always read" by Foo Fighter Dave Grohl).

Art vs Science - Result is Catchy Music

2009-10-22T13:56:00.005-04:00

Art vs Science isn't here to get a haircut. They're here to melt your mind!

They're also here to remind us that creating dance music is not just about bass-blowing electro-rock anthems (of which they have many); rather it's about taking those songs and in a live forum setting everyone's fire-retardant dancing kicks ablaze. If you walk away from an Art vs Science live show without an altered gait and/ or state-of-mind, you were clearly not paying attention.

Art vs Science's self-titled EP will core-drill itself into you mind and possess it with its hooky take on rock-infused, French electronica. In their native country of Australia, the EP has already garnered them a 2009 ARIA Award (think Grammy) nomination in the Breakthrough Artist category. The first of the EP's singles to be offered up as a FREE MP3 download is the criminally infectious, Parlez-Vous Francais?

--

Something about needing more energy has me turning to the rock infused electric dance music. It gets my feet tapping and the adrenaline pumping. It's necessary when the little heart is running and trying to hum me into sleep at my desk.

Their music inspires intriguingly equal measures of curiosity and giddiness. Somebody give me a sparkler, I fancy myself a firefly at the moment! Thank you Art vs Science!

Listen:

Art Vs Science - "Parlez-Vous Francais?" (mp3)

Enjoy!

Finn Riggins Vs. Wilderness

2009-10-14T08:09:00.004-04:00

Finn Riggin's stellar new album, Vs. Wilderness, released yesterday. To celebrate, please watch this amazing video for "Wake" which was made by Jason Sievers. His lovely stop motion animation videos and have been featured on Pitchfork.com and MTV and he's worked for bands like Built to Spill, The Universal and The Wrens to name a few.

The album was recorded, engineered and co-produced in May of 2009 by the band at AudioLab studio, an arm of Garden City, Idaho's Visual Arts Collective (or VAC, a non-profit gallery, venue, theatre and creative space with which Finn Riggins has become heavily involved in since relocating to Boise, ID in January of 2009) during one of their rare stints at home. True to form, the album was brought to fruition in this independently run, community-minded environment with the help of co-producer and Tender Loving Empire founder Jared Mees (who, by the way, has also toured on his own albums alongside the band.)

Listen:

Finn Riggins - "Dali" (mp3)

Enjoy!

ILT begin UK Tour today/ CSI

2009-10-14T08:00:00.002-04:00

I Like Trains begin the UK tour today in Liverpool in support of the new single 'Sea of Regrets' which was released on Monday.

Exciting news is that Sea of Regrets was used on CSI Miami on release day (12th October). The song was used in episode 804. The new season of CSI Miami will be coming to UK soon. In other sync news, 'The Voice of Reason' taken from the debut album (Elegies to Lessons Learnt) is currently being featured on the trailer to Hollywood film, 'Amelia' starring Richard Gere and Hilary Swank (as Amelia Earhart).

"Sea of Regrets" is such an incredible song. It's like a personal story set to music, well, I suppose most songs are that way. But the vocals are just delicious and the calm, pristine rhythm couple with the slow and precise guitar is just perfection. I wish I could share it, but it's not released for free download that I know of. You can hear the single on their MySpace page.

"Some things are better left forgotten, or the weight of the world will crush your bones"

The limited edition self produced/released single ‘Sea of Regrets’ is a new beginning for I Like Trains. Whilst still informed by a bleak world view, musical rays of light are starting to puncture the gloom. Inspired by the writing of preeminent environmental scientists James Lovelock and George Monbiot; ‘Sea of Regrets’ raises the question of our importance in nature’s great scheme. Guitars, vocals, violins and cellos combine for a soaring finale, an anthem to a hopeless future for humanity.

Dates are:

14th October - Liverpool Barfly GB
15th October - Manchester Deaf Institute GB
16th October - Leeds Cockpit GB
17th October - Glasgow King Tuts GB
19th October - Nottingham Rescue Rooms GB
20th October - Bristol Cooler GB
21st October - Oxford Bullingdon Arms GB
22nd October - London Garage GB
23rd October - Birmingham Hare and Hounds GB
24th October - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms GB

Enjoy!

