The Album Leaf

The last we heard from Album Leaf, they had released "In A Safe Place", a beautiful mix of melodic daydreams. Well good news has come, as they have released a new album "Into The Blue Again." I am happy to report it is more of the same Album Leaf we all love. Their dreamy mix of electronics with instrumentals blends perfectly. It is hard to believe that this group hails from San Diego, California. Great music like this reminds me of Iceland (Sigur Ros anyone?). If you're driving home one night and deciding what to listen to, put in The Album Leaf. You might get lost in the music!

If you question the lack of updates, well its quite simple. snowglobe's internet is down, and if he DID have access, it would be 56k. Pretty bad, so I'm pretty much the only one left posting. I'm a full time college student AND a part time member of the workforce, so I will post whenever I can.

Until then, enjoy these great Album Leaf songs from their new album "Into The Blue Again."

Their myspace

Their official website

mp3: The Album Leaf - Red Eye

mp3: The Album Leaf - Wherever I Go

Jeremy Enigk

Anyone remember Jeremy Enigk? If you don't, shame on you. He was the lead singer of Sunny Day Real Estate, a band I grew up on, as well as his side project The Fire Theft (another excellent band). Back in 1996, Enigk released "Return of the Frog Queen" his solo album. The heartwarming magical harmonies of this CD made it an instant classic in my opinion.

Well, I have good news for you Jeremy Enigk fans. He has a new album coming out! World Waits will be released in October of 2006 and will contain the same of what you love. Amazing harmonies, lush instrumentals, and a voice you can't help but love. Available below is a new song off World Waits, which in my opinion is a GREAT preview of what is to come. Look for more updates on his new solo album in the future. It is sure to please.

mp3: Jeremy Enigk - Been Here Before

For his official website, click here.

For his myspace, click here.

The Scissor Sisters

I think if there were a poll tomorrow of what bands might have the best live experience, I think it would come down to either Elton John, Iron Maiden, or the Scissor Sisters. Now, it may seem it bit strange to throw in a metal band like Maiden into that group to some, but I don't know of anything that can really rival a giant statue of Eddie standing behind the band, clad in various album getups. I've not seen any of the artists I mentioned earlier live. And while I often think I would give my right arm to see Maiden live (look for a post on their new album soon, expect the unexpected from this blog, and hey, it'll be irony free, I promise!!!), and seeing Elton sober seems like something for forty year-olds, the Scissor Sisters seem like the perfect balance between glam and talent to me for a live spectacle. Just a tad over the top (you think?), but then, I mean isn't that why its called glam in the first place? I mean if I'm gonna spend the dough, give me an experience to fucking write home about! The Sisters seem to put on one shit-hot live show from the videos I've seen, so to entice you, here's the latest video from their forthcoming album Ta-Dah:




Sounds a lot to me like some cranked up Erasure and if it can make a hipster like me feel like dancing, you know its gotta be a solid tune. Here's the band from the 2005 Brit Awards performing their last hit, Take Your Mama:



Here's the dates for their US Tour:

9/7 New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
9/23 Baltimore, MD - Virgin Festival
9/28 Los Angeles, CA -Shrine Auditorium
9/29 San Francisco,, CA - Warfield
9/30 San Francisco CA - Warfield
10/2 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
10/3 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
10/4 Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
10/7 Maplewood, MN Myth
10/8 Chicago,, IL - Riviera Theatre
10/17 Nashville TN - City Hall
10/18 Atlanta,, GA - Tabernacle
10/19 New Orleans LA - House of Blues
10/22 Boston, MA - Orpheum

"I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" iTunes Link: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=176408996&s=143441

official site: www.scissorsisters.com

myspace: www.myspace.com/scissorsisters

Darker My Love

I was only just recently introduced to the band Darker My Love. Which makes me rather sad, as they have a damn fine blend of dirty rock and roll with shoegaze elements that makes me wanna jump into a car and drive about 90. They remind of a harder Sereena Maneesh or maybe a more shoegazey Raveonettes possibly. However you describe it, it rocks, pure and simple. I've only heard a couple songs so far off this album but what I've heard so far I really like. What makes them even cooler is they are going on tour with Asobi Seksu. Now this a pairing made in Heaven, or maybe in Hell, take your pick. Either way mark your calendars cuz this is gonna be one of those tours you'll be kicking yourself for missing next 6 months from now. Your ears however, will thank you for not going, lol. Here's a song from the self-titled debut album which just came out on Tuesday.

