The (s)Wheat Spot!

Old Sufjan is the New Sufjan

2006-04-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Stereogum reports that the next Sufjan album will be an outtake album of tracks that didn't make it onto what was originally planned as the Illinois double album.

I don't know about you, but as much as I like Illinois, I get a little weary of listening once 'Tallest Man, Broadest Shoulders' gets about halfway through.

Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche [from Trees Lounge]

What would you name the Texas album?

I'm Back, Suckas

2006-04-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

Yep. It only took me 2 1/2 weeks to get over jetlag/wedding planning insanity/remorse from missing the Beasties, Flaming Lips, Midlake, Brothers & Sisters, Jenny Lewis, Peter & the Wolf, and Deathcab/Franz Ferdinand in Austin. Not bad. Anyhow I'm back, and I'm coming back ready.

I have pics from Sunday night's Amanda Leggett show at Ego's, and a few recommends for the Wall of Sound fest that I'll be attending on Saturday in Ft. Worth, with Dan, who's in this band Washing Machine [review here]

Wall of Sound Recommendations [Sat. only]:
12:30 pm Amanda Leggett
5:00 Doug Burr
5:30 The Black Angels
6:30 Knife in the Water
7:00 Comet
8:00 AM Syndicate
9:00 Midlake
9:30 Mazinga Phazer II
10:10 Dave Bazan
12:30 Low
2:00am Go to Sleep

The Amanda Leggett show Ego's on Sunday did not disappoint at all, and I'm looking forward to seeing her again at Wall of Sound. Her new pedal steel player was also working a smoke machine, which added this eerie effect to certain songs.

I missed you! Any other bands on the suggested list above you would add/delete?

Natalie Portman, Gangsta Rappa

2006-03-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

beep. bop. boop. has this hilarious new video from Saturday Night Live, the same guys who brought you Lazy Sunday [and who spawned numerous Ripoffs [real player needed]. Enjoy.

Alex Dupree on NPR!

2006-02-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

NPR.com has a great story about a great Austin band, Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band.

My roommate Brett has been talking these guys up to me for a while now, and with good reason.

They'll be playing SXSW on March at the 29th St. Co-op, so check it out if you're around the ATX for the circus. If you're a regular Austinite, catch them at the Parish on March 2.

Samples to come...???

I'm the worst blogger ever...

2006-02-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

...but then again, you're reading. Aren't you, sucker?

I've been absent because my mind just isn't in the blogosphere lately. But I'm back, to update you on stuff you should be listening to, if nothing else.

Lately, I've been so busy [and broke] that if it ain't on emusic, I ain't getting it. But there's a ton of stuff on emusic, so I'm alright. Some of the stuff I've been listening to the most lately are the most recent Deerhoof, Cat Power, the National, and the AWESOME Destroyer's Rubys.

But I had been wanting Jenny Lewis' album 'Rabbit Fur Coat', and couldn't get it on the cheap. Until now. Her record label, Team Love has put her entire album [except for the Traveling Wilbury's cover] online for free download.

You're welcome. Enjoy.

Download 'Rabbit Fur Coat'

New-ish Midlake

2006-02-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

I think this has been out for a while, but I just came across Midlake's 'Balloon Maker EP' on eMusic the other day, and it has two new non-album tracks that I'm loving. The alternate take of 'The Jungler' is a lot more menacing than the album version, but the other song, 'Mornings Will Be Kind' is a lot more playful than most of the Bamnan stuff. Both are highly recommended. Enjoy.

Midlake - The Jungler [alternate take] [follow links]
Midlake - Mornings Will Be Kind [follow links]

For Dan: Video Day

2006-02-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in forever because I was super busy all last week, but I'm back again.

Since I received my new video iPod in the mail last week, I've been on a mad dash to get as many videos on it as possible. So far, I've gotten Fearless Freaks and several episodes of Arrested Development, but I've also found a bunch of videos on ...good weather for air strikes.

My go-to video for showing people how awesome the iPod screen is would have to be Michel Gondry's Kanye Video. It's amazing.

Also, here's one I found by Cat Power. Don't ask me to explain it. I don't know.

Cat Power - Living Proof

But, I can't have a video day without showing this gem. It's all over the internet like SNL's Lazy Sunday, but now it's here too.
K-Fed is art in motion, seriously. Watch and be amazed.

Best .gif Ever.

2006-01-26T14:10:00.000-08:00

Vince "Champion" Young as Uncle Rico Dynamite? Wow.

