Sell the Lie

...and we're back! (Plus a new site, giveaway and more!)

2008-06-17T12:16:00.003-06:00

Wow, it's been a terribly long time since we've posted here. Don't worry, we're still ready to blog our little hearts out, we've just had a few exciting developments that kept us from here the last week or so. Here's some tracks to celebrate our return:

[mp3] The Beatles - Get Back
[mp3] Steel Train - I Want You Back (Jackson 5 Cover)

As you may have previously noticed, we registered a .com address a few months ago to store all of our music at. Since then, we've spent some time trying to figure exactly what types of content we'd like to feature at Sell the Lie.

After a few failed attempts, some crashes and a few re-designs we're ready to launch our brand-spankin' new site. Here's the address, it should be pretty easy to remember:

http://www.sellthelie.com

All of our previous posts are already there. We expect that there may be a few glitches when we moved everything, so if anything looks out of the ordinary please give us a buzz.

I'm happy to say that we've added a few new features to the page. We now have a calender of events that includes the CD releases we're looking forward to and some shows we'll be attending. If you're in the Salt Lake City area (as we are) you'll find these shows listed with all the relevant information (times, places, prices etc.). I believe we've also made it quite a bit easier to find different types of content using the tabs. Let us know what you think of it!

Now, to the part you're all reading for - FREE STUFF! The fine folks over at Brushfire Records have sent us a few vinyl samplers to give away as a celebration of our move to our own .com. For those of you kickin' it new school the records also include a link for a free digital download of all 8 songs.

Here's the track listing:

1- Neil Halstead - Paint a Face
2- Mason Jennings - Something About Your Love
3- Jack Johnson - What You Thought You Need
4- Matt Costa - Never Looking Back
5- Money Mark - Summer Blue
6- G. Love & Special Sauce - Crumble
7- Zach Gill - Beautiful Reason
8- Rogue Wave - Christians In Black

Now, to answer the inevitable question - how do I get my hands on one of these beauties??

It's simple. Head to the new webpage and post a comment on the giveaway post (it'll be stickied right at the top). All your comment needs to do is convince us why you deserve to win. Be sure to include your email address in the appropriate field so we can contact you if you win. The contest will end on 27th of June (next Friday) and we'll have multiple winners!

See you on the other side...

[mp3] Collective Soul - What I Can Give You

Review: Mason Jennings - In the Ever

2008-06-04T21:05:00.002-06:00

There's something about the combination of Mason's stripped down, acoustic-driven music, soulful lyrics and vocal delivery that has attracted me to his music since my first listen. He hooked me hard enough with Sorry Signs on Cash Machines that I ended up buying up his entire back catalog in a about a weeks time back when I really had no business buying more than a CD or two a month.

Each album saw Mason grow and experiment a bit more without ever losing touch of what he truly is - a singer songwriter with a knack for telling stories anyone can relate with. Boneclouds felt like the attempt to bring Mason to the masses, but for one reason or another it fell short. To this day it's probably my favorite album in Mason's catalog but it seems it wasn't poppy, slick or accessible enough to bring him to the "next level".

Personally, I'm happy that Mason didn't quite make it. I wish Mason the best and all, but I'm not sure I could stand to have Mason worshiped like, say, Jack Johnson. I like Jack but it can get on my nerves when 15 year old cheerleaders are listening to JJ one second, then to Gwen Stefani the next. There's something quite wrong with that transition in my mind.

Now, to the review...

In the Ever is Mason's latest release and his first on Brushfire Records. With this album, his second that hasn't been self-released, we see Mason take a step back from what we heard on Boneclouds. Gone is the lush, full band sound that has slowly been building with each previous release. Instead we find Mason stripping it down to the basics for one of his rawest-sounding releases yet.

I'll admit, at first listen I was very disappointed with the album. I fell in love with Boneclouds because of the exquisite songwriting and that full band sound I'd been waiting for. I was expecting much of the same, especially after hearing Fighter Girl.

After a few listens I let go of my prior expectations and let myself listen to what the album was rather than what I wanted it to be. Once I took these steps I was quite pleased with what I heard. I found an album that is quite possibly Mason's most personal and features his strongest lyrical content to date.

A few tracks that really hit home come early with Something About Your Love and I Love You and Buddha Too. Mason has written some beautiful love songs over the past few years and Something About Your Love goes right up there with songs like Ballad for My One True Love and Be Here Now. I Love You and Buddha Too explores religious tolerance in a light hearted way that just may be the best way to get the point across.

We also have the patented sing-alongs that Mason writes best with Fighter Girl and Soldier Boy. I saw Mason live before I ever really heard his recorded material so these are still the songs that scream "MASON!!" to me. Soldier Boy is the only spot we hear an electric guitar on the album and Fighter Girl has the "yeah, yeah yeahs" that will stick in your head all night long.

Only one track feels "weak" to me and it comes at track 5. Your New Man is a funny story but I'm not sure that it reaches the level of the rest of the album. It feels more like something Mason wrote and threw away back when he was releasing his self-titled album but decided to throw in here for one reason or another. It feels a little out of place compared to the rest of the album.

If I'm describing In the Ever with one word I suppose I'd have to pick "personal". The album is quiet, extremely acoustic-driven and way more lo-fi than anything we've heard from Mason in a good while. If you're expecting a sequel to Boneclouds then you should look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for an album that you can sit down and truly explore then look no further. I'd recommend picking this up if you're into the singer-songwriter scene or if you have any of Mason's previous work. The only caveat - be sure to give it more than one listen through, you'll find this is a grower.

[mp3] Fighter Girl
[mp3] Soldier Boy

Buy the album: Amazon | iTunes

Visit Mason online: Official | Myspace
Buy his music: Amazon | iTunes

Review: Old 97's - Blame It On Gravity

2008-06-02T12:08:00.001-06:00

I may not admit this often, but I grew up on country music. Garth Brooks rang through my pa's car stereo through my early life and I sang along with "Rodeo" so much that the damn song is still emblazoned in my skull. I could probably sing it right now. In fact, I know I could sing it right now.

What does Garth Brooks have to do with anything? Well, I suppose those early years of listening to twang combined with my later years listening to grunge pretty well explains my positive disposition towards the alternative-country genre. After all, alternative country at it's best should be taking the positive aspects of country music and combining it with the drive of rock 'n roll. Basically, you need to take the drawl out of the country vocals and dirty up your distortion pedals a bit more. Oh, and no songs about dogs or trucks - those are a no-go. If you look at it this way, no band does it better than the Old 97's.

Blame it on Gravity is the sixth proper album from the Old 97's, the first since 2004's Drag It Up. We find the boys returning to their roots and turning it up to 11 for most of the album. This is quite welcome after Drag It Up, an album which I can describe no better than as a "downer".

The album kicks off in a rockin' enough style with The Fool and Dance With Me. Both of these tracks move and groove, you'll likely find yourself shakin' your hips when Dance With Me comes on if they aren't already gyrating. After that 1-2 punch we see the boys turn it down a bit with No Baby I and My Two Feet. No Baby I delivers the album's namesake in the chorus with the lovely line:

"You've got these tears/that fall like pearls/blame it on gravity/blame it on bein' a girl".

The rest of the album alternates pretty well with "rockers" and slow songs. We see the boys combining the country, rock and surf elements on Early Morning for what is quite possibly the best mix of the genres theyi've ever pulled off. The song itself is a microcosm of the album and genius segway from the first to the second half. The One finishes out the proper album. Rather than finishing on a somber, acoustic number as most bands do, the boys chose to give us one last up-tempo rocker to remember them by.

The aspect that has surprised me the most about this album is the songs sung by Murray. I have generally found myself skipping most "Murray songs" on other Old 97's records - not because they aren't "good" songs, but more because of my love for Rhett's voice. I never have found a reason to listen through most of Murray's songs when I know I can hear Rhett's voice on the next track. This is far from the case on Blame it on Gravity though. This Beautiful Thing and Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue are not only some of the best "Murray songs" on any Old 97's album, they are two of the best tracks on this album - far and away better than nearly any song by Rhett.

We've finally found what the Old 97's are all about on this album. Alive and Wired captured them at their best - live - but for one reason or another none of their albums have been able to capture that ferocity in a studio setting. You can feel the raw energy throughout but the songs still feel as polished and lush as anything from Fight Songs. The songwriting is sensational and each track is a true keeper. No fillers here, folks.

There's no more need for a mix tape if you're trying to describe what alt-country is to a newcomer. Blame it On Gravity not only defines the Old 97's, it very well describes the entire genre. It's that good.

[mp3] Early Morning
[mp3] Dance With Me

Buy the album: Amazon | iTunes

Visit the Old 97's online: Official | Myspace
Buy their music: Amazon | iTunes

NEW Gus Black

2008-06-02T09:05:00.001-06:00

Gus Black recently released his latest album, Today Is Not the Day. It's quite a bit more folky than his previous releases but that shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to Gus - he's been going further down the folk path with each release.

I haven't listened through the full album yet, but a proper review will be up shortly. Here's a few songs to wet your appetite.

[mp3] Little Prince Town
[mp3] Blood & Belonging

Buy some Gus Black: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Gus: Official | Myspace

Review: Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

2008-05-31T19:07:00.006-06:00

A new album from Death Cab?! Sweet! I loved Transatlanticism with my whole heart.

Narrow Stairs is a good album. It falls flat once or twice, and I must admit that I prefer the truncated radio version of the first single, "I Will Possess Your Heart." If that makes me less of a DCFC fan, then so be it! This new album features some great lyrics by one of my personal favorite songwriters.

It's a good addition to Death Cab's already stellar catalog, and you should pick it up.

[mp3] You Can Do Better Than Me

Buy some Death Cab For Cutie: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Around the Blogosphere!

2008-05-27T21:00:00.001-06:00

I'm sure everyone out there had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend, right? Right??

It sucked it Utah. So much for that extended weekend - it rained me in. Picnic in the garage? Are you kidding me? Yup, I was there. Well, dammit - now it's sunny.

Anyways, I bring you 4 tracks that are hotter than liquid gold. Here's what the kids are talking about around the virtual water cooler:

Travis - J. Smith

Thanks to Heather for this one. I've never been much of a fan of Travis, especially since they hit it big with that Invisible Band record a few years ago. J. Smith sounds good to my ears though - a return to form. And by form, I mean rock. Travis was always better when they chose rocking over pouting.

[mp3] J. Smith

Buy some Travis: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Sloan - I'm Not a Kid Anymore

This one comes via Stereogum. I know this one's a bit old but it just made it's way onto my playlist. Once this gets on your playlist I doubt it will get off anytime soon - it's a bit like the plague. Like it or not, you'll be humming this song after one listen. New album out on June 10th.

[mp3] I'm Not a Kid Anymore

Buy some Sloan: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Ron Sexsmith - This Is How I Know

Another one from Heather and her fabulous blog. Love it.

Anyways, I first saw Ron when he opened for Coldplay back when they rocked. Not exactly what I was expecting from an opening act, but his folk-rock with pop sensibilities intrigued me and I've followed him to this day. He's got a new album coming out on July 8th, I'm sure it will be quite smashing.

[mp3] This is How I Know

Buy some Ron Sexsmith: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

The Hold Steady - Sequestered In Memphis

Thanks to iGIF for this one. I've never really gotten into The Hold Steady and I probably deserve a good slap in the face as a result. I figure that they know I haven't been listening, so this song serves it's purpose as a musical punch in the gut. Their new album is out on July 15th.

[mp3] Sequestered In Memphis

Buy some music from The Hold Steady: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Soundtrack Songs

2008-05-27T09:25:00.000-06:00

The soundtrack is quite possibly the most underrated part of a movie. Really though, what truly great movies have not had a similarly brilliant companion soundtrack? It's not just about picking the right music, it's about getting the right feeling to move the story along. Directors that can pair the sites with the sounds deliver a product that is truly moving. This week's six pack focuses on the often-overlooked soundtrack. Kraig goes first this week.

The Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up to Boston (The Departed)

Sure, that little intro sounds a little mushy and you certainly need a mushy song for a mushy movie. But what about if you've an ass-kicking movie? Well, then you need your self an ass-kicking song.

The Departed was a brilliant film, absolutely fantastic. The film deserved all the critical acclaim it received and more. Truth is, I probably wouldn't find myself re-watching it again and again if it wasn't for this monstrous tune by The Dropkick Murphys. It sets the tone early on for the entire movie. I can't stress how important that "tone" was, especially given the length of the movie. Is this song solely responsible for the success of the film? Hell no. Did it a play a part? Surely did.

[mp3] I'm Shipping Up to Boston

Get the soundtrack: Amazon | iTunes
Buy some Dropkick Murphys: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly (Once)

Now we'll get back to that touchy-feely crap. Once was an ambitious film that was more of a soundtrack turning into a film rather than a set of songs setting up a film. When a film focuses so much on music it's absolutely critical that the music is able to stand up on it's own. The soundtrack for Once is certainly able to do so.

Falling Slowly is the standout track in my mind. The duet version is very sweet and subtle. I've also posted the full band version from Glen's band, The Frames. I prefer the full band version just because it has a little more depth - there's more drama, more of a build...but both are fantastic.

[mp3] Falling Slowly (Glen & Marketa)
[mp3] Falling Slowly (The Frames)

Get the soundtrack: Amazon | iTunes
Buy some Glen Hansard: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Stu's
Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow (Crash, Wicker Park)

Flexibility is the middle name I have just now given to Stereophonics' wonderful track, "Maybe Tomorrow." Not only does it serve as a great opening credits song (a la Wicker Park) but it also functions as an excellent closeout number (in Crash). How many songs could ever hope to accomplish that? That's right, not many, thus my new nickname: Maybe 'Flexibility' Tomorrow. Think of it like the middle name 'Danger,' it actually makes sense that way. Anyway, it's an all around great track, and if you've never heard it you're probably missing out on 3 great things (2 movies, 1 song). Start with the listening and finish up with the viewing, that's my advice.

[mp3] Maybe Tomorrow

Get the soundtrack: [Crash] Amazon | iTunes [Wicker Park] Amazon | iTunes
Buy some Stereophonics: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Maroon 5 - Woman (Spiderman 2)

Not appearing in the film (at least not to my knowledge) but appearing on the soundtrack is this funky number from Maroon 5 entitled "Woman." And it is funky, don't let the appearance of the name "Maroon 5" sway your downloading judgment. Interesting sidenote: I wouldn't listen to Maroon 5 for a long time because I didn't think they were my "thing." I finally jumped on the bandwagon after hearing this number, and was pleasantly surprised with most of their stuff from Songs About Jane. I have since jumped off the bandwagon (as is the tendency with all bandwagons), but this remains my favorite Maroon 5 song.

[mp3] Woman

Get the soundtrack: Amazon | iTunes
Buy some Maroon 5: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Brock's
Pete Yorn - Undercover

Another song used on a Spider-man movie, this little ditty appeared on the soundtrack for the first one. The lyric in the chorus is "walk me to a car-park," a weird phrase Pete got from a woman he dated. She was from New Zealand, and refered to parking lots as car-parks. Okay story, great song.

[mp3] Undercover

Buy some Pete Yorn: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Dog's Eye View - Umbrella

No, not that "Umbrella."
I have been a fan of Peter Stuart and Dog's Eye View for a long time, in no small part due to this song, and its presence in the silly teen comedy Can't Hardly Wait.

[mp3] Umbrella

The sites: Official | Myspace
The sounds: iTunes | Amazon

Beck - Chemtrails

2008-05-23T15:00:00.004-06:00

Earlier this week Beck tossed us the first listen we'll have of his collaboration with Danger Mouse. It's streaming on his website and it's called Chemtrails.

I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to Beck since Sea Change. That album still strikes a chord with me, mainly because when I purchased it the cashier accused me of being Beck and purchasing my own album. Yup, I'm sure those rock stars often purchase their own albums - particularly the ones with their faces on it. It makes sense, right?

Back to the subject at hand - Chemtrails rocked my socks off. The drum track is so scorching hot that it melted my face into a puddle. Now I can't see. Damn. Hopefully the spelling and grammar errors aren't too abundant as a result.

The album will probably be out sometime soon, we'll let you know when there's an actual release date and title. My instincts tell me June 17th. Someone owes me a Klondike bar if I nailed it.

[mp3] Chemtrails

Buy some Beck: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Beck online: Official | Myspace

Review: Can't Love, Can't Hurt

2008-05-22T08:15:00.001-06:00

At some point along the way, someone must have decided that Augustana needed more piano. This probably was due, at least in part, to their successful single, "Boston," from All the Stars and Boulevards. Though "Boston" brought them some popular success, it was not the draw for me. I became a fan of their pop-rock sound from songs like "Bullets" and "Lonely People." Unfortunately, Can't Love, Can't Hurt, Augustana's latest release, is missing this sound. As I alluded to, the piano is a key (pun!) and prominent element on this record, much to the dismay (I imagine) of most Augustana fans.

"Hey Now" was an ominous start for me; it doesn't even halfway measure up to their demo of "Heart Shaped Gun (Hey Now)." I'm not huge into alt-country, but even I can tell "Heart Shaped Gun" is a vastly superior song (Kraig posted this demo some time ago, check it out). I can't emphasize enough that you should check out the "Heart Shaped Gun" demo, it may be better than anything you hear on the album. Song #2, "I Still Ain't Over You," is not the strongest lyrically (seriously Dan, "back and forth, and side to side/right ain't wrong if wrong ain't right," what were you thinking?), and sounds like a watered down track from All the Stars and Boulevards.

