February 2012
3 posts
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So..........South By Southwest.
A few of you charming people have asked me about that wonderful weirdness that happens every year in Austin, commonly known as South By Southwest. By no means do I consider myself an expert in regards to this renowned music festival. However, I have gone for several years now, and would be more than happy to impart any and all knowledge I have upon you, my lovely and loyal readers. So, without...
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Play of the day:
“Page 28” - Sleeping At Last, Yearbook: August EP
Well this is just lovely. Give the words a good listen, too.
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Play of the Day:
“Upward Over the Mountain” - Jesse Lacey, Iron and Wine cover
Whether or not you are an Iron and Wine fan, or a Brand New fan for that matter, this cover will knock your socks off. Jesse is brilliant. Also, bonus points to whoever catches his mess-up in the middle of a verse… Proof that he is human I suppose.
January 2012
8 posts
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Play of the Day:
“Clark Gable” - The Postal Service, Give Up
“And I want life in every word
To the extent that it’s absurd”
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Listen to Nada Surf's new album!
Nada Surf’s upcoming album, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, is up for the listenin’ here! Me? I’m waiting ‘til I buy it to listen. What can I say? I need a little more suspense in my life. It’s gonna be aaawwEeeesoOO00oomeeee. But don’t take my word for it… As it says so eloquently in the description on NPR’s First Listen,
“Now seven...
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WE ARE RISING; Son Lux
So, let me get this straight: NPR contacted Son Lux, aka Ryan Lott, to challenge him, as they have other artists before, to create an entire record in one month-and the shortest one, at that. That’s February, if you didn’t have that one figured out by now. And that after waffling a bit, he responded with a hearty ‘challenge accepted,’ and just popped out We Are Rising?...
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New Song by The Shins!!
GUYS I AM DYING RIGHT NOW THIS IS SO GOOD
New album, Port of Morrow, to be released March 20!
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Great 2011 Albums I Neglected To Mention: Pt. 2
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You
Punky dance-rockin’ Brits get kinda moody, but still sound like they’re from outer space on their sophomore release.
Mates of State - Mountaintops
Chipper boy-girl duo croon and shout over synthy, sunny pop beats.
Feist - Metals
The gal that made using the word “chanteuse” a thing is planking on the cover...
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Great 2011 Albums I Neglected To Mention: Pt. 1
Wild Flag - Wild Flag
They might look like your mom, but they probably rock quite a bit harder. And love Cyndi Lauper more.
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Strum-happy, super-chill slacker boy wants to be just like Neil Young when he grows up.
An Horse - Walls
Punchy electric guitar riffs back funky girl vocals in this perfectly adorable guy-gal duo. For fans of Tegan and Sara.
...
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Now, Now announce second album
For their first release since their 2010 EP Neighbors, Now, Now (one of my all-time favorite bands) recently announced that their sophomore album, Threads, will be released (on Chris Walla’s label!) sometime this spring. Stream “Dead Oaks,” a track off the new album, here!
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Top 9 of '11
These are the albums I listened to the most this year. An absolutely subjective list of my own personal favorites. In alphabetical order:
The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
Dinner and a Suit - Since Our Departure
Eisley - The Valley
The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
James Blake - James Blake
Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math
Mat Kearney - Young Love
Needtobreathe - The...
December 2011
4 posts
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THE YEAR OF HIBERNATION; Youth Lagoon
This album is seriously weird. Like, I’m not really sure what it even is. These songs aren’t fast or upbeat enough to be considered dance music. But I guess they sort of are, with their reverberating synths and hooky beats. …Sort of. What The Year of Hibernation sounds like, more than anything, is a dance record played underwater. With xylophones. I’m telling you, this...
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HIS + HERS; The Hawk In Paris
“The Hawk In Paris wants to know if you will go to the dance with them. Check ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
So says the bio on their Facebook page, and I can think of no better way to introduce this album. The Hawk In Paris have brought us a disarmingly accessible record that will draw you immediately into its microcosm of shimmering dance-pop. At parts you can’t...
