Bon Iver played in NYC at Radio City on 9/21 and his entire concert (about an hour and a half) is currently available up on You Tube. Its only available for 48 hours, however, and the countdown began at 9am this morning. The clock is ticking, so do yourself a favor and check it out. (via Mashable)
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Cool Music Stuff on the Internet- New Mumford & Sons, DMB, Avett Brothers, and Leonard Cohen with U2
Rolling Stone recently posted this 'video flashback' (which is actually more of an explanation than a flashback) showing how Leonard Cohen got his groove back by pairing up with U2 one night. In the video, Cohen sings "Tower of Song" with Bono and crew, with the accompanying article outlaying the improbable return of Leonard Cohen (and his subsequent world tour) and how this video played a part in it. You can read the article on Leonard Cohen at Rolling Stone here.
Mumford & Sons performed at Red Rocks as one of the last stops on their recent tour. While we wait for the upcoming release of Babel (one more week, one more week), we get a little sneak peak with this video of "I Will Wait"...for the new album to come out...one more week....one more week.. (via Rolling Stone)
Dave Matthews Band is out with a new album (Away From the World) and recently performed one of their new songs on Jimmy Kimmel. Here's the band playing "Mercy", off the new album (via COS).
And last, not to sound like a broken record....but ALSO out with a new album (The Carpenter) and ALSO on Jimmy Kimmel, and ALSO (via COS), here's The Avett Brothers performing "February Seven":
Mumford & Sons performed at Red Rocks as one of the last stops on their recent tour. While we wait for the upcoming release of Babel (one more week, one more week), we get a little sneak peak with this video of "I Will Wait"...for the new album to come out...one more week....one more week.. (via Rolling Stone)
Dave Matthews Band is out with a new album (Away From the World) and recently performed one of their new songs on Jimmy Kimmel. Here's the band playing "Mercy", off the new album (via COS).
And last, not to sound like a broken record....but ALSO out with a new album (The Carpenter) and ALSO on Jimmy Kimmel, and ALSO (via COS), here's The Avett Brothers performing "February Seven":
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Tuesday Listening- The Killers, Battle Born
If you love The Killers because of their ability to simultaneously embrace and thumb their noses at the kitschiness in music, then the side of you that secretly wants to be a glam rock god will rejoice at this album. Given the evolution of their sound (from wide-eyed rock newbies with driving guitar and some synth pop to a sound that's flipped on its head- more synth pop and less driving guitar), its as though they had merely been flirting with the glitz and glam side and now they are in a fulfilling, long term relationship.
This is not to say their new album, Battle Born (out today) is full of kitsch (there is some) or giant rock anthems begging to be played in a stadium (there are lots), but merely to say anyone who ever had the illusion that The Killers were a pure rock-centric band might want to look the other way, because Battle Born is pure Vegas.
As a band from Vegas, who also recorded most of the album in Vegas, its almost refreshing to see the band embracing their sequined city's influence. It has been there the whole time, lurking behind the dark corners of tracks like "Andy, You're A Star" off Hot Fuss, and "Read My Mind" off Sam's Town. Battle Born is an album with BIG sounds. As big and as bright as the Las Vegas strip. Big synth, big vocals, big soaring backing music and ooohs and aahhs. Big lyrics. Even the ballads are big. And the best part? The big anthem-esque tracks (which, by the way, are going to sound amazing live when they play them on tour).
Some of those tracks have a Meatloaf feel. There are also wistful ballads with soaring music and lyrics like we haven't ever quite heard from these guys ("Here With Me", "Heart of A Girl"). There is more than one song that brought to mind The Who (listen for big Baba O'Reilly like riffs on "Battle Born" and "A Matter of Time"). I hear Ric Ocasek in Flowers' voice on "The Rising Tide". And then "Miss Atomic Bomb" comes in, a mighty song with a hint of a riff at the end that sounds eerily similar to "Mr. Brightside", as if to pass the torch from the band they were to the band they are now- pure Vegas pop rock.
There are giant wins for me on Battle Born- "Runaways", "Flesh and Bone", "The Way It Was", "The Rising Tide", and "The Heart of A Girl", which is a surprisingly fantastic slower groove. But there are also not-so-brightside spots like "From Here On Out" on which, music gods forgive me, but I swear I hear Juice Newton's spunky "Queen of Hearts"; or "Be Still", a ballad that just misses the mark for me.
In other words....its a lot of things at once. Just like the town of Vegas. The only way I know how to reconcile all of it is to embrace my inner glam cowboy and ride off into the Vegas sunset with a guitar, a sequined jacket, and a synthesizer. Just like the Vegas strip, you can't tell what's real and what's illusion. But sometimes, its just what you need. Giddy up.
Check it out for yourself and let me know what YOU think.
This is not to say their new album, Battle Born (out today) is full of kitsch (there is some) or giant rock anthems begging to be played in a stadium (there are lots), but merely to say anyone who ever had the illusion that The Killers were a pure rock-centric band might want to look the other way, because Battle Born is pure Vegas.
As a band from Vegas, who also recorded most of the album in Vegas, its almost refreshing to see the band embracing their sequined city's influence. It has been there the whole time, lurking behind the dark corners of tracks like "Andy, You're A Star" off Hot Fuss, and "Read My Mind" off Sam's Town. Battle Born is an album with BIG sounds. As big and as bright as the Las Vegas strip. Big synth, big vocals, big soaring backing music and ooohs and aahhs. Big lyrics. Even the ballads are big. And the best part? The big anthem-esque tracks (which, by the way, are going to sound amazing live when they play them on tour).
Some of those tracks have a Meatloaf feel. There are also wistful ballads with soaring music and lyrics like we haven't ever quite heard from these guys ("Here With Me", "Heart of A Girl"). There is more than one song that brought to mind The Who (listen for big Baba O'Reilly like riffs on "Battle Born" and "A Matter of Time"). I hear Ric Ocasek in Flowers' voice on "The Rising Tide". And then "Miss Atomic Bomb" comes in, a mighty song with a hint of a riff at the end that sounds eerily similar to "Mr. Brightside", as if to pass the torch from the band they were to the band they are now- pure Vegas pop rock.
There are giant wins for me on Battle Born- "Runaways", "Flesh and Bone", "The Way It Was", "The Rising Tide", and "The Heart of A Girl", which is a surprisingly fantastic slower groove. But there are also not-so-brightside spots like "From Here On Out" on which, music gods forgive me, but I swear I hear Juice Newton's spunky "Queen of Hearts"; or "Be Still", a ballad that just misses the mark for me.
In other words....its a lot of things at once. Just like the town of Vegas. The only way I know how to reconcile all of it is to embrace my inner glam cowboy and ride off into the Vegas sunset with a guitar, a sequined jacket, and a synthesizer. Just like the Vegas strip, you can't tell what's real and what's illusion. But sometimes, its just what you need. Giddy up.
Check it out for yourself and let me know what YOU think.
Monday, September 17, 2012
New Music from Elbow, Avett Brothers, Alanis, DMB, Bob Dylan, The Killers & More
I've been on vacation and was eagerly anticipating catching up on new music when I got back.
Instead, I got this:
Seriously?? Did Rebecca Black teach us nothing?
Thankfully, there is a whole slew of great new music to come out the last couple of weeks, and lots more to come in the next few to wipe my brain clear of this video. At least I hope. Here's some stuff worth checking out:
Elbow
If you are unfamiliar with Elbow, start here:
Then check out their new release of B- sides, Dead in the Boot.
The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers are back with more Americana folk with their new album, The Carpenter, out now. There's a bit of a more robust sound on some tracks (see "Geraldine" and "Paul Newman Vs. The Demons") which is kind of refreshing, but also plenty of what we love about the Avett Brothers (see "Winter in My Heart" and "A Fathers First Spring")
Alanis Morrisette
The Queen of Angst is back after a bit of a hiatus and she's got even more life experience under her belt to help influence her sound- she ran a marathon! She got married! She became a mom! Its a little bit angsty, a little bit ethereal, a little bit clubby, and a littlebit ballad-y...she's sort of all of that together on this album. Its an album that ebbs and flows and at times tracks sound like they could be coming from entirely different albums. And ya know what? I like it. Check out "Guardian", "Woman Down", "Havoc", "Empathy", "Lens".
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band is back with their first album since 2009's Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, and it also happens to be their first Steve Lillywhite produced album since 1998 (Before These Crowded Streets)- after producing the band's first 3 albums, Lillywhite parted ways with the band. Check out tracks like "Mercy", "Belly Full", "If Only".
Instead, I got this:
Seriously?? Did Rebecca Black teach us nothing?
Thankfully, there is a whole slew of great new music to come out the last couple of weeks, and lots more to come in the next few to wipe my brain clear of this video. At least I hope. Here's some stuff worth checking out:
Elbow
If you are unfamiliar with Elbow, start here:
Then check out their new release of B- sides, Dead in the Boot.
The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers are back with more Americana folk with their new album, The Carpenter, out now. There's a bit of a more robust sound on some tracks (see "Geraldine" and "Paul Newman Vs. The Demons") which is kind of refreshing, but also plenty of what we love about the Avett Brothers (see "Winter in My Heart" and "A Fathers First Spring")
Alanis Morrisette
The Queen of Angst is back after a bit of a hiatus and she's got even more life experience under her belt to help influence her sound- she ran a marathon! She got married! She became a mom! Its a little bit angsty, a little bit ethereal, a little bit clubby, and a littlebit ballad-y...she's sort of all of that together on this album. Its an album that ebbs and flows and at times tracks sound like they could be coming from entirely different albums. And ya know what? I like it. Check out "Guardian", "Woman Down", "Havoc", "Empathy", "Lens".
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band is back with their first album since 2009's Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, and it also happens to be their first Steve Lillywhite produced album since 1998 (Before These Crowded Streets)- after producing the band's first 3 albums, Lillywhite parted ways with the band. Check out tracks like "Mercy", "Belly Full", "If Only".
More New Releases
Bob Dylan
Two Door Cinema Club
Matchbox Twenty
The xx
The Killers Streaming
The new album by The Killers, Battleborn (out 9/17) is currently streaming in full for free over at iTunes. Head on over or click below to listen in full.
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