Music in the Mid-Week

Those of you who enjoy the experimental side of music, the next few days will surely feed your need. One of the biggest instrumental bands out there, Mogwai is playing two shows in the area with fellow British Islanders Fuck Buttons. Get to the 9:30 Club tonight and the Starlight Ballroom in Philly Friday for one great show.

mp3: Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud
mp3: Fuck Buttons - Sweet Love For Plant Earth

More experimentation can be found tonight at Johnny Brenda's with Texas-based This Will Destroy You supporting their eponymous new album. Philly's Cloud Minder joins them for this show. Thursday, TWDY travels down to DC9 for another great show with Lymbyc Systym, who also has a forthcoming new album.

mp3: This Will Destroy You - Quiet
mp3: Cloud Minder - Casimir Effect
mp3: Lymbyc Systym - Carved By Glaciers

If folk-pop is more your thing, there's a couple of shows to check out. Canadian songstress Basia Bulat is playing tonight at DC9, then Thursday at the Tin Angel. DC's own Vandaveer is opening the District show.

mp3: Basia Bulat - In The Night
mp3: Vandaveer - The Streets Is Full of Creeps (live)

Death Vessel, whose soon to be released album may be on the best of 2008, is doing the DC to Philly shuffle, playing tonight at Black Cat with Micah Blue Smaldone tonight and at Johnny Brenda's with Doylestown troubador Peasant on Thursday.

mp3: Death Vessel - Brunos Torso
mp3: Peasant - We're Good

Finally, something that doesn't really fit into either category. Sunset Rubdown is on tour with Parenthetical Girls. Catch then Thursday at First Unitarian Church in Philly and Black Cat Friday.

mp3: Sunset Rubdown - Up On Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days
mp3: Parenthetical Girls - Love Connection Pt II

photo credit

This Week's Releases

This week brings big names and big releases. With bands like Radiohead, Beirut and Band of Horses releasing albums, I have to wonder why anyone else would bother putting anything out this week. However, there is still some great stuff out there that you should still check out..

One of the greatest albums I have personally listened to lately is Beirut's The Flying Club Cup and it is my pick for this week and possibly for this year. I know that the album has been getting mixed reviews from different people all over, but I think it's a masterpiece. Many of you may already have the album, since it was released digitally at the beginning of September. For those of you that like something physical, it is finally in stores. Songs like "Nantes" and "Forks and Knives" will have you singing your lungs out as you walk down the street completely embarrassing yourself (I may have done that once or twice). Be sure to head over to TheFlyingClubCup.com to see live videos of every song taken throughout Brooklyn.

A Sunday Smile

Another favorite band of mine, Band of Horses has a new album out this week called Cease to Begin. To be honest I don't think this album lives up to their debut Everything All The Time. They changed locales from Seattle to South Carolina to record this album and I think it shows. With a more southern feel to it, the songs don't sound as full as the first album. Not that the album itself is bad, but I feel the only really good songs are the ones that sound like they belong on the first album, such as "Is There A Ghost?"

Is There A Ghost?

The biggest news this week comes from Radiohead, who released In Rainbows digitally through their site. If you are not in to digital releases, you will have to wait a while. This release has also been getting some mixed reactions, as the sound is more like Kid A than anything else. The trend setting option of allowing you to pay what you want (even though the band says they did this only for themselves), this has received more publicity than any other album this year.

All I Need

Also in a record store near you... Fiery Furnaces release what has been called a their best album yet, Widow City. An interesting release from a band that will never give you "normal," this album is something worth investigating. I haven't read a bad review of the album yet, so give "Ex-Guru" a listen and decide for yourself.

Ex-Guru

A collaborator with The National, Doveman gives us his new release With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead. Beautiful music with soft lyrics are the first things you hear listening to these songs. A very mellow sounding album, it is the type of thing you listen to while you relax or when you are spending some quality time with someone special. This album is well worth checking out for anyone that can appreciate music that doesn't overpower you, but will leave a lasting impression.

Sunrise Medley

One of my favorite electronic indie bands The Octopus Project has their fourth full length out this week, entitled Hello Avalanche. Traveling all across the country with several stops in our area, the band gives us a quality release. Not to fit into any category, this release blends soothing melodies with some quirky hooks and some great beats. If you are looking for some music that will put a smile on your face, then give these guys a try.

I Saw The Bright Shinies

Other releases from great artists can be found below:

Celebration (from Baltimore)

The Modern Tribe: "Evergreen"

Enon

Grass Geysers... Common Clouds: "Mirrors On You"

Loch Lomond

Paper the Walls: "Carl Sagan"

Scout Niblett

This Fool Can Die Now: "Kiss"

Sunset Rubdown

Random Spirit Lover: "Winged/Wicked Things"

Sunset Rubdown/Magic Weapon/Johnny & the Moon

Featuring Spencer Krug, Sunset Rubdown is a definte move in a different direction from his other band, Wolf Parade. Another Wolf Parade member, Dante, as well as members from Hot Hot Heat join the show with the folk music of Johnny & The Moon. Also on the bill is Magic Weapon, yet another band with connections, this time Justin from Sunset Rubdown and member from Think About Life.

10/10: First Unitarian Church, Philly
10/11: Black Cat, DC

Sunset Rubdown - The Mending of the Gown
Johnny & The Moon - Green Rocky Road
Magic Weapon - Capitol of Colour