MP3: Darker My Love - What's a Man's Paris

And as a bonus here's some links to the boy's video for Summer Is Here video.

Quicktime

Hi: http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/media/videos/darkermylove/darker_my_love_high.mov

Lo: http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/media/videos/darkermylove/darker_my_love_low.mov

Windows Media

Hi: http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/media/videos/darkermylove/darker_my_love_high.wmv

Lo: http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/media/videos/darkermylove/darker_my_love_low.wmv

Their myspace is here, their homepage here. Rush out and buy the album, then go see them on tour, 'nuff said.

The Little Ones Live on KEXP

I posted a few weeks ago on this band (one of my current faves) and found the following live show over at A Tune A Day (great blog check it sometime). Anyways, here's the band doing songs off their EP, Sing Song. That EP has definitely been pretty high on my playlists since I got it. If you've not bought it yet I highly suggest heading over to here and picking up a copy or five. This EP makes a great gift for pop obsessed music fans. It really is one of the finest examples of sugary fun summer indiepop I've heard this year. Here's the boys live on KEXP from the 29th of July:

MP3: The Little Ones - Cha Cha Cha

MP3: The Little Ones - Gregory's Chant (NEW SONG!!!)

MP3: The Little Ones - High On a Hill

MP3: The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover

MP3: The Little Ones - Oh, MJ!

And here's a bonus, my (current) second favorite song off their EP:

MP3: The Little Ones - High On A Hill (This one's got handclaps in it!!!!)

I hope I am not the only one anxiously awaiting a full length from these guys. And a tour that actually comes near me, grrr.... Here's some dates the boys are playing this fall, oh, and they've got some band called the French Punches, or Kicks or something like that with them (man that's gotta be one shit-hot show).

Here's the dates:

Aug 24 2006 8:00P Petersen Automotive Museum Los Angeles, CA
Aug 26 2006 2:15P 26th Annual Sunset Junction Street Fair Silver Lake, CA
Aug 28 2006 9:00P Spaceland Los Angeles, CA
Sep 15 2006 8:00P Double Door Chicago, IL
Sep 16 2006 8:00P Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, MN
Sep 17 2006 8:00P The Picador Iowa City, IA
Sep 19 2006 8:00P Opolis Norman, OK
Sep 20 2006 8:00P Gypsy Tea Room Dallas, TX
Sep 21 2006 8:00P Emo's Austin, TX
Sep 22 2006 8:00P Walters on Washington Houston, TX
Sep 23 2006 8:00P Spanish Moon Baton Rouge, LA
Sep 24 2006 8:00P The Earl Atlanta, GA
Sep 25 2006 8:00P Exit / In Nashville, TN
Sep 27 2006 8:00P Beta Bar Tallahassee, FL
Sep 28 2006 8:00P The Orpheum Tampa, FL
Sep 29 2006 8:00P Studio A Miami, FL
Sep 30 2006 8:00P The Social Orlando, FL
Oct 2 2006 8:00P Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
Oct 3 2006 8:00P Black Cat Washington D.C., DC
Oct 4 2006 8:00P North Star Bar Philadelphia, PA

Their myspace, their homepage and click on the lick for lil' stuff and you can get some cool merchandise like shirts and stickers and buttons and oh yeah, the freaking awesome EP as well.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• indiepop
• summer
• music
• Los
• Angeles
• tour

Gamba

Now even though I first saw this band blogged about on friend's site back in June, but since I wanted to cover something Swedish this week and I felt obligated to introduce my readers to it, I am posting on it today. The band is Gamba (featuring members from South Ambulance) and they are, as if you really needed to guess, from Sweden. Now you already know without me even having to type it that:

A) This band makes cutesy twee jangle pop music

B) Their songs are great to sing along with and,

C) I fucking love this band.

