Vampire Weekend

Boy do I wish it was Summer right now... Not because these one-point-five days of Winter have tested my ability to deal well with cold weather, but rather because I really want to buy that Sublime box set and, you see, I'm fairly literal with what music I listen to from season to season. No Babylon by Bus in February and no Long Cold Winter on repeat in July. If you catch my drift.

Well if you're like me with all of that then I ask you to suspend your fastidiousness for the time being and check out the following band.

Vampire Weekend is a quartet of Columbia graduates who, like Islands, clearly share a certain love of the sounds that informed Paul Simon's Graceland and half of everything Peter Gabriel has ever done. While there's probably still some finishing touches that could be done on these tracks the beats and strumming you're thirsting for are all here in heaping portions, as are the mellow sunny day melodies. Judging from the song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" I'd bet that this is one band you're really going to enjoy in a live setting and I'd even go so far as to call this band the best group of African music making white boys in all of New York.

The second song posted here, "Oxford Comma", is the one that's really gotten me most interested in Vampire Weekend. Why? For one it reminds me of things I enjoy about Bishop Allen. A certain carefree take on songcraft you're not likely to find just growing on trees. Smart pop. Ivy League pop? Yeah sure. If that means preppies who own guitars and know who Ladysmith Black Mumbazo is I'll go with that. The second reason I jumped when I first heard "Oxford Comma" is because I give a fuck about fun music, catchy lyrics, AND Oxford commas. That's how I roll. You too? Then let's make this weekend a Vampire Weekend full of boat drinks and fun in the sun. In January? You betcha.

Listen:
"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
"Oxford Comma"

***also, please, do yourself a favor and check out the excellent Les Bank Robbers mashup of Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and Clipse's "Wamp Wamp" - listen to it on the Les Bank Robbers MySpace page HERE***

Visit Vampire Weekend on MySpace.

See Vampire Weekend on the 31st of January at Mercury Lounge.

The Walkmen and Vampire Weekend @ The Earl (Atlanta) - 9 March 2008 (pics, video)

This past Sunday evening, The Walkmen (above) made it very clear why they were headlining The Earl and why Vampire Weekend - though riding the comet tail of hype and adulation - were still better suited as openers. The former are rock stars, plain and simple, having matured from carving a studied and distinctively narrow niche for themselves to blossoming into a dynamic beast of a live act, shape-shifting from stadium-sized waves of rock one moment to pensive and cavernous dirges the next and back again with ease.

And after feeling the bass saturate the room, the drums rattle my chest and then witnessing Hamilton arch waaaay back to hit that shrieking final note for an extra 20 seconds, I’m almost convinced they could have gone down the road a few miles and filled Turner Field with the wall of sound they created. It was an absolute privilege to see them play up close again in such an intimate venue as The Earl, where the sound was LOUD but mixed to perfection.

This is not to suggest at all that Vampire Weekend was disappointing or unworthy of praise; in fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how incredibly tight these guys are live. This is music that’s made for a live and social setting, i.e. party music. And one night after playing Saturday Night Live, Ezra Koenig did his damned best to bring the enthusiasm and the party to the sold-out crowd (who were all doe-eyed and all there to see them - see picture below). As I overheard the doorman say, “I like it, sounds like Jimmy Buffet.”* See more pics and watch live videos from this show after the jump...

The Walkmen

Watch:
"Little House Of Savages" by The Walkmen live (from this show) on YouTube | download QT
"If Only It Were True" by The Walkmen live (from this show) on YouTube | download QT

See more pictures of The Walkmen (from this show) HERE.

Visit The Walkmen on MySpace.

Vampire Weekend

Watch:
"A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend live (from this show) on YouTube | download QT

See more pictures of Vampire Weekend (from this show) HERE.

Visit Vampire Weekend on MySpace.
--
*words by Mike, pictures and video by Matt.

The Fate of Friday Night Lights?

Rumors have been a swirlin' for some time about the fate of NBC's critically adored and viewer neglected Friday Night Lights. Stalled with seven episodes remaining in its second season, the most recent reports seem to indicate that a third season is imminent. Hooray, right?

Not so fast. Nothing is certain yet, and word is that new NBC honcho Ben Silverman doesn't much care for the Dillon Panthers. This online petition to save the show has been circulating for quite awhile, but with a decision looming in the very near future we thought it was high time to bring it to your attention.

Yes, but what does this all have to do with music? Well, most obviously there's the Explosions in the Sky factor; that they've featured prominently in the show's soundtrack for the past two seasons and have undoubtedly and deservedly reached millions of additional ears as a result is reason enough to keep this little-show-that-could rolling, right?

And according to Spin, having your band's song on the show is like the new O.C. status symbol of sorts. Witness the recent Vampire Weekend cover story, when Andy Greenwald wrote:

Further, their (Vampire Weekend's) success demonstrates a radical redefinition of the very term at a time when quantifiable benchmarks are increasingly defined not by units shifted or radio airplay, but by less scientific means. "Success might mean a synch on Friday Night Lights," says Alexandra Patsavas, music supervisor for Grey's Anatomy, Chuck, and Gossip Girl, referring to the placement of Vampire Weekend's infectious "A-Punk" on an episode of the football drama last November.

So the moral is Friday Night Lights stays on the air and everyone wins, yes?

