My friend Erin is an amazing artist but doesn’t know jack about music. She does know how to pick a book, however, and got me this amazing book for Christmas, Bands on the Road: The Tour Sketchbook. The book features doodles, scribbles and sketches from an impressive list of indie music artists like The Shins, We Are Scientists, Nada Surf, Dirty Pretty Things and more, giving a glimpse into the not so glamourous life of lives of bands on the road – on stage and off.
Noble Beast, Andrew Bird’s long awaited follow-up to Armchair Apocrypha, will be available January 20th. A deluxe version of the album, Noble Beast/Useless Creatures, will also be released that date, packaged with a second disc of instrumental works, featuring collaborations with Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche and jazz bassist Todd Sickafoose.
In the meantime, Fat Possum Records and Andrew Bird are offering an exclusive preview of the entire Noble Beast release on NPR music. Another beautiful record from the amazingly talented Andrew Bird. Be sure to catch Andrew Bird at The Fillmore in San Francisco, February 19 and 20.
Stream Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast in it’s entirety here.
Noble Beast Track Listing
The Crime Scene
The Interrogation…
Me: ”Judah, why did you cut up all of your monsters?”
Judah: “I didn’t.”
Me: ”You didn’t take Mommy’s sewing scissors and cut off all of your monster’s arms and legs?”
Judah: ”No, I didn’t do it.”
Me: ”What happened then?”
Judah: ”It broke.”
Listen to The Walkmen, ‘If Only It Were True’
My friend Erin had this print of an old British poster in her house that struck me. It’s a reproduction of an old slogan used to allay public fear during the outbreak of World War 2. The original poster was held in reserve for use only in times of extreme crisis. Although thousands were produced, only a handful ever saw the light of day. (For a reproduction of the poster, go to Keep Calm Gallery.)
Some 60 years later, I couldn’t help but think how fitting it was in this day and age where fear and uncertainty has reached epidemic proportions. It seems as though the world is on the edge of its seat, waiting for life as we know it to end sometime in 2009. Just how bad will 2009 be? The speculation is endless and the anticipation exhausting. It’s only January 1 and I’m already tired of it. And like a bunch of rubberneckers at the scene of an accident, we seem compelled to slow down and look at the wreckage, clogging up everything behind us. Too scared to do anything else. While I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, I have decided to adopt this as my motto and modus operandi for 2009. I think we can all use a little more of that British ‘stiff upper lip’ right now.
So Happy New Year folks. Let’s all just keep calm and carry on. In honor of our wise British brethren, I’ve composed a mix of some of my favorite UK-based artists and songs. Enjoy. And let’s keep on rockin’ in the free world!
Keep Calm and Carry On Mixtape
Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo
