Saturday, May 28, 2011

Cool Music Stuff on the Internet - Yuck, Bon Iver, TV on the Radio, The National, Death Cab, Damien Rice, Bell X1, Radiohead


Since I just posted about my obsession with Yuck, here is a recent performance from Jools Holland:




I like unexpected musical combos, and I'd say this one fits the bill.  All I am going to say about this link is this: Bon Iver covers, and one of them starts like this "Josie's on a vacation far away". Check them out HERE.

I recently saw TV on the Radio live and they performed an amazing song "Will Do", that transformed me into a believer.  Check out a performance on Leno HERE.

Cool song from The National off their "Cherry Tree" EP from 2004, HERE

Full album stream of Death Cab for Cutie's new album HERE.  The album comes out May 31st, but you can listen to it in its entirety now.  Check out the track "Unobstructed Views"

I am obsessed with Damien Rice (see HERE and HERE). HERE is where I am getting my current fix.

Bell X1 performed on the rooftop of Facebook Ireland this week, HERE is the performance.

I love cover songs. HERE is a whole plethora of them by Radiohead.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Stuff I'm Digging- Yuck


I wish I could remember what brought me to the new band, "Yuck", but honestly, I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday.  Suffice it to say, however, that whatever brought me to them has some massive karmic awesomeness coming their way.

I like sifting through new music, but the frustrating thing about it is it can be like looking through the old bargain bin at Sam Goody, hoping to find one discounted awesome cassette tape. It can sometimes happen, but it ain't likely. In any case, once in awhile, really great music pops its head up out of all the mire and makes the case for why I keep looking.

That's what Yuck has been for me.  Like its 1985, and I just found the $.69 Pet Shop Boys cassette in the bargain bin.

While some hear influences of Sonic Youth, I also hear The Strokes in the hard driving guitar riffs and unique vocal distortions, a la Julian Casablancas in "Last Night" (see "Operation" below).   Occasionally, I even hear a small hint of Elliott Smith (see "Suicide Policeman" below).  The bottom line is everyone seems to hear something (or someone) different.   Perhaps it is the familiarity of Yuck's music that makes them so appealing.

Despite the familiarity, their sound is still uniquely fresh.  The up tempo songs are grinding rock songs, and their slower songs are evocative of the feeling in the air when summer turns to fall and the air just slightly begins to turn colder and more crisp (see "Stutter" below).

Anyway, enough of me telling you what I think. Have a listen for yourself:

Get Away




Operation (click to hear)



Suicide Policeman:





Stutter



And here they are at SXSW this year, from NPR Music:

Monday, May 16, 2011

Cool Music Stuff on the Internet - Kanye West, Yuck, Death Cab, Bon Iver, Pink Floyd

I had a few different posts ready to go, but apparently Blogger had other ideas, but at least the entire internet didn't shut down...or maybe the Blogger gods just really wanted you to hear Kanye West's concert from Coachella, because he's put out the concert available for download through HERE.

Or maybe they wanted you to realize how awesome I think Yuck is as I've mentioned them a few times before, with this unheard single

There's also yet another Death Cab for Cutie single out there HERE

New Bon Iver track from the upcoming album HERE

The amazing happened in London one night last week, with Roger Waters and David Gilmour joining together onstage for "Comfortably Numb". Thankfully, someone took a video of it, because we all know this won't be happening again anytime soon.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Cool Music Stuff on the Internet- Elliott Smith, Adele, Yuck, Arcade Fire, Smashing Pumpkins

Exclusively at LA Weekly, they are streaming a new track by Smashing Pumpkins HERE which led me to the SP website where you can listen to more tracks HERE

Everyone head on over to Muzzle of Bees and check out the amazing video they just posted from Arcade Fire in Austin. There's also a link to more videos on YouTube.

I'm a big fan of Yuck and their debut album, and this post of "Five Yuck Songs and the Indie Rock Classics They Sound Like" from Click Track offers some insight into their style and where it came from (like Sonic Youth Pavement, Buffalo Tom).

Adele performs two songs on Later...With Jools Holland:





And last, for those of you familiar with Elliot Smith, here is a beautifully written tribute to him from twentyfourbit sharing some recently discovered recordings.   They are as beautiful and haunting as the post points out. I'd also suggest taking a look at this Rawkblog link mentioned in the article.