Listen:
Vampire Weekend - "A-Punk" AND "A-Punk" (EF Live recording from The Earl, Atlanta, GA 3/9/08)
Explosions in the Sky - "It's Natural To Be Afraid"

EAR FARM's Top Ten Bands To Emerge in 2007 & Ten To Watch Out For in 2008

What do Bowerbirds, Yeasayer, and Vampire Weekend have in common? They're all featured in EAR FARM's list of the top ten bands to "emerge" in 2007. How about Dead Confederate, The Secret Life Of Sofia, and Le Loup?? Just a few bands to be on the lookout for in 2008. After the jump you'll find seven more bands that EAR FARM deems to be the rest of the top ten bands to "emerge" in 2007, followed by seven others to watch out for in 2008. Keep in mind the fact that the term "emerge" is a bit nebulous, but don't let that keep you from yelling at us in the comments. Both lists are in alphabetical order and you'll have to click through to read about/listen to them. So do it.

EAR FARM's Top Ten Bands To Emerge in 2007

A Place To Bury Strangers - Bang. Zoom. Bop. Dead ears. Happy ears. I'm so glad the rest of the country (aka Pitchfork and their minions) finally caught on in 2007. - Matt

Listen: "To Fix The Gash In Your Head"

Arthur & Yu - the first EF post about this band was in May 2006, but 2007 was the year they brought their music to the masses with In Camera, their largely underrated/ignored debut album. - Matt

Listen: "Come to View (Song For Neil Young)"

Battles - though they had released a few EPs prior to 2007, it wasn't until this year that Battles fully blasted into the hearts and minds of avant-garde/math rock fans everywhere. This was the sound of my summer. - Matt

Listen: "Atlas"

Bowerbirds - This band (and each of their songs on their album Hymns For A Dark Horse) makes me think of home. Funny, that's exactly where they're from. And it makes me proud and happy to know that such great music is still alive and well in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area. - Matt

Listen: "In Our Talons"

Dirty Projectors - To be fair, I found myself more impressed with the concept of Rise Above - ie repurposed Black Flag album - than the actual result. However, there's no denying the impressive year Dave Longstreth has had. - Mike

Listen: "No More"

Panda Bear - Stepping out from the rest of the Animal Collective stable, Noah Lennox's second solo album Person Pitch may have edged out My Morning Jacket's Z to earn the prestigious "most reverb featured on a single album" award. A sugary sweet shot to the dome. Congrats! - Mike

Listen: "Take Pills"

St. Vincent - Slowly, but surely, Annie Clark took over my stereo with more frequency as Summer turned to Fall in 2007. You too? I was a doubter at first but not anymore. She's created music that's funny, yet sad; charming, yet dark; simple, yet complex. An amazing debut, and quite a year for St. Vincent. - Matt

Listen: "Now Now"

Vampire Weekend - I "discovered" Vampire Weekend way back in January of 2007, some four months before the Stereogum post about them. Why does that matter? Am I claiming "first" on that shit? Did I know what was in store for this band in 2007? It doesn't matter, I don't play the "first" game, and I had no idea. But well done boys - for better or worse, Vampire Weekend was the "blog band" of 2007. - Matt

Listen: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"

White Rabbits - This is a perfect example of when rolling six deep and playing together, on top of another and against one another just WORKS. Every member of this posse is put to good use on Fort Nightly. I cannot wait to see them live this Thursday. - Mike

Listen: "Kid On My Shoulders"

Yeasayer - As dutifully reported during CMJ, seeing Yeasayer live was something of a revelation. Their debut album All Hour Cymbals may not completely live up to the awesomeness of their live show, but it's still fantastic and frankly, what could? See them asap. - Mike

Listen: "2080"

EAR FARM's Top Ten Bands To Watch Out For in 2008

Dead Confederate - like Band of Horses would sound if they'd spent their summers reading The Catcher in the Rye and listening to The Verve instead of grabbing ass at The Okra Strut. - Matt

Listen: "The Rat"

Duffy - simultaneously steals your heart and breaks it in almost every measure, this is sultry '60s inspired pop rehash at its finest. Someone named Duffy gonna be a star. - Matt

Listen: "Rockferry"

Evangelicals - True, we first saw them in 2006, so why say they're emerging in the Ocho? Let's just wait for their new album The Evening Descends to drop on Jan 22nd for the answer. Told you so's are forthcoming. - Mike

Listen: "The Last Christmas On Earth"

Helvetia - A very recent discovery with an outstanding album due in March followed by a tour with Built to Spill, sounds like the blueprint for a breakout year. - Mike

Listen: "Harbored"

Le Loup - You could argue they're already blowing up, and you're right! But, isn't it possible they could blow up even more, like in a Michael Bay movie when a building keeps exploding from like 37 different angles? Think about it. - Mike

Listen: "we are gods! we are wolves!"

Project Jenny, Project Jan - they could've been on the 2007 list above, but I think there are bigger things than blog hype in store for this duo in 2008. If they'd come up 25 years ago they'd be MTV superstars by now. - Matt

Listen: "320"

Sam Champion - Beloved hometown heroes, the pieces are all in place for NYC's best to melt transcontinental faces with a new EP and album on the horizon. - Mike

Listen: "Your Party Was Yesterday"

The Secret Life Of Sofia - when this band "emerges" it will be after years of a solid base of NYC fans telling anyone who will listen to check them out. Their new album is very high on my list of what I'm looking forward to in 2008. - Matt

Listen: Stream various new tracks on their MySpace page

Throw Me The Statue - I always thought the quote from Raiders of the Lost Ark was "Throw me the idol!". Update: I just checked imdb and I'm right. So don't you trust me now when I say big things are in store for this band? - Mike

Listen: "Lolita"

The Ting Tings - back in July of 2007 I swore this band was ready to explode. Not totally happened yet - hm. Well if it doesn't happen in '08, then my cat is right, "All ya'll bitches stoopid." - Matt