Norah Jones - The Fall

2009-10-08T11:07:00.002-04:00

On November 17th, Blue Note Records will release singer/songwriter Norah Jones' fourth studio album, The Fall. Taking her multiple Grammy Award winning talent into new territory, The Fall was produced by Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon) and features Norah's new band members and songwriting collaborations with Ryan Adams, Okkervil River's Will Sheff, and Jesse Harris. In addition to the added emphasis on rhythm, The Fall brings Norah’s own guitar playing front and center in the sound.

"I knew I wanted to try some different things on this album," Jones says. "I'd been playing with the same musicians for a long time. We're all still friendly and I hope we play together again, but it felt like a good time to work with new people and experiment with different sounds. As far as a producer, I wanted someone who could take me out of my comfort zone and find the right musicians to capture what I wanted to do with this collection of songs. I got in touch with Jacquire initially because he engineered one of my favorite records of all time, Tom Waits' Mule Variations. He was really eager to do it and we got along really well, which was important."

Pre-order The Fall

The track listing for The Fall is as follows:

1. Chasing Pirates (Norah Jones)
2. Even Though (Norah Jones/Jesse Harris)
3. Light As a Feather (Norah Jones/Ryan Adams)
4. Young Blood (Norah Jones/Mike Martin)
5. I Wouldn't Need You (Norah Jones)
6. Waiting (Norah Jones)
7. It's Gonna Be (Norah Jones)
8. You've Ruined Me (Norah Jones)
9. Back To Manhattan (Norah Jones)
10. Stuck (Norah Jones/Will Sheff)
11. December (Norah Jones)
12. Tell Yer Mama (Norah Jones/Jesse Harris/Richard Julian)
13. Man Of The Hour (Norah Jones)

Another Likely Story

2009-10-08T10:56:00.002-04:00

Au Revoir Simone release their stunning new single 'Another Likely Story' - complete with remixes from hotter than hot French duo Aeroplane, Neon Indian and Social Disco on December 7th. This is the second single to be taken from their latest album 'Still Night, Still Light', and is due for release through Moshi Moshi Records (Florence & The Machine, Casiokids, Lykke Li).

Listen:

Au Revoir Simone - "Another Likely Story" (mp3 Neon Indian remix)

REGINA SPEKTOR TO APPEAR ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10TH

2009-10-07T08:13:00.002-04:00

Having spent the last four months traveling the world, winning over legions of fans with her unmistakable song-craft, Regina Spektor is very excited to make her Saturday Night Live debut this Saturday, October 10th and premiere her second single, Eet, from her critically acclaimed album, far. An artist known for her uninhibited imagination and acute sense of detail both in music and words, Spektor has joined playwright / director Tina Landau (Floyd Collins & Superior Donuts) and lyricist Michael Korie (Grey Gardens) to create a new Broadway bound musical called Beauty. In addition, Spektor has recorded a duet with Grammy award-winning violinist Joshua Bell for his latest Sony Classical album, At Home With Friends, which you can hear below. Fans will get a chance to see Spektor perform songs from far as she's currently on a headlining tour of the states. This two-month tour has already included sold out shows in Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia, and has upcoming dates at New York's Radio City Music Hall on October 14th and Los Angeles' Greek Theatre on October 28th.

An expansion of Landau's 2002 acclaimed one-act play, Beauty uses the 1812 Grimm fairy tale Sleeping Beauty as a jumping off point for a contemporary and hauntingly provocative story of beauty lost and beauty found. Aimed for the 2011-12 Broadway season, Landau will write the book and direct; Spektor the music, Korie the lyrics and it will be produced by Elephant Eye Theatrical (Stuart Oken, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions). This will mark the first time Spektor has co-written a song with another. Korie was nominated for the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards as lyricist for Grey Gardens.

far, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200, is the follow up to Spektor's breakthrough album Begin To Hope which spent 5 weeks in a row at #1 on the Billboard new artists chart before moving to #20 on the Billboard Top 100 and selling 1 million copies worldwide (Gold or Platinum in 7 countries).

Regina Spektor & Joshua Bell duet, The Left Hand Song, can be heard here >>

peer²

2009-09-25T09:01:00.001-04:00

I'm Still An Animal!

2009-09-25T08:02:00.003-04:00

If this isn't Friday music then I don't know what is...

Miike Snow, a Swedish band formed in 2007 has created some sort of eclectic reggae indie ska music. I really don't know how to describe it. But, I love it and so that's really all I need to know.

Miike Snow are Andrew Wyatt, Christian Karlsson, and Pontus Winnberg. Named after an acquaintance with an "i" added for extra flair, Miike Snow recently signed with Downtown records. Their self-titled debut was released May 12, 2009. (Which also happens to be our Finnegan's birthday!)

Listen:

Miike Snow - "Animal" (mp3)

Fall Preview: One Fast Move Or I'm Gone

2009-09-24T11:11:00.001-04:00

Ben Gibbard, Jay Farrar: "These Roads Don't Move" streaming on NPR

"These Roads Don't Move," from Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar's new album, "One Fast Move Or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur" is streaming on the All Songs Considered Fall Music Preview on NPR. Click here to listen to the song at the All Songs Considered website.

"Where Were You in the Wild?"

2009-09-24T08:33:00.005-04:00

With its genre-defying qualities, Vancouver's Language-Arts' sophomore release "Where Were You in the Wild?" is expected to turn ears to a new side to indie rock; celebrating obscurities and word entanglements with poetic poise, paired with an alt-rock foundation yet fleshed out with classical instrumentation. Confused? Don't be- it all comes about very naturally, aided in part by Cudmore's vast reserve of words and ideas, delivered with a "clarion-like voice".

"Where Were You in the Wild?" is Language-Arts' full length follow up to 2007's self titled debut as well as their now out of print 2008 teaser EP "Small Run" While charting well on Canadian campus and community radio, Language-Arts have toured extensively around the west coast and across Canada, appearing on stages with artists such as Xavier Rudd, Portable Payback (Jurassic 5), Vancougar and Great Aunt Ida. The band has appeared at festivals such as TD Atlantic Jazz festival, Halifax Pop Explosion, Sled Island, and NXNE.

Members Kristen Cudmore and Gregor Phillips both originally hail form Nova Scotia; an ode to their home province is a common subtext to many of their songs. Sitting somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Buck 65, Language-Arts delve into images steeped with secrets both deep and dark that feature sophisticated arrangements and artisan song crafting. Cudmore's classical guitar blends beautifully with the double bass and the occasional string quartet. The songs themselves range from beckoning choruses with bright hooks to meandering, lyrical sagas. It's no secret that many of these songs began as dreams- insights poke out with subtle nuances, sparkling and inquisitive. "If all there was to eat was candy, which would be the most healthy? ..and would we even bother, filling the cavity?"

Listen:

Language-Arts - "Where Were You In The Wild?" (mp3)

Release: Where Were You In The Wild?
Date: Oct. 27, 2009
Label: Independent

Tracklist:
1. Cavity
2. White Socks In Birkenstocks
3. Where Were You In The Wild
4. Lighthouse
5. Coughdrop
6. Benson
7. Boxed In
8. Grandfather Of The Buffalo
9. Shapes and Sizes
10. Tuck It In
11. Stay There!

Enjoy!

Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky

2009-09-23T09:21:00.002-04:00

(New York, NY) The mind-bending band that gave us what is largely considered the decade's most viewed music video (even the Simpsons parodied it), the treadmill-manned "Here It Goes Again" is back. Never content to rest on their laurels, OK Go is preparing to tread anything but familiar territory with their upcoming new album, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky releasing on January 12, 2010 on Capitol Records.

The 13-track opus is the long-awaited follow-up to their acclaimed Oh No, which spawned the 2007 Grammy-award-winning video hit "Here It Goes Again" (setting numerous viewing records as it helped transform the then-fledgling YouTube into a household name)." Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is currently primed to kick off 2010 as one of the new year's most buzzed-about releases. According to lead singer, Damian Kulash, the new album springs from a different departure point than previous OK Go releases. "It's not so much that we headed in a new direction. I think we've just expended the guitar-rock ideas from our teens and we're starting to get at more root-level influences. There's a lot of Purple Rain on this record - an album I haven't stopped listening to since I got it when I was eleven."

Kulash added that record's title comes from an 1876 book promoting the erroneous theory that blue light cures all ills. As fits a record influenced by Prince and crackpot 19th century arm-chair scientists, the record is both danceable and contemplative; it's introspective, with a vein of surrealism running through it. There's a song that considers the earth before it was round, one sung by a man who's traded places with his reflection, and plenty of heartbreak and (attempts at) hope, mostly hung on a groovier backbone than we've heard from OK Go before. "We started these songs with a groove," Damian says. "They started as base feelings, not chord progressions or lyrical ideas, and then we layered." After 2005's Oh No, recorded nearly live with minimal overdubs, and their swaggering 2008 EP You're not Alone, backed by the trombone band Bonerama (a benefit for musicians displaced by hurricane Katrina), this new sound comes as something of a departure.

Funk-edged songs such as "Skyscrapers," "All Is Lost," "White Knuckles," and the Prince-inspired, odd-time-signature hip shaker "WTF?" embody the album's heady flow of adventurous undercurrents. "This album is the most layered production we've ever done," says Damian. Produced by ex-Mercury Rev member David Fridmann (Flaming Lips, MGMT), Damian acknowledges that Fridmann's singular production style and secluded studio environment in Fredonia, NY ('you have to drive fifteen minutes for a cup of coffee' he notes) added to the CDs emotive heft. "We were there to work, and for weeks on end it snowed and we just lived in the bubble with our songs." Amazingly, the band's original pool of song ideas numbered more than a hundred, with the group eventually narrowing the choices down to manageable double digits.

Kulash has also kept himself busy with an assortment of activist endeavors - he testified in support of internet neutrality before a Congressional Special Task Force. He and bandmate, Andy Ross, met with leaders on Capitol Hill in the spring of 2008 to advocate for the same. The band also met with then-candidate, Barack Obama, about the specter of access-limiting online practices, and other issues, with the group eventually appearing in ads in support of Obama. OK Go also took time from their non-stop touring regimen (31 consecutive months over five continents) to raise money in support of New Orleans' music culture in the wake of Katrina. The band's efforts with Bonerama raised more than half of the money for soul legend Al "Carnival Time" Johnson's new home in New Orleans.

Damian and the rest of the band look forward to full-fan reaction to Of the Blue Colour of the Sky come January. "I think it sounds more like us than anything else we've done," he says. "Its more like the music that's in the back of my head, just out of reach, that I've been trying to get to for so long. And it embodies contradiction in a way I feel connected to. It's both the saddest and the most hopeful music we've made, and both the danciest and most thoughtful."

OK Go is Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind, Dan Konopka, Andy Ross

Photo Credit: Moritz Waldemeyer has designed costumes for rock band OK Go, featuring LEDs that spell the band's name.

The Twang UK Tour and Free MP3

2009-09-22T08:51:00.003-04:00

I want to be Betty's Barney...

Yeah, that's just a line from one of my most favorite movies which is "So I Married An Axe Murderer." If you haven't seen that movie please hang your head in shame and then shake it off, go rent it or buy it and watch it. You will LOVE it!

Anyway, I was listening to The Twang's song Barney Rubble and I immediately thought of that line from the movie.

If you do not know the band The Twang then you should definitely look for them. They are a great band with MUCH promise and potential. Right now they are touring all over the UK so look up some dates and go see them live.

It's this repetitive repetitive nonsense
That brings her down
And it's my double trouble Barney rubble chit chat
That causes her frown

Band Members:
Phil - Vocals
Saunders - Vocals
Jon - Bass
Stu - Guitar
Matty - Drums

What I have to share with you today is their song "Another Bus" which they have out there for download (free) you can grab the link off their MySpace page or download it from here.

Listen:

The Twang - "Another Bus" (mp3)

Enjoy!

The Twang UK Tour Announced

The Twang have just announced details of the upcoming UK tour in support of their new album, Jewellery Quarter.

Wed 30 Sept - Crewe M Club
Thu 1 Oct - Liverpool Academy 2
Fri 2 Oct - Derby Rockhouse
Sat 3 Oct - Sheffield Leadmill
Sun 4 Oct - Glasgow QMU
Tue 6 Oct - Aberdeen Moshulu
Wed 7 Oct - Dundee Fat Sams
Thu 8 Oct - Leeds Cockpit
Sat 10 Oct - Hull Welly Club
Sun 11 Oct - Norwich Waterfront
Mon 12 Oct - Bristol Bierkeller
Tue 13 Oct - Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Thu 15 Oct - London Koko
Fri 16 Oct - Brighton Concorde 2
Sat 17 Oct - Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Sun 18 Oct - Manchester Ritz
Mon 19 Oct - Middlesbrough Empire

Photo Credit from their MySpace page

New Moon Soundtrack Listing Revealed

2009-09-21T15:48:00.005-04:00

The highly anticipated track listing for The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack is here! MySpace Music exclusively reveals the list of artists being featured on the hit film's soundtrack, which will consist of completely original music. While there's been much speculation about who would be contributing, it's now confirmed. Wondering who made the cut?

Check out the 'In The News' blog on the newly redesigned MySpace Music to see the full list.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack will be released on October 20 by Atlantic Records. Some of the artists created the songs after being shown footage from the movie to use as a guide. The songs are all exclusive to the soundtrack. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, and is directed by Chris Weitz. It will be released nationwide on November 20.

MySpace previously debuted the film's first trailer, which set a new record for the site with a total of 4.2 million online views within the first 24 hours and a total of 7.8 million within the first seven days. For more information about the Twilight series, visit the official MySpace profile.

In The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested. Based on the best-selling book series, the film is the highly anticipated next installment to the movie Twilight, which has grossed $380M globally at the box office, and has become a worldwide sensation and cultural phenomenon.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon Trailer in HD

Now, Now Every Children to Tour with Paramore

2009-09-21T15:42:00.002-04:00

Now, Now Every Children are thrilled to be hitting the road this fall and winter. Dates kick off Mid October in the US and wrap up at the end of 2009 with a trip across the Atlantic to back up Paramore (whom have featured NNEC on their site as a Band of The Month) on their jaunt through the UK. The Minneapolis based band is out in support of their acclaimed full-length debut Cars, released this past July on Afternoon Records.

Now, Now Every Children are especially excited to be getting back in the van after being forced to cut their last tour of the US short due to insurmountable car troubles. Not to mention the fact that their first attempt at playing the UK was foiled by a snafu with customs as they tried to leave Calais, France for England earlier this spring. The upcoming dates will be a great way to see the fans they missed before and also make some new ones along the way.

Since the release of Cars, Now, Now Every Children have been steadily gaining praise for their unique brand of lo-fi indie pop. In a recent profile Interview Magazine described their debut as "a surprisingly rocking affair-epic pop throw downs full of shoegazery guitars, anthemic melodies, and just the slightest, teeniest hint of emo melancholia. Though they might sound twee on paper, the band is a formidable live act, particularly when it comes to Dalager's full-throttle guitar playing."

Named a Spin.com "Must-Hear Band" at this year's Bamboozle, they lived up to the recognition and impressed crowds at the festival, proving to be "elevating in the bleak afternoon haze." Meanwhile The Fader, NPR, Yahoo Music, and Chromewaves have all featured the group and their excellent single "Everyone You Know."

Photo Credit:
melissa hesse.

Ooooo Butterfly Bones ooooO

2009-09-18T13:58:00.004-04:00

Fancy them a bit like New Order and The Cure. Or without comparisons just know they are electrical and 80s lovely.

Butterfly Bones, if their music had a texture it would be velour. If it had a taste it would be pop rock candy, complete with the fantastic crackle.

Oh giddy smile!

Listen:

Butterfly Bones - "xoxo" (mp3)

Enjoy!