In the hole is the first single, "Sweet and Low," which, for lack of a better word, is tame. I liked it for the first few listens, but after a while the riff started to sound very monotonous and boring. "Twenty Years" sounds like a re-made "Boston" (or at least like a future-single that's going to be pushed as a 2nd "Boston"). It actually may be too slow in spots to be a pop single though (the listening public has a short attention span, this always must be taken into account). A couple filler tracks are stuffed right in the middle of the CD ("Meet You There" and "Fire"), with the latter being short, solo, and all piano. Perhaps I should be impressed with Dan Layus holding a note for a goodly amount of time, but it just didn't do it for me. I am a fan of the next song, "Either Way, I'll Break Your Heart Someday," for no reason in particular; it's some good alt-pop, I like it.

"Dust" has some of the most interesting elements and probably the most feeling to be heard on the album. It starts out sounding alt-country, but fades to rock as the song progresses. It's very good, I definitely recommend a listen. "Rest, Shame, Love" is downright mellow and almost doesn't fit with the rest of the album. The closeout number, "Where Love Went Wrong," is excellent. More piano (noticing a trend yet?), but this song is very well done; it may be my favorite song on the album.

[mp3] Either Way, I'll Break Your Heart Someday
[mp3] Dust
[mp3] Where Love Went Wrong

Overall, I just didn't hear the passion (or the rock) that I heard throughout All the Stars and Boulevards on this outing. It makes appearances in spots, but it just isn't sustained. I really wanted to like this album too. And the album does grow on you, but unfortunately not to the point that I think many are hoping for.

In Conclusion
-check out "Heart Shaped Gun"
-damn, why couldn't the album be 10 "Heart Shaped Guns"?
-loads of piano
-too much pop, not enough rock (or alt-country)

Visit them: Official | Myspace
Buy some: Amazon | iTunes

Mason Jennings - In The Ever out TOMORROW!

2008-05-19T19:25:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm not sure how, but I totally spaced my post on Friday. I'll Blame it on Gravity. What this means is ya'll get a double post today. Hooray! Seconds for everyone!

This is more of a friendly reminder than a post, but I wanted to make sure to get this across:

GO OUT AND BUY THE NEW MASON JENNINGS ALBUM TOMORROW!

It's fantastic.

Thank you.

[mp3] Fighter Girl

Here's the lead-off single from the new album...

[mp3] The Times, They are a Changin' (Bob Dylan Cover)

...and just for kicks. Who doesn't love a little Dylan?

Oh...and also, forgot to mention this. We'll be doing a splendid give-away featuring some Mason Jennings content in the very near future (i.e. this week). Stay tuned for more info.

Buy some Mason Jennings: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Artist to Watch: Joe Purdy

2008-05-19T17:30:00.001-06:00

I was searching my brain for something uber-fantastico to post on today and I ended up going through some of our old posts in the process. It seems I made a promise to give you guys some more Joe Purdy a few months ago and never came through.

My apologies, I'm not quite certain how Joe slipped through the cracks. He's solidified his place on my playlists but somehow I neglected to pass on the good word. Well, never fear - here's the promised post on Joe - enjoy!

In today's fast paced world the music industry has shown time and again that they simply can't keep up with the needs of a true artist. The old model is broken. It used to be that it took 2-3 years for an artist to write, record, produce and release an album. It made sense - the label needed to make sure each album was up to their standards, they needed plenty of time to send out pre-releases to critics, drum up some advertising and stroke the hype machine, plan the tour etc.

Now, in today's world, a band like Nine Inch Nails can release an album for free with no label, start their tour and create their own hype. Who needs a label now? What good will a label do an artist when they end up limiting output so as not to "over-saturate" the public. These are probably the thoughts that Joe Purdy had going through his head when he started making noise back in 2001.

Well, let's look at Joe now. In 7 years Joe has released 9 albums, toured around the country as part of the Hotel Cafe Tour while also having a number of his songs land in TV spots and commercials, all of which which has helped to turn him into one of the top selling artists on iTunes. All of this with no label, no constraints - just Joe calling the shots.

You might only hear about Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and The Raconteurs when people start talking about the "new model" for the music industry - and rightfully so. These are the big name bands that are using their influence to push the RIAA into a realm they don't even want to admit exists. The thing you have to remember is that Joe Purdy is the one who's living and breathing the new model. Very few artists have been able to combine the success Joe has garnered through his TV spots and his digital downloads all without the support of a label through any portion of his career. He is proving that, with the advent of the internet, an independent artist simply doesn't need a label anymore.

True, Joe hasn't quite "broken out" yet. If you drop Joe Purdy's name in casual conversation, overwhelming majority of the US population will still give you that "what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about?" face. The thing is, these same people will recognize some of Joe's work once they hear it - they probably just don't know the name attached to the voice. It's a shame really, the only thing Joe really needs to break out is to have Kia put his name at the end of their commercial.

That's not to say that Joe's TV spots haven't benefited him. Some people are still finding out who he is by themselves, but only the truly motivated will go to that trouble...and how many truly motivated people do you know? Yeah, that's what I thought.

As far as Joe's music goes, it's best described as "folk". He fits into that whole singer-songwriter vibe they have going on in the Hotel Cafe. Not surprisingly, he's toured on the Hotel Cafe Tour a few times. If you dig the WAZ I posted earlier, or if you're into Cary Brothers and his gang of soul-baring acoustic singer-songwriters, then Joe Purdy is right up your alley.

In fact, I'd be willing to bet that you already do love him - you just don't know it yet. Here's a copule of Joe's more famous TV spots. You've probably seen at least one of 'em. God knows that Kia commercial is still getting mad play.

Wash Away (Lost - Season 1)

Any "Lostie" will remember this moment.

Can't Get It Right Today (Kia Spectra Commercial)

...and here's the piano side of Joe.

Those are the two "big" moments that Joe Purdy has had on TV. He's had several songs (The City, Suitcase, I Love the Rain the Most, San Jose and the previously mentioned Can't Get It Right Today) featured on Grey's Anatomy throughout the past few years as well. He also had one song on featured on House M.D.

There's clearly talent here. If not, I'd doubt that ABC would keep knocking on his door. As far as his albums go, I'd highly recommend Julie Blue and Paris in the Morning. I've been listening through all of his albums over the past few months and those two stick out as his best. From front to back I have a tough time finding a song I'll skip from those two. I can't really pick one that I dislike though, so you can't go wrong with any of them.

I've spent a good deal of time today mulling over which tracks to post. Ultimately I decided to post a few that you probably haven't heard - so no Wash Away or Can't Get it Right Today. You can decide whether you like his "hits" based on the Youtube vids. My purpose is to dig a bit deeper to really motivate you to go out and snatch up his entire discography.

[mp3] Look At You Now

This one comes from Only Four Seasons, another one of Joe's fantastic outings. It's got a bit more of an edge to it than the folky side that you'll hear on the TV.

[mp3] Ode To Sad Clown

Ah, I've somehow managed to pick two songs from two albums that I didn't recommend. Oh, the irony. This one comes from You Can Tell Georgia. A little more bluesy and a little bit rock 'n roll.

Joe has a new album coming out soon (well, probably) called Last Clock on the Wall. Rumor also has it that he'll have another album out soon after that one called Burn Down Alaska. Hopefully these come our way soon - one can never have enough Joe Purdy. I'll keep my ear to the ground. As soon as I hear some rumblin' I'll let send it your way.

Buy some music by Joe Purdy: Amazon | iTunes

Visit Joe on the web: Official | Myspace

The Matches - A Band In Hope

2008-05-18T21:35:00.000-06:00

The sticker on the front of my copy of A Band In Hope, The Matches' new album, said "The Matches: A Band as Weird as You Are." Oh, gracious, but I do love the Matches. Shawn Harris has such a distinctive voice. It's powerful the way it seems constantly on the brink of collapse, and helps to cement the Matches as one of my favorite bands.

"AM Tilts" starts the new album, and it's a good return to the unique sound of the Matches. The vocals are spot-on, but the guitars feel somewhat reserved, making this a track that gets off the ground but doesn't really soar.

"Their City" feels like a better start to a Matches record; it's simply a great rock song. The guitars and drums are what I would describe as "unrelenting."

There are a couple quiet tracks, which is something we haven't really seen before on a Matches album: "Darkness Rising," an all piano song, and "Clouds Crash," an acoustic one. "Darkness Rising" isn't great; the melody really doesn't come across as well established. "Clouds Crash," on the other hand, is excellent. It's intense and moving.

A Band In Hope features some changes from previous Matches records, including more backing vocals than I'm used to from them, but the changes aren't at all unwelcome. It's a terrific album; and I'd be much obliged if you'd run out and buy it.

[mp3] The Matches - Their City

[mp3] The Matches - Clouds Crash

The sites: Official / Myspace

The sounds: iTunes / Amazon

Six Pack of the Week - Grab Bag

2008-05-15T09:00:00.003-06:00

We had originally intended to do a six pack featuring really good songs from bands that otherwise suck. But as it turns out, those kinds of songs are hard to come by. I guess it makes sense, and, really, why would we want to make you listen to sucky bands? Instead here are some good songs that have been on our minds of late. Brock goes first this time, and let's all welcome him back to the land of the Internet.

Ben's Brother - Stuttering (Kiss Me Again)

First off is a song I've been meaning to post for some time now. It's catchy stuff, and I can't help but sing along. I love the whole stuttering thing throughout the song. Check it out!

[mp3] Ben's Brother - Stuttering

The sites: Official | Myspace

The sounds: iTunes | Amazon

Ludo - Love Me Dead

The vocals on this one kind of remind me of Max from Say Anything; intense and urgent. The lyrical content is Say Anything-ish, as well. It's a bizarre mix of romantic and morbid, and it totally works.

[mp3] Ludo - Love Me Dead

The sites: Official | Myspace

The sounds: iTunes | Amazon

Kraig's Picks

The Damnwells - Kung Fu Grip Kiss

I've been stuck on Air Stereo recently. Maybe there's just something about the warm, sunny weather that makes me yearn for the album, or maybe it's just some damn fine music. I think I'll go with the latter, though I do tend to listen to this one whenever I'm adventuring in the great outdoors.

Kung Fu Grip Kiss has a rather silly name but don't be deceived, it's killer (not filler). If you enjoy some damn fine vocals, swelling horns and a catchy-as-hell hook (who DOESN'T??) then I recommend takin' a listen. This song will put a goofy smile on your face right when you hear those shiny horns take you halfway to funky town - guaransheed.

[mp3] The Damnwells - Kung Fu Grip Kiss

Visit them online: Official | Myspace
Buy their music: Amazon | iTunes

Arizona - Some Kind of Chill

Ah, yet another band that finds itself in rather favorable position on my virtual iTunes chart due to the changing of the seasons. I'd imagine that Some Kind of Chill will somehow make it's way onto a summer playlist of mine in my golden years. I'd hope so anyways.

Take a bit of folk and add some sunny back ground vocals with some smart instrumentation and you've got Arizona. I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't done so already.

[mp3] Arizona - Some Kind of Chill

Visit them online: Official | Myspace
Buy their music: Amazon | iTunes

Stu's Two

The Shins - Sea Legs

I keep wanting to call this song funky. I think it's because the bass line sets the tone, which usually results in a funky song. And yes, I absolutely loooove the bass. The other thing I enjoy about this song: it sounds nothing like what you'd expect from The Shins. You owe it to yourself to check this out, even if you're biased against these dudes.

[mp3] The Shins - Sea Legs

Visit The Shins online: Official | Myspace
Buy some: Amazon | iTunes

Counting Crows - Anna Begins

I listened to Anna Begins many, many times before I finally developed an appreciation for it. The first couple listens left me feeling generally...uneasy. Still, I gave it a listen every once in a while until one day it finally clicked. It really is an excellent blend of beat, instruments, and vocals to create a precise mood. I now love the repeating, "I am not worried, I am not overly concerned;" so basic, yet so effective. It's an oldie (from August and Everything After), but always worth a listen.

[mp3] Counting Crows - Anna Begins

Visit Counting Crows online: Official | Myspace
Buy some: Amazon | iTunes

Joseph Arthur - Bag is HOT

2008-05-12T19:30:00.001-06:00

It appears that Mr. Arthur is following in the footsteps of Ryan Adams these days. Earlier this year he stated that he'd be releasing 4 EPs and a full length LP all by the time fall hits us. He's held up to that statement so far, but now he's taken it a step further with Bag is HOT. Check it out here.

Basically, he's taking the same approach Ryan has in the past by recording and releasing everything he ever does for the listening pleasure (and pain) of the fans. Now I should clarify this by saying that Jo's material here is significantly better than Ryan's rap or death metal fake-bands, but I get a little leery whenever an artist is releasing SO much material without any real editing taking place. There's reasons to have b-sides and unreleased tracks and it's usually because they aren't very good. Here's what the man himself has to say on his new project:

“’Bag is hot’…like fresh popcorn for all the kids to grab,” says Joseph. “Digital hands eating the digital popcorn. This project is fun and doesn’t have to be precious, but it’s hard not to take it seriously and really work on it. It’s not, ‘Bag is getting a little lukewarm - Bag is hot! It’s gonna be slang soon!”

Lonely Astronaut Records could be releasing the first installment of ‘Bag Is Hot’ sometime before 2009.

Now, after listening to some of these tracks I'll say that Joseph has some quality work here. It's a bit aggravating sifting through everything on the tumblr since most of it is random pictures, but once you've found a song you'll usually be rewarded for your patience. Here's all the songs (and dates they were posted to make it a bit easier to find) I've been able to locate:

"Straw Dogs" (5/11/08)
"One By One" (5/9/08)
“I’m In Your Life” (5/8/08)
“Fading” (5/5/08)
“Still Life Honey Rose” (5/4/08)
“Burning Wheel” (5/1/08)
“Father’s Eyes” (4/29/08)
“So Far Away” (4/27/08)
“If Yer Afraid” (4/24/08)
“My Eyes Follow You” (4/23/08)
“Blast Off” (4/22/08)
“Dark Forces” (4/21/08)
“Lovely Cost” (4/21/08)

I recommend subscribing to the RSS stream, it makes it a LOT easier to navigate through all the posts since most of the non-music posts are titled as such. Not that the photos aren't interesting and all, but it can take a while to get through it all if you just want to hear some music.

Oh yeah, and he's on tour. If he's coming near you it's an absolute-must-attend concert:

JOSEPH ARTHUR TOUR DATES (solo / acoustic unless otherwise noted)
June 11 Newcastle, UK - Cluny
June 12 Nottingham, UK - Maze
June 15 Manchester, UK - Night & Day
June 16 Glasgow, UK - King Tuts
June 17 Birmingham, UK - Glee Club
June 19 London, UK - Union Chapel
July 4 Montreal, QC - Club Soda
July 9 Boston, MA - Paradise
July 10 Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live
July 11 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom (JA & the Lonely Astronauts)
July 12 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell’s (solo)
July 15 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
July 18 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
July 21 Portland, OR - Doug Fir
July 22 Seattle, WA - Triple Door
July 24 Vancouver, BC - The Media Club
July 26 Guelph, ON - Hillside Festival

Sadly, he's not coming anywhere near me. I can't really blame him since the last two times he came to Salt Lake only me, Stu and 10 other people showed up. Damn Utahns.

Anyways, here's a few MP3s from this whole Bag is Hot adventure. I'm really diggin' Straw Dogs right now, but the songs range from the "acoustic style" JA to the "spacey style" JA. There should be something here for everyone.

[mp3] Straw Dogs
[mp3] I'm In Your Life

Buy some Joseph Arthur: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace | Tumblr (Bag is Hot)

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T22:00:00.001-06:00

So, my idea was to toss up some songs about Mom (since it's Mother's Day here in the U.S. and all). However, it turns out that there aren't a whole a lot of songs about Mothers. It's amazing, there are likely thousands of "yo mama" jokes, but seemingly only a handful of good Mama songs. For shame peoples of the world, for shame! Here's a couple of tunes that are kind of about Mom:

Your Mother Should Know - The Beatles

Gotta love this song from the Magical Mystery Tour. Actually, gotta love the whole Magical Mystery Tour album in general. If you decide to listen to this song with Mom, don't point out that "she was born a long, long time ago;" bad idea, doubly-so on Mother's Day.

[mp3] The Beatles - Your Mother Should Know

Buy some Beatles: Amazon
Visit the sites: Official

Wouldn't Mama Be Proud - Elliott Smith

I may be completely wrong on this one (I tend to do that sometimes) but I've always thought this was a self-deprecating and sarcastic "wouldn't mama be proud." You know, like when you do something stupid and say to yourself, "sheesh, I'm glad mom's not here to see that!" Mom's a great teacher, follow her sage advice and remember to appreciate her the other 364 days of the year too.

[mp3] Elliott Smith - Wouldn't Mama Be Proud

Buy some Elliott Smith: Amazon | iTunes
Visit the sites: Official | Myspace

The Flobots - Handlebars

2008-05-10T07:55:00.007-06:00

Some things you should know about this song: 1. It's hip-hop. 2. It's actually a few years old, but recently radio has picked it up and it has exploded. 3. You're going to like it.

This song has been picked up by the alternative stations here in Salt Lake, and the response has been huge. It's meaningful hip-hop with horns and violins viola (thanks, ellie :)), and the way it starts out kind of innocent and then builds to a thundering crescendo literally gives me chills.

[mp3] Flobots - Handlebars

The sites: Official Myspace
The sounds: iTunes Amazon

Blame it on Gravity

2008-05-09T16:20:00.002-06:00

....it's out on Tuesday (May 13th). I must say, this may be the album I've been anticipating the most this spring. I posted up the first single, Dance With Me, a little while ago and I've posted it again below.

