28 September 2007

EAR FARM: Heavy Rotation

EAR FARM's Last.fm tells only part of the story, so let's check in with the 10 albums getting the most attention at EF HQ at the moment. There's a song from each album posted below, and a link to purchase each on Amazon/iTunes (if available).
--
Rust In Peace by Megadeth - If you haven't already, I bet you're finally starting to realize that my love of metal is pure, real, and entirely devoid of irony. Unless you count hair metal, but let's not go there right now. My point is, I unabashedly enjoy really good heavy metal. And Rust In Peace is much, much, more than really good. It's a metal landmark. Leading up to, and after, seeing Megadeth live this week it has been playing nonstop in my world. It's a record that has aged surprisingly well considering the era it was recorded in; in fact, I'd say that Rust In Peace sounds much better today than Metallica's two albums (Metallica and ...And Justice For All) that were recorded around the same time. All hail Megadeth.1992 The Love Album by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine - This is one of those inexplicably defining albums for me. It came out right around the time that I'd just gotten my driver's license (thus, many hours spent in a car listening to CDs), was full of synth-punk attitude with catchy lyrics, and sated my massive thirst for overtly English music. Alright, not exactly inexplicable. Carter U.S.M. has always been looked down upon by many with "good" taste - f'ing morons.Dandelion Gum by Black Moth Super Rainbow - I'm finding it odd that, in 2007, Black Moth Super Rainbow is where I'm generally turning for my fix of psychedelia, and not to Animal Collective. It's hard to explain because I feel like Strawberry Jam is the "better" record, but Dandelion Gum is just endlessly more appealing to my ears. I can't help but think of NYC foodie based similes when comparing the two bands: Animal Collective's latest is like listening to Wylie Dufresne's mad scientist tasting menu and Dandelion Gum is like a nice large bowl of the Momofuku ramen at Momofuku. I suggest trying both records, and both dining experiences, and then get back to me. Sorry, blame the bands - they're the ones with the edible album titles.We Are Him by Angels Of Light - Darkness. Madness. Genius. Are you listening to this record yet, or WHAT?Manners Matter by Mancino - Slowly, but surely, people are catching on to Mancino and their debut album Manners Matter. I wish I could say I'm surprised that it's taking everyone so long to realize how excellent this band is, but frankly it doesn't surprise me one bit. Not because their songs have a long gestation period, per se, but rather because indie-rock fans are a tad too insecure for their own good sometimes. Anyway, buy this album. And then see Mancino LIVE at EAR FARM's Second Annual Halloween Show - 31 October @ Club Europa in Brooklyn.Beautiful Targets by Hopewell - Hopewell literally reaches for the stars with their soaring, anthemic, psychedelic-infused rock. They blend the romantic ambition of Bowie with the spaced-out snarl of Spiritualized and what comes out is pop-rock that's, in a word, immense. In some ways slightly out of time, Hopewell would've been a huge success in the '70s. Today they've found a home in the realm of indie-rock performing alongside bands such as British Sea Power, Elefant, the Comas, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. You can see Hopewell LIVE at EAR FARM's Second Annual Halloween Show - 31 October @ Club Europa in Brooklyn.Goes Cube Songs 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 by Goes Cube - When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Goes Cube always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Goes Cube?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail." Huh? Oh, that's a play on a line from the classic film Big Trouble In Little China. I like that film almost as much as I like this band. For some reason, the two seem to go together. To me at least. See Goes Cube LIVE at EAR FARM's Second Annual Halloween Show - 31 October @ Club Europa in Brooklyn
    Listen: "Goes Cube Song 46"

    (you'll have to wait a little while before you can buy these songs)
A Farewell to Kings by Rush - Still listening. Over and over. Rush rules! "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose..." Wait, that's not on A Farewell to Kings, that's from "Circumstances" on Hemispheres. Whatever. Shut up nerd.I Can't Sleep Unless I Hear You Breathing by Man In Gray - Is it a crime to find the first three tracks on an album "enough" upon first listen? Not in a bad way, at all, but more like "dude, those songs rocked me, fair and square... uncle!" I'm finding that happens more and more with me (call it 2K ADD) and that's kind of where I was when I first listened to I Can't Sleep Unless I Hear You Breathing. I took in, and enjoyed, the whole album, but what I kept going back to were the first three songs. They're blistering guitar slice and dice material. Pretty Girls Make Graves/Sonic Youth territory. Well, though I've had this record for many months, it wasn't until much later that I realized the depth of I Can't Sleep Unless I Hear You Breathing. Listen to a sample below - the song "Crawl" is the album's solar plexus. An accelerating anthem of understated pop with spaced out guitars that evolve into crash and burn emoting, handclaps, and dueling solos. A thrilling four and a half minutes to be sure. See Man In Gray LIVE at the EAR FARM and Serious Business Records CMJ show - 17 October @ Bar Matchless.Baby Comes Home by Patrick Cleandenim - I liked old-school revivalists Stray Cats, Harry Connick Jr., and Squirrel Nut Zippers upon first hearing them; likewise, I am enjoying Cleandenim's Baby Comes Home. It's happy cocktail music and it makes me want to dance. In a suit. Time will tell if this is a keeper, or just a passing fancy.
at 13 comments:

27 September 2007

8+











"Odyssey" by 8 Bold Souls which clocks in at 12:18

8 Bold Souls coolin' on patrol,
8 Bold Souls on a cinnamon roll.
8 Bold Souls pa rum pa pum pum,
8 Bold Souls on a cinnamon bun.

8 Bold Souls step out for a stroll,
8 Bold Souls eating fried Dover sole.
8 Bold Souls b-i-n-g-o,
8 Bold Souls Cumberland Plateau.

8 Bold Souls don't play rock and roll,
8 Bold Souls sleep in cereal bowls.
8 Bold Souls diddi-diddi bop,
8 Bold Souls in a novelty shop.

8 Bold Souls jazz/swing as a whole,
8 Bold Souls eat marsupial moles.
8 Bold Souls sing goo goo ga joob,
8 Bold Souls in your internet tubes.

*image from HERE.

