September 23, 2010

Eels videos from Tomorrow Morning

Yesterday, Eels released the second music video from their latest album, Tomorrow Morning. The new video, for 'Baby Loves Me', has a really quirky and low-budget feel to it, a big contrast to the high-production and completely awesome video they released for 'Spectacular Girl' back in July. You can watch them both out below, and be sure to check out the whole new album - I personally think it's the best music (frontman) E has made in years.



What a guy.

mp3: Eels - Baby Loves Me



An unusual Eels video, but possibly one of my all-time favorites from the band's 15-year career. Love the combination of the songs innocent lyrics/sound and the video's plot.

mp3: Eels - Spectacular Girl
September 22, 2010

Video: Animal Collective - Bluish

Animal Collective just released a (belated) official video for 'Bluish', one of my all-time favorite songs by the band. 'Bluish' is from their highly acclaimed 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavillion, and this very trippy video in my opinion matches the psychedelic sound of the album perfectly.

mp3: Animal Collective - Bluish

The lyrics are simply beautiful. Try giving this stripped-down acoustic cover a listen, and this fact will probably become even more apparent to you:

mp3: Sondre Lerche - Bluish (cover)
September 15, 2010

Two slow remixes

mp3: Broken Social Scene - All To All (Spirit If Remix By Kevin Drew & Ohad Benchetrit)

mp3: Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Eat More Cake Remix)

Turn down the lights, take it easy and enjoy these two chillout remixes. Eat More Cake are a four-piece electronica band from London, here doing a very sweet take on Stardust's 1998 French house classic. Kevin Drew and Ohad Benchetrit are two of the many members of supergroup Broken Social Scene, and here they add their personal touch to one of my favorite tracks off their own band's latest album, Forgiveness Rock Record.

Here are the two originals:



Classic music video that takes me right back to elementary school.




Cute and minimalistic live performance.
September 9, 2010

K.C. Purposely

I already did a post about K.C. Accidental, but with Arts & Crafts re-releasing the albums, I figured I would post a song from the same EP/part I referenced before.

mp3: Silverfish Eyelashes

A song with a lot of build-up, and it's rather long. It's definitely worth it though. There's a reason these two essentially spawned an entire generation of relationships and music that is Broken Social Scene, Arts & Crafts, and all the various bands and histories of each of its members and collaborators.

Enjoy, and try to see them live if you get the chance. An amazing show. Buy their album and a t-shirt!
September 7, 2010

Three new releases



mp3: The New Wine - Delete, Rewind

Norwegian synthpoppers The New Wine (I previously covered them here and here) finally came out with new material in Norway yesterday, the single-track digital release 'Delete, Rewind'. The band will be touring Norway in October and Europe in November. It is unfortunately still unknown when they will start releasing material outside Norway, and also when their fabled debut album - which they reported recording in studio back in May - will finally be out. Good to hear something new from them though, and it makes me hungry for more!




mp3: Röyksopp - The Alcoholic

I posted the first small tastes of Röyksopp's fourth album, Senior a month ago, and now the release date is just around the corner: September 13th is the day the acclaimed Norwegian electronica duo's new all-instrumental concept album is officially released. I've had the chance to listen through Senior in its entirety, and I must say it's definitely darker and less accessible than last year's radio-friendly Junior (the best way to experience the new album, the two musicians suggest, is 'in a dark room with an opium pipe in your hand'), but ultimately much better. Check out my favorite track, 'The Alcoholic'.