For the Spanish readers among you you can check out Roque's great write up (the Spanish deficient among you can translate it through google) on the band and his site as well, Mira el Pendulo. This is great lo-fi jangly guitar pop for the child in all of us. Summer is starting to wind down here, but listening to an EP like this one, can really set the tone for more great summer fun. This EP is quite impressive, each song on it is worthy of the term, new found friend. Because that's what each song is like to me when I am listening, like you are meeting a new best friend with each listen. I can't recommend it highly enough to you.

Befriend them on myspace here and check out their homepage here. You can get copies of their EP by emailing the band at: tillgamba@hotmail.com

MP3: Gamba - Zimone

MP3: Gamba - Keiko (this is song is so freaking great its hard to describe how good it is with words...)

MP3: Gamba - Julia

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• twee
• jangle
• indiepop
• swedish
• music

Iron and Wine

I'm not the world's biggest Iron & Wine fan, but the songs I like are ones that I obsess over and listen to incessantly. I thought I would share two of my favorites, some live, some alternate versions, and some video. Make no mistake these are songs that have eaten up hours of my listening time each day. I cannot honestly recall a day in recent memory where I have not listened to either of these songs at least once (and often much more than that, lol).

MP3: Iron & Wine - Trapeze Swinger

MP3: Iron & Wine - Trapeze Swinger (Radio Vienna version)

MP3: Iron & Wine - Trapeze Swinger (live Lollapalooza 08-04-06)

MP3: Iron & Wine - History of Lovers (live Roseland Theater 10-21-05)

MP3: Iron & Wine - History of Lovers (live on KEXP 10-22-05)

AVI: Iron & Wine - History of Lovers (live on Late Late Show 01-06-06)

Sorta

Today's band, Sorta, is best recommended for fans of Wilco and rootsy country rock and pop. After listening to the CD, I am sure it will come as no surprise to anyone to find they call Dallas their home. Man, Texas might have thrown us a curve so far as presidents go, but the bands coming out of this state are A-fucking-MAZING. I think at least twice a week I am floored by a band that calls the Lone Star state home. Must be something really good in the water down there (or maybe the proximity to Mexico and some of its "herbal exports". I dunno, but this band's album, Strange and Sad But True is a solid listen from start to finish. That's something to say with all the albums music fans are constantly bombarded with today. I have to say that I think these boys have listened to Summerteeth at least a few (dozen) times. But that's okay, cuz this album can stand on its own despite any half-assed comparisons to other bands this blogger can dish out. Its good stuff. Really good. Check it out for yourself, then head over to their site and buy their album, you'll not disappoint yourself.

Visit Sorta's myspace here, and their homepage here.

Some mp3's for your sampling pleasure:

MP3: Sorta - Buttercup

MP3: Sorta - Water Music

Maps

Its been quite an exciting week for music for me, the new Decemberists album has leaked (which is insanely awesome, I know shows on this tour will start selling out too fast now; see, that's part of why the hipsters drop bands when they get big, you can never get in to see them anymore...), I found the spiritual descendants of the Jesus and Mary Chain and I found a young man from the UK who records under the name of Maps. If Anything After is the new Jesus and Mary Chain, then Maps is the new MBV. Now in both of these cases I don't really mean to compare either of these bands directly to these bands, but those are the ones that come to my mind when listening to them. I don't really like to throw those bands out there because, well, both of them deserve to be heard for their sound, not because they sound like someone else. But the aesthetics are hard to deny for me. If you take one part My Bloody Valentine, mix in a dash of Low, and sprinkle liberally with a lot of Spiritualized (the quieter parts, there's no 8 minute feedback drone freakouts here) you come up with Maps. That's the best way I know to describe them using other bands as reference points. But like I said about Anything After, its bad both for the band and you to describe them that way. The best way is just for you to download the songs and enjoy them. I hope you take something close to what I did from these songs, and bear in mind they are only demos. I get chills thinking how good finished these songs will be.