Buy Last Option on Amazon/on eMusic/on iTunes/on Other Music.

EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
Artanker Convoy - "Open Up"
Dan Deacon - "Wham City"
Clan of Xymox - "A Day (Remix)"
Built to Spill - "Broken Chairs"
Spacemen 3 - "Big City (Everybody I Know Can Be Found Here)"
Pulp - "Seductive Barry"
Pelican - "March to the Sea"
Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, and Tony Rice - "Guitar Space/Summertime"

To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.
at 3 comments:

Megadeth @ Irving Plaza - 26 September 2007

I don't know how or why, but for some reason I completely forgot what it was like to attend shows like the one I saw last night - instrumental wizards/metal lords Megadeth at Irving Plaza, here in New York City. If you know anything about this band, and the venue, then you obviously realize that getting a chance to see one of the four great/original American thrash metal bands (the other three would be Slayer, Metallica, and Anthrax), at such a relatively small venue, is something a fan of good music simply can't pass up. It also helps if you're a huge fan of Megadeth, and this show at Irving happened to be your first time seeing the band in person, which is exactly what the case was for me.

Megadeth was probably a couple of notches below the "top" of their game, but that had no impact on the ferocious greatness of the concert. Unlike the impotently dull crowds I'm used to seeing at most indie-rock shows, Megadeth's fans took in every face melting moment and gave it all right back to the band. Head banging, crowd surfing, fist pumping, devil horns, mucho beer and whiskey consumption (and throwing), nonstop MOSHING... check check check check check check CHECK. How many metal moment checks is that? A lot.

The band, made up of Glen Drover (above right - lead guitar), Shawn Drover (above center - drums), and James Lomenzo (not pictured - bass), were extremely tight, professional, and awesome. However, as fantastic and amazingly effortless in his shredding as Glen was, he just wasn't Marty Friedman. That's not meant as a knock on Glen, just saying that if I missed anything in the performance last night, it was the lead guitar stylings of Marty Friedman during the songs from Rust In Peace.

Perhaps I'm not making myself clear though. Sure there were little things that made the show a nine, rather than a full-on ten, (Dave was sick, and asked for some help from the audience in singing - we happily obliged) but all-in-all this was one of those shows for me. One that will go down in memory as one of the great bands I've ever seen live. A proud notch in my concert going belt, and a show that reminded me of what it used to be like going to see hard rock/metal/harcore bands back in the day, when both the musicians and the fans really gave a damn about making each and every concert memorable and fantastic.

Take no prisoners... take no shit!

Setlist:*
01. Sleepwalker
02. Take No Prisoners
03. Wake Up Dead
04. Skin O’ My Teeth
05. Gears of War
06. She Wolf
07. In My Darkest Hour
08. Hangar 18
09. Washington Is Next
10. Kick The Chair
11. A Tout Le Monde
12. Tornado Of Souls
13. Reckoning Day (not played)
14. Peace Sells
15. Never Walk Alone
16. Symphony of Destruction
———————
17. Holy Wars

Watch:
"Hangar 18" live: intro CLIP (16 second QT) | guitar solo CLIP (47 second QT)
"Holy Wars" live on YouTube (not mine)

See more pictures of Megadeth (from this show) HERE.

Visit Megadeth on MySpace.

*setlist from HERE - modified based upon info found on the Megadeth message boards.
at 12 comments:

OPP

Idolator: "Meg White Sex Tape" Actually Product Of Internet Guy's Feverish "Wank Mining"

Ghost Media: CMJ Caught in Money Grab?

BrooklynVegan: CMJ responds - "we...listen to...every single artist" | Sonicbids responds

Crackers United: FRICTION Recap | 9.20.07

The Underwire: Two Gallants - The Underwire Interview

Stereogum: New Queens Of The Stone Age Video - "3's & 7's"

NYCTaper: Björk - September 24, 2007 Madison Square Garden

Obsession Collection: Rants of a Music Blogger
at 1 comment:

26 September 2007

EAR FARM away message: "Come Back Tomorrow"

EAR FARM is too busy for words today... but not too busy for music! Here, let's let Oranger deliver EAR FARM's away message.

Listen:
"Come Back Tomorrow"

Visit Oranger on MySpace.
at 1 comment:

25 September 2007

Three for Free - Patrick Watson, Miracle Fortress

EAR FARM's Three for Free: three EF approved, free and legal MP3s posted each week. This week - three from artists on Secret City Records, with two tracks from 2007 Polaris Music Prize winner Patrick Watson. Click on the artist name to go to their site, click on the song name to listen to the song.

Listen:
Patrick Watson - "Lucious Life"

Patrick Watson - “Giver"

Miracle Fortress - "Have You Seen In Your Dreams"
at 2 comments:

British Sea Power: EP release details, new song, 2007 US tour dates

British Sea Power have announced the details of their upcoming five song EP and also posted one brand new song from said EP for you to download. Details (pulled directly from the press release), brand new song, and tour dates below.
    British Sea Power would like to announce the release of a new five-track EP - one that will combine a pre-school understanding of atomic theory with ancient wisdom in amplified rock music. Best of all, like the seagull which learned to shoplift crisps, you can get some of it for free.

    The five-track Krankenhaus? EP will be released digitally on 8 October and will be download-able from the usual digital retail sites.

    To further expand shopping opportunities, the Krankenhaus? EP will be released on CD in North American on 20 November. This low-key CD release will also feature two new BSP film shorts. The CD will also be available in November from the BSP website shop - and from the band's merchandise stall on tour. The full tracklisting, including the EP videos, is as follows.

