Tag Archives: mp3

Blitzen Trapper – Furr

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Artist: Blitzen Trapper
Album: Furr
File Under: Americana
Recommended if You Like: Dr. Dog, Pavement, Band of Horses, Bob Dylan
Featured Track: Furr


Portland’s Blitzen Trapper has been stirring up quite the buzz for the past year.  Their last album, Wild Mountain Nation, made my ‘Best of’ list last year and was a darling in the indie music blogosphere.  While some people didn’t take to that album’s lack of focus, I adored their schizophrenic romp through musical genres.  It was very reminiscent of Pavement to me – weird and whimsical, which is a good thing.

The sound from their fourth album, Furr, is much more refined, honed in and mature.  They seem to have grown up and figured out what works for them. And it works very well.  Furr is like Bob Dylan meets Dr. Dog.  They’ve taken the folk/Americana genre and played it out beautifully. No longer does the group sound like a bunch of teenagers trying every passing trend on for size. This album is cohesive and exudes a kind of confidence and talent that comes with maturity.  It’s the real deal.

Blitzen Trapper plays tonight at The Independent in San Francisco.

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Brett Dennen – Hope for the Hopeless

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Brett Dennen’s third album, ‘Hope for the Hopeless‘, is due out October 21 and will be followed by a 11 city mini tour, San Francisco included.  The mini-tour is a return to the smaller venues Brett began playing just five years ago. Dennen and his full band are preparing a larger headlining tour for early 2009. 

Take a listen to the track, ‘Make You Crazy’ featuring Femi Kuti and be sure to catch him at one of these stops.


November 3             Portland, OR             Doug Fir

November 5             Seattle, WA            Triple Door
November 6             San Francisco, CA            The Independent
November 7            Los Angeles, CA            Hotel Café

November 8            Los Angeles, CA            Hotel Café

November 10            Denver, CO            Walnut Room

November 11            Austin, TX            The Continental Club

November 13            Chicago, IL            Schubas

November 14            Annapolis, MD            Ramshead Onstage

November 15            Philadelphia, PA            Tin Angel

November 16            Boston, MA            Passim
November 18            New York, NY            Canal Room

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Beach House – Used to Be

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Beach House is streaming a new track, ‘Used to Be‘, from their forthcoming 7″ single (here we go with the Indie artists and 7″ vinyl again) to be released on October 21.  I love their etherial, haunting, lovelorn music and their latest album Devotion is a late night favorite on my headphones.  The duo is set to play The Swedish American Music Hall this Sunday, September 28.  How cool is that?

Stream ‘Used to Be‘.

Listen to ‘Gila‘:

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Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line

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Artist: Ra Ra Riot
Album: The Rhumb Line
File Under: Indie Pop
Recommended if You Like: Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend
Featured Track: Under Ghost Rocks

The best way I can describe Syracuse-based Ra Ra Riot is Arcade Fire meets Vampire Weekend – upbeat rhythms layered over rich orchestral-based melodies. And their live shows, with their huge ensemble cast, are raucous and infectious – just like Arcade Fire.  If you like either of those bands, it would be worth your while to give Ra Ra Riot a listen.  They were the darlings of SXSW this year and are fast becoming a critics choice for 2008 as well.

‘The Rhumb Line’ is the band’s first LP and a tribute to the recent drowning of band member, drummer John Pike, who co-wrote most of the lyrics for their debut album. The title of the album, ‘The Rhumb Line’, is fitting in both its nautical theme and meaning – a term for the constant course a vessel takes in a give direction.  Which is what the remaining band members have had to do.

See them live tomorrow, September 24, at The Rickshaw Stop or watch the video for, ‘Ghost Under Rocks’:

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Playing the Field

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My son is 3 years old and already playing the field.  He has three girlfriends and speaks highly of all them – Monet, Olivia and Susannah.  But Monet holds a special place in his heart.  To him, she is his wife (his words, not mine).  We recently chaperoned a date between the two to his favorite pizza joint, Gaspares, in the Richmond district. The entire trip to and from the restaurant, they held hands in the back seat, giggled, kicked their feet and screamed AY! AY! AY! AY! to Vampire Weekend’s A Punk.

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Sam Champion – Heavenly Bender

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Artist: Sam Champion
Album: Heavenly Bender
File Under: Classic Indie Rock
Recommended if You Like: Pavement, Stephen Malkmus, Built to Spill
Featured Tracks: Jealous Shakes, Be Mine Everyone, Dead Moon

Are you a Pavement fan?  If not, stop reading this RIGHT NOW.  I’m sorry to say we can no longer continue this relationship.  If you are, you’re gonna like the latest release, Heavenly Bender, from the Brooklyn-based quartet, Sam Champion.  Steeped in lo-fi, garage-rock jams, their sound may be a little too Wowee Zowee for the non-Pavement aficionado, but for me it’s the perfect combination as bands like Pavement /Stephen Malkmus represent everything I like in Indie Rock music – crunchy guitar jams sandwiched between sweet harmonies.  My indie rock PB&J.  That and I like the band’s sense of humor.  Check out their promo video below.

Listen to ‘Dead Moon’:

Listen to ‘Jealous Shakes‘:

Listen to ‘Be Mine Everyone’:

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Float With Me

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I listened to ‘The Columbia’ by Lacktherof about 25 times today.  The first time I heard it, I was immediately transported to this moment in Fiji – floating in the warm ocean during sunset.  We got married there on New Year’s Eve and all of our favorite people joined us – to take over an island – for a week of frolicking and celebration.  It was the best week ever and, like the song, want to replay it over and over again.

Lackthereof, ‘The Columbia’ from the album The Haunted. 

 

 

 

 

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White Denim – Shake, Shake, Shake

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Austin-based White Denim seriously rock.  They have a stripped down Stooges/White Stripes vibe that just feels really good.  They’ve been releasing new videos to their forthcoming LP, Exposion, due out November 3. Until then, you can check out their EP, Let’s Talk About It, available on eMusic and RCDLBL.

Shake, Shake, Shake video:

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New Chad VanGaalen Video – Molten Light

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I was pleased to find a new video circulating today from Chad VanGaalen.  I wrote last week about his new album he has out, Soft Airplane.  He’s a wonderful and interesting artist, notoriously very reclusive and apparently obsessed with death and other morbid topics.  He illustrated this video himself.  Giving us all maybe a bit too much insight into the ways of his twisted mind.

Here’s a track from Soft Airplane, ‘Willow‘.

Here’s the video for ‘Molten Light’:

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Sugar Man

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I’m convinced children are hard wired with an innate survival instinct to charm you to tears just as your about to completely lose your mind with their relentless whining, battles of will and tests of patience. Such was the case this morning when the following conversation ensued:

Judah: “I need to go outside, Momma, in my bare feet and pick some flowers for my blankie.  Roses.”  

Me: “Really? OK, just make sure you don’t prick yourself on the thorns.”   

Judah: “Thorns? Oh. I’ll just leave them for the bumblebees then.”

OK, heart melting. All transgressions forgotten. You’re good for the next week or so, then you better come up with something else sweet and irresistible to get me through the next rough patch. I’m sure you will, Sugar Man.

Featured track:  Rodriguez, Sugar Man

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