The harmonies were definitely on as they tore through selections from the Sun Giant EP and their most recent self titled release. Highlights, boy their were lots of them. Opening with “Sun Giant” brought the chatter to a stop and only resumed when those unfamiliar turned to their attentive neighbors to ask, “who’s is this band?”

Photos below by our friend and contributor, Ed Oliver. Please leave your thoughts/reviews in the comments. What did you think of the evening’s other performers? Who went home with some Fleet Fox merchandise? How soon can we get them back to Madison?

Previously: From The Crowd | Fleet Foxes - “English House”
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Myspace: Fleet Foxes
MP3: Fleet Foxes - “White Winter Hymnal”

Find more MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

It’s our hope that you’ll find a new favorite or another release to keep your eyes on.

MP3: Beau Jennings - “Tulsa Sound”
MP3: Electric Touch - “Love In Our Hearts”
MP3: The Pack A.D. - “Making Gestures”
MP3: The Hush Now - “Traditions”
MP3: Rickie Lee Robinson - “Nothing In The Eyes Of Love”
MP3: Bowery Boy Blue - “Ah, What A Cruel Change”
MP3: Loxsly - “Lamprey Eels”
MP3: Dead Heart Bloom - “Our Last Martyr”
MP3: The Weeks - “Buttons”
MP3: All Saints On Fire - “Fire On Corridor X”
MP3: Jennifer O’Connor - “Here With Me”
MP3: Jennifer O’Connor - “Valley Road 86″

Daytrotter: Immaculate Machine
Daytrotter: Bodies of Water

Find more MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

With a new Wolf Parade album in the bag and on your iPods, it’s not yet time to forget about Spencer Krug’s Sunset Rubdown. For those keeping score, their 2007 release Random Spirit Lover made our year end list of favorites.

Sunset Rubdown will play the Annex on Friday, October 3rd.

Tickets: $10 Advance / $12 Day of Show / Ages 18+

Related: Review: Wolf Parade - House of Blues, Chicago
Related: Download Four Free MP3’s from the Sunset Rubdown Daytrotter Session.

Myspace: Sunset Rubdown
MP3: Sunset Rubdown - “Winged/Wicked Things”
MP3: Sunset Rubdown - “Up On Your Leopard, Upon The End Of Your Feral Days”

+Bookmark our Wisconsin and Chicago shows pages for all your concert announcements+

Below you’ll find a free and legal download of the first single, “Spaceships,” from his upcoming record, Take Me Down the Interstate. A favorite of long-time followers, it’s now ready for those outside the state lines to hear what I consider to be a perfect summer song. Like what you hear? Pick up a copy of the entire album on August 15th.

Also, and with our hat tipped towards our friends at La Blogotheque, I offer a glimpse of Patchwork performing “Spaceships” in a pocket of the UW Terrace with backing noise provided by the police.

Myspace: Patchwork
MP3: Patchwork - “Spaceships”

One of my favorite fellas, Tim Fite, brought his eclectic fun time jams back to Chicago last evening as he rocked the stage at one of my favorite venues, the Lakeshore Theatre. The set was a little shorter than the last time I caught him, but I’ll count that up to the fact that it was a later show and the he had to allow plenty of time for the lovely headlining Watson Twins.

Fite seemed much more in his own realm this time compared to the last time I saw him, playing crowd favorites from Gone Ain’t Gone, Over the Counterculture and Fair Ain’t Fair. His delightful AV presentation and glow brite boombox set up were in full effect, and his cohort in crime, Dr. Leisure helped up the crowd’s ante, running and screaming amongst the sit down venue. The usual story breaks were present and accounted for, including “What Dogs Eat,” the crowd participating “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” “A Drop in the Bucket” and my personal fave, “Jo Jo & Bobby Stab a Motherfucker” which Fite himself described simply as “a bird and a cat who have slightly sociopathic tendencies and like to enjoy a sandwich.”

