CATEGORY: MP3 - Music Reviews

Beside the epic first track (Is There a Ghost), the latest Band of Horses release proves to be a bumpy second album. Fans of Everything All the Time will notice a much more subtler and reserved tone on Cease to Begin, as none of the songs travel into that stratospheric, echoed territory that touched most of their previous album. What is most disappointing about this is that, despite the shift in tone, the new songs still follow the band’s old formula, essentially making them less interesting versions of what you’ve already heard. There are even some downright misses in this bunch (Marry Song, Window Blues).

A snooty blogger might suggest they have titled the record Everything All the Time B-Sides, whereas a nicer, more compassionate one would simply consider this a mistep in what is hopefully a great musical career. Plus, that first song is just so epic!

[mp3] Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost

CATEGORY: MP3

Hey, how have you been? Long time no talk. I’ve so been enjoying my freedom from my mp3 posting duties!

I’ve spent my time listening to a handful of records, all of which I’ve purchased with my own money strange enough. Unfortunately, the bulk of what I receive to review is pretty uninspiring. Most of it comes from upstart labels whose artists are still trying to figure out what they want to do. Some records have been pretty interesting (check out Patience Please, they’re fun!) but none of it comes close to capturing my attention the way new records from the National, John Vanderslice, and M.I.A. have. I’ve even found myself addicted to Tegan and Sara’s latest guilty pleasure of a record The Con. Back in Your Head is sooo catchy!

Hands down the sweetest thing I’ve heard recently is the Bat for Lashes record, Fur and Gold. The thing is so haunting and eery. Even the slow piano ballads, which normally are the downfall of female piano pop acts, are great here. Check out the creepy fun video for the single What’s a Girl To Do?.

I recently heard the new Band of Horses mp3 on their Myspace page. I know a ton of band members have left but I really hope the rest of the cd is better than this.

The real reason I decided to pop my head in and post is because I’ve just heard the most hilarious intro to a song EVER. Seriously. Download this new leaked Britney Spears mp3 and laugh your bottom off.

[mp3] Britney Spears - Gimme More

CATEGORY: MP3

Music! Get it while it’s hot!
[mp3] The Eames Era - When You Were a Millionaire

Every female-fronted pop band reminds me of Rilo Kiley so naturally The Eames Era remind me of Rilo Kiley. This track is off their latest record Heroes + Sheroes. I have no idea what that title means but I guess you can google it if you’re that interested.

[mp3] Iron & Wine - The Boy with the Coin

Sam Beam a.k.a. Iron & Wine has a name that reminds me of Samuel L. Jackson and Jim Beam. Probably because his first name is Sam and his last name is Beam. Probably. Did you know he used to be a film teacher? Well, you should because it’s mentioned in every feature, review, and interview that has ever been written about him. He used to teach film and now he plays folk music and has a giant beard.

[mp3] Kinski - Punching Goodbye Out Front

I don’t do drugs nor am I starring in a movie that involves a high speed boat chase so this song doesn’t really affect me in any way.

[mp3] Lavender Diamond - You Broke MyHeart

Yeah I know this song is months old. Doesn’t mean you got to give me attitude. You don’t know me. Stop judging me by the freshness of my mp3 blog. I do things in timely fashion in real life, like laundry and buying groceries. I wish I had the time or brown nosing staff needed to scour the entire internet looking for exclusive, unreleased mp3s to make me look cool in your eyes but I don’t, so here is a late Lavender Diamond mp3. She reminds me of Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley because Rilo Kiley is my only point of reference when it comes to female singers.

CATEGORY: MP3

Truthfully, the thing I enjoyed most about Wolf Parade’s critically acclaimed Apologies to the Queen Mary was Dan Boeckner and his unique singing voice. Perhaps that is why I consider myself a fan of Boeckner’s other band the Handsome Furs. The voice is there in all its glory, hovering above a desert of drum beats and accoustic guitar (which are provided by Boeckner’s real life spouse Alexei Perry). Unlike some of SubPop’s other recent releases (*cough* Jenifer Gentle *cough*), this is some good old fashioned indie rock I can get behind.

[mp3] The Handsome Furs - What We Had

And just because:

[mp3] Jenifer Gentle - Electric Princes

CATEGORY: MP3 - Music Reviews

John Vanderslice promised fans a ‘band’ record and that is exactly what he delivers with his latest record Emerald City.

Unlike 2005’s Pixel Revolt which employed heavy electronic bleeps and studio magic, the soft-spoken, slow paced songs featured on Emerald City live and die by their nakedness. The best way to decribe the record is to imagine ‘Trance Manual’ without all the bells, chimes, and studio tinkering. The peacefully moving instruments and soothing vocals have been arranged in a format that is built for the live setting rather than the record. Almost every sound you hear is able to be reproduced live by the band which unfortunately couldn’t be said for Pixel Revolt. After all is said and done, Revolt may be the better album and a bigger leap between records but the songs on Emerald City look to be a better addition to his live set.

The first single ‘White Dove’ is the most upbeat and probably the most familiar Vanderslice song on the record. His strong vocal delivery is reminscent of his Time Travel is Lonely days and the distortion on the acoustic guitars remind me a bit of Neutral Milk Hotel, who Vanderslice has openly expressed admiration for. Download the track now from Barsuk.com where you can also pre-order the record before its July 24th release date.

[mp3] John Vanderslice - White Dove

CATEGORY: MP3

Whenever a band or artist’s website is prefaced with a disclaimer that “we don’t like the internet” or “we hate Myspace” it reeks a little bit of self-importance and pretention. If having an online identity where fans can access your music easily and efficiently is such an ethical comprimise for you then don’t have one. I don’t want to hear how a band’s Myspace is run by a third party because the “artist” doesn’t want to harm his integrity by filling out the fields on his own.

With that said, UK experimental act Microphone Stand is one of these bands. Their Myspace page reads “This page was setup and is run on behalf of microphone STAND, as they do not like myspace…”. Gee, thanks for that heads up. I would have thought they loved Myspace had the issue not been clarified. As for the music itself it is a claustrophobic, paranoid mish mash of gently strummed accoustic guitars, distorted cymbals, and sporadic heavy blasts of electronic beats; pretty much what you’d expect from an experimental solo artist with a laptop, some editing software, and a personal mantra that includes not selling out to Myspace (or at least not directly selling out to Myspace).

[mp3] Microphone Stand - Orchestra Gob

CATEGORY: MP3 - Music Reviews

Hit the Ground Running is the debut single for UK group Superkings. Made up of two songs, the title track and the upbeat jazzy ‘Wolves and Ravens’, Hit the Ground Running is an interesting demonstration of the pop band’s radio ready talent. This polished sound is more evident on the title track, which opens with a steady piano melody and builds into a mid-paced ballad with great guitar accompaniment towards the latter half. The lyrics focus on the narrator’s fascination with a particular enigma of a woman (”Just before the sweat dries, she likes to put the lights back on. The mystery of her fragrance lies far beneath a tarry nightgown”). The other track ‘Wolves and Ravens’ isn’t nearly as entertaining or romantic, but it does well enough to happily round out this ‘less-is-more’ two song debut.

[stream] Superkings - Hit the Ground Running on Myspace

CATEGORY: Editor's Pick - MP3 - Music Reviews

After weeks of indie blog hinting the general public can finally see for themselves whether The National’s fourth studio album Boxer is the record to beat in 2007. If magazine & newspaper critics have any say in the matter Boxer is, at the least, a very surprising step up from 2005’s already adored Alligator. Here is what Stylus magazine has to say about Matt Berninger and company, which I believe sums up the record & most reviews beautifully:

“Boxer is a National album through and through but blessed with a restraint and self-assuredness of a band on top of its game, resulting in a startling masterpiece on par with Turn on the Bright Lights, Bows & Arrows, or any other austere tribute to urban alienation you care to name.”

