It's Hard to Find a Friend

Video : The Music Tapes, Live from My Living Room

2009-12-10T19:10:00.004-06:00

The Music Tapes, the wonderful current project of Julian Koster whose multi-instrument work you know from Neutral Milk Hotel, made a stop in my living room in East Nashville to play some Christmas songs as part of their surprise Caroling tour. It was fantastic, and there's video proof of such below.

The Music Tapes - Levitating Bow / Oh Christmas Tree from Hard to Find a Friend on Vimeo.

The Music Tapes - Freeing Song For Reindeer from Hard to Find a Friend on Vimeo.

Blogging Somewhere Else

2009-10-02T23:25:00.002-05:00

Hello friends.
I'm on tour with David Bazan selling things. I'm also tour blogging.

Check in here.

love.
Caleb

I've been hanging out here waiting for something to start

2009-08-14T12:49:00.003-05:00

The end of summer is a beautiful thing - the most mild and easy to enjoy days of the lazy season. The sunsets begin to come earlier, it's already happening, and the leaves start to fade from a brilliant green to a duller, paler, shade. Then to yellow, then to orange, finally to brown. The pools close, you have a final cookout, and dig your jackets out of the untouched end of your closet. The school zones show up on your morning commute again.

The end of summer will soon be here.

[mp3] Belle & Sebastian - There's Too Much To Love

The Casino, in a Cubscout Tee

2009-08-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

The almost robotic, staccato eighth notes, the undercover disco beat, the mid-verse noise loop wherein someone hits the body of their jazzmaster with a fierce force, throwing their input switch to and fro as quickly as they know how. It's funny how musical the most robotic song from one of the most truly minimal bands of our time is. On minute and fifty-six seconds of hinting. Gesturing shyly at a coming release of purposeful, steam-rolling, polite tension. Soft-rock in the truest, unpasteurized, un-bastardized sense of the word. Thank you for the American Analog Set, Lord.

[mp3] American Analog Set - The Hatist

Inside Yr Guitar

2009-08-05T01:01:00.004-05:00

Get in your car and head for the interstate. Pick up your friends and go somewhere. Strum furiously at the conditioned air. Dive bomb on the imaginary tremolo arm with reckless abandon. Stop for coffee at a time-loop, ghostly shell of a gas station. Get back in your car.

[mp3] It Hugs Back - Unaware

Let me know you know, so I can leave it alone

2009-07-30T13:31:00.005-05:00

I am going to the beach tomorrow - fear not, this is not a "see you in eight days," sort of thing a mere two days after my return to form. I'll still be around - but I'm going to the beach tomorrow, and while at the beach, one finds it difficult to listen to music that does not possess that certain sunny quality. Things with a lot of room, lots of fresh air and sunshine, plenty of opportunities to play nonexistent instruments. You know the type.

I'll be posting some of these songs throughout the week.

[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Beach Song (Wilmington Demo)

And then nothing turned itself inside out

2009-07-29T08:51:00.005-05:00

From time to time I get the desire to really listen to Yo La Tengo. These phases can range from as short as a few hours to as long as a few weeks, but sometimes I get an insatiable urge to jam on some mathy, chilled-out, art-school hipster, noise rock. The unquenchable urge to put And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out or I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One on and wish I had saved my money as a teenager and bought myself a Fender Jaguar instead of a Squier '74 Telecaster ripoff so I too could be doing everything in my power to physically destory my guitar while assaulting my pedal board.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not insulting the noise-rock guitar solo, but exhaulting it, in fact. There's a real science to making it look like you're just making a bunch of noise and randomly moving fingers across a fretboard. A calculated, mathmatical, methodized approach to picking exactly the right combination of feedback-inducing heavy compression, long bursts of analog delay, and dirty, fuzzy, distortion to form a proper solo.

As the song title states, Yo La Tengo is an American band - they might not make what most would consider American music, certainly there's little folky about "Sugarcube" or "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House," but the beautiful part of every Yo La Tengo song is that there is a ton of stuff hiding in it. For one, a pop song lies beneath the exterior of every one of them, secondly, while the Hobokenites have long been considered a "minimal" band, known for their drums, guitar, bass/organ setup, anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing them kick out the jams live and in person can tell you that there is a lot to making music that is sonically powerful while still retaining a "minimal" feel - a lot of medling, a lot of science, a lot of experimenting, a lot of playing multiple roles.

I would encourage you to not be intimidated - put these songs on way louder than you should. Right to the point where you get sort of nervous that your neighbors are going to be mad, then a little louder. Lock the door, and pretend you're Ira Kaplan, and dig for the gold.

Of course, if you just can't get into these, YLT has a new record out in 2 months that doesn't seem to sound anything like these songs.

[mp3] Yo La Tengo - Cherry Chapstick
[mp3] Yo La Tengo - We're An American Band

State of the Union

2009-07-29T08:22:00.005-05:00

I vanished for 43 days. A whole bunch of you emailed and commented with pretty much two standard responses: either wondering where I was, and asking that I return to blogging, or being curiously angry and calling me an asshole. While I'm honored that you felt strongly enough about HTFAF to call me an asshole, I'd ask you to say you're sorry.

Blogging is hard - harder than people realize. Quite frankly, I just didn't feel like doing it anymore. In the almost three years I've maintained HTFAF, I've done it alone, editorially, with the exception of less than 20 guest posts. I've posted at least once, as many as four times a day and really enjoyed it. I made two Christmas records that I'm still totally in love with, with some of my favorite bands, and me and my associates had a really good run at Backstage Sessions, capturing alot of awesome things on tape: performances from Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes right when they were on the cusp of being on everyone's lips, academy award winners at the Ryman, Will Johnson playing in front of a rusted out coal-train at sunset - those felt good. All of this has felt good, but it became overwhelming, and took a backseat to having a personal life and working. It wasn't fun anymore, it was a race to create the best content.

This sounds like a retiring letter - it's not. In fact, it's another "I'm back" letter (I'm for real this time), but I'm not sure what back is going to look like yet. Backstage Sessions, as you've noticed, have been on a bit of a hiatus - this will remain for the time being. I might do one every few months in special circumstances, but for the most part, those are on the shelf. Lots of people have started running with the live performance video (not that we were the first) and doing several a month started to feel like white noise. HD Video cameras are getting really cheap, go get yourself one and start making films and music videos for your friends. There is not going to be a third installment of Peace on Earth this year. I might do one next year, but I'm not sure yet.

HTFAF is not going anywhere, killing it after a month-and-a-half lazy-session wouldn't feel right, but it is changing. I will probably post less frequently - I'm shooting for 3-4 a week total, and I think it will be more editorial. That is to say, more writing, less awesome mp3 mixtapes and video sessions. More interviews, I think, and definitely more random posts featuring lengthy essays about random songs you probably don't know that are 6 years old. If this sounds like your kind of thing, if you're here for the discovery music, and hopefully some creative writing you'll find enjoyable; the original reason music blogging became so popular, then read on. If you were here for reposts of what people said on twitter, Pitchfork has you covered.

Fight the good fight,
Caleb

Andrew Bird Covers Smog!

2009-06-16T10:16:00.001-05:00

In one of the more excited moments of my week, I came across this video from one Mr. Andrew Bird's in-store performance at our local record store here in Nashville, Grimey's, which happened earlier this week. I didn't attend the event, due to prior commitments, and now I'm really wishing I would have, as he covered one of my favorite songs in recent memory, Smog's Cold Blooded Old Times. Video of the cover, and an mp3 of the original below.

[mp3] Smog - Cold Blooded Old Times

AA Bondy Announces New Album

2009-06-08T13:37:00.005-05:00

Good news for me, freshly back from vacation:

In case you care about anything other than Snow Leopard and the new Macbooks, I thought you might like to know that AA Bondy will be releasing the follow-up to his spectacular American Hearts. It's called When The Devil's Loose, and it will come out September 1 of this year. The track titles and location of recording (Water Valley, Mississippi) suggest that it will be another decidedly dust-bowl affair. HTFAF is excited to see that the song Mightiest of Guns, which we were lucky enough to have Bondy perform for our Backstage Session with him last year, will be included.

[mp3] AA Bondy - Lovers Waltz

R.I.P. Jay Bennett

2009-05-25T11:27:00.005-05:00

Jay Walter Bennett died late Sunday night / early Monday morning in his Urbana, IL home. I've often very loudly made my case that Jay Bennett's presence was the best thing, and his absence the worst thing, to ever happen to Wilco. Jay was a huge part of the band's production, songwriting, and instrumentation from Being There to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. He also released several solo albums in the past 7 years, as well as recently completing and operating his own Pieholden Studios in Urbana. His production work on Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has influenced countless members of our musical generation for the better. He was only 45.

He will be sorely, sorely missed. Rest in peace, Jay.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone Announce Tour

2009-05-22T14:37:00.007-05:00

Owen Ashworth, the tall quiet dude behind Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, knows a thing or two about playing music for people in rock clubs - he does it a lot, both on this continent as well as Europe, and he's going to be doing it for a very extended period of time this summer. Some of June, and all of July will find CFTPA in a sweaty van, drinking gas station water, and sitting around doing nothing while waiting to soundcheck - that is to say, living the dream.

You don't want to miss it.

05/28/09 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout >
06/25/09 - Bloomington, IN - Russian Recording
06/26/09 - Columbus, OH - Cafe Bourbon Street
06/27/09 - Louisville, KY - Skull Alley
06/28/09 - Nashville, TN - The End
06/29/09 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
06/30/09 - Atlanta, GA - 529 (529 Flat Shoals Ave) /+
07/01/09 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 /+
07/02/09 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Chapel /+
07/03/09 - Brooklyn, NY - Market Hotel /+ &
07/05/09 - Keane, NH - EF Lane Hotel /+
07/06/09 - Cambridge, MA - TT The Bear's /+
07/07/09 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore /+
07/08/09 - Toronto, ON - The Boat /+ *
07/09/09 - Grand Rapids, MI - DAAC /+
07/10/09 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout /+
07/11/09 - St Paul, MN - Turf Club /+
07/12/09 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium /+
07/14/09 - Seattle, WA - Healthy Times Fun Club /+ ^
07/15/09 - Portland, OR - The Artistery /+
07/16/09 - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret /+ #
07/17,18,19/09 - Anacortes, WA - What The Heck Fest 2009
07/21/09 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill %
07/22/09 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Steynberg Gallery %
07/23/09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo %
07/24/09 - San Diego,CA - The Casbah%
07/25/09 - Phoenix, AZ - Trunk Space %
07/26/09 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture %
07/28/09 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive %
07/30/09 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
07/31/09 - Iowa City, IA - Public Space One

> w/ Lineland & Animal Hospital
/+ w/ Cryptacize
& w/ Katie Eastburn
* w/ Mantler
^ w/ Ribbons
# w/ No Kids
% w/ Concern

[mp3] Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Optimist Vs. The Silent Alarm

Brent Knopf of Menomena to Release Solo Record

2009-05-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

Well, well, well. It seems those clever dudes in Menomena are constantly coming up with ways to take your hard-earned money for some songs, not that you're complaining, and this time it's in the form of a solo album. No, not from Danny Seim, or Lackthereof as you may know him, who released a solo album last year on Barsuk (and many before that on his own). No, this time it's Brent Knopf - the one pictured above looking like Jim Halpert at Menomena's 2007 Halloween show in Nashville.

The album is called Intuit, and the "band" name is Ramona Falls, which is not a very good band name, but oh well. You can purchase this record on August 18th from - who else - Barsuk. In the meantime, you can hear some of the tracks at the Ramona Falls myspace - promo track coming soon, I'd imagine, where you can also read some interesting details about the album's creation such as the fact that there are a sort-of-astounding 35 guest musicians along for the ride including people you may know from The Helio Sequence, Mirah, Loch Lomond, 31 Knots, Talkdemonic, and a bunch more.

So, get excited, and don't start worrying that the band is breaking up or anything - they're just over-creative (again, not that we're complaining), and Barsuk tells us that they are working on the next Menomena LP diligently.

[mp3] Menomena - Muscle n' Flo

Awesome Judee Sill Tribute Announced

2009-05-19T12:24:00.002-05:00

Judee Sill is a cult-hero of sorts - dead, incredibly talented, and maybe slightly unwell mentally, her music contains all the proper ingredients to make me swoon, and swoon I do. I only pretty recently got into Judee's legacy and have been trying to get the melody Jesus Was a Crossmaker out of my head ever since - un-succesfully, I might add.

So imagine my glee when I found out that there is a Judee Sill tribute album in the works - and on it would be Bill Callahan, Daniel Rossen, Ron Sexsmith, and a bunch of other awesome people. It comes out on September 22nd, via American Dust, and it's Called Crayon Angel. That's the artwork up there.

The Tonight Show with The Decemberists

2009-05-14T14:17:00.004-05:00

The Decemberists - friends of Barack Obama, talk good with words, excellent and advanced readers, and tonight's guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - make sure you tune in as Jay's days are numbered until Conan takes over - coup style. I don't think anyone's complaining about that one.

The D's also ahve some touring to do if you'd like to go pretend you're being eaten by a whale, watch John Moen chase a floor tom around the stage, or marvel at how well-starched Colin Meloy's pinstripe linen pants are - it's all there for you, and the dates are here.

Indie Rock Tacos - Brought to you by Ex-Shins Drummer

2009-05-13T13:32:00.003-05:00

Remember when we told you about the Shins frontman James Mercer firing his longtime drummer and bassist? Well, as it turns out the drummer side of that equation - one mr. Jesse Sandoval, has already filled far more satisfying ways to fill his time - namely opening a taco truck in Portland.

I'm not sure what the taco truck scene is like in Portland - the Pac. NW is not exactly a haven for south-of-the-border activities, but Portland seems to be a pretty hipster-filled town, and if there's one thing I learned at SXSW it's that hipsters LOVE taco trucks. It's a genius business model - come meet the (former) drummer for one of your favorite bands and enjoy a tapas and one of those hard-to-identify fruit-flavored sodas for $3.50.

Nuevo Mexico - that's New Mexico en Ingles, will open next week at the corner of 3rd and SW Stark in Portland, Oregon. Someone in PDX please go and report back with pictures. Double points if you snap a picture of Jesse serving you your taco.

[mp3] The Shins - Know Your Onion

Finish Your Collapse and Stay for Breakfast

2009-05-12T13:18:00.002-05:00

Well - slow music day, but luckily I have an exciting tale to recall for you: on the way to get a nice Tuesday brunch this morning at our favorite eatery, we noticed a building had collapsed. Exposed steel beams and all, and half the building was now resting on an SUV and a pickup truck. Turns out it was a wreck gone awry that lead to the partial collapse of the Gallatin Rd. Hair World and Beauty Supply - you will be missed, Hair World.

This building happens to be on the corner of the end of my street, so naturally we did a little gawking, and I must say, I haven't had a more exciting Tuesday in quite some time. Details here.