I found this when looking for some info about the album. There's some great live cuts of various tracks:

Mark your calendars, I'll be rushing to the store to pick this up on Tuesday!

[mp3] Dance With Me

Buy some Old 97's: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Covers (Vol. II)

2008-05-08T16:50:00.003-06:00

Ah, it's covers. I love covers. I'm not sure why I have such a fascination with one band playing another's music, but it always has (and always will) intrigue me. Sometimes they bring something new to the song or emphasize it in a way you never thought of it. Sometimes it's just really, really shitty. We'll try to avoid those ones. To start things off, I (Kraig) will take you out to Africa for my selections.

Mysterious Ways - Angelique Kidjo (originally by U2)

Both of the tracks I'm posting come from the album In the Name of Love, which is more or less a tribute to U2. All of the tracks on the album are U2 songs performed by African bands/artists. As you can imagine, these often take off in directions you wouldn't normally find in your "typical" cover.

I'm not going to pretend to be all knowing when it comes to the music you'll find on the album, but I recommend picking it up if you're into covers and/or if you're into U2. You'll certainly dig it if you listen to a bit of "world" music (whatever that means today).

Anyways, this first track caught my ear and got my interest in the album. You'll recognize it as a cover, but it takes off with some different beats and splits out of English during the verses.

[mp3] Mysterious Ways

Buy her music online: Amazon | iTunes
Visit her online: Official | Myspace

Pride (In the Name of Love) - Soweto Gospel Choir (originally by U2)

...and here we have another take on a U2 classic. Not much in the instrumental department, but it probably delivers the message at the heart of the song better than Bono could with his mates.

[mp3] Pride (In the Name of Love)

Buy some of their music online: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Hard Sun - Eddie Vedder (Originally by Indio)

I'm sure you all heard this blaring through sunroofs and fancy cars with tops down last summer/fall. It's still a regular on my playlists. I highly recommend listening to this one in headphones if you haven't yet.

[mp3] Hard Sun

Buy some Pearl Jam online: Amazon | iTunes
Visit PJ/Eddie online: Official | Myspace

Back to the album - I recommend picking it up if for nothing else than to expose yourself to some music you wouldn't normally listen to. Since it's a cover album it's a bit easier to step into the "world" music genre because you'll already know the songs. Check it out here on Amazon, visit the official page (with streams) here.

Stu's:

Africa - Howie Day (Toto cover)(Live)

Speaking of Africa...Howie Day does a pretty awesome cover of Africa. This version is from his 4-21-01 show, and you should probably go pick up the whole show for FREE from archive.org. You can't argue with free!

[mp3] Howie Day - Africa

All Along the Watchtower - Howie Day (Bob Dylan cover)(Live)

Back in the days before Stop All The World Now, it used to be a pretty popular thing to go to Howie Day shows and yell, "FORTY-ONE!!!" at him. I'm not sure why, I've heard his cover of #41 (originally by the Dave Matthews Band) and it never really jumped out at me. At least it didn't jump out at me like this cover of a cover (supposedly Howie covers this like DMB covers it, therefore cover-of-a-cover). Truth be told, this is the first Howie Day song I ever heard. It's an interesting first song to hear, mostly because you aren't expecting the raw emotion and passion (or the excellent screaming). This one's from his 7-20-9 9 show, which is also free at archive.org.

[mp3] Howie Day - All Along the Watchtower

Buy some Howie Day: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace | theHDTB

Splendid Isolation - Pete Yorn (Warren Zevon cover)

This cover comes straight from Petey's most recent album, Nightcrawler. Originally by Warren Zevon, Pete's take on Splendid Isolation is very well done (I'm a fan of the harmonica work myself). Incidentally, splendid isolation is also a foreign policy pursued by Britain during the late 19th century. So ya, now you know that.

[mp3] Pete Yorn - Splendid Isolation

Buy some Pete Yorn: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

No picks from Brock this week kiddies, he's internet-less right now (hence the lack of Brockness lately). Hopefully he'll get that resolved soon. We're missing a certain dash of Lurp 'round these parts...

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

2008-05-05T15:15:00.000-06:00

As you may recall, Nine Inch Nails released a little ditty called Discipline for free via their website a few weeks ago. The comments tag of that track told us to come back on May 5th. Well, it's Cinco de Mayo and I've come back to Trent - this time to find a whole album for my listening pleasure.

The album is called The Slip and it's available for free in a multitude of formats. More info on the formats and download info here. Here's a few tracks so you can see what's coming:

[mp3] Discipline
[mp3] 1,000,000

Buy some Nine Inch Nails: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Mason Jennings - Fighter Girl

2008-05-02T10:08:00.004-06:00

I know that I have a "thing" for criticizing bands for going the "yeah yeah yeah", "hey" and "la la la" route, but I gotta give Mason a free pass on this one. He may have a pre-chorus of solid "yeahs" on Fighter Girl (his first single for the upcoming album) but it's a catchy song and it's been stuck on repeat throughout this dreadful finals week.

If you haven't already downloaded this track, do yourself a favor and listen to it already. It's the perfect soundtrack for some springtime frolf (or whatever it is you do in the spring).

Mason's next album (In the Ever) comes out on May 20th. You probably deserve a good punch in the face if you aren't considering purchasing it. Everyone needs a little Mason!

[mp3] Fighter Girl

Buy some Mason Jennings: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - City Central

2008-04-30T20:22:00.001-06:00

So I'm sure everyone can think of some song by their favorite band that's about (or just named after) a city. Yeah, there sure are a lot of them. I like to think they're written for some reason other than to get a loud "Whooo" (or "woot" if you prefer) when they play them for said city, but I think I'm just lying to myself. It's sad really, lying to yourself. Anyway, this week's six pack is songs about cities. Stu's going first this time, let's see how long it takes me to screw this up:

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago

This song will one day go in my series of "listen-to-this-song-if-someone-recommends-this-artist's-music-to -you-and-doesn't-tell-you-what-to-listen-to." And I may have to consider a name change for said series. People always say to me, "hey, hot stuff, you should listen to such-and-such band/singer," but they never tell me what to listen to! This is usually somewhat infuriating. This was once again the case with Sufjan. Finally, after sifting through half a billion chirpy-bird songs, I found Chicago. I think it's a good Intro to Sufjan song.

I've been trying to think of the right descriptor word to explain his music, and I think I'm going to go with complex. He adds in a lot of different elements and it seems like you need to start by listening to some of his more "basic" songs before you can appreciate the rest of 'em. And now, crap, I'm going to screw up this six-pack at the very start by making it a 7-pack! Jacksonville is too good (and also too named after a city) to be left out of this one. So this is a two-fer.

[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - Jacksonville

Buy some Sufjan (pronounced Soof-Yawn): Amazon | iTunes
Visit his sites: Official | Myspace

The Stills - Of Montreal

If your first instinct was to ask, "are these guys Canadian?" then you, sir or madam, would be good at a little game I like to call, umm, Name Their Heritage. 100 points to you, Huzzah! If that was not your first instinct, shame on you, it's right in the title and everything! Try to try a little harder next time, will you?

Seriously though, if you've never heard of The Stills then you should at least hear of them long enough to listen to their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart; if you don't like them after that, then perhaps rock music just isn't for you! Ha, I jest of course, but it is definitely an album I'm glad I have, and when it gets to that point you've pretty much got to recommend it to whomever crosses your path. Take Of Montreal as an example: I never would've thought that I'd be hyping a song where a dude sings about what's turning him on, but there ya go, I just did. Crazy talk!

[mp3] The Stills - Of Montreal

Buy some music by The Stills: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Kraig's Picks:

Collective Soul - Over Tokyo

I'm bringin' this baby out of the states and into the Far East! This is by far the best track (and probably the only track worth mentioning) from Blender. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's actually a reworking of a much older song that Ed did on his solo album? Yeah, probably. I've included the totally 80's version from Ed' solo album, Ed E Roland, just for kicks.

PS: Anyone have a copy of Ed E Roland? I only have this track and I'm wondering if it's worth picking up...

[mp3] Collective Soul - Over Tokyo
[mp3] Ed E Roland - Over Tokyo

Buy some Collective Soul: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them Online: Official | Myspace

Ryan Adams - New York, New York (live)

I know this makes me a square, but I had never heard of Ryan Adams until New York, New York smacked me upside the head. Ryan is one of my favorite artists so this song has a special place in my heart since it was my introduction to Mr. Adams. This version is from the Loft Sessions and it's a completely different beast than the original - much more bluesy.

[mp3] Ryan Adams - New York, New York (live)

Buy some Ryan Adams: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Brock's Picks

As I was searching through my music collection, I realized we could very easily do a "Songs About New York and Los Angeles" six-pack. In all actuality, we could just as easily do a "Songs About Los Angeles by Counting Crows" six-pack. That being said, the following songs are not about Los Angeles...

The Stereo - Have I Paid My Debt to Minneapolis?

Okay, you're right, this song does mention Los Angeles. But it's not really about LA! The Stereo is a cool little pop-rock band that sort of paved the way for the pop-punk bands on the Fueled by Ramen label. So, depending on your view of that whole musical movement, sorry...? But this song is an excellent example of the clever lyrics and catchy songwriting typical of The Stereo.

[mp3] The Stereo - Have I Paid My Debt to Minneapolis?

The Site: Label(old) | Wikipedia
The Sounds: iTunes | Amazon

Beirut - Nantes

When Stu first posted about Beirut, I braced myself for some sissy-la-la Frenchy music. I was sorely mistaken, my friends. There is simply nothing sissy or la-la about it, just good times folk-pop music. Hopefully you've already checked out the music video, and if you haven't purchased The Flying Club Cup you should do yourself a favor and purchase it. (By the way, Nantes is a city in France.)

[mp3] Beirut - Nantes

The sites: Official | Myspace

The sounds: iTunes | Amazon

Coldplay - Violet Hill

2008-04-29T11:15:00.003-06:00

Coldplay released their new single, Violet Hill as a free MP3 over on their site today. You should probably check it out.

I haven't quite decided if I like it or not after a few listens, but it's certainly different than their last few singles (Speed of Sound, Clocks etc.). I know Stu will be firing back in seconds about how Coldplay is music for bed-wetters, but this song seems to have less of a bed-wetting vibe to it. Definitely more rock.

The new album (with a terribly long name that I'm refusing to type) is out on 6/17. Oh, and yes, that picture up there is the album art. I know, I know. But the music will be good, right? I think so.

Get the new single here (only free for a week).
Buy some Coldplay online: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

A little more Howie Day...

2008-04-25T10:24:00.001-06:00

I like how I posted earlier this week about Nine Inch Nails and now I'm giving you some Howie Day. It's good, I dig - it should keep all of y'all on your toes. That's right, I just said y'all. Or is it ya'll? Hmmm....food for thought there. How does one spell y'all? It's not giving me the red squiggles for that spelling so I'm stickin' to it. Now, back to the post:

I've gotten my dirty little hands on a few more demos from Howie's forthcoming release - hooray for me! As you may remember, I'm a bit hesitant about any new recordings from Howie in the post-Australia era but these two songs seem to bring things a bit closer to the Howie Day I know and love. They're certainly a step up from the song I posted previously, "Everyone Loves to Love a Lie".

The first is called "Be There". I'm not sure how much of an improvement this is from some of the work Howie has done recently - it just reminds me of Collide a bit too much. I get the feeling that he's reaching for another hit with this one. He may have it, the hook is catchy and the song moves along in a poppy enough fashion. That's what the kids like these days, right? It could probably slide right into any episode of Grey's Anatomy without a problem. I wouldn't say that's a good thing but I suppose it is for Howie...

[mp3] Be There

The second is called Sound the Alarm. I've got to admit, I'm a little excited about this track - it's got the old school Howie vibe to it. The guitar work has quite a bit more edge to it when compared to basically everything on Stop All the World Now which I think is necessary for Howie if he wants to bring things back to his roots. A nice buildup towards the end too.

[mp3] Sound the Alarm

All in all it's a step in the right direction. No news on a release date yet but these sound pretty polished - especially "Sound the Alarm". Hopefully that means it's getting close? We'll see. He's on tour now (and using the pedals again) so check him out if he's coming close to your town, you won't regret it.

Buy some Howie Day: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

The Zutons - You Can Do Anything (6/2/08)

2008-04-24T18:53:00.010-06:00

All ya'll that are excited for the Zutons new album (like moi) will be even more excited to hear that it's due on June 2. It's called You Can Do Anything, and should be downright incredible if the single, Always Right Behind You, is any indication.

Speaking of the single, I must say it's catchy as the dickens! Stong words, I know, but it's true. This one features some excellent saxomophoning, very nice drumming, and rockin' guitar work and singing; in other words, nothing less than what you'd expect from The Zutons!

I always end up telling stories about when and where we first saw a band, and this time will be no exception. The first time we saw (and heard of) The Zutons they were opening up for Gomez, and on tour for their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons? Let's just say we were satisfied we'd gotten our money's worth before Gomez had even come on.

Update 5/16: File removed. Sorry kiddies.

[mp3] Always Right Behind You

Pre-order the CD Single: Columbia

Buy more music by The Zutons: Amazon | iTunes
Visit the sites: Official | Myspace

Nine Inch Nails - Discipline

2008-04-23T09:38:00.001-06:00

I thought I heard a new NIN song on the radio yesterday but I figured I'd just forgotten a single they released during the With Teeth era. Nope, I rolled out of bed today and found that not only did Trent & Co. release a new single to the radio yesterday (called "Discipline") but they also threw it up for free download on their website at around midnight. Sweet.

The track fits perfectly on With Teeth (which is probably why I thought it was a single I'd forgotten about) which can either be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view. It certainly rocks more than the Ghosts albums (yes, there's vocals this time). I dig it, definitely worth a listen. Plus, it's free so whaddya got to lose?

Click here to proceed to the download page.

Buy some NIN: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Some NEW Longview...

2008-04-21T10:23:00.002-06:00

I'd hope that most of you know Longview, but in case you don't you should probably check out their Myspace page and take a listen to Further. Their first album, Mercury is a necessity in any collection. The combination of shoegaze textures and alt-pop hooks should please the "indie" crowd and the more mainstream folk as well. Check it out on Amazon, it can usually be had for a pretty modest price (looks like it's just a penny right now!).

The band has been pretty quiet the last few years, especially in the US. Since they're from the UK I can't say that I'm surprised about the lack of US-centric news, but I can always hope. British bands always seem to sneak their way into my playlists more than US bands, which is rather saddening since I rarely get to see them live. Ah well, such is life.

Anyways, they have recently thrown up a few demos on their Myspace page and on their official website. I've posted a few here (my favorites of the batch) but head over to their site(s) for the rest.

[mp3] Waste Tonight
[mp3] Why?

Waste Tonight is the only one of the five cuts that still feels like Mercury - a little more of hook to it then the rest of the cuts. Why has a swirling buildup at the end that you've just GOT to hear.

In general, they seem to be moving more towards shoegaze and further away from the alt-pop that was everywhere to be heard on Mercury. I'm not sure how I feel about the change, but I can't say I didn't expect it.

Buy some music from Longview: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Jimmy Eat World @ McKay Events Center, Orem (4/14/08)

2008-04-20T15:15:00.000-06:00

Yeah, so it turns out one of us should probably invest in a decent camera since we've gone to a couple shows in a row and came out with no pictures, sorry!

Also, this show review comes pre-packaged with a crazy story, enjoy!: Ok, so to get from my town to the area where we see most of our concerts, one must drive over some mountains (takes about 30 minutes) then drive an additional hour and 20 minutes over fairly flat terrain. Me and a friend hopped into my rickety old car and began our journey. We had just made it over the mountains when my car started making what I can only describe as a "death rattle." We pulled over and had a look, and the fly wheel (which is apparently what they call the top wheel that runs your belts) looked like it was trying to escape. Since neither of us wanted a fly wheel to the forehead, and in order not to risk getting stuck even farther away from home, we made the distress call to our parents. Lame, I know. Turns out we aren't hardcore, and also can't fix cars. Longish story short, after having our manhood's revoked, we were back on our way to the concert an hour or so later in my friend's car.

The very unfortunate part of this story (besides the untold amount of money my car is going to cost to fix) is that this 1+ hour delay caused us to miss Dear and the Headlights entire set! Sad times were had by us. Luckily (some might say, I wouldn't) we were able to see almost all of Paramore's set.

In case you didn't catch that, I'm not really a Paramore fan. I think they may be just a bit too punk for me. I will say that their lead vocalist, Hayley Williams, brought a lot of energy and had pretty good stage presence. The rest of the band just seemed to be...there, for the most part. They played their parts, did their choreographed rock-out moves, but really didn't bring much else.

Jimmy Eat World came out with energy, feeling, and passion, and played a pretty awesome set. They opened with Big Casino, closed the encore with The Middle, and played a very good mix of songs in between. I expected to get a heavy dose of their newest album, Chase This Light, but was delightfully surprised to hear many of their older gems. They played 3 from Clarity (Crush, Blister, Your New Aesthetic), a surprising 1 from Static Prevails (Thinking That's All), and about 5 each from Chase This Light (Big Casino, Always Be, Dizzy, Here It Goes, Let It Happen), Bleed American (Bleed American, Sweetness, A Praise Chorus, The Middle, Hear You Me), and Futures (Kill, Futures, Just Tonight..., Work, Pain). Highlights for me were Hear You Me, the first song played in the encore, which sounded really beautiful and heartfelt, and Crush, one of my favorite Jimmy songs. Take a listen to the cd versions:

[mp3] Jimmy Eat World - Crush
[mp3] Jimmy Eat World - Hear You Me

Don't expect this every time, but I've just decided to do a full review on this one! "What the hell does that mean?" you ask? Well, that means I shall even give my critique of the sound and lighting (crazy, I know). Unfortunately, I gotta give the soundboard dude a thumbs down. It seemed like the strategy was: the best way to balance the instruments is to turn them all up to 11. This made for a very loud Jimmy set, but I thought it hurt Paramore the most: almost all their songs sounded the same. And no, that's not a veiled shot at Paramore and/or punk, I've heard their stuff before and know that not all their songs sound the same. I know it's gotta be hard to get the sound right in an arena/stadium, but I expected better.

