PerfecTunes

New(est) Conor Oberst Album Art

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:19:00 +0000

The Bright Eyes frontman is at it again. This May, Conor Oberst will release his 2nd consecutive non-Bright Eyes album. Titled Outer South, the album art was just (literally 20 minutes ago) released. Fans, eat your hearts out. Expect another masterpiece come May 5th (4th for the UK).

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Great Little-Known Bands

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:08:00 +0000

Don't expect any fancy writing or humorous one-liners this time. Thanksgiving is upon us and not only am I thankful, I'm very busy. I'm going to post a list. Not just any ordinary list, though. This list will contain bands that you probably haven't heard of. If you have, you're awesome and can be my friend. They're in no particular order so don't assume that one is better than the other without giving them all a listen.

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Billie the Vision & the Dancers - Free Album Download

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:54:00 +0000

I Used to Wander These Streets

Billie the Vision & the Dancers have been around for a little over 4 years now and a very ~~select~~ lucky few have heard their music. Based out of Sweden, this ensemble's debut album I Was So Unpopular in School and Now They´re Giving Me This Beautiful Bicycle was nominated for an indie award in their home country. BV&D are not the only great band to come out of Sweden. Maybe you've heard of a few of these:

ABBA
The Cardigans
The Hives
Ace of Base
Eagle-Eye Cherry

Ring any bells? Good. I'll leave the oldies alone and bring us back into the present.

BV&D have released 4 full length albums through their own record label, Love Will Pay the Bills. The best part about this situation is that they have made each album available on their site for free.

As a starter, I recommend listening to A Man From Argentina, Summercat and Ghost.

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Zsammy Follow-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:38:00 +0000

Be Let Down

I promised that given enough time, I would dissect this entire album. Here it goes. Song by song. I've also included direct links to each track. To download, right-click the link and Save As.

One Hundred Million Miles Beneath the Sun - An unusual start to a mostly acoustic album, this ballad has a great low-key vibe to it. I especially like the echo in his voice.

City, I Need You Now - I consider this masterpiece the unofficial beginning of the record. The keyboard that starts off the track is a nice indicator of what's to come. One downfall to this one though. The opening line "Wherever I go I think I might puke/ because it's never the same without you" seems a bit strange for this upbeat melody. Even with the odd mixture of vomit and keyboards, I still choose this track as the must listen of the entire album. On to my favorite line of the record: "And I feel like I might know you. I'd recognize that long, black hair almost anywhere."

Fluorescent Night - Starting out like an acoustic Strokes cover, Fluorescent Night has a nice feeling that seems to continue on a bit from the previous track. Great lyrics and meter in this one.

Big Space - The intro reminds me a lot of a Kings of Leon song that I just heard. Either Sex on Fire or Manhattan. Personally, I think track 4 should be a place for a ballad after 3 upbeat songs but since the layout of this album is slightly different, I will agree with where Sam took this one. The first 1:30 seems a bit like the ballad I suggested but after that, not so much. Excellent use of the snare drum.

Miles and Miles - With the arpeggiated intro, this has the feel of a well-strum, upbeat hippie song. I was partially right on that one. The well-strum and upbeat parts are spot on but the hippie guess is a stretch with the moving bass line.

Your Chest Is Not Moving - Again with the Kings of Leon intro. Either that or I've just been listening to their new album too much. Definitely sounds like a filler song but most top-notch albums have them, so why not this one?

The Shake - I love the intro to this song! Brings back memories of Conor Oberst and the 2nd disc of the Foo Fighters' In Your Honor. Simplistic yet elegant. The melody repeats throughout the song and it can get a bit repetitive but it's so great that I don't think I could get sick of it. There's a trend that becomes evident in this song. The majority of these songs were written about a lover. Typical topic but Sam did a great job of hiding his lyrical intentions.

You Were Good At This - Heavily focusing on the vocals rather than the music. Nice change of pace. Lyrics still a bit shallow but maybe that's just me being a critical musician. I like the echoing harmonies being played in the background.

W - At first, I thought this song would be about George W. Bush. Thankfully, I was wrong. The bass is a bit overwhelming at points but I really like the chord choices and calm nature of the lyrics.

Fall To Pieces - The vocals sound a little strange and I think that's due to the key that the song is in. Best part of this one has to be the way he sings "I wanna fall to pieces while everybody laughs." If you listen to it you'll know.

Spin Backwards - Vocals have a deep echo and at times can make it hard to understand the lyrics. Solid strumming and melody but at times can become a bit monotonous.