[mp3] Broken Social Scene - Finish Your Collapse and Stay for Breakfast
[mp3] Pavement - Cut Your Hair

Centro-matic does Twitter Chat, Announces Only Tour of '09

2009-05-07T11:39:00.004-05:00

Centro-matic is arguably the hardest working band in Indie Rock. They routinely spend half the year in a van, and half the year in a studio as if it's nothing, but eventually everyone needs a little downtime, so the boys will be taking some this year for various reasons. Those reasons include having babies, making records for side-projects, recording other bands, and hopefully some sleeping in there.

But before they do, they're making one short, sweet swoop through the Midwestern United States of America with labelmates Monahans to play rock shows for you and I. These will be the only shows the band plays in 2009, so I strongly urge you to get in the car and drive a few hours if there's one near you.

In other cool news, you can e-hang with the band tonight, May 7th and ask them anyhing you want (although I'd imagine it's mostly confined to Centro-matic related topics....I wonder how many women Will Johnson has been with?) via the band's Twitter page at promptly 7:00 PM Central Time - that's 5 on the west coast, 8 in New York for those who don't know much about time.

Centro-matic 2009 Tour Dates

Thu 05/07 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
Fri 05/08 - Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Studio
Sat 05/09 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway
Mon 05/11 - Chicago, IL - Schuba’s
Tue 05/12 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
Wed 05/13 - Dekalb, IL - The House Cafe
Fri 05/15 - Austin, TX - The Parish

*All dates with Monahans

[mp3] Centro-matic - The Mighty Midshipman (Live at ACL Fest 2006)

Buy Centro-matic records here.

The Shins Shed Members, Gain Members, Make Album, Etc.

2009-05-06T10:36:00.004-05:00

Say bye-bye to #2 and #4

In what I would imagine is a pretty messy situation, despite James Mercer's insistence otherwise, the Shins frontman decided to replace long-time (like before the Shins were the Shins) drummer Jesse Sandoval and keyboard/auxiliary man Marty Crandall. In their sted, the Shins now feature Ron Lewis of Grand Archives, and the Fruit Bats on Bass, and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse fame on drums. According to Mercer, "It's an aesthetic decision. It's kind of hard to talk abut stuff like that, isn't it? Because I don't want to bum anybody out. I'm on good terms with those guys, I hope to maintain that." Riiiiight, firing band members is never, ever the kind of thing where you're not on good terms.

Apparently, the terms of these new members runs at least through the Shins current tour and next album, which is still in "very early stages," and....maybe longer than that? Whether or not the Shins turn into a revolving-cast, Bright Eyes kind of Indie Pop band or not remains to be seen and what it is that was just too interesting aesthetically for James' old band mates is also a mystery at this point, but I'm pretty excited about future output after Wincing the Night Away. Other interesting points include Mercer saying he has nearly 30 songs to choose from for the record, and that they're all "more up-tempo" and not "ballad-y."

Also in case you've forgotten, the Shins no longer belong to Sub Pop and will be putting out their record on Mercer's own label Aural Apothecary -- possibly with distribution through a larger channel. Why? "Because you get more money, I mean, it's more work and it's more headache and all that, but I think it'll be worth it in the end."

This entire article unintentionally, and quite hilariously, makes James Mercer look like a cold, "it's just business," pitiless, shrewd Indie Rock capitalist. But really, such a trying-hard-to-be-unassuming scene could use some of that every once in a while, and I'm looking at you Tweedy V. Bennett.

[mp3] The Shins - Sleeping Lessons

There are Kings, There are Queens

2009-05-01T13:51:00.004-05:00

Athens, Georgia's newest example of excellent Indie Pop, Casper & The Cookies are here just in time for summer to usher in the month of May with some new tracks. I have a huge, unashamed soft spot for bands who write sugary pop songs - SSLYBY, Beulah, The Little Ones, The Long Winters, etc, etc, I'm just a fan of feeling happy sometimes, you see, and that's never more true then when the sun starts shining for the first time.

Unfortunately, the rain came along and ruined the first day of May here in East Nashville, bringing with it night-like darkness, but I'm not worried about it, because I've got Little Kings to keep me upbeat with it's hook-y, riff-y, gleefulness.

[mp3] Casper & The Cookies - Little King

John Vanderslice Announces Huge Tour

2009-04-30T14:43:00.005-05:00

JV is a lot of thing - incredibly kind, the owner of an incredibly awesome studio, and apparently completely and fully tireless. Ya see, John has been releasing records for a really long time, especially compared to most other dudes in Indie Rock, and you'd think by now he'd just want to stay at home for a while and garden for a while, but he doesn't. He wants to get into a van, and drive thousands and thousands of miles across the United States to play music for you. Then he wants to fly to Europe, get in a slightly cooler looking van and do it all over again. God bless you, John Vanderslice.

Of course, if you didn't know, you'll be there to listen to new songs from John's first album on his new label home, Dead Oceans, titled Romanian Names. It's out May 19th, and you can pre-order it here. Also, if you haven't yet, you should check out our Backstage Session with JV from last March (time flies really quickly).

5/17/09 Merced, CA - The Partisan w/ The Morning Benders
05/18/09 San Francisco, CA - Amoeba Records - FREE In-store
05/19/09 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop w/ Special Guest
05/21/09 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios w/ Mimicking Birds
05/22/09 Seattle, WA - Easy Street (instore)
05/24/09 George, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival
05/27/09 Provo, UT - Velour w/ The Morning Benders
05/28/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ The Morning Benders
05/29/09 Denver, CO - Hi Dive w/ The Morning Benders
05/30/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr. w/ Special Guest
06/01/09 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
06/03/09 Iowa City, IA - The Mill
06/03/09 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
06/04/09 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
06/05/09 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
06/06/09 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
06/06/09 Chicago, IL - Metronome Celebration (Early Evening) w/ Here We Go Magic, Apostle of Hustle
06/08/09 Newport, KY - Southgate House
06/09/09 Pittsburgh, PA - The Warhol Museum
06/11/09 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brendas
06/12/09 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/14/09 Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
06/16/09 Washington, DC - Black Cat
06/17/09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
06/18/09 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
06/19/09 St. Augustine, FL - Cafe Eleven
06/23/09 Orlando, FL - The Social
06/23/09 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
06/25/09 Dallas, TX - Pontiac Garage @ HOB
06/26/09 Austin, TX - The Parish
06/28/09 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts
06/29/09 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
06/30/09 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
07/11/09 Ottawa, ON - Cisco Systems Bluesfest
07/12/09 Ottawa, ON - Cisco Systems Bluesfest @ Barney Danson Theatre
08/28/09 San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Music Festival w/ Akron/Family
08/29/09 San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Music Festival w/ Akron/Family
08/30/09 San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Music Festival w/ Akron/Family "September - October in Europe" (-JV)
10/03/09 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival

[mp3] John Vanderslice - Too Much Time

Chris Garneau Unveils New Album Title, Artwork, Tracklist

2009-04-28T15:00:00.004-05:00

Here at HTFAF, we love us some Chris Garneau. It's really that simple, folks, and so it is with great pleasure that I bring you this bit of news: C.G. is releasing his way-too-long-awaited followup to Music For Tourists on July 7th via Absolutely Kosher. That' the album art up there, and the tracklist is below, no promo track at the moment but we'll keep you posted.

Chris Garneau - El Radio
1. The Leaving Song
2. Dirty Night Clowns
3. Raw and Awake
4. Hands on the Radio
5. No More Pirates
6. Fireflies
7. Home Town Girls
8. Over and Over
9. Cats and Kids
10. Les Lucioles en re Mineur
11. Things She Said
12. Pirates Reprise
13. Black Hawk Waltz

[mp3] Chris Garneau - Halloween

It's hot outside. Yay.

2009-04-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Call your friends, roll the windows down, cook your food outside, get plenty of ice, make sure to not wear sunscreen, etc, etc.

Happy Summer, 2009. I'm looking forward to a few things that will accompany your warm breezes - Veckatimest (I've been holding out for the real thing like a good boy), the announcement of more Summer tours, a new Thermals record, a new Conor Oberst record, a new Wilco record. Truly, there is much to be thankful for, oh glorious sunshine, and as you smile on us with your magnificent flourescence, we smile back with gratitude. Amen, and amen.

[mp3] Throw Me The Statue - About to Walk
[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Pangea
[mp3] Beulah - Score From Augusta

New (Old ) Sujan Stevens

2009-04-24T13:08:00.004-05:00

Here is a song that the Suf-man decided to make public this sunny spring day - a song from "forgotten boxes, forgotten tapes, forgotten shelves, forgotten hard drives, etc." While this is somewhat maddening, since he's supposed to be penning heartbreaking ballads about North Dakota's Black Hills, and Georgia's roadside Peanut attractions, it's a lovely song in it's own right.

According to the Suf' the song was made in "an imaginary world where Sofia Coppola was my confidant," during a week where his parents gave him his blessing to change his name if he wanted (good thing he didn't, hard to forget a guy named Sufjan).

[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - Sofia's Song

Wilco + Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band = Classic (Indie) Rock Overload

2009-04-23T14:19:00.005-05:00

Whoa - Conor Oberst (and the Mystic Valley Band), who just released a totally free documentary on their world tour and subsequent recording of their second LP, announced some dates today in which they will be supporting Wilco.

These shows will be made up about 72 percent of guitar solos, 9 percent of stage bantering, and 19 percent of other music. But seriously, these are going to be pretty awesome shows, and if you're lucky enough to be near one of the dates that features Oberst in the support slot I'd suggest you have your pointer finger ready the very second tickets go on sale to this, because there hasn't been this hot of a pairing since this.

[mp3] Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band - Nikorette (Live on Conan)

Wilco with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band:

07-08 Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap
07-10 Wilmington, DE - Frawley Stadium
07-11 Lowell, MA - LeLacheur Park
07-17 Portland, ME - Maine State Pier
07-18 Wappingers Falls, NY - Dutchess County Stadium
07-19 Lewiston, NY - Art Park

Wilco:

04-23 Oxford, MS - Lyric Oxford #
04-25 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
05-23 Tenerife, Spain - Tenerife Auditorium
05-25 Malaga, Spain - Teatro Cervantes !
05-26 Madrid, Spain - Teatro Calderon !
05-29 Seville, Spain - Territorios Festival, La Cartuja
05-30 Oporto-Braga, Portugal - Teatro Circo
05-31 Lisbon, Portugal - Lisbon Coliseu
06-01 Santiago de Compostela-Galicia, Spain - Palacio de Congresos, Sala Braque
06-03 San Sebastian, Spain - Kursaal
06-04 Barcelona, Spain - Auditori Barcelona
06-12 Cincinnati, OH - Aronoff Center
06-13 Manchester, TN - Bonaroo Festival
06-15 Oklahoma City, OK - Bricktown EventsCenter
06-17 El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theatre
06-18 Tucson, AZ - Centennial Hall **
06-19 Las Vegas, NV - The Joint
06-20 Pomona, CA - Fox Theatre
06-22 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
06-23 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
06-27 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theater
06-28 Stateline, NV - Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena
06-30 Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion
07-03 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks
07-23 Detroit Lakes, MN - 10,000 Lakes Festival
08-13 Oslo, Norway - Oya Festival
08-14 Gothenberg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival
08-21 Erfurt-Hohenfelden, Germany - Highfield Festival
08-23 Brecon Beacons, Wales - Green Man Festival
08-25 London, England - Troxy
08-27 Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street

* with Pronto
# with A Hawk and a Hacksaw
! with Akron/Family
** with Grizzly Bear

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band:

06-17 Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep
06-18 Telluride, CO - Telluride Bluegrass Festival
06-19 Moab, UT - Star Hall
06-20 Salt Lake City, UT - Library Square
06-21 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
06-22 Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater
06-24 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
06-25 Milwaukee, WI - Summer Fest
06-26 Omaha, NE - Anchor Inn
06-28 Kansas City, MO - Beaumont
06-29 Columbia, MO - Blue Note
06-30 Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
07-01 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
07-02 Bearsville, NY - Bearsville Theater
07-03 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place
07-04 New York, NY - The Lawn at Battery Park *

* with Jenny Lewis

American Analog Set Release New Rarities Comp!

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

How could this be!? A new AmAnSet release?! Well, in a way yes - everyone's favorite slowcore-er's have decided to release a follow-up to Through the 90's, the prior rarities comp featuring material from 1990-1999, called Hard to Find (a clever reference to a fan favorite) - this one features mostly unreleased tracks, some released on limited edition vinyl, zine comps, etc, from 2000-2005.

It's excellent - and even though I'm a long time AmAnSet fan, and rarities comps are usually the farthest from a good place to start with a band, this one is a great jumping in point for any of you who have yet to take the plunge.

Of course, if you haven't heard: Andrew Kenny, the ringleader of Amanset, has a new band called The Wooden Birds, who will be releasing an album called Magnolia on Barsuk on May 17th. It's also excellent, but I can't share anything from it just yet.

American Analog Set - Hard to Find
01. Stoney Chariots
02. New Equation
03. Make It Take It
04. Sharp Briar (feat. Matt Pond)
05. Choir Vandals (demo)
06. Cool Kids Keep (12" version)
07. First Of Four (12" version)
08. The Only Living Boy Around (Know By Heart version)
09. Hard To Find (original)
10. Hard To Find (reprise)
11. All I Want For Christmas (feat. Ben Gibbard)
12. Green Green Grass (12" version)
13. Everything Ends In Spring (12" version)

Buy it from Amazon mp3 right now.

Pattern is Movement tour with St. Vincent

2009-04-17T11:11:00.003-05:00

When I read the news that Philly-dudes Pattern is Movement would be opening for St. Vincent this summer I was happy for them - they're good dudes: nice enough to record a song for last years second volume of Peace on Earth for nothing in return, as a matter of fact. But that was the end of my excitement, as I was pretty sure St. Vincent wouldn't be coming here to Nashville.

Turns out I was wrong - they are, June 11th, at the Mercy Lounge. Naturally, I'll be there, and if you'd like to attend the show closest to you (you would) I've taken the liberty of posting the dates below.

St. Vincent w/ Pattern is Movement - 2009 Tour Dates

5/19/09 Somerville, MA @ Somerville Theatre
5/20/09 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/21/09 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
5/25/09 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
5/27/09 San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
5/28/09 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
5/30/09 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
5/31/09 Phoenix, AZ @ Modified Arts
6/02/09 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
6/03/09 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr.
6/04/09 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
6/05/09 Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
6/07/09 Chicago, IL @ Epiphany
6/09/09 Newport, KY @ Southgate House
6/10/09 Lexington, KY @ The Dame
6/11/09 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
6/13/09 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
6/14/09 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
6/16/09 Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
6/18/09 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre
6/19/09 Austin, TX @ Mohawk

[mp3] Pattern is Movement - Jenny Ono

M. Ward is the Best at Everything

2009-04-16T08:55:00.004-05:00

I don't like music videos. I think they're largely a waste of time and money (usually a lot more than you realize), and I find most of them to be boring and uninspiring - nothing special visually, just a scene-by-scene retelling of the song, etc., etc. In fact, I believe in the two-and-a-half years this site has been in existence I have posted exactly two music videos as their own news item - not just embedded accompaniment to some other bit of information about an artist I care about.

However, M. Ward has gone and made a video that I really, really like to look at. It's beautifully made, and fun to watch, and like all of his other videos does not have him in it. It's for Rave On the Buddy Holly cover which appears on his most recent record Hold Time (buy it immediately if you've not). You should watch it below, and then snag some other worthwhile covers that Matt has done over the years. Thank me later.

[mp3] M. Ward - Rave On (Buddy Holly)
[mp3] M. Ward - Someday (Louis Armstrong)
[mp3] M. Ward - Sentimental Blues (Ray Charles)

Devaluing Music Journalism, or "How Pitchfork is Creating the Bomb that Will Destroy us all"

2009-04-16T08:37:00.005-05:00

Pre-text: I've gotten a lot of angry emails from you wondering why this blog has been so dormant, and frankly I'm flattered. You've inspired me to not be such a slacker, I promise I will resume regular content. That being said I'd like to shamelessly defend myself and say that I promise I've been busy with good and worthwhile things.

Something happened sometime around the end of last year - people began really liking Twitter, the social networking service which, best I can tell, is like Facebook only just the status update part (ZING, Twitter). This is a fad that I never hopped on board with, and probably never will - it all seems very trite and meaningless, even in the way of social networking, and that's saying something.

Last month, after Pitchfork's recent re-design, they launched a "column" that I found jay-droppingly stupid - the column is called "Echo Chamber" a not-so-clever musical reference, which is entirely made up of re-quoting musicians and celebrities soundbites. Of those soundbites, about seventy-five percent come from Twitter messages, or "Tweets" as I'm told they're called, and the rest come from various interviews - you know, with music journalists.

I'm not a music journalist for a living - the profits I've made from this website are so small that I don't have to claim them on my taxes, but I'm a fan of music journalism and music-inspired writings in general. Reactionary words which are inspired by art can oft-times be as moving or revolutionary to me as the inspiring art itself is, and it troubles me that this is what our idea of music journalism is. Of course, Pitchfork's not the only offender, Stereogum has their own version which was dubbed an even less clever "We Heard the Tweet" - solely devoted to re-posting Twitter messages.

All of this makes me wonder - have we already reduced the value placed on opinion and reaction to music that the boom of music blogging spurred? Are the tastemakers that once were Stereogum and Pitchfork now just empty vessels of information for consumption during your downtime between classes, after lunch break, etc? Like the quick sweep of the morning headlines, only instead of having your eye caught by North Korean missilie threats, your eyes are caught by Flamping Lips v. Arcade Fire beef, and re-posts of hillarious and/or controversial things that someone else said on their twitter page? Is this really a necesary "Service"? Are we so lazy as consumers that we want other people to read us Twitter so we don't have to visit two websites to consume information and entertainment?

I weep for our collective future.

Bill Callahan - "Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle" Analysis

2009-04-02T13:02:00.005-06:00

"Last night I felt your touch, gentle and warm, the hair stood on my arm. How, how, how? Oh, show me the way, show me the way, show me the way, to shake a memory." These are the most perfect lyrics that shape the first minute of the second track, the first single, off Bill Callahan's new record Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle. English professor-annoying title aside, there is very little humor in this record. Where Woke on a Whaleheart found the smog-frontman exploring his more lighthearted sides with Irish fiddle romps, noodling exercises in pop melody ("Sycamore") and cheerful start-stop piano numbers ("From the Rivers to the Ocean").

The Wind & The Dove find Callahan exploring Indian melodies via Asian scales, while Faith/Void is a 10-minute epic of disbelief and downheartedness. Yet, through the thick clouds of bewitchment, Callahan manages to never feel self-servingly downtrodden or predictably pessimistic. Somehow, the guy manages to get better with every effort. Something few people with 20 year careers in Indie Rock can manage to say, and while Eagle is hardly a hyper-accesible effort of pop perfection, it is as good a starting point as any for those who have never taken the Callahan plunge, which is a testament to the strength of songwriting present in this 9 song, 48 minute chapter book of a record.

Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle is out April 14th via Drag City. Pre-order it at Insound now.

[mp3] Bill Callahan - Eid Ma Clack Shaw

Good things happening this week

2009-03-31T13:26:00.002-06:00

There are so many of them! This is not some new format for my blog, there's just so much to catch up on. Let me recount them for you -

1.) Dr. Dog is going to play on Jimmy Fallon Thursday night! No clue what they're playing, but it doesn't matter, seeing as though Dr. Dog doesn't have any bad songs.

2.) Bill Callahan will apparently be touring in April, as Grimey's annonced that he'd be in town for an in-store on the 11th, but I can't seem to find tour dates for the rest of this really-close-to-now tour. Anyone?

3.) The Smashing Pumpkins suck, and only have one original member. They've taken to public auditions to replace Jimmy Chamberlain who left the band during SXSW.

4.) Dwight Schrute made a record with Rivers Cuomo. I'll let you take some time to let that sink in....good? Okay.

5.) Tomorrow is April fool's day, which in the past has meant everything from false rumors of Neutral Milk Hotel reuniting, to your sister telling you that your dog died. Keep your eye on the internets for hillarious indie rock pranks. I for one will not be engaging.

[mp3] Bill Callahan - Eid Ma Clack Shaw
[mp3] Dr. Dog - The Breeze

I suck at blogging.

2009-03-30T00:07:00.004-06:00

But I'm trying to change that, swear. The past month has been a whirlwind. I've moved out, moved in, gone to SXSW, and generally been busier than ever. I promise I'll try to do better.

Here are a few exciting things that happened while I was gone:

Where the Wild Things Are, the movie, as directed by Spike Jonze, has a trailer, and an Arcade Fire song. Watch it here.

Conor Oberst's band of country-rockin' friends have a new album dropping soon. Yes, already, and the first song debuted. I'm initially totally unmoved by it, but I had a similar reaction intially to his last batch of tunes, before coming around to most of the record. Here's to hoping that the fantastic, late-night debuted tune, Nicorette is on it. Also, the Killers did a really terrible cover of Four Winds.

Stereogum has been debuting new Death Cab tunes, the best of which is the newly retitled Casino Blues which, ahem, we brought to you before anyone else (just sayin' is all). They have every song from the Open Door EP, a collection of b-sides from the Narrow Stairs session, which will be available digitally on Tuesday and physically sometime later.

What else?

SXSW Wednesday

2009-03-18T11:50:00.004-06:00

12:50 PM : While preparing to head out for lunch before going downtown I utilize www.sched.org's excellent calender of day parties - at 5:00 I have to pick between trying to see The Wooden Birds at an Urban Outfitters party, M. Ward at a Paste party, and Beach House at a force field party - but then again, the M. Ward one will be impossible to get into, and the Wooden Birds one is at Urban Outfitters, and my tolerance for sparkly gold tights is low today

2:30 PM : The much written-about James Brown ripoff Indie rock sensation, King Khan, cuts in front of the band I'm traveling with in the artist registration line - every band must wait in line to register, no exceptions. King Khan's ego has trouble accepting this, he gripes to a tour manager and inquires if he really has to stand in line (half a line anyways) and wait....ya know, like the other 900 bands.

3:30 PM : With my shiny new holographic Artist wristband I can now go to parties and shows - I go to a club called Red 7, which is apparently run by communists, and enjoys putting on metal shows - I was there to see the Thermals at the force field pr party at 3:30. The Thermals did play the force field pr party, but they played at 2:30. Instead me and my accomplice see a band called Fol Chen - they are unintentionally hilarious. Sporting matching masks and outfits (Strike one) they complete their far-too-lengthy soundcheck (Strike two) but then retreat off stage for a minute so that they can make a theatrical entrance soundtracked by their drummer (Strike three). I gave them a big thumbs down, but the keyboard player (he actually only played a microkorg - the whole time) kinda looked like Sayeed from Lost, which made me like them for a few seconds.

4:20 PM : We skirt the impossibly long line to get into the Paste Magazine party by simply sneaking in (like King Khan) - A man from Paste announces that Superdrag has cancelled 3 minutes before their starting time - I do not care. M. Ward takes the stage after some noodling by his guitar tech and an awkwardly rambling introduction from a Paste staffer and plays a long instrumental intro made up of three different instrumentals which have appeared on his records, 2 songs from Hold Time as well as some oldies. He is characteristically reclusive, and visibly annoyed by the photography (he doesn't allow photography at his own shows), makes a joke about the death metal pizza shop behind him (really - Hoek's Death Metal Pizza) and begins his last song. I retreat to the Radio Room patio to sit down and drink some water as I have started to feel sick.

5:45 PM : The Hilton on 5th has a nice lobby with big couches and a fancy coffee shop - we sit in it for a half-an-hour. This was better than anything I had done all day except see M. Ward.

7:00 PM : We head to the Rainbow Cattle Club to see Plus Minus - it takes us way longer than it should to realize we are in a country gay bar - there's a framed rainbow flag and a big poster about "lone-star bears" - however, the decor is such the antithesis of a gay bar that it took a long time to add up. After Plus Minus, PM drummer Chris Deaner's incredibly awesome side project - Loudest Boom Bah Yea take the stage and play my favorite set of the day, quite literally winning over the entire room. They describe their music as "Pop music for two drumsets" - this is accurate, and they are amazing.

8:15 PM : We head to Central Pres. to try to catch the 4AD showcase with Department of Eagles, St Vincent, Camera Obscura, & M. Ward - it's at capacity and there are 300 people waiting for someone to leave so they can get in - we opt to get greek food instead.

10:45 PM : The Lobby of the Driscall is even better than the lobby of the Hilton!

11:30 PM : We go back to the Radio Room for the My Old Kentucky Blog showcase - SXSW is holding people at the door even though there is plenty of room inside - I guess to make things seem exclusive and scarce. Dodge sneaks us in the back, and we see Viva Voce play a great set of rock and roll music.

2:17 AM : Sleep.

SXSW Tuesday (The Pre-cursor)

2009-03-18T11:17:00.004-06:00

9:30 PM : I arrived at the Austin airport around 9:30 Tuesday night to a hilarious stampede of dudes in skinny jeans rushing to find their flight cases and see if their guitars had been ruined by homeland security. There were 40-50 of these, 4 girls with massive upright bass cases that wouldn't fit through the automatic exit doors, and more smug dudes with technics backpacks on then you could imagine - I sat next to one on the plane, an "electronic musician" by his own account. You can't imagine how obviously he was tilting his ipod towards me on his tray table so I could see what awesome music taste he had (he was listening to Aphex Twin)

11:00 PM : I attend the SXSW Interactive closing party - without a badge, thanks to the kindness of a friend's friend who is apparently a web 2.0 big wig. It's more of a banquet than a party, only there's a mechanical bull outside and some UT frat bros seem to have snuck in the back door. I sit in someone's beer, get a diet coke, and people watch.

2:30 AM : Bed.

11:30 AM : Just woke up - Somewhere a few miles away Telekenesis is taking the stage - One band into my planned schedule I have already missed a band. I want food.

I'm really excited for Bill Callahan's New album

2009-03-12T13:02:00.003-06:00

There was a time when I didn't like Bill Callahan, or his long-time alter-ego Smog very much. The first time I tried listening to Smog was when I was 16, Smog is not the kind of thing most 16 year olds will get into. It's challenging, with an immediate feeling of density and shadow-filled spookiness. Bill's baritone is quite beautiful at times, quite hard to listen to at others, and other times it's simply eerie and foreboding.

Sometime a few months ago however, something happened - I woke up with a song in my head. A song I had heard before but I didn't know where. The song was Cold Blooded Old Times, one of Smog's more famous songs which, ironically, appeared originally on a hard to find 7''. The song was immortalized in the film High Fidelity, and has been included on lots of peoples lists of "best songs of the ____"

Fast forward to now, I am pretty deeply in love with Callahan's last two efforts; 2007's Woke on a Whaleheart, and 2005's A River Ain't too Much to Love, the last released under his Smog moniker. In 4 weeks Drag City will release Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle, the second LP from Bill Callahan under the handle his loving parents gave him. This is kind of old news, Bill first mentioned it in a cryptic myspace bulletin back in December. I really just wanted to see what percentage of my readers liked Bill's music. So, am I the only one?

[mp3] Bill Callahan - From the Rivers to the Ocean

It's 70 Degrees today

2009-03-05T15:26:00.004-06:00

I've been listening to these songs:

[mp3] Bill Callahan - Syamore - BUY
[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Lower the Gas Prices, Howard Johnson! - BUY
[mp3] American Analog Set - The Hatist - BUY
[mp3] Apples in Stereo - Ruby - BUY

What is it about beautiful weather that make melodies so much more lovely sing, air drums so much more fun to play, and bass lines so much harder to resist humming all day? What's on your awesome-weather playlist?

We're giving away a swanky, ltd. edition Thermals shirt

2009-03-03T13:33:00.004-06:00

Designed by Bwana Spoons, exclusively available through Insound. The shirt is American Apparel, and there are only 50 in each size, which means not many other people in the world will have your shirt and you will totally get all the ladies and/or fellas.

Here is what you need to do to win it:
Email: Hardtofindafriend (at) gmail (dot) com
Subject Line: "Thermals shirt!"

in the body of the email, tell us what the most punk rock lyric from a thermals song is and why you think so.

Personally, I think it's probably: "We were born to sin, we don't think we're special sir, we know everybody is," but feel free to disagree.

Buy Cursive's new record for 2 dollars (today)!

2009-03-02T13:16:00.004-06:00

The forward-thinking folks over at Saddle Creek have decided to buck Robert Smith's advice and go with a less-than-traditional pricing model for Cursive's really great new record, Mama I'm Swollen. You can buy it today for 2 dollars (since it's March second and all). You can buy it tomorrow for 3, the day after that for 4, and so on and so forth, until it finally hits it's final resting place of a 10-spot on the Saddle Creek Digital Download store.

This is only good for the digital release, not the cd or swanky vinyl package. It's good, and the mp3's are 320kbps, and thus very burnable for your ride to work. I highly recommend it.

Get it here.

[mp3] Cursive - Mama, I'm Satan

David Bazan Announces New Album!

2009-02-26T15:24:00.005-06:00

Finally, after several years of waiting, and countless emails and comments asking me if I knew anything, I can now tell you, via Barsuk records, that David Bazan's debut solo full-length will be released on August 25th, 2009. Curse Your Branches will be released by the Seattle Indie right in time for Summer's curtain call.

Tracklist, artwork, promo mp3, etc have not yet been released, but we will, of course be keeping you posted.

In the meantime, Bazan has announced a series of very, very limited house shows in the wake of an official tour to support the new record. These have been selling out literally within 2-5 minutes so far, so you'll want to pay close attention. Tickets and dates can be found here.

(from the previously mentioned Bazan: Alone at the Microphone DVD)

[mp3] David Bazan - Curse Your Branches (Live)

Tell me who to catch at SXSW

2009-02-24T22:50:00.004-06:00

Hello friends,
I am going to SXSW. Lots of bands are also going to SXSW. Which of those bands should I see? This seemingly easy question will be a real mind-teaser for a week of sun, music, and burritos, and rousing games of "count the dummy glasses."

My list so far kind of contains the following: Camera Obscura, Department of Eagles, M. Ward, Grizzly Bear, ST. Vincent, Cut Off Your Hands, Via Audio, Explosions in the Sky.

Please help?

[mp3] Grizzly Bear - Easier
[mp3] Via Audio - Developing Active People
[mp3] Camera Obscura - Books Written For Girls

Iron & Wine Announce B-sides Collection, Tour

2009-02-12T15:06:00.004-06:00

That spaniel looking dude up there, in case you've forgotten, is Sam Beam, or as you better know him Iron & Wine. He hasn't released a new record in a while, it's true, but he has been working pretty hard on the road, and now he's got a big box of goodies he found cleaning out his closet for you.

It's called Around the Well and it's a B-Sides collection: you know the drill, "rare, unreleased demos, b-sides, and alternate versions" that you've not heard until now, and it's coming out via Sub Pop on May 19th in Digital, 2-CD and 3-LP form. This is cool news, but what's cooler is that there will be a spring tour in very select cities to promote this release which will feature a unique setlist each night, as chosen by you, America! You can choose the songs by visiting Iron & Wine's website between March 6 and March 30th, and then as yet another cool bonus, you can download the shows the day after they happen by visiting Played Last Night. Tour dates here.

Iron & Wine - Around the Well
Disc 1

1. Dearest Forsaken

2. Morning

3. Loud as Hope

4. Peng! 33

5. Sacred Vision

6. Friends They Are Jewels

7. Hickory

8. Waitin' for a Superman

9. Swans and the Swimming

10. Call Your Boys

11. Such Great Heights

(Vinyl break occurs between “Friends” and “Hickory.”)

Disc 2

1. Communion Cups & Someone's Coat

2. Belated Promise Ring

3. God Made the Automobile

4. Homeward, These Shoes

5. Love Vigilantes

6. Sinning Hands

7. No Moon

8. Serpent Charmer

9. Carried Home

10. Kingdom of the Animals

11. Arms of a Thief

12. The Trapeze Swinger

(Vinyl break occurs between “Sinning” and “No Moon.” At nearly ten minutes, “The Trapeze Swinger” will stand alone on the third piece of vinyl.)

Giveaway : AC Newman Tickets - Nashville 3.21

2009-02-12T14:58:00.002-06:00

Hello friends,
We really, really like the new AC Newman record, Get Guilty, and we're pretty excited about the New Pornographer front-dude rolling into town with his band of pop perfectionists. Now, you can get excited too, because it doesn't matter that the sky is falling and you don't even have rent money this month. You and a friend or enemy of your choosing can go see AC play at Exit/In if you're in the Nashville area (or willing to make the drive, I guess) by simply doing the following:

What's up for grabs? : Two tickets to the AC Newman show at Exit/In - Nashville, TN on March 21st.
Email : Hardtofindafriend(at)gmail(dot)com
With the subject line: "AC Newman Giveaway"
And tell us : Why you should be chosen.

Now, what are you waiting for?

[mp3] AC Newman - Submarines of Stockholm

The Hold Steady Announce Live DVD+CD

2009-02-06T09:09:00.004-06:00

The Hold Steady are a really great band. It took me a while to realize that for some reason, longer than it took Bruce Springsteen, anyways. Some time last year when Stay Positive was released something clicked between me and the Hold Steady; something genuine and great which rock and roll music doesn't make me feel very often anymore. To be sure, The Hold Steady are an American Rock and Roll band, in the long, proud, and unashamed tradition of the Boss, and that was something that always made me shrug my shoulders at them until recently.

Then I realized what it was that made a group of aging gentlemen who aren't extremely good-looking or related to famous people famous for being a bar-rock band: they're really good. They write really great songs, and apparently put on an incredible show (usually called one of the best by those who've witnessed it). Well, sadly I've never had the pleasure of watching them perform music in a live setting, but that's all about to change - sort of.

On April 7, Vagrant will release Positive Rage which is a 2-Disc Live Documentary+Live album: the first disc consisting of the documentary; the second disc consisting of a live album containing the show the band played on Halloween 2007 at the Metro in Chicago, which should be pretty awesome all around. Pitchfork has the tracklist to the CD part, no word yet on what is contained in the DVD in the way of music.

The Hold Steady 2008 Tour Dates:
02-04 Sydney, Australia - Metro Theatre
02-06 Perth, Australia - Laneway Festival
02-07 Adelaide, Australia - Laneway Festival
02-08 Sydney, Australia - Laneway Festival
03-31 Albany, NY - Valentine's *
04-01 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hall *
04-02 Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin College Fine Arts Center *
04-03 Urbana, IL - Illini Courtyard Cafe *
04-04 Bloomington, IN - Jake's Nightclub *
04-06 St. Louis, MO - Gargoyle *
04-07 Iowa City, IA - Picador *
04-08 Omaha, NE - Slowdown *
04-10 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre *
04-11 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
04-14 Stateline, NV - Harrah's Tahoe South Shore Room *
04-15 Sacramento, CA - Harlow's *
04-17 Indio, CA - Coachella Festival
05-10 Glasgow, Scotland - SECC ^
05-11 Manchester, England - Manchester Evening News Arena ^
05-13 Birmingham, England - NIA ^
05-14 London, England - Wembley Arena ^
05-16 Cardiff, England - Cardiff Arena ^
05-18 Bournemouth, England - BIC ^
05-19 Nottingham, England - Royal Centre ^
05-21 Brixton, England - Academy ^

Hold Steady, David Bazan, Vic Chessnutt play Festival of Faith & Music

2009-02-06T08:48:00.004-06:00

Every year, Calvin College, University in Grand Rapids, Michigan puts on the Festival of Faith and Music, and every year the lineup is pretty great. Past performances and lecturers have included Sufjan Stevens, David Bazan, Iron & Wine, Neko Case, Emmylou Harris, & more. This year, April 2-4 will bring us FFM '09, which will feature, alongside a myriad of insightful people saying insightful things about all sorts of stuff, David Bazan, Vic Chesnutt, The War on Drugs, and The Hold Steady.

Tickets are pretty cheap if you're a Calvin student at fifty bucks, reasonably cheap if you're a student somewhere else, and still reasonable if you're none of the above at $125. You can sign yourself up here if you feel so called. But then again, are you really choosing the festival or is the festival choosing you?

[mp3] David Bazan - Selling Advertising
[mp3] Vic Chesnutt - Wallace Stevens

New (old) Fleet Foxes (White Antelope) Cover

2009-02-03T13:28:00.004-06:00

In news as jumbled as it sounds, Fleet Foxes frontguy Robin Pecknold apparently makes Garageband recordings as White Antelope from time to time. This one is a cover of a traditional folk song called False Knight on the Road. You can listen to it here.

Say, this reminds me of that one time Robin played an old folk song for our Backstage Session with him, nearly a year ago.

[mp3] Fleet Foxes - Katie Cruel [Live: Backstage in Nashville]

Sad Irony

2009-02-03T13:20:00.002-06:00

Enlarge that image - looks like they spent too much on pitchfork banner ads. Langerado fest is off.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone announce new album!

2009-01-30T12:44:00.003-06:00

Our favorite Chicago singer, songwriter, beat-maker, and general teddy bear, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, has announced himself a new collection of songs for us to purchase on compact disc. The album will be available on March 10th, (my birthday! Send Amazon gift cards.) and is a collection of b-sides, unreleased material, remixes, etc collected from 2004-2007. It's a pretty exclusive affair, with all but two of the tracks being available for the very first time.

Advance Base Battery Life, as the album is being called, will contain a bunch of originals as well as 4 covers - two Springsteen romps, Paul Simon's Graceland, and Missy Elliot's Hot Boys - which is the best thing I've ever heard in my life. Full tracklist and (very) limited tour dates below.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Advance Base Battery Life
01. Old Panda Days (w/ Nick Krgovich)
02. Lesley Gore on the T.A.M.I. Show (version)
03. White Corolla
04. White on White
05. Holly Hobby
06. Lonesome New Mexican Nights
07. The Only Way To Cry
08. It's A Crime
09. Missoula
10. Hot Boyz (w/ Dear Nora)
11. Born in the U.S.A. (w/ Concern)
12. Streets of Philadelphia (w/ Concern)
13. Graceland
14. Sunday St
15. Voice of the Hospital

Tour Dates

02.12.09 - New York, NY - NYU's Kimmel Center *
02.27.09 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean ^

[mp3] Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Old Panda Days

Peta's Vegtastic Super Bowl Ad

2009-01-29T12:24:00.003-06:00

The folks over at PETA, in one of the more brilliant marketing moves I've seen in recent history, have made and submitted a Super Bowl commercial which they had to know would be turned down, and are now spreading the "too hot for tv!" ad around the interwebs like it's a wildfire. The ad features very attractive females doing suggestive (well actually they go far beyond suggesting anything) with broccoli, pumpkins, etc.

ch-ch-ch-check-check-ch-check it out, then enjoy some songs below by some of my favorite Peta Spokespersons.

[mp3] Conor Oberst - Moab
[mp3] Chris Walla - Everyone Needs a Home

Death Cab Will Possess Your Large Theater/Auditorium

2009-01-28T15:32:00.006-06:00

Those meddling cabbers are at it again, and they're bringing the Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, and Matt Costa (wha?) with them. Death Cab will be out playing music for U.S. Americans for what seems like the tenth time since the release of Narrow Stairs not very long ago. You'd think they'd want to slow down sometime soon, but it doesn't appear to be going down that way, as they'll be living out of a tour bus, well a tour bus and nice hotel rooms, from 3 weeks from now until May with a break for most of March.

Tickets for most of these bad boys are going on sale rather soon, so consult Ticketmaster and/or your local venues box office (preferably the latter)

Death Cab for Cutie 2008 Tour Dates
02-12 Nagoya, Japan - Club Quattro
02-14 Tokyo, Japan - Shinkiba Studio Coast
02-16 Osaka, Japan - Big Cat
02-19 Fremantle, Australia - Fremantle Arts Centre
02-22 Adelaide, Australia - Thebarton Theatre
02-23 Melbourne, Australia - Forum Theatre
02-24 Melbourne, Australia - Forum Theatre
02-26 Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
02-28 Brisbane, Australia - The Tivoli Theatre
03-07 Miami, FL - Langerado Festival
04-07 Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre *#
04-08 Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall *#
04-09 Davidson, NC - John Belk Arena/Davidson College *#
04-10 Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace *#
04-11 Memphis, TN - Orpheum Theatre *#
04-12 Tulsa, OK - The Brady Theater *#
04-13 Omaha, NE - Holland Theatre *
04-15 St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkings Auditorium *#
04-17 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom *#
04-18 East Lansing, MI - Breslin Events Center/Michigan State University *#
04-19 Waukesha, WI - Van Male Fieldhouse/Carroll College *#
04-24 Spokane, WA - McCarthey Athletic Center/Gonzaga University *#
04-25 Boise, ID - The Morrison Center *#
04-27 Sacramento, CA - Memorial Auditorium *#
04-29 San Diego, CA - RIMAC Arena/UC San Diego *#
05-01 Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall #!
05-02 New Orleans, LA - Contemporary Arts Center !
05-04 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium #!
05-05 Birmingham, AL - BJCC Concert Hall #!
05-06 Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatre #!

* with Cold War Kids
# with Ra Ra Riot
! with Matt Costa

[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Title and Registration

Say Hi sign to Barsuk, tour with Telekenesis!, announce album

2009-01-26T11:05:00.001-06:00

It's a good month for the nice folks at Barsuk Records. The fatherly Seattle label shall release not just the Andrew Kenny/Wooden Birds record mentioned earlier today, but also the newest record from Seattle via Brooklyn's Say Hi. Eric Elbogen, the artist formerly known as Say Hi to Your Mom, is still the sole proprietor of Say Hi's Indie Rock cottage industry, just as he was last year when he released one of our favorite records, so you can expect another lovely chunk of lonely, insular bit of Seattle melancholy to usher in the spring.

In equally awesome news, Say Hi will be touring these United States with HTFAF favorite and Peace on Earth II contributor TELEKINESIS who recently signed a record deal themselves with Merge! And to make this impossibly-full-of-good-news story just a tad bit more awesome, they're coming through Nashville, something I was not counting on happening anytime soon. Gocrazygonuts.

Dates, as well as a new mp3 from both bands, may be found below.

Say Hi 2008 Tour Dates:

MARCH
06 SEATTLE, WA Neumo's *
12 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Bottom of the Hill **
13 LOS ANGELES, CA Echo **
14 LAS VEGAS, NV Beauty Bar **
15 TUCSON, AZ Plush (WXSW) **
17 FT. WORTH, TX Longhorn Saloon **
18 AUSTIN, TX SXSW
19 AUSTIN, TX SXSW
20 AUSTIN, TX SXSW
21 AUSTIN, TX SXSW
22 MEMPHIS, TN Hi-Tone Café **
23 NASHVILLE, TN End **
24 ATLANTA, GA Drunken Unicorn **
25 RICHMOND, VA Plaza "Duckpin" Bowl **
26 WASHINGTON, DC Black Cat **
27 PHILADELPHIA, PA Johnny Brenda's **
28 BROOKLYN, NY Bell House **
29 NEW YORK, NY Mercury Lounge **
30 CAMBRIDGE, MA Middle East Upstairs **

April:
02 COLUMBUS, OH Circus **
03 CHICAGO, IL Beat Kitchen **
04 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 7th Street Entry **
05 OMAHA, NE Slowdown **
06 DENVER, CO Hi-Dive **
07 SALT LAKE CITY, UT Kilby Court **
08 BOISE, ID Neurolux **
09 PORTLAND, OR VENUE TBA

** with Telekinesis
* with Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

[mp3] Say Hi - November Was White, December Was Grey
[mp3] Telekenesis - Coast of Carolina

The Wooden Birds (Featuring Andrew Kenny of AmAnSet) Sign to Barsuk

2009-01-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

I've been waiting a really long time to make an announcement saying these words: Andrew Kenny, front-man of American Analog Set and one of the chillest dudes alive, has a new album - and you can hear some songs from it. The project is called The Wooden Birds and here's the rundown: Kenny sings and plays guitar, David Wingo (Ola Podrida) is in the band as well, as is AmAnSet collaborator Leslie Sisson and Lymbic System drummer Michael Bell.

The album is called Magnolia and is due in the spring, with not official street date as of yet, on Barsuk (US/CA) & Morr Music (EU). To review: this means that Barsuk now possesses the Death Cab back catalog, David Bazan, The Long Winters, Say Hi, Ra Ra Riot, Viva Voce, Menomena, Mates of State, Nada Surf, and this project, which makes them several times better than you and I are at releasing records, unless someone reading my blog worked at Motown or Stax in the 60's.

Kenny and the birds will be playing at SXSW apparently, and if you hadn't heard yet AmAnSet will be reuniting to play The Golden Band in it's entirety at Insound's party during the festival.....uh, yeah, if my wristband doesn't get me into that one, security had better be watching the side doors.

Kenny and the AmAnSet were kind enough to record a wintery track for Peace on Earth Vol. II, our humble little charity compilation, last month. It's the band's only output since their 2005 hiatus, and we were incredibly honored to release it. You can check it out if you'd like by clicking here. Aditionally, A.K. sat down for an interview with me way back in the summer of 2007, which can be read here.

[mp3] American Analog Set - Cool Kids Keep

I know, I know

2009-01-23T15:03:00.002-06:00

Friends and patriots,
I know I've been mostly dormant so far in the new year even after promising not to be.

I guess I lied. But I'm not lying this time, I'll be back in full force starting Monday. Like, back to posting everyday instead of once a week.

I've been enjoying your civil debate about Animal Collective.

Would you like to come over for tea?

-Caleb

Animal Collective : I Still Don't Like Them

2009-01-21T09:57:00.004-06:00

A long time ago I mentioned not liking Animal Collective. Around this time, the Baltimore five-piece was a large blip on everybody's radar - not quite Vampire Weekend sized, but certainly not going unnoticed. Fast forward to January 2009; people are falling all over themselves over Animal Collective. From Pitchfork to the New York Times and every music blog in between, people are blathering on and on about how wonderful this band is.

My question, to you the reader, is this: why? What makes this band "amazing" and "near-perfect"? Explain it to me, because I really, really, really don't get it. All I hear is the Poor man's Steve Reich mixed with some really boring synth-tronics that are far from "wander[ing] the territorial edges of music"

Anybody?

Is Ryan Adams Quitting Music?

2009-01-14T11:06:00.005-06:00

...Because he kind of says as much in his most recent blog...which I have a real problem with. I know one thing, I certainly won't be missing out on the tickets that go one sale very soon for his newly added second Nashville show. I sure hope it's not the first AND last time I get to enjoy the Ry-man's company. That would be tragic.

Buy your tickets while you still can.

[mp3] Ryan Adams - To Be Young (Live in London)

EDIT: Apparently he took it down, but luckily the crafty kids at pitchfork saved it for their archives.

Stream M. Ward's new record!

2009-01-13T13:10:00.004-06:00

Lock your door, turn off your phone, sign out of email, ichat, and gmail talk and go listen to Hold Time in it's entirety for free at NPR.

The Releases I'm Looking Forward to Most in 2009

2009-01-12T07:30:00.002-06:00

Another year is upon us, friends. Here we are, a mere ten days into 2009, and it feels like it should be March already (just me?). At any rate, a new year cometh, and with it a slew, no - a bevy! Nay! A venerable cornucopia of new releases to be excited about. 2008 was a pretty good year for new music, but I've got money on 2009 being an even better year, thanks in large part to the things I am about to tell you of.

1. David Bazan - (Unconfirmed Title) - TBA (Barsuk)
The long-awaited solo, full-length debut from David Bazan will be released sometime in 2009. No word yet on an official title or release date, but I can tell you it will be released! Bazan's been playing some songs which are slated to appear on this record for a while now (although this record will be fully-fleshed with band arrangements, not a continuation of the guy-and-guitar solo setup Bazan's been bringing to the table for the past few years), one of which can be found below in the form of a live recording from Asheville's Grey Eagle circa last year.
[mp3] David Bazan - Curse Your Branches (Live)

2. M. Ward - Hold Time - February 17 (Merge)
Right in time for the post-Valentine's day boom of either joy or depression, whichever you'll be feeling, M. Ward's got you covered. Few people have the ability to make such effortlessly perfect music as Portland's twangy-troubador emeritus. My favorite adjective to describe an M. Ward record to an unacquainted friend is warm which makes the fact that this beauty will be dropping in the dead, greyed doldrums of late winter all the better. You can hear two songs by going here.
[mp3] M. Ward - Requiem

3. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast - January 20 (Fat Possum)
Andrew takes his first stride to solidifying his life after Indie Rock with a double-disc collection containing one new studio album of lyrical tales and trials, and one album solely comprised of instrumental-only auditions for Jon Brion's job.

4. AC Newman - Get Guilty - January 20 (Matador)
Indie Rock's favorite redhead yelps and croons his way to pop (near) perfection on solo offering number two. This one has been in constant rotation since I got it's promo copy back in November or so. You'll probably hear 75 percent of this album on a commercial for something in the next 12 months, so get ready.
[mp3] AC Newman - Submarines of Stockholm

5. The Decemberists - Hazards of Love - March 24 (Capitol)
I feel like this is an important record for me and the Decemberists relationship. The Crane Wife left me wanting so much more, and even the new singles in the Bridesmaid singles series fell mostly flat to my ears. This one is going to be a breaking point, one way or another, with me and one of my favorite bands.

6. Grizzly Bear - TBA - March ? (Warp)
We know so very little about the Grizzly Bear full-length. A few songs have been played live though, and I was lucky enough to see them play them. That much was enough to leave me with one bit of certainty - whenever it comes out, whatever it's called - it's going to be fantastic.

7. The Thermals - Now We Can See - April 7 (Kill Rock Stars)
Just in time for summer, the band that made me fall in love with punk rock all over again will drop some knowledge for the heavily calloused finger set that enjoys a side of indie rock with their basement-punk shows.
[mp3] The Thermals - God & Country

What about yourself?

And We're Back!

2009-01-06T11:11:00.002-06:00

Hello! How was your New Years? Mine was fine, thanks, though I came down with a bit of a stomach virus which inhabited my ability to eat anything other than pita chips and watery soup for a few days. Sometimes you have to get back to the basics though, right? Let's review all the excitement that happened while I was gone:

Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel's engagement leaked to the public inspiring a hillarious-to-watch onslaught of music bloggers furiously trying to break the story with a spin of sarcasm and "Not that I care, but...." cool. It became one of Stereogum's most commented stories of the year in less than 12 hours, after they had already tallied their most commented stories of the year, it being after Christmas and all. Hillarious all around. Good work, everyone!
[mp3] Ben Gibbard - Carolina

Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion is already being talked up as the best album of the year, and we're only six days into 2009. Ridiculous? Yes! However, I have sworn to listen to this record - I didn't listen to the last one because I decided to hate that band and think they're way overrated, but I swear to give this one a fair shake. Scout's honor.

Wilco announced a live concert DVD named after one of their best songs: Ashes of American Flags is a live DVD filmed across several stops of last spring's Sky Blue Sky tour, including their show at the Ryman here in Nashville!

Jaydiohead changed my life.

Bon Iver began pre-orders for Blood Bank, the most widely anticipated 4-song EP since ever.
[mp3] Bon Iver - Creature Fear [Live : Backstage in Nashville]

M. Ward released a new video already for the lead single, the title track, off his February release Hold Time. This is probably the release I'm most excited about in 2009, or at least the one with an official release date.
[mp3] M. Ward - Chinese Translation (Live on Conan w/ Jim James & Neko Case)

What about you? What have you been up to, friend?

Peace on Earth : Vol. II - Now Available!

2008-12-18T13:06:00.000-06:00

Note : Regular blogging will continue below, but this news item will stay at the top of your page. Please scroll down and we'll see you there!

Peace on Earth : A Charity Holiday Album Vol. II
To Benefit : The Children of Uganda Fund
November 18, 2008

$7.50
Digital Download

1. American Analog Set - Winter Birds
2. Telekinesis! - Father Christmas
3. Jennifer O'Connor - Deck The Halls
4. Nathan Phillips - Cross-country Ski's
5. The A-Sides & Sun Airway - Santa, Please
6. Jason Collett - A Beguiled Christmas in Sales
7. Laarks - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
8. Oxford Collapse - Hester Xmas
9. The Jealous Girlfriends - Haircut
10. Via Audio - Home Before Dark
11. Karl Blau - Christmas Is Different This Year Now That the Aliens Are Here
12. Synthar - Pawn Shop Christmas
13. Pattern is Movement - O, Holy Night
14. Marla Hansen - Waltz
15. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin & Sweetwater Abilene- Don't Wrap the Puppy
16. Elizabeth & The Catapult - Christmas With The Jews
17. Laura Gibson - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
18. The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers - Christmas Card to a Hooker in Minneapolis
19. Chris Garneau - It's Almost Christmas
20. Vincent Koops - Silent Night
21. Anathallo - Red Plastic Globe
22. Bodies of Water & No Little Kindness - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Photography by Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, & Deborah Kac.

Total Tracks : 22
Total running time : 76 minutes
Cost: $7.50
Format : High-Quality, DRM-Free, VBR Mp3's

VOL. I also available now, featuring Chris Walla, The Long Winters, Rosie Thomas, Great Lake Swimmers, Casitone for the Painfully Alone & More!

Having problems with your download? Click here.

This album will be downloaded as a ZIP file. Nearly every computer, regardless of manufacturer, operating system, or age is equipped with a utility capable of opening and extracting ZIP files. However, if yours does not, you can download a free one here. The Zip file will contain the mp3's of the album, and a digital booklet with liner notes and credits.

Tours to look forward to in the new year!

2008-12-18T10:00:00.001-06:00

In need of some last minute Christmas gifts for the music-lover in your life? In need of a use for that Christmas cash you'll be getting soon, perhaps? Maybe you just haven't been to a show in a long time - whatever the case, there are a few good late winter/spring tours being announced already for you to look forward to!

Bon Iver has lined up some dates, here in the states and in Australia.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin will be playing some shows in the midwest.
Ryan Adams & The Cards are comin' to your town way out in March.
Andrew Bird will whistle and sing his way through some new songs.

Go bolster the economy and help some touring bands.

[mp3] Bon Iver - Lump Sum

Hard to Find a Friend's Best of 2008 - #1

2008-12-15T08:00:00.000-06:00

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Pershing (Polyvinyl)

[mp3] Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Think I Wanna Die
Buy it at Insound

703 times - the number of times I've played a song from Pershing this year, according to my Last.fm data. 703 plays, for an album with ten songs (the short, barely there interlude at the end doesn't count) translates into 70 full listens through of this fantastic album. Impressive, considering the album came out on April 8 - a mere 32 weeks ago, which means that I have listened to this album, all the way through at least 2 times a week since April. So, suffice to say - Pershing was a point of obsession for me in 2008.

There are certain albums that you just can't stop listening to, albums that will not exit your sub-conscious, albums that soundtrack your life. Pershing, much like The Blue Album, & The Coast is Never Clear before it, Pershing sound-tracked my spring and summer, keeping me and my closest of friends company on several road trips across the country, countless late night drives home, and even a few lazy afternoons indoors. There's not a second of this record I couldn't identify were you to play it for me, and I can safely say that it is, indeed, my favorite album of 2008 - hands down.

If 2006's Broom was the perfect portrait of 4 dudes in a college town making home-spun songs just for the heck of it, Pershing is the frame-by-frame progression of those same 4 dudes growing up, watching friends come and go, watching their afternoons go by from the back of a Ford Econoline, and waking up in a new town every morning. Their songs matured as well, both those penned by sometimes drummer/sometimes guitarist Phillip Dickey and sometimes guitarist/sometimes bassist John Robert Caldwell, and with them, the sound of this record. Yes, while Broom was so lovable for it's charmingly lo-fi tendencies, Pershing is a shocking upgrade to hi-fi which only further allows the listener enjoyment of the subtle nuances of a band who knows how to intricately weave knotty, melodic guitars and bass lines better than almost anyone.

Needless to say, I cannot reccomend you buy this album enough. You can watch the Backstage Session we did with SSLYBY & Via Audio here. You can hear the band's contribution to our holiday charity album, Peace on Earth by clicking here. Thanks for the soundtrack to our summer, guys.

Hard to Find a Friend's Best of 2008 - #2

2008-12-11T14:04:00.004-06:00

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park (4AD)
[mp3] Department of Eagles - No One Does it Like You
Buy it at Insound

Few records have ever blindsided me as much as In Ear Park did when I first heard it on a rainy September day. I was familiar with Department of Eagles, they were that side-project of Dan Rossen's from Grizzly Bear, the mostly electronic one. I almost didn't even give it a listen when I first got it, expecting the glitch-pop I'd come to be so bored with.

Luckily, I put the thing in, and was immediately floored. I can't help but feel like I'm somewhere else when I listen to this record. The songs literally feel like creaky doors, cobwebbed attics, old victorian houses, leafy streets in New England. They feel like places, people, moments in time - and like all good songs do, they evoke instant emotional responses, from the haunting of Phantom Other to the reminiscing of Herringbone, In Ear Park was the record that soundtracked nearly every moment of my autumn, and what a soundtrack it was.

Hard to Find a Friend's Best of 2008 - #3 : (3-Way Tie)

2008-12-11T13:59:00.001-06:00

Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs (Atlantic)
Buy it at Insound

After the vacation from guitar-rock that was 2005's Plans, a lot of folks seemed downright scared to listen to Narrow Stairs, for fear that it would be a continuation of a journey down a path they didn't want to see the seminal Indie Rock band of our time take. Their fears turned out to be completely unfounded - guitars were back, and noisier than ever at times, Gibbard's songwriting, though still far more literal than his 2001 self could have ever imagined, turned back towards more familiar themes than the afterlife, to things like heartbreak and insecurity and everyone left happy. The detuned delayed pick noise at the beginning of Long Division? The slow, churning No Joy in Mudville-esque thuds of Talking Bird? These are moments that made long time Death Cabbers like myself smile in self-contained glee.

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Subpop)
[mp3] Fleet Foxes - Drops in the River
Buy it at Insound

You didn't have to look very far to find the amazing exploding band phenomena in 2008. From Bon Iver to Vampire Weekend, from Fleet Foxes to Black Kids, there was plenty of barista-on -Monday, rock star-by-Friday to go around in the year that was (still is, whatever). However, Fleet Foxes held a special place in my heart, as I had been in a loving relationship with them since the summer of 2007 when i was passed some demos from what would become their debut EP (albeit in a re-recorded verson). Their full-length debut certainly didn't dissapoint, delivering me one of my favorite songs of the year in Oliver James, and we even got to hear Robin play it for us, 3 feet away, when we did a Backstage Session with the band in March (Thanks, dudes!)

Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Dual Hawks (Misra)
[mp3] Centro-matic - Two Seats, Gold Reserved
Buy it at Insound

There was some confusion among casual fans of the band who has been accurately described as "the best live band in America," about whose album Dual Hawks was. Was it Centro-matic's, or was it their more freewheeling, spacious, orchestral folk outfit South San Gabriel (comprised of the same members +2)? The answer to those questions is "yes," it's both of theirs, and it's fantastic. Most bands wouldn't be able to pull off a 2-hour long double-disc of material from both of their bands, a project that sounds as tough as it is to pull off. Howeve, there's not a second of filler on either disc of Dual Hawks, and I can't recomend it enough, especially if you're looking for a starting point with the ever-prolific Centro-matic.

Back From Vacation

2008-12-08T09:39:00.002-06:00

Hello there,
I know we haven't been communicating very well recently. It's my fault, not yours, and I'm sorry. I feel like we've lost that loving feeling, and I'd like to get it back. I was on a Thanksgiving weekend break, like the rest of the blogging world, and then I went to New York for the week with my special lady friend.

New York, it stands to say, is an amazing place. I'm sure most of you have been there, and some of you even live there, but it's worth noting still that New York is an amazing place. It's an amazing place in that the second night of our little trip we saw people light a 100 foot-tall Christmas tree and celebrities sing on rooftops for television cameras to celebrate it, while 12 hours later the next morning we took a quiet two hour stroll through a beautiful park and listened to a man play a saxophone next to a hot dog vendor and a little park bench for reverently silent passerby's.

It was a nice vacation, and I'm somewhat bittersweet about being back at home. It's Christmastime here in sleepy little Tennessee, which is a great time - my favorite time of the year. It's very cold this year, colder than any Tennessee winter in recent memory, and I've been listening to Randy Newman a whole lot. I'd play you a song or two, but Randy has some ties with the major 4 and I don't believe in posting music they release because of their gestapo tactics, but we'll talk about that more later.

It was good catching up with you,
Caleb

[mp3] Modern Skirts - New York Song | Buy
[mp3] Rosie Thomas - All The Way To New York City | Buy

WOXY's 2008 Holiday Mixer

2008-11-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

WOXY is, among other things, the best internet radio station there is. This is not up for debate, I'm not asking your oppinion, I'm notifying you that it is, because it is. They've survived alot too, which makes enjoying their services even sweeter. Well, this year's Holiday Mixer is no exception to their greatness. The Holiday Mixer is, as you may have guessed, a large collection of Christmas, Hannukah, Winter, Etc, music programmed into a big old block of programming that is perfect for streaming at your desk, by the fire, etc. It's really quite lovely, and I've already discovered a lot of gems I'd never heard, which is impressive, because I really like Christmas music.

Also, they've been kind enough to program a few songs from our own Peace on Earth : Vol. II into their programming this year. Check out the mixer here.

[mp3] Jason Collett - A Beguiled Christmas in Sales
(from Peace on Earth : Vol. II)

[mp3] Radiohead - Winter Wonderland
[mp3] Pedro the Lion - The First Noel

Video : Damien Jurado - Caskets

2008-11-25T16:17:00.005-06:00

In this, the most recent and only clip, from Damien Jurado's newest LP Caught in the Trees (Secretly Canadian), Damien, band mates Eric & Jenna, and little brother Drake Jurado get their There Will Be Blood on in a major way. The video was directed by Matt Daniels/Thinklab Productions and it's incredibly beautiful to put it bluntly. Really, it's one of the most aesthetically pleasing music videos I've seen - ever.

The set is rural Eastern Washington, the light is natural, the actors aren't actors (they're band members and siblings), and the whole thing leaves you with a very pleasently unsettling feeling. I recommend the brief behind the scenes video as well.

[mp3] Damien Jurado - Caskets
Caught in the Trees is out now via Secretly Canadian

Hard to Find a Friend's Best of 2008 - #4

2008-11-25T13:38:00.004-06:00

Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line (Barsuk)

Few albums took me by surprise as much as this one did. What I suspected would be a solid pop record turned out to be one of the best pop records I had heard in ages, not a single song which is not outstanding. The Syracuse band's first on Barsuk is the sort of thing I imagine lots of young bands will be listening to in 2018 and taking their cues from.

I like to think of Ra Ra Riot as the thinking man's Vampire Weekend - somewhat similar in their bouncy, anthemic tunes, but dwelling on subject matter like death and loss rather than sweaters and parties. Add to this an orchestral tinge and a touch of Long Winters-esque classic pop structure, and finish it off with boy-girl vocals, a slightly veiled love for synthesizers, and a singer who can actually sing and you've got a success.

The guitar work at play here is something that tone nerds everywhere will salivate everywhere. The stereo-weaving melodic lines of Dying is Fine are enough to make me want to drop all my plans and play guitar in my bedroom for hours. These are the things of 8000-level courses on playing guitar in a band, not the consecutive fifths that people have come to expect, and hate, from guitar-pop bands.

[mp3] Ra Ra Riot - Dying is Fine | Buy it.

Hard to Find a Friend's Best of 2008 - #5

2008-11-24T10:26:00.007-06:00

Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping (Polyvinyl)

This may come a surprise to some of you - Headlights is not the type of band that end's up on a lot of folks year-end lists, and at first I wouldn't have put this one anywhere near the top either, but one day I got it, in a major way. That's not to say that Headlights make some sort of thick, and difficult music, quite the opposite in fact - they make pop songs. Pop songs can be hard to do well if you don't know how to write them, but Headlights learned how to write them in a major way.

Bouncing, buzzy organs, impossibly roomy guitars that live in between the cracks of an old farm house in Champaign, Illionois, and all the guy-girl interaction you can handle. I suppose you could say this is the album that Stars always wishes they could make - it's so full of memorable hooks that I literally listened to it multiple times a week since it's February release without growing the slightest bit tired of a single track.

From the major-minor Beatlesesque progression of April 2 to the the orchestral Indie-pop gem that is School Boys - Headlights have really figured it out, and I'm excited to hear what they have up their sleeve next (apparently they've already done a bit of recording).

I can't reccomend you purchase it enough.

[mp3] Headlights - School Boys

Honorable Mentions:
The top 5 was done by a combination of play count and my sheer love for it - Here are some albums I listened to a lot but I just didn't love enough to put in the top five.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
The album from the band everyone was talking about (and loving to hate) was actually a really fun pop album when the dust settled. Will I be sharing it with my kids in 30 years? Probably not, but this isn't a list of the most meaningful albums of the year, necesarily.
[mp3] Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance | Buy it.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
This one scared me for a few days. The horrible radio-friendly single that is Magick was enough to make me relapse to Rock-n-Roll era Ryan-hate for a few seconds. Luckily, songs like Cobwebs, Evergreen, and Crossed Out Name display some of Ryan's most matured pop senses yet.

Damien Jurado - Caught in the Trees
Undeniably the best album yet from the Seattle singer-songwriter and his now band of three. His most well-planned narratives, his most natural singing voice, and his most fully-fleshed songs to date.
[mp3] Damien Jurado - Coats of Ice | Buy it.

Hard to Find a Friend's Backstage Sessions : The Swell Season [Part 1/2]

2008-11-20T12:09:00.003-06:00

On one of the first chilly days of the Tennessee autumn, September 24th, 2008, we packed our gear up and headed down to the Ryman Auditorium, without contest Nashville's most legendary and storied venue. We walked across the stage which has held so many of our idols over the last three quarters of a century, up a few flights of stairs into an upstairs green room, and met Glen Hansard, an unassuming Irish man with a beat up guitar and a tendency for self-deprecating humor.

You wouldn't have guessed he was a Grammy and Academy award winning songwriter with legions of adoring fans waiting outside, that is until he told you how much rubbish every bit of celebrity he had garnered was. We talked briefly, he ran downstairs for a capo, and then played us two new songs. We hope you enjoy them.

Stream in HD here.

Bon Iver Announces EP, Adds some Dates

2008-11-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

The pride of Eau Claire, WI, Justin Vernon, or as you better know him Bon Iver, has announced plans to release a special, if sparse, EP later this winter. When the terrible, grueling, still-dark-at-5, 20 degree February winter begins to sink in, you'll have very few places to turn except for Blood Bank, the 4-song venture which Jagjaguawar shall be releasing on January 29, 2009.

Also, you can catch the dude on tour, and on Letterman, before year's end. Check the dates here.

Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP (1/29/2009)
1. Blood Bank
2. Beach Baby
3. Babys
4. Woods

[mp3] Bon Iver - Flume (Live : Backstage in Nashville)
[mp3] Bon Iver - Creature Fear. (Live : Backstage in Nashville)
(From our March Backstage Session with Justin.)

Marnie Stern Announces Shameless Gimmick, No One Minds

2008-11-14T12:01:00.005-06:00

Here's an excerpt from a totally real press release I received early this morning:

"Marnie Stern will be at Bimbo's in SF this FRIDAY (11-14) also El Ray in LA this SATURDAY (11-15) and she would love to be kissed! Here's the DL: Cheeks: $3 / Lips: $10 / Tongue: $100... what more could you ask for on your Saturday night out! Bring a date! It's all in good fun!"

Now, I have a couple of issues with this: One, it's a shameless ploy to get people to come to a show. Two, no one who is willing to throw out 10 or 100 dollars to kiss a stranger is going to want to do so with a date on their arm, and three - wait, she's really going to tongue strangers for 100 bucks? This kind of gives me a bad taste (BA-DUM!) in a few ways. Someone get Marnie some "you're better than that" self-esteem books.

Of course, there is a small disclaimer in place that Marnie refuses the right to refuse to kiss people who smell bad and/or look crazy, but let me know how many San Francisco hipster's don't have creepy self-worth issues and we'll talk then.

Dudes or gals (I'm assuming - there's nothing in the press release about this being a sausage party) who want to have their picture taken with their tongue down the she-shredder's throat should probably arrive early enough to get in line. Oh, and I guess she's going to play music to some point in the evening too, but who cares about that?

Conor Oberst Plays a Really Great New Song on Conan

2008-11-13T14:10:00.004-06:00

Conor has done a lot of, well Conor's just done a lot in the last few years, a good portion of which has left me disappointed. Cassadaga didn't do it for me for the most part, and his recent "solo" debut left me feeling great about his new Wildflowers-era Tom Petty sound in spots and sad about his rudimentary happy-chord strumming in others. Tuesday night, however, Conan and his band of Mystics descended upon Conan's studio to play a song, and they chose to do a no one called Nicorette which is more like the Petty and less like the boring stuff. I dig it a lot for a few reasons : One, Nik Frietas gets to sing a little, two the music is actually interesting, and three Conor has a really good stylist these days.

[mp3] Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band - Moab
[mp3] Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band - I Don't Wanna Die (In The Hospital)

Music Tapes Want to Play in Your Front Yard

2008-11-11T14:07:00.004-06:00

God bless Julian Koster. God bless him and his completely unaffected by anything, no frills, no nonsense approach to playing music. The Music Tapes have said to hell with guarantees and rock clubs, and tickets, and all that, and have announced their plan to do a tour beginning tonight in which they will be traveling from city to city "caroling" playing songs from their newly released collection of singing saw tunes.

Households that would like to invite Julian and his friends to come carol may do so up until the night before the carolers arrive in your town by sending an invitation to musictapescaroling@gmail.com or by mailing a written invitation to:

Music Tapes Caroling
c/o G. Stewart
175 Talmadge Street, Apt. 1
Athens, GA 30605

Written invitations will be given priority, should arrive a few days before the carolers arrive, and include an email address or telephone number for reply. Invitations where the inviters indicate that they would be willing to entertain outside guests on caroling night are preferred. Once the limit on houses on a given night has been reached, the address of each house that will welcome guests will be distributed via email to all who email musictapescaroling@gmail.com and ask to attend. The addresses of the houses will not be posted online.
The dates are below,

Caroling Dates:
Nov 11th Savannah, GA
Nov 12th Chapel Hill, NC
Nov 13th Charlotte, NC (afternoon) / Atlanta, Ga
Nov 14th Athens, GA
Nov 16th Nashville, TN
Nov 17th St. Louis, MO
Nov 18th Memphis, TN
Nov 19th Hammond / Baton Rouge LA
Nov 20th Houston, TX
Nov 21st Austin, TX
Nov 22nd Denton, TX
Nov 24th Lawrence KS
Nov 26th Minneapolis, MN
Nov 27th Madison, WI
Nov 28th Chicago IL
Nov 29th Grand Rapids/Lansing, MI
Nov 30th Ann Arbor area, MI
Dec 1st Toronto, Canada
Dec 3rd Buffalo, NY
Dec 4th Geneseo, NY
Dec 5th Oswego, NY
Dec 6th Bennington, VT
Dec 7th New London, NH
Dec 8th Boston / Cambridge, MA
Dec 12th Philadelphia, PA
Dec 13th NYC
Dec 14th NYC
Dec TBA Maine

If this is not the coolest thing ever, please explain what is.

[mp3] Music Tapes - Hark the Herald Angels Sing
[mp3] Music Tapes - Majesty

What to Buy : November 11, 2008

2008-11-10T11:30:00.004-06:00

Not much hitting the racks this week, but the stuff that is available is certainly noteworthy. The LONG awaited Christmas on Mars CD/DVD from The Flaming Lips finally hits the racks after years of keeping fans waiting, and Denison Witmer drops his first full-length in nearly four years after laying low and working on that album with Sufjan and Rosie.

Denison Witmer - Carry the Weight (Militia Group)
Philly-singer/songwriter Denison Witmer releases his first album in a good while. It sounds great from what I've heard and if you're not sold yet, you can download a free four-track EP at My Old Kentucky Blog.

Buy at Insound.

[mp3] Denison Witmer - I Won't Let You Down
[mp3] Denison Witmer - Everything But Sleep

The Flaming Lips - Christmas on Mars (Warner)
The long awaited psych-traveganza which Mr. Coyne has described as "Maybe Eraserhead or Dead Man crossed with some kind of fantasy and space aspects, like The Wizard of Oz and maybe A Space Odyssey, except done without real actors or money, and set at Christmas-time," will finally be released after an 8 year filming, editing, and prepping process. It had better be worth it, and I feel certain it will.

Buy at Insound.

Peace On Earth : A Charity Holiday Album Vol. II

2008-11-07T09:00:00.006-06:00

Well friends, today is the day that I make a very special announcement I've been waiting to make since May. I'm talking about the follow up to last year's HTFAF-Exclusive charity Holiday album, Peace on Earth Vol. I. Like last year, these songs are exclusive to this album, and the album will only be available at Hard to Find a Friend as a digital download.

###
Peace on Earth: A Holiday Album Vol. II
An Exclusive Compilation to Benefit The Children of Uganda Foundation

1. American Analog Set - Winter Birds (Original)
2. Telekinesis! - Father Christmas (The Kinks)
3. Jennifer O'Connor - Deck The Halls
4. Nathan Phillips - Cross-country Ski's (Original)
5. The A-Sides & Sun Airway - Santa, Please (Original)
6. Jason Collett - A Beguiled Christmas in Sales (Original)
7. Laarks - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
8. Oxford Collapse - Hester Xmas (Original)
9. The Jealous Girlfriends - Haircut (Original)
10. Via Audio - Home Before Dark (Original)
11. Karl Blau - Christmas Is Different This Year Now That the Aliens Are Here (Original)
12. Synthar - Pawn Shop Christmas (Original)
13. Pattern is Movement - O, Holy Night
14. Marla Hansen - Waltz (Original)
15. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Don't Wrap the Puppy (Original)
16. Elizabeth & The Catapult - Christmas With The Jews (Original)
17. Laura Gibson - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
18. The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers - Christmas Card to a Hooker in Minneapolis (Original)
19. Chris Garneau - It's Almost Christmas
20. Vincent Koops - Silent Night
21. Anathallo - Red Plastic Globe (Original)
22. Bodies of Water - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Peace on Earth : A Holiday Album Vol. II, will be available on Tuesday, November 18, 2008. It will be available exclusively at Hard to Find a Friend as a digital download for $7.50. The album will be sold as High-Quality VBR DRM-free mp3's, and contains a digital booklet featuring photography by Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu. 100 percent of the proceeds from the album, like last year's, will be donated to charity. This year's charity is The Children of Uganda Foundation. Last year's album was a great success, raising almost $4,000 for charity, solely because of your support and willingness to tell your friends. We hope you'll help spread the word again this year, and thank you for reading.

If you'd like to be reminded on release day about the album, you can download some reminders:
Download an iCal reminder by clicking here.
Download an Outlook reminder by clicking here.

Peace on Earth : Volume I is still available and may be purchased here.

Did You Catch The Decemberists' Subliminal Ad ?

2008-11-07T08:00:00.001-06:00

I sure didn't...
When I watched The Decemberists perform a song in support that new singles series we mentioned a while back, I was thinking a lot of things, like "why are they playing this song?" and "why isn't the camera showing Chris at all?" and even "Why is their stage plot reversed," perhaps it was a combination of this and it being 12:30 AM that made me miss Sir Meloy's Election eve subliminal endorsement. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised by the manipulative Obama endorsement, considering the Decemberists are commies and all..

[mp3] The Decemberists - Billy Liar
[mp3] The Decemberists - Grace Cathedral Hill

Rosie Thomas Announces Christmas Album, Tour

2008-11-06T14:02:00.004-06:00

Rosie Thomas warmed your hearts this time last year with her beautiful holiday contribution to Peace On Earth, and now you can share the same joy for the duration of a 50-minute Christmas extravaganza! The cheekily titled A Very Rosie Christmas features Rosie and her friends singing no fewer than 12 christmas songs, both classic and original, from her house in Seattle, and it's very beautiful.

You can buy it now at select indie retailers or of course on Amazon or iTunes digitally. Alternately, you can just see Rosie and her band play the thing live this December if you're lucky enough to live in a market they'll be hitting. Find those dates here .

[mp3] Rosie Thomas - All The Way to New York City

Buy A Very Rosie Christmas at Amazon mp3 now.

Happy Barack Day, Everyone!

2008-11-05T11:15:00.006-06:00

And so, here we are. America has a new president elect, and the entire world seems to be rejoicing. It's the kind of thing that will define a generation, this is our march on Washington, this is our JFK. I'll never forget the lump in my throat I felt as Barack Obama walked on stage in front of so many thousands of eyes in Grant Park with his family by his side, ready to accept the nomination as President of the United States - the first African-American to ever know such a feeling.

Then he made a speech, a speech in which he promised to be a president for everyone, barely even mentioning how historical what he had just achieved was. Last May, May of 2007, I vigorously researched my choices in the upcoming primary and election for the President of the United States, and I decided Barack Obama was my candidate. I purchased a shirt and a sticker as my first donation to his campaign, slapped the sticker on my car, and honestly thought he didn't have a chance. Hillary was supposed to win the primary, how could she be defeated?

Last night was a proud night for me, and I think it will go down as a proud night for the world over. We have a new President-elect, and it's a very happy day in America.

Barack Obama : 44th President of the United States

2008-11-04T23:55:00.002-06:00

Fellow Americans: thank you for voting.
To my international readers: I think you'll like Senator Obama more than Mr. Bush.

Very, very, very proud to be an American,
Caleb.

One More Day...

2008-11-03T10:54:00.003-06:00

Fellow countrymen (and women): lend me your ear,
Tomorrow, you need to vote, if you haven't aready early-voted. You need to vote no matter how long you have to wait in line. It's worth calling out of work, missing a class, canceling a social event, or anything else you may have to sacrifice to wait in line to vote. How you vote is entirely up to you of course, just vote, I beg of you.

Particularly those of us under thirty-five - record turnout is expected this year, but all the talking heads seem to think it's all talk, that most of us will stay home. Please, let's prove them wrong, regardless of how you decide to vote, just go to the polls.

[mp3] Dinosaur JR - Almost Ready
[mp3] David Karsten Daniels - American Pastime
[mp3] Glossary - American Bruises

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:04:00.002-06:00

It's Halloween, the day that men, women, and children all over the world reluctantly put on half-hearted costumes and wander through the night seeking some combination of candy, alcohol, and those orange sugar cookies. This time last year I was preparing to take in an excellent Menomena Halloween show, but sadly I find myself without plans of any sort this year.

Luckily I have lots to keep me busy/laughing/interested:

The Boss gives away a brand-new Halloween song - for free!
Stereogum's Top 10 Trendy Pop Star Costumes
A "Very Preppy guy" seeks hipster advice for costume on meta
Death Cab as Devo (Halloween 2006)
The Playlist's Superb Halloween Playlist

[mp3] Ryan Adams - Halloweenhead
[mp3] Chris Garneau - Halloween

Harvard Law : RIAA's Lawsuits Are Unconstitutional

2008-10-31T09:36:00.004-06:00

Some interesting news for those of us who care about the scary, behind-the-curtain dealings of the sinking ships that are the major labels. Harvard Law, a notable and esteemed college as I'm sure you know, which has produced many a great mind, has said that the RIAA's recent file-sharing lawsuits are unconstitutional.

I must say those smarty-pants ivy leaguer's make some very good points, and it's pretty funny to not that the RIAA has never bothered to sue a Harvard student, as the university, it's professors, and it's law school specifically have pledged to make them pay should they chose to attempt to do so.

That's punk rock.
Read...

[mp3] Gillian Welch - Lawman's Gonna Kill My Honey Dead (Live)

Ben Gibbard Got Bit by a Scorpion

2008-10-30T18:53:00.005-06:00

In one of the more bizarre/amazing stories I've heard in recent memory, Death Cab bassist Nick Harmer explains how Ben Gibbard fell victim to a freaking scorpion just before the band went on in San Diego. That's right, kids, a scorpion! So punk rock it's not even funny.

Via DCFC-Blog:
So tonight in San Diego, Ben got stung by a SCORPION. Twice. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried, file this under “things that really happen on rock tours.” Ben’s okay, if not a little shaken, but we were worried for awhile because the scorpion was a little guy and when it comes to the wonderful world of scorpions, the smaller the deadlier. Here’s how it went down: As were were getting ready to go onstage to play our set, Ben changed into his show pants that were hanging in our wardrobe case. He put his pants on, and felt something stick him twice in his thigh and when he pulled them off, this guy came running out:

We all screamed. A scorpion was honestly the last thing we could imagine that would come scurrying out of his pants. Ben said that it felt like a wasp stung him and it didn’t hurt so bad, but it sure rattled all of us. We called the EMTs and they checked him out and thankfully he was fine and able to play the show, he said he had scorpion power in his veins. I’m still not convinced that he is 100% fine because nobody eliminated the possibility that it was a radioactive scorpion and that Ben will now develop super powers, so I’m keeping a close eye on him just in case.

Maybe he just wanted to hear a request and was having trouble getting his attention, or maybe the little fella thought he'd be welcome at a rock-show. Either way, the important lesson here is obvious and clear: Ben Gibbard's pants = the most dangerous pants in rock and roll, and I have a feeling they'll be getting a robust shakedown before being placed on his legs from now on.

[mp3] Ben Gibbard - Casino Blues
[mp3] Ben Gibbard - Thriller (Live)

Seattle Looks to Furhter Extend it's Indie Rock Monopoly

2008-10-30T13:06:00.005-06:00

As if Nirvana, Sub Pop, Barsuk, and having more great venues than several other major cities combined wasn't enough, as if being home to an astonishingly large myriad of artists adored around the world wasn't quite what it needed to quench it's insatiable appetite, the city of Seattle has gone and done something that is really gonna piss all those other cool cities off. Just as Portland thought it was getting it's fair shake, they've announced the Seattle: City of Music initiative, a plan to make Seattle into the "music capital of America."

Several partners, everyone from Microsoft and Amazon to Sub Pop, have come together to create a 12-year vision-program which will establish music ed. programs in schools, improve the standard of living for musicians via expanded professional opportunities and by providing access to affordable health care, aiding in the upkeep of concert venues and festivals, offering incentives for music-related businesses to thrive, as well as creating new jobs, and making efforts to strengthen the music community as a whole. Sub Pop, for instance, will contribute a 13,000 dollar grant to some bright young mind who has a good idea for a music business.

So, who wants to move to Seattle with me?

[mp3] Pedro the Lion - Of Up & Coming Monarchs (Live)
[mp3] The Long Winters - Teaspoon
[mp3] Damien Jurado - Hoquiam
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Little Fury Bugs

The Silver Jews Are So Underground!

2008-10-30T08:13:00.000-06:00

Har, har, har, har, har! No, really though, that was pretty hilarious. See, the Bermans and their musical cohorts, all of whom put together make The Silver Jews, will be playing a show for a very famous radio station from right here in Nashville called WSM (home to the Grand Old Opry) - but wait, there's a catch. The show will be played in a place called Cumberland Caverns, a place lots of us in the Tennessee area visited on field trips as children, and a place which happens to be a freaking cave.

Yes, the Jews will be playing Aloyisius, Bluegrass Drummer, among a bunch of bats and stuff. This is trippy, I know, but it gets better: it's open to the public and free. The date is January 31st (bring a jacket, January+cave=cold) and the time is at 3pm. It's a Saturday so you've no right to complain about the 3pm start time, well actually you have no right to complain about anything being inconvenient about a free Silver Jews show in a natural wonder.

[mp3] Silver Jews - Aloyisius, Bluegrass Drummer

David Bazan Announces iTunes single/7''

2008-10-29T13:00:00.006-06:00

Pedro the Lion frontdude David Bazan has announced a political-in-tone itunes single to be released, when else, but election day! (Next Tuesday, November 4th, 2008.) According to Barsuk's website, the single will also be released as a 7'' sometime in the near future in limited quantities, and the b-side to both the digital and physical copies shall be a demo recording of a new Bazan song entitled Please Baby Please, which can be seen as well as heard on the recently released Bazan : Alone at the Microphone DVD.

Luckily, you can stream the a-side, American Flags right now, thanks to the miracle of the internets, at Myspace. The track was mixed and mastered by former Pedro the Lion rhythm section-er and current mastering whiz TW Walsh, and it sounds fantastic. Between this, the dvd, and that Holiday single, it's shaping up to be a very Bazan Christmas, indeed....though seven inch records won't fit very well in an average stocking.

All this news, but no word yet on the ETA of Bazan's first full-length solo effort you guys keep asking about in emails, comments, and smoke signals. Keep yr ear to the ground. Additionally, Bazan will play a few one-offs on the west coast, as well as a very abbreviated set of solo shows in the sleepy and likely snow-laden midwest before year's end. Those dates can be found below:

David Bazan 2008 Tour Dates

Friday, November 7
UC Berkeley / Lower Sproul Plaza

Berkeley, CA 94720
All Ages / FREE SHOW
Bazan plays at 12:00 noon

Saturday, November 8
Travis Auditorium at Fuller Seminary
180 N Oakland, Ave
Pasadena, CA 91101
All Ages / Tickets: $10 advance / $14 day of show
BUY TICKETS
Bazan plays at 8:00pm

Thursday, December 4
Schuba’s (EARLY SHOW!)
3159 N Southport (Corner of Belmont)
Chicago, IL 60657
Doors open at 6pm
Bazan starts at 6:30pm

Friday, December 5
The Billiken Club
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO 63109
All Ages / FREE SHOW
w/ Via Audio

Saturday, December 6
Courtyard Cafe / Illini Union
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL 61801
Ages: 18+
Tickets: Student $3 / Public $5
w/ Starflyer 59

Sunday, December 7
The House Cafe
263 E Lincoln Hwy
Dekalb, IL
Ages: 18+
Tickets: $10 - Buy Here
Local opener at 7:00pm
Bazan at 8:00pm

[mp3] David Bazan - Selling Advertising
[mp3] Pedro the Lion - Forgone Conclusion (Live)

Asthamtic Kitty Announces Massive Charity Album

2008-10-29T11:54:00.003-06:00

Asthmatic Kitty founders Lowell Brams, and yr friend Sufjan have teamed together to make a sprawling two-disc charity comp. to benefit Habitat for Humanity, and a bunch of there friends are coming along for the ride too. As you already probably know, Habitat for Humanity builds houses for people who don't have them, and that my friends is a very important line of work to be in.

Maybe you've been outside recently and felt how cold it's getting and though "gee, it's a good thing I have a house to be warm in." You haven't thought that? Then go outside today and imagine you don't have a house, come back inside, and buy this album. Oh, and by the way, "Tidal River" = Sufjan Stevens, Lowell Brams, and the National's Bryce Dessner!

Habitat:

Disc 1:

01 Tidal River: "A Cross Section of Clown Mountain"
02 Aspects of Physics: "Utiliterranean"
03 Jim Guthrie: "Little Furnace"
04 Kristin Miltner: "The Barns Flock"
05 Instruments of Science & Technology: "INST.stem.INST"
06 Nick Hennies: "The Living Piano"
07 Ero Gray: "Staircase and Water Pipes, 42 Broadway"
08 Cepia: "Algiers"
09 Ben Owen: "5 for 14"
10 Alias: "In Hope of Witchless Attics"
11 Alfred Brown: "SphericalType GasHolder"
12 Cheryl E. Leonard: "Uncle Iroh's Teahouse"
13 Blevin Blectum: "Vast Angles"
14 Son Lux: "Speak"

Disc 2:

01 Actuel: "QRS/TUV"
02 Sole with William Ryan Fritch: "all tomorrow's sewers"
03 i am robot and proud: "Jeanne Mance"
04 900X: "BGM"
05 Yuko Nexus6: "wsagg-chorus for spaces"
06 KILN: "marigold bunker"
07 therefore: "piznanano"
08 Six-Fing Thing: "Sandpiper on the Warehouse Floor"
09 Stars Like Fleas: "Call Me Trimtab"
10 ting ting jahe: "d3p574"
11 Moth!Fight!: "A Long Way From Home"
12 Jon Galaxy: "Shelter?"
13 Kadet: "Horizon"
14 Wayne Feldman: "Calling on You"
15 DM Stith: "Your god is a Lion recently fed, drowsy"

[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - Woman at the Well
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - I Can't Even Lift My head

Annuals - "Such Fun" Analysis

2008-10-27T10:42:00.006-06:00

I made a decision a few months ago when I started receiving promos watermarked with my name and website in case I should try to share a song with a friend to suggest the cd, that I'd not be reviewing such records. It's not because I'm a spiteful long-time file-sharer who gets joy out of giving people albums for free, quite the opposite actually.

I think most people who know me would tell you I'm a strong advocate for actually buying music, preferably the physical product too. I buy merch from bands who I go see for free because I write a blog, I buy the vinyl versions of albums I get digital advances of and really love. Why am I telling you this? To let you know that I happen to really like music and would like those who make it to be able to financially find it viable to continue doing so. Nevertheless, I had made up my mind: watermarked cd's weren't getting any facetime on my blog. I just didn't like the feeling of it, the unspoken exchange of, "Will you give my client some press but be willing to face jail time should you share your favorite song if it's not the authorized sample track and then encourage people to buy the album with a link directing them right to the purchase page?"

Nevertheless, here I am a few months after recieving Annuals second LP, Such Fun, telling you how fantastic it is. It's so fantastic that I literally couldn't get past the first track ("Confessor") this morning during a 20 minute car ride, I just kept starting it over, listening to it's beautiful block harmonies, intricate 90's alt-rock guitar lines, and harmonic strings over and over and over again. I plan on getting past this track on the way home, though. There are lots of gems on this album, see, from the country-stomp Hair Don't Grow to the delicate and pleasant piano and string ballad The Tape, a song which will make just about anyone want to score a film.

Front-man Adam Baker and backing vocal extraordinare/guitarist/Sunfold ringleader Kenny Florence obviously have a terrible case of musical ADD, but I've never found myself wishing they didn't. Being able to pair country clap-alongs, Jon Brion-esque, semi-worless piano ballads, Jazz guitar sensabilities, Indie neuroticism, and an obvious, slightly-veiled love for 90's alt-rock in a way that is musically pleasing is a downright accomplishment, and for that the band of Raleigh-Chapel Hill'ians should be proud - as should you.

EDIT: Apparently, the band will be on Conan tonight.

[mp3] Annuals - Confessor

Buy Such Fun here.

Atlas Sound Celebrates Halloween

2008-10-27T09:25:00.003-06:00

I make no qualms about not being able to get into Deerhunter. I just don't get what's appealing about them to be honest, but for some reason Bradford Cox's (Deerhunter frontman) solo side-project Atlas Sound totally appeals to me. Bradford has released some free of charge mp3's for you in time for Halloween, and they're spectacular.

Think more Danny Elfman or eve Jon Brion does Halloween then say, Cradle of Filth, but I like that. They're what I think can best be described as circus music; samples of heavily reverbed laughter waft in and out of the stereo image, while glockenspiels tinker playfully, yet sinisterly in the foreground. It's the kind of thing I'd imagine sounds even better when one is under the influence of narcotics, but since I choose not to engage in such activities you'll have to decide for yourself.

[mp3] Atlas Sound - Danse Macabre
[mp3] Atlas Sound - Danse Infernale

Matador Delays the Brighten The Corners Re-issue

2008-10-23T11:33:00.005-05:00

Exactly one month ago to the day we told you about a seriously sweet piece of news: Matador was re-issuing Pavement's Brighten the Corners, one of my favorite jams of theirs, and ironically an album I spent most of yesterday listening to. Well, before you get too excited about it's upcoming release, you should know it's been pushed back due to some slacker at the vinyl pressing plant.

Curse you, vinyl plant slacker! At any rate, we'll still get all that unreleased, live, demoey goodness at some point soon, just not right this second. No exact date has been re-scheduled, but I'll letcha know when I know. In the meantime, I'm going to go play Old to Begin at ridiculously high volumes.

[mp3] Pavement - Old to Begin
[mp3] Pavement - Passat Dream

Do all these Mangum sightings possibly mean a NMH reunion?

2008-10-22T14:19:00.006-05:00

In case you haven't looked at an mp3 blog this week: Neutral Milk Hotel front-man Jeff Mangum has turned up on several stops of the Elephant 6 Surprise Holiday tour to sing along with his old buddies from various Elephant 6 bands, namely Julian Koster's Music Tapes. Seeing Jeff Mangum twice in one week is sort of like the equivalent of running into anyone else 55 times in an hour, as we've only seen the reclusive, and seamingly slightly agoraphobic singer a handful of times since the late 1990's.

So, all these sightings have people asking; "Is there a reunion planned?!" Well, of course that's impossible for me to know dear reader, but I have a tieline in mind that I'd like to openly propose to anyone close to Merge, Neutral Milk Hotel, or Jeff Mangum who might be out there. By now, the quarterly royalty checks from In The Aeroplane Over the Sea have to be running a bit thin, so I'm sure Jeff has taken to some unfortunate day job - let me propose this as a means of correcting this:

1.) January 2009 - Jeff Mangum releases cryptic press release with shadowy, impossible to make out photograph of himself playing a piano, promising an upcoming album of some sorts.

2.) March 2009 - Merge announced upcoming release of Jeff Mangum solo album, featuring everyone who has ever lived in Athens, Georgia - world goes crazy.

3.) May 2009 - Merge releases Jeff Mangum solo album, with promises of a ten-city tour of the U.S.

4.) June 2009 - Days after the release of said solo album, Jeff gets cold feet and decides to sink back into hiding out in his basement, or whatever he's been doing all these years.

5.) Late June 209 - Pitchfork gives album a 10.176, officially breaking the ten point barrier for the first time ever.

6.) October 2009 - Jeff Mangum peaks out from behind a curtain at some show in New York and the world goes crazy with rumors of that tour happening after all and another Jeff Mangum album coming out.

7.) October 2010 - Neutral Milk Hotel plays a show in Athens and a show in New York. Now thirty-something hipsters go crazy, spend their entire trust fund to fly there and pay 350 dollars for a ticket to the show on craigslist.

8.) Jeff sinks back into reclusiveness until the funds start to wear thin again. We live happily until then.

[mp3] Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
[mp3] Neutral Milk Hotel - Naomi
[mp3] Neutral Milk Hotel - Engine (Live)

Hockey Night Dudes + James Murphy Make a Band!

2008-10-20T15:14:00.006-05:00

This is some of the best news I've ever heard: one of my longtie favorite under the radar bands has been Hockey Night, I fell in love with them after hearing their song For Guys Eyes Only several years ago, which has been a staple on all of my summer playlists since that moment. Well, sadly Hockey Night is not band any longer, but they have formed a "classic rock" band with LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy! This combination of greatness is surely to yeild nothing but excellence.

The album is due out early '09, but the project is as yet untitled.

[mp3] Hockey Night - For Guys Eyes Only

Department of Eagles do two new songs at Daytrotter!

2008-10-20T14:31:00.002-05:00

My recent point of over-the-top affection, Brooklyn's Department of Eagles, stopped by Daytrotter to do the Daytrotter thing and brought along with them two new songs, not on their recently released In Ear Park. The songs, 1997, and What Is Your Problem?, are fantastic, and Dan, Fred, and company also brought along my favorite In Ear Park cut, Herringbone.

Go have a listen.

[mp3] Department of Eagles - Too Little, Too Late (JoJo Cover)

Mark Kozelek Announces Covers Album

2008-10-20T10:05:00.004-05:00

Red House Painter, Sun Kil Mooner, CEO of Caldo Verde records, and being the only guy left with his 90's haircut still perfectly in tact. Mark Kozelek is truly a busy man! His latest edition to the Caldo Verde catalog, and sure to make a great stocking stuffer for sad people everywhere, is the Finally LP: ten songs, 4 unreleased, 8 covers, two originals.

The covers range from Low and Husker Du to a song from Yo Gabba Gabba (the show for little kids) and a Stephen Sondheim cover. Yes, that Stephen Sondheim - I don't know, I could see Mark playing a convincing off-broadway Tobias Ragg.

The Finally LP:

01 Piano Song *
02 Finally [Kath Bloom cover]
03 New Partner [Will Oldham/Palace Music cover]
04 Send in The Clowns [Stephen Sondheim cover]
05 Lazy [Low cover]
06 Bedtime Lullaby [Jarond Gibbs/"Yo Gabba Gabba!" cover]
07 Celebrated Summer [Hüsker Dü cover] *
08 My Friend Bob [Dom Leone cover]
09 If You Want Blood [AC/DC cover] *
10 Gaping Mouth *

* previously unreleased

[mp3] Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio
[mp3] Sun Kil Moon - Like the River

Death Cab for Cutie @ The Crocodile Cafe - May 26, 2000

2008-10-17T09:34:00.008-05:00

Continuing with the Friday live material, we have a young Death Cab for Cutie in May of the year 2000, 5 months after we all thought the world was going to end, playing the sadly defunct hometown Crocodile Cafe. This is my favorite recording of the band, purely for set-list purposes, because while President of What? takes two attempts, and No Joy in Mudville (the best song Gibbard ever wrote, in my opinion) is a little less then perfect - this is a song-selection dream for me; heavy on the Facts.

[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Title Track (We Have the Facts...)
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Lowell, MA
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Underwater
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Company Calls Epilogue
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - For What Reason
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Scientist Studies
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - The Employment Pages
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - State St. Residential
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - President of What? (Failed attempt)
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - President of What?
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - No Joy in Mudville
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - Amputations

M. Ward @ The Chicago Theater - May 8, 2007

2008-10-17T09:07:00.003-05:00

In the early summer of 2007, M. Ward set out on a tour opening the stage for Norah Jones. Ceasing an opportunity to both win over some of the older audience members as well as cover some of his favorite artists, Matt played a setlist that was comprised of half covers, a few performed with Norah, and half originals - completely solo. Below is a recording of one of those fantastic sets from the Chicago Theater on May 8, 2007.

[mp3] M. Ward - Blue Bayou (w/ Norah Jones) (Roy Orbison)
[mp3] M. Ward - Guess Things Happen That Way (w/ Norah Jones)
[mp3] M. Ward - One Life Away (w/ Norah Jones)
[mp3] M. Ward - Chinese Translation
[mp3] M. Ward - When I Saw You (The Ronettes)
[mp3] M. Ward - Duet for Guitars #3
[mp3] M. Ward - Poor Boy, Minor Key
[mp3] M. Ward - Someday (Louis Armstrong)
[mp3] M. Ward - Sentimental Blues (Ray Charles)
[mp3] M. Ward - Undertaker

M. Ward Confirms New Solo LP!

2008-10-16T11:27:00.004-05:00

If you've been around here very long, you know what nearly-unrivaled affection we have for everyone's favorite soft-spoken Portland folkie, Matt Ward. While we enjoyed She & Him and all, we've long been awaiting the follow-up to 2006's wonderful Post-War, and now, thanks to the miracle of the internets, we know it's on it's way.

The album is called Hold Time, and M. says rather definitively that it will be out, presumably via Merge, in February. We'll let Paste take it from here:

"I just finished a record that's going to be out in February," Ward tells Paste. "It's called Hold Time. I'm excited for people to hear it. I tried a new balance on this new record. It's a little hard to explain. There's a lot of really big and heavy sounds that I attempted to balance with sounds that you can find in any guitar shop." "It's such a great album," gushes his She & Him bandmate Deschanel. "I think it's my favorite album... ever."

We know, you're more excited than you have been since we told you M, Jimmy James, and Conor were working together again.

[mp3] M. Ward - Requiem
[mp3] My Morning Jacket - Nashville to Kentucky (Live - KVRX)
[mp3] Conor Oberst - I don't Wanna Die

Early Voting Begins, Final Debate Tonight, Don't Be a Slacker

2008-10-15T09:38:00.004-05:00

Hopefully all of you registered to vote. If not, you can see if you still have time by browsing this list and finding your state. I hope all of you have been keeping informed, as Early Voting is now underway in all states that allow it. I, for one, plan on making my way to the early polling location today after work to cast my ballot. I knew who I wanted to vote for last May and nothing has changed my mind so far, as intelligent as Mrs. Palin is and stable as Mr. McCain is. If you haven't yet made your mind up, though, you can watch the third and final presidential debate this evening.

Knowledge is power, my friends, and we haven't had much of it in the White House the last eight years. I, for one, hope to see that change this November.

[mp3] Throw Me The Statue - Take it or Leave it
[mp3] Bright Eyes - When the President Talks to God
[mp3] AA Bondy - Vice Rag
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens - Chicago
[mp3] Pedro the Lion - Arizona
[mp3] Death Cab for Cutie - President of What?

Ra Ra Riot Do Letterman, Extend Tour!

2008-10-15T09:17:00.004-05:00

In case you don't remember me gushing about their Barsuk debut, The Rhumb Line, let me remind you: The Rhumb Line is really good, which brings me to my next point. All of us down south who were left out on the band's initial jaunt will now be treated to a special wintery evening with the Syracuse 5-piece. Some dates have been announced in the South (and one in Baltimore) fresh on the heels of a fantastic showing on Letterman. Dates, and youtube of said performance, lurk below. My day just got better.

Ra Ra Riot 2008 Tour Dates
10/14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Soundfix
10/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's * %
10/16 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom % *
10/17 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10/18 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East Downstairs * %

10/25 - London @ Push - Astoria 2
10/26 - London @ London Forum $
10/28 - Newcastle @ Newcastle Academy $
10/29 - Glasgow @ Glasgow Barrowlands $
10/30 - Liverpool @ Liverpool Academy $
10/31 - Bristol @ Bristol Academy $
12/03 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground # !
12/04 - Albany, NY @ Valentines # !
12/05 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall !
12/09 - Newport, KY @ Southgate House # !
12/11 - Louisville, KY @ 930 Listening Room # !
12/12 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In # !
12/14 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle # !
12/16 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar # !

# with So Many Dynamos
* with Walter Meego
% with the morning benders
$ with Vampire Weekend
! with Princeton

[mp3] Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell

Bob Dylan @ WFMT Chicago - May 1963

2008-10-14T13:59:00.004-05:00

Occasionally the miracle of the internet reveals itself to me anew when I discover something so special and unexpected it makes my day. Never has something been the case as much as this, a very early Radio session from a very young Dylan performing some of his best songs on a scratchy old tape recording from Chicago's WFMT. No exact date is known on this recording, just that it took place in the month of May in the year 1963. One month after the recording of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan was completed in New York City.

Bob Dylan - Live on WFMT Chicago - May 1963

MP3'S REMOVED

Centro-matic / South San Gabriel Announce Tour Dates

2008-10-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Our favorite Texans, Centro-matic, and their slightly larger, slightly more orchestral, and slightly more sensitive alter-ego South San Gabriel will hit the road for a few dates on the East Coast and Southeast. Besides being wonderful news for me, this is wonderful news for any of you in the cities below. Seriously, you better be there.

Centro-matic 2008 Tour Dates
Saturday 11/08 - Austin - Fun Fun Fun Fest (Stage 1 @ 1pm) *
Tuesday 11/11 - St Louis - Off Broadway *
Wednesday 11/12 - Chicago - Schuba's *
Thursday 11/13 - Chicago - Hide Out *
Friday 11/14 - Indianapolis - Radio Radio *
Saturday 11/15 - Buffalo - Mohawk Place *
Sunday 11/16 - Boston - Middle East *
Monday 11/17 - New York - Mercury Lounge *
Tuesday 11/18 - Brooklyn - The Bell House *
Wednesday 11/19 - DC - Rock n' Roll Hotel *
Thursday 11/20 - Chapel Hill - Local 506 *
Friday 11/21 - Athens - 40 Watt *
Saturday 11/22 - M'Boro, TN - Wall Street #

*w/ Chris Flemmons of the Baptist Generals
#w/ Glossary

[mp3] Centro-matic - Two Seats Gold Reserved
[mp3] South San Gabriel - When The Angels Will Put Out Their Lights