The lighting guy (not to be confused with the lightning guy) did a pretty great job. I almost want to say that the fact that I noticed the lighting at all must mean that the guy is doing something right, but it was definitely more than that. In some songs (notably Bleed American) the lights switched with the chord changes, which was very pleasing to the eye. Hear You Me featured heavenly lighting and spotlights, which worked incredibly well. It seemed like he went a little crazy with strobe lights during a couple songs, but all in all it was a pretty solid effort. Oh, and for those of you who like to play Jimmy Eat World trivia, lead singer Jim Adkins remarked during the show that the lighting guy used to live in Salt Lake City. That bit of knowledge would probably be somewhat more useful if I could remember his name...

Buy some Jimmy Eat World: Amazon | iTunes
Visit the sites: Official | Myspace

PlayRadioPlay! - Texas

2008-04-19T02:58:00.003-06:00

PlayRadioPlay!'s sound falls somewhere between Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service. That... that doesn't actually sound like much space, but when you hear it, you'll get it.

Comparisons to hellogoodbye would also be appropriate; though the songs are written about (and probably during) high school, they don't really feel immature or inaccessible. Even a song like "My Attendance is Bad, My Intentions Are Good" overcomes the high school theme. Dan Hunter, the mind behind PlayRadioPlay!, is 18 years old with a talent far beyond his years.

The lyrics are fairly simple, but totally work for the genre ("emotronic" okay with everyone? Good). Definitely check this one out!

[mp3] PlayRadioPlay! - Madi Don't Leave
[mp3]PlayRadioPlay! - I'm a Pirate, You're a Princess

The sites: Official | Myspace
The sounds: iTunes | Amazon

Weekend Playlist

2008-04-18T16:40:00.005-06:00

It's been a long week - now it's time for rockin'! These tunes helped me survive the week, hopefully they'll make your weekend brighter:

[mp3] Joseph Arthur - I Wanna Get You Alone
-from his latest (of many this year) EP, Crazy Rain
[mp3] Mason Jennings - Fighter Girl
-from his upcoming album, In the Ever (5/20)
[mp3] Tokyo Police Club - Juno
[mp3] Islands - Creeper
-from the upcoming album, Arm's Way (5/20)
[mp3] Waz - Mine to Remember
[mp3] My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges (via their website)
-from their upcoming album of the same name (6/10). The link will re-direct you to their site for the d/l.
[mp3] Gavin Rossdale - Love Remains the Same
-Guilty pleasure? Probably. It's not as bad as Institute though. That was ugly. Pug fugly, even. His solo debut (Wanderlust) is out 6/3
[mp3] Annuals - Sore
[mp3] Overview - Scorpian Woman
[mp3] The Dodos - Fools

Buy some tunes: Joseph Arthur | Mason Jennings | Tokyo Police Club
| Islands | WAZ | My Morning Jacket | Gavin Rossdale | Annuals |
Overview | The Dodos

Visit them online: Joseph Arthur | Mason Jennings | Tokyo Police Club | Islands | WAZ | My Morning Jacket | Gavin Rossdale | Annuals | Overview | The Dodos

Overview

2008-04-18T12:30:00.001-06:00

Some of you may have already heard of the band I'm writing about today - Overview. They made a big splash in the indie scene last year with a number of extremely favorable reviews of their EP, Forty-Four Stone Tigers. It appears that they're back to writing some more songs, hopefully we'll have some more output from these guys again this year.

In case you missed the boat (as I did) last year, here's what you missed:

[mp3] Scorpian Woman
[mp3] Forty-Four Stone Tigers

Now, don't think that you've heard it all after hearing these two songs. While the EP is only 7 songs, it's best described as a roller coaster. The keys come in full force on Melancholy in the City and they've saved up some sweet hand-clapping action for the latter half of the album.

You'll get to hear them veer towards pop, punk, progressive rock and indie rock but somehow it all fits together - it all sounds like the same band. Do yourself a favor and pick up the EP already!

Buy it online: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Overview: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Rainy Day Tunes

2008-04-17T09:45:00.000-06:00

The month of April and rain are nearly synonymous in the north-western hemisphere of the world. Since that's where I live those are the lamentations you shall hear today.

It rained (and snowed) today in the little place I call home and I'm sure it will keep on raining through the end of the month. And then stop. Forever. Because I live in a desert.

We've got some tunes to get your drenched and dreary soul through the day. First off, my (Kraig) picks:

The Beatles - Rain

Oh, The Beatles. They're either the greatest thing since sliced bread or the most over-hyped band that's ever graced the planet depending on your stance. Regardless of whether you like them or not, most people seem to agree on the overwhelming influence The Beatles have had on popular music over the past 40 years. "Rain" is a shining example of why they were such a revolutionary band.

The song features the best drum fills Ringo has made this side of Abbey Road, some of the sweetest tone to be heard at the time on the bass, a collection of the first real "psychedelic" lyrics John brought our way - not to mention the fact that we're hearing the first implementation of a backwards track when John's vocals reverse right before it starts to fade out. Really, The Beatles don't get much better than this. And it's a b-side?? Seriously - there's very few tracks I hold in this high of a regard and it's not even an a-side single. Crazy. Oh, and it's about rain (well, probably) if you didn't guess.

[mp3] The Beatles - Rain

Buy some music from The Beatles: Amazon

Pearl Jam - Wash

This song has more to do with "washing away" then rain, but there's a heavy dose of precipitation imagery involved throughout. When I hear this I can always see Eddie screaming to the skies to open themselves up as the song closes out - a lot of passion there. I was a bit surprised that they were able to retain the original grit when this was re-recorded for Lost Dogs a few years ago. I've posted the most recent version, but the original is quite epic as well.

The most important thing here is that I get to hype my two favorite bands in the same post for songs they aren't well known for. How often does that happen?

[mp3] Pearl Jam - Wash

Buy some Pearl Jam: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Stu's:

Collective Soul - She Gathers Rain

I once asked Kraig if this song was about a fat chick. It makes sense, doesn't it? If she's gathering rain, she must be a pretty big girl. Pretty self-explanatory to me, but I think it came at Kraig completely out of left field.

I was never very fond of this song until I had the privilege to hear it live. A couple years ago CSoul came to Boise, Idaho, and played at the Idaho State Fair (of all places!), and we (Kraig, Brock, myself, and some friends) decided this was too good an opportunity to pass up. We all squeezed in a tiny car and drove the 4-5 hour trip up to Boise. The song wasn't any different at the show, but for some reason the hook just sounded soooo good live. Now She Gathers Rain is one of the songs I think of when I think Collective Soul. Oh, and it also has the rain theme we're featuring this week. Ya, nice.

[mp3] Collective Soul - She Gathers Rain

Buy some Collective Soul: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Adam Elk - It's Raining In Here

I don't really feel qualified to talk about Adam Elk (as I know incredibly little about him, besides that he's an ex-member of the Mommyheads), but I knew I had to include this track in our rainy day list. Elk brings the funk and, wow, is it good. That's some good funk right there. A couple years ago I wasn't a fan of the funk, but I credit many of the tracks on Labello to bringing me over to the funk side.

[mp3] Adam Elk - It's Raining In Here

Buy some Adam Elk: Amazon | iTunes

Brock's Songs

The Apples in Stereo - The Rainbow

This is a song that's ostensibly about rain, but in a happy way! The Apples in Stereo can't really help but make you happy, with such a excellent mix of quasi-psychadelic, 60's-style sugary sweet pop. Check it out!

[mp3] The Apples in Stereo - The Rainbow

The sites: Official | Myspace

The sounds: iTunes | Amazon

The Jayhawks - Save It For a Rainy Day

If you don't own the album Rainy Day Music by the Jayhawks, you're missing out on a modern masterpiece. It's fantastic alt.country that evokes early Beatles and has some of the greatest vocal harmonies around. The Jayhawks are currently on hiatus, which fills me with some rain-soaked sadness.

[mp3] The Jayhawks - Save It For a Rainy Day

The sites: Fansite

The sounds: iTunes

Waz

2008-04-14T10:59:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I get a little bothered by the total isolation that life in Utah can bring. The music scene is pretty dull in the town I live in, campus life revolves more around Sunday mornings than Saturday nights and the complete and utter domination of conservative values is a little too much to handle at times.

It's times like these that I'm quite happy that I can at least drive down to Salt Lake every once and again and see a kick ass show and forget about Simpleton, USA for a few hours. While I know that Salt Lake may not be the "real world", it's at least a step up for me.

Back to the point at hand - Stu and I were able to see the Hotel Cafe Tour in Salt Lake a few weeks ago and ever since then I've been a bit depressed about the music scene in my neck 'o the woods. There's not a whole lot of talent to be had here, despite being in a "college town" and most people here seem more interested in knocking everyone else around rather than just playing good music. It's a pity, really - and one that exposed itself in my mind while watching the artists on the Hotel Cafe Tour. All of the artists that played were immensely talented and could have drawn a crowd on their own, but they chose to tour together instead. Ticket prices could have been higher but they seemed to be more concerned about helping each other out and bringing everyone's name to the masses, rather then just their own.

After the show I spent some time looking into other artists who've found a starting point at the Hotel Cafe. Waz is one of the singer-songwriters that I've found myself listening to most as a result of this little search.

Waz original hit the spotlight quite a while ago as the original guitarist for Pete Yorn's band back in the early 2000's. After a few days of listening to Waz's music I can certainly feel Pete's influence on him. The songwriting is great, though I can't say that the vocal presence is on Pete's level. It's a bit more poppy than most of the songs Pete puts out, and there's more keys (which I dig) but it has the same kind of feel. Waz can write a hell of a bridge too, the two songs at the end of the post both take dramatic (and well done) turns at the end of the song. Bottom line - if you like Pete Yorn, you'll probably like Waz.

It seems that after Waz has started seeing some success of his own. His full length solo album was released in January, he's had a song featured on "The Hills" and he was able to meet up and associate with the Hotel Cafe Tour gang. Not bad for the new kid, all out on his own now.

[mp3] Mine To Remember
[mp3] She's Gone

Buys some WAZ: Amazon | iTunes
Visit WAZ online: Official | Myspace

Absentstar - Sea Trials

2008-04-11T09:02:00.004-06:00

Absentstar's debut album, Sea Trials, will hit the stores next Tuesday. It's one of the albums I've been most excited about this year - a Dan Wilson produced alt-pop album? Sounds like a recipe for success to me.

The closest comparison that comes to my mind is Dishwalla, though they seem to rely a bit less on the keys. I'm still getting a feel for the album, a review should be up shortly. Check out these tracks until then:

[mp3] Half Life
[mp3] For God Sakes

Pre-order the album: Amazon
Visit Absentstar online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Bonus Tracks!

2008-04-10T13:45:00.003-06:00

Sometimes 12 songs just isn't enough. Sometimes, you're just listening along to a new cd, and that last song ends, but it doesn't end. Or sometimes it'll just be an extra track thrown your way, as a very special thank you for buying the cd. You'd better buckle up, because you've entered the realm of bonus tracks, baby. I (Brock) will go first this time around.

The Damnwells - Air Stereo

Air Stereo is hands down one of my favorite albums. "Accidental Man," "I've Got You," and "I Am a Leaver," just to name a few incredible tracks. Why they chose the title track as a bonus track is beyond me, but I'm more than willing to accept an odd decision with such a good album.

[mp3] The Damnwells - Air Stereo

Buy some Damnwells: iTunes | Amazon

Visit the site: Official | Myspace

Jack's Mannequin - Into the Airwaves

Everything in Transit is the (so far) only album from the former frontman for Something Corporate, and it's a great record. It "ends" with a song called "M.F.E.O./You Can Breathe" that is a giant run-on sentence of beautiful pop-punk-piano songwriting. Then there's a little spoken thing about the end of the record, and how there won't be another record for a while because of laziness. Then "Into the Airwaves" starts up, right out of nowhere.

[mp3] Jack's Mannequin - Into the Airwaves

Buy some Jack's Mannequin: iTunes | Amazon

Visit the websites: Official | Myspace

Kraig's Picks

Counting Crows - Sunday Morning L.A.

Brock and I recently reviewed Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, Counting Crows' latest release. While we were slightly disappointed with the album itself, we didn't directly address the bonus tracks that came with an iTunes purchase of the album.

Strangely enough, Counting Crows followed in the footsteps they themselves set in This Desert Life by keeping some of the best work off of the proper album, instead saving it for a bonus track. Similar to "Kid Things" from This Desert Life, "Sunday Morning L.A." is a very strong track - which further boggles my mind as to why it couldn't make the cut over some of the other duds that did.

[mp3] Sunday Morning L.A.

Buy some Counting Crows: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Howie Day - So, Goodbye

As I discussed in a previous post, Howie Day's post Australia career has left me wanting a bit more. Stop All The Wold Now was a fair album (on a good day) with a few strong tracks and a lot of songs that were trying too hard to hit top 40 radio. It seemed almost like Howie was trying to distance himself from the sound he created on Australia.

That, in itself, was probably the reason I fell hard for the bonus tracks that popped up in the Special Edition releases and on the Japanese release. These tracks had more passion and depth then the rest of the album - it was Howie, not some cheap TRL clone! Not surprisingly, my favorite cuts from the album ended up being "bonus tracks". Most were included after-the-fact on import or special editions, including this one, "So, Goodbye".

[mp3] So, Goodbye

Buy some Howie Day: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Howie online: Official | Myspace

Stu's Two

First, I just want to say that Brock stole one of my bonus tracks, that dirty sneak! But I will echo his sentiments on The Damnwells - Air Stereo; most days I feel like this is the best song on the album. Usually on those days Kraig calls me an idiot, but I shall continue to stick to my crazy notions and opinions!

Pete Yorn - Go With It

Back when Pete released Nightcrawler either his label, his management or the man himself decided that, in order to better promote the record, they should throw out a bunch 'o bonus tracks that were "exclusive" to different stores. This meant that you got different bonus tracks if you bought Nightcrawler from Circuit City rather than from Best Buy or iTunes, and vice versa. (Pete talks about it in an old interview with BrooklynVegan)

On one hand, it was nice that all these new Pete Yorn tracks were being released. On the other, it made the couple days after the album was released quite hectic while we were trying to round up all the bonus tracks. (Check out these old posts from Heather and Bryce for most of 'em). Go With It is the most rockin' of the bonus tracks, and probably should've been put in the meaty part of the CD instead of being an iTunes-only song.

[mp3] Pete Yorn - Go With It

Buy some Pete Yorn: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Sense Field - The Horse Is Alive

So I think the story goes that one day Kraig was browsing around in our local independent music store (which, sadly, no longer exists), and randomly found Sense Field's Living Outside and picked it up on a whim. I managed to get a hold of it ('cause that's what happens when you live with a dude), and it didn't leave my grasp for quite a while.

It makes me sad that these guys broke up, Living Outside was downright awesome. Powerful vocals, great keys, nice drummin' and strummin'; it's very good stuff! And The Horse Is Alive is one of the best types of bonus tracks: the hidden ones. I hate when they call a song a "bonus track" when it's got its own track break. That's too easy! Your bonus should come after much hard work and due diligence (like fast forwarding for like a minute 'til you're at the exact right moment where the bonus track starts). Yeah, that's what it should be. Anyway, I figure most of you don't want to fast forward through a bunch of silence, so I cut the bonus track out of the nearly 11 minute final track. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I.

[mp3] Sense Field - The Horse Is Alive

Buy some Sense Field: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Myspace (tribute page)

Bonus Tracks: Now what would a six-pack about bonus tracks be without some bonus tracks? Unless you pre-ordered the deluxe version of Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, you probably didn't get these songs. I don't think that's terribly fair, so here are two bonus bonus tracks (along with my apologies for the delayed post [Brock's fault]):

[mp3] Counting Crows - There Goes Everything

[mp3] Counting Crows - Come Around (Acoustic)

Interview: Dan Wilson

2008-04-08T10:54:00.002-06:00

Prior to Saturday's Hotel Cafe Tour at the Avalon Theater, Stu and I had a chance to sit down and chat for a few minutes with Dan Wilson. For those of you unfamiliar with Dan's work, he's the lead singer of the 90's alternative band, Semisonic (and Trip Shakespeare). He has also produced a number of albums in the recent past, including Mike Doughty's Golden Delicious and Absentstar's Sea Trials. He also co-wrote a grammy winning song with the Dixie Chicks!

The only real downfall to the experience was that my damn camera decided to die, so no photos.

Obviously, we were quite thrilled with the opportunity to speak with Dan. Hope you enjoy it!

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Kraig: Well, I guess let’s get this thing started! I got a hold of a couple of albums you’ve been producing recently: Mike Doughty’s Golden Delicious and Absentstar’s Sea Trials. I know you’ve done some work in bands with Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic and now your solo work but I don’t really know how you got into the production side of things - how did that all work out?

Dan: It was kind of ass-backwards, actually. I had this idea that, not like an original idea but a notion, that I wanted to be writing songs for other people’s records. I had this idea in about 1998. I suddenly started telling people “I wanna write with other people, I wanna put my songs on other people’s records”, because I always had all these extra songs.

You know, if you’re in a band you get to put out 12 songs every two years - maybe. Maybe a couple of b-sides. If you’re prolific (which I was really trying to be prolific at the time) it’s frustrating to have this limited number of slots. It’s like one song every two months is how it works out. So I was noisily telling people that I wanted to write for other people’s albums.

As I was doing that I started to write with other people I found that the music business people would be very literal about the demos I’d give them. They’d say “yeah, we were kind of hoping for something with drums” And in my mind I’d think “Yeah, you could probably put drums with this and it would be really great. That’s how it always works, you sing the song and then the drummer plays.” I learned after talking to people and laughing about it with my friends, was that you had to make a demo that would sound like the record - then they could copy it exactly and then it would get released. So, I realized that to be this “songwriter to the world” I’d have to learn how to produce albums.

So then I went to Sweden and Norway and I worked with some amazing producers there. Since they were “digital world” producers they were very open with their tricks. Analog engineers and producers are very secretive it’s kind of a “I have a little box under the table, you can’t see it” type of a thing. Computer culture is all about “information is free” and I’ll just tell you how to do it - so everyone just taught me how to do it. I went around for about a year - I went to England and I want to CA for a while. I made demos and wrote songs with people and learned how to do it. So the next time I started writing songs with people, like Mike Doughty, I would say, “Okay, let’s make a version so you know what it’s going to be like”. With Mike, when he and I wrote together we wrote “American Car” and “Your Misfortune” and those demos are basically what’s on the album. We added a few things, but once we did those couple of tracks, Mike was saying “Why don’t I just have you produce the record? This could be pretty simple”. So, it’s kind of ass-backwards but that was how it happened.

Kraig: That’s kind of funny because I remember following Semisonic for a while and all of sudden Semisonic wasn’t doing a lot, then out of the blue I’d see a Dan Wilson produced album!

Dan: It was funny, all 3 of us in the band, we took our last recording with MCA - we didn’t know it would be the last recording, but it turned out to be the last recording -“All About Chemistry”. We really just turned that into a playground and learned how to make a record. We were really hands on because they were too sterile or not lively enough. We learned a lot about how to make sure it still feels lively.

Kraig: Yeah, it’s definitely an art

Dan: Well, it’s not for everybody either.

Stu: I know you won the grammy last year - congratulations on that. I was wondering, when you’re writing for someone else do you write a song with someone to sing it in mind or do you just write a song and think “maybe these guys” afterwards?

Dan: Well I’ve actually done it both ways and it turns out that currently my favorite thing is to get together with someone and write with them. I’ve found that when I’m writing for someone else I really want it to sound like them. i want it to sound like their concerns and their phrasing and their attitude about the world. I think if I just wrote a song on my own and sent it, it would work, but to me it’s more fun to be the guy who’s gently helping the person to achieve their own idea of a what a song should be. I especially think for me that it’s okay to do now because I can make my own records and stand on stage and have an audience, so I have my own outlet. When I go in to collaborate with someone else I can be in a really, really helpful, low ego mode. Which is fun, you know - less stress.

Kraig: Here’s a random question for you! Outside the venue here we noticed that there’s a handful of Canucks out there. They traveled 14 hours to get here. I guess this is the closest you’ve come to Calgary on the tour. Do you get a whole lot of people following you around from that kind of distance or do you get a whole lot of people following you from show-to-show on this particular tour?

Dan: Wow - I think if I were kinder I would just play more shows that were closer to them. Definitely, on this tour, because everyone has an audience and there’s people who will snap up tickets, it’s been tricky for people to get tickets in time for any particular show. It’s just harder to get the seats. Like in Minneapolis I know lots of people went to Chicago or Madison because they sold out slower so there was an element of people traveling around. I think that may be an extreme amount of distance and time though. I hope I sing really well.

Kraig: Definitely give a shout out to those guys - that’s a hell of a trip.

Dan: Yeah, yeah, definitely. That’s amazing. I think also it’s been quite a long time since I played in a lot of places. I’ve done a lot of gigs in Minneapolis in the past several years. I’ve played in New York a lot or if not a lot, several times. I’ve played in LA regularly but I haven’t done a whole lot else in between.

Kraig: Honestly, I’m not sure you’re missing a whole lot.

Dan: No, no it’s actually good. It’s interesting, I took a walk today and walked to the Valley Fair Mall. There was a scrap-booking nook, Willey’s bail-bonds, Amigo Insurance Company. It was a very strip-mall, industrial thing - not the most picturesque scene on the ground. But ringing around the view there’s a 360 degree view of unbelievable mountains and I was completely transported by it. I was walking through what in Minneapolis would be flat version of that, nothing transcendent about it.

It’s also good to get to other places. Minnesota culture is real different from everyone else and it’s good to be reminded that I’m not like everyone else and it’s not the same everywhere. You have to be able to relate to people. So it’s good to get out of the house.

Kraig: So you like being on the road?

Dan: I do, it soothes me. I have a wife and an 11 year old daughter, so it’s harder to leave, there’s a little pain every time. But then you get on the bus and get into the mode...

Kraig: Stu got his hands on a copy of a live show you did in Dallas of last year. You told a story about Closing Time that I totally wasn’t expecting - is that song really about your daughter?

Dan: It’s really a giant pun about being bounced from a bar and being bounced from the womb. I thought it was going to be pretty obvious to people when I wrote it but it turns out no one got it. I guess I was too clever.

Kraig: I didn’t get it, that’s for sure.

Dan: Well, you’re not alone! I still have this philosophy that you shouldn’t explain songs too much because I’ve almost never been happy with an explanation of a song by an artist. By not happy I mean that it’s never been as good as what I thought it was about. If a friend asked me “what’s such-and-such song about” in private, I’d probably tell them, but I feel like it’s almost in imposition on the listener if I tell them what the song is about. Now, I kind a figured that enough time has passed and Closing Time is a little landmark on culture somewhere and it’s not going anywhere, so I feel like I have a right to talk about it. It’s almost like it’s not my song anymore - I can put my gloss on it, I can put my own wiki on my own song but it’s going to get erased by everyone else’s.

Stu: Speaking of Closing Time, after it became a hit did you feel a lot of pressure from your label to match that and write another “Closing Time”?

Dan: Yeah, yeah - here’s the deal with that. That was kind of difficult. I had a friend in the music business, a really smart guy who really loved “The Great Divide” - Semisonic’s first album. That album didn’t sell well and I had really thought it was very commercial. I was really trying to write singles on that album. I thought FNT, Delicious and If I Run were all singles. I guess they were but they just didn’t click. Maybe the time wasn’t right. This friend of mine, Jim Barber told me when I was venting to him that the way to succeed in music is to make the same album twice.

Stu: Really?

Dan: Yeah. I thought that was really interesting too. He said “Just write a bunch of great songs and if there’s things on the last album that you did and you really liked them, just do them again”. I thought that was a real interesting approach. The only thing I really changed was I decided I was going to make it a big “art project” and I wasn’t going to worry about singles or commercial success. I was going to put that out of my mind. I just treated The Great Divide as a template for an art project and improved it.

So, Feeling Strangely Fine was fixing what was wrong with the other record, but kind of doing it again but totally as an art project. Then it was a huge success! I knew after that the the thing to do would be to do it again, but I couldn’t do it “again, again”. I didn’t have it in me. I’d already done it again and I did it with sort of an an art project attitude, not thinking about success.

I think Semisonic almost had a backlash with All About Chemistry. We kind of let our more nerdy sides show in a big way and let it all be more keyboardy. It was a whole different vibe. I think that was because I may have been rebelling against the idea of writing another song about a bar or something.

It was interesting because then I had an interesting experience with Rick Rubin while doing my solo album because I sensed that he was almost avoiding listening to or talking about Semisonic. It was like he wanted it to be a completely fresh start, we weren’t going to be referencing or comparing. It wouldn’t be a sequel of any kind.

Stu: Just a different thing completely?

Dan: Yeah, just “what you’d do alone”. That was a really beautiful thing. I think next I should just do Free Life again! It just seems to me like I’ve figured out a lot of stuff. I’ll fix what was broken on Free Life - I haven’t figured out what it is yet, but eventually I’ll have some criticisms about it and I’ll just write it again. It’ll be a nice little repetitive cycle of life.

Kraig: It seems that lot of times when a songwriter is working with a band for a while they end up with some songs that “don’t fit” with the band. Were the songs you recorded for Free Life older songs that didn’t quite work with Semisonic, or was this all new stuff?

Dan: Well, that’s close. All during the period of time I was writing Free Life I was thinking “If I write a song that sounds like Semisonic, I’ll ask those guys to cut it with me”, but it just didn’t happen. I kept writing Golden Girl or All Kinds or Free Life. I kept writing songs that didn’t sound like the band. They weren’t cast-offs before, it was just quite clear that something was happening that wasn’t related to that band, so I just had to do this other thing.

A DJ put me on the spot recently and said “So the title Free Life, does that mean you’re free of your band mates, John and Jake?”. I was horrified! I hope they don’t think that’s what I meant by it at all. “Oh, I’m so tired of them” or whatever. We’re still friends, we get along great and we do stuff together.

Kraig: They were on the album too, right?

Dan: Yeah, they played on the album. It’s a funny thing. I hadn't really thought about it. It’s probably my sub-conscience rebelling against them.

Kraig: Do you think you’re going to play with or record another album with them again?

Dan: I would like to. I’ve been thinking about it. I was out of the song-writing flow for about a year. I decided to change some things on Free Life right before it got released so it was kind of a really stressful 6 month period and the label was mad because I was changing things. I was adding songs and they thought it was all wrapped up. They had every reason to be irritated. But I wasn’t in a song-writing flow. I was producing Absentstar and Mike Doughty and finishing my record. I was not in the “outer-space” feeling I need to be in as a writer.

There’s this weird thing I relate it to. I’ve never been pearl diving before but I’ve been snorkeling at twilight. With song-writing it feels to me like the world is almost unrelated to your life and you need to have time in the day to dive down into that. There can’t be anyone asking for stuff or coming around. You can come up maybe an hour later or maybe right away with something great or something unexpected. To me, that’s what it really feels like. For me, I have to set my life up to do that. So right now I’ve just cleared the decks, I just finished Jeremy Mastersmith who I was producing and I just finished the new Standards album. All of my promises are kept now I have nothing now.

Kraig: So now it’s Dan time?

Dan: Yeah, so now I’m going to do a lot of “diving”. I’ll go down into that dark part of my mind and find things and bring them back up. My heart wants to make a new solo record right away but I’ll just have to figure that out when the songs come. I might write a whole bunch of songs that are for other people to sing, I don’t know. But I hope I can do another solo record really quick.

Stu: Since you were just talking about the songs just “coming to you”. Is that how it is? Do you just kind of wait for it? I’ve never really written music or anything so I wonder if when you write a song is it something that’s coming at that time or do you have to “nudge it” out?

Dan: It’s a combination. Those are both true. For me, there's labor in it and I have to be in ‘the mode”. It’s that distracted, slightly melancholy state of mind. I have to be trying to write songs. Most of them suck. Usually by a surprising or a backdoorish way a real idea will come and because I’m in that “song capturing” mode, it’s easy. If a great idea comes that’s really inspiring it’s like it comes into your mind from the side and it presents itself and I think “whoa”. Since I’m in that labor-intensive mode of writing it’s not effort anymore. I just go, “boom”, and then it’s done. It’s kind of weird because I’d like my best songs to be the ones I work the hardest on but that’s not true.

Stu: Really?

Dan: Yeah, it’s the ones that I’m walking down the street or waiting for a cab and I take out my memo thing and sing, then I put it back. A week later I’ll think “Oh, what was that thing I put in my memo?” and I listen and think “Fuck, that was great!”. So I can’t really savor the process. There’s no, “Oooo, I’m writing a great song” about it.

Stu: It’s over before you know it, huh?

Dan: Yeah, it’s over before you know it. It’s not even like you’re a participant. It’s more like you’re an observer - it’s almost like you’re not even there. You get all music-y and then it’s over. Mostly for me, I end up saying “How did I do that? I can never do that again! That was the last song!” It’s neurotic, I know. But it’s funny, it’s both - it’s conscious effort and then just inspired accidents. My wife can tell. I’ll be talking to her and then she’ll say something interesting and I’ll get this distant look in my eye. I’m trying to pay attention to what she’s saying and she’ll ask “Are you writing something?”

Kraig: You’ve been doing the “solo thing” right now. You’ve done the “band thing” with Semisonic and Trip Shakespeare. You’ve been the record producer and the co-writer. Which aspect are you enjoying most right now?

Dan: Well, this tour has been really fun. It’s been a particularly special setup with a lot of talent in one bus. It’s a pretty low ego-level scene on the bus, it’s pretty cool. Everyone is really clever and really talented. It’s really fun to be in this setting. I’m really, really savoring it and loving it a lot. It’s my last day on the tour and I’ve just been trying to drink it up. At the moment I’m really loving touring and playing for people.

It might also just be an element of getting tired of one thing and you get to go to your distraction or switch to something else. Like, “Oh, I’m sick of this I’m going to go produce an album” or something. Do you guys have dogs?

Kraig: I’ve had one, but not for a while.

Stu: I’ve had one too.

Dan: Could you picture this in your mind? A dog lying down in one of those doggy beds the ones with the big round pillows. The dog gets on the pillow then goes around and around and around. Just circling and circling. It starts to lie down, then gets up and goes around and around. It takes forever and you just want to hit it on the butt to get it to sit down. To me, songwriters are that way. They’ll think “Oh, the lighting is too bright I’ll adjust the lighting. Ah, perfect! Oh, maybe my electric would be good here” and they’ll run upstairs rand get the guitar. “Oh, maybe I should get a Starbucks”. It’s this circling, circling, circling thing. Lots of times you end up writing a song on the way to Starbucks.

I try to keep myself in this distracted state - I don’t do it consciously but for me, as an artist, I like that distracted state. I like having the option of working on different kinds of things. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity, when and if it arises, of writing more songs with the Dixie Chicks. I have to make sure that I don’t over-serve myself with co-writing because I want to be excited about that. I don’t want to get greedy about any one thing because I want to maintain that feeling of excitement about whatever it is I’m working on right now.

Kraig: Well, I don’t think we’ll take anymore of your time. Thanks so much for sitting down with us - we really appreciate it!

Dan: No problem, I hope this makes for a good piece!

Kraig: Thanks again - we’ve both been big fans for a long time. Good luck tonight!

Buy some music from Dan Wilson: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Dan online: Official | Myspace

Previous posts about Dan: Six Pack (Flyin' Solo) | Hotel Cafe Tour (Show Review)

The Hotel Cafe Tour @ Avalon Theatre, Salt Lake City (4/5/08 )

2008-04-07T22:25:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday, Kraig and I had a chance to take in the Hotel Cafe Tour. Apologies in advance for the lack of pictures - it seems that Kraig’s old digital camera finally decided to bite the dust just in time for the show, so no photos. Sorry!

For those of you outside the know, here’s a bit of info on the Hotel Cafe and the ensuing tour:

Once just a small coffee shop, The Hotel Café has quickly blossomed into not only one of the premier singer/songwriter venues in the United States, but also been labeled “the place that breaks artists.” The artists surrounding The Hotel Café regard it as home, where lyrics, voice and a DIY approach rule. On any given night, you can find well known artists (such as: Weezer, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Death Cab For Cutie, KT Tunstall and many more) on the same bill with up-and-comers, playing both as solo artists and as a communal project, sometimes well rehearsed and sometimes in the heat of the moment, and more often than not, jamming into the wee hours of the morning.

For the past 4 years, The Hotel Café has been presenting a tour that has hit every major market in the United States and the UK. The concept of the tour was to share the same community vibe with music fans all over the globe. Artists performed solo and would then share the stage with fellow tour mates. No cookie-cutter corporate American Idols, just real music, written by real artists, surrounded by real friends, who actually have a story to tell. Starting in March 2008, The Hotel Café Tour will embark on another journey that will cover 35+ major markets in the North America, before heading over to the United Kingdom!

The tour will feature a rotating lineup of at five artists at every show, all sharing musicians and supporting one another, making for a unique night of music. The tour is held together by performer and co-organizer Cary Brothers, who will be present for the entire tour.

(from http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hotel-Cafe-Tour/10682566791)

The show had an...interesting format. The 5 artists that graced Salt Lake City (Meiko, Jim Bianco, Cary Brothers, Dan Wilson, and Ingrid Michaelson) each took a turn playing 3 songs. Then they all came back and did the same thing again (not the same songs, mind you, but the whole playing-3-songs-and-leaving thing). Also, there was no waiting time in between sets for the setting up/dismantling of rock equipment; they just went from one act to the next, which was pretty nice.

I was particularly impressed with the ability of the supporting band that was touring with these five singer/songwriters. Each act played with the same guitarist/bassist/drummer and “multi instrumentalist” (i.e. trumpet, keys, guitar, accordion etc.). These guys nailed each and every song despite genres ranging from sparse, nearly acoustic setups (Meico) to Jazz (Jim Bianco) to Alt-Rock (Cary Brothers) and everything in between.

Personally, I wasn't a fan of the 3 song format. I would've rather seen each artist do their 6 songs in a row. Maybe it's just me, but I can't figure out how I feel about an artist after only 3 songs. By the time they come back on stage again, I had usually forgotten what the songs they played previously were like and if I enjoyed them.

Anyway, if you haven't guessed already, we went primarily to see Dan Wilson (of Semisonic fame). He was very good, though it made me sad that about 3/4 of the people there didn't know who the hell he was until he played Closing Time. However, we did meet some die-hard fans who drove all the way from Calgary to see Dan play, which was definitely nice to see.

