Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Amazon Daily Deal: Grouper's "Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill"

You can download the full mp3 album free of DRMs for only $1.99 at AMAZON. It's a steal. I didn't know too much of Grouper aside from the wicked Phaseone edit of "Heavy Water" that was floating around some months ago, but as I listen to it right now, I have a feeling this could end up being a go-to album for me. It's a bit of a dense mess of lo-fi haze and magnetic hiss, but this album seems to be more of a multi-sensory experience rather than just what you can take in on a purely audio-level. I guess I would say it's about as close as you can get to the marriage of ambient music and (shoe-gaze) pop. Really beautiful stuff. Feels like I'm lost in the woods in November, but with this siren's voice so near I don't really seem to have any desire to find my way out.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009

Gael Garcia Bernal, Stealing My Style



I've never been shy about my mancrushes. Just not ashamed of them whatsoever. And I've always been pretty forward about my love for Gael Garcia Bernal. But in a strange turn of events, it seems the actor has become infatuated with me, wearing black thick-framed glasses alarmingly similar in style to my own as well as brandishing a ukulele, which is sort of my thing that I do. I'm flattered, but not surprised. It was only a matter of time before my flawless sense of style broke through to the Hollywood tastemakers...or should I say tasteTAKERS?

Interesting Take On Distribution of Music


- via Lefsetz's tweet

More New Passion Pit! "Moth's Wings"

Listen over at P'fork. It's a bit different than the last few tracks I've posted. Less falsetto. Leaning a little bit towards balladry. Leaning a little bit away from dance. Still really great.

Jesse Baylin the Laundromatinee

This is KOL drummer Nathan Followill's fiancee. I would like this song even if that weren't the case, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Just love everything from Pixar.


New French Kicks Video: "Abandon"

It's been over a year since this track first hit the information super highway, so I'm not sure why there's been such a delay in giving it the video treatment. Regardless, it really is a spring-to-summer track and always reminds me of Chicago, so for me it comes at an extremely opportune time. The video starts out a little odd, but by the time the claps set in, it's a proper party. Chicago, here I come.

New Passion Pit: "Little Secret"


You can stream it by clicking HERE. As in "The Reeling," the children's choir makes another appearance ("higher and higher and higher"). This track doesn't quite reach the euphoria of "The Reeling," but it's still a quality track and points to Passion Pit's debut full length "Manners," out in May, being even more packed with falsetto-dance-jams than I had hoped. Hazaa!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

New Kings Of Leon: "Devil's Song" (tentative title?)

A glimpse into a direction the band might be taking some of their sound?


New Booze Alert: NUVO

So this is the craziest review I've ever read for an alcohol, and I WANTS ITS.

Read it HERE.

New Devendra Banhart

S'gum snagged this video from a Devendra show in San Francisco. Reminds me a bit of Little Joy (S'gum thinks the Strokes). Me likey.


Monday, April 20, 2009

Lykke Li Remixes KOL LIVE on Carson Daly

TV on the Radio Do "Crying" on Leno

This was my favorite song off of this album. Doesn't sound as full live (or at least at this studio), but still pretty legit.


- S'gum

New Passion Pit Video: "The Reeling"

Really cool video. Very papery.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Man vs. Ferrell

In what might be the greatest act of synergy ever, Bear Grylls will be bringing Will Ferrell (as part of some sort of tie in to Ferrell's upcoming "Land of the Lost" flick) to the far north of Sweden, where they will rappel down frozen waterfalls, tandem-abseil off a helicopter, and attempt to stay warm overnight in subzero temps....and drink they're own urine. Ferrell called the stint a "thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk, which is sad." Not sad. Happy.
The video for Passion Pit's latest single "The Reeling" will debut on MTVu tomorrow. I'll post it as soon as I can find it.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Making Bread...

So is this how y'all usually cook at home? I think I've been doing it wrong...


Thursday, April 16, 2009

New Phoenix Video: "Lisztomania

So pumped for this album. Just pre-ordered my vinyl today.

Monday, April 13, 2009

So, against my better judgment and with many misgivings, I decided to get up on this twitter nonsense. While I don't think I have anything particularly important to update the world with on a daily basis (nor do I really think most people have anything particularly important to say that I really need to know about), it seems that twitter is the (new) best way to stay connected to a lot of my favorite bands. I just twat for the first few times today and last night, and it already seems to be working. I found the Bat For Lashes cover of the KOL song that I posted last night (I got the drop on Stereogum!), found out that Mike Skinner (aka the Streets) will be releasing three songs he's working on via twitter over the next week, and then I also found this new bro, Deastro. Don't know much about this one man electronic act, but this song is pretty durn catchy. Maintains some M83 size synths at times, some playful Postal Service electropop at other times. Give this song a listen.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Bat For Lashes Covers Kings Of Leon

Natasha Kahn's breathy vocals and organ take on KOL's (soft-rock) arena anthem.

On Repeat: Hood Internet's "Good Ol' Fashion Rump Shaker"

This Matt & Kim / Beastie Boys mash is the BEST. I think it's because the BB's have always maintained an aspect of playfulness to their music (with lines like "I'm the most mackinest"), and M&K's kewt piano line and "ahs" really compliment that well here.

hood internet :: "good ol' fashion rump shaker"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs On SNL

"Zero"

"Maps"

Saturday, April 11, 2009

On Repeat: Hammarin & Robin's "Hell Knows I'm In Love"

Found this jam the other day on Fluxblog. Despite it being a fairly straightforward pop song with no real surprises as far as rhythm, melody, chord progression, or lyrical content, it's got some of the most unabashedly emotive lyrics I've heard in a long while, which allows for listen after listen after listen after listen. Sounds a little like Antony Hegarty on Prozac.

M83 Video: "We Own The Sky"

I believe Anthony Gonzalez, who operates under the M83 moniker, had one of those "fans make the video" contest for the truly beautiful track "We Own The Sky" off of his excellent album Saturdays = Youth. I've seen a couple of them, and this is my favorite so far.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

New extremely 80's Magistrates song/video can be found HERE. Me likey.

New Man Man Video: "Rabbit Habits"

This video is so great. So great.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Thieves Like Us Video: "Your Heart Feels"

I really like this video (which I believe is pieced together from scenes of an existing movie) and song.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs To Play SNL This Saturday

Zac Efron hosts...can't win 'em all.

- P'fork

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Phoenix On SNL -> So Good

"Listztomania"


"1901"


"Too Young"

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Local Natives

This is the first I've heard of these cats, but I'm enjoying it a bit for the time being. They've been described on the blogosphere as being similar to a pretty wide array of bands, including the Kooks, Grizzly Bear, Fleet Foxes, and the Format, among others. I dunno about all that. But give a listen and decide for yourself.