I got the opportunity to shoot the breeze with Fite after his set and we chatted on everything from his influences from Public Enemy, (he knows all the words, but sadly, will not be able to make their set this evening at Pitchfork); how he met Dr. Leisure, (they met either the day he was born—or maybe it was the day after); his college education, (Rutger’s University—Print Making and Africana Studies); touring with Adam Greene of the Moldy Peaches, (he was great—“loved the riddles”); his participation with an upcoming video shoot for My Brightest Diamond (something about puppets); how he’s “So bad at having a good time,” (I rebutted that he had all us in the crowd convinced otherwise to which he blushingly replied, “No that’s the fun stuff, I mean actually going out and leaving my apartment, I’m not so good at that,”); and how the “young people of the world, who will fall down if their pants aren’t on tight enough, they need to realize the world doesn’t revolve around them, the young people—it revolves around ALL people.”

Basically, we had a chummy good old time. I observed Fite smile and hug his fans, some of them pretty mega-fans indeed, and indulge every question and story shot at him ranging from his birth town to some story about a Target parking lot. As he finished packing up his equipment concluding his set, the circle of Fite fans chanted, “One more song!” to which he enthusiastically replied, “We can sing more together in the hallway when I’m done here.” I guess that’s the kinda guy Tim just is, a people pleaser and fun lovin’ artist—I had to email him the real questions I had prepared for our interview last night since I enjoyed talking so much I couldn’t stop to scribble any of his responses—so you all can expect more from Fite in the very near future.

Set List:

1. I Hope Yer There
2. Line by Line
3. Big Mistake
4. The Barber
5. It’s All Right Here
6. No Good Here
7. More Clothes
8. Away From the Snakes

Myspace: Tim Fite

Conor Oberst readies his first solo release in 13 years sans his Bright Eyes nome de plum. The self-titled recording will be released by Merge Records on August 5th, with a huge tour following in support. Get there early because he may give away his guitar!

Check out the latest issue of Paste Magazine for an interesting look into the making of the upcoming record in Mexico with The Mystic Valley Band.

Myspace: Conor Oberst
MP3: Conor Oberst - “Danny Callahan”

Find more MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

Since the Avett’s are busy doing their thing with Rick Rubin some might have forgotten about the upcoming EP release, The Second Gleam, due July 22nd.

“The Avett Brothers release The Second Gleam - six new songs offered with the natural lyrical clarity and honest delivery that has become synonymous with their name. With this addition to their growing body of work, Scott and Seth Avett establish a series, while further separating their writing from the modern landscape of music, popular or otherwise.”

“Following in the initial footsteps of the first Gleam recording, this second installment sings to the uncommon senses of the common man. The record walks calmly and powerfully among fragile and hard-learned themes of life and song, passing through loss, change, hope, death, dedication to family, late nights in the hospital, love as always, and much more. At once plain and poetic, simple and complicated as those who will give their time to hear it, we find: The Second Gleam.”

Myspace: The Avett Brothers
MP3: The Avett Brothers - “Will You Return?”
MP3: The Avett Brothers - “If It’s The Beaches”
MP3: The Avett Brothers - “Matrimony”
MP3: The Avett Brothers - “Swept Away”

Find more MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic

Tag Evers of True Endeavors has been bringing live music to Madison for some time. Some of the best concerts I’ve seen in this city are because of the hard work that Tag has done and my memories have him to thank.

Today, he posted his foray into concert promoting which I thought was genuine and refreshingly open. Here’s a peek, read the rest here:

“I sometimes think I subconsciously started up this business so I could drink on the job, which I did in the early days to good measure. It’s an occupational hazard, one that I now try to avoid, but then it helped me when little else could. Of course, what drinking gave, it took back and then some.”

Funny thing is (and I’m sure he doesn’t remember), I did ask him to tell his story some years ago in a “Get To Know You” feature on this site. This place was still in its infancy, so he wisely turned me down. I’m thankful for both his friendship and the music he brings to town.

I leaked this one early, but it deserves the official treatment. Girl Talk will play Milwaukee’s Turner Hall Ballroom on Tuesday, November 4th. Are you going to rock the vote, then rock the dance floor?

Tickets: $15/General Admission

Previously: 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival: Girl Talk

Myspace: Girl Talk

+Bookmark our Wisconsin and Chicago shows pages for all your concert announcements+

The Hold Steady play the Majestic Theatre in Madison on Monday, July 21st. A limited number of tickets remain, make sure you find yourself in that party pit.

Related: Review: The Holdy Steady :: Stay Positive

Myspace: The Hold Steady

Find MP3’s at The Hype Machine or buy stuff from Strictly Discs | eMusic