Join James as a friend here on myspace. The Maps message board is here.

MP3: Maps - To the Sky (demo)

MP3: Maps - Lost My Soul (demo)

Hundred Year Storm

There must be something in the water in the state of Texas. First I am blessed with the beautiful music of Explosions In The Sky, and now I come across Hundred Year Storm, a group hailing from Austin, Texas. Their new album, "Hello Children From The Planet Earth" goes to stores August 22nd and is definitely an album worth picking up. Imagine if Explosions In The Sky was asked to do a concert on the moon, add in a few vocals to some songs, and you get this. I believe "space rock instrumental" is the right term for this band. Posted below are some worthy mp3's from this band, my personal favorite being "Mental" a beautiful instrumental with a Martin Luther King Jr. speech in the background, providing a very uplifting and thought provoking song. Enjoy!

In case you didn't notice, I am a new poster. I go by Caruso, and I hail from the east coast. That means more updates. ;-)

Their myspace. Their homepage.

Mp3: Hundred Year Storm - Mental

Mp3: Hundred Year Storm - Beloved

Anything After

A few days ago I got a myspace friend request from Anything After. Being the usual lazy bastard I am I waited for a few before actually bothering to check out the band's site. Man am I pissed for not doing it sooner. These California kids make some of the best Jesus and Mary Chain meets-New Order-meets-new-fucking-hottness I have ever heard. I'm not gonna go on and on about how they rock. Or the fact that they sound like one of the greatest bands to ever walk this earth, or that even though they do, they have their own unique sound. No, I will not, I just won't. You'll have to download the songs and check them out for yourself. Because they deserve it. Because you deserve it. They're good. Great in fact. Next year you'll be thinking back to now and how hearing a few mp3s changed your life. I fucking swear it.

Their myspace. Their homepage. Their mp3s:

MP3: Anything After - All for This (this songs so good I don't really even want to share it with you...)

MP3: Anything After - Not What It Seems

After you've befriended them on myspace you can find two other songs there as well.

Battle

This band took me a few songs to really get into. I'm not sure why, but I didn't care too much for the first few tracks off their album and it started to sour me on it. But by track 3 however.... my mind was completely changed. I guess by then I had started to really get into the britrock sound of the album. And its a sound at which they excel oh so well. The album is quite consistent overall and very good; its grown on me a quite a bit since that first listen. At any rate, Battle is the project of 4 London lads who as I stated earlier make some pretty fine Britrock. I don't really have anyone to compare them to, which is good, I think. If pressured, maybe I might say a rockier Boo Radleys (not really, and if I really had to, maybe, just maybe I would toss out British Sea Power, but that would be too disingenuous I think); I'm not sure. The point is the album as a whole is exceptional, its rocky and poppy and I guarantee it'll be great fun to drive in your car to (or on the bus in my case...). Here's some songs off their forthcoming album, Break the Banks.

MP3: Battle - Demons

MP3: Battle - Children

Check them out on myspace here.
Their homepage is here.

The Lonesome Architects

The Lonesome Architects make some of the best folky indiepop that I have heard in a while (well, in several days ok). This album is pretty subdued in parts, but has its moments (lots of them actually). And when it shines, it shines big. The Architects are a two piece consisting of Marti and Josh, just a couple of childhood friends from first grade. I think most fans of Connor Oberst or the Decemberists will enjoy this album as much as I did. It definitely fits well alongside either of those bands. I highly recommend picking it up and letting Martin and Josh know how how much you dig their sounds by joining them on myspace. Their homepage is here. Buy their new lp here from Oh! Map Records for a measley $10. Their myspace has some additional songs as well, ;-)

MP3: The Lonesome Architects - 10-23 (my current fave off the album)

MP3: The Lonesome Architects - Tractors and Fences

Viva Voce and Silversun Pickups

A couple days ago I saw the posting of the Silversun Pickups and Viva Voce tour over on Skatterbrain the other day and literally went ape shit at the announcement of this tour. I saw both of these bands this year and each time they blew me away. This tour is gonna be one of the ones to attend this fall for sure. Here's some mp3s for your pleasure.