    Atom (edit)
    Down On The Ground
    Straight Down The Line
    Hearing Aid
    Pelican
    Water Tower (video)
    The Spirit Of St Louis live at The Forum (video)

    Down On The Ground and the full version of Atom will both feature on BSP's forthcoming third album. The other three tracks will be only available as downloads and on the CD version of the EP. But do not fear that BSP may be lugging dirty bombs and leaking polonium-210 as they play at Leeds Brudenell Social Club. Rather, the band's atomic ambition is to alchemically transmute the copper of our common experience to the true gold of the meaningful rock moment.
British Sea Power - 2007 US tour dates:
15 October - Hoboken, NJ (Maxwell's)
16 October - Philadelphia, PA (Johnny Brenda's)
18 October - New York, NY (CMJ)
19 October - Washington, DC (Black Cat)
21 October - Cambridge, MA (Middle East Downstairs)

Listen:
"Atom"

Visit British Sea Power on MySpace.
at 4 comments:

Today's NEW releases

Lots worth considering came out today:
at 1 comment:

24 September 2007

Hit-or-miss

What: the EAR FARM music library is put on shuffle - the song that plays is then searched (using the song title) on Google images and a resulting photo (plus an MP3 of the song) is posted here.

Listen:
"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" by Hank Williams from The Very Best Of Hank Williams

View:
Image search results for I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You) - above image is from the second page of results (and was originally from HERE).
--
Previous EF Hit-or-miss posts:
"Carry" by ISIS
"Mick's Broadcast / Attack" by Harold Faltermeyer
at 17 comments:

EAR FARM's Second Annual Halloween Show - 31 October @ Club Europa in Brooklyn

From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, EAR FARM, deliver us!
--
EAR FARM's Second Annual Halloween Show @ Club Europa in Brooklyn
31 October @ Club Europa

Mancino
Hopewell
Goes Cube
with a VERY SPECIAL GUEST HEADLINER

with DJ sets from DJ Colleen Crumbcake + a costume contest with prizes for best costume!

$8 adv / $10 day of show - doors at 8

Club Europa
98 Meserole Ave., (corner of Manhattan Ave.)
G Train to Nassau Ave. - walk 1 block North to Meserole & Manhattan
--
Last year EAR FARM held its first annual Halloween Show at Union Hall and it was a sold-out smash success. This year, the venue is bigger, the lineup has more bands, the costume contest prizes are even BETTER, and the fun level is going to be - like - ENORMOUS.

Tickets will be on sale SOON, so stay tuned further announcements in regards to the show, the special guest headliner, and costume contest prize info!

See you on Halloween.
at 1 comment:

EAR FARM and Serious Business Records CMJ show - 17 October @ Bar Matchless

EAR FARM is teaming up with Serious Business Records to bring you a rockin' FREE show during CMJ week here in NYC. Details below, expect to hear more about this show in the near future.

EAR FARM and Serious Business Records CMJ Party
17 October @ Bar Matchless

The Unsacred Hearts
Kickstart
Man In Gray
Goes Cube
Hull

FREE - doors at 7

Bar Matchless
557 Manhattan Avenue @ Driggs
L to Bedford Ave, G to Nassau Ave.
at No comments:

Smashing Pumpkins - bunches of FREE live show downloads

Not that I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan, but I know many people who are; therefore, I found the following worthy of noting. Smashing Pumpkins have no less than 21 complete live shows available (in MP3 format, ranging from 1988-2007) on their site. All for FREE. I've selected three sample tracks and posted them below, browse and download all of the shows HERE.

Listen:
"Silverfuck" (20 Jan '92 @ Melkweg in Amsterdam, Netherlands)
"I Am One" (25 Feb '94 @ Astoria Theatre in London, UK)
"Cherub Rock" (22 May '07 @ Grand Rex Theatre in Paris, France)

Visit Smashing Pumpkins on MySpace.
at No comments:

snip·pets

Dr. Dre: Detox To Be My Last Album

Foo Fighters Celebrate Echoes At NYC Club Show

CNN on Alf Clausen, longtime composer for "The Simpsons"

Rolling Stone: the top 25 music DVDs of all time

Mental Floss: 23 Album Covers that Changed Everything

Blender: The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born

Stylus: Band Logos

Stylus: The Indies Go Digital

Starbucks to give away 50 million songs

Willie Nelson's sister (age 76) makes solo debut

A.V. Club Primer: Canadian Indie-Rock
at No comments:

21 September 2007

EAR FARM: Heavy Rotation

EAR FARM's Last.fm tells only part of the story, so let's check in with the 10 albums getting the most attention at EF HQ at the moment. There's a song from each album posted below, and a link to purchase each on Amazon/iTunes (if available).
--
We Are Him by Angels Of Light - For two weeks now this has been getting a lot of attention from me, and for good reason. A surprisingly great record and worth checking out if you're into the intimate, open-road, darkness of artists such as Nick Cave.Saturnalia by The Wedding Present - Every so often I remember that David Gedge is one of the great songwriters of the late '80s-'90s. Then I go on a listening spree where one of his albums plays nearly nonstop on my iPod and I remember how cool it was meeting David while he stood at the merch table before a Wedding Present show at Bowery Ballroom.Boxer by The National - <3Manners Matter by Mancino - Unofficial announcement: EF Halloween Show @ Europa. Do it. Do it.Beautiful Targets by Hopewell - Unofficial announcement: EF Halloween Show @ Europa. Do it. Do it.Goes Cube Songs 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 by Goes Cube - Unofficial announcement: EF Halloween Show @ Europa. Do it. Do it.
    Listen: "Goes Cube Song 46"

    (you'll have to wait a little while before you can buy these songs)
The Whale by Cheyenne - Something tells me that The Whale is going to be the record that puts Cheyenne on the map. OH SO FUNNY WITH MAP JOKES EARFARM! But really, the quality of the songs, song writing, and production on Cheyenne's upcoming release are of the highest level. I'm only starting to scratch the surface of this one and I can't wait to see what all of you guys think once it's released. If you live in NYC, keep your eyes open for a time when you can catch them live. Perhaps the 8th of December at Joe's Pub??
    Listen: "The Whale"

    (you'll have to wait until the 12th of December before you can buy this record)
The Biz Never Sleeps by Biz Markie - How the shit did this end up here?! I'll tell you: one of the tracks from this record came up on shuffle, I thought to myself "self, ya'll needs some more Biz up in your life - ain'tnojoke". Ever since, I've been listening to a bit of The Biz Never Sleeps here and there to get my groove on. Yeah.Hold On Too Tight by Schooner - I've mentioned how this one gets better and better the more you listen, but maybe it's time I just come out and say it plainly: this album is one of the best I've heard in 2007. Buy it, spend time with it. You won't regret it.Strawberry Jam by Animal Collective - This album is fading fast for me. Disappointment? Not sure yet, maybe I'll come around. I do know that I was a lot more into Person Pitch so soon after its release than I am into Strawberry Jam right now.
at 2 comments:

Show Me That Smile Again: '80s TV Show Theme Song Covers

These people are my collective hero.

