Feel free to left-click[HERE] for the songs of August. (I accidentally labelled the Best of July zip file as "August," so this one will henceforth be known as "August-Actual." My apologies for the screw-up and any resultant confusion.)
Left-click [HERE] for the JULY mix. MAY [HERE]. APRIL [HERE]. MARCH [HERE]. FEBRUARY [HERE]. JANUARY [HERE]. BEST OF 2004 [HERE].
AUGUST 2007 TRACKLIST >>>
01) AUGIE MARCH/One Crowded Hour 02) KATE NASH/Foundations 03) THE THRILLS/This Year 04) JEFF HANSON/This Time It Will 05) MANDO DIAO/You Don't Understand Me 06) DU PACQUE/Quiet 07) THE KILLERS/For Reasons Unknown 08) JESCA HOOP/Money 09) MAPS/To the Sky 10) SUPER FURRY ANIMALS/Run-Away 11) AMY MACDONALD/Let's Start a Band 12) EVERYDAY MISTAKES/Walking About 13) BLACK BOX RECORDER/These Are the Things 14) MANDO DIAO/The New Boy 15) DAPPLED CITIES/Vision Bell 16) LAAKSO/Worst Case Scenario 17) VHS OR BETA/Love in My Pocket 18) MUSHI/Norma and I 19) LUCKY SOUL/One Kiss Don't Make a Summer
GORE GORE GIRLS have been a part of the Detroit garage-rock/girl-group scene for a decade now, though their line-up has undergone many a shift, shuffle, and side-step in that time. The songs below are taken from their 2007 full-length release, GET THE GORE.
Portland, Oregon's THE VILLAGE GREEN look to be one of those groups with little interest in living in the limelight. Naming themselves after the famous KINKS' album is about as far as they seem willing to go when it comes to engaging in hey-look-at-me! self-promotion.
Well, more power to them. Musical collaborators J. NICHOLAS ALLARD and JEREMY SHERRER have a pretty nice thing going right now with their BEATLES-, SUPERGRASS-, and -- yes -- Kinks-influenced tunes. But, some advice: If they're truly determined to remain under the radar, they'd best start trafficking in crappier fare.
"Beware the gimmick." Normally, this would qualify as excellent advice.
So when you hear that Stockholm's LOVENINJAS kicked off their career "with a strict concept [of] playing in ninja-masks, a giant heart costume, and writing lyrics about sex, Japanese girls, and ninjas (mostly all at once)," you would have every right to run for the hills, hellish visions of INSANE CLOWN POSSE bouncing about your brain.
Fortunately, Loveninjas are just another one of those patented, indie-popping Swede outfits that couldn't compose an un-catchy jingle even if they tried. With or without the masks and giant heart costumes.
[File Den seems to be down -- hopefully only temporarily. As a result, I've been forced to go with the somewhat more clumsy Box. A left-click on [MP3], followed by another left-click on the subsequent page, will get you the song(s).]
Aug 31 2007 8:00P/Connect, Glasgow Sep 2 2007 8:00P/Jersey, Live Sep 15 2007 1:00P/End of The Road Festival/South Oct 15 2007 8:30P/The Savoy, Cork Oct 16 2007 8:00P/Dublin, Vicar Street Oct 17 2007 8:00P/Belfast, Mandela Hall Oct 19 2007 8:00P/Liverpool, Carling Academy Oct 22 2007 8:00P/Nottingham, Rock City Oct 23 2007 8:00P/Newcastle, Academy
From the LP HEY VENUS!, 2007 >>> [MP3] "Show Your Hand" [MP3] "Suckers"
From the LP PHANTOM FORCE, 2003 >>> [MP3] "Liberty Belle"
From the LP RINGS AROUND THE WORLD, 2002 >>> [MP3] "Juxtapozed With You"
I'm still slogging my way through RILO KILEY's latest, trying to get it to grow on me. It HAS grown on me, a bit, but I still have to rate it below their last two offerings. Kudos for attempting a new direction, though. Consistency, after all, is the hobgoblin of little bands.
From the LP UNDER THE BLACKLIGHT, 2007 >>> [MP3] "Smoke Detector" [MP3] "Dreamworld"
From the LP MORE ADVENTUROUS, 2004 >>> [MP3] "It's a Hit" [MP3] "I Never"
From the LP THE EXECUTION OF ALL THINGS, 2002 >>> [MP3] "Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You" [MP3] "The Execution of All Things"
From the LP TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS, 2001 >>> [MP3] "Always" [MP3] "August"
It's difficult to know how seriously to take Sydney, Australia's DAPPLED CITIES (sometimes: DAPPLED CITIES FLY). On their MySpace, they categorize what they do as "Comedy/Classical Opera and Vocal/Showtunes." The members of the band are said to be DIRK STRONGHOLD, TIT TITTYCOURT, HUGE BOYCE, THE NUDE COOK and ANEX WHORE. Uh-huh. Exactly.
Elsewhere, their music is described as "art rock" and "experimental pop." Judging from their 2006 release, GRANDDANCE, I'd say these labels pretty much fit the shoe (or vice-versa) (or whatever). I did, however, find the songs below quite accessible -- especially the call-and-response charmer "Vision Bell."
Oct 11 2007 8:00P/Crocodile Cafe w/Figurines/Seattle, Washington Oct 12 2007 8:00P/Media Club w/Figurines/Vancouver, British Columbia Oct 13 2007 8:00P/Berbatis w/Figurines/Portland, Oregon Oct 15 2007 8:00P/Bottom Of The Hill w/Figurines/San Francisco, California Oct 16 2007 8:00P/Spaceland w/Figurines/Los Angeles, California Oct 17 2007 8:00P/Club Congress w/Figurines/Tucson, Arizona Oct 19 2007 8:00P/Emos w/Figurines/Austin, Texas Oct 20 2007 8:00P/Cavern Club w/Figurines/Dallas, Texas Oct 23 2007 8:00P/7th St Entry w/Figurines/Minneapolis, Minnesota Oct 24 2007 8:00P/Schubas w/Figurines/Chicago, Illinois
Here are four songs that I've liked from a long-ways-back, but I've never known how to package them. It occurs to me today to package them... together. Eureka.
[MP3] SUE WILKINSON/"You Gotta Be a Hustler if You Wanna Get On"
[MP3] TENDER TRAP/"(I Always Love You When) I'm Leaving You"
Just a couple tunes tonight from Minneapolis' WALKER KONG -- a band, not a man. From their MySpace list of influences, I guess I'd select THE GO-BETWEENS, YO LA TENGO, and BELLE AND SEBASTIAN as most relevant to today's samples.... WALKER KONG on MySPACE.
From the LP DELIVER US FROM PEOPLE, 2007 >>> [MP3] "We Are the Falling Stars"
From the LP THERE GOES THE SUN, 2001 >>> [MP3] "Calvin Rae"
KATE NASH (not to be confused with KATE BUSH or... you know... GRAHAM NASH) is a 20-or-so Londoner who has been compared to (and praised by) none other than LILY ALLEN. Nash also names REGINA SPEKTOR as a great influence, so you can make of that what you will & whatever you want & etc.
Nash's debut album, MADE OF BRICKS, was released earlier this month (though not in the U.S.).
KATE NASH strutting her stuff (which should not be confused with Kate Bush's or... you know... Graham Nash's stuff) >>>
Aug 24 2007 8:00P/Leeds Festival: Carling Stage/Leeds Aug 25 2007 8:00P/Get Loaded in the Park: Main Stage (4th from the top)/Cardiff Aug 26 2007 8:00P/Reading Festival: Carling Stage/Reading Sep 8 2007 8:00P/Isle of Wight Bestival: Mainstage/Isle of Wight
I thought that I had written about the all-in-the-family, Texan collective EISLEY at some point in the past, but it seems this is not so. Alas, I'm too tired at the moment to do anything more than tell you that their new album, COMBINATIONS, was released last week and that it's rock-poppy and slick and probably, ultimately, a bit TOO slick to stick. But, even so....