MP3: Silversun Pickups - Well Thought Out Twinkles

MP3: Viva Voce - When Planets Collide

Here's the tour dates:

Viva Voce and Silversun Pickups Fall 2006 Tour:

9.28 Rickshaw Stop San Francisco CA
9.29 Howie and Sons Visalia CA
9.30 The Echo Los Angeles CA
10.1 Modified Phoenix AZ
10.3 Emo’s Austin TX
10.4 Opolis Norman OK
10.5 Randy Bacon Gallery Springfield MO
10.7 Courtyard Caf� Urbana IL
10.8 Southgate House Newport KY
10.10 Iota Club and Caf� Arlington VA
10.11 Mercury Lounge New York NY
10.12 Mercury Lounge New York NY
10.13 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia PA
10.15 Middle East Upstairs Cambridge MA
10.16 The Bug Jar Rochester NY
10.17 Lee’s Palace Toronto ON
10.18 The Lime Spider Akron OH
10.20 Empty Bottle Chicago IL
10.21 Maintenance Shop Ames IA
10.24 Hi Dive Denver CO
10.26 Neurolux Boise ID
10.28 Doug Fir Lounge Portland OR

Kite Flying Society

Sorry for no updates the last few days, I've been running on fumes and not had the time or the energy to post anything. Suffice it to say, I did however have time and energy to go see one of the bands I have been most excited about the last few months. The show was Kite Flying Society and it quite simply rocked! I was not disappointed one bit by the show and to be honest, I was overwhlemed. Now this also had a little to do with a certain band who played with them, The Gingerbread Patriots, who I will share with you sometime soon (I simply have to, I've no choice in the matter!). KFS was outstading, both in performance and in meeting the band. they are some of the nicest folks I've had the pleasure of meeting in some time. If KFS is in your neck of the woods, you owe it to yourself to see them. Cuz they rock. The show was really really good, they played their best from the album and even did not one, but two freaking covers. The first cover they did was Nilsson's Are You Sleeping. And the band did an excellent job with the song. They definitely made it their own this night. The song I was most impressed with hearing, and you can hold your breath for this one, was Ace of Base's I Saw the Sign. Now, anyone who has read my blog at all knows I love Swedish music (cuz Sweden = Snapple, really) and to do this song, well, I was blown away. Two funny asides here, I was listening to their interview on Amplify San Diego and somehow Ace of Bass was brought up and I thought, wow I Saw the Sign would be a fucking awesome cover. So guess what? They did it. And it was good. Really good. I mean my night was already made by seeing them, but covering this song made it even better. So to end, KFS live = completely awesome, new album = supremely fucking awesome, and beer = !!!. Here's your songs:

MP3: Kite Flying Society - This Shadow

MP3: Kite Flying Society - If I Could Split


Their album is out, so head over to here to grab yourself a copy of some of the finest pop you'll hear this year. If you're not already onboard the friendship train head over to their myspace and sign up for an account, and if you are go drop some love in the form of a comment. Speaking of which, I wish people would leave more comments on my blogposts, lol. Check their homepage here.

Circulus

Circulus are one of those bands that I think I'd enjoy listening to while reading Books Of Magic or Sandman or Lucifer or some other Vertigo comic. They have this medieval folk-renaissance faire-hippy-trippy-60's love-in-70's moog type thing going on. And it works. Really freaking well. I like this CD a lot. I can't stop listening to it in fact. Its catchy but in more of a Sufjan type of way where it creeps up on you, than in a CYHSY sort of way. This band sounds exactly like you think a band like I just described sounds. Weird. But familiar, bizarre and completely derivative and original all at once. Its so good I wish I could hear it all over again for the first time. I'll tell you why I love this album so much (hey I'm starting to write hyperbole like a real blogger). I love flutes or lutes or whatever it is they are playing on the album!!! And I love MOOGS and this album has plenty of Moog for yo' ass, too. Check out these tracks and tell me you don't love them. I bet you can't....

MP3: Circulus - Willow Tree

MP3: Circulus - Bouree

MP3: Circulus - Dragon's Dance

Their myspace and their homepage. Go buy the album already.




PS It might take several listens to thoroughly enjoy this stuff, but when you do, your whole world will change. Trust me, that's just the nature of acid-folk.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• indie
• acid-folk
• psychedelic
• british
• music

The Channel

The Channel are a 7-piece band out of Austin, TX who write some of the best indierock/alt-country songs I have heard in a while. Their approach to songwriting may be a different than the usual for most bands as they have 5 song writers in the band. Now, with musicians of lesser talent, this might lead to having a less cohesive sound, but not at all. I think it works extremely well and if their current release, Tales From the Two Hill Heart is any indication, the band's craft will only get better the longer they are together. This is country music, but it is also pop music and a fair dose of indie rock all mixed together. Fans of Wilco should love this double-lp. I know I do, lol. Check them out on myspace here, their homepage here, and buy the freaking album here, ok? Here's a couple songs for your listening pleasure. You might as well CNTRL Click the link for the label so you can order a copy, you know you're going to. By the way, I think this album cover is the best I've seen all year, there's just something about it that draws me in.

(Right-click, Save As... for all mp3 links...)

MP3: The Channel - Olden Days (my recommendation)

MP3: The Channel - Sibylline Machine

MP3: The Channel - Sneaks or Skates (can I have two favorites today?)

You can also stream the album from C-Side Records, as well as Golden Bear's new one which I posted on last week. As a bonus here's another song from Golden Bear, enjoy!!!

BONUS MP3: Golden Bear - Victory is Ours

The Special Needs

So I was rummaging around looking for something new to listen to and ran across the search terms indie, pop, and surf which in turn led me to The Special Needs' myspace. Now that's a combination one doesn't see everyday. So naturally I had to track down some songs by this band. And its quite-fucking-good. Really fucking good to be honest. The more I hear their songs the more I like both the band and their sound. Its sort of weird in a way, and quite a shame they've broken up. Sure there's been plenty of great bands that have mixed rock and surf, I mean The Pixies, and the Jesus and Mary Chain for fuck's sake; but there are also tons I never want to have to hear again that have dabbled in mixing surf and more standard rock sounds. Most of which no one wants to recall, I know I didn't feel like looking for any (I was gonna name drop Los Straitjackets, but then I remembered I rather liked their debut album). But back to the band at hand. As their myspace page says this album almost did not get released. Internal band squabbles and being dropped from their label led to a decision not to release the album. Luckily Re-Action Recordings Ltd decided the album was too important to be doomed to obscurity and unrelease. Here's a few songs to hopefully convince you to check out the album. Its a great album, lots of hooks, lots of surf-inflected songs and plenty of poppy song topics. Pick it up, you won't be disappointed.

MP3: The Special Needs - Sylvia

MP3: The Special Needs - Blue Skies

MP3: The Special Needs - Girl From the Launderette

MP3: The Special Needs - Time to Remember

Their myspace, their homepage.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• indierock
• surf
• music
• british

The Catastrophes

The Catastrophes will mark the first Norwegian band here on the blog (and one the first band with a garage sound). I wish I actually had some info on this band but all attempts to contact them for some 411 have failed miserably. English is such a barrier at times.... Anyways, here's what their myspace has to say about them:

"Once upon a time there was a little kid who grew tired of a boring and hopeless life in a cold and dark land called Norway. He spent his days drinking and dreaming of a better tomorrow. He decided to quit school at 18, and moved to London the 1st of january 2005. After earning some money playing at pubs, things started to get better for the lad. Only to be kicked out of his home in Manresa Road shortly after. He stayed with his good friend Paul and slept on his the floor for three weeks. He didn't have much money and his clothes were dirty and cold, but the whisky kept him warm in Aldgate East. No girl could love such a catastrophe and United lost and lost in the Premiership. "If I'm ever going to start a band it has to be called Catastrophes", the boy thought, looking at his empty bottle of scotch. He started to write songs and moved back to Bergen and Norway. On a dark night in late september he met 3 other lost souls and they drowned their sorrows in whiskey and gin. Catastrophes is about broken hearts, shattered dreams and rock 'n' roll. But it's also a tale about friendship and hope."

Hmmm, sounds pretty good to me. If that's not enough to get you to check out their songs, I don't know what will. They have a sound like maybe a tamer Strokes. Lots of melody and great harmonies on their songs, which are great garage rockers mixed with an almost britpop sound. This is music for driving in your car for sure and I'll bet this band is a hell of a lot of fun to see live.

MP3: The Catastrophes - Kings of Rock 'n' Roll

MP3: The Catastrophes - No Tomorrow

MP3: The Catastrophes - Easier if You Killed Me (my fave track)

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• indierock
• garage
• rock
• norway

Model's Inc

I figured it was time for a little more love from Sweden (as you know, the country is just like Snapple...). Today's band is Models, Inc, who, of course, hail from Sweden. Specifically Stockholm. The band has that typical indiepop sound, but have also released a country tinged album that is pretty good also (though I much prefer the pop sound). On said country album they also manage a cover of Hey which is, well... well its quite country sounding. Damn near unrecognizeable as Hey to be honest. I'd've never guessed it was the Pixies song without knowledge of the original's lyrics.

MP3: Models, Inc - Who'll Put a Goblet on My Grave

MP3: Models, Inc - Atlantis-låten

MP3: Models, Inc - Hey


Their myspace and their homepage (where you can order both of their albums for just a few Sek, :-P. Also, check both pages for a few more downloads

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• indiepop
• sweden
• music

The Snow Fairies

Since the Snow Fairies are calling it quits, I though I'd post a couple tracks from their myspace and a few of my faves, maybe if they get some more friends they won't break up... doubtful, but who knows? I'm more than a little saddened at the prospect of a world without this band, they've been one of the more solid American indiepop bands over the last few years or so. I think one of the reasons I've come to love them so much has been that the singer Rose's voice reminds me so much of Sarah Shannon's voice (if I have to say who she is, you might wanna try reading another blog, or at least google her...). Truly the world will be a bit dimmer without this band's shining light. To end on a bright note, the Snow Fairies do have a new album due out in October....

MP3: The Snow Fairies - April Showers

MP3: The Snow Fairies - Life of a Total Square

MP3: The Snow Fairies - Begins (my absolute all-time fave song of theirs, only thing this song is missing is handclaps!!!)

MP3: The Snow Fairies - Freeze-Dried Ice Cream

Join them on myspace here and check their homepage here.

TagsZ: mp3 twee indiepop

• mp3
• twee
• indiepop

The Little Ones

I spent my entire bus trip both to work and back trying to find a band I felt like posting on tonight. I went through a lot of new stuff that I thought about posting but felt I needed a few more listens before I could commit to an actual post (re: I was lazy with my notes and didn't make it clear what band and what song I made notes for, lol). However, The Little Ones' Sing Song EP and I have been old friends for a while now, so they won out over some newer songs I could have posted. I am sure that this song will not disappoint you if you've not heard it and if you have, it'll remind you how great summer is (and this EP for that matter). I felt that a lot of my recent posts have gotten away from the lighter sounds of summer, so nothing like a song like this to give it a good ol' kick in the rear. Enjoy Cha Cha Cha. It'll make your day, promise.