mp3: of Montreal - Enemy Gene

Another much-anticipated album that comes out next week is False Priest, the tenth studio album by Athens, GA based indiepop eccentrics of Montreal (out September 14th). Two months ago, I wrote about my anticipations for the album after having heard the first leaked track, 'Coquet Coquette'. Back then, I was puzzled by how the album was supposedly going to be very r&b and funk influenced, while 'Coquet Coquette' really sounded like one of their more straightforward indie rock tracks. Now, after having given False Priest ten listens, the answer is clear: 'Coquet Coquette' is really just an exception, and not representative of the album's style at all. In of Montreal's manic-depressive catalogue, False Priest is the manic answer to the depressive Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer: a hyperactively manic, upbeat, funky and flamboyant affair with an ever present pumping bass and high falsetto throughout its 53 minute playtime. Beyoncé's younger sister Solange Knowles as well as close of Montreal friend Janelle Monáe make wonderful vocal contributions to the album and not only make the whole 'indie pop turned r&b' concept work, but actually seem quite sincere too. Check out the track 'Enemy Gene' featuring Monáe, or read my blog entry about her previous collaboration with of Montreal.
September 6, 2010

Young the Giant

mp3: Young the Giant - My Body

My body tells me no / but I won't quit / I want more!

I'm hooked to this track - so energetic, raw and catchy. Young The Giant are a quintet from Newport Beach, and even though their self-titled debut record isn't out until October 26th, they've already grown a considerable fan base through their very solid live performances (check out the video below to get a taste!) and an EP. The sweet guitar riff, the rough, organic sound, their tireless youthful energy and the hedonistic lyrics on this track remind me of the young Strokes of the Is This It era. I'm looking forward to hear more from these guys next month!

Recently Freecreditreport.com decided to hire an actual band to promote their site after the previous set of commercials did so well. If you are unaware what I'm talking about, then you are surely missing out. The catchy upbeat little ditties in every song actually were entertaining and the goofy face of the band were hard to resist.

(This one is my personal favorite. My first car looked just like that, but was red)

Anyway, it turns out these guys weren't a real band and just actors paid to sing the song. While an effective jingle, the freecreditreport.com marketing team decided to take it up a notch and do a band search for the new face of freecreditreport.com. The search took a few months and got plenty commercial coverage (including MTV!), but finally we have a winner.

They are the ... Victorious Secrets! (irony)




What does everyone think? Did they deserve to win? The other 3 runner ups will be posted at the bottom of the post if you didn't get to catch them.

For more information on The Victorious Secrets check out their myspace or their official band website. Their pop rock sound is actually pretty infectious.

(exert from their myspace)

Here's what other anonymous people are saying about
The Victorious Secrets!

"They are not too bad actually."

"Hey... they're okay."

" They remind me somewhat of a grungier Sloan. Shocked that this isn't horrible! I'm sure I'll be sick to death of it though. "

"...interesting chord progressions, and lead vocals that don't infuriate me."

"If I have to put up with it, this is perfectly acceptable."

" Something about their songs remind me of the Von Bondies. I kinda don't hate it. "

" It's not horrible... "


THE OTHER BANDS WHO FAILED

Evolove

The Poets Dance

I Love Monsters






"Dude, you got some ... Arnzt on you"






For anyone living under a rock or for anyone who just gave up on the band, Weezer is releasing their latest album on September 14. Back with a tongue in cheek album cover and title, Hurley**, is set to be more "raw rock and roll" then previous albums and the current single shows this to be true. "Memories" is a step up from the latest batch of Weezer turdlets i.e. Raditude, but will the new album show promise to go back to the days of the famed Blue Album or even Pinkerton? Not quite, but for now we just got to give Weezer time.


"Memories" along with the other 9 tracks on Hurley are the first releases from Weezer on their new label Epitaph. Maybe after the big label move Weezer will start to make more and more sonic changes to a less "pop/rock/radio friendly snooze fest" and more to some of "Say It Aint So".

In the meantime, this song will be rocking most alternative/college radio station playlists for a long while and Weezer will be headlining the ever famous Seattle Bumbershoot festival this sunday along with Rise Against and Hole.


Weezer: Memories











**An album named after the famous character played by Jorge Garcia on the television show Lost. To be honest I was hoping for a Lost concept record, or maybe some answers to Season six but you cant win em all.