I've been taking a little time away from the site, obviously. Wasn't planned; just happened. I'm hoping (and expecting) to have things back to normal by the beginning of September. Might even get a few things posted before then....
Louisville, Kentucky's VHS OR BETA are very aptly named. Their retro dance-pop sound harkens back to the '80s, when the VHS and Betamax formats were at each other's throats. I, of course, had my money on Betamax, which is why I'm nothing more than a poor, misguided MP3 blogger now. Sad, sad, sad....
VHS or Beta's new LP, BRING ON THE COMETS, will arrive on August 28. Here's a preview....
Aug 28 2007 8:00P/Great Scott/Boston, Massachusetts Aug 29 2007 10:00P/Bowery Ballroom/New York, New York Aug 30 2007 12:00A/Studio B/Brooklyn, New York Aug 31 2007 10:45P/Johnny Brendas/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sep 1 2007 11:30P/Rock N Roll Hotel/Washington, Washington DC Sep 2 2007 11:00P/Grog Shop/Cleveland, Ohio Sep 3 2007 8:30P/Subterranean/Chicago, Illinois Sep 4 2007 8:00P/Subterranean/Chicago, Illinois Sep 5 2007 10:15P/7th St. Entry/Minneapolis, Minnesota Sep 7 2007 12:00P/Larimer Lounge/Denver, Colorado
A week late... yes. And many of these songs have already been featured on the blog at one point or another... sure. But where else will you find them so artfully arranged? (A rhetorical question, if ever there was one.)
Best of May [HERE]. Best of April [HERE]. Best of March [HERE]. Best of February [HERE]. Best of January [HERE].
TRACKLIST >>>
01) NOVA ROBOTICS/Sophie Neveu 02) STARS/Take Me to the Riot 03) AN PIERLE & WHITE VELVET/Jupiter 04) CHERRY GHOST/Thirst for Romance 05) AMY MACDONALD/This is the Life 06) ART BRUT/People in Love 07) LE MUHR/Generation 08) GOD LOVE YOU FOR A LIAR/Love Like We're Lovers 09) SLAM/Bright Lights Fading 10) OKKERVIL RIVER/Unless It's Kicks 11) THE THRILLS/The Midnight Choir 12) BAT FOR LASHES/What's a Girl to Do? 13) MARITIME/For Science Fiction 14) THE PERISHERS/To Start Anew 15) MUSHI/Lyon 1995 16) SHOUT OUT LOUDS/Streams of Whiskey 17) MANDO DIAO/You Can't Steal My Love 18) METRIC/The Twist 19) MUNICH/The Young Ones 20) THE ENEMY/You're Not Alone 21) BEDROOM EYES/(Here's One for You) Underdog
New York foursome VAMPIRE WEEKEND don't seem to have an official full-length record out yet, but there DOES seem to be some sort of "unofficial" CD-R floating around cyberspace.
The word "Afrobeat" gets tossed around a lot in regard to these guys. Also: PAUL SIMON's GRACELAND. And/or: late-period TALKING HEADS. But I don't know... the World Music aspect seems more garnish than entree in the greater scheme of things, so I wouldn't let it scare you off.
