I picked up a free track, “Faster Than Cars Drive,” off their new self-titled album from the SXSW site. The band will be performing at the industry event in Austin on Wednesday, March 12th.
Their self-titled debut was recorded and produced by Ryan Hadlock (Blonde Redhead, Metric, The Gossip), at Bear Creek Studio in February 2007. The record was released October 30, 2007 to significant critical acclaim. iTunes featured it on their Indie page and Starbucks stores nationwide continue to play it daily.
Seattle’s Sound Magazine named Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden as “One of 10 Bands to Watch in 2008.”
Since I’m an avid collector of EPs now, I want to tell you about one in particular that I’m liking. It’s called “iTunes Exclusive EP,” which is far from original, but do not let Sam Beam fool you. The music on this 2004 Sub Pop release is.
The EP contains four songs:
“No Moon”
“Sinning Hands”
“Friends They Are Jewels”
“Peng!” (a Stereolab cover)
“No Moon” and “Sinning Hands” were previously available only on a bonus 7″ single included with the first vinyl pressing of Our Endless Numbered Days. “Peng!” was previously included on a compilation that came with the 2nd issue of the amazing arts and culture magazine, Yeti. “Friends They Are Jewels,” Beam pulled from his unreleased archives.
DanRockett, MySpace friend and friend in real life, is playing one of LA’s most legendary stages tomorrow night. I wish I was in LA on biz, so I could swing by.
If you are in LA, Rockett’s set begins at 8pm sharp. The Troubadour is located at 9081 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood.
“We will be starting our set with a brand new song called, ‘Ghosts of War'” says Rockett.
Cortney Harding of Billboard writes in the Feb. 9 print issue about digital-only EPs becoming something of a trend as labels seek answers to the album sales riddle.
Last week Lil Wayne’s “The Leak,” Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black B-Sides” and Taylor Swift’s “Live form Soho” all appeared in the top 10 of the Top Digital Albums chart.
Cameo Carlson of Universal says, “We all know the album model has changed, but there is still fear about the single-track model. These digital-only EPs are a middle-ground and really a win for everybody.”
Given many EPs cost under five bucks, I’m extremely open to sampling new-to-me artists via this format. In fact, I’ve been collecting EPs ever since giving my credit card information to Apple. Just today, I picked up two more, “The Battle” by Caitlin Cary and “Live at Sirius Studios” by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.
In the case of Potter, I liked what I heard so much, I went back to purchase the band’s 2007 release, “This is Somehwere.”
Here’s how the label describes Brandon Summers’ and Benjamin Weikel’s new effort:
Keep Your Eyes Ahead marries the Portland duo’s signature layered keyboards and impossibly big guitars with crisp songwriting and a newfound appreciation for minimalism. The finger picking on “Shed Your Love” is backed by exquisite strings and ambient noise, but Brandon’s serene, self-assured delivery remains front and center. While songs from the band’ early releases spanned up to 7 minutes, even the longest, lushest, catchiest track on Keep Your Eyes Ahead (fiery anthem “Hallelujah”) clocks in at 4 and a half minutes, evidence of just how refined their craft has become.
David Sessions at Patrol says, “for most of Keep Your Eyes Ahead, the duo sticks to its lofty roots, resulting in an impressive, if not groundbreaking, chin-out dare to bands like the Explosions in the Sky and Band of Horses to stack the sound any higher.”
Sessions adds, “The fantastic title track marries jumping bass with a steady-four dance ryhymn, much like the pseudo-disco modus operandi of the latest VHS or Beta record.”
The famously apolitical band played a get out the vote concert in support of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama last night at The Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.
Mickey, Phil, Billy and Bobby were joined on stage by Jackie Greene, John Molo, and Steve Molitz in The Dead’s first show together since 2004. According to Reuters:
The concert started with a short video from Obama, filmed on an airplane, thanking the band. A thick cloud of marijuana smoke wafted through the air then and throughout the concert, and some fans engaged in free-style dance as though magically transported from 1968.
“Every few generations a guy like this comes along,” drummer Mickey Hart told a news conference a day before California’s primary, in which Obama, a senator from Illinois, faces New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. “It seems like desperate times and we’re desperate people.”
Idiosyncratic indie rockers, Les Savy Fav (pronounced lay-SAH-vee-FAHV), came our with a new album last fall, their first in six years. I don’t know that they’ll be cashing in on it, but it’s an interesting tease.
According to Wikipedia, the band is known for angular, abrasive guitar and bass melodies, complemented by singer Tim Harrington’s educated, poetic lyrics sung or shouted over the instruments. Harrington’s lyrics make broad-ranging references to such disparate topics as Stockholm syndrome, the architects of Carthage, and even palimpsests.
Members of the group met at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), which may explain the wit and intelligence in their music and their marketing.
Heather Browne is sharing some great Eddie Vedder demos from his work on the Into the Wild soundtrack. She also posted four tracks by M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel from their KRCW Open Road performance.
If you’re in another mood entirely, Aquarium Drunkard is offering classic funk from The Meters, live in NYC @ The Bottomline.
Rounding out today’s tour of MP3 blahgs, My Old Kentucky Blog has some tracks from The Blakes that were featured on the Sirius show, Blog Radio.
Legendary Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter, was asked by Simon Carmody, formerly of Golden Horde, to contribute to “The Ballad of Ronnie Drew,” a tribute song that honors one of the founding fathers of modern Irish music.
The song became a collaborative composition between Hunter, Edge, Carmody and Bono. And when they approached other singers about getting together to record the track the response was uniformly positive. “Every musician we asked has said ‘Yes’,” said Bono. “Kila agreed to be involved as a band, so it’ll be Kila and U2.”
Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes says the song is a fitting tribute to the performer who first became famous with The Dubliners, and was the singer on their 60s chart hit ‘Seven Drunken Nights’ among other classic recordings.
‘The song is powerful and poetic, with a number of brilliantly crafted standout lines. But with Bono, Shane MacGowan, Christy Moore and Damien Dempsey all taking verses, the performances are amazing. And Sinead, Andrea and Moya are wonderful on the chorus. It’s a certain Number 1.”
