Six Pack of the Week - City Central

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

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...

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)

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

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...

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)

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

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

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

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