Be Let Down - With an intro taken straight out of the pages of Dylan, Sam finds the perfect way to end a great album. Great lyrics and a solid lead line bring this song and album to close.

Please keep in mind that this is my opinion and mine only. If you agree, great. If you choose not to, that's fine too. At some point I'm sure you realized that I got a bit lazy. I have a hard time focusing on one thing for extended periods of time. Or maybe it's just because it's 3 AM I must be lonely (kidding. Matchbox Twenty reference) But seriously, at this point, I could be making it all up and not even realizing what I'm doing. Bear with me here. This is definitely a great album and all but critiquing every song for a solid 50 minutes can be a bit tiresome.

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The Fireman Has Returned

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:33:00 +0000

Sir Paul McCartney is at it again. The former Beatles star has teamed up with Youth (Martin Glover) and plans to release the Fireman's third album, Electric Arguments, in November of this year. This project that McCartney has been a part of for the past 15 years isn't going to bring back many memories of our beloved Beatles or even of Wings. This is definitely not vintage Paul. The Fireman is more new age and electronic than anything McCartney has previously done.

The only people that have heard of this project would be the ones that follow Paul's projects somewhat closely. If I saw this album in a record store, I would probably overlook it. I should probably also note that the picture shown is not the newest of the releases, instead it's the artwork for Rushes.

The previous two installments are completely instrumental. For those that don't understand that term, it means that there are no vocals. That shouldn't scare you away, though. Think about it: Paul McCartney has been making musical hits since the 1950s. If he latches onto something, chances are it will be at least halfway decent.

Come November, I will find out for myself. Until then, I'll stick with Sgt. Pepper.

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Humboldt County

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:55:00 +0000

I know that this place is mainly used for music news. Yes, I understand. I also know that the video you just (hopefully) watched is just that: a video. It's alright. No panic attacks, please. Humboldt County is a great new film with one relevant aspect here. The soundtrack is phenomenal. I mean that. Izler (CITIZEN) has created a gem of a soundtrack. It will be for sale on iTunes and Amazon.com shortly so stay tuned.

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The End of TRL

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:22:00 +0000

Yes, I realize this is a shock. But there is no need to worry. It's not going to happen tomorrow, or even next week. MTV will air TRL (Total Request Live) until some time in November. This isn't just hearsay either. Executive producer Dave Sirulnick said that himself.

I don't know about you, but I quit watching TRL for good about 7 years ago. In fact, I pretty much stopped watching MTV as a whole at the same time. They're getting ridiculous. The majority of the shows they air have nothing to do with music. What does MTV stand for now? Meaningless TeleVision? Seriously, Viacom, you must be stupid. Stick to the roots or change the name. VH1 used to be halfway bearable but even they're catching up with the pointless shows. Granted, Viacom owns them both.

The only music channel I'll watch at this point is Palladia (formerly MHD). A few of you might not have the liberty of watching this HD channel but if you have it, I highly recommend it. Nothing but music. The way it should be.

Come November, MTV will have one less music-related show to air and they'll probably fill that slot with Cribs reruns or a throw-back Engaged and Underage. I'm sure Carson Daly is glad he left when he did.

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Hurricane Ike

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:52:00 +0000

He's a punk. I'll probably have to evacuate soon and so that means no more updates until I'm back. Sorry folks but I gotta do what must be done. Wish me luck!

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Zsammy - Free Album Download

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:49:00 +0000

Be Let Down

I know it's late and I know (for a fact) that I'm extremely tired right now. Don't count any spelling errors against me tonight. This isn't a Scripps blog. I have found another amazing band. This time, using Last.fm. They remind me a lot of Snow Patrol. Especially in Your Chest Is Not Moving. The best part is, you don't have to take my word for it. Zsammy's album, Be Let Down, is downloadable (for free!) from Sam's website. I haven't had time to dissect this album yet, I literally just downloaded the tracks 2 minutes ago. I'll add to this post later once I've had time to listen to it all.

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Entertaining Music Games

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:20:00 +0000

JamsBio Takes the Cake

I seem to always be online lately. Especially after discovering StumbleUpon. I can't get enough of it. One of the best sites I've "stumbled" to was JamsBio. One of the main attractive features is their Games section. JamsMatch gives you 30 seconds to match 9 random album covers to their names. It's addictive so be careful! SongBlitz reminds me of the imeem or iLike application. You have another 30 second time limit but this time you have to match the album to an audio clip. The longer you take, the less points you get.

