Awesome Until Proven Guilty

A Weekend in the City

2008-07-09T14:09:00.005-03:00

Speaking of local festivals, I think everyone was at least a little bit surprised to see Bloc Party show up in the roster for this year's Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival in Fredericton. I'm not exactly sure how that deal went down, but kudos to the organizers for making it happen and venturing outside the normally genre boundaries of the festival. Other names turning heads this year include Buddy Guy and Derek Trucks Band. Tickets go on sale Saturday, July 19th.

For even more excitement, it seems Bloc Party also has a new single out called "Mercury." It's a bit rougher and more jittery than the blatantly electro-pop "Flux" before it, but it still feels like it's playing up a similar side of the band.

[mp3] Bloc Party - Mercury
[mp3] Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass (from Silent Alarm)
[mp3] Bloc Party - Flux (The Knife Machine Remix)

* Buy A Weekend in the City
* Buy Silent Alarm

Don't Get Sappy on Me Now

2008-07-02T12:30:00.000-03:00

First of all, happy late Canada Day! And what better way to mark it than a post about a young, Canadian-born festival focused on all things indie? Even better, it's right here on the East Coast. The third annual SappyFest (hosted by Sappy Records) takes place August 1-3 in Sackville, New Brunswick and they've assembled a huge roster this year (I counted 61, plus some documentaries). Some of the names are definitely new to me, but I suppose that's bound to happen when you have this many bands lined up. Still, there are many highlights, including performances by Eric's Trip, as well as several of the members' solo projects:

Attack in Black
Chad Van Gaalen
Christine Fellows
Dog Day
Eric's Trip
Ghost Bees
Julie Doiron
Koak
Mardeen
Memories Attack
Miracle Fortress
Old Man Luedecke
Play Guitar
Rick White
Share
Shotgun Jimmie
Snailhouse
The Stance
The Superfantastics
Wax Mannequin

Check out the full list here.

[mp3] Julie Doiron - I Woke Myself Up
[mp3] Share - The Yard
[mp3] Koak - Won't Be Long

[Official Site] Sappy Fest

[MySpace] Julie Doiron
[MySpace] Share
[MySpace] Koak

With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly

2008-06-27T10:11:00.000-03:00

On their new album "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust", Sigur Rós finally released a song in English. I really thought it would never happen. I mean, I know the band can speak English, I heard them do some pretty horrible interviews a few years ago. They seemed to be much more fluent in Heima, I just thought that since they are so proud of there heritage they would never want to do a song in English. Jónsi must have had something pretty important to say. He sings with quite a strong accent so it is kind of tricky to figure out the exact lyrics. The rumor mill tells me that Jónsi wrote this as an apology to his American boyfriend Alex Somers. He apparently did something quite bad and is confessing to the world as an apology. A nice gesture and a nice song. Listen for yourselves and tell me what you think.

[mp3] Sigur Rós - All Alright

Here is another track off the album that I am enjoying. "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" translates to "Within me a lunatic sings".

[mp3] Sigur Rós - Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

[facebook] Sigur Rós
[myspace] Sigur Rós

* Buy Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

2008-06-26T11:43:00.009-03:00

You will most definitely recognize the voice of Simon Lord (Simian) who is one half of The Black Ghosts along with former Wiseguy Theo Keating. Like an old fashioned romance these two met on the internet and collaborated significantly online before meeting in person. The sound that was produced could not be more fitting for the bands name. The album is dark and eerie with a clear horror/suspense influence. Apparently Lord's grandfather was a director of horror films (Alan Gibson). Keating as a child lived with an graveyard as his back yard and grandmother was considered a psychic.

They released a mixtape back in March and their new self titled album releases on July 8th. Their single "Repetition" features Damon Albarn on vocals as well.

[mp3] The Black Ghosts - Any Way You Choose To Give It
[mp3] The Black Ghosts - Repetition

[myspace] The Black Ghosts

* Buy The Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts

A Remixed Monday

2008-06-23T12:01:00.004-03:00

Let's keep it simple as we kick off the week. Here's a trio of remixes featuring Four Tet (and Caribou, aka Manitoba). I don't have much comment about these, except that I've consistently enjoyed the remixes these two have worked on over the years. Even in cases where the remix barely resembles the original song (see "This Room"), I'm typically still able to get something out of it as a standalone track. Let's hope this week treats us as well.

[mp3] Radiohead - Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix)
[mp3] The Notwist - This Room (Four Tet & Manitoba Remix)
[mp3] Caribou - Melody Day (Four Tet Remix)
[MySpace] Four Tet
[MySpace] Caribou

The Weeks Ahead

2008-06-19T13:23:00.004-03:00

I had a completely different post planned for today, but then this band sort of blindsided me. The Weeks are a young band from Jackson, Mississipi and do that sort of southern indie rock we've heard from types like Kings of Leon (the most obvious comparison, given that unmistakable drawl in the vocals). The sonic palette is different though, with these particular songs showing off a more structured pop sensibility and a bit more chaotic energy in the way they attack their instruments. Like an unhinged pop version of what we might expect from Kings.

It may not be a new sound, but they do it well and it's refreshing to my ears today. The band's album, Comeback Cadillac, is scheduled for July 8. You can also hear more on the band's MySpace.

[mp3] The Weeks - Altar Girl
[mp3] The Weeks - Buttons
[MySpace] The Weeks

Fashion + Music

2008-06-18T11:12:00.006-03:00

Most fashion lovers will probably tell you that the history of the fashion show is not well documented because the only important thing is what is on the runway right now. This is a hilariously astute way of brushing off the lack of history but I can guarantee that one thing that has always been a strong ally of the fashion show is music.

I am not a huge fashion expert or anything but I probably have significantly more interest than the average guy is willing to admit. Of course the fashion world is always about trying to be one who leaves the strongest impression. In 2006 Cat Power became a celebrity spokesperson for Chanel and she played their amazingly successful Spring/Summer 07 Haute Couture show. A year later Louis Vuitton topped that by having his fellow Parisians Daft Punk, spin a custom set for his Spring/Summer 08 show. Now this season Mark Jacobs had Sonic Youth play his show and in my opinion that was an EPIC FAIL. It almost seemed as though their performance was extra bad and screechy on purpose. I don't think I could have handled that performance live while trying enjoy the show. For me the winner this season is back to Chanel. They chose to open and close their Fall/Winter 08-09 show with a track I am currently loving. The track is "Blind" by Hercules and Love Affair -- check out the video.

[mp3] Hercules and Love Affair - Blind

* Buy Hercules and Love Affair - S/T

Early Sounds from Earlimart

2008-06-18T11:01:00.005-03:00

California's Earlimart was a pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon their Avenues EP back in 2003, so it's great to hear that they have new music on the way. At the time, I thought they were a bit Grandaddy-esque, though a little more introverted and without the loopy sci-fi atmosphere. The full-length Hymn and Her comes out July 1 and it seems they haven't strayed too far from the sound I came to know them by.

"Song For" chugs along contently; touches of piano, acoustic guitar and bowed strings mingle with spacey echoes and although it never really blows up, it's a pretty satisfying bit of understated pop. This might be worth checking out.

[mp3] Earlimart - Song For (Hymn and Her)
[mp3] Earlimart - Color Bars (Avenues EP)
[MySpace] Earlimart
[official site] Earlimart

The Baroness of Canadian Pop

2008-06-17T14:47:00.006-03:00

I'm still feeling the aftertaste of that Bridges album and I think I need to clear my palate. It's also been a while since we touched on some cancon (Canadian Content, yo!), so this satisfies both of those needs.

Sarah Slean has played in our town several times and I've managed to miss her every single time for one reason or another. I always regret it later, because I've always enjoyed her albums. I realized today that I've yet to hear her latest, The Baroness, in its entirety. Day One came out when I was still working for one of those chain music stores and it got me through a lot of rough mornings, when it was the only tolerable album -- a shining gem -- in our playpile. I can happily say I still think of it fondly, long after my obligation to play it has passed.

[mp3] Sarah Slean - Mary (Day One)
[mp3] Sarah Slean - Goodnight Trouble (The Baroness)
[official site] Sarah Slean
[Amazon] Sarah Slean - The Baroness

Review: The Bridges

2008-06-17T11:47:00.006-03:00

Call me an optimist, but I'm typically willing to write about almost anything people send my way. But what can you write when the album in question doesn't inspire anything beyond a "meh." I might not even have bothered with The Bridges' debut, Limits of the Sky, except that I happened to notice they were produced by Matthew Sweet, who I at least recognize, even if I can't remember any of his songs off the top of my head.

As it turns out, maybe I should have left it at that. Limits of the Sky is unmemorable at best and offensively bland at worst. The Bridges do folk-pop, which is fine by me, but their take on the genre seems to be completely without personality or playfulness. My God, even the album cover is boring. The second half of the album seems less intent on producing radio hits and if the album shines anywhere, I suppose it's here. But that's a very thin silver lining.

At least I can report that the album's competently performed. These girls can sing and the whole affair sounds nicely polished, but that can't make up for its complete lack of colour. Talent can only take you as far as your material allows, and these songs aren't doing them any favours.

Verdict: Guilty on 12 counts of being totally average
Sentence: Community service

[mp3] The Bridges - All The Words
[Amazon] The Bridges - Limits of the Sky

Dead Bells and Dub

2008-06-11T13:56:00.004-03:00

It's been, like, months since I've written something about ...And You Will Knows Us By The Trail of Dead. WTF! I must be sick, or dead, or something. What's that? No, you're right. It's unlikely that I'm dead.

As it turns out, there's actually stuff going on now that's worth talking about. The band is without a major label for the first time in years and a new album is scheduled for sometime in the Fall. They've signed with newish label Superball Music for Germany, who claim on their MySpace that the album will be out in September.

New songs have shown up in bits and pieces and things are looking good. A song called "Bells" has shown up in recent setlists and sounds pretty great to me. Here's a live version from Dublin in May:

When the band started recording, they were also posting regular video diaries documenting the process, but those kind of died off after a while. Nevertheless, we got to hear at least a little of what they've been working on. I have no idea what this song is called:

And finally, there's also a bunch of interesting stuff up on their MySpace, including some old live tracks and one really bizarre outtake from the Source Tags & Codes sessions. Check it out.

[MySpace] ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dub
[official site] ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead

Re: The Crazy and the Young/even worse.

2008-06-09T13:08:00.008-03:00

Yeah, I really agree with The Trick and even MOKB (that's a first!). The "Young Folks" cover is drab and boring. Try not to judge The Kooks based on this, though. Their last album was gold and their new album, although not terribly innovative in any way, is full of fun pop tunes.

Here they are redeeming themselves with a tune from Konk.

[mp3] ~~The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be~~

If you want to talk about a "shoulda known better" cover, listen to this abomination that The Constantines and Feist put out recently. Their cover of Kenny and Dolly's "Islands in the Stream" is unbearable! Blech.

So listen to it here... if you dare.

[mp3] ~~Constantines and Feist - Islands in the Stream~~

The Crazy and the Young

2008-06-09T11:14:00.007-03:00

Like many other music bloggers, we were contacted this week with the offer of a recording of The Kooks covering "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn & John. I hit Hype Machine and, as I expected, numerous other blogs already had the song up. What can I say, bloggers are fascinated by hearing new versions of songs we know and -- at some point -- have enjoyed. I'm just as guilty of that as anyone.

But as it turns out, the comments that accompanied the song were more interesting than the tune itself. My Old Kentucky Blog accurately pointed out that the cover is a little on the late side:

"You remember that song that everybody liked last year? ... If I could stand to actually listen to this song anymore, this wouldn't be too bad really. Still not very timely boys."

Commenter Rich added: "[This song] and 'Crazy' should be put in mothballs for a few years."

Nobody else, it seems, could really be bothered to say much about it. Overexposure is an ugly beast and even I have to admit that the song isn't the smile-inducing gem it used to be; it's acquired some scuffs and scratches since it came out in 2006. But a good song is a good song, right? Certainly. And a fresh coat of paint given by another artist might be just what it needs. Unfortunately, you won't find it here.

Simply put, I think if The Kooks had done something really worthwhile or unique with the song, we could more easily overlook the tiresome familiarity of that whistled melody and I'd be prepared to love the song all over again. This cover, however, feels like unfortunate opportunism that would have fared much better a year ago, when people were still excited about the original song. If anything, it makes me long to listen to the original again. As an independent piece of work, it has nothing to stand on.

[mp3] ~~The Kooks - Young Folks~~
[mp3] ~~Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks~~

[official site] Peter Bjorn And John
[official site] The Kooks

Not That Tron, Silly

2008-05-30T15:01:00.009-03:00

How have I gone all this time without mentioning the new Ladytron? Oh right, I haven't really been posting.

Anyway, it's out next week, it seems to be awesome, and you should probably own it before it owns you. For the uninitiated, Ladytron's music has an icy cold goth tinge, but there's also plenty of pop appeal to make you want to dance and hum. Actually, "goth" makes it sound like it might be all mopey and weepy, but that's not really what Ladytron is about. It's dark, but it's all rather badass. It's everything I love, basically.

Generally, the songs from the new album (Velocifero) seem to continue on the course set by the last album. Lead single "Ghosts" sits quite comfortably next to Witching Hour's "Destroy Everything You Touch." I'll embed the video for that song as well, because it seriously spooked me out the first time I saw it.

[mp3] ~~Ladytron - Ghosts~~ (from Velocifero)
[mp3] ~~Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch~~ (from Witching Hour)
[official site] Ladytron
[MySpace] Ladytron

Terminating the Garbage

2008-05-29T15:39:00.005-03:00

Today, this Hollywood Reporter article reunited two things I haven't thought about in a while: Garbage and The Terminator. Apparently Shirley Manson has decided to pursue an acting career and landed a role in the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv show. I was fond of Garbage in high school and have good memories of seeing them live on the 2.0 tour, but like many people, I found that my interest waned on the two following albums.

As for the Sarah Connor Chronicles, I'll admit that I haven't really given the show a fair shot, but as for the episode or two that I did see? Well, I didn't love them. Something about the two leads, Lena Headey and Thomas Dekker, sort of bugs me. Dekker should go back to Heroes, so Hunter can pick up his music career in The Office. Anyway, this casting news might actually convince me to try the show again. I dig Manson's personality and I hope they give her something decent to work with. Apparently she's playing the "CEO of a cutting-edge high-tech company." Ooh la la!

[mp3] ~~Garbage - Queer~~ (Self-titled)
[mp3] ~~Garbage - You Look So Fine~~ (Version 2.0)

Summer Madness Time

2008-05-28T12:05:00.006-03:00

Damn, it's been nice out this week. Today's a bit cooler than yesterday, but still... I think it's officially starting to feel summer-y here. I felt I need to post something to mark the occasion. Hmm... I remember this song being better when I was 12, but I'll leave it for nostalgia's sake anyway. Or how about the song sampled in this, Kool and the Gang's "Summer Madness":

[mp3] ~~DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime~~
[official site] DJ Jazzy Jeff
[MySpace] Will Smith
[imdb] Will Smith

Rat-at-at

2008-05-27T11:01:00.006-03:00

There are several albums I've been looking forward to this year and one of them is the new Ratatat, which is out in early July. As expected though, tracks have already been showing up around the web. "Shiller" came out of the gates first as probably one of the stranger things I've heard from the duo, but undeniably interesting.

The vibe I'm getting from most of these songs is that they're more developed than most of Classics and certainly a bit more experimental. I think that's a good thing, although a lot of people are likely to miss some of the danceable elements from the earlier albums. That said, I think what I miss most is the grandeur of arrangements that we haven't really heard since the self-titled debut. The early "Cherry" had a certain sublime beauty about it and the near-classic "Seventeen Years" stomps its way towards a tension-filled bridge that finally gives way to a surprisingly understated finale.

Of course, I shouldn't complain. The new songs bear the unmistakable stamp of Ratatat and that's still a pretty good thing, as far as I'm concerned, with "Mirando" being an early favorite.

[mp3] ~~Ratatat - Mirando~~ (LP3)
[mp3] ~~Ratatat - Cherry~~ (Self-titled)
[mp3] ~~Björk - Wanderlust~~ (Ratatat Remix)

[official site] Ratatat
[official site] Björk
[MySpace] Ratatat

Notes from the inbox

2008-04-23T14:07:00.006-03:00

We've only been semi-active this year, but if our e-mail inbox is any indication, publicists never sleep. Multiple tips and requests for reviews come in on a daily basis. I wouldn't want all these people to think they're wasting their time, since we usually just write about things we enjoy anyway, so I'll make an exception today. You want to get reviewed? You got it! Are these artists "Awesome" or are they just "Guilty"?

Mindi Abair - Soft rock with occasional touches of new country and r&b thrown in; also, lots of saxophone. I keep hearing people say that the saxophone is making a comeback in pop music. I didn't believe them, thinking they just based that opinion on the fact that Springsteen got his E-Street Band back together. Abair has proven me wrong, although I'm still far from convinced that more saxophone is a good thing. I don't think my mom would like it either, so it fails that part of the soft rock test as well. (Guilty)

Scarlett Johansson - As an actor, I've loved Scarlett Johansson ever since I saw her in Ghost World, and that feeling was cemented with her performance in Lost in Translation. Her track record has had ups and downs since then, but I've generally managed to maintain a level of respect for her. I had concerns about hearing what Johansson would do as a singer, lest it sully my image of her. Anywhere I Lay My Head is a collection of Tom Waits covers, plus one original song. "Falling Down" (which includes backing vocals by David Bowie) is available on her MySpace page, and I'm very pleasantly surprised by what I'm hearing. Her delivery is not soft or over-produced as I might have feared; it's confident and natural, and makes me want to hear more. (Awesome)

Soundside - Totally not my thing. Don't get me wrong, it's competently performed and recorded, but the hackneyed Three Doors Down/Creed/Nickelback bar-rock vibe I'm getting is almost puke-inducing. How does this sound keep finding new fans? (Guilty)

Beast From Sea - This e-mail included a link to the band's MySpace. Unfortunately the first track available there is just a sampler, with snippets of every song on the album, each of which is just a few second long (about 15 seconds). I feel kind of stupid for listening to it, actually, since I can barely get a sense of what's going on in any of these songs. I mean, one line of vocals from a song is supposed to convince me to buy this? Really? I'm hearing some interesting riffs, vocals that land somewhere between new-emo and Keane-like UK pop, but nothing terribly groundbreaking either. The band says that even if I don't like the music, I should help plug Faceless International, an awareness group they support. I did, there ya go! (Guilty? Awesome? No idea)

Barenaked Ladies - I liked the Barenaked Ladies a lot when I was 12 years old, but then they got written off as a novelty act and disappeared for a few years. Somewhere in the last decade they scored several hits again. Their popularity certainly rose, especially in the US, but I still wasn't won over. Now they've put out a children's album called Snack Time, and you know what? It actually sort of suits them. I'm not sure how much kids would actually like it, but they could certainly do much, much worse than this. It's cute, it's silly, it's the Barenaked Ladies. And really, if Bubbles is on board, so am I. (Awesome)

Red Light Company - It's peppy, but also a little generic -- a lot of the songs sound really similar. There are some catchy chords, big power pop guitars, group-sung choruses, tinkly pianos, forceful drums, and other things people like in their pop rock, but it doesn't amount to anything particularly unique or substantial; kind of like very pretty wallpaper. I might enjoy this in a bar, although I would probably end up talking to an old friend in the bathroom and forget there's a band playing once in a while. (Guilty)

Between the Trees - Falls somewhere between Lifehouse and Something Corporate, but with more piano. I'm three songs into this and I'm getting pretty bored. Lots of piano, lots of angst, lots of falsetto, I get it... (Guilty)

Fear of Music - Their bio invokes a plethora of names from the rock canon: Smashing Pumpkins, Placebo, Muse, Manic Street Preachers, Jeff Buckley, and Pixies. Frankly, I like all of those bands better than this (except maybe Muse, who I could give or take) and I barely even see the connection in some cases. The vocals are a bit overwrought and the riffs aren't all that exciting, but the band does have a tiny bit of undeniable charisma. "Better Living Through Chemistry" isn't a bad song, even if its title has already been used by a Fatboy Slim album, a Queens of the Stone Age song, and an Adema song title. All in all, you're probably better off buying a Vines album or maybe The Subways. (Guilty, but with a reduced sentence)

The Kiss Off - I was digging this until the dude started singing and kind of tore me out of the moment; his voice seems to be an acquired taste. His singing style is a bit melodramatic and alternates between David Byrne yelps and Ian Curtis lows. But hey, I was able to get into The Cure, The Rapture, Placebo and numerous other bands where people can't stand the vocals, so I wouldn't outright condemn it just based on that. I have to admit, a lot of the music is quite infectious, carrying an 80s-influenced new wave energy. The song "Amplify" shows a nice bit of restraint, while "Laying Dead" bursts in with a heavy stomp and "Mother Murderer" brings a bit of goth-pop atmosphere along the lines of Joy Division or Seventeen Seconds-era Cure. (Awesome)

Okay, so I'm getting tired now. Up is down, dogs are cats, and the line between Guilty and Awesome is getting a little blurry. Maybe I should put the whiskey away. It's been fun though, so I'll probably do this again some time. The Kiss Off were kind enough to provide some mp3s, so I'll leave you with one of those. Keep sending those e-mails!

[mp3] ~~The Kiss Off - Mother Murderer~~

A Mux For All Seasons

2008-04-18T14:45:00.004-03:00

I suppose if we're only going to post once every two or three months, mixes are a good way to go. A friend recently introduced me to Muxtape, which is a pretty neat concept, I think, even if it is a little lacking in features right now. I put together a quick mix of some stuff I've been enjoying recently. I'm pretty excited to have some new Ladytron and Portishead (pictured above) this year, not to mention new stuff by The Notwist. The rest is a collection of tunes old and new that have been keeping me company.

All Muxed Up (click to listen)

Tracks:
Ladytron - Black Cat
Mogwai - Glasgow Mega-snake
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Days of Being Wild
LCD Soundsystem - No Love Lost
Joy Division - Heart & Soul
Portishead - Machine Gun
Dan Deacon - Pink Batman
The Octopus Project - I Saw the Bright Shinies
The Notwist - Good Lies
Ker - A Chorus

Mixtape a la travisthered

2008-04-16T13:38:00.004-03:00

It sure has been a while for me... Here is a mixtape that represents what I have been up to lately.

[mp3] Side A
[mp3] Side B

Side A:
Stars - The Night Starts Here (remix)
Kaiser Chiefs - Love Is Not A Competition But I'm Winning (remix)
Röyksopp - What Else Is There? (remix)
Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (remix)
Tiga - You Gonna Want Me
Bloc Party - Flux

Side B:
Koop - Summer Sun (feat Yukimi Nagano)
MGMT - Electric Feel
Windom Earle - Kittens Vs. Pegasus
Matt And Kim - Someday
Fujiya & Miyagi - Ankle Injuries
Hot Chip - Hold On

I had more success mixing Side A, but the song selection on Side B is more eclectic.

Enjoy!

Winter Lulz -- er -- Lulls

2008-02-29T14:54:00.002-04:00

Dear Blog Land,

I've missed you. I'd love to write something about all the new music I've been falling in love with, but times have been tough for me in that regard. Fact of the matter is, the best music I've been listening to lately is stuff that I never had a chance to hear in 2007; either that, or it's more than 50 years old. Sure, I like the new Hot Chip, but I think everybody else has that covered nicely and I don't feel compelled to add to the din right now. Patrick Wolf's last album finally entered my collection a few weeks ago... Is a year too late to get blogger cred for that discovery? I guess so. Hey, that Britt Daniels remix of Feist is okay. Sorta.

No, the truth is, I've been making more music lately than I've been listening to, and it's working out quite nicely for me at this time. But I still miss you anyway; I haven't forgotten, and I will return.

Love,
The Trick

We Stand Like Statues

2007-11-08T14:14:00.000-04:00

A quick heads-up: if you're local, my (mostly) electronic project will be playing at The Capital Bar in Fredericton this Saturday with Sudbury, Ontario's Statues. I've had the pleasure of sharing a stage with these guys before and let me tell you -- they are one fun band. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of pure, unadulterated power pop. All you Weezer, Clash, and Replacements fans would probably dig it. Some downloadable mp3s are available on the band's MySpace page.

Oh, Larry

2007-10-22T13:57:00.001-03:00

I swear a few weeks ago I was watching a new episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with friends and we talked about how Larry David recently went through a divorce with his real life wife Laurie Lennard. We wondered how this would be translated into the show and we considered that Cheryl might leave him this season. Well, it turns out it was the damn TiVo guy's fault. This was one of the best episodes I have seen and it definitely looks like this season has been leading up to the big split.

Don't worry about Larry though. He doesn't seem too fazed by it and before the end of the episode, he's already on a date with another woman (a post-Battlestar Galactica Lucy Lawless). Of course... well, just watch it.

[mp3] Luciano Michelini - Frolic (Theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm)

* Buy Curb DVDs

The Octopus Project: Hello, Avalanche

2007-10-20T12:37:00.001-03:00

I've written about The Octopus Project before. The band kinda stole my heart when I saw them touring with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead several years ago. As unassuming as a band can be while wearing silly masks, they hit the stage and just rocked out a rolling set of electronic instrumentals that take a completely fresh approach to pop music.

Their latest, Hello, Avalanche, just arrived on the scene and from the sounds of it, the band is in better shape than ever. I've been particularly taken by the boopy Gameboy rock of "Truck," a song that urges you to do whatever it is you're doing better, faster, and with a smile on your face. As a whole, the new songs suggest the band is expanding their sonic palette somewhat, which is highlighted by the fact that this is probably also the best-sounding thing the band has done in terms of production. I have a feeling this will be in heavy rotation in my kitchen this winter.

[mp3] The Octopus Project - Truck
[mp3] The Octopus Project - Malaria Codes
[YouTube] The Octopus Project - Malaria Codes

Jose Gonzalez: In Our Nature

2007-10-19T19:54:00.001-03:00

If you don't immediately recognize Jose Gonzalez, you might remember his collaborations with Zero 7: "Futures," "Left Behind," "Today," and "Crosses." The latter of those is actually a cover of his own song. He also recorded a great stripped down cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats" that appeared on the television program One Tree Hill as well as a notoriously colorful Sony commercial. A few of his own songs also appeared on the now-gone The OC.

As for Gonzalez's latest album, In Our Nature, I basically love this album so much I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant. This elegant album is without a doubt Gonzalez's best work. The songs still feature his signature simplicity, but generally this album's sound is more confident than that of Veneer. In Our Nature is stripped down to mostly vocal melodies with classical guitar and the occasional touch of djembe, handclaps or soft synth.

For me, "Down the Line" is the song that gets me swaying the most, although his cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop" also deserves mention because it's just really good. No surprise there. This is an album I would happily buy for my best friend or my mother alike.

[mp3] Jose Gonzalez - Down the Line or [youtube]
[mp3] Jose Gonzalez - Teardrop or [youtube]

* Buy In Our Nature