Knight Rider


Tales From The Crypt


The Simpsons


MacGyver


Inspector Gadget
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Deerhoof: 13 free songs

As they often have done in the past, Deerhoof has made available thirteen rarities, live tracks, and other variety of song versions on their site. All for FREE. Three of these tracks are posted below, download the remaining ten MP3s HERE.

Listen:
"Rrrrrrright" (Germlin remix)
"Kidz are so small" (alternate)
"Twin killers" (live)

Visit Deerhoof on MySpace.
at No comments:

Dara Friedman: Musical

The following is worth noting, for New Yorkers - from a press release:
    "For three weeks this fall, midtown Manhattan will be the stage for Musical, a series of spontaneous actions orchestrated by artist and filmmaker Dara Friedman. From dawn to dusk, and occasionally even in the middle of the night, office workers, mothers, schoolchildren, taxi drivers, doormen, tourists, divas, and grandparents will break into song, creating unexpected musical events and serendipitous urban moments for all who encounter them. Throughout the course of the project, nearly one hundred individual actions will take place throughout the day and night, weekdays only, in the blocks between Grand Central Station and Central Park South, and between Broadway and Park Avenue.

    Musical will take place from September 17 to October 5 throughout midtown Manhattan, in locations between Grand Central Station and Central Park South, and Broadway and Park Avenue. Performances are unannounced and will take place throughout the day and night. For up to date information please check publicartfund.org. "
More information on Musical HERE.
at No comments:

20 September 2007

8+

"Open Up" by Artanker Convoy which clocks in at 12:04

I can't stop looking at this album cover. The album cover for the album that this song is from, posted directly to the left here. What? You can't either. Eyes over here. HERE. On the words, perv. Listen, I know that for every three words you read here your eyes drift over to the half naked rear end in pink panties. It's okay, me too. I mean, it's like perfect. And you can see things - body lines and whatnot. Like, her buttcrack and stuff - whoa. Crack! We're all like - buttcrack! We see it!

I know you ladies/sexually uninterested folks are looking too. Don't be ashamed, it's not entirely (y)our fault that (y)our entire world comes to a halt at the site of near-nudity. We're Americans (lots of us here are, at least) and that means we've got hundreds of years worth of Puritanical mumbo jumbo messing with our minds when it comes to sex and the naked human body. And the picture here isn't even naked, it's simply underwear. But it got your attention I betcha. "Oh my gosh," you're thinking, "there's some underwear! My eyes!" Puritan.

So sue me, or something, for not getting more involved with the actual song in this post; because, no matter what I write, it's going to be overshadowed by that girl's beautiful ass in those sheer pink underwears. Am I right? I started to write something creative and fun to match this Miles Davis meets Tortoise song, and then every time I went to proofread what I had written it was the same thing - pink undies, ass ass, buttcrack. Why did I choose to post that picture then? Why post that instead of something clever that tied into my interesting music-related essay that's since been deleted? Simple: I couldn't resist.

Is that how Artanker Convoy felt too?

"Golly yo, our songs for this new album are really heady and, honestly, fucking dope! What do you think for our next cover art man?"

"Tits."

"No way! Too blatantly piggish."

"How about some ass then?"

"Eh?"

"Ass! Hot ass... young ass. Mmm. Look, it's not like our last album cover, with pictures of ourselves and our shit-kicking facial hair, did much for sales. Who cares what people think of the music, as long as we grab attention with some body parts."

"Good point. I'm sold. Ass it is then. Bait and switch - 'oh you like the ass? grab it! buy it! sorry if the music is more complex than what your ass-hungry mind was looking for but, too late!' - hey, let's see if we can put the ass in some pink undies or something. See-thru maybe? Am I right?"

"Tooootally."

If you haven't already checked, you're probably wondering how much larger that picture would be if you click it. Go ahead and click the picture if you have to - make it really big and take a good look asshound. Just promise you'll be back after you do. Okay? Okay - click it.

Back? Good. Now that we've all finally gotten past the nice ass, can we please start paying attention to why you came here in the first place? Don't remember? The song assface. About which Pitchfork says it "builds with exquisite patience from an extended intro of glassy drones and fluttering percussion into a loose-limbed Krautrock stride". Stop looking, listen.

*image of Cozy Endings album cover from HERE.

Buy Cozy Endings on Amazon/on eMusic/on iTunes/on Other Music.

EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
Dan Deacon - "Wham City"
Clan of Xymox - "A Day (Remix)"
Built to Spill - "Broken Chairs"
Spacemen 3 - "Big City (Everybody I Know Can Be Found Here)"
Pulp - "Seductive Barry"
Pelican - "March to the Sea"
Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, and Tony Rice - "Guitar Space/Summertime"
Boris - "Flood"

To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.
at 3 comments:

OPP

LHB: 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival Downloads

The Punk Guy: Photos of the secret Beirut show

NYCTaper: The Hold Steady September 17, 2007 World Trade Center - Lossless Download

Fluxblog posted about the Yelle song "Tristesse/Joie" and a missed connection with "this really awesome girl"

Stereogum: Division Day Cover Depeche Mode

Idolator: The Led Zep Reunion Ticket Aftermath - It's Gonna Be Like, Well, You Know

T-Sides: A real life (internet dating) version of “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)”

CrackersUnited presents FRICTION - tonight - 2 Year Anniversary Show No. 1
at 4 comments:

19 September 2007

Little Name

The Smiths, Burt Bacharach, The Sundays, Belle and Sebastian... if these names spark up a bit of hunger in your musical taste buds then pause for a moment and check out Little Name from Liverpool (UK). All of the aforementioned artists are listed as influences on the Little Name MySpace page, and all of them come through as obviously influential upon listening to Little Name's music. Here you'll find delicate dream-pop, heavy on the '60s French/Bacharach sound, that's perhaps more closely aligned with St. Etienne and Camera Obscura than with the bands listed above. These are songs that come across as reflections of life on a blissfully brisk sunny autumn day - shot on Super 16 - heavy on the soft focus, halation, and ambiguous plot lines. It's as if this music has always been with me, yet I'm just now hearing it for the first time. Truly, there's something decidedly familiar and welcoming about the songs on Little Name's debut How to Swim and Live.

Nearly as interesting as the music itself is the story behind how these songs ultimately saw the light of day. The story goes something like this: "after 8 years of isolation through panic attacks, Lee Barker (the man behind Little Name) was searching for greater themes, songs that said something and said something about his life." So what does he do? He goes and writes and records the album How to Swim and Live, playing "99.9% of the instruments", and sends it off (completely unsolicited) to Ann Tabor at Sleepy Records. What a pleasantly surprising day that must have been for Ann and Sleepy Records - an entire album full of music just ready for the world to throw its arms around. You've got the same pleasant surprise waiting for you in the two songs posted below.

Listen:
"How To Swim And Live"
"Tracy & I"

Visit Little Name on MySpace.

Buy How to Swim and Live on Sleepy Records.
at 8 comments:

The Captains

File The Captains under the category of bands from another country whose music I'd surely not be listening to if it were being peddled by a comparable band from the US (My Chemical Romance mixed with Drake Bell perhaps). Some of their songs come across as ready for tweenie TV show fame, some as Bling Kong-esque cheer-a-longs, some as guitar based pop-rock burners, and some as prime candidates for silly drunken karaoke. It feels like one third of this record I've already heard from some French band obsessed with dramatic flair... or were they from Turkey? Russia? One third of the record is good, but not great, and the final third is SUPERPARTYFUNTIMEUSA! Have you ever noticed how similarly reverby and "recorded in a studio in 1983" so much of the music recorded outside of the US/UK sounds? Is that just me being a snobby American? Whatever. What's fantastic about The Captains, and so many of our brothers and sisters in music overseas, is how unabashed they appear to be about their music and image. They know how to have fun, with music. Shocking concept to some I know; but hey, check out the Dance Lesson section of their site as an example. In fact, take a look at their Love Under The Equator dance right now. Please.

"Haato Ni Pittoin" blasts out of the gates like a full company musicial dance number - a Japanese take on "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" (remember that one from Ghost World?); "Seisyun Yarou" comes across a bit like Ricky Martin mixed with Gwen Stwefani, but in the best way possible. Yep, I mean that. Here I am jamming along to The Captains' 2007 album Bara No Ori and thinking about yakitori and beer (and how badly I need to visit Japan) and how some of these songs are probably going to be stuck in my head for days now. Hey, the novelty of foreign music can go a long way sometimes. And who can resist ultra tight/intentionally cheesy Japanese pop hooks? "Not I," said Ear Farm.

Listen:
"Haato Ni Pittoin"
"Seisyun Yarou"

See The Captains live:
    19 Sep @ Rhythm & Brews - Chattanooga, Tennessee
    20 Sep @ Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, Georgia
    21 Sep @ Tasty World - Athens, Georgia
    22 Sep @ Renaissance Waverly Hotel - Atlanta, Georgia
    24 Sep @ Red & Black - Washington DC
    25 Sep @ International House - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    26 Sep @ Pianos - New York, New York
Visit The Captains on MySpace.
at No comments:

18 September 2007

Three for Free - Bound Stems, The Race, Russian Circles

EAR FARM's Three for Free: three EF approved, free and legal MP3s posted each week. This week - three from artists on Flameshovel Records. Click on the artist name to go to their site, click on the song name to listen to the song.

Listen:
Bound Stems - "Andover"

The Race - “Feathers"

Russian Circles - "Death Rides A Horse"
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Today's NEW releases

Today's releases that caught my eye:
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17 September 2007

Hit-or-miss

What: a new time-saving EAR FARM feature wherein the EF music library is put on shuffle, the song that plays is then searched (using the song title) on Google images, and the results (including an MP3 of the song) are posted here.

Listen:
"Carry" by ISIS from Oceanic

View:
Image search results for Carry - my favorite from the first page of results is posted above (and was originally from HERE).
--
Previous EF Hit-or-miss posts:
"Mick's Broadcast / Attack" by Harold Faltermeyer
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snip·pets

Fire Critically Injures Two At Austin City Limits

Kanye West has early sales lead in battle with 50 Cent

50 Cent Still Confident In Sales Battle With Kanye

50 Cent defends Britney Spears

Prince To Sue YouTube, eBay Over Unauthorized Content

New York Times: Ringtones - the last great digital rip off

eMarketer: Blame product or pirates, but spending is down

Time: Dylan and the Beatles - Together Again

Registration Extended For Red-Hot Zeppelin Tix
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14 September 2007

EAR FARM: Heavy Rotation

EAR FARM's Last.fm tells only part of the story, so let's check in with the 10 albums getting the most attention at EF HQ at the moment. There's a song from each album posted below, and a link to purchase each on Amazon/iTunes (if available).
--
We Are Him by Angels Of Light - I can't claim to be an expert on Michael Gira, Swans, or anything from Young God Records, but what I've heard I really really like. And out of those records I've heard, We Are Him is the best so far - it's been getting a lot of attention from me this past week. Worth checking out if you're into the intimate, open-road, darkness of artists such as Nick Cave.Strawberry Jam by Animal Collective - Here are what two trusted friends of mine have said about this album: "it sounds like a major label dude was like 'okay guys, we're gonna hole you up in electric ladyland and i want some WEIRDNESS from you!'" - "listening to the new Animal Collective album is like talking to you (meaning me) when you've recently had a rather large iced coffee". Somehow, I think they've managed to pretty much nail what this record sounds like with those statements.Boxer by The National - I "discovered" this one in late July (but have owned it since the day it came out) one night while I was trying to fall asleep. It clicked with me something fierce that night and I've been listening a ton ever since. Again, "Mistaken For Strangers" is potentially my favorite song of 2007.Liars by Liars - My love of this album is waning a bit since I fell head over heels for it upon first listen. I'm now skipping a few tracks each time, but those 5 or 6 songs that I love on here, I really love.Goes Cube Songs 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 by Goes Cube - Last week it was only 46, 47, 48, 49, now I'm listening to the eight most recently recorded tracks from Brooklyn's Goes Cube and there's no question that the album these songs finally end up on will flat out dominate. If this world were a cartoon, and I Popeye, then "Goes Cube Song 46" would be my spinach.
    Listen: "Goes Cube Song 46"