Stuff I'm Digging- Airborne Toxic Event

There's been some great music released the past couple of Tuesdays, including Airborne Toxic Event (out 4/26). I love their song, "Sometime Around Midnight" for the simple reason that you can picture yourself in the bar, watching your lover walk away with another person, you can feel the drunkenness and the powerful punch of emotions made more poignant by drink. Mikel Jollett, the lead singer, has a way of connecting to his lyrics that bring the listener along for the ride on his emotional journey.  They have a pretty simple formula- rockin beats, and lyrics that everyone can relate to, plus a singer who sounds like he is experiencing those emotions as he's singing! Right in front of you!  While you listen!  He sings with so much gusto and emotion, the man must be exhausted after singing a song.  And man, you feel it too.



So, when they released their new album, I paid attention.  And it did not disappoint.  I won't go into a big long review of the album, because a)there are plenty of other music websites that already do that sort of thing and b)no review does justice when all you want to do is hear the music. So here you go. My suggested listening from the new Airborne Toxic Event album, All At Once.

Numb:


All At Once:


Half of Something Else:


Buy it here or here 

Thursday, May 5, 2011

On The Radio

One of my earlier posts about how the music experience has changed has got me thinking.  While instant gratification is great, music is sometimes best served up like a home cooked meal from Mom instead of a drive through meal at a fast food place.  In that post, I talked about a radio station in LA that GETS that people want to LISTEN to music- to savor it.  So when I become aware of other radio stations like that, I take notice.

Here are a few of my faves, which, thanks be to the internet gods, I can listen to by the magic of streaming.

Enjoy, and please share your favorites as well-

CD 101.1 Columbus, OH- "The Alternative Station"
Playing artists like Gomez and Silversun Pickups, you can bet you'll be constantly surprised and always discovering new artists.  CD101 also features programs like The Independent Playground- a spot for new music by indie artists. Imagine that. Good new music. On the radio. Hm. What a concept.
Listen here:

KSWD 100.3 The Sound LA
A station who's tagline is "All About The Music" is off to a good start, with great gigs like Album Sides Wednesdays, where DJ's play ENTIRE album sides on vinyl- it's like putting on a record in your living room, holding the album cover in your hands and listening to it for the first time.  They truly are "all about the music"- if it's good, they'll play it.  They tend to skew a little more on the classic rock side, but offer up a good mix of various genres and decades, including current tunes.
Listen here: 

RTE 2FM (Ireland)
The downside is the time change, as there is quite a bit of talk in the evening hours, which is during the workday in the US.  But the music they play is a great glimpse into what's popular in Ireland and the UK, which always seems to be a step ahead of the US.  For example, they played all the songs from the last U2 album before it was even released in the US.  I also credit them with introducing me to bands like Elbow  and Bell X1
Listen here:

Indie 103.1 Los Angeles, CA
It used to be a great place for indie rock, on the dial in LA at 103.1. Not anymore.  At least, not over the air. But thankfully, you can still get Indie 103.1 streaming online. 
Listen here:

104.1 WBCN Boston
For 40+ years, The Rock of Boston was one of the most iconic radio stations in the US.  It has now been reduced to HD or online only.  There are two stations: WBCN Free Form, which plays "From The Clash to Coldplay, Bob Dylan to Bob Marley"; and WBCN The Rock of Boston, which is similar to what the linear station was- "From Nine Inch Nails to Nirvana, Green Day to Gund 'N Roses."

Not only was 'BCN responsible for breaking bands like U2 and The Police in the US, but was also home to program director Oedipus, who helped bring Punk to US airwaves.  'BCN was also the home of a DJ named Peter Wolf (later of J Geils Band), and countless others who have contributed to music in one ground-breaking way or another.  In the 90's, WBCN released "WBCN Naked Disc: A Collection of Unreleased Performances" which had in-studio and other Boston-local live performances of songs such as "Staring at the Sun" by U2, "Glycerine" by Bush and "Losing my Religion" by Tori Amos.

Some 'BCN is better than no 'BCN though, as Bono once said on the "Naked Disc": "without 'BCN....let's face it....we'd all be fucked."

Listen here: