Friday, March 28, 2008

This Week's Mix

The tests are finally over and its time to party! There is no converging theme for these songs, but I enjoy listening to all of them.

The Dismemberment Plan - What Do You Want Me To Say? (Remix)
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Tamacun
Unwed Sailor - Little Wars
Lemuria - Get Some Sleep
The Billionaires - End of Summer Song
Misfortune500 - A Ready Defense
Teenage Prayers - I'm In Love Again
Sally Shaprio - Jackie Junior (Junior Boys Remix)
The Epochs - Opposite Sides (Remix)
Pop Levi - Never Never Love (Pink Enemy Mix)

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Loxsly Releases Flashlights


Austin indie rockers Loxsly, announce the release of their newest EP, Flashlights, which dropped at the beginning of March. Originally, I thought that I saw this band play last year, but it actually was NYC's Locksley (just as fun, check them out). Still, the with-an-x band is quite a pop-melodic treat. Check out a MP3 of “Lamprey Eels”, and their clean-cut website, which is extra-fun, if you're a neat freak like me. They have no east coast dates scheduled as of now, but they tell us that they plan to come this way over the summer. We'll let you know, when the dates are confirmed.

Lamprey Eels

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Sisters 3


As an avid fan of both lyrical competency and a good use of falsetto, I’m typically drawn to folk music of all kinds. Even more so, I’m usually thrilled after stumbling across a good female-fronted band, as they tend to be few and far between. Mix it all together and out comes Sisters 3. As the name states, the three band members are indeed three sisters and have apparently been singing together since the beginning of well, being sisters. To boot the Pennsylvanians come off with an other-worldly, minimalist charm which isn’t even realized due to the overpowering vocal melodies. They aren't coming to DC just yet, but they have several PA dates on the books. I'll leave you with a couple of tracks off of their soon to be released CD, Star Spangled.

3/28: Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA
3/29: Tritone, Philadelphia, PA
5/04: Spoutwood Farms, Glen Rock, PA

Giggling Gremlins
Star Spangled

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Thrushes

Baltimore's Thrushes have released a new video for "Heartbeats." After you check it out, you can check them out tonight. They will be opening for The Raveonettes at Ottobar.



Heartbeats

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IA Area Weekend

Your team out of the tournament? Got a little cabin fever? Luckily, there are plenty of good shows rolling through the region this weekend, most doing double duty in Baltimore/DC and Philly.


After spending the better part of this decade living in Austin, the must-see show for me this weekend is Ghostland Observatory. Unfortunately, they are only hitting DC, but you can see them Saurday night at the 9:30 Club. Hopefully, they will hit Philly soon.

Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique

The Raveonettes are working extra hard. After doing a show in Philly Thursday night, they pull two shows on Friday in different cities and cap it off in the District on Saturday. They are on tour with Black Acid and local friends Thrushes join the bill in Baltimore.

3/28: Philly @ World Cafe Live *XPN Free at Noon* (Raveonettes only)
3/28: Baltimore @ Ottobar w/ Thrushes
3/29: DC @ Black Cat

The Raveonettes - Dead Sound
Thrushes - Heartbeats

Two tours of reinvented 90s indie cross in the night along I-95, swapping cities. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks with John Vanderslice in tow switch it up with the return of The Eels.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks/John Vanderslice

3/28: DC @ 9:30 Club
3/29: Philly @ TLA

Eels

3/28: Philly @ First Unitarian Church
3/29: DC @ Sixth and I Synagogue

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Baltimore
John Vanderslice - The Parade
Eels - Novacaine for the Soul

Other shows in the area:

Langhorne Slim/Wes Mattheu/Sisters 3

3/28: Philly @ Johnny Brendas

Langhorne Slim - Mary
Sisters 3 - Giggling Gremlins

Caribou/Fuck Buttons

3/29: Philly @ TLA
3/30: DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel

Caribou - Melody Day
Fuck Buttons - Sweet Love For Planet Earth

The Dodos

3/30: DC @ DC9

The Dodos - Fools

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Saturday, March 22, 2008

Sean Walsh & the National Reserve


Sean Walsh encompasses all that claims to be alt. country. This Springsteen/ Iron and Wine/ Ryan Adams mash-up lives in a tiny, tiny Brooklyn “room” and tours through the region very soon. The aptly titled American Music LP, available on iTunes, showcases a pedal steel and relatable, melancholy vocals, a perfect display for the young up-and-coming songwriter. Check out “Everyone I Meet” and “Record's Spin”

March 22 - The Third Floor, Fredericksburg, VA
March 26 – The Black Cat, Washington, DC

Everyone I Meet
Record's Spin

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Friday, March 21, 2008

This Week's Mix

As I am in the middle of midterms for basically every class, I have been listening to a lot of electronic music. This week's mix reflects that. Enjoy!

65daysofstatic - Radio Protector
Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique
Overseer - Slayed
Working For a Nuclear Free City - Troubled Son
Daft Punk - Human After All/Together/One More Time(Reprise)/Music Sounds Better With You (Stardust)
Digitalism - Idealistic
Muscles - Ice Cream
Ratatat - Seventeen Years
Oh Astro - Hello Fuji Boy
Pantha Du Prince - Moonstruck

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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Le Loup and The Ruby Suns


Find a way to leave work early. It's a sunset special (6:30 show!) at the Barbary in Philly Thursday featuring D.C. based and headliners of our first anniversary show, Le Loup. Also on the bill, all the way from New Zealand, The Ruby Suns, and Philly's own The Private Sea. And even though you don't see their name on the bill, Jukebox the Ghost IS playing. I'll be hustling to get there. Save me a spot.

For those of you in DC, Le Loup and The Ruby Suns will be at Black Cat on Friday night with local favorites, Bellman Barker.

Le Loup - We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!
The Ruby Suns - Tane Mahuta
Jukebox The Ghost - Victoria
Bellman Barker - Two Bees

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008

This Week's Releases

Now that SXSW is over, we can start preparing for all the new music that was premiered there. My picks for this week include DeVotchKa's A Mad & Faithful Telling, as well as Destroyer's Trouble In Dreams. There is a local release from Baltimore's Kadman and Gnarls Barkley surprised everyone by moving up their release at the last second.

DeVotchKa

A Mad & Faithful Telling (Buy) - "Transliterator" & Full Album Stream

Destroyer

Trouble In Dreams (Buy) - "Foam Hands" & Full Album Stream

Fuck Buttons

Street Horrrsing (Buy) - "Sweet Love for Planet Earth" & Full Album Stream

The Dodos

Visiter (Buy) - "Fools" & Full Album Stream

These New Puritans

Beat Pyramid (Buy) - "Elvis"

Great Northern

Sleepy Eeepee (Buy) - "Telling Lies"

She & Him

Volume 1 (Buy) - "Why Don't You Let Me Stay Here"

The Kills

Midnight Boom (Buy) - "Cheap and Cheerful"

Be Your Own Pet

Get Awkward (Buy) - "Food Fight"

Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles (Buy) - "Good Time"

The Teenagers

Reality Check (Buy) - "Starlett Johansson"

Kadman (Baltimore)

Sing To Me Slower (Buy) - "Sorry"

Joseph Arthur

Could We Survive (Buy) - "Rages of Babylon"

Gnarls Barkley

The Odd Couple (Buy) - "Run" video

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Monday, March 17, 2008

St. Paddy's Day Throwdown


It's St. Patrick's Day in DC and that can only mean one thing, it is time for Rose's annual St. Paddy's Day Throwdown. She will be at Velvet Lounge tonight and she will be joined by John Bustine and Brandon Butler. Expect a raucous time, Irish drinking songs and lots of Jameson.

Rose - Another Sad Song
John Bustine - Jesus, Jesus Not Again
Brandon Butler - Sparks

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This Week's Mix

I'm a little late with this, but here you go....

Nick Schillace - 1976
Everest - Rebels In The Roses
The Acorns - Flood Pt. 1
Sarandon - Mike's Dollar
Evan Voytas - The Yellow World of '83
Oh! Custer - Post
Bell X1 - Flame
Violens - Violent Sensation Descends
pacificUV - Need
Midnight Movies - Should Have Known

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Friday, March 14, 2008

miniblackhole


As of Friday March 24th, miniblackhole, the London-based, 90’s influenced experimental rock band, has 25 Myspace friends and a website with just a few blog entrees. There’s virtually no information on the band I’ve been listening to all morning, except what I’m writing right now. This is so much pressure. Miniblackhole has everything one would hope an amateur rocker would have; good writing, catchy music, improvable quality. With a little more time and some better recordings (there are only demos, so far), I’m pretty sure miniblackhole’s stats will increase, tenfold.

Check out “Love Solutions”, the idiosyncratic, purposely bawdy cut composed completely of dance/trance music and management-speak lyrics. I’m going to venture out and say it’s hilarious and perfectly suited for multiple inspired YouTube music videos. I'll also post "Far To Go." When you are done listening to those, hit their myspace for more music and to increase their friend count.

Love Solutions
Far To Go

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A Quiet Weekend In The Area

Squaaks
photo by Michael Alan Goldberg

Not much going on this weekend in Philly and Baltimore/DC, only a few shows of note. Everybody must be having a good ol' time down Austin-way. So enjoy the weekend and make the best of it.

Friday night, two local shows in Baltimore and DC are on the bill. Kadman is having a CD release show at the Metro Gallery with Rain The Shining, while Greenland and Bellflur team up for a show at Rock and Roll Hotel.

Two big names fight for your attenton on Friday in Philly and then in DC on Saturday. Atlanta's Black Lips are rolling through the area with bayou electronica by Quintron and Miss Pussycat in support. Or catch Bob Mould, founder of one of the most influential bands in what we know as 'alternative' music, Husker Du. Or you may know him from Sugar, or just on his own. Either way, they will both be great shows.

Black Lips/Quintron and Miss Pussycat
3/15: Philly @ Johnny Brendas
3/16: DC @ Black Cat

Bob Mould
3/15: Philly @ The Troc
3/16: DC @ 9:30

If you missed the Louis XIV and Austin's What Made Milwaukee Famous in Philly earlier this week, they make a stop in DC Saturday night.

3/15: DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel

On Saturday, Baltimore meets Philly when Squaaks drive up I-95 and join Philly's own Jotto.

Jotto/Squaaks
3/16: Philly @ Johnny Brendas

Black Lips - Cold Hands
Quintron and Miss Pussycat - Jamskate
Bob Mould - The Silence
Jotto - Backyard Circus
Squaaks - Fire
Louis XIV - Guilt By Association
What Made Milwaukee Famous - Resistance St.
Kadman - Blue Walls
Greenland - Forward Frame to Frame
Bellflur - First to the Moon

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Saint Bernadette


I Wanna Tell You Something is Saint Bernadette’s follow-up to 2007’s sultry In The Ballroom. It switches gears from it's predecessor to focus on a more romantic, dramatic love affair and features sing along choruses and abnormal circus melodies culminating in a five song journey through temptation, nerve, and exposure. Keith Saunders and Meredith DiMenna make up the distorted rock/James Bond theme song/Billie Holiday mash-up, coming off as a kinder, gentler, more complete Brandie Carlisle. Religious history says that Saint Bernadette changed the future of her hometown of Lourdes with her unexplained visions, and Saint Bernadette, the rock band, claims to be poised to put their hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut on the indie music map. Either way, they’ll take you from your stark white, paper-obsessed desk job into the back of a stout-tainted, dirty city bar in no time.

Love Is A Stranger
One In A Million

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Return of the Flat Duo Jets


I've got to admit, I have a soft spot for rockabilly. Whether we're talking old schoolers like Carl Perkins, mid-schoolers like the Stray Cats or new kids on the block like Heavy Trash, that genre oozes swagger, attitude and makes me want to shake my tail feathers like nobody's business.

So, of course, I was pretty pumped when I received a few clips from Flat Duo Jets' "Two Headed Cow," the companion soundtrack to the 2006 documentary of the band's front man, Dexter Romweber. "THC" contains seventeen unreleased tracks (plus one bonus cut) recorded in 1986, ranging from early Flat Duo Jets favorites such as “My Life, My Love” and “Mexicali Baby” to cover tunes like The Collins Kids’ “Hoy Hoy” and Ray Charles’ “Mary Ann”.

I suggest slicking back your pompadour, busting out your leather jacket and tight jeans, popping out your blue suede shoes and enjoying these tracks from Flat Duo Jets.