Dan was able to play a total of eight songs in his three times on stage, one more than any of the other performers (since they played a song of Dan’s for the final encore!). His first set consisted of Easy Silence, Breathless and Free Life, the title track from his brilliant solo record. The first set definitely left me wanting more Dan, especially since a lot of the crowd seemed to be there just to see Ingrid Michaelson again. Kraig was able to record all of Dan’s songs except Easy Silence, check ‘em out:

First Set

[mp3] Breathless
[mp3] Free Life

Dan came second to last (instead of last) the second time around. His second set consisted of Sugar, Baby Doll, Second Modern (an Elvis Costello cover) and Closing Time. Of course, Closing Time was the crowd favorite - the teeny boppers could be heard between courses frantically text messaging each other to “figure out” who sang the song originally. Silly kids. He shared a great story about the writing of the song which Kraig was able to capture on for your listening pleasure:

Second Set

[mp3] Sugar
[mp3] Baby Doll
[mp3] Secondary Modern
[mp3] Closing Time (with explanation)

Baby Doll and Sugar were both absolutely breathtaking from the second set. Ingrid came out to sing back up vocals on Sugar, which despite being a little rusty, still added a new dimension to the song. Secondary Modern was a great track that none of the pre-teens had ever heard. Here’s to hoping they’ll take Dan’s advice and go out and listen to some Elvis Costello.

The final encore brought all the performers back on stage for one last hoo-rah. The chosen song was All Kinds, another off of Dan’s recently released solo debut, Free Life. I’m not sure if Dan was getting encore love on each stop of the tour, or if they just played his song on our date since it was his last outing on the tour - but it was a very fitting ending to a great show.

Encore

[mp3] All Kinds

As for the rest of the performers, they probably could have renamed the tour “You Heard us on Grey’s Anatomy - Live!” All the artists except Jim made comments about getting their “break” on a TV spot, and it seemed Grey’s Anatomy was mentioned most often. I don’t have a problem with that, it just seemed a little strange for all the artists to have that same experience. I guess the guys picking the music for Grey’s Anatomy must be checking out the tour? Probably.

Meiko had a strong voice, but didn't bring a lot of energy or excitement to the stage. Her song-writing just doesn’t seem to be there yet. There was heavy reliance on “do-da-do’s” and “la-la-la’s”, which to me seems like the easy way out of a chorus.

Jim Bianco was a hell of an entertainer and put on a fantastic performance. His music wasn’t something I’ll go out and buy, but if he comes to my neck ‘o the woods I’ll make it my business to see him play again. Probably more of a comedian than musician in most cases, but still - worth seeing if he’s coming to your town.

Cary Brothers was the first person to really bring the rock to the show. He started out strong and used his powerful vocals to keep things interesting throughout both of his sets. He had the most sonically complex songs out of the group, relying on effects pedals and angsty vocals throughout, which I rather enjoyed.

Ingrid Michaelson (whom a majority of the audience was there to see) was sort of hit-and-miss. A couple of her songs were pretty good, a couple were not so much. The crowd seemed to go crazy when she played that song that’s on the Old Navy commercial, which was nice but not quite up the level that I felt Dan provided. She had a really interesting song that relied on vocal rounds at the end of her set which was the highlight for me.

All in all the show was had a very enjoyable vibe to it - something you don’t usually see with artists of this caliber. The camaraderie wasn’t faked at all, lots of collaboration took place and they all seemed to genuinely like each other. Since the Hotel Cafe Tour is hitting basically every major market in the US and UK, it’s probably coming near you. We both highly recommend checking it out - ticket prices are low and the entertainment value is high (even though Dan isn’t on the ticket anymore). Just be sure to pick up your tickets fast, they seem to be selling out quickly just about everywhere!

Here's all of the recordings from Dan's performance in a convenient .zip package (for a limited time only!)

Click here for more info on the Hotel Cafe Tour.

Buy some music from Dan Wilson: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Dan online: Official | Myspace

Pacific UV - Longplay 2

2008-04-04T16:44:00.000-06:00

It looks like we're going totally atmospheric this week - I'll blame it on the water.

PacificUV is a band you should check out. Their unique blend of stellar guitar work, strings, keys and reverbified vocals intertwined with the heavy usage of effects pedals makes for a very enjoyable listening experience. I'm a fan of progressive, multi-textured songs and PacificUV delivers spectacularly on their recently released album, Longplay2.

Great study music for all the finals coming up. Even better in a pair of fancy headphones.

[mp3] Alarmist
[mp3] If So

Buy some PacificUV: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Water Fai - Girls in the White Dream

2008-04-03T17:40:00.000-06:00

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking Water Fai is an all-girl band, am I right? Well, you sir (or possibly ma'am) are wrong! They've got themselves a male drummer, thus making them simply a mixed-gender band. But what's more important is that these Osaka, Japan natives rock!

Their debut album, Girls in the White Dream, was originally self-released. However, on April 18th, White Shoe Records will be re-releasing it in all of its splendor. Some might call the sound "atmospheric rock," but that's too limiting in my mind. You Are The Sun is amazingly relaxing (I find my worries drifting away as I listen to it), while Kaiyon builds and builds until it's rocking your ears off. The album as a whole seems to be a mix of soothing melodies and sequences of building rock, which ends up working very well together. It's got a nice feel to it, I'm a fan.

[mp3] You Are The Sun
[mp3] Kaiyon

Buy some Water Fai: Order via email
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Our Weekly Top Songs

2008-04-01T13:38:00.002-06:00

Most of you probably come to this website to get some recommendations about what you should listen to. With this weeks six-pack, we'll actually let you inside our playlists so you can see what WE are listening to. Since there's three of us, we've each uploaded the two songs that saw the most action on each of our playlists last week. I (Kraig) will kick things off:

See These Bones - Nada Surf

Coming in with 11 plays last week and the #2 rating is See These Bones by Nada Surf off of Lucky.

Nada Surf seems to be known as "that band who wrote the "Popular" song" back in the 90's. It's a shame that they've been tagged as a one-hit wonder, but I guess that's life. Lucky is a CD that you need to pick up if you haven't already - it's by far my favorite album from the band. See These Bones is my favorite track off the album, check it out to see what you've been missing if you've been dismissing these guys as just another one-hit wonder.

[mp3] See These Bones

Buy some music from Nada Surf: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

2nd Boys Will Be 1st Choice - The Brobecks

My most played track (with 18) from last week comes from a local Salt Lake City band, The Brobecks. Brock wrote up a little ditty about these guys a while ago, but I highly recommend checking them out if you didn't already. Take Phantom Planet's knack for catchy pop songs, turn it up to 11 and up the tempo a bit and you've got The Brobecks.

I'm sick and tired of Utah only being known for The Used (as far as music goes). The Brobecks deserve some serious attention and this song is a must download for all you blog-surfers.

[mp3] 2nd Boys Will Be 1st Choice

Buy some music from The Brobecks: CD Baby | iTunes
Visit them online: Myspace

Time for Brock's picks!

I don't have official totals to give you, all I have to offer is some excellent tunes that, by my best guess, dominated my headphones this past week. And away we go!

Say Anything - That is Why

This song is almost always in my top few, because it is just so darn catchy. Say Anything is so freaking awesome, and if you ever get the chance to see them live, do it. They will rock you soundly.

[mp3] Say Anything - That is Why

Buy their music: iTunes | Amazon

Visit the sites: Official | Myspace

Motion City Soundtrack - Last Night

It's pretty much accepted that Motion City Soundtrack made a great first album (I Am the Movie), an incredible sophomore album (Commit this to Memory), and a pretty good third album. This song is from that third record, Even If It Kills Me, which gets somewhat overlooked simply because the other albums are so good. MCS writes fantastic pop-rock songs with great hooks and awesome keyboard solos. Observe:

[mp3] Motion City Soundtrack - Last Night

Buy MCS music: iTunes | Amazon

Visit their sites: Official | Myspace

Stu's Stupendous Songs of Sensuality

I like to alliterate sometimes, it's fun, you should try it. I don't have play counts either, but it's a fairly good bet that these two songs were at the top of last weeks most-played list.

The Thrills - Saturday Night

Sometimes I am a proponent of the gigantic, entire music library shuffle, and it was at one of these random times that I found this song. Last week I got addicted to it again, so it vaulted its way up to the top of my playlist. I'm a big fan of the fairly repetitive, "Is this what they call...?" line; every once in a while (like last week) that really clicks with me, and I start to think, "hey, yeah, is this what they call...?" about all sorts of things. "They" always ruin everything, I tell ya!

[mp3] The Thrills - Saturday Night

Buy some music from The Thrills: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

The French Kicks - So Far We Are

I would like to say that Kraig's post on The French Kicks earlier this week inspired me to explore the sea of their music, but sadly this is not the case. I explored that sea last week! It seemed like the right time, they were about to release their new album (Swimming) and I'd heard of them before, but never really heard them. Here are the results of my exploration: Abandon is great, and So Far We Are is equally awesome. Both feature good use of hand-claps, which I've become something of a fan of recently. Hear for yourself:

[mp3] The French Kicks - So Far We Are

Buy some music from The French Kicks: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

You're not listening to enough musical saw...

2008-04-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

...I just know you're not! Luckily, Nathan Moomaw wants to help. He recorded one song every month for the year he turned 26 years old, and made an album called 26, in which he uses musical saw, jaw harp, a turkey call, and probably an acoustic guitar to create beautiful pop songs in the vein of Iron and Wine or Rocky Votolato. These songs are at times very sparse, and at others very lush and atmospheric. It's a fantastic experience, and gets its official release May 13th, but you can stream the whole album here.

Buy Nathan Moomaw's music! iTunes CDBaby

Then visit him on the webs: Official Myspace

because your love feels so literal today

Jakob Dylan - Seeing Things (6/10/08)

2008-03-31T19:27:00.001-06:00

Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers fame (oh, and he's that guy's son) will be releasing his solo debut, Seeing Things in June. It's being released via Starbucks, kinda like that P-Mac album you should probably have. He recently posted some tracks up on his Myspace page for our listening pleasure.

The tracks are sparse, but good. You won't be hearing the lovely keys that filled the holes on Bringing Down the Horse, but the songwriting and that lovely voice are still there. Here's the two tracks we have so far. The bitrate isn't too hot since it comes via Myspace - sorry.

[mp3] Something Good This Way Comes
[mp3] Evil Is Alive And Well

Buy some music from The Wallflowers: Amazon | iTunes
Visit Jakob on the web: Official | Myspace

The French Kicks - Swimming

2008-03-31T12:01:00.001-06:00

The French Kicks have a new album heading our way tomorrow via iTunes (you'll have to wait until may to get a copy on CD). It's called Swimming and I like what I'm hearing so far. Here's the first single, Abandon.

[mp3] Abandon

Buy some French Kicks: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Review - Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings

2008-03-30T13:45:00.000-06:00

Album Review - Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings by Counting Crows

It has arrived! Today Kraig and Brock will take you through the new album from Adam Duritz and the gang. It's a two-part album, so how about a two-part review?

Saturday Nights (Kraig)

The first half of the album (Saturday Nights) has long been referred to has the "edgier" half. Adam promised some balls-out rock and the boys deliver, right from the opening riff of 1492 and all the way through to Cowboys.

Speaking of Cowboys, while it's the last track of the Saturday Nights side, it was also the first track to leak from the sessions that became Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings. I was elated, nay, ecstatic upon my first listen of Cowboys. Adam's vocals were passionate - downright pissed at times. The guitars were ferocious. The lyrical content was beautiful - definitely leaning heavily on the Recovering the Satellites days.

Sadly, the rest of the cuts from Saturday Nights are hit and miss. 1492 makes me feel like Adam is trying a bit too hard to be a "rocker". Hanging Tree almost has it, then they throw in a bit too much in the bridge. Los Angeles, Sundays and Insignificant are all fine tracks - just not up to the standard that they set with Cowboys.

While the Saturday Nights side is short, I can't really say it's sweet. I want to love this album, I really do - it just doesn't quite do it for me. Cowboys and Hanging Tree seem to be the standout tracks on this side, the rest seems to be more "filler" than "killer".

[mp3] Cowboys

Sunday Mornings (Brock)

The fierce, driving guitars of "Cowboys" give way to the delicate picking of "Washington Square," and we begin the remorse and reparations of Sunday morning. Even though Adam claims to have sold his piano in the first line, piano music provides a gorgeous backdrop to the lush arrangement. Every note is deliberate and excellent, as guitar, piano, banjo, and harmonica join together on the walk home to Washington Square. The stand-out track for me is definitely "When I Dream of Michelangelo." It is acoustic perfection, and ties together a lot of ideas from previous Crows records.

Lyrically Sunday feels to be on par with the rest of Counting Crows' catalog, and musically it feels like an acoustic This Desert Life. As you can most likely tell, I want very much to heap praise on this latest offering from my all-time favorite band. I just can't.

[mp3] When I Dream of Michelangelo

Conclusion (Kraig)

In all, the album is solid. If you're a fan of Counting Crows then you'll be pleased with the majority of the songs. The main gripe we seemed to have was that they tried to do a bit too much on this album. If this was cut down to a 10-12 track album it would probably be getting stellar reviews across the web. Instead, we got stuck with more "filler" than "killer" which left us forgetting some of the higher points of the album.

But seriously, Cowboys is good enough in it's own right for the entire price of admission. It's that good.

Order the album: Amazon | iTunes

Visit Counting Crows on the web: Official | Myspace

The Black Crowes - Warpaint

2008-03-27T09:42:00.000-06:00

In case you haven't already heard, The Black Crowes put out an album called Warpaint a few weeks ago. I'm just now getting a chance to check it out but I like what I'm hearing so far. Definitely back to the roots I fell in love with on Amorica.

I'd recommend picking up the album if you ever fell in love with the Robinson brothers back in the 90's - it's certainly a return to form. Here's a small sampling of what you'll hear:

[mp3] Oh, Josephine - File removed

[mp3] Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution

Buy some music by The Black Crowes: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week: Guilty Pleasures

2008-03-26T09:24:00.000-06:00

We've all been there. You're out with your friends and then, out of the blue Come Sail Away comes on your iPod. Everyone looks at you like "What the hell man?!" All you can really say is "I don't know, my brother must have been messin' with my playlists. I *DON'T* listen to this shit".

Of course, they don't believe you. You can blame it on your bro, the wife, even the damn cat and they aren't going to believe you. Now they know what you secretly listen to when you're in your car by yourself. It isn't the super-cool indie bands, no Vampire Weekend or The Decemberists - hell, not even The Raconteurs. You're blastin' Sweet Child 'O Mine and pushing yourself into falsetto as best you can to sing along.

I suppose it's nothing to really be ashamed of. Well, yes it is. It really, really is. But this week, despite the shame, we're going to share some guilty pleasures with you. First off, I (Kraig) will share mine:

Boston - More Than a Feeling

I have a special place in my heart for the genre dubbed "Arena Rock". For those of you unfamiliar with rock 'n roll history, this is the rock that came before "Hair Bands" and just after Zeppelin.

I can't quite explain the feeling these bombastic ballads give me deep down in my insides, nor can I deny them. I just turn them up to 11 when I'm alone in my car. I don't even think my wife knows I listen to this shit.

But seriously, listen to the guitar tone in this song - it's a beautiful thing. The harmonies are brilliant. Alright, I'm done defending Boston now.

[mp3] Boston - More Than a Feeling

Buy some music from Boston: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Journey - Don't Stop Believin'

Here it is, the big one. The mother of all arena-rock ballads. It gives me chills when the vocals drop in over the top of the keys. I don't know why, it's nothing spectacular, but I just want those kids to meet up on those damn midnight trains going anywhere...

[mp3] Journey - Don't Stop Believin'

Buy some music from Journey: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Brock's:

Cute is What We Aim For - There's a Class for This

Definitely one of the most cutesy of the emo-pop bands (seriously, just look at the band name), these guys write undeniably catchy songs to make you tap those toes. As much as I just want to hate them, I find myself singing along to every song and secretly looking forward to their next album.

[mp3] Cute is What We Aim For - There's a Class for This

I won't tell if you buy some Cute is What We Aim For music: Amazon | iTunes

And check out their website: Official | Myspace

A Fine Frenzy - Rangers

This one definitely falls under the category of "blame on the wife." A Fine Frenzy is beautiful, haunting piano pop written by a waifish red-headed woman. I saw her perform on the Carson Daly Show, and immediately ran out and bought the cd. Of course, what I mean is that my wife did that...

[mp3] A Fine Frenzy - Rangers

Buy A Fine Frenzy's music: Amazon | iTunes

Visit the websites: Official | Myspace

Stu's:

Avril Lavigne - Naked

It seems wrong to preface a guilty pleasures post, but that's exactly what I'm going to do! I like Avril's old stuff and by "old stuff," I mean anything before her most recent album, The Best Damn Thing. I really want to make a 'worst damn thing' joke but I think you're already there, so we shall skip it.

Anyway, most think of her as a member of the pop-punk genre but at least half of her early tracks are pop-rockish, which makes it understandable that I like it, right? ...right? Ok, I'm not foolin' anyone. Oh, and I'd like to apologize to anyone who accidentally found this post while searching for porn; sorry, unintentional.

[mp3] Avril Lavigne - Naked

Buy some pre-The Best Damn Thing music from Avril Lavigne: Amazon | iTunes
The Internet's on computers now: Official | Myspace

John Mayer - Something's Missing

I think all three of us would agree that Mayer's first album, Room for Squares, was pretty alright. However, at some point between when it came out and when every teenage and pre-teen girl decided to swoon over him, I was supposed to stop liking his stuff. I never got the memo. Damn. And as much as I want to call him a sellout for seemingly skewing songs towards his teenage fans, I keep listening, sooo...

