OPP

Some Velvet Blog has the songs sampled on side one of Girl Talk's Night Ripper - I Am Fuel, You Are Friends has the songs from side two

Sixeyes posted the song "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" (I love this song)

The Oak Room posted some new Schooner songs (I LOVE this band)

Pitchfork is in the midst of posting their list of 'The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s'

Heartonastick posted a great write-up on the Deerhoof/Beirut show at McCarren Park Pool

Brooklyn Vegan posts about the upcoming Takka Takka, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Architecture in Helsinki tour...also is giving away tickets to see Takka Takka and Slowlands tonight

VIDEO footage from EAR FARM Presents... at Sin-é - 29 June, 2006

This is a long time coming...sorry it has taken so long to get some videos up here. Don't worry, for the next show things will be streamlined a bit (yes, there are going to be more EAR FARM Presents... shows) but for now enjoy the video footage from the first EAR FARM Presents... at Sin-é - 29 June, 2006. The videos are loaded onto YouTube (just click the play button) as well as available here as medium sized Quicktime downloads (right-click, save as...they're 30mb or so each). Enjoy and see you at the next one.

Daylight's For The Birds - "For No One"
VIDEO REMOVED PER REQUEST FROM THE BAND
Visit Daylight's For The Birds on MySpace.

The Secret Life of Sofia - "Hospital Inside Me"

Download this video by clicking HERE.
Visit The Secret Life Of Sofia on MySpace.

The Isles - "True South"

Download this video by clicking HERE.
Visit The Isles on MySpace.

Mancino - "People We Meet"

Download this video by clicking HERE.
Visit Mancino on MySpace.

If you weren't able to make it to the first EF show (and even if you were) please check out these vids. All four of these bands are well worth it.

Look for more original EAR FARM video footage soon. Click HERE to visit EAR FARM on YouTube.

Beg Yr Pardon #6

Beg Yr Pardon #6 - tonight @ The Delancey

Featuring:

• Animandible
• My Teenage Stride
• EZ Machine
• Cassettes Won't Listen

Read about the show:
@ Merry Swankster
@ Music Slut
@ Soft Communication

Contrast Podcast #20

Allow me to repeat myself: busy time means none podcasts from me. And even though Tim is on holiday, Contrast Podcast carries on. Contrast Podcast #20 awaits your listening and adoration. The theme: the songs are dedications. Check it out.

You can download it HERE.

Today's NEW releases

Barely interesting:

• Hot Snakes - Thunder Down Under
• The Sex Pistols - Spunk: The Official Bootleg
• Sublime - Sublime [DELUXE EDITION]

Anything else?

EAR FARM checks in with the Elbo.ws top 10

Who's hot? Why?! From time to time I field questions about why EAR FARM isn't talking about/featuring some of the current 'hot' indie bands or songs. This site has always operated under the assumption that not featuring certain music said all that needed to be said about those artists (from an EAR FARM perspective) and that there are already plenty of other sites giving service to these much talked about bands. Besides, when any music really scratches the EF itch it gets a mention. Still though...checking in each week with what's popular over at music blog aggregator Elbo.ws wouldn't hurt and might offer a chance for a different tone here.

Enter EAR FARM's new weekly feature.

Elbo.ws top 10 'hot' artists - 14 August 2006 @ 3pm EST

Brazilian Girls - this band is like eating dinner at Outback Steakhouse. Pretty decent but nothing worth spending much money on or going out of your way for... Some people might consider them delightful, exotic, and special but I think they're more Deee-Lite, bland, and normal. That said, the spooky touches in "Jique" are nearly enough to keep me interested for four minutes.

Listen: "Jique" (via Indieblogheaven)

Viva Voce - I remember Pitchfork responding favorably to one of their tracks recently and I know they're hitting the road with Silversun Pickups but I'm not completely sold on what I've heard thus far. "When Planets Collide" sounds a bit like beginner rock to me yet still gets my foot tapping. Therefore, I wouldn't mind seeing them live so as to form a more informed opinion of the band.

Listen: "When Planets Collide" (via Skatterbrain)

Bel Auburn - who?! I don't know these guys but I can quickly tell they like to think they feel the music. Their Sunny Day Eat World inspired sound doesn't do much for me at all. "Sing What You Mean"...any fool can think up words that rhyme, many others do - why don't you?

Listen: "Sing What You Mean" (via Indieblogheaven)

Bishop Allen - much respect. That and big ups to Bishop Allen for what they've been doing with their 'EP each month of 2006' project. It's so uniquely interactive when you go and purchase the new EP and then get four new songs from them each month but the best part about it all is how damn good the songs are. This one, "Click Click Click Click", belongs at the top of the camera/picture-song list with other classics like "Kodachrome" and "Pictures of You".

Listen: "Click Click Click Click" (via The Bubble Death)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - surprised I am that so many of my friends with good taste in music don't really like this band. They kick ass both live AND on record...AND on TV. Check out "Cheated Hearts" from their recent appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Listen: "Cheated Hearts" (via Culture Bully)

The Walkmen - another thing which I find surprising: lackluster response to The Walkmen's May release A Hundred Miles Off. It's a very good album that might just need to sit on the shelf a bit before critics realize they generally got it wrong the first time. I'm looking forward to their second album of the year, a reinterpretation of the 1974 Harry Nilsson album Pussy Cats.

Listen: "Many Rivers To Cross" (via Culture Bully)

The Raconteurs - blah blah blah Jack White, yawn yawn Brendan Benson, boring boring Patrick Keeler, Jack Lawrence...etc, etc. The most interesting thing about this band is their website.

Listen: "Blue Veins" (live @ Lollapalooza 2006) (via Culture Bully)

Silversun Pickups - I missed out on seeing these guys live a week ago because of work. Stupid, stupid work. Thus, I can't say what I think of the band other than that I've heard mixed things thus far about their live shows and I think their album isn't half-bad AND I like this WOXY performance. Check it out at So Much Silence below.

Listen: "Lazy Eye" (via So Much Silence)

Matthew Friedberger - I've tried to like The Fiery Furnaces but they just don't do it for me. I did like that EP they put out but then I think that's like Match Point to Woody Allen. Regardless, I am liking what I hear of Matthew Friedberger solo. Take the track below for example, it's fun and fresh in a Burt Bacharach meets Jeff Tweedy kinda way.

Listen: "Up The River" (via Pop Tarts Suck Toasted)

The Diggs - EAR FARM first featured The Diggs back in December and I've watched their popularity grow nicely since then. Not sure what exactly pushed them into the Elbo.ws top 10 just now but I'm guessing it could be the excellent remix of "Everyone's Starting Over" by Cassettes Won't Listen.

Listen:
"Everyone's Starting Over" (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix) (via Thepunkguy)

(obviously, "hot" is relative and I'm referring to the above artists' hotness in terms of music blogs)

Listen to Nouvelle Vague's new album

Silly Luka Bop isn't offering any downloadable music from Nouvelle Vague's upcoming release (already out in the UK) Bande a Part but you can stream the album by going HERE.

Previously on EAR FARM:
Nouvelle Vague live @ Le Bataclan, Paris, France, 14 June 2006

snip·pets

Boy George snarls at media during trash duty

Timberlake Unveils New Tunes At L.A. Club Show

New Jamelia album features Depeche Mode, Afrika Bambaataa and The Stranglers

Logitech Wireless DJ serves PC music to any room

Supernova (the punk band) taking legal action vs. Rock Star: Supernova

LA Times on Sleater-Kinney's final concert

The Observer lists some amusing fantasy mismatch duets

Geoff Boucher on Timberlake trying to transform from being a boy band vet into a serious musician with staying power

Weekend Live Music

The Feelies live @ Max's Kansas City, New York, NY 1 September 1978
(photo, from another show, from HERE)

1. "The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness"
2. "Fa Ce La"
3. "Moscow Nights"
4. "Forces At Work"
5. "Loveless Love"
6. "Clean Girl"
7. "Original Love"
8. "Raised Eyebrows"
9. "Crazy Rhythms"

Past EAR FARM Weekend Live Music has included live songs/sets by Sublime, Spoon, Ween, The Unicorns, My Bloody Valentine, New Order, Sufjan Stevens, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sonic Youth, Explosions in the Sky, The Smiths, Morphine, Talking Heads, The Stone Roses, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Pulp, The Decemberists, Blur, Nine Inch Nails, Johnny Cash, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Led Zeppelin, Islands, Echo and the Bunnymen, Morrissey, The Durutti Column, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Giant Drag, Tool, Polvo, Mazzy Star, Meat Puppets, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Nouvelle Vague, Built To Spill, Thelonious Monk Quartet, Liars, Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Unicorns, and Madonna.

Each week one of these live shows will be removed to make room on the server. Get them while you can.

TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

If you're like me, you've been reading all of the great reviews for TV on the Radio's new album Return to Cookie Mountain and you've been saying to yourself "when that shit gonna drop State-side yo?"

You're in luck, it's coming soon (September 12th) and I've got some goodies for you. Nothing to download here but you can at least listen to the single "Wolf Like Me" and watch a video. See it. Be it.

Listen:
"Wolf Like Me" (Real Audio)
"Wolf Like Me" (Windows Media)

Watch:
"Pass It On" (Quicktime)
"Pass It On" (Windows Media)

Visit TV on the Radio on MySpace.

Square Root of Margaret

It's a perfect summer day here today in New York City, so how about some perfect music for the perfect day? Square Root of Margaret is a Chatham, Ontario based band that fits very well on the genre shelf next to bands like Of Montreal and The Shins. The songs I've been able to listen to online tell me right away that this is a band that's been together for a while and know very well their identity. The psychedelic tinged pop of songs like "The 3D Breeze" and "I Don't Know Why" could easily have been the result of a studio session collaboration between The Flaming Lips and They Might Be Giants. In fact, "Alien Frequency" could've been a discarded song from Factory Showroom if not for the extra bit of rock present in the guitar work. I'm name-checking here because you absolutely must check these guys out if you are a fan of any of the aforementioned bands.

From their bio:

Square Root of Margaret came into being sometime in the early 1990s - the exact date of conception is unknown. What began as instrumental psychedelic jams that would last into the small hours of the early morning has evolved over the years into a creative force. Their music is an endeavor at which they work ceaselessly, always pushing forward, always trying something new. The result is a sound that is often described as post-pop, with elements of space rock - for the lads in Square Root of Margaret, however, there is no simple, straight-forward explanation.

Post-pop? Did I say that? Naw. I'd say they're more post-pop ergo propter pop. Post-pop goes the weasel goes the weasel post-pop! Pop pop fizz fizz what a relief their indie pop is? Yes, sure. Call it whatever you'd like, I'll just say that this is some very good indie pop. Now listen.

Listen:
"Chemical Love Song"

Visit Square Root of Margaret on MySpace to hear the other songs mentioned above.

Read another post about them over at Neiles Life.

8+

“Song For A Free Williamsburg” by Aarktica which clocks in at 8:37

There once was a student teacher. She was gorgeous. Auburn hair with green eyes and a country smile that could make a Texan liberal. Thank heavens for that because I don't think any of us guys would have ever actually memorized that which she wanted us to if not for her visual pleasantness. But don't go thinking that's all there was to her beauty. No, her voice was also a heavenly gift - she possessed that elusively perfect combination of slight Southern drawl/academic lilt.

Oh to remember that moment when she first stood in front of the class and recited Chaucer from memory. Yes, Chaucer. In Middle English no less. Boring old everybodyhastoreadit Chaucer, yet from her lips it sounded like fine wine delicately poured over rose petals. All of the guys in my class were transfixed. Later at lunch we all talked about her. People from other classes were coming up and asking about her. She was living proof that 'beautiful teacher' wasn't an oxymoron. Little did we know the extent of misery which our student teaching Aphrodite was about to deliver.

The pain that was rained down upon us when she announced that each student was going to be graded on how well we could memorize and recite the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales in Middle English was nearly unbearable. In fact, I'm not sure how the girls in class were able to cope during those few weeks. A shitty assignment from a hot twenty-three year old student teacher?! Seems like something that would inspire massive amounts of teenage jealousy and rage. I never thought about that actually...bravo to all of the girls that were in that class with me. You held it together well as we boys ogled the teacher and I think you guys got better grades on the assignment too. The question is, how well do you remember that assignment TODAY? I, for one, remember the first eighteen lines or so. That class, that experience...those few weeks - such beauty, such pain...

Whan that aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(so priketh hem nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

Buy Or You Could Go Through Your Whole Life And Be Happy Anyway HERE on Amazon.

(artwork from HERE)

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+:
British Sea Power - "Lately"
Islands - "Swans"
Isolée - "Pillowtalk"
Animal Collective - "Banshee Beat"
Wilderness - "Post Plethoric Rhetoric"
The Wedding Present - "Interstate 5"
Sleater-Kinney - "Let's Call It Love"
My Morning Jacket - "Dondante"
Wilco - "Spiders (Kidsmoke)"
Isis - "From Sinking"
Lemon Jelly - "A Tune For Jack"
Herbie Hancock - "Sly"
New Order - "Temptation"
Polvo - "El Rocio"
Pulp - "Countdown"
Morrissey - "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils"
Dungen - "Du är för fin för mig"
Loose Fur - "Wreckroom"
The Who - "A Quick One, While He's Away"
Destroyer - "Rubies"
Neu! - "Fuer Immer (forever)"
Iggy Pop - "Mass Production"
The Cure - "Fascination Street" (Extended Mix)
Yo La Tengo - "Let's Be Still"
George Michael - "I Want Your Sex, Pts. 1 &2"
Digital Underground - "Doowutchyalike"
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - "1% Of One"
Big Brother & the Holding Company - "Ball And Chain"
The Stone Roses - "I Am The Resurrection"
DJ Shadow - "Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - “Cowgirl in the Sand”
Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Sir Psycho Sexy”
Newcleus - “Jam On It”

OPP

RBally has a nice live show from 1995: Radiohead and REM (part 1) (part 2) at the National Bowl

You Ain't No Picasso on Bishop Allen's July EP along with a song from each of their EPs to date

The Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good Back-to-School Mix

Chromewaves with a Lollapalooza wrap-up

Productshop on Tom Waits Live In Nashville...beware of scary picture

Mann's World on Urge Overkill at Slim's in Raleigh

Central Village has Jonah Matranga covering Billy Bragg's "A New England"

I Want my MTV

Deerhoof edition:

• "Gore in a Rut"
• "Stuffed"
• "Wrong Time Capsule"
• "Panda Panda Panda" (live at Knitting Factory '04)
• 10 minutes live footage at UICA in Grand Rapids

Want even MORE videos? search "I want my MTV" on this site for past music video related EAR FARM postings.

Ten Best songs about North Carolina

I feel like there are some good songs missing here but all I can think of right now (that I wish were on this list) is "Carolina Christmas" by Squirrel Nut Zippers. Anyway, check out YES! Weekly's Ten Best songs about North Carolina (via Largehearted Boy):

Old Crow Medicine Show - "Wagon Wheel"
Superchunk - "Driveway to Driveway"
Brandon D - "Da Kak Joint"
James Taylor - "Carolina on My Mind"
Sonic Youth - "Chapel Hill"
Whiskeytown - "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight"
Petey Pablo - "Raise Up"
Bruce Piephoff - "Riding the Stream"
Shooter Jennings - "Gone to Carolina"
Townes Van Zandt - "Greensboro Woman"

Can anyone think of other good songs about North Carolina? Where the shit is Trees Lounge's 50-states project when you need it?

By the way, those who know me know I'm not the biggest Sonic Youth fan out there (I do like them a lot, just don't know all of their songs super well) so big-ups to them for name checking Char Grill in their song "Chapel Hill".

"We'll round up the Durham HC kids/ And the char grill killers/ Jesse H. come into our pit/ All ages show…."

(neeeed Hamburger Steak and medium shake)

EAR FARM: Name that tune!

Fun. That's what EF is all about ya'll. Let's play a game then, shall we? Good.

The deal:
I'm going to post fifteen second portions of three songs here, each by a different artist. They've all been featured previously on EAR FARM so if you've been paying attention, or are good at research, this should be a piece of cake. All you have to do is correctly name all three songs, and artists, and you'll get a sweet prize.

The sweet prize:
See the list on the right hand side over there? The one that says 'EAR FARM's favorite albums released so far this year'? Yes, well, the first person to correctly name all three songs, and artists, will win ONE album (on CD, brand new and unopened) of their choice from that list. Ain't no joke, so jam on it!

***if nobody can guess all three then TWO CDs will be given away next time***

#1 - NameThatTuneOne - Song One

#2 - NameThatTuneOne - Song Two

#3 - NameThatTuneOne - Song Three

***You can enter your guesses in the comments to this post, or email them to me (earfarm at hotmail dot com). The game will end when someone has correctly guessed all three. Again, if nobody can guess all three correctly then TWO CDs will be awarded next time...which will be in one month. Enter as often as you'd like.***

Contrast Podcast #19

Busy time means none podcasts from me. Still the Contrast Podcast carries on. Contrast Podcast #19 marches on...to the tune of 'war and peace'.

You can download it HERE.

Today's NEW releases

This week, Sebadoh and The Glove reissues. Yesyes! Oh, and also:

• Ani DiFranco - Reprieve
• Comets on Fire - Avatar
• Daughters - Hell Songs
• Forget Cassettes - Salt
• The Glove - Blue Sunshine
• Matthew Friedberger - Winter Women\Holy Ghost Language
• Sebadoh - III
• Slayer - Christ Illusion

What other stuff released today is worth a darn?

Silversun Pickups, Daylight's For The Birds - TONIGHT @ Union Hall

Remember the first band from the EAR FARM Presents... show in June? Yes, Daylight's For The Birds. Well, they are playing tonight at Union Hall with Silversun Pickups. That's all. If work doesn't ruin my Monday night, I'll see you there.

Listen:
"To No One" by Daylight's For The Birds

Watch:
"Kissing Families" by Silversun Pickups

Classic Arcade Sounds

I decided yesterday that I'd like to locate some MP3s of favorite video game songs and sounds from the past. What I had in mind were Atari and Nintendo classics. Color me supergeek but I had this hankering to hear the Super Mario Bros. theme song on headphones. Of particular interest to me was to find original versions of the songs that played when you were underground and in the castles. I still haven't found exactly what I was looking for in terms of those songs (anybody know of a good resource?) but my search led me to something equally interesting. Of equal interest, at least, to nostalgic dorks like myself.

CoinOpVideogames.com has a section of the site that is entirely dedicated to classic arcade sounds. The kicker is just how all of these sounds were recorded and chronicled:

"In late 1982, my best friend had a Sony TCS-310 Stereo Cassette Recorder. Audio cassette tape was the affordable recording media at the time and one wintery November day while on our way to the arcade 'Just Fun' in Ithaca, NY, we came up with the idea to record video game sounds.

The very idea was caught on tape too!

We recorded video games from 1982 until 1988. Fortunately I managed to save all fourteen audio tapes of video game sounds and arcade ambience which were recorded from a variety of locations in the U.S. Most of the recordings are from Ithaca, NY, Albany, NY, Lancaster, PA, Ocean City, MD as well as Key West, FL.

In the last several years I digitized these nostalgic recordings to preserve and share them. Experience the magic and the wonder of the early years of coin-op video games. Hear the classic arcade ambience like you haven't heard in twenty plus years! The blend of several video games being played simultaneously, the kids yelling and the quarters and tokens clanking. We will never hear such beautiful chaos quite the same way again...."

Amazing. You might not find it fun to watch, let alone listen to, others play video games...but if you're like me, this is as interesting as it is amusing. Listening to the kids (listen to this intro to Donkey Kong) and listening to their arcade recordings from the early and mid-80s was like getting into a time machine. Oh Robotron, how I miss thee.

Listen:
Robotron
Spy Hunter
Donkey Kong

There are TONS more (14 pages worth) sounds HERE.