Listen: "That's Not My Name"

----

See also:
EAR FARM's Top Concerts of 2007

Tomorrow:
EAR FARM's Top Songs Of 2007

I Want My MTV - New videos from Vampire Weekend, Xiu Xiu, Eddie Vedder, Moby, and Thurston Moore

If videos killed the radio star then videos have killed me. I was trapped by the promises they offered back in 1983. And then what? Well, we all know what: MTV strayed from what they did really well and created an entire generation of idiots more interested in making sure their lives are ready for reality TV than in the art of the music video. As a result, pop stars such as Britney Spears know not how to sing and dance in a video, but only how to look like the picture perfect reality TV disaster. I can just see it now: the next move for Britney and MTV will be to have an episode of Made where Gwen Stefani or Madonna shows Britney how to balance life, men, babies, baby sisters with babies, a crazy mind, and a career, all without turning into The Trash Heap again. Right? Don't act like you wouldn't watch that. But I digress... this is about taking the power back!

Below you'll find new music videos from Vampire Weekend, Xiu Xiu, Eddie Vedder, Moby, and Thurston Moore. Is it me, or does the Thurston Moore video remind you a bit of certain films by Derek Jarman? And... is this new Moby song actually good? Wha?!


"A-Punk" by Vampire Weekend (above)


"I Do What I Want, When I Want" by Xiu Xiu (above)


"Guaranteed" by Eddie Vedder (above)


"Alice" by Moby (above)


"Fri/End" by Thurston Moore (above)

Band of the Week: Bombadil

Band: Bombadil
From: Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
Sound: You got intricately arranged indie-pop in my playfully literate lyrics! You got playfully literate lyrics in my intricately arranged indie-pop!
Similar Artists: Danielson, Vampire Weekend, Ben Folds, Sufjan Stevens, Jonathan Richman
Listen Now: "Julian of Norwich"

"the record is a collection of stories
that spans our three years together as a band
i like to think of the record as a coloring book
some of the songs are color by numbers
some are black and white
some you probably dont have to color on
at all" - from my inbox, April 7th, 2008

As if anticipating our mild obsession with synesthesia by an impressive 10 days, Bombadil piqued our curiosity with the above simple (yet cryptic) introduction last week. And insisting on sending said record via snail mail as opposed to a few straggling compressed MP3s, the Durham quartet were making a statement: coloring books, physical album copies, all tangible and tactile, all substantive and worth our time.

And with the arrival of their full-length debut A Buzz, A Buzz on Monday (and out 4/29 on Ramseur Records), I have to agree with them: this is worth your time.

A hand-written note accompanied the album, scrawled on the back of a comic strip and telling us that we had to supply our own crayons in coloring the album. Were this actually a possibility (and still trying to will myself a synesthetic perhaps?), it made me wonder what colors I might have chosen do so.

Probably every single crayon possible...

A splash of yellow to capture the group's upbeat and exquisite harmonies, scribbled over with a burnt sienna to show the depth and muscularity (read: the absence of fey or twee-ness) within these harmonies. A midnight blue to suggest the depth and emotive range behind such clever passages as "sing all alone, singing's just talking in tones, rhymestones, and get off your cellphones because they're tracking you home, skin and bones all alone" (from "Smile When You Kiss"); perhaps a brown and green combo for the earthy acoustic guitars and plaintive vocals that anchor the entire song cycle? True, the end result would certainly resemble the child-scribble fridge-art most likely found in this woman's home, but Bombadil make all these elements work with a fluid grace, in the process sculpting 11 pitch-perfect pop songs that sound even better as a cohesive whole.

Named after a character from The Lord of the Rings, Bombadil first came together three years ago in Bolivia, where Duke alums Daniel Michalak and Bryan Rahija first met and began collaborating on songs (John Michalak and Stuart Robinson would soon round out the band). According to their label's website:

The folk music indigenous to the region lit a creative spark and inspired the two to begin writing songs that incorporated international instruments and styles. That influence, paired with their collective backgrounds in Piedmont blues, psychedelic rock and Robinson’s background as a classical pianist, stands as the driving force behind the band’s unique sound.

Add to this description bouts of circus-like melodies fresh from the Disney Main Street Electrical Parade, spurting woodwinds, traditional American folk, vaudeville, inventively off-kilter percussion bursts, and tribal call-and-response vocals and you begin to get the idea. Like I said, this album takes on every color in the Crayola box.

Of course, a smattering of sounds so disparate could prove disastrous if not utilized in proper doses, and perhaps the band's biggest strength throughout A Buzz, A Buzz lies in their wonderful arrangements and instrumentation. Though it is a "big" sounding album, it never feels overburdened or crowded; instead, every piece works and services the broader song. Listen, for example, to "Julian of Norwich", a perfectly constructed pop song that manages to shake any initial likeness to Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" by multiplying the infectious central melody through layers of fife, Colonial Williamsburg marching drums, cascading banjo, nimble grand piano arpeggios, clattering sea shells (?) and at least a dozen other elements.

Currently touring in support of A Buzz, A Buzz's forthcoming release, Bombadil's immense talent and promise leaves me believing that they really couldn't have come up with a more appropriate and prescient title for their debut (well, except for maybe Synesthesia).