    (you'll have to wait a little while before you can buy these songs)
Hold On Too Tight by Schooner - I'm friends with members of this band, they're from my hometown, therefore I might be a bit biased; however, I have no doubt that this is one of better records put out in 2007 by anyone. Like The National's Boxer, this one gets better and better the more you listen.Always Now by Section 25 - Always Now is an album that I got back in the day via Napster, and then lost. Only recently I thought of Section 25 again, found this album on eMusic, and happily spent 19 of my monthly downloads getting back in touch with another of Factory's many great, largely unknown, bands. For those who are fans of PiL, or especially Joy Division, definitely check out Section 25. In fact, the song posted below was produced by none other than Ian Curtis.Master Of Reality by Black Sabbath - I share a birthday with Ozzy, maybe that's why I've always been so enamored/in touch with his music. Or maybe it's just because he's always had outstanding guitarists as bandmates. I mean, let's face it, Tony Iommi's riffs (and Geezer Butler's bass work) are what made Black Sabbath - shit, it's what made heavy metal as we know it. All hail Sabbath!I'll Sleep When You're Dead by El-P - This one is for all ya'll fools out there who think that there's no such thing as great current hip-hop. Forget about Fiddy and Kanye, I'll Sleep When You're Dead by El-P (featuring Mars Volta, Trent Reznor, and Cat Power) is the best rap record I've heard so far in '07. An excellent soundtrack for your iPod while you cruise the streets and subways late at night.The Stage Names by Okkervil River - Some records are perfect for listening to in an office setting, but then also just as great to take home and really get into in private. The Stage Names is definitely one such record. Here Will Sheff/Okkervil River have crafted very fine American pop-rock that isn't too odd/distracting for the general public to hear playing in the background; and yet, they've also scored big on the nuances/lyrics/small touches. I'm hoping this band will continue to grow into their art and songwriting - Black Sheep Boy might be the better record, but I think I like The Stage Names better.
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13 September 2007

8+

"Wham City" by Dan Deacon which clocks in at 11:45

My friend Ike* hates Dan Deacon. He thinks that Dan Deacon makes mindless hipster "liking this music makes me the shit" dance groove, "dunno why I'm listening to this" (because somebody cool told me to) "but it make my body move" - "oh and WOW is this club where this show is off the beaten path (extra cool points) or what?!" - music. Like, to Ike, Dan Deacon = The Happy Mondays, and all of Williamsburg is The Haçienda, and the pills being passed around aren't ecstasy, but rather coolperson culture pills. Ike doesn't need them pills ya'll, and he sure as heck'd rather not bother with some "shart" songs that're 75% about the communal experience of seeing them performed live; good or not. Ike don't need your stinkin' scenestertastic auralgasms, Sir. Dan. Deacon.

I'm paraphrasing there actually. Ike hasn't said nearly any of that to me, I'm simply summing up Ike's unstated opinions; which, I'm concluding are floating around in his head based upon a few passing "stupid Dan Deacon" comments Ike has made. However, I know how he thinks. And I'm fairly certain that's an accurate approximation. Good enough for our purposes here, at any rate.

What I'd like to look at, ever so briefly, is that which this very song title references. For you, for me, and for our sour friend Ike.

"Wham City".

What is "Wham City"? Land of a thousand careless whispers? The place where everything she wants is everything she sees? The land that time forgot, where you'll have a boom-boom put into your heart and a jitterbug into your brain? Where the grey skies are out of your way and the sun shines brighter than Doris Day? Everywhere else your beats per minute never been the same, in "Wham City" you'll go dancing, everything will be all right!? If you can Make It Big there, you can make it big anywhere??

Well sir, sign me, and my George Michael loving self, up for a one way ticket to this "Wham City". I love Wham.

The truth is, in addition to being the title of this particular 8+ song by Dan Deacon, that Wham City is also a collective of artists in Baltimore founded in 2003 when several graduates from SUNY Purchase relocated from New York.

"Ah, well okay, I still hate Dan Deacon", says Ike.

Be quiet Ike. Now, don't be a lazy Ike and take that wiki entry as the entire story of Wham City. Let's dig deeper.

Part time Pitchforker, eMusic list maker, previous Pazz & Jop balloteer, Seattle Weekly contributor, and current Senior Idolatoress Jess Harvell wrote a piece for Baltimore's City Paper that lays out all of the details you'd ever want to know in regards to Wham City. Do read the whole thing, but if you're pressed for time you can find some select bytes below.
    The climax of the set comes with "Wham City," from Deacon's new album Spiderman of the Rings (Carpark). The song was written as a "national anthem" for Wham City, the crew of Baltimore-by-way-of-New York artists who are Deacon's closest friends and collaborators. Deacon's friends and fans pile onstage, chanting the lyrics.