[mp3] John Mayer - Something's Missing

Buy some music from John Mayer: Amazon | iTunes
Visit him online: Official | Myspace

Lo Fine - Not For Us Two

2008-03-24T12:47:00.000-06:00

You don't usually see guys from the north east that can pull off alt-country, but Lo Fine does it rather convincingly. Hailing from Massachusetts, this four-piece band uses steel guitar and soft-spoken vocals to deliver a slightly different take on the alt-country genre.

Normally you'll see a band either try to add some rock to the country, or just take out that nasty country-drawl and leave most of the instrumentation in place. Lo Fine can do each of these in turn, but also uses a phase pedal here and there. Wilco is about the only other band that I've heard that adds the "space" dimension in combination with instrumentation generally reserved for country or folk music. I'm not saying Lo Fine is on the same level as Wilco - few are - but they certainly deserve props for trying to break out.

Their new album, Not For Us Two, is heading our way on April 8th. I like what I've heard from it, check out these tracks to get an idea:

[mp3] Damage Twins

[mp3] New Excuses

Buy some Lo Fine online: CD Baby | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Crushed Stars - Gossamer Days

2008-03-23T13:10:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I like to just stare at the ceiling. Seriously, I do. I'm not sure why, but I do. When one of these moods hits me I just feel more in tune with my surroundings - it's like I can feel the earth rotating beneath my feet.

I know, I know - put down the pipe, man. Alright, done and done.

Back to my point - Crushed Stars is pretty much the best thing to listen to when one of these moods hits you. Totally relaxing and completely hypnotic. I'm not talking about any of that techno-trance bullshit, just listen to the layers the man puts down. It's lovely. Especially in headphones.

[mp3] Spies

[mp3] Amherst Incident

Buy some Crushed Stars: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Old 97's - Blame It On Gravity

2008-03-22T12:56:00.000-06:00

I found out a little while ago that my ever-beloved Old 97's had finished recording their 7th studio album. Needless to say I was quite thrilled by the news and I'm counting down the days until I can hold the new album in my hands (or at least store it on my hard drive).

The album is called Blame It On Gravity (May 13th) and claims to be a return to form for the band that's seen quite a shift over their last three albums. I'm certainly ready for some gritty, teeth-gnashing country-rock and I'm hoping that's what they deliver.

The first single from the new album is called Dance With Me and I have it for download below. I'm diggin' it so far, there's definitely more of a growl to it than what Rhett has put out by himself.

[mp3] Dance With Me

Buy some Old 97's: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Pete Yorn & Kinky - Use Me

2008-03-21T09:59:00.000-06:00

I really, really love it when good music pops up in my inbox. There's days where I don't mind searching high and low for new music but sometimes I just want to log into my gmail account and have the work done for me.

Such was the case for this new track from Pete Yorn & Kinky called Use Me. It comes from an album called Altered States by Robin Danar. It seems Robin is a long-time record producer/engineer. This album is his stab at a "soundtrack for a movie that hasn't yet been written". More info here - there's lots of other great contributors.

This track is certainly different than anything you'd normally expect from Pete. The most electronic I've heard him go on a proper recording is probably on Georgie Boy from Nightcrawler, but this delves far more into the electro arena. I like it, just not something that fits in on musicforthemorningafter. I suppose that's what happens when you're collaborating with Kinky. Figures.

[mp3] Use Me

Buy some Pete Yorn: Amazon | iTunes

Visit him on the web: Official | Myspace

Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart

2008-03-19T18:16:00.001-06:00

I had a chance to listen to the new Death Cab For Cutie track today, it's called I Will Possess Your Heart. Not quite like anything I've heard from DCFC. Don't get me wrong - it has all the right elements to be a Death Cab song, it's just bout 4 minutes too long. This one clocks in over 8 minutes long and the vocals don't even make it into the mix until about halfway through the track.

All in all I like it, it's a nice step away from the 3 minute pop song. They pull it off moderately well, but it's probably not something they should be doing too often (like, say, Secret Machines do). I've put it up for download below, see what you think for yourselves.

Oh yeah, and I Will Possess Your Heart is the first single off their next album, Narrow Stairs (May 13th). Click here to pre-order it off Amazon.

[mp3] I Will Possess Your Heart

Edit 3/21/08: Song removed by request.

Buy some Death Cab For Cutie: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Songs About Home

2008-03-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

In any form of writing you're going to hear similar themes - whether it be lost love, anger, lust, fear etc. - this is what writing is for. It's meant to channel those emotions into something relatable. One theme that continuously pops up is the yearning for home.

I'm sure there's some kind of psychological explanation for an ordinary human being's need to have a place to call his own and to yearn for the familiar since it's an emotion we all feel. As relaxing as any vacation can be, it's always good to get back home.

This week we'll be exploring a few more recent tracks about coming, or at least wanting to come home. These ones go out to the Stu-Dawg, the Asian Sensation, who brang it all back home a few weeks ago.

Foo Fighters - Home

The first track to look at comes from the latest outing from the Foo Fighers: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. I'm sure you've heard The Pretender tearing up the radio waves at some point during the past year, or maybe even Long Road to Ruin. This song takes a more subtle approach, certainly one of the more intimate songs I've heard from Grohl & Co. Check it out if you haven't already.

[mp3] Home - Foo Fighters

Buy some Foo Fighters: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

M. Ward - To Go Home

This is probably my favorite track from Post War. The rollicking drums, the constant buildup that never quite releases into the full out assault you'd expect, the lyrics tackling life & love - it's breath taking, beautiful music.

[mp3] To Go Home - M. Ward

Buy some M. Ward: Amazon iTunes

Visit him on the web: Official Myspace

Dishwalla - Home

This track comes from Opaline, one of the most severely under-appreciated albums of the '00s. The entire album is filled with these lovely pieces of alternative-pop perfection. If you've never heard the album, I highly recommend taking a peek.

[mp3] Home - Dishwalla

Buy some Dishwalla: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

The Decemberists - Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home)

Another song that really strikes a chord with me. I love the entire album (The Crane Wife) but this is a stand-out track in my mind. The duets throughout the whole song tear my little heart to pieces and the combination of the keys, the male/female vocal harmonies and well placed guitar work make this song an essential on anyone's iPod.

[mp3] Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home) - The Decemberists

Buy some music from The Decemberists: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

Collective Soul - Home

The rest of the songs follow more into the area of "tear-jerkers". This one by Collective Soul is more the type of song I'd like to hear blare through the speakers when I walked into my house after a long trip. Rockin' and catchy, this one comes off of one of their more recent albums - Youth.

[mp3] Home - Collective Soul

Buy some Collective Soul: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

Band of Annuals - Follow Your Headlights Home

Now, back to the delicate songs. The Band of Annuals is probably a band you've never heard of. They're a local band in SLC that plays alternative-country about as well as any band I've ever seen. This one's quite slow until about 1/2 way through, wait for the double solo with the slide guitar and electric guitar - it's a thing of beauty that you'll rarely hear matched.

[mp3] Follow Your Headlights Home - Band of Annuals

Buy some music from the Band of Annuals: CD Baby iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

***Bonus Song***

Collective Soul - Reunion

Well, we missed the Six Pack last week and this week we're a day late. I know it's not TOO much, but here's an extra song to help make up for it.

I know, we already posted a Collective Soul song but I REALLY felt like I had to include this one too. This song really captures the feel of coming home to me. The acoustic slide guitar solo and the gospel-inspired backing vocals make this a tune that doesn't really fit with most people's preconceived perceptions of Collective Soul.

This one harkens way back to their self titled album, probably one of the songs you skipped so you could hear The World I Know or December again. Slow down next time through and take a listen to the whole last half of the album, it's ridiculously good.

[mp3] Reunion - Collective Soul

Buy some Collective Soul: Amazon iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official Myspace

Delorentos

2008-03-17T09:57:00.000-06:00

If there's one thing I've learned in my post high school years, it's the indie-pop is a hard thing to pull off. There's a fine line between a song that's "too poppy" and one that people just won't "get". If you're songs are too poppy it's hard to build a loyal fan base. If you aren't accessible enough then you'll have a hard time sticking out from the crowd. Balancing the two is the key to surviving in the underground world without having labels like "sell-out" thrown at you and having your fan base split before your eyes.

Sadly, a lot of bands can't seem to balance the "indie" side and the "pop" side of things. Delorentos is one of the first bands I've heard in a while that pulls it off well. They mix the ferocity of The Pixies with the pop sensibilities of The Strokes and come out with a nice result. Take a listen to these two songs from their full length debut, In Love With Detail. They'll make your knees shake even if you're not normally prone to movin' and groovin'.

[mp3] Basis of Everything

[mp3] Any Other Way

Buy some Delorentos: Amazon | iTunes

Visit Delorentos on the web: Official | Myspace

About a Son

2008-03-14T09:11:00.000-06:00

When I first heard that About a Son was being released a few weeks ago I had a few thoughts pop through my head. First, excitement, then the overwhelming thought: do we really need another DVD depicting the life and times of Kurt Cobain, the formation of Nirvana and his eventual suicide? I'm happy to report that this film far exceeded my expectations.

Rather than dwelling on how Kurt went about forming Nirvana and their time on stage together, this film focuses on Kurt himself. The film basically just a conversation between Kurt and Michael Azerrad, the author of Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. The conversation was taped and recorded over a few weeks about a year before Kurt's suicide.

Kurt makes some rather interesting comments throughout the film, among other things he talked about the effect the divorce of his parents had on his childhood (and his friend's childhood). It was a really interesting look into Kurt's head.

I've read up on Kurt through the past few years and I've never seen or heard anything that compares to the intimacy of this film. Now, if you're not a big Nirvana fan you may find yourself bored with this (I know my wife was) but if you want to see a personal view of one of the most important icons in the past 20 years then I suggest checking this film out.

Here's the trailer:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/av/cobain/trailer.asx

and a clip:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/av/cobain/dvd_clip.asx

Order the DVD here.

Rodney Parker & The Fifty Peso Reward

2008-03-13T18:40:00.000-06:00

I had a pleasant surprise in my inbox a few days ago notifying me that Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward are set to release their second album called The Lonesome Dirge on April 8th. For those of you unfamiliar, these guys combine elements of folk, rock, country and mash it all together with a slice of punk. Some call it alt-country, some call it awesome. These guys have a nice, raw edge that you don't see very often in the alt-country scene. It's usually more rock than this or more 'twang - Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward mix it all quite well.

Comparisons to the Old 97's will be hard to avoid for this Texas four-some. Their sound comes from the same area and draws on the same influences, so obviously there's a similar vibe to it all. Rodney's vocals are a bit more raw then Rhett's, but musically there's a lot of similarities. If you enjoy the Old 97's then I highly recommend checking out Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward.

[mp3] Firefight

[mp3] Brother

Buy some Rodney Parker and the 50 Peso Reward: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts (I-IV)

2008-03-11T15:26:00.000-06:00

In case you haven't heard the word, Nine Inch Nails has released a 4-part album exclusively over the internet. The album is titled Ghosts and the first portion (Ghosts I) is available for free at their website. The whole package is available for 5 bucks (plus there's a few more options too). Before you get too excited, the whole shebang is instrumental, no vocals from Mr. Reznor on this outing.

The site should be working well now - I delayed posting this for a few days because NIN couldn't handle the traffic they were getting. That seems to be resolved now, so happy downloading!

I must say, I like what I've heard so far. I'm still getting a feel for the album, but I like it. Obviously it's lacking Trent's screeching/soothing vocal chords but it certainly still feels like NIN despite this. Of course, I always loved the instrumental parts of The Fragile (my favorite NIN album) so this isn't much of a leap for me.

Casual fans will certainly find this a little lacking, but sometimes you just want something to listen to that doesn't drive a hook into your head. If that's what you're into - look no further. My recommendation - download Ghosts I, it's free. Who doesn't like free? If you like what you hear, what's five bucks? Seriously, he's not askin' for much here.

[mp3] 7 Ghosts I

[mp3] 9 Ghosts I

Buy some NIN: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

Feature - Amateur Night!

2008-03-11T10:49:00.000-06:00

Amateur Night is a new feature we're trying out here at Sell the Lie. Basically, I will arduosly pore over literally several videos of random acoustic songs on YouTube to find the best, strangest, or most otherwise noteworthy that the vast webs of Internet have to offer. All out love for you, the reader.

First on the list is a young man named Daniel Choi covering "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. You might be turned off by the way he sings the actual "crazy" hook part, but, seriously, that's a tough note to hit!

Buy some Gnarls Barkley on iTunes

Next is a song originally by one of my favorite bands, a little group called Fall Out Boy. This song is from the album Take This to Your Grave, which is absolutely one of the best rock records I've ever heard. The official title of this song is "Tell That Kid Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today," and it's a perfect example of why I love Fall Out Boy; great melody and hook, and when you finally realize what the actual lyrics are it's like a gift for your brain. I won't spoil it for you, but after "Let's play this game/" is especially delightful.

Buy some FOB! iTunes

So just to keep things balanced, I figure we should now feature a male singer covering a song originally done by a female. So this song is called "Samson," originally by Regina Spektor. Regina writes quirky, beautiful pop songs, and you should certainly give her a listen. But first, give this a listen!

Buy some Regina Spektor! iTunes

That's all for this session, but be sure to join us (possibly) next time for more Amateur Night!

Joseph Arthur - Could We Survive

2008-03-09T12:56:00.002-06:00

I've got my fingers crossed about the news coming out of Joseph Arthur's camp. It looks like he's set to release 4 EPs this year, and possibly a full length LP to go along with it. The first taste we have of any of this new music is below, a little track called Rages of Babylon.

I've been a big fan of JA for quite a while, this track seems to fit in with some of his earlier work (think Redemption's Son). Enjoy!

[mp3] Rages of Babylon

Buy some Joseph Arthur: Amazon | iTunes

Visit him on the web: Official | Myspace

Dear and the Headlights

2008-03-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

So it amazes me that these guys are not more well-known. Excellent lyrics, some nice guitar riffs, and good drumming; what more could you ask for? This is a rhetorical question, of course, but if you think of a good answer let me know.

Anyway, the point is somehow the masses have yet to catch on. They played at Lollapalooza in 2007, but then again so did 80+ other bands, so it's probably hard to stand out in a crowd that large. Maybe being "hand-picked" to be the sole opening act for the Jimmy Eat World/Paramore co-headlining tour this spring will get them on the map. I'm not a fan of Paramore, but I like JEW, and a JEW/DATH combo will probably get me to the concert, especially since they're coming to 'lil 'ole Utah.

I think these 3 tracks are my favorites from their debut album, Small Steps, Heavy Hooves. I'm Bored, You're Amorous is outstanding; it was the first track I heard from DATH and it instantly made me want to find more. Just listen to the first 15 seconds and tell me you don't like it. Go on, do it! Grace is a nice rockin' song that also sport's great lyrics: "Taste the regret as it leaves your stomach/Coating your tongue with every noun," 'nuff said. And I love trying to figure out what's going on in Oh No! You know something's going on, but what is it?

[mp3] I'm Bored, You're Amorous
[mp3] Grace
[mp3] Oh No!

Buy some Dear and the Headlights: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace | Purevolume

Of Fate and Chance

2008-03-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

Check out Of Fate and Chance, a rocking little band from the East Coast. They're a young band with a polished sound; heavy and melodic and catchy. I love the way "Bravery" seems like it's building to a pre-chorus, then the chorus just takes off. Also keep an ear out for the excellent vocal harmonies in the 2nd verse. I think you'll agree that it's quite nice.

[mp3]Bravery

[mp3]Post Explosion

Buy some Of Fate and Chance: Big Cartel Tripod

I miss Flickerstick :(

2008-03-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Flickerstick has long been one of my favorite bands. I was instantly hooked on the 'stick after watching the first episode of Bands on the Run on VH1.

Their brand of short, sweet alt-pop with a sweet slice psychedelia captured my ears and Rex's insane live stunts along with the band's total bad-ass attitude brought it all together. I still remember thinking of how pissed off the other bands must have been since the guys in Flickerstick skipped most of the competitions, came in late to shows then kicked ass in every Battle of the Bands, thus granting them immunity.

The only negative thing I have to say about those early Flickerstick days was that they effectively broke the model VH1 put into place, thus ending Bands on the Run after one short season. The show wasn't supposed to let the drunken slackers win but they were just that much better than the competition. They broke all the rules and still came out on top - what's not to love about that?

Of course, Bands on the Run was just the beginning. After winning the competition Flickerstick was signed to Epic records where they re-recorded their debut album, Welcoming Home the Astronauts. The record took quite a while to see a release which ended up effectively crippling the album sales. Most of the public had already forgotten about the guys by the time they were ready to rock, so the short term popularity gained by Bands on the Run was more or less lost due to delays getting the re-done music out the doors. Due to the poor sales of the album, Flickerstick was cut and they've been flying solo every since.

A few years later they released Tarantula, another fantastic outing with less-then-stellar sales. They've also released 2 live CDs, Causing a Catastrophe and Live From Atlanta and an EP prior to Tarantula, To Madagascar and Back.

At the end of 2007 Flickerstick announced that they'd be taking a break for the first part of 2008 (until around May). Needless to say, this has me a little antsy. After two lackluster outings (sales-wise) a lot of bands would have called it quits. I'm hoping this isn't the case, I'll keep one ear to the ground and let you know what I find.