The only negative review I could find was from the UK surprisingly (which is where the National seemed to receive most of their attention prior to Alligator) and even then the publication, The Gaurdian, gives the record 3 out of 5 stars; although not until after criticizing the band’s last two records as “claustrophobic, minor-key U2-on-a-budget” and “deadened, muffled music”.

Harsh, no?

But perhaps the most interesting piece of feedback I’ve read for Boxer comes from the Earth’s largest social networking site, Myspace. For a week the record was available for full streaming on the band’s page and they were featured as a spotlight artist. Here is a screenshot of their write up on Myspace’s homepage.

Best band in America? Not sure the site’s 16 year old screamo-loving base will agree, but I sure love hearing those words.

Now the next step beyond what the critics think is to see how the public responds to the record. As Goodhodgkins so perfectly states, “If there’s one thing about Boxer that everyone and their grandma is going to use to discredit it, it’s the fact that there’s no ‘Abel’ or ‘Mr. November’”. These are the exact thoughts I had as I sat down and listened to the record for the first time.

As great as it would be to have a clear, aggressive single, Boxer benefits from its uniformity. Other than the darkly energized ‘Mistaken for Strangers’, most of the songs on record are content to give up their personal will and do their part in making Boxer a great complete listen. No instrument or vocal track attempts to stand out above the rest or steal the spotlight away from the collective whole. In my opinion, this is what gives Boxer the advantage over Alligator. It’s smarter and shows more restraint/maturity.

Hopefully fans will recognize this (it shouldn’t be very hard) and the chants of “It’s no Alligator!” and “Where is Mr. November?” will last only long enough before “Hey, I think I’m starting to love this cd!” kicks in.

BONUS:

Here is the band performing ‘Mistaken for Strangers’ and ‘Apartment Story’ live during MTV’s 24 Hour Human Giant Takeover last week (the always intelligent & musically knowledgeable people at MTV mixed the video tags, so Apartment Story is actually Mistaken for Strangers and vice versa).

By the way, Los Angeles residents can catch Human Giants’ Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer perform long-form improv at their always delightful Myspace Show every Wednesday night at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Franklin Blvd. Much recommended!

CATEGORY: MP3

Stereo owners beware! On Tuesday, May 22nd rebellious rockstars The National plan to take over your car & home music players with their brooding, goth-Americana stylings. Even computer headphone listeners are at risk of extreme joy & preference for the band’s signature late night songs.

Local police and social service agents are standing by at all Sam Goody and Wherehouse music stores in Vermont and New Mexico after reports that the New York band’s fourth studio album, Boxer, is “so damn good you’ll hand over your baby to the music store clerk for $12.99 store credit”.

To help the public transition from life before Boxer and life after, authorities have asked Invisible Limb to post a revised b-side from the record along with it’s original counterpart.

The tracks in question are Blank Slate, a b-side from the single Mistaken For Strangers (released this Tuesday), and Keep It Upstairs, which is taken from 2005’s Abel single.

This cd (Boxer) is brilliant! No joke!

[mp3] The National - Blank Slate
[mp3] The National - Keep It Upstairs

CATEGORY: MP3

[mp3] Magnolia Electric Co. - Lonesome Valley (from the record Fading Trails out now on Secretly Canadian Records)

Jason Molina and crew are forever waltzing along that dry desert highway, spreading their Neil Young-inspired country rock one lonely story at a time. Their second full length Fading Trails may not have been as strong as their debut What Comes After the Blues, but it features a few strong tracks such as the attached ‘Lonesome Valley’.

[mp3] Stephen Merritt - The Meaning of Lice (from the compilation Plague Songs out now on 4AD records)

Biblical disaster serves as the inspiration behind 4AD’s recent compilation Plague Songs. Featuring exclusive tracks from artists such as Imogen Heap, Brian Eno, Rufus Wainwright, and the attached Stephen Merritt (The Magnetic Fields), Plague Songs takes a hauntingly beautiful look at each of the ten plagues as interpreted by eahc artist. The attached track, ‘The Meaning of Lice’, is an upbeat pop song dedicated to the little known lice plague.