    Far from a castle with a gold-spewing fountain, the real Wham City was a rented industrial loft space squatting somewhere between Mount Vernon and Charles Village. (Its members have requested we don't divulge the exact location in print.) In its first incarnation, it was often filled with garbage. Smashing plates in a sink with a baseball bat was a popular activity when bored. But especially after it moved one floor upstairs in the same building, it was a crucial local space for "music shows, variety shows, TV talk shows, video productions, theatrical productions, lecture series, potluck dinners, photo shoots, fashion shows, [and] dance parties" in the words of Wham City member Adam Endres. Wham City united many young people in the Baltimore art and music scenes who maybe didn't even know they needed uniting
    --
    And perhaps even more important than providing a space to promote this mixed-media aesthetic, Wham City gave the members a safe haven to, well, dick around. Ideas could be quickly thought up and executed, eradicating the pressures of "professionalism" that come with putting on an event as a club, theater, or gallery. Or, as Wham member Ed Schrader says, "[Wham City] means I can wake up with a retarded new song in my head one morning, and be playing it two days later in front of 100 people."
So, in a nut shell, Wham City is a community of artists and friends who've gotten together to create an environment within which they can all feel the freedom to create, and to play off of each other's ideas. "Wham City", the song posted above, is in fact something along the lines of their anthem. With lyrics describing a castle on a mountain of snow, where "everyone plays drums and sings of big sharks, sharp swords, beast knees, bees lords, sweet cakes, mace lakes..." the song comes across as some kind of artist's version of the "Big Rock Candy Mountain". A place where "little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocks..." What artist, musician, or music lover, could possibly hate that?

"Artist schmartist. The music still sucks," says Ike.

STFU Ike.

*name altered to maintain the anonymity of he who has been referenced.
**image of Wham City flyer found HERE.

Buy Spiderman of the Rings HERE on Amazon or HERE on iTunes.

EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
Clan of Xymox - "A Day (Remix)"
Built to Spill - "Broken Chairs"
Spacemen 3 - "Big City (Everybody I Know Can Be Found Here)"
Pulp - "Seductive Barry"
Pelican - "March to the Sea"
Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, and Tony Rice - "Guitar Space/Summertime"
Boris - "Flood"
Vieux Farka Touré - "Diabaté"

To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.
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OPP

Aquarium Drunkard: Hallowed Ground :: Femmes Gothic Country

BrooklynVegan goes "official" for CMJ @ Bowery Ballroom

Earvolution: Covering Cash - Remembering Johnny

Fluxblog: 6th Annual MTV Video Music Awards Thing

Idolator: The Final Chapter Of Idolator's Top 100 R&B Songs Of All Time

Merry Swankster: More Videos About Dancing and Grooves

Motel de Moka: She would rise from her sleepless bed and wander

music is art: song/context/result pt. V

nyctaper: Sonic Youth Revisted - nyctaper’s mea culpa

Passion of the Weiss Special Rosh Hashanah Edition: The Top 10 Musicians To Invite to a Sedar

ProductshopNYC: CMJ MARATHON | An Early Look at the Line-Up

Thepunkguy: 3 Black Sabbath covers of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”

Triangle Music: Liveblogging the VMA's
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12 September 2007

Mobius Band - Fall Tour, new album release info, "Hallie" MP3

Hailing from Brooklyn by way of Western Massachusetts, Mobius Band took me by surprise back in November '05 when I saw them at Mercury Lounge. What I saw then was a band full of copious amounts of potential. Out of nowhere (for me at least), here was a band busting at the seams with emotive, energetic yet listless, pop hooks, electro touches, and a big enough sound and stage presence to fill up arenas. No joke, I might not have said it at the time, but that was my impression. That this band could well be "the next Coldplay", or something along those lines. James mixed with Kid A Radiohead? How can I really say? I don't care much for Coldplay... but Mobius Band I loved. Ever since, I've been on the lookout for news from the Mobius Band camp.

In addition to prepping for the release of their second album, Heaven due out on Misra on October 2nd, the band has lined up an extensive tour hitting both the US and Canada. Below you can find the dates for their tour and a song from the new album. Head on over to Stereogum to check out another song from Heaven, and be sure to check out Mobius Band when they're in your neck of the woods.

Mobius Band Fall Tour '07
09/14 Morrison, CO - Monolith Festival
10/01 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge *
10/02 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's *
10/03 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite *
10/04 Washington, DC - Rock N Roll Hotel *
10/05 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
10/06 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn *
10/08 Austin, TX - Emo's *
10/09 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater *
10/11 Albuquerque, NM - Burt’s Tiki Lounge
10/12 Denver, CO - Hi Dive *
10/14 San Diego, CA - Casbah
10/16 Los Angeles, CA - Echo *
10/17 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland ^
10/18 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine *
10/19 Portland, OR - Holocene *
10/20 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café *
10/21 Vancouver, BC - Media Club *
10/24 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock *
10/25 Madison, WI - Café Montemarte *
10/27 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop *
10/28 East Lansing, MI - MSU Union Ballroom #
10/30 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle #
11/01 Ames, IA - Maintenance Shop @ ISU #
11/02 Columbia, MO - Mojo's #
11/04 Columbus, OH - The Basement #
11/06 Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room #
11/07 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe #
11/08 Montreal, QC - Petit Campus #

* = co-bill with Matthew Dear
^ = Club NME with The Subways
# = Tigercity supports

Listen:
"Hallie"

Visit Mobius Band on MySpace.
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The Muggabears - "Guitar Feelings"

EAR FARM favorites The Muggabears are hibernating at the moment, right? WRONG. Just because you don't see shows lined up at the moment on their calendar doesn't mean they've run off to sleep for the Winter. I mean, it's still techinically Summer anyway, yeah?

Just yesterday, the band sent EAR FARM a previously unreleased song called "Guitar Feelings". It made me happy to hear something new from The Muggabears, yet (thankfully) something entirely familiar. Stumbly-fun drum beats, dischorded guitars, an innocent enough rock beginning that devolves into a banshee jam before resolving itself... call this Muggabears by numbers if you want, but only because "Guitar Feelings" contains all of what made you fall for the band in the first place.

Listen:
"Guitar Feelings"

Visit The Muggabears on MySpace, see live show pictures of The Muggabears HERE.
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Bridges and Powerlines: Fall Tour, "Floods and Fields" MP3

Bridges and Powerlines have announced an upcoming Fall tour to coincide with the recent completion of their first full-length record (slated for an early '08 release). Dates and an MP3 are below.