Rockhouse
Rawhide

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Colour Revolt Releases "A Siren".

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Oxford, Mississippi band Colour Revolt, have released a video for "A Siren," off of their forthcoming release. The guitar-driven, scratchy voiced team tours through SXSW, before dropping Plunder Beg and Curse April 1st on Fat Possum. Check out the video and download the mp3.



A Siren

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Bing Ji Ling


I'm feeling a bit duped. The PR guy for Bing Ji Ling (NYC-based Quinn Luke's outfit) sent me a note that got my juices flowing. "If Sly was a one-man family or if Beck and Prince took a double dip...," he wrote to promote BJL’s latest, June Degrees. Being a huge fan of all three, I thought to myself that this was something that was going to funk me away. Well, I suppose the tracks I was sent to review had a marginal taste of "Strollin'" from Prince's Diamonds & Pearls to them, but the comparison ends there.

What we have here is easy listening, light rock, plain and simple. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you, but equating this music with some of funk's finest is like calling a toy poodle a canine killing machine. You might be able to find some common ancestry somewhere in the lineage, but the two are nowhere near the same today.

Again, though, this is not to say these tunes are bad. They're simply not as advertised. If you like 70s, non-threatening rock in the vein of a less threatening Steely Dan or if you are working on a mix for your mother (or possibly grandmother), BJL will more than satisfy. I'm merely warning you, if you try to put these tracks on your James Brown/Parliament-Funkadelic All-Time Greatest Funkin' Hits mix, don't play it for anyone else or you'll get laughed out of the room.

Kathalina
Be Here With You

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Everest to Release Ghost Notes


Los Angeles “lads”, Everest croon their way down to SXSW on a path towards a May release of Ghost Notes, out on Vapor Records. Toting around a constantly changing, contagious, live show, the group seems to be fans of keeping listeners on their toes. Example? Ghost Notes was recorded in two weeks, completely in analog. Seriously, no computers at all. Even so, their recorded sound proves thicker than most indie-folk acts.

Check them out performing “Rebels In The Roses” on Park City Television during the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. You can also grab the track below.




Rebels In The Roses

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Bell X1 & David Ford Hit Philly


Bell X1 and David Ford are making a stop in Philly. You can catch them at World Cafe Live tonight.

Bell X1 - Rocky Took A Lover
David Ford - Go To Hell

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Jonathan Visger

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Mason Proper's front man, Jonathan Visger, has been working on some material outside of the band and just released a solo EP. You can get North South Part I through his digital label, Secret Tunnel Group, for only $3. (Tip: If you sign up for their mailing list, you will get a free download from every release they ever put out.) He also has a new video for "The Stupidest Things," featuring some crazy cave women dancing. After you check that out, enjoy the mp3 for "Fish Eyes."



Fish Eyes

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This Week's Releases

In comparison to some of the monster weeks we have had recently, this week's release list is pretty small. As always, there is some great music worth checking out. My picks for this week are The Diggs' ctrl-alt-del and Cassettes Won't Listen's Small-Time Machine. I can also recommend White Williams' EP, New Violence, for you dance gurus out there.

The Diggs

ctrl-alt-del (Buy) - "Recovery Forever" & Full Album Stream

Cassettes Won't Listen

Small-Time Machine (Buy) - "Paper Float" & Full Album Stream

White Williams

New Violence EP (Buy) - "New Violence"

Other Notable Releases:

The LK


Vs. The Snow (Buy) - "Private Life of a Cat"

Science For Girls

Science For Girls (Buy) - "Northern Lights"

Jaymay

Autumn Fallin' (Buy)- "Blue Skies"

Kaki King

Dreaming Of Revenge (Buy) - "Two O'Clock"

Why?

Alopecia (Buy) - "The Hallows" & Full Album Stream

Hymns

Travel In Herds (Buy) - "I Can't Be What You Want"

The Black Hollies

Casting Shadows (Buy) - "Paisley Pattern Ground" & Full Album Stream

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Monday, March 10, 2008

SXSW: A Survival Guide

I lived in Austin for seven years and pretty much avoided the whole experience of the SXSW festival. Sure, I went one year, but that was enough for me. It was the most insane experience I ever had. Everybody who is somebody (or wants to be)in music is there, from the label execs and A&R guys to the bands to the denizens of fans making the pilgrimage to the Live Music Capital of the World. And rightly so. This is arguably the biggest music showcase in the United States. Any band that wants to make something of themselves play here.