My Music Quiz is a site devoted to one program. Fishbend Limited has created something similar to the music quiz on an iPod. This quiz program finds music on your computer and random questions about the songs. Pretty cool, huh? There's a catch, though. It's not entirely free. There's a free 30 day trial so wear that thing out while you still can!

The Polyphonic Spree have launched a site that includes an interactive flash animation. It's called The Quest For the Rest and although I haven't figured out its relevance, it's still fun to click around on. Great background music, too.

If you have any more music-related games/sites, let me know. I'll add them and include your name.

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Led Zeppelin In Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:33:00 +0000

15th Album Up In Air

That's right, you're reading the truth. Led Zeppelin is back in the studio. However, there's a catch or two:

Robert Plant is a no-show. He's not a part of this session...yet.
An album seems unlikely at this point.

Let me elaborate a bit more. Jason Bonham (John's son) told 94.7 WCSX in Detroit that writing new material was "on the cards" since the band's reunion show in London last December.

At the moment, all I know is I have the great pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and start work on some material.

When I get there [in the studio] I never ask any questions. If I get a phone call to go and play, I enjoy every moment of it.

Whatever it ends up as, to ever get a chance to jam with two people like that, it is a phenomenal thing for me. It’s my life. It’s what I’ve dreamed about doing.

Lots of politics [would need to] get ironed out [before an album could be made].

- Jason Bonham

As for Robert Plant, I hope he's not trying to follow Axl Rose's idea. You know, the one where you alienate and discredit band members and make it clear that no reunion will ever happen. Plant seems to be on good terms with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Bonham so I believe that an album is entirely possible but I can't promise anything. Let's all just hope it's not another one of these situations.

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Harvey Danger - Free Album Download

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:58:00 +0000

Little By Little...

Release Date: September 13, 2005
Label: Kill Rock Stars

Why the puzzled look? Never heard of Harvey Danger? Don't feel too bad, many haven't. If you've ever listened to this song then yes, you know of Harvey Danger. Unless you became really curious after hearing that song 12 times a day on the radio back in junior high, then that is the first and last song of theirs that you heard.

The reason I mention Harvey Danger is for one reason in specific. They have a free downloadable album on their website. Granted, it's been out since late 2005, but it's still worth a listen. It's not a bad album and I'm certain the majority of my readers haven't heard any of it. Not a single track made it as high up as Flagpole Sitta did but that doesn't mean it's not worth your time.

A little history lesson on this band:

After releasing "King James Version," their second studio album, HD went on an indefinite hiatus. 5 years later, almost to the day, "Little By Little..." was released and fans (me included) were elated.

This is a relatively short post due to the fact that I'm at work right now. If you'd like more information on Harvey Danger, check here, here, or here.

Here's a few tracks from "Little By Little..."

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Guns N' Roses Update

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:24:00 +0000

Chinese Democracy

Release Date: TBD
Label: Geffen

It seems as if the wheels are turning. Albeit rather slowly, but turning regardless. Axl Rose (right) has become the only person in the world that can drag out an album for over a decade and still (most likely) sell millions of copies.

Granted, people get tired of his BS and even Dr. Pepper has apparently mocked GN'R by offering a free can of their soda to everyone in America (excluding former guitarists Slash and Buckethead) if the album is released within the 2008 calender year.

"It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love," Dr Pepper director of marketing Jaxie Alt says. "So we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for perfection -- for something more than the average album. We know once it's released, people will refer to it as 'Dr Pepper for the ears' because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds - an instant classic."

This was back in March and still, no sign of an album yet.

Recently, however, it is reported that GN'R is negotiating with retailers, most notably Walmart (Hey look, no hyphen!) and Best Buy, to release Chinese Democracy as an exclusive to a particular store. Irving Azoff's Front Line Management is now representing the band and Azoff has pulled this kind of crap in the past. He released the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden through Walmart in 2007 and I specifically remember losing a little respect for the legendary group when I heard the news.

Recently it has been confirmed that AC/DC's next album, Black Ice, will be released (October 20, 2008) through Walmart as well. I just don't get it. Best Buy maybe. But Walmart? Really? I understand that it's the biggest retailer in the world. Yeah, I get it. Walmart makes money. But does it make that much money? Does it make so much money that you can't release your album to everyone including Walmart? Enough ranting, back to the story.

As a side note, AC/DC's first single, "Rock 'N' Roll Train," will be released on August 28 so be prepared for that one.

I'll admit that I was excited to hear any piece of news about Chinese Democracy but this next bit is definitely the most promising.

I've checked my sources multiple times and it has been confirmed that Rock Band 2 will feature "Shackler's Revenge," a song straight from the upcoming album. This news alone has implications that the long-awaited Chinese Democracy should be released within the year. I sure hope so, I could use a Dr. Pepper.

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Nine Inch Nails - Free Download

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:21:00 +0000

The Slip

Release Date: July 22, 2008
Label: The Null Corp.

Most everyone is already aware of this freebie but just in case you haven't been online since May, Nine Inch Nails (aka Trent Reznor) has released The Slip on his website. The best part is, it's a free download.

If you're a fan of NIN that just happens to be broke (tuition's a bitch) then you should definitely take advantage of this. On the other hand, Reznor has also released a limited number (250,000 isn't very limited) of physical albums that include a DVD. I will occasionally pay for physical copies but now that most everything is as hit the digital age, I just skip that (while saving some much needed cash) and download the mp3 version. Don't worry about paying $17.99 for this one. The man with the cigar in his mouth counting his Benjamins won't get a dime. Reznor released this one all by his lonesome.

So go ahead, enjoy the free download. If you do end up buying the physical copy, let me know how the DVD is. I might be able to find $20 in my couch.

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Conor Oberst

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Conor Oberst

Release Date: August 5, 2008
Label: Merge Records

It took 13 years, but Oberst has finally released his 4th solo album. Not much has changed since Bright Eyes' Cassadaga was released in April of 2007. Granted, hardly any album Oberst has made has deviated from his folk-indie roots (except for Digital Ash In a Digital Urn). A line from "Danny Callahan" proves that Oberst still has creative ways of getting his messages across. "We feign sickness with our modern joy." Conor has always had a way of hooking you with his lyrics before you even hear the melodies.

"Cape Canaveral," the opening track is a page straight out of 2005's I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. The minimalistic guitar melody fused with lyrics such as "saw the migrants smoke in the old orange grove" start the album off in a nostalgic light.

"Lenders In the Temple" brings thoughts of solitude and despair, noting "I'd give a fortune to your infomercial if somebody would just take my call."

After hearing "Valle Mistico (Ruben's Song)," which is nothing but a pointless instrumental break, I was concerned with how the record would end.

The final two tracks, "Souled Out!!!" and "Milk Thistle," relieved me of my worries and completed one of 2008's top albums with this line: "If I go to heaven, I'll be bored as hell/Like a crying baby at the bottom of a well."

A few of the Bright Eyes cast joined him on his self-titled solo album, most notably Nate Walcott. The others, consisting of Jason Boesel, Nik Freitas, Taylor Hollingsworth, and Macey Taylor call themselves The Mystic Valley Band.

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for 3 things. Beautiful eyes, Seinfeld, and moving lyrics. Although the formers are irrelevant, the latter plays out perfectly. This album couldn't have been written or produced any better. If this were an algebra class, the formula for this would be I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning + (Cassadaga - the over-production) = Conor Oberst.

Final Rating: 8.5/10

Tour Dates
Lyrics

Souled Out!!!

Related Artists:
Bright Eyes
Commander Venus
Desaparecidos
Kevin Devine
The Good Life
Neva Dinova
Son, Ambulance

Note: Clicking the album art will take you to Conor's website. There is a music player that allows full-length track listening.

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RSS Breakdown

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:33:00 +0000

What is RSS?

RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a way to deliver regularly changing web content. It's basically syndication. Remember how Family Guy started on Fox and now it can be seen on TBS? That's syndication. The new episodes are still airing on Fox (I think) and once those air, all of the other channels can use it, too. In television, there is a substantial delay. With RSS, however, there is virtually no delay.

What do I need?

Internet. That's all you need to view RSS feeds. Now, if you want to view all of them at the same time, you might want to look into RSS readers. These programs (or sites) compile each of your subscribed feeds and make it easier to navigate, read, and even respond to them.

How do I add feeds?

It's simple. Click the button. If you'll look to the right of these words, you'll see a section labeled SUBSCRIBE. Simply click the button of the service you use (or plan to use) and then subscribe. Good luck and I hope to see you again. Subscribers get a free download!

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Opening Statement

noreply@blogger.com (Sean Oldham) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:02:00 +0000

This is it, boys and girls. PerfecTunes has finally arrived. Your only stop for album reviews, downloads, lyrics, and anything else that can whet that musical appetite of yours. Stay tuned. A new banner and the first review are coming soon.

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