Bridges and Powerlines: Fall Tour
15 Sept: New York, NY - The Delancey (Hot Rocks w/ Man in Gray, Aldenbarton)
26 Sept: Harrisburg, PA - ABC tavern (Indie at the Abbey w/ Creeping Weeds)
27 Sept: Wilmington, NC - Soapbox Laundrolounge (w/ Can Joann)
28 Sept: Chapel Hill, NC - The Cave (w/ Can Joann, Citified)
29 Sept: New York, NY - Lit Lounge (w/ Square Wave Punch)
13 Oct: Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery

Listen:
"Floods"

Visit Bridges and Powerlines on MySpace.
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11 September 2007

Three for Free - Angels of Light, Lisa Germano, Mi And L'au

EAR FARM's Three for Free: three EF approved, free and legal MP3s posted each week. This week - Young God Records. Click on the artist name to go to their site, click on the song name to listen to the song.

Listen:
Angels of Light - "Black River Song"

Lisa Germano - “Paper Doll"

Mi And L'au - "Older"
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Remembering September 11th, 2001

I struggle to know how best to share my thoughts and feelings about this day. My aim is not to dwell on the past; however, it's most certainly not to ever forget what life was like here in New York City before/on/during/and directly after the attacks of September 11th, 2001. If you'd like to know a bit more about my own personal experience as a resident of NYC on 9/11/01, please visit EF's post about 9/11 from last year. For today, I offer the pensive melancholy of the following song that somehow seems to fit, for me, with taking a moment to remember September 11th, 2001.

Listen:
"Theme From Ghost World" - David Kitay

Buy Ghost World [soundtrack] HERE.
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Today's NEW releases

Today's releases that caught my eye:
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10 September 2007

Hit-or-miss

What: a new time-saving EAR FARM feature wherein the EF music library is put on shuffle, the song that plays is then searched (using the song title) on Google images, and the results (including an MP3 of the song) are posted here.

Listen:
"Mick's Broadcast / Attack" by Harold Faltermeyer from The Running Man (Original Soundtrack)

View:
Image search results for Mick's Broadcast / Attack - my favorite from the first page of results is posted above (and was originally from HERE).
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snip·pets

Led Zeppelin (reunion?) Announcement Expected Next Week

Village Voice: The Back Tattoos of McCarren Pool Park

Fired original Van Halen bassist: “I Found Out on the Internet”

New site caters to covers of popular songs

New York Magazine declares NY Post winner of Britney at VMAs bashing contest

Speaking of - here's Britney's VMA performance, bash it and then scroll down to watch MASTODON

Fiery Furnaces Prep 'Widow,' Go To The Ballet
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07 September 2007

EAR FARM: Heavy Rotation

If you ever check out EAR FARM's Last.fm to get a read on what I've been listening to most recently, you're only getting a partial view of what has been spinning nonstop in my world. Often I turn off that Last.fm scrobbler thing, and I've never let it record what I listen to on my iPod. So, because I don't feel like checking in with the Elbo.ws top 10, I figured I'd instead check in with the 10 albums getting the most attention from me at the moment. There's a song from each below, and link to purchase each on Amazon/iTunes (if available).
--
Boxer by The National - If you're among the many of my friends who had been telling me for years now to listen to this band, for months to check out this album, go ahead and say "I told you so", because you did. And, as seemingly every review of this record suggests, Boxer keeps getting better and better the more I listen. "Mistaken For Strangers" is potentially my favorite song of 2007.Liars by Liars - I adore this band and every twist and turn they've taken so far on each of their four albums. If you ask me, this most recent record is a perfect follow up to Drum's Not Dead and it's looking pretty certain that Liars will show up on my year end list of top albums.Goes Cube Songs 46, 47, 48, 49 by Goes Cube - The four most recently recorded tracks from Brooklyn's Goes Cube find the band striking on all cylinders. It's by far their best material to date, and the notion that these tracks will soon find their way onto a proper album is a frightening proposition... for their competition.
    Listen: "Goes Cube Song 46"

    (you'll have to wait a little while before you can buy these songs)
Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin - I wasn't a super huge Zeppelin fan growing up - I owned IV and II and The Song Remains The Same and the box set - so I missed out on a few of their incredibly classic albums, and now I'm finally catching up. Led Zeppelin III is, in my estimation, better than II. That's saying a lot.III by Sebadoh - I've been on a huge Sebadoh kick (again, happened last year too) ever since I picked up the reissue of The Freed Man and saw them in concert earlier this week. Harmacy might be my personal favorite of their albums, but III is their best.Hold On Too Tight by Schooner - I loved Schooner before I'd heard their 2007 release Hold On Too Tight, but now I think I'm officially in love with Schooner. Their most recent record is really (really) excellent and I've been listening to it over and over for months now. Every single person I've played it for has loved it too. In it I hear touches of '50s rock, country, The Beach Boys, and long lost blissful summer nights. Among other things. You won't be able to stop listening once Hold On Too Tight has wrapped itself around you - just buy it and see for yourself.In Camera by Arthur & Yu - It's this simple: Arthur & Yu's debut is a "must buy" if you love beautiful vocals, elegant song writing, and simple production. Plus, it'll serve you well in a wide variety of listening situations - from pensive headphone moments to background music for a get together with friends. In Camera got you covered yo.Remission by Mastodon - Once I realized that my lifelong love of metal wasn't going anywhere, no matter how much fey British music I fed my ears, things got a lot easier. And louder. Basically, I went after the Mastodon albums I didn't own yet, one of which was Remission, and let the aural destruction begin. Oh yeah, and I've named my fantasy football team after the song posted here... just a little extra bit of EF trivia for you there. MOTHER PUNCHER!A Farewell to Kings by Rush - This record is like crack for music nerds. In the not too distant past of a month ago I found myself listening to my vinyl copy of A Farewell to Kings over and over and over and over again. For real, it was like 4 times in a row that I listened to it, and here I am STILL listening.Planet of Ice by Minus The Bear - Speaking of prog-rock for music nerds... I picked up Planet of Ice on a whim, thinking I didn't like Minus the Bear very much. By the time I finished the record, I was ready to listen to it again. Apparently I do that a lot. Anyway,it's a very Genesis-like love/hate thing I've got going on with Minus the Bear. Fine by me.
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