This is not so much a who's playing post, although I will get to some noteworthy artists, but more of a what to find around the wonderful host city of Austin, Texas. If you are going to this event blind, you may want to get some basics before you get there.

First off, the city is huge! I mean its a long drive from one end to the other. More than likely, most of your time will be spent downtown near the venues along 6th and 4th streets. But there are venues all over the city (venues are in red on the map) and you probably will not be staying anywhere near downtown. If staying downtown, consider yourself lucky, I suggest walking or a cab. If you are driving, grab a map and stick to I-35, Mo-Pac (Texas 1) and the grid portion of the city. There are really no east-west highways through the center of the city and parking is difficult. Mind the 'No Parking' signs, you will be towed. Get there early and don't move your car or take a cab. It may cost more, but it'll save you the frustration of finding parking or paying extremely high lot rates. And a little tip, avoid going east of I-35. Not the nicest of neighborhoods. Try to avoid contact with Austin City Police. They have a tendency to be quite unfriendly to those who are drunk and/or disorderly in public. They will be out in force. Be respectful, and they shouldn't give you any issue. If you must touch their horse (yes, Austin has mounted police), ask first!

Of course, food is very important. Luckily, there are great places to eat around town. Don't just go for the fast food joints. Here are some of my favorites:

Chuy's is the place for great Tex-Mex food. The place is a little off the wall, but the 'Big as Yo' Face' Burritos are as advertised, the Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom enchilada add a little spice, and if you think you can pack in some grub, try the Elvis Presely Memorial Combo. My preference is the location on North Lamar, but that may be a little far for some. Stop by the one on Barton Springs (a lot closer to downtown) and don't forget the Creamy Jalapeno sauce with your chips and salsa! And from the owners of Chuy's is also Shady Grove, a more Americanized flavor, but in the 'Keep Austin Weird' motif. According to Jen, the Green Chili Cheese Fries are the thing to have. Look for them on Barton Springs as well.

If you want something a little faster, unwrap your monster at Freebirds World Burrito. They make your burrito to your specifications. Again, if you have a big hunger, the Super-Monster is the way to go. Just try and eat it all in one sitting. And make a sculpture out of your foil for display for all future customers. You can find one below the river on South Congress (SoCo to the locals). Since you are down on South Congress and looking for something quick, grab a slice from Home Slice. Open late! (Slices available till 3 AM on the weekends!) And there are plenty of slice places along 6th street. Need late night eats with more filling pwer than pizza or breakfast anytime? Kerbey Lane provides the closest diner experience, without it actually being a diner. Try the Paris Texas platter, french toast and migas. Or go to Katz's, an authentic New York style jewish deli/eatery on 6th and Rio Grande.

BBQ is big in Texas, but it is not what we know here on the East Coast. There are plenty of places around the ciy, but close to the action is Stubb's, not only a great music venue, but they have pretty darn good food too. If you are checking out a show there, grab some ribs or brisket beforehand. 8th and Red River, just look for the sign.

I'm sure most of you will not have much time to do anything else but go to the conference, check out bands, and wander around the scene soaking it all in. But if you do have time, talk a stroll through UT campus and along the drag. See the famous Daniel Johnston wall drawing. See the tower made so famous by some nutjob who decided to shoot people from it. Tour the Capitol Building. Walk along Town Lake for a more peaceful experience. Take a hike to the top of Mount Bonnell for a bird's eye view of the area. Get naked at Hippie Hollow. Take a picture taken with everyone's favorite homeless cross-dresser and mayoral candidate, Leslie. You can't miss him, he usually wears a feather boa. If you are staying through St. Patty's day, there are some lively celebrations at the local Irish pubs. As for the famous populace of flying rodents, not sure if the bats that live under the Congress bridge are back yet, may be too early for that.

Of course, the music is why we all go to SXSW. If you want to see a specific band, get to the venue early before it reaches capacity, which happens frequently, especially at the venues along 6th. The big show to see (from the IA standpoint) is the DC Does Texas gathering at Cream Vintage on the 13th, featuring Jukebox The Ghost, Le Loup, Georgie James, Middle Distance Runner, These United States, Pash and Carol Bui! Philly bands Peasant, Hoots and Hellmouth, The A-Sides, The Teeth and Dr. Dog will also be in Austin. And stop by and see some of my favorite locals: The Drawing Board and The Boxing Lesson. Tell them I sent you. Check a previous post for some more great Austin bands to see (sorry, music links are dead). For more details and music of artists at this years festival, check out the list on the official site.

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Saturday, March 08, 2008

This Week's Mix

A bit late on this list, but the music is still just as good. Enjoy!

Cloud Cult - Chain Reaction
Looker - Gates of the Old City
Interpol - Public Pervert
Joseph Arthur - Rages of Babylon
Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone
DeVotchKa - Transliterator
Team Genius - Sing Song
Georgie James - Need Your Needs
The Hailing - Rose Family
Blockhead - Duke of Hazzard

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Say Hi at the Black Cat


After my long departure from the DC music scene, while away at college, I made my way back to Black Cat to see Caverns and Say Hi Tuesday night. On a high from watching Champions League Soccer all day, I grabbed a beer and prepared for some great music.

Caverns was the opening band and I was fairly familiar with their music from listening to it on MySpace. After going to the mellow Federal Reserve show the previous night, I wasn't quite prepared for the high energy metal explosion they were about to unleash, but I knew it was going to be electrifying. The guys brought the energy from the beginning and did not let up until the finale. The best part, was that along with the music, they had a light show that was put on by one of the members. It really added to the overall appeal of the show. However, because of the light show, I could not get any pictures. I did manage to get two videos instead.












Next up was Say Hi. I was less familiar with these guys, even though they were the main act. You could see that the crowd was a different mixture as well. It had been a long time since I was surrounded by underage hipsters, but as I was front row, it didn't turn out too bad.

I am a pretty big fan of bands from the Northwest and Say Hi was no exception. The duo stepped up and played a really great set. In between songs, the lead singer would address the crowd with a big smile on his face. He told us that we were one of the best turnouts for a weeknight that they had ever had. We also learned that the band had apparently been heckled pretty hard in Philadelphia the night before (what's up with that, Philly fans?), but that we had made them feel extremely welcome. The band didn't have an encore and just told us the last two songs should be treated as such, which was fine with me, because I'm not a fan of encores either. Overall, it was a great night back in DC.

Say Hi Photos

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Friday, March 07, 2008

Jukebox The Ghost Hits The Road


Ben, Tommy and Jesse are loading up the van again, this time for a long road trip from the friendly confines of the I-95 corridor. But before unleashing their music upon Texas, they hit the IA area for a string of shows. Also along for the brief ride is Modern Skirts (you can catch them down SXSW way as well), hailing from the music mecca of Athens, Georgia. As an added bonus, each of the three stops features some local acts. Catch Beatles-esque Drink Up Buttercup in Philly (I'll be at this show, stop by and say 'hello') and Tereu Tereu and not-so-local (Brooklyn based) Bear Hands in DC (IA's Chris and Jen will be at that one). And for all of you who are under the legal age, an all ages show featuring Jukebox (no Modern Skirts, they hit here in April) along with Rocky's Revival and Junk Science, is in Fredericksburg Sunday (the DC show is all ages, as well).

3/7: Philly @ The Khyber
3/8: DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
3/9: Fredericksburg, VA @ 3rd Floor

Jukebox The Ghost - Good Day (from WOXY)
Modern Skirts - New York Songs
Drink Up Buttercup - Young Ladies
Tereu Tereu - Lion Bear
Bear Hands - Long Lean Queen
Rocky's Revivial - Transportation

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Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Jose Gonzalez

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Jose Gonzalez is out on the road again and he is making a couple of stops in the region. You can catch him this week, as follows:

3/5/08: Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, DC
3/8/08: World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)

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Colin Stetson Declares Warfare


To be honest, my knowledge of contemporary jazz leaves something to be desired. Sure, I have scads of the classics on ye olde iPod, from Miles to Coltrane, Diz to the Bird, but that's about where my knowledge of the genre begins and ends. Some artists, though, have such an impressive curriculum vitae, that my ears perk up and I have to give them a listen.