Listen:
"Julian of Norwich"
"Smile When You Kiss"

See Bombadil Live:
23 April - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
24 April - Johnson City, TN @ The Acoustic Coffeehouse - CD Release
25 April - The Triangle, NC @ 91.5 WUNC's The State of Things
25 April - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle - CD Release
27 April - Decatur, GA @ Eddie's Attic
29 April - Raleigh, NC @ Schoolkids Records - In-store Performance
30 April - Charlotte, NC @ Fox News Rising WCCB TV 18
30 April - Charlotte, NC @ Manifest Disc - In-store Performance
01 May - Greenville, SC @ Horizon Records - In-store Performance
02 May - Knoxville, TN @ Disc Exchange - In-store Performance
07 May - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Chop Shop
08 May - Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
09 May - Easton, MD @ Coffee East
10 May - Washington D.C. @ The Red & Black
11 May - Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
14 May - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Wealthy Theatre
15 May - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
16 May - Bristol, TN @ Border Bash
17 May - Knoxville, TN @ Time Warp Tea Room
24 May - York, SC @ Sylvia Theater
29 May - Kansas City, MO @ Knucklehead's
31 May - Denver, CO @ Dulcinea's 100th Monkey
04 Jun - Bend, OR @ Old St. Francis School
05 June - Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield
06 June - McMinnville, OR @ Hotel Oregon
07 June - Gearhart, OR @ McMenamins Sand Trap
10 June - Centralia, WA @ Olympic Club Hotel and Theater
12 June - Portland, OR @ Kennedy School
13 June - Forest Grove, OR @ Grand Lodge
15 June - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
20 June - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
21 June - Winston-Salem, NC @ Summer On Trade
27 June - Boone, NC @ Private Party
28 June - Boone, NC @ Private Party
5 July - Chestertown, MD @ Andy's
10 July - New London, CT @ The Oasis Pub
11 July - Burlington, VT @ TBA
26 July - Floyd, VA @ FloydFest
28 July - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall
01 Aug - Portland, OR @ Pickathon
02 Aug - Portland, OR @ Pickathon
07 Aug - Cottage Grove, OR @ Axe and Fiddle Pub and Music Club
29 Aug - Boone, NC @ Black Cat
12 Sep - Mount Pleasant, SC @ Fiery Ron's Hometown BBQ
19 Sep - Bristol, VA @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
20 Sep - Bristol, VA @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
17 Jan - Riverside, CA @ Private Party

Visit Bombadil on MySpace
--
In the recent past, the following bands have been featured as EAR FARM's Band of the Week:
Tapes 'n Tapes
White Hinterland
Man Man
We Barbarians
The Dodos
Hey Hey My My
Amy LaVere
Beach House

See the entire list of bands featured as EAR FARM's Band of the Week HERE.

Today's NEW Releases

Who gives a fuck about an Oxford Comma? Lots of people it seems....

• Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
• Beck - Odelay (Deluxe Edition)
• Jeffrey Lewis - 12 Crass Songs
• Louis XIV - Slick Dogs And Ponies
• The Mars Volta - Bedlam In Goliath
• Murder Mystery - Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here It Comes
• Chris Walla - Field Manual
• Dub Trio - Another Sound Is Dying
  

What else?

Top 10 (Musical) Things To Do in New York This Weekend

This weekend, the best and brightest (but fortunately not hottest) options for your musical-themed entertainment, as humbly suggested by us....

10. Run for the hills! It's Iron Maiden at Madison Square Garden SUNDAY

9. Take the ferry over to Staten Island and Rock The Harbor at SI's first original rock festival SATURDAY

8. Enjoy Bonnaroo AND air-conditioning all at once on SUNDAY at 9:00pm when Fuse airs My Morning Jacket and Mastodon's Bonnaroo sets

7. Head to The Yard SUNDAY and get your block party on with Afrika Bambaataa

6. Hit up Jones Beach Theater after a SATURDAY on the beach to see The National, Modest Mouse, and R.E.M.

5. Or, stay indoors at Bowery SATURDAY or SUNDAY as Mission of Burma performs Signals, Calls, & Marches in its entirety

4. Celebrate The Music Slut's 3rd Anniversary at Pianos SATURDAY with Drink Up Buttercup, Mussels, Unicycle Loves You, and The Physics of Meaning

3. Pretend Central Park Summerstage is the Columbia quad with Vampire Weekend SATURDAY

2. Blow your mind with the Brooklyn Philharmonic as they perform John Adams' "Shaker Loops" synched along with two barges worth of fireworks SATURDAY at South Street Seaport

1. Witness Oneida perform 2005's The Wedding in its entirety alongside a string quartet and multimedia art show at the Kitchen FRIDAY and SATURDAY

A fairly eclectic mix but still only scratching the surface. What are your top picks for the weekend?

EAR FARM Q&A: Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear!

Don't say I didn't warn you. Still reeling from an already legendary performance at the Society for Ethical Culture this past weekend and an excellent new EP that won't leave my rotation, I've been left with no choice but to declare it "Grizzly Bear Week" here on EAR FARM.

Lucky for me (and you), the always gracious Ed Droste agreed to help keep the celebration going, checking in via email to chat and answer some questions before the band's in-store performance (and last Grizzly Bear show in a loooong time) at the Union Square Virgin Megastore tonight.

As many of you know, Grizzly Bear was scheduled to play Late Night with Conan O'Brien last night but unfortunately had to postpone their appearance due to the writer's strike. Well guess what? There's no such thing as unionized labor in the blogosphere, so without further ado here's our Q&A with Ed:

MG: Many of the new arrangements on the Friend EP feel looser and more direct, as though you guys just recorded them live in the studio instead of adding layers of overdubs. Was this a conscious decision when revisiting the older material?

ED: I think one of the MAIN reasons for these recordings in general was not to just "recycle" old material but rather to release something that felt closer to what we've become as a band, and what we produce live. SO many people have asked us to do a "live album", and this is sort of our take on that I suppose even though there ARE overdubs.

MG: Touring in support of Yellow House has kept you guys out on the road for most of the past year and a half. How has that experience shaped the growth of the band? How has it affected you personally?

ED: It's been tremendously amazing and tiring at the same time. It's very hard to keep things fresh, get along with everyone, all the while getting robbed and living in a van. I think once the day (I pray for it) we can afford a bus comes, touring will become a lot easier. The emotional strain will always be there, but at least physically we wouldn't be so exhausted. That said, I can't say how much I love the PERFORMING part, when I say the tour is grueling it's just the lead up TO a show. Loading in, driving, getting little sleep. But the hour or so we get to perform is what makes it all worth while. Especially given we have such appreciative and supportive fans.

MG: On the subject of touring, you often update your blog with pictures, videos and stories from the road. What have been some of your favorite moments (either memorable performances or otherwise) from the last tour?

ED: I love meeting new people, so festivals have stood out as particularly fun on a social level. That said, I don't think we are really a festival band deep down. You can't really dance to us, and I'm not sure I'D want to see an hour set of us in the glaring sun standing up midday with thousands walking all around me. That's why playing places like the Society for Ethical Culture is so great. Playing some of the majestic theaters with Feist was a real highlight and I fondly remember our time in Ireland as well. Ireland is so much more into us than the UK it's like night and day.

MG: Also on your blog you often champion other bands you either meet up with on the road or otherwise can't stop listening to, a few months ago it was Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors, Cass McCombs and more recently Vampire Weekend. Anyone else on your radar these days?

ED: I've fallen BACK in love with Beach House. It's weird I have to say all my favorite bands this past year or so (aside from the amazing In Rainbows) have been bands we've gotten to play with who are relatively small. I don't know why, but the big guns as of late haven't done that much for me. I can't really be bothered with the White Stripes. Not that I think they are bad, it just leaves me sort of cold and shrugging. Of course Radiohead, Feist and Bjork will
always be favorites. I'm listening to Beach House right now actually! I just checked my itunes to see if there is anything else really current that I"m obsessing , I think I've written about most of it. I've mentioned Sleeping States and Foreign Born a lot. I enjoy Hot Chip and White Williams and Girl Talk a lot on the other spectrum. Hmmm---I like Rihanna too! I could go on ....but I'll stop.

MG: Horn of Plenty was essentially a solo project whereas Yellow House featured songs from both Daniel (Rossen, vocals and guitar) and yourself. How have the dynamics of songwriting and collaboration amongst the four of you evolved?

ED: Big Time. We all write so differently and while Dan and I are the chief songwriters, at the moment Dan is being more prolific than me, so who's to say if the shift doesn't entirely go towards him next album. I 'm not sure. Touring burnt me out creatively for a little bit and I need a month or two to pretend like music doesn't exist to get back into my own state of creativity. I don't know if that makes any sense....

MG: You guys played an amazing new song the other night, is that at all indicative of what's to come?

ED: Yeah, that's a song Dan wrote and we are all really excited about. I can't say anything per se is indicative but I'm fairly positive it will be on the new album. We don't have enough material yet to exactly see if there is a "new direction" but hopefully the other ones will be as good as that one! haha

MG: On that note, and this is probably unfair to ask since you just released a new EP this week but what's next for you guys? Are there any plans at the moment for the next album?

ED: Writing first! Then recording! Perhaps a trip to play Australia/New Zealand--but we haven't decided about that yet.

MG: Ed, thanks so much for taking the time to visit EAR FARM! I hope you have some time to relax after this week.

ED: Thank you for thinking of us! so happy you enjoyed the show

Again, if you live in the NYC area, tonight is your LAST chance to see Grizzly Bear before they take a well-deserved break (do you know how hard it was to resist making a hibernation pun there?). Many thanks once again to Ed Droste!

See Grizzly Bear Live:
7 November 7pm - Virgin Megastore Union Square, NYC

Listen:
"He Hit Me"

Buy Friend EP on Amazon

Visit Grizzly Bear on MySpace

OPP

Nerd Litter on Goes Cube @ Mercury Lounge on April 6th

CMJ on Mancino @ the Delancey on April 14th

BrooklynVegan: An interview with Björk

Largehearted Boy: Ned Vizzini Interviews The Harlem Shakes

B.O.O.T.L.E.G.S. - a new live show MP3 blog

An Aquarium Drunkard - Stephen Malkmus New Album News/Pig Lib EP

And because I'm feeling like being an ass today: Stereogum posted about Vampire Weekend...some four months after Ear Farm did.

OPP

Could the Beatles back catalogue soon be available on iTunes?

My Morning Jacket unveils Evil Urges tracklisting

Watch Yeasayer perform on La Blogotheque's latest "Take Away Concert"

Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna, Dean and Britta) talks to The Boston Globe about a few of his favorite things

The Chicago Sun-Times has a Q&A with Pitchfork's Ryan Schreiber about Pitchfork.TV, video games and the future

Justin Timberlake is producing a pilot for NBC

Watch Vampire Weekend's SNL performance

Runnin' With The Devil: EAR FARM hits the road again in March

Last year I took to the road for five weeks on an immense tour with the band Goes Cube to shoot footage for a documentary about the experiences of an indie-rock band on their first cross-country tour. The documentary is moving along, as is the band. In fact, Goes Cube is currently lining up dates for another big tour on their way down to Austin for South by Southwest and is looking for shows on the way to, and back from, Texas. Get in touch with them if you'd to help find them a show in your town.

One of our collective favorites for on-the-road listening humor was the Smash Mouth "Days Like These" vocal outtake originally posted on the Grizzly Bear blog. If you haven't heard it before, listen now. It's awfully funny. Awful AND funny.

The reason I bring up last year's tour is that EAR FARM is going to go on a tour of our own: we're headed down to Austin in March for SxSW. Two weeks of driving, concerts, writing, and barbecue. We'll be sure to stop in the four BBQ meccas (North Carolina, Texas, Memphis, and Kansas City) during our trip and will do our best to see as many live shows on the road as we can. To this end, if you're in a band that will be playing in/around/near one of the cities we're going to on our March '08 tour, please get in touch and let us know about your show. Also, feel free to get in touch with us if you have any suggestions for eats or live music or things to do/see in any of the cities listed below.

Tentatively, our live music/city-stop schedule looks like this:

7 March - Van Halen in Raleigh, NC
8 March - Man Man in Athens, GA
9 March - The Walkmen/Vampire Weekend in Atlanta, GA
10 March - TBD in Memphis, TN
11 March - Goes Cube in Dallas, TX
12-16 March - SXSW in Austin, TX
17 March - Built To Spill/Meat Puppets/Helvetia in Kansas City, MO
18 March - TBD in TBD
19 March - TBD in TBD
20 March - TBD in TBD

To say that we're excited about kicking off our tour by seeing Van Halen in Raleigh would be an understatement. March looks to be one hell of a month for EAR FARM and our readers.

To celebrate - what? you thought I'd end this without an accompanying MP3 or two? pssh - we've located what is sure to be this tour's "Days Like These". Okay, it's not nearly as horrible/humorous, but is amusing no less. Found on Chunklet, it's a studio outtake of David Lee Roth singing "Runnin' With The Devil" - vocals only. Enjoy.

Listen:
"Runnin' With The Devil" (vocals only outtake) by David Lee Roth
"Runnin' With The Devil" by Van Halen

*above photo from HERE.

Bonnaroo 2008 Lineup Announced: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West to headline (no Led Zeppelin)

Bonnaroo has announced the lineup for the 2008 Bonnaroo Festival. Read carefully or you just might misread Lez Zeppelin as Led Zeppelin. Hey, it happened to the NME, Pollstar, the Associated Press, and Billboard before they rushed to change their story. Click through for a list of all actual artists currently scheduled to appear and a few MP3s from those who'd like for you to have them.

Bonnaroo 2008 Lineup:
!!!
A Very Special Acoustic Performance by Larry Campbell, Jackie Greene, Phil Lesh & Teresa Williams
Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet featuring Bela Fleck
Against Me!
Aimee Mann
B.B. King
Back Door Slam
Battles
Ben Folds
Black Kids
Broken Social Scene
Dark Star Orchestra
Death Cab for Cutie - "Bend to Squares"
Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi’s Soul Stew Revival
Donavon Frankenreiter
Drive-By Truckers
Ghostland Observatory
Gogol Bordello - "God of Sameness 1"
Grupo Fantasma
Iron & Wine - "Innocent Bones"
Israel Vibration
Jack Johnson
Jakob Dylan
Jose Gonzalez
Kanye West
Ladytron
Levon Helm and the Ramble on the Road
Lez Zeppelin
Little Feat
Lupe Fiasco
Metallica
M.I.A.
Mason Jennings
Mastodon
MGMT
Minus the Bear - "Throwin' Shapes"
My Morning Jacket
Nicole Atkins
O.A.R.
Orchestra Baobab
Ozomatli
Pat Green
Pearl Jam
Phil Lesh & Friends
Rilo Kiley
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Robert Randolph’s Revival
Serena Ryder
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
Sigur Ros - "untitled #4 (a.k.a. njósnavélin / the nothing song)"
Solomon Burke
State Radio
Steel Train
Talib Kweli
Tegan & Sara
The Allman Brothers Band
The Avett Brothers
The Bluegrass Allstars Feat. Luke Bulla, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Bryan Sutton
The Felice Brothers
The Fiery Furnaces
The Lee Boys
The Raconteurs
The Swell Season
The Sword
Two Gallants - "Despite What You've Been Told"
Umphrey’s McGee
Vampire Weekend
Willie Nelson
Yonder Mountain String Band

Bonnaroo 2008 Comedy:
Bonnaroo Late Night Chat About with David Cross
Janeane Garofalo
Zach Galifianakis
Jim Norton
Brian Posehn
Mike Birbiglia
John Mulaney
Michelle Buteau

snip·pets

The Cure Touring North America, Wrapping New CD

20 Essential Songs of Summer '07

Julian, Sean Lennon end 8-year feud

'Lion Sleeps Tonight' singer dead

Stylus on/with Vampire Weekend

NME: Glastonbury Festival 2007 photos

Rolling Stone: The Fall of the Record Business: What Next?

IGN: Top 10 Greatest Band Names Ever

Orchestras look to indie-rock to draw younger audiences

iTunes was 3rd biggest music retailer by units sold in 1Q

OPP

Mark Cuban: "The album is dead"

Pitchfork interviews the Drive-By Truckers

Los Angeles Times: Full Coachella lineup is announced

Wired and Sarah Silverman explain 33 Things That Suck, including purchasing tickets online, radio, and wired speakers

Check out La Blogotheque's latest Take Away Concert with Vampire Weekend

Oscar nominations are scheduled to be announced this morning

Spam Filter: The Walkmen New Album Details and Tour Dates Revealed

You're looking at the cover art to The Walkmen's fourth LP, You & Me, coming out on Gigantic Records this fall (and not in August as previously reported). The press release states:

With some romance and drama, You and Me harnesses a sense of classic live-band production into meticulously constructed, unique-sounding rock songs. The sound would definitely not be mistaken for old, but it would be impossible to ignore the most timeless influences. You and Me offers a distinctive twist to the“Walkmen” sound of their first three records. Each song shows focus, and an up-beat enthusiasm apparent in all lyrics, music, and performances. It is a long record, clocking in at just under an hour, and it presents a wide range of ideas.

