So BTBAM has a new song out. I really wanted it to be a stylistic change like between Alaska and Colors but not really that much has changed (not to say it isn't good, it is). They all still kill it and change it up enough for a 9 minute long song to sound fresh all the way through, and there are nice non metal interludes that could be fleshed out as complete songs if this were another band (but it's not). So if you know you already like them then this is for you. If you don't, then tread elsewhere (I hear Pearl Jam has a Target only release).
So there's a new Thom Yorke video that came out today. It's a track from Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, a tribute album with an impressive roster. For those of you who don't know (which included me until about 10 minutes ago) Mark Mulcahy is the man behind two beloved bands, Miracle Legion and Polaris (the band from the Pete & Pete intro).
You can watch the video over at Rolling Stone. This song features the vocals of his little brother Andy. The harmony and just plain lyrical awesomeness on the line "watch my brother cutting grass outside, sitting on a porch he told me it's a long way to go before we can rest, but it's all for the best" [thanks stereogum]
01 Thom Yorke - "All For The Best" 02 The National - "Ashamed Of The Story I Told" 03 Michael Stipe - "Everything's Coming Undone" 04 David Berkeley - "Loves The Only Thing That Shuts Me Up" 05 Dinosaur Jr. - "The Backyard" 06 Chris Harford & Mr Ray Neal - "Micon The Icon" 07 Frank Black - "Bill Jocko" 08 Vic Chesnutt - "Little Man" 09 Unbelievable Truth - "Ciao My Shining Star" 10 Butterflies Of Love - "I Have Patience" 11 Chris Collingwood (Fountains Of Wayne) - "Cookie Jar" 12 Frank Turner - "The Quiet One" 13 Rocket From The Tombs - "In Pursuit Of Your Happiness" 14 Ben Kweller - "Wake Up Whispering" 15 Josh Rouse - "I Woke Up In The Mayflower" 16 Autumn Defense - "Paradise" 17 Hayden -"Happy Birthday Yesterday" 18 Juliana Hatfield - "We're Not In Charleston Anymore" 19 Mercury Rev - "Sailors And Animals" 20 Elvis Perkins - "She Watches Over Me" 21 Sean Watkins - "A World Away From This One"
Bishop Allen are touring this fall in support of their latest album Grrr... , on Dead Oceans. The band has announced the unveiling of new songs, as well as some special surprises. I hope the surprise is glitter.
TOUR DATES: 10/27/09 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs 10/29/09 Montreal, QC - Il Motore 10/30/09 Toronto, ON - El Mocambo 11/01/09 Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom 11/02/09 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon 11/03/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown 11/06/09 Vancouver, BC - The Media Club 11/07/09 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey 11/08/09 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge 11/09/09 San Francisco, CA - The Rickshaw Shop 11/10/09 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre 11/13/09 Austin, TX - Mohawk 11/14/09 Ft Worth, TX - Lola's 11/15/09 Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack 11/21/09 Brooklyn, NY - Bell House
The guys over at Secretly Canadian just put this up. It's the video for the song "Hi-Fi Goon" directed by Jason Argyropoulos with cinematography by Bryce Fortner. It's pretty entertaining! So Check it out.
Grizzly Bear released a new video today. It's directed by Sean Pecknold, the director of the Fleet Foxes videos 'Mykonos' and 'White Winter Hymnal' (also he's Robin Pecknold's brother).
So... Mark Ruffalo is making a movie (his first time at the helm). The film stars both Ruffalo and Orlando Bloom and follows a paralyzed DJ named Delicious's attempts at healing. It is called Sympathy for Delicious which is a deliciously silly title for a movie. Where do The Besnard Lakes fit in to all of this? Well, they're scoring the movie. Which reminds me, why is the band movie score so under-utilized? Remember when Radiohead was going to score A Scanner Darkly (maybe it was just Thom Yorke, I don't remember)? Seriously, that would've been awesome. But back to the matter at hand, after listening to The Besnard Lakes, I get a real cinematic sort of feel. Lots of emotion. I think they're a pretty natural choice. So without further ado here's an mp3 and a couple videos. [thanks jagjaguwar]
White Hinterland announce an extensive US tour. This tour features their new line-up of Casey Dienel and Shawn Creeden performing as a duo. You can pretty much expect them to play new material from an album that should be out early 2010 and I think will include these two tracks.
TOUR DATES: 10/01/09 Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern 10/02/09 Boise, ID - Neurolux 10/03/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Slowtrain 10/04/09 Denver, CO - Hi Dive 10/08/09 Chicago, IL - Schubas 10/09/09 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot 10/11/09 Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo 10/14/09 Cambridge, MA - Middle East w/ Former Ghosts 10/15/09 Brooklyn, NY - Bruar Falls 10/16/09 Philadelphia, PA - Black Lodge 10/18/09 Richmond, VA - The Triple 10/19/09 Charlotte, NC - YAUHAUS 10/23/09 Austin, TX - Mohawk *** MORE TOUR DATES ADDED SOON***
So, maybe some of you have heard already, but for those that haven't, Mastodon is currently working on scoring a western horror comic book movie called Jonah Hex. The movie is based around a ex-confederate officer, Jonah Woodson Hex (Josh Brolin), post American Civil War. Now, I haven't read the comic, but the character is compared to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name and The Outlaw Josey Wales. Scanning through the biography of the fictional character (via Wikipedia [which we all know now as the truth]) 3 things grab my attention; he was raised by Apaches, human taxidermy, and time travel. Alongside Mastodon are Harry Gregson-Williams and Trevor Rabin. Harry has scored movies like The Rock, The Chronicles of Narnia (both of them), and Team America: World Police. Also, he has previously scored Metal Gear Solid 2-4. Now, you might know Trevor Rabin as the vocalist/guitarist/songwriter from one of my favorite albums of all time, Fragile, by British Prog-Rock band Yes. When asked what the score sounds like the answer was "Needless to say, pretty heavy!" Others to star in the movie include Megan Fox, John Malkovich, and a cameo from an alcoholic; psychedelic lovin; metal guitarist.
On a different note, I was just informed of a new band from Portland, Oregon with Johnny Whitney (the Blood Brothers) and Cody Votolato (Pretty Girls Make Graves) named Jaguar Love. At first I didn't like it, but then it grew on me like mold grows on cheese. It has a kind of wanna-be Volta sound around the De-loused era, which I really, REALLY enjoy. The only difference is it is more of a focused rock sound and the vocals have also been compared to a "modern day" Robert Plant. Speaking of Led Zepplin, check out the video I've posted at the bottom of the new "Super Group", Them Crooked Vultures. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of "Super Groups" lately (ex. Chickenfoot, Audioslave, Velvet Revovler, Alter Bridge, Angels & Airwaves, Hellyeah, Damnocracy, etc...) but this has 3 of my favorite musicians; Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones. Now I'm not saying this will happen, but I think it would be kind of ironic if in the beginning of the next decade major label music had a huge shift from overly produced; rhythmic based; pop music and up-tempo; prog wanna-be; arena rock to straight forward; melodic based rock and Dave Grohl was playing drums.
So, in a summer full of amazing concerts, the one that caught me most off guard was Bowerbirds and Megafaun (8/13 @ Mohawk). Phil Moore's vocals are so disarming, and the intimate setting made it even more effective. They've just announced a fall tour starting at Denmark and ending in the Bowery Ballroom in New York on 12/4. So if you happen to be in Europe or on the East Coast I highly recommend checking them out. Since most of you are in Austin, I hope you got to see them when you had the chance. Here's a video of Bowerbirds performing at an apartment concert hosted by La Blogotheque. The band performs several songs up close and personal for a dozen or so lucky fans as part of La Blogotheque’s new series, Les Soirées de Poche.
So, David Cross is not quite a musician, but I believe that this does merit a mention. Along with his new book I Drink for a Reason, David will be touring and doing stand up around the country. as I'm writing this I'm patiently waiting for tickets to go on sale from his performance at the paramount on oct 14. Fun fact, the two closest acts surrounding David Cross' link on the Protix.com web site are Insane Clown Posse and Jewel, both who I would hope would be in attendance, though neither act will be in Austin. Read his book.
Here's the video for the new Wild Beasts song called "All the King's Men" from the upcoming Two Dancers due out September 8th on Domino. If you're in New York they're playing their 2nd ever US show at Joe's Pub, also 9/8.
Kyp Malone, from TV on the Radio, has just released his second track from solo effort Rain Machine. I think the mostly sparse slowbuild type arrangements free up the song for Kyp's singing to really be effective. The first track Give Blood is a bit of a fuzzier affair. The album is due out September 22nd from Anti- Records. Here's the tracklist:
Track List: 01. Intro 02. Give Blood 03. New Last Name 04. Smiling Black Faces 05. Driftwood Heart 06. Hold you Holy 07. Desperate Bitch 08. Love Won't Save You 09. Free Ride 10. Leave the Lights On 11. Winter Song
Of course MP3s are only for sampling. If you like what you hear pick up the album, or check out the show. If you are the owner of a sound file, and would like it removed send an email
