The new video for “Future Primitive” off Papercuts new album You Can Have What You Want – one of my favorite albums! The band will be at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco this Friday, April 24 for a CD release party with The Finches and Cryptacize. Wow, so much good music this week!
Papercuts “Future Primitive”:
Cryptacize, “Peg” (one of my favorite covers!):
The Finches “Human Like a House”:
“The science is clear. Virtually all climate experts agree that we must reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. If we fail, the worst consequences of climate change threaten to increase the severity of health epidemics, disrupt harvest patterns, deplete water resources, and intensify poverty rates in the poorest regions of the world.
On this Earth Day we cannot let the current global economic recession slow us in the race against climate change.” Bill Clinton on Earth Day 2009.
The new track from Black Moth Super Rainbow, “Born on a Day the Sun Didn’t Rise”, seemed apocalyptically appropriate for this post today. It’s off their forthcoming album Eating Us due May 26. They’ll be playing Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco on May 28.
Bradford Cox’s Atlas Sound has posted the Time Warp Virtual 7″ for free download. Got get it!
“Rainwater Cassette Exchange“:
Just announced, Deerhunter will be releasing the Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP digitally on 5/18.
Listen to “Cheerleader” :
Grizzly Bear‘s forthcoming release, Veckatimest, is due out May 26 and is easily one of the most anticipated albums so far this year. On par with the buzz of Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavillion. After seeing them perform their new work at The Central Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX at SXSW, I fully understand why. It was one of the most beautiful performances I’ve seen and left me with goosebumps. I too cannot wait for this album to come out. Add me to the list of eager fans counting down the days.
The band is touring extensively in support of the new album. Be sure to check their MySpace page for the latest tour info. For San Francisco-based readers, they will be performing at The Fillmore on June 21, 2009 with Here We Go Magic. A fantastic line up!
Pre-order the album direct from the band.
EELS will release their first new album in four years – HOMBRE LOBO, set for June 2nd, 2009 on Vagrant Records. Take a listen to “Fresh Blood”, then check out the trailer for the track “Tremendous Dynamite”.
Benjy Ferree, “Pisstopher Crisstopher”
Benjy Ferree was one of my most anticipated shows of SXSW and my most disappointing. Imagine stumbling upon this track in the myriad of bands you’ve researched for SXSW, then arrive at an acoustic show. I was a disappointed, but not deterred.
After Austin, I dug into Ferree’s sophmore release Come Back to The Five & Dime, Bobby Dee Bobby Dee. The track, “Pisstopher Crisstopher”, that led me to him has been on repeat since Austin and will definitely make my ‘Best Songs of 2009’ list. (Can you hear Jack White in there?) Expecting to hear more of this hard-driving rock, I was a bit thrown by the hodge podge of genres on the album – a little rockabilly one minute then some Americana, du wop and rock the next. Not that it was bad, it was just a little confusing.
Then I learned the story behind the album, Come Back to The Five & Dime, Bobby Dee Bobby Dee, and it started to make a bit more sense. It’s a concept album inspired by the childhood actor, Bobby Driscoll, who from the age of 6 to 16 was the most acclaimed childhood actor of his time (’50s). Then he grew up, stopped being cute, and ultimately died alone at the age of 31 in his Manhattan apartment. His body went unidentified and was buried in an unmarked grave – so the story goes.
Ferree, himself a failed actor, used this story as inspiration for the album. Going so far as trying to recreate the appearance of Driscoll on the cover of his album. An interesting story, to say the least. Knowing this definitely gave more clarity to what I was listening to, especially the 50s du wop and rockabilly influence. I’m just not convinced he nailed the execution. There are, however, some real gems on the album that make we wonder what he can do when he’s not caught up in playing to a concept. I will be watching him, and waiting to find out.
Elbow has been on an extended worldwide tour, riding the wave of their Mercury Prize winning album, Seldom Seen Kid. But they haven’t lost sight of their next album, their fifth, which is expected to be released in September 2010.
The group is certainly feeling the pressure for their follow up to the acclaimed Seldom Seen Kid. Bassist Pete Turner admitted to the BBC, “There is [pressure]. I think we’re up there for a little bit of a taking down almost – for us it means we’ll work a little bit harder.”
Part of working harder means the band will be more organized upon entering the studio, with songs in hand. Something they haven’t done in previous sessions. To that end the group has been diligently writing on the road, setting up writing rooms at every stop.
Elbow will be performing a smattering of US dates throughout the East coast this summer, including the recently announced All Points West Festival. The only West Coast stop they have scheduled is The Wiltern in LA on July 22.
Listen to “Running to Stand Still (U2 Cover), off the recently released War Child charity album.
An empty Chicago O'Hare airport around midnight, waiting for luggage.
Listen to Loney, Dear, “Airport Surroundings”:
The Swedish indie pop group is on tour supporting their new album, Dear John, and will be performing at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill on May 15.
Listen to “Zombie City Shakes“:
Hmmm, check out this tasty nugget that arrived in my inbox from Canadian indie rockers, Black Hat Brigade. Do I hear a little bit of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs in there? The band is independently releasing their second EP, Fathers, on May 28 and have launched a fan-based donation project to help bring the album to life. A+ for ingenuity! To donate visit the Black Hat Brigade MySpace page.
the OCMD 