Category Archives: Spanking New Music

Emotionally Scarred

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I had promised to take Judah swimming after he waited out my Yoga class at the gym’s Kids Club.  However, his cool surfer dude board shorts are MIA.  So in a panic to make it to my class on time and not disappoint a 3 year old, we dashed to Sports Basement en route to the gym. This was the only child sized swimsuit they had in stock.  

The stigma of a Speedo swimsuit must be genetically encoded in the male DNA because promptly after I put it on him he stuffed himself in the locker next to him saying, “I don’t want anyone to see me. I’m a shy guy.” Luckily, when faced with the prospect of swimming in a Speedo or going home to take a nap, he quickly got over it.  Even posed for this photo.  I just hope he’s not scarred for life.

Listen to Bug Lung Baby‘s ‘This Life‘ – a track that’s very Deerhunter-esque to me. And download Bug Lung Baby’s Trilobite Trash EP free from RCRDLBL.com

Bug Lung Baby, ‘This Life‘: 

In Anticipation: M. Ward – Hold Time

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Singer-songwriter and modern-day troubadour M. Ward will release his new album, Hold Time, February 17 on Merge Records.   This is the follow up album to his acclaimed solo Post-War effort and She and Him Volume 1 collaboration with Zooey Deschanel.  His new release is reported to feature guest performances by Lucinda Williams, Jason Lytle (ex Grandaddy) and side project band-mate Zooey.  The video for the track ‘Hold Time‘ was just released today.  And if that’s not enough, the busy little bee has also announced plans to hit the road this winter to support the album.  Whew!

M. Ward Tour Dates:
2/18 BOSTON, MA Somerville Theater 
2/19 NEW YORK, NY The Apollo Theatre
2/20 PHILADELPHIA, PA Trocadero Theatre 
2/21 WASHINGTON, DC Sixth and I Synagogue 
2/25 LONDON, UK Borderline 
2/26 PARIS, FR Café de la Danse 
2/27 AMSTERDAM, NL Paradiso 
3/04 LOS ANGELES, CA Music Box at Fonda 
3/05 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Palace of Fine Arts 
3/06 SEATTLE, WA Showbox At The Market 
3/07 PORTLAND, OR Aladdin Theater

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Sneak Preview: Andrew Bird’s ‘Noble Beast’

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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

1. Oh No
2. Masterswarm
3. Fitz and the Dizzyspells
4. Effigy
5. Tenuousness
6. Nomenclature
7. ouo
8. Not a Robot, But a Ghost
9. Unfolding Fans
10. Anonanimal
11. Natural Disaster
12. The Privateers
13. Souverian
14. On Ho

Winter’s Here and the Music’s Free

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London-based indie pop group, Their Hearts Were Full of Spring, have just issued their first seasonal double a-side single, Winter, featuring covers of Fleet Foxes’ ‘White Winter Hymnal’ and Neil Young’s classic ‘Winterlong’.  

There’ll be one double-a-side single released every season for the next year – four in all, starting with Winter and all tracks will be free to download exclusively from God Is In The TV Zine.

Enjoy!

Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring covering Fleet Foxes’- White Winter Hymnal

Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring covering Neil Young’s – Winterlong


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Men are from Mars

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Photo by Debra Garcia

Like most of us in our generation, I was raised in an environment that emphasized the similarities between the sexes, not the differences. I thought we were all equal and the same and never really questioned it, until I had a kid.  I now realize the folly of that belief.  For it’s never been more clear to me that boys and girls are fundamentally wired differently.  And there’s nothing like the raw impulses of children to hammer that home.

What’s most shocking to me is how the communication style and emotional needs between the sexes are so apparent, even at age 3.  Take, for example, the scene above. That’s my little guy, Judah, and his Thai girlfriend, Monet.  Every time they get together the same thing happens.  She goes to the ends of the earth to vie for his attention and he pretty much ignores her. The more she tries, the more he pulls away. Because, you know,  when you’re 3 years old, what can compete with smashing up cars and pretending to be Kung Fu Panda? Not girls anyway….yet.

Recently Monet spent the entire afternoon trying to hold Judah’s hand, much to his chagrin.  After trying to escape this nonsense unsuccessfully, my little caveman threw his arms up in exasperation and hollered:  “MONET!  Just because I don’t hold your hand, doesn’t mean I don’t love you!!”

Oh…my….god.

Listen to ‘Foreign Girls‘ from the Foreign Girls EP by Joseph Arthur, one of my long-time favorite artists.

Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

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Download BLK JKS Mystery EP Free on eMusic

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Now through January 5, 2009, you can download a copy of BLK JKS Mystery EP on eMusic – for free!

Get it now.

Who are the BLK JKS, you say? Well, they are a South African psychedelic afro rock band that kind of has a TV on the Radio vibe. Discovered by Diplo while he was on tour in South Africa, they landed on the cover of Fader, received lots of media attention from the likes of the New York Times, Billboard and The Guardian and have been on the train to success since. They recorded their MYSTERY EP in New York’s famed Electric Lady studios and just signed with the label Secretly Canadian.  Their EP is due out March 10, 2009. But why wait when you can get it for free now? Jump on it.

Listen to ‘Lakeview‘

Then check out the latest documentary from Digforfire.tv about the band.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

 

 

 

Deerhunter – Weird Era Cont.

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Artist: Deerhunter
Album: Weird Era Cont
File Under: Ambient Indie Rock
Recommended if You Like: Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Grizzly Bear, Atlas Sound
Featured Track: ‘Operation‘

Oh happy day!  Weird Era Cont., the second disc from Deerhunter’s October release, Microcastle, is out now.  I’ve been listening to it non-stop since yesterday and it more than holds its own as an album, unlike many bonus discs.  Both albums are on heavy rotation. I couldn’t be more excited about the music Deerhunter is putting out right now. And you should be too. As fellow blogger, This Recording, put it:

‘Bradford Cox is the indie rock Jesus, ready to die for our musical sins. This guy is gay, possibly a virgin, and frighteningly skinny due to Marfan Syndrome which will likely lead to a premature death. Is there anyone you could root for more? On top of that he put out what is arguably the best album of the year, and he helped reinvigorate a genre that was drifting into irrelevance – indie rock.’

What else is there to say?

Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

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Local Band Audrye Sessions Cover Elliott Smith’s Waltz #2

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One of my favorite music blogs, Puddlegum, turned me on to a great free download this week from Oakland-based Audrye Sessions covering Elliott Smith’s Waltz #2. Audrye Sessions is an up and coming indie pop band whose debut album set to release in February next year.  It’s not particularly my style of music, but this cover is fantastic.  I couldn’t resist passing it along.  I’m definitely adding this one to my Best Covers playlist. Enjoy!

Waltz #2 Cover from Audrye Sessions:

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