Intriguing yes? There's more too; the band also released the tracklisting and announced some August tour dates - including two Bowery stops - in advance of the record's release. Check it out after the jump...

Here's You & Me's tracklisting:

1. Dónde está la Playa
2. Flamingos (for Colbert)
3. On the Water
4. In the New Year
5. Seven Years of Holidays (for Stretch)
6. Postcards from Tiny Islands
7. Red Moon
8. Canadian Girl
9. Four Provinces
10. Long Time Ahead of Us
11. The Blue Route
12. New Country
13. I Lost You
14. If Only It Were True

And here are their tour dates:

18 Aug - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom, New York
19 Aug - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom, New York
21 Aug - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
22 Aug - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
27 Aug - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
28 Aug - Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richard, Vancouver (co-bill w/ Man Man)
29 Aug - Victoria, BC @ Rifflandia Festival, Victoria (Black Mountain, Destroyer, etc.)
30 Aug - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival

Happy Friday indeed!

Listen: "Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone"

Watch:
"Little House Of Savages" by The Walkmen (live @ The Earl, Atlanta, GA 9 Mar 2008) on YouTube | download QT
"If Only It Were True" by The Walkmen (live @ The Earl, Atlanta, GA 9 Mar 2008) on YouTube | download QT

See also:
- The Walkmen, Franz Ferdinand: The Musician as Food Critic
- 8+
- The Walkmen and Vampire Weekend @ The Earl (Atlanta) - 9 Mar 2008 (pics, video)
- The Walkmen @ Avalon - 17 October 2007

Visit The Walkmen on MySpace

Don't You (Forget About Me)

Boy, this list is long overdue. The following list covers all of the artists/bands featured on EAR FARM (since the last time one of these was posted) through the end of January 2007. This excludes the weekly features (such as Three For Free, 8+) and is more about bands that have gotten a band-specific write-up on EF. The quotes are from EAR FARM write-ups about the band and should help give you a mini-notion of what each artist is all about and should also clue you in as to why they've been featured on this site. Click the (+) to visit a previous EF posting about any of these bands and click the band name to go to their site.

New York based bands:
Bell (+) - has this beautiful warm lilt in the way she sings that seems to cut right through the darkness of a venue as if she's singing just for you
Butch & Bellie (+) - obviously absorbed the work of early Beastie Boys, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, and Slick Rick and they know the importance of fixing their rhymes and beats up all perfectly so as to inspire smiles and dancing
Foreign Islands (+) - I can't tell you how refreshing it was to see a band put the balls back into a rock performance
Lismore (+) - a sound more cold in nature...winter-pop. Yeah, that's the ticket. Beautiful winter-pop.
Seasick (+) - an entrancing intensity that's equal parts spooky and alluring
Taigaa (+) - the kind of music that awakens your own creativity and reminds you of the endless wonders you witnessed to the first time you entered the woods as a child
Thieves Like Us (+) - I felt as if I was in Manchester in 1982 seeing an up and coming new wave band blossom before my eyes
Vampire Weekend (+) - a certain carefree take on songcraft you're not likely to find just growing on trees...smart pop

Bands from elsewhere:
Big Love Hospital (+) - is what happens when The Evangelicals, Cheyenne, Ryan Lindsey and friends get together to write and record tribute albums to American holidays
Jake Brennan (+) - something like Nebraska era Bruce Springsteen, or Back to Basics Billy Bragg, but with a rockabilly slant
Can Joann (+) - they sound like a band who grew up listening to those early '90s NC bands and are simply putting their own spin on the Chapel Hill sound
Erie Choir (+) - from country infused pop-rock to detached intelli-pop along the lines of the work of Stephin Merritt
A Great White Bird (+) - rather perfect background music for the grey skies and bossless Monday-induced trance that's going on over here at my office
Scott Phillips (+) - at one point he played these songs in succession: "I Won't Share You", "But Not Tonight", and "The Saturday Boy"...that's The Smiths, Depeche Mode, and Billy Bragg... back to back to back
Read Yellow (+) - annihilated the implied barrier between themselves and the audience and moved from mellow moments to all out rocking with ease...pure energy
Those Damn Twins (+) - fans of Magnetic Fields, Mazzy Star, and that sense of adventure that drove bands like Cabaret Voltaire, will find much to like in the music of Those Damn Twins

To see the entire list of bands/artists that have been featured on EAR FARM click HERE.

OPP

Largehearted Boy has an impressive list of 2008 SXSW live music downloads and streams

White Rabbits drive 27 hours straight to play SXSW, we got some pics from this show for tomorrow

San Francisco Chronicle: Vampire Weekend's risky sound

The A.V. Club: 14 overblown/advocacy songs besides "We Are The World"

The Observer must read EF because now they're harping on musicians-turned-actors

The New York Times details the return of the B-52s

How much profit does iTunes make on music?

Liars to open for Radiohead on tour

Harp Magazine, RIP

Pitchfork interviews Beach House
--
We are currently on the road, traveling to our final musical BBQ lunch today and experiencing difficulty with posting. New posts/more SXSW content in the coming hours/days as is possible. Check back!

OPP

Tom Petty accused of lip-synching during Super Bowl Halftime Show performance

La Blogotheque's latest Take Away Concert features Animal Collective!

Joanna Newsom played a surprise set at small fashion week party

The A.V. Club downloads and grades the top 20 songs from the Billboard Hot 100

San Francisco Chronicle: Top songs or bands that feature the word RAT

The Boston Globe takes yet another look at Vampire Weekend and the speedy backlash against them

EAR FARM checks in with the Elbo.ws top 10

Tell you what, it's been a long, LONG, time since EAR FARM has checked in with the Elbo.ws top 10 'hot' artists. We used to enjoy doing so every now and then to get a better idea of what the rest of the music blog world is talking about. But then the top artists weren't changing often enough to make a weekly visit to the Elbo.ws Top 10 a worthwhile effort. And THEN we got lazy.

But hey, checking in with the Elbo.ws top 10 gives EAR FARM a chance to feature artists that everyone else is talking about who might not exactly be our "thing". Doesn't mean they can't be your thing though, right? Hey, maybe as a result of adventures like these we'll together find much joy and entertainment and a few new bands we used to laugh at but now love. Let's face it, sometimes this can be fun. Yeah?

Well fire up those colortinis; this joint 'bout to blow up. Click through for the goods.

Elbo.ws top 10 'hot' artists - 29 February 2008 @ 9:18am EST

Beach House - EAR FARM's Band of the Week is getting lots of attention, and for good reason - their new album Devotion is at least as good as everyone is saying. Hey, did you catch that interview Mike did with them? I'm just saying... better 'n what I've seen elsewhere. Biased? Yep. Calmer 'n you are.

Listen: "Heart of Chambers" (via EF)

Hot Chip - Though this track kind of sounds like a recording of a drunken late night "twee" lounge act, I like it. Which, I suppose, means I must "kind of" like Hot Chip. That's news to me.

Listen: "Made In The Dark" (via Ryan's Smashing Life)

Foals - From GoEnglish.com: "A dime a dozen - cheap and easy to get... if a thing is very common and easy to get, we say it is a dime a dozen." Example: music that arouses no interest or curiosity in the listener, such as Foals, has been a dime a dozen for as long as I can remember. Their songs touch listeners in such a fleeting manner that I challenge you to listen to the song below and remember it 10 seconds later. Do people spend money on this stuff?

Listen: "Balloons" (via Largehearted Boy)

Bon Iver - Do you know what I used to think about Bon Iver? Well, it's embarrassing, but I'll tell you. Bon Iver made me think of James Taylor and Dave Matthews and the music listening public's obvious desire to have an artist that's "delicate" but "interesting" yet thoroughly undemanding to listen to and call "great". As each generation ages and their taste erodes, their collective listening palate becomes extremely predictable. This is how Jack Johnson suddenly became a multi-festival headliner. ANYway, my point in all of this is that I was wrong about Bon Iver. There's much quiet power in his music, it reminds me of home in a way... and what a voice. I'll admit when I'm wrong: Bon Iver's album For Emma, Forever Ago is pretty great.

Listen: "Skinny Love" (via Jagjaguwar)

Daft Punk - Amazing live show or not, do people actually listen to Daft Punk often? Like, is this someone's "go to" music? I can't imagine. I mean, as foot-tapping music, I enjoy what they do and all, but I think that's because I hear Daft Punk sparingly. Does anybody else feel hornswoggled by this band?

Listen: "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" (via Kickin' the Peanuts!)

LCD Soundsystem - I'll give James Murphy credit: ripping off more-or-less all the Kosmische Musik there ever was, plus the Beatles, AND Prince, all within the one song "Big Ideas" is a fairly guaranteed way to attract listeners. It is not, however, ANY kind of "big idea"; no, in fact, it's rather simple-minded and completely bored me the first time around when it was called Beck.

Listen: "Big Ideas" (via Pop Tarts Suck Toasted)

Vampire Weekend - In regards to their debut album, I couldn't agree more with Nitsuh Abebe's Pitchfork review: "Bring any baggage you want to this record, and it still returns nothing but warm, airy, low-gimmick pop, peppy, clever, and yes, unpretentious--four guys who listened to some Afro-pop records, picked up a few nice ideas, and then set about making one of the most refreshing and replayable indie records in recent years."

Listen: "A-punk" (via Instrumental Analysis)

The Diggs - :) that's what this song posted below makes me do. Why? 'Cos it sounds like high school. Like The Breeders meets Ned's Atomic Dustbin meets teenage naivete. Glorious.

Listen: "Careen" (via Sugarspun Records)

Feist - What else to say about Feist? Interesting fact: her father, Harold Feist, is an abstract expressionist painter.

Listen: "I Feel It All (Britt from Spoon Remix)" (via i guess i'm floating)

Radiohead - All Points West? Gross. Since Radiohead is so "innovative" with how they approach the world of music, how about they get interesting with their live shows too... eh? I'm thinking that they should do a year-long residency in NYC wherein they play each of their albums in their entirety at increasingly larger venues: Pablo Honey @ Mercury Lounge, The Bends @ Bowery Ballroom, OK Computer @ Carnegie Hall, Kid A/Amnesiac @ the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, Hail to the Thief @ Radio City Music Hall, and then In Rainbows @ Madison Square Garden. At the very least this would mean they'd have an entire year of concerts that people could take public transportation to, right?

Listen: "Up On The Ladder" (via EF)