Akron/Family tonight in Austin - Cat Power tonight in my Head

2006-01-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

So, (s)Wheat Spot! faves Akron/Family are playing at Emo's tonight, and I'm all giddy inside. I saw these guys when other (s)Wheat Spot! faves Pilotdrift opened for them [and Angels of Light] in the Spring, and they blew me away. They have an amazing live show.

If you're near the ATX, look for me there. Hopefully pics will follow. Song follows now.

Dylan pt.2 [via An Aquarium Drunkard - a good blog with a great Wilco-reference name]

Also...

Listened to the new Cat Power album, 'The Greatest' about a million times today and yesterday, and I keep going back and forth between thinking it's bound to be one of the best albums of 2006 [or as I told Brett, "the Illinois of 2006"], and thinking that it teeters on overdoing it.

My favorite ditty on the album [other than the title track, which you can get here] is the hauntingly sad 'Lived in Bars'. Enjoy.

Cat Power - Lived in Bars [via the CAMERA As PEN]

New Week installment 4: New Midlake

2006-01-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

I've been following Midlake, from my hometown of Denton, TX for years now, and I've been waiting to hear their new album ever since I heard their last album 'Bamnan and Slivercork'. I may have to wait a little longer, but Bella Union has included a new Midlake track on their most recent sampler. Enjoy.

Midlake - Roscoe [from SKATTERBRAIN]

Live Midlake video from 'Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson' [from Midlake.net

Marfa

2006-01-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

Marfa is this little pop. 2000 town just north of Big Bend National park in the middle of nowhere West Texas. Everything about the surroundings remind you of desolation. We drove for half an hour sometimes before seeing another car on the highway. The music had to compliment the surroundings...
Cat Power - The Greatest [via Matador Records]

Yo La Tengo - Beautiful World [live]

The funny thing about Marfa is that on the weekend there are all these New York/LA/Austin Hipsters that come in and enjoy the triving arts scene there. Back in October, Yo La Tengo played a show there at the Thunderbird Hotel. There was a great article in the Austin Chronicle about Marfa on a Tuesday in December, questioning whether the hipsters are ruining the town they put on the map. Well, my friend Chris and I took a trip there on a Tuesday in December ourselves, just to see what Marfa had to say about it.

And what's a buddy trip without a Sufjan song about two guys on a roadtrip themselves?

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago [acoustic] [via mp3 online]

New Week installment 3: New Shins

2006-01-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

Ever since Zach Braff took the Shins from mixtape masters to every college girl's indie crush, the next Shins record has been highly anticipated. Well, let the hype begin. My guess is that prior to it's release, the hipster backlash will be in full effect, and no one will expect it to be as good as it actually will be.

Prediction: this album will outdo their previous two albums in lyrical quality and musical maturity. Write it down. You heard it on the (s)Wheat Spot! first.

Enjoy.

The Shins - New Song [live 1/07/06] [via You Ain't No Picasso]

Bonus! The Shins - Pink Bullets Video [iPod compatible mp4, from m3 Online]

New Flaming Lips/Sufjan Live

2006-01-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

iTunes has a the new Flaming Lips song 'Wand' from their forthcoming LP 'At War With the Mystics'. I say it's a winner. It really doesn't tread much new ground for the Flaming Lips, but it is a welcome change from the phoned-in singles released for soundtracks over the last few months. The track has a great groove, a mind-burning guitar riff, and some effective [however not novel] vocal effects. Plus, I'm never going to fault a band for using live handclaps in a beat.

Pitchfork gave it 3 1/2 stars, so take that for what it is.

In other news, the New York Times has a review of a Sufjan live show from the Allen Hall of the Rose Ballroom in NYC. It's a glaring review, so, bravo Sufjan.

Man of Metropolis Steals our Hearts [live @ KCRW] [from Music for kids who can't read good]

New Cat Power

2006-01-13T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, the (s)Wheat Spot is back, ladies and gentlemen. It's a new year, and we've got some new music. Cat Power's Myspace has her entire new album 'The Greatest' available to stream until it's release. Also, you can pre-order 'The Greatest' [which they keep insisting is NOT a Greatest Hits comp] at Matador Records on either CD or LP Vinyl. [As an aside, I think that record labels should include a password for a free iTunes download for any album they sell on vinyl. That way, we can have the vinyl and still listen on our iPods. I mean, I want the vinyl, but we're a portable society, and if I can't play it on my iPod, i just can't listen to it as much. But I digress...]

Apparently, for this album Cat Power is aiming for the Hi Records soul sound from the 1970's. I don't know about all that, but what I do know is that the title track, available for download from Matador [and the (s)Wheat Spot!] is one of the most haunting songs I've heard in a while, and I can't stop listening to it. Enjoy.

Cat Power - The Greatest

It's Christmas, Kids

2005-12-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Christmas. Yes, it's over-commmercialized, and yes, I think that these uber-activist Conservatives who wanted to boycott retailers who omit Merry Christmas from their advertisements are putting their efforts in the wrong place, but otherwise, it's a good time.

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the music. It's so joyful. Last year, Stereogum linked a great Indie Christmas album that I listened to all season. Well, this year, you can enjoy enough Christmas music to make your ears bleed tears of Christmas joy!

Irresponsible Journalism has all of Sufjan Stevens' Christmas Albums for your immediate download.
Test Pilot has a bunch of Indie [and not so Indie] Artists doing pop-Christmas tunes. And they do have The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song, which is one of my favorites from last year.
Sounds Are Active has the Krismus Karols album [incl. (s)Wheat Spot fave Half-Handed Cloud].
I'm boycotting Krismus Karols though, because they took "Christ" out of Christmas by spelling it with a 'K'. Are they with the KKK?

The Arcade Fire - Jingle Bell Rock [from Test Pilot's Mix]
Christmas 1979 - Jingle Bells [from Sounds Are Active's 'Krismus Karols'].

Enjoy!

Denton, TX

2005-12-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

I'm back in my hometown of Denton, TX for the next few days, and I thought I'd share a little love about some Denton bands that you should know of.

Growing up in this town was not the typical small-town suburban experience. Because of the University of North Texas, which sports one of the best music schools in the nation, as well as a great art program [and yes, Chris, their Marketing dept. is ok too], Denton has far more culture/music/life packed into its 75,000 inhabitants than most other cities.

Here's a little tour you can take, without ever leaving the confines of myspace. You will find mp3's galore, and you might find a few bands you could learn to love.
Centro-Matic
Midlake
Doug Burr
Bosque Brown
and
Hailey's [a great club in Denton; here's their Myspace]

Who did I miss?

Coming soon: Choose your own blog adventure!

This Isn't A Real Post, but...

2005-11-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

Check out my Myspace

How do you say that? "My Myspace" sounds weird. Should I just say, "Check out MySpace"? Or Maybe, "Check out My Space"? Or maybe you'd like something in a "My, my! My MySpace is Spacey McMyspace."

It's a sick world.

Here's some tunes:
You can download a new Cheyenne song at Cheyenne's Myspace. I like it. It's called 'As Long As I Can' and it's good.

Also, here's Jose Gonzales - Crosses

Mining or Digging, You be the Judge!

2005-11-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the theme of cover songs this week, I figured I'd include some covers of some popular songs done by Ian Nelson. During college at UT-Austin, Ian garnered modest notoriety writing clever songs and pulling off rousing interpretations of the most ubiquitous pop songs of the day.

Well, he's up to his old tricks again, this time with an extremely catchy reinterpretation of Kanye West's Gold Digger. Which do you like better?

Ian Nelson - Gold Miner [Save File - Follow Link]

Kanye's Original

Bonus!
Ian does 'Toxic' by Britney Spears [Follow Link]

One of his originals: the frank, rousing, Ian Nelson - You Are Crazy [Follow Link]

p.s. I fixed the links

Cover-rama

2005-11-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

So, when the interwebs blow up about some music, they usually blow up about cover songs. What is it about a cover tune, you might ask? Well, I'll try to take a stab at it.

The genius of the cover song lies in its familiarity and its novelty. A song generally gets covered because it has struck a chord in the life of the artist reinterpereting it, so the artist serves as a tourguide to the great songs of the past. Hearing an old song in a new way is a win for the artists and the listeners. The artists get their names out, the listeners hear a "new" song with an old comfort to it.

Here are some of my favorites circulating the world wide nets right now.

Sun Kil Moon - Ocean Breathes Salty [Modest Mouse Cover] Sun Kil Moon has put out two albums of all cover songs, a 2001 album of AC/DC covers, 'What's Next to the Moon,' and now comes the Modest Mouse cover album, 'Tiny Cities.'

Jose Gonzales - Heartbeats [The Knife cover]

Jose Gonzales - Love Will Tear Us Apart [Joy Division cover]

[links via Pimps of Gore]

And here's one of my favorites from last year:

The Arcade Fire - Born on a Train [magnetic fields cover, link via purevolume]

Previously...

What's your favorite cover song of all time?

The Ultimate Punk Rock Cover Song Project

Amanda Leggett @ Gypsy Tea Room

2005-11-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I mentioned Amanda Leggett and her album, 'Home.' Well now the lovely singer-songwriter has a number of shows forthcoming in the Dallas/Ft. Worth/Denton Golden Triangle Metroplex, and you ought to know about them.

Firstly, this Saturday [11/12/05], she's playing a set at the Gypsy Tea Room. She'll be doing an instore at the Borders in Lewisville, TX on Nov. 26th, and then she'll be doing a CD release in Denton at Dan's Silverleaf on Thursday, Dec 8.

Amanda's sound is both hopeful and haunting at the same time, her rich voice gliding smoothly through the solid backing laid down by her band. Her name fits nicely next to names such as Neko Case and Laura Cantrell, but her soul sounds much older and more comfortable with the likes of Patsy Cline or Emmylou Harris. Her music hits at that deeper longing within ourselves which longs for rest, home, and acceptance we cannot always find in the people and places around us.

Amanda Leggett - My Love [YouSendit Link]

Beard Week, Day 4: DJ Crown

2005-11-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know this guy doesn't have much of a beard, but he's one of the best up and coming Hip Hop DJs on the Central Texas scene, so we'll cut him a break. He's been tearing up a weekly set at Lucy's in San Marcos on Wednesday nights for the last few years as a part of Electric Mayhem, and he's got a regular set going at the Firehouse Lounge in Austin too now.

He has a full-length album coming out soon, so be on the lookout, but until then you can catch him live in Austin or San Marcos with the Word Assosciation, Electric Mayhem, or simply as DJ Crown. Also check out his Myspace page which has some of his original stuff on it.

DJ Crown is a good friend of mine back from my Denton, TX days. We started DJing at the same time in college, then he started taking it seriously and I started taking my turntables to eBay. He's an amazing DJ with a real taste for classic tracks, both old and new, so check him out.

Beard Week, Day 3: Akron/Family

2005-11-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

Last Spring, my friend John David's band Pilotdrift was playing at Emo's, opening for some bands I had just read about, Akron/Family and Angels of Light. Now I know this is crazy to some people, but Angels of Light just didn't do it for me, but Akron/Family really won me over. Their sound is really stripped down, the songwriting has a flair for the antique, yet surreal. Deep down, I think the guys are just hippies making freak folk, but it works.

Over the summer, I really got into their self-titled album, and I couldn't get the song "I'll be on the Water" out of my head.

Looks like they're working on some new material which you can find at their myspace.

Here's a track off their album with Michael Gira's Angels of Light:
Akron/Family w/ Angels of Light - Dylan pt. 2

Beard Week, Installment 2 - Hasidic Homeboy

2005-11-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

So, this guy's been around for a little while, but whatever. If you don't know, now you know. Matisyahu is a Hasidic Jewish Dancehall Reggae singer making the rounds nowadays.

What's fascinating about him is that he isn't just a kitchy guy, trying to hock bad music with a good gimmick. The Hasidic Jew thing isn't for show. This guy [ne Matthew Miller] is doing it out of a deep desire to follow God.

He has an interesting story. He 'found God' in Colorado, traveled to Israel and rediscovered the heart of his Jewish heritage, and then decided to pursue God and music more deeply while, of all things, traveling around while following a Phish tour.

Hippie.

Beneath it all lies a deep faith and a deep desire for others to encounter God. He became a Hasidic Jew after studying at the New School, and now, according to his website "[splits] his time between the stage and his yeshiva."

What do you think?

Matisyahu - King Without a Crown

Buy 'Matisyahu - Live @ Stubb's' [yeah, it was recorded live in Austin].

Must Be the Clouds in My Eyes!

2005-11-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for a good cover song, and wouldn't you know it, but Will Oldham [aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy] has teamed up with indie electro-heads Tortoise to put together an album chocked full 'o covertunes. It's slated for release in January on Domino Records, and I think it sounds pretty good.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy w/Tortoise - Daniel [Elton John Cover]

Bonnie "Prince" Billy w/Tortoise - Thunder Road [Springsteen Cover, follow link]

[links via Dreams of Horses]

Fake Siblings or Real Siblings?

2005-11-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday, stereogum linked a streaming version of The White Stripes covering Tegan and Sara's 'Walking with the Ghost'.

The question I have to ask you is not which version is better [although feel free to comment about that too]. What I want to know is which of these is it better to be:

Fake Siblings [a la Jack and Meg White]

or

Real Siblings [a la Tegan and Sara]

Original Tegan and Sara version of 'Walking with the Ghost'