And thus, I stumbled across the genius that is Colin Stetson. New History Warfare, Volume 1 hit the stands on March 4 and Stetson will be playing select dates, including 3/15 in Philadelphia. Of particular note, he hosted his CD Release party for a two night residence in Brooklyn where he performed duets with Stuart Bogie (Antibalas, Celebration), Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire, Bell Orchestre) and Jeremiah Lockwood (Sway Machinery, Balkan Beat-Box). Let's just hope he brings that kind of line-up to our neck of the woods in the near future.

Letter To HST
Groundswell

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Prince TV on the Dock in the Bay


When our fearless leader, Joe, sent over Francis and the Lights, I ignored it. When he wrote me again and claimed the band sounded like a mix between Prince and Otis Redding, I had a first--I paid attention to him.

With predominately falsetto vocals, 80s-era keyboards and a funky, shuffling guitar groove, I'd have to say that Joe was pretty spot on in his assessment. I'd throw in some of the vocal stylings of Kyp Malone from TV on the Radio, too, as he drops into a lower register than His Royal Badness does when not hitting those high notes, but why quibble?

My only point of contention is that we're talking more pre-"Dirty Mind" Prince, but at least they're not asking us to become Jehovah's Witnesses and refusing to talk about sex, so it's a minor point at best, I suppose.

The boys have just released their EP, "Striking," available for one and all. Check out their MySpace or just grab a copy below. It starts off with the aforementioned vintage '80s feeling, before delving into slightly more "ballad-y" territory to close out things. If you've been lamenting since 1999, this one probably is for you.

Striking
My Goals
How Could You?
He Was A Good Friend
I'll Never Forget You

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This Week's Releases

This is probably the biggest new release list that I have ever had to create. There is something for everyone this week, but the folk and alt-country folks really made out. My pick of the week falls in that category and comes from one of our favorite DC bands, These United States. I got to see them Monday night at their CD release party and it was so worth being hung over yesterday. There are also two other regional releases this week... a new disc from Philadelphia's The Swimmers and a collection of rarities from Dr. Dog. The trio of regional offerings are only the tip of the iceberg. Let's see if we can get through all of these...


Pick Of The Week:

These United States

A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden (Buy) - "Burn this Bridge"


Other Notable Releases:

What Made Milwaukee Famous

What Doesn't Kill Us (Buy) - "Resistance St." & Full Album Stream

The Ruby Suns

Sea Lion (Buy) - "Tane Mahuta"

The Oaks

Songs For Waiting (Buy) - "Masood" & Full Album Stream

A Weather

Cove (Buy) - "Spiders, Snakes"

The Swimmers (Philly)

Fighting Trees (Buy) - "Heaven"

Billy Bragg

Mr. Love & Justice (Buy)

The Weird Weeds

I Miss This (Buy) - "Red"

The Gutter Twins

Saturnalia (Buy) - "Idle Hands" & Full Album Stream

Weinland

La Lamentor (Buy) - "Sick As A Gun"

White Hinterland

Phylactery Factory (Buy) - "Dreaming of Plum Trees"

Dawn Landes

Fireproof (Buy) - "Bodyguard"

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Real Emotional Trash (Buy) - "Baltimore"

Ladyhawk

Shots (Buy) - "I Don't Always Know What You're Saying"

Hysterics

Hysterics (Buy) - "Radical Chic"

Born Ruffians

Red Yellow & Blue (Buy) - "Hedonistic Me"

Bauhaus

Go Away White (Buy) - "Adrenalin"

The Felice Brothers

The Felice Brothers (Buy) - "Wonderful Life"

Nick Jaina

Wool (Buy) - "Maryanne"

Cadence Weapon

Afterparty Babies (Buy) - "Sharks"

Dr. Dog (Philly)

Passed Away, Vol. 1 (Buy) - Full Album Stream

Kathleen Edwards

Asking For Flowers (Buy)

Saint Bernadette

I Wanna Tell You Something (Buy) - "I Wanna Tell You Something"

cholo

Unlimited Nights and Weekends (Buy) - "Just Aks"

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