Aug 11 2007 3:00P/East River Music Project/New York, New York Aug 11 2007 8:00P/Maxwell's with TOKYO POLICE CLUB & RA RA RIOT/Hoboken, New Jersey Aug 12 2007 8:00P/Middle East with TOKYO POLICE CLUB & RA RA RIOT/Boston, Massachusetts Aug 23 2007 8:00P/Space Gallery with DIRTY PROJECTORS and YACHT/Portland, Maine Aug 24 2007 8:00P/Casa del Popolo with DIRTY PROJECTORS and YACHT/Montreal, Quebec Aug 25 2007 8:00P/Sneaky Dee's with DIRTY PROJECTORS and YACHT/Toronto, Ontario Aug 26 2007 8:00P/Bug Jar with DIRTY PROJECTORS and YACHT/Rochester, New York Aug 27 2007 8:00P/Soundlab with DIRTY PROJECTORS and YACHT/Buffalo, New York Aug 28 2007 8:00P/Beachland Tavern with DIRTY PROJECTORS and YACHT/Cleveland, Ohio
A gray, damp day around these here parts... what we need is something shiny, happy, and happenin'... some music to lighten the mood....
Instead, we're going with JOHN VANDERSLICE -- he of the cracked, asylum-oubliette croon and manic-depressive, garage-sale symphonies. Soundtrack to a suicide? Nah. Just an idiosyncratic dude with a penchant for road-less-traveled reveries. Hell, even his album titles seem to be trending shinier & happier....
IRON AND WINE has never been a favorite of mine, but I'm sure the blogosphere is all aquiver with anticipation for the upcoming THE SHEPHERD'S DOG (September 25; SUB POP). Well... to each his own. Whatever rows your boat. There's no accounting for taste.
August 9, 2007/London, England The Spitz September 27, 2007/Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre September 28, 2007/Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre September 29, 2007/Washington, DC 9:30 Club September 30, 2007/New York City, NY Town Hall Theatre October 23, 2007/Leeds, UK City Varieties Music Hall October 24, 2007/Gateshead, UK Sage Gateshead October 25, 2007/Manchester, UK Academy 2 October 26, 2007/Belfast, Ireland Belfast Festival at Queens (Spiegel Tent)
Whether or not you can stomach WINDMILL will likely hinge on your ability to tolerate lead singer and ringmaster MATTHEW THOMAS DYLAN's sinus-whine vocal stylings. Methinks I detect the presence of THE FLAMING LIPS in this music. And, just possibly, a smidgen of MERCURY REV? As Doris Day was wont to warble: "Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps...."
The first two tracks below are taken from Windmill's debut long-player, PUDDLE CITY RACING LIGHTS (2007).
One thing about the Internet: You never know what you're going to stumble upon. For me, on Friday, it was AN PIERLE & WHITE VELVET.
They be from Belgium. Are led by AN PIERLE (natch) and KOEN GISEN (not so natch). Self-described aesthetic: "something beautiful and cold; something dazzling and underground; innocence and experience -- a cross between Snow White and Nico."
Indeed.
But the fact is, on Friday, I risked listening to them without a single inkling re: their names or nation; their sound or aesthetic. Seems only sporting that you, too, face that leap of faith....
AN PIERLE & WHITE VELVET in various Flemish(?) venues >>>
Aug 10 2007 8:00P/KULTURARENA/JENA (D)/Thüringen Aug 11 2007 8:00P/KULTURZELT/KASSEL (D) Aug 13 2007 8:00P/PAULUSFEESTEN/OOSTENDE (B) Aug 26 2007 7:00P/FEEST IN HET PARK/OUDENAARDE (B) Aug 31 2007 8:00P/FIESTA CITY/VERVIERS (B)
In their decade or so of existence, Sweden's MANDO DIAO have often been characterized as gifted mimics. At the very least, they have proven themselves to be unafraid and unashamed when it comes to mooching a melody or nicking a riff.
On their third full-length effort, ODE TO OCHRASY, their debt to '60s garage-rock and R&B and '90s/'00s Britpop remains defiantly on display. THE LIBERTINES, THE HIVES, and OASIS are still the relevant touchstones, though "You Don't Understand Me" evokes THE STROKES, and "The New Boy" ventures into BIG STAR, pretty-ballad territory.
Personally, I've never been one to run a band down for not being the most original thing going. Just give me some good, satisfying songs and I'll be fine, thank you very much. And it's not like there's anything new under the sun anyway. It's all been said, done, composed, and sung before....
MANDO DIAO on MySPACE. MANDO DIAO in foreign-sounding places (unless you happen to live in those places) >>>
Aug 8 2007 8:00P/Sziget Festival/Budapest Aug 10 2007 8:00P/Heitere Open Air/Zofingen Aug 11 2007 8:00P/Taubertal Festival/Rothenburg ob der Tauber Aug 12 2007 8:00P/Open Flair/Eschwege Aug 13 2007 8:00P/Parades de Coura/North of Porto Aug 23 2007 8:00P/Malmöfestivalen/Malmö Aug 26 2007 8:00P/Area4/Ludinghausen Sep 21 2007 8:00P/SWR 3 New Pop Festival/Rastatt
From the LP ODE TOOCHRASY, 2007 >>> [MP3] "You Don't Understand Me" [MP3] "The New Boy"
From the LP HURRICANE BAR, 2005 >>> [MP3] "All My Senses" [MP3] "You Can't Steal My Love"
From the LP BRING 'EM IN, 2003 >>> [MP3] "Paralyzed" [MP3] "Mr. Moon"
In the late '90s, NEW ORDER's PETER HOOK teamed up with REVENGE bandmate DAVID POTTS to release a couple albums under the moniker MONACO. Alas, Monaco was never destined to achieve "classic" status, but these tunes ought to be sufficient for a Friday afternoon....
From the LP MUSIC FOR PLEASURE, 1997 >>> [MP3] [VID] "What Do You Want From Me?"
From their self-titled LP, 2000 >>> [MP3] "See-Saw"
AMAZON UK compares BAT FOR LASHES' NATASHA KHAN to such idiosyncratic artists as JOANNA NEWSOM, DEVENDRA BANHART, and COCOROSIE -- none of whom is a favorite of mine.
Then again, I can't say that I exactly LOVED Bat For Lashes' debut album, FUR AND GOLD. Except for the two songs below, that is. (And, maybe it's just me, but I hear more TORI AMOS and BJORK in Ms. Khan's sonic stylings.)
Aug 11 2007 12:00P/Field Day 2007/London/London and South East Aug 26 2007 8:00P/Rock en Seine/Paris Sep 1 2007 8:00P/Connect Festival/Inveraray, Scotland Sep 2 2007 8:00P/Electric Picnic/Stradbally, Laois Sep 9 2007 8:00P/Bestival/Isle Of Wight
TIME ON EARTH is CROWDED HOUSE's first new LP in 14 years. By and large, it's a subdued affair. The tracks below are pretty much the perkiest of the lot.
Aug 3 2007 8:00P/Foxwoods Resort Casino/Ledyard Aug 4 2007 8:00P/Calvin Theater/Northampton, Massachusetts Aug 5 2007 8:00P/Bank Of America Pavilion/Boston Aug 8 2007 8:00P/Beacon Theatre/New York, New York Aug 9 2007 8:00P/Beacon Theatre/New York, New York Aug 10 2007 8:00P/Mann Center For Performing Arts/;Philadelphia Aug 12 2007 8:00P/St. Denis/Montreal Aug 13 2007 8:00P/Massey Hall/Toronto, Ontario Aug 14 2007 8:00P/Michigan Theatre/Ann Arbor Aug 17 2007 8:00P/Pabst Theatre/Milwaukee Aug 18 2007 8:00P/House Of Blues/Chicago
As a musical artist, TIM FINN has generally languished in the shadow of his younger brother NEIL. Primarily, of course, because Neil's band (CROWDED HOUSE) has proven more popular and culturally significant than Tim's (SPLIT ENZ).
Nevertheless, Tim Finn's new solo album, IMAGINARY KINGDOM, was released in the U.S. in April.
Feel free to left-click [HERE] for the songs of August. (I accidentally labelled the Best of July zip file as "August," so this one will henceforth be known as "August-Actual." My apologies for the screw-up and any resultant confusion.)
GORE GORE GIRLS
KATE NASH
IRON AND WINE