For now, I have 4 studio tracks/demos of new(ish) songs. These were all written and recorded after their last studio album (Tarantula) and 3 of the 4 songs were recorded live and released on the Live from Atlanta album. The fourth was also included as a bonus track on the same album. Hopefully this will give you the fix you need until more music heads our way.

[mp3] Clocks Run Backwards (Demo)

[mp3] Do You See the World? (Demo)

[mp3] Contract Killers (Demo)

[mp3] Helicopter

Buy some Flickerstick: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them online: Official | Myspace

Bandwidth...

2008-02-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Hey...

Just a quick post about our files. Over the past few days our traffic has been growing a little faster than we anticipated. Due to this there's probably been times when a song may have been unavailable for download with some kind of message about the user exceeding their bandwidth.

We're in the process of finding a solution to the problem, we should have most files available by a bit later tonight. Email us if you're still having problems accessing a file.

We're looking into a more permanent fix for file hosting - anyone out there have any ideas? If you do, we'd sure appreciate any help.

Update: 2/29/08:

All the links should be working again. I've edited each post and tested every link so they all should work again. Please let us know if you're having any trouble accessing a file.

Thanks!

Kraig

From Alternative to Rock?

2008-02-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

I typically put very little stock in the user reviews on iTunes. It seems like the ratings are given on a scale of "pretty awesome" to "so very awesome." So I was somewhat puzzled when I noticed that the new album from The Spill Canvas, No Really I'm Fine, was getting 2's and 3's. So I checked a few of the reviews, and there was kind of an odd theme through most of the posts, the overwhelming opinion being that the new album was no good because they had changed "from alternative to rock." Maybe I'm just living in a marshmallow candy world of love and tolerance, but can't we just like music?

This rather strange aside is going somewhere, I assure you. It seems that the Spill Canvas is opening for Yellowcard on a tour beginning in March at the Avalon here in Salt Lake. But it's not just any tour. This particular tour will be an acoustic tour. I am usually a fan of punk/alternative/rock bands re-working their songs as acoustic songs. The album Punk Goes Acoustic can probably be partially held responsible for this, and I've included a Yellowcard track from that album to whet your appetite. Also give a listen to the Spill Canvas, and please let me know if it's sufficiently alternative. Both are acoustic tracks, naturally.

Yellowcard - Firewater.mp3

The Spill Canvas - Staplegunned.mp3 from Punk Goes Acoustic Vol. 2

Buy some Yellowcard: iTunes / Amazon

Visit them on the tubes: Official / Myspace

Ditto for Spill Canvas: iTunes / Amazon

Spill Canvas sites: Official / Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - "Commercial" Songs

2008-02-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

I know it's been said, but it's becoming harder and harder for artists to get heard through the traditional medium (radio). Over the past few years we've seen some bands strike gold after they've had a song featured on prime-time dramas like Grey's Anatomy and ER.

Commercials seem to be helping bands nearly as much these days. This week's Six Pack focuses on a few of the songs that I've been humming along to during the breaks. Enjoy!

Yael Naim - New Soul (Apple Macbook Air)

The first example here is the case in point. I'm sure you've seen the commercial (Macbook Air) at least once. The thing I found interesting was that apparantley this song had only been played a grand total of once on all major US radio stations prior to being featured in Apple's ad. Since then it's rocketed to #1 on the iTunes download chart and stayed in the top 10 nearly every week this year. Pretty impressive for literally no radio play, eh?

[mp3] New Soul - Yael Naim

Buy some music from Yael Naim: Amazon | iTunes

Visit her on the web: Official | Myspace

ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) - Hold on Tight (Honda Accord)

This tune is a bit more vintage. I dig the vocal harmonies. Hold on tight for the French verse...

[mp3] Hold on Tight - ELO

Buy some ELO: Amazon | iTunes

Visit ELO on the web: Official

Joe Purdy - Can't Get it Right Today (Kia Spectra)

I've just learned who Joe is today and I must say, I like him. I'm sure I'll be posting more from Joe Purdy in the future.

[mp3] Can't Get it Right Today - Joe Purdy

Buy some music by Joe Purdy: Amazon | iTunes

Visit Joe on the web: Official | Myspace

Band of Horses - The Funeral (Ford Edge)

The Funeral is a good starting point if you haven't heard much from Band of Horses. Great band, check 'em out.

[mp3] The Funeral - Band of Horses

Buy some Band of Horses: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

Kings of Leon - Red Morning Light (Ford Edge)

For one reason or another I've never really gotten into Kings of Leon. I'm not sure why, but it's something I've decided I need to correct. This song has a nice bit 'o dirt to it.

[mp3] Red Morning Light - Kings of Leon

Buy some Kings of Leon: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

The Redwalls - Build a Bridge (AT&T/Cingular)

I know, I know - I posted this song last week. I still love it though and I've reposted it on a more reliable server. Check it out if you haven't already. I DARE you all to count how many different things AT&T uses to symbolize signal bars in this commercial!

[mp3] Build a Bridge - The Redwalls

Buy some music from The Redwalls: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

Howie Day - Everyone Loves to Love a Lie

2008-02-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

At this point I'm not really sure whether I should be "excited" for another Howie Day record or if I should just run and hide from it right now. Before I get much further I should point out some facts here:

About 5 years ago Howie Day would have been one of my top 5 favorite artists if you asked me, no hesitation.
I still count Australia, Howie's first release, as one of my favorite albums.
Howie put on one of the best shows I've ever seen in only 15 minutes time. Yes, he is was that good.

I was a bit disappointed with Howie's second record, Stop All The World Now. It sounded a little overdone and a bit to "ready" to be whored around on top 40 radio. Looking back at my premature evaluation, I can't say I'm pleased with being right in this case.

Despite the ho-hum second outing, I still gave Howie the benefit of the doubt. His live performances were absolutely breath-taking. His vocal presence was captivating and the use of his looping pedals brought the live show to a completely different level than any solo performer I've ever seen besides Joseph Arthur.

Of course, the rest is pretty much history at this point:

Collide is released and gets featured in a number of TV shows making Howie Day a one-hit wonder. Teenage girls swoon.
Howie starts touring with a band rather than solo. Teenage girls swoon.
Two female fans accuse Howie Day of sexually assaulting them in his trailer where he breaks their cell phone when they refuse his advances.
Howie gets drunk on an airplane and harrases a flight attendant and others on the plane.
Howie is sentenced to rehab, where he meets Britney Spears and starts a relationship.

After this things get a little murky. I remember reading something about Howie and Britney going on binges together, which I'm sure was partially responsible for her losing custody of her children. The good news is, Howie is out of rehab and no longer with Britney. The bad news is, the new music sounds like he's trying a bit too hard to reach for another big hit.

Howie is on tour now with Jay Clifford. Jay helped co-write a number of songs from Stop All the World Now so I can't say I'm thrilled about more collaberation between the two, but it's no full band so it may be worth checking out. Rumor has it that Howie is back to using his pedals. If that's the case, I may be ready to give him a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?

With no further ado, here's the newest Howie Day song. It's called Everyone Loves to Love a Lie and no, it's not about Britney Spears. Sorry for the low bitrate, it came to me via Myspace so it's nothing I could really control.

[mp3] Everyone Loves to Love a Lie

No real details on his next full release. I'm still not sure how excited I should be about the new track - it's fair, though a bit overdone at times. It could easily co-exist with the rest of the tracks from Stop All the World Now. I much prefer his live shows or Australia. I've included a few of my favorite tracks for those of you not familiar with Howie outside of Collide.

[mp3] Sorry, So Sorry (live)

This was recorded 4/28/02. It should give a good idea of how fantastic Howie can be live. The use of the delay and looping pedals to go along with his vocal strength was always what made Howie so special. This song is basically Howie at his best.

[mp3] Secret

This may be my favorite track from Australia. It's a nice little pop song with a bit of an edge to it. Australia is full of these little gems, I highly recommend picking it up if you haven't already.

[mp3] Standing in the Sun

Not surprisingly, the only song I'm really attached to from Howie's second album was a track that didn't even make the cut. This was later included as a b-side, then on a deluxe addition. It doesn't feel as overdone as the rest of the album and I love the keys in this one.

Buy some Howie Day: Amazon | iTunes

Visit Howie on the web: Official | Myspace

Howie Day allows the taping and distribution of his live shows. If you're interested in hearing more live music from Howie Day then I recommend visiting The Live Music Archive. It also contains a LOT of other bands who allow taping & distribution.

Nantes by Beirut

2008-02-24T02:50:00.000-07:00

So I generally don't post YouTube videos about anything, anywhere...well, ever. My reasoning is this: if it was me happening upon some random YouTube video somewhere, I wouldn't watch it. Not a big fan of the 'Tube myself and nowadays people throw-up these videos everywhere, likely thinking that each is as enlightening and worthwhile a watch as the next. I'm not trying to dissuade you from watching this video; on the contrary, I'm trying to point to the rarity of this type of post and the subsequent intrigue of this particular video.

About a week ago, a friend of mine recommended that I give the song "Nantes" by Beirut a listen, and that I might want to check out the video as well. The video was what I really loved. The album version is pretty alright, but the song really shines in the live performance. The way they setup the video, genius. I just wish I could tell you a little more about the band, but, well, they're new to me too. So enjoy Nantes by Beirut:

R.E.M. - Accelerate (4/1/08)

2008-02-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

R.E.M. has a new album heading our way soon (April 1st). In case you haven't heard the new single yet, it's below for your listening pleasure.

I know being an R.E.M. fan is a bit nerdly but I've long-since embraced it. This song puts a smile on my face and gets the air guitar goin' - what more could you ask for?

[mp3] R.E.M. - Supernatural Superserious

Pre-order the new album: iTunes | Amazon

Visit R.E.M. on the web: Official | Myspace

The Matches Bundle of Joy!

2008-02-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

How do you feel about the Matches? I'd describe them as an acquired taste, but not in the way that, say, sushi is an acquired taste. The Matches are more like something that's delicious, only in a way that's different from what you're used to. What I'm saying here is that sushi isn't good, while the Matches are, in fact, good. With me? Excellent.

The reason you should care about all this nonsense is that the Matches have a pre-order bundle going on over at Loserkids, where you pay 20 dollars, and recieve some extra swag. Not much extra swag, mind you, but swag nonetheless. Your hard-earned cash will get you the new Matches album, A Band in Hope, along with a Matches t-shirt and a coupon for %15 off a future purchase at Loserkids.

[via Absolute Punk]

Listen to this: The Matches - Dog-Eared Page.mp3

Way better than sushi, eh?

Buy some Matches! iTunes / Amazon

Check them out! Official / Myspace

Review: JUNO Soundtrack

2008-02-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

For one reason or another I can quite vividly recall seeing the first poster go up for Juno back in December of last year in my local theater. Neither of the faces jumped out at me, but the poster struck a cord, so I stuck the name in the back of my mind and proceeded in to watch I Am Legend.

Within a few weeks Juno started spreading like wildfire across the nation and inter-web, even into the desolate regions of northern Utah that I call home. While news about the film started piling up, I waited patiently for my chance to see it. Unfortunately for me (and the other residents of Logan who like watching a good flick) Juno didn't last in theaters long. Most non-blockbuster films don't do particularly well in Cache Valley, especially those with an R-rating.

Keep in mind, all of the theaters (except 1, I believe) in Logan (now over 100,000 residents in the greater area) are owned by the same company which gets an overwhelming barrage of complaints from the local yokels when there aren't enough "family friendly" movies for viewing. Thusly, Juno didn't fare much better than Little Miss Sunshine, Into the Wild or Thank You For Smoking, all of which either had one week in a major theater or no opening at all with a brief stint in a tired old "Independent Film" theater. I'll run out to watch Juno when it comes out on DVD, but until then all I have to go by is the soundtrack...

The soundtrack itself seems to fit well with what I know of the movie. I guess the best word to describe it would be "quirky". While not all of the sound track is my cup of tea, some tracks did stand out to me, most notably "Superstar" by Sonic Youth and "Sea of Love" by Cat Power.

The majority of the soundtrack is dominated by Kimya Dawson and her former band, The Moldy Peaches. These tracks are pretty much the best of what anti-folk has to offer. If you're into off-beat poetry laced with some acoustic guitar, look no further. A few old-school selections round out the rest of the album (Buddy Holly, The Kinks, The Velvet Underground), but the focus of the soundtrack is on the anti-folk songs provided by Kimya Dawson. While these aren't necessarily my favorite of tunes, I can certainly see how they'd fit into an off-beat flick like Juno.

I guess my main dislike of the soundtrack has more to do with the unexpected welcoming of the film and soundtrack into mainstream society rather than the songs themselves. The songs fit the movie like a glove, but I can't really think for a minute that The Moldy Peaches thought the annoying girl in accounting was going to be singing "Anyone Else But You" after switching out her Fergie CD - but that's exactly what's happening (believe me, I heard it last week).

"Indie" music is indie for a reason - so the suits won't like it.

We'll have to see if Juno has lasting appeal in mainstream society or if it was just a flash in the pan. I doubt we'll see The Moldy Peaches selling out The Delta Center anytime soon, but who knows - it didn't take the stock brokers long to start singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" when grunge exploded. All I know is that I can't stand when people who listen to top 40 radio and watch American Idol suddenly start diggin' the underground.

All in all, this album is worth picking up if you find yourself in any of the following categories:

1- You loved Juno

2- You enjoy folk music

3- You think "mainstream" folk is kinda lame, but you still like the sound (welcome to anti-folk!)

4- You enjoy a good indie-themed mix tape

If you don't fit into those groups then you probably won't care much for the soundtrack. If you do fall into those groups then I'd highly recommend picking it up.

Here's a few tracks so those of you who haven't seen the movie (like me) can get a general idea of what you're getting into:

[mp3] Superstar - Sonic Youth

[mp3] Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches

Visit the official website for the film Juno.

Purchase the Juno soundtrack: iTunes | Amazon

Visit the Moldy Peaches on the web: Official | Myspace

Visit Sonic Youth on the web: Official | Myspace

Six Pack of the Week - Trouble Sleeping

2008-02-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Well, ya'll finally get to hear from the up-to-now invisible third member of this, err, trio. See? That's why I don't get to type stuff!

Anyway, this week's Six Pack deals with a personal problem of mine: I'm having trouble sleeping! To be more specific, I'm having trouble both falling asleep and sleeping soundly. So, to try to solve my problem, I inevitably turned to music. Maybe some song I've previously overlooked can tell me why I'm not sleeping. Let's see what we got:

[mp3] The Perishers - Trouble Sleeping

I really dig this song, but it doesn't explain why I can't sleep. It does have some really good lines reminding me of times I couldn't sleep in the past though: "You're jumping in my bed/twisting in my head/leave me" and "it's you/now and always you/but never me." However, romantical problems are not the reason why I'm not sleeping.

Buy some The Perishers: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

[mp3] Pete Yorn - Sleep Better

This is what I desire, to sleep better! But all Petey tells me is that "she won't sleep better alone/and he won't sleep better alone/no they won't feel better alone" which doesn't really help me all that much. I love the song Pete, but you aren't helping me here!

Buy some Pete Yorn: Amazon | iTunes

Visit him on the web: Official | Myspace

[mp3] Eels - I Need Some Sleep

This is a very pretty song about "getting over" something. And yes, there are a lot of things to get over, so don't look at me like that. Anyway, this isn't it either. If it was, that 'something' would always be on my mind, and there's been nothing constantly on my mind. Definitely a good song to hear though.

Buy some Eels: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

[mp3] Counting Crows - I'm Not Sleeping

I've always liked this song so I had to include it, even though it sheds little light on my sleeping troubles. I just love how it keeps changing back and forth from a soft, gentle song to a rocking orchestral song. Crazy talk, I know, but it's good stuff.

Buy some Counting Crows: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

[mp3] Trashcan Sinatras - Trouble Sleeping

I almost never listen to Trashcan Sinatras, but this song jumped out to me at first due to its dreamy tone. And then I started to listen to the lyrics. I won't spoil it for you, go ahead give it a listen yourself. Oh, and it's not the reason why I'm having trouble sleeping!

Buy some Trashcan Sinatras: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

[mp3] Radiohead - Go To Sleep

I like this song too much not to include it, though it also does not explain my trouble sleeping. It's just another good Radiohead song; I don't know the musical term for it, but I want to call it good driving guitar. It seems to take the song exactly where it needs to go.

Buy some Radiohead: Amazon | iTunes
Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace

Hmmm, well, at least I got good music to listen to while I'm not sleeping!

The Redwalls @ Kilby Court, Salt Lake City (2/17/08)

2008-02-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

The show was fantastic - The Redwalls rocked my socks (and face) off. The set focused mainly on the new album but a few old gems were thrown in. I was able to snag a set-list from the show, here's what they played:

The tail end of the set was absolutely incredible! The first part of the set was a little rough with some pretty intense mic feedback and some mics dropping out completely from time to time. By the time they started into They Are Among Us these problems were all but resolved and we were finally able to hear The Redwalls in all their glory. There were a few moments born out of the malfunctioning mics, thus required the brothers to share at times:

In all, the show was certainly worth the drive. The ticket price was low and the entertainment value was quite high. It was a little sad to see the lack of support SLC provided for this great band - I counted only 28 heads at the show. Hopefully they'll be back this way next time through but I can't say I blame them if they skip over us next time. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Here's a few tracks that I'd forgotten how much I loved until they were played last night, I'd certainly recommend a listen if you're still new to The Redwalls.

[mp3] Build a Bridge

[mp3] Memories

Buy some tunes from The Redwalls: Amazon | iTunes

Visit them on the web: Official | Myspace