MP3: The Little Ones - Cha Cha Cha (right click save as)


Join them on myspace here and learn more about them on their homepage here.

Windmill

Sometimes music comes to you from out of nowhere and hits you like a brick. You hear something that just feels all at once overwhelming and powerful and makes perfect sense but is confusing to you all at once. Its a lot like a car accident, your world changes, if even for a brief moment and you find yourself a bit unsure of just what really happened and exactly where and what is going on. Windmill, is the project of a 26 year old Englishman named Matthew Thomas Dillon. I've seen his vocal style compared to everyone from Wayne Coyne and Neil Young to Jonathon Donahue, and while those are probably good starting points, I still feel that who I am hearing just will not come to me. And that's great. Its part of why hearing something new is so amazing. The song I am posting has eaten up a lot of time today on repeat. This track, Racing is a song full of dichotomy, at once it sounds sullen and energetic, melancholic and wistful, joyous and remorseful. I lose sight somewhat of just which adjectives to use to describe something that simply has to be heard to be understood. I rather regret this post in some ways because I am gushing so much over it. All that I can say is that I've found a wide range of emotion in this one song, more so than many songs I've known for years that I would call an old friend. This most auspicious of debuts has me wondering what else this bright young man has in store for the world and what I say will be a growing legion of fans in the future. I hope that each of you who visits this site, if you download just one song from here, let it be this one. I cannot recommend it enough to you. I hope after you have listened to it, you'll think of it as an old friend the way I already do.

MP3: Windmill - Racing

This song comes from Windmill's 7-inch Racing/Tokyo Moon due out on September 11th from Static Caravan Records. Join Matthew on his myspace here and be sure to preorder the 7-inch here.

The Extraordinaires

Way back in February Connor from I Guess I'm Floating posted on a band called The Extraordinaires. Here's a link to his original post (with a few songs from on the band that sums them up fairly well. Their first album, the soaring and operatic masterpiece Ribbons of War (yes, I do think it deserves those adjectves) has easily been one of my favorite ones to listen to this year. If you've not heard it, think The Decemberists with a slightly more country flair. The good news is the band is readying their second full-length, Short Stories, hopefully it will be released sometime soon. I couldn't find an actual release date anywhere on their myspace or their label's but there are at least 2 songs up to download which should be on the new album.

(All files are right-click, save as...)

MP3: The Extraordinaires - Warehouse

MP3: The Extraordinaires - Hi Five the Cactus

And here are two of my faves from their first masterpiece ut its so disheartening to have to choose just two songs:

MP3: The Extraordinaires - Wings Over Siros Island

MP3: The Extraordinaires - Seeds of Jealousy (my personal fave)

Check them out on myspace here and their homepage here.

The band also have a quite a tour scheduled for the late summer/fall, but alas no West Coast dates so far :-(

The Scourge of the Sea

So I've been really sick the past few days, thought it was allergies until the fever started. For someone who wants to listen to music all the time, having your ears stuffed up and a pounding headache does not help with your hobby. But I struggled though it so I could bring you this song from Scourge of the Sea. Today's song is one of those ones that has you listening to the song over and over and over so you can learn the words well enough to sing along with it. The band, who hail from Lexington, KY write some of the sweetest acoustic based rock I've heard in quite some time. As their site says, comparisons to the Softies and the Mountain Goats would not be too far off mark. Okkervil River would be another close comparison as well, I also (and others will probably disagree with this one) hear a some what more country sounding Delgados in their songs. The album comes out August 15th and its worth getting it for the 10 minute epic closer, Chocolate Chips alone. The entire album is good from start to finish with only maybe one song that I've skipped through so far. That's quite something for me to say in this day with all the available music out there. Check their myspace here and their homepage here. I couldn't find a link for preordering the album except for Amazon.

MP3: The Scourge of the Sea - My Sweet One

And because I am feeling so shitty and want at least someone to feel good today, here's a bonus song:

BONUS MP3: The Scourge of the Sea - The Birds of a Feather