Archive for July, 2009

When I first heard “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (ES&TMZ), I was totally hooked.  I felt as if I was hearing the new Indie Rock Country version Johnny and June Carter Cash.  That is very high praise indeed, but I think that highly of this tune.  After you listen to it 2-3 times you will swear you have heard it in a commercial (please let me know if you have in fact heard it in a commercial cuz I swear I have).  It is that catchy that I am sure it will be in a future iPod commercial.

40 Day Dream has this Modest Mouse con Beatles sound that’s just killer.  The lead singer, Alex Ebert of “Ima Robot” fame (great band), has this wonderful voice for this new alternative psychedelic genre.  I just can’t get enough of this 11 member group (wow).  I love these guys.

BUY -  Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros  —> HERE

Listen: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home

Listen: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream

Listen: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Janglin

Author: Coach

I happened upon a documentary on the Sundance Channel about a singer/songwriter/cellist named Arthur Russell who performed in the famous “Kitchen” (a downtown avant-garde performance space) in New York. His music is amazing and spans the realms of folk, rock, soundscapes and dance. Just totally unique and amazing sounds.

He was relatively unknown during his lifetime, and a series of reissues and compilations have raised his profile in the 2000’s. Russell died of AIDS on April 4, 1992, at the age of 40. In an April 28 th column, Kyle Gann of The Village Voice wrote: “His recent performances had been so infrequent due to illness, his songs were so personal, that it seems as though he simply vanished into his music.”

This guys was WAY ahead of his time. Many of the indie folk dance sounds coming out today don’t touch the freshness of some of his sounds. I suggest browsing his records in iTunes and see what you like. There are so many different styles, you are sure to hear a few songs that turn you on.

Listen: Arthur Russell – That’s Us/Wild Combination

Listen: Arthur Russell – I Couldn’t Say It to Your Face

Listen: Arthur Russell – See My Brother, He’s Jumping Out (Let’s Go Swimming #1)

Author: Coach

At first I felt like “Golden Phone” was way too busy and random… but after a few listens, I love it.  Headphones and 3 or 4 drinks totally help.  Give it a few spins and see what you think.  It has a funky Outkast kinda beat with a new indie-techno-afro-pop kick.

Listen: Micachu – Golden Phone

Author: Coach

NOTE:  I suggest listening to the song link below before reading further…………

When I heard this song for the first time I was immediately hooked, but also intrigued.  I thought “I know who this is.  I think?”… sounds like a mix between Modest Mouse and vintage David Bowie… Great new band maybe???  WRONG.  This song was released in the late 70’s.

I LOVE when I find something that was recorded 30 years ago and sounds totally fresh.  The Buzzcocks were apparently ahead of their time with this cut.  Great bass backbeat with piercing guitar riffs, spacey vocals on the chorus and overall wonderful structure from a late 70’s punk band.  Great lyrics to boot. I am sure every guy has thought “why can’t I touch it” once in their life.  Enjoy this Old-New sound.

Listen: Buzzcocks – Why Can’t I Touch It

Author: Coach

First, a quick thanks to Coach for the guest post access!

I haven’t been to Lollapalooza or Coachella. I haven’t even been to that many concerts in my day. However, when I heard about the Outside Lands Festival – a 3-day concert in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco in August – I instantly became a festival goer. With Pearl Jam, DMB and Beasties headlining, along with Silversun Pickups, TV on the Radio and about 60 other great bands, it should be ridiculous.

Just yesterday, though, we heard that Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his salivary gland, and the Beastie Boys have cancelled their upcoming shows, including Outside Lands. I’m obviously disappointed, but happy to hear that it is totally isolated and very treatable. Here’s the Beastie Boys’ video announcement of the diagnosis on YouTube:

So, here’s a shout out to Yauch with my all-time favorite Beasties cut.

Listen: Beastie Boys – Jimmy James

In an effort to familiarize myself with some more bands that will be playing at Outside Lands, I’ve been doing some homework. Here are a couple of gems I’ve found so far. The Zion I track is a great summer jam and the Calexico track just oozes road trip south of the border. Thanks, again, Dave for allowing me to share! Enjoy.

Listen: Zion I – Antenna

Listen: Calexico – Victor Jara’s Hands

I know exactly nothing about Fol Chen except that I love the new cut, “Cable TV” off of their new album.  Great pop hook with enough uniqueness so it doesn’t get played on the radio.  I am sure this one will end up on a soundtrack of some indie film or an iPod commercial.  I suggest it ends up on your iPod.

My favorite lyrics of the song are as follows… “Now here we are by the pool of this motel getting dizy from the spitzers and the desert heat”.  Very appropriate for a summer in P-town.  I would say this song goes perfecly with spritzers poolside.

Listen: Fol Chen – Cable TV

–cutbucket–

Vampire Weekend just KILLED it with their self titled album last year.  One way know how your music is regarded in the “know” crowd, is the amount and quality of remixes out there.  I am a huge fan of dance remixes and remixes in general.  Sometimes they are better than the original.  It’s even better when the original is great and the remix is great and now you have 2 great songs to listen to.

Below are 2 exceptional VW remixes.  “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance (Chromeo Remix)” is one of the best remixes I have heard in the last year.  It has that New Order, OMD, Joy Division 80’s hand clap electro pop sound that is SOOOOOOOO cool with the kids these days.  The “Walcott (Insane Mix)” is delightfully mellow yet get’s your head bouncing and ears grinding.  Very nice remixes for your weekend!

Listen: Vampire Weekend – The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance (Chromeo Remix)

Listen: Vampire Weekend – Walcott (Insane Mix)

–cutbucket–

Dan Deacon is quoted as saying something close to the following:  I discovered how to make music that is impossible to play in real life.  Dan uses a mix of iPods, WaWa pedals, MIDI’s, bananas, Keyboards and his crowd to create a sort of psycho techno-funk that resembles a bunch of computer noise to create a “symphony of sound”.  His live show is performance art.  See the youtube.com link below.  It’s sort of a mini-documentary.

I admit, Dan tests the normal music fan’s span of attention, but he is completely unique.  Dan and his genre of artists who experiment with new sounds and take risks is where many mainstream artists get inspired.

See these youtube videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA4N-2EoGZo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_vl5vcG9VI&feature=related

Listen:

Listen: Dan Deacon – Snookered

Listen: Dan Deacon – Get Older

Listen: Dan Deacon – Build Voice

–cutbucket–

Deer Tick is taking top spot on my “Favorite Band of the Moment” list.  If you happen to be planning a bank robbery in El Paso while drunk on Hornito’s and your get away car is an El Camino with a roll bar, then Deer Tick’s new album “Born on Flag Day” is perfect.  Then again you just may want some raw indie country to chill to while you BBQ – Deer Tick is your Tick-et! (That was bad)

If you could somehow take Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Axel Rose, Elvis, Johnny Rotten and Dwight Yoakam and combine them, you end up with something like John McCauley, the 23-years-old singer and lead songwriter for Providence, Rhode Island band Deer Tick.  I suggest listening to this on the way to Rocky Point, Mexico in a stolen car…  Have fun!

Listen: Deer Tick – Easy

Listen: Deer Tick – Hell On Earth

Listen: Deer Tick – Friday Xiii

–cutbucket–

I love these Tegan and Sara cuts because they appeal to fans of many musical genres.  Great guitar rifs, vocals and drum beats.  They never really “made it” as far as Top 40 goes, but they are well deserving of such.  Plus they are totally cute emo girls.  Hope you likey.

Listen: Tegan and Sara – Walking With a Ghost

Listen: Tegan and Sara – Back In Your Head

–cutbucket–