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SCANDALOUS; Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
Joe Lewis hails from Austin, and I’ve seen his band’s name on the bill for plenty of venues around town but just recently got around to enjoying his latest offering. Let the record show I’ve heard good things about his live show, as well. Scandalous is pure throwback, with whiskey-strong garage rock guitars backing straight blues vocals that sound cut-and-pasted from the...
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DEAS VAIL; Deas Vail
I am ever-so-gradually warming up to the new Deas Vail record. Until recently, this has been one with a few songs that hook me immediately (“Common Sense,” “Sixteen,” “The Right Mistakes”), but the rest leaving me feeling a little iffy. Howeverrrrrrr, as of late the album as a whole is really growing on me. It’s a tad more subtle than the bold hooks of...
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HELLO SADNESS; Los Campesinos!
Ever wondered what the quintessential indie band sounds like? I think I may have found your guys. Los Campesinos! walk the line between raucous and mellow, resulting in an earnest effort with a touch of melodrama. Their sound is a little messy here and there, true to the lo-fi vibe that epitomizes indie cool these days. However, not all is lost in convoluted indie muddle; there is much to be...
November 2011
7 posts
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jhnmyr:
Learning lap steel.
Hey John Mayer...
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A Bunch of Really Awesome xx Covers
Enjoy.
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TAKE CARE; Drake
Now, I am no expert on rap. I will be the first to attest to that. But I do enjoy it from time to time, and Drake is one of my faves. I like that his albums are more than just party music (although I wouldn’t be surprised to hear the title track, which features Rihanna, get some airtime). Drake is a real person with a real life, and he’s a darn good songwriter to boot. He talks about...
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Artist Profile: Iceage
Hailing from Denmark, Iceage are a reincarnation of sorts of the typical teenage garage band. Their debut album New Brigade is a raucous affair, a flurry of energy and noise that might not appeal to many audiences but will certainly resonate with punk purists. They resurrect seemingly long-lost ideals of making music as loud and rebellious-sounding as possible just for the hell of it. And hey,...
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ENOUGH THUNDER; James Blake
Y’all know I love James Blake. I probably write about him too much. You’re probably sick and tired of hearing about him. No big deal - it’s my blog and I can write about whatever I want! And today I’d like to write about his newest release, Enough Thunder.
This album (EP?) is not really anything too far from the beaten path in terms of Blake’s earlier EP’s...
October 2011
10 posts
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STRANGE NEGOTIATIONS; David Bazan
David Bazan is not a man to waste words. He makes no qualms about getting straight to the point, both lyrically and musically. And honestly, there is simply no need to embellish his bare bones songwriting. There’s not much one could add to his solemn strumming and deep, pensive voice that could improve upon them. And Strange Negotiations confirms this. Though it has its louder moments,...
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LIGHTS; Ellie Goulding
I’ve heard mention of our friend Ellie for a while and just recently got around to listening to her. She has a very distinctive voice, and I like her singer-songwriter vibe. Dance-y elements are a trademark on this album, and they accent her aforementioned vibe in an interesting way that I’m not sure very many others in the industry are able to pull off. Unlike most of the indulgent...
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Artist Profile: Gary Clark Jr.
Gary Clark Jr. is a bright, shining beacon of hope for modern blues guitar. While John Mayer has been holding down the fort quite nicely (in my opinion) for some time now, it gets lonely on the top. Well, he certainly has some worthy company in our friend Gary. His soulful crooning and vintage riffs are reminiscent of the classic legends; Hendrix and Clapton are heavy influences. Good...
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BETWEEN THE CONCRETE AND CLOUDS; Kevin Devine
I’ve heard Kevin Devine’s name before in tandem with references to Brand New (I think they’ve toured together before, and maybe done some co-writing), so I guess I kind of expected a Brand New-ish record from this guy. Well, this is not the case, exactly.
Indeed, Concrete is a rock record in its own right, with a few tracks like “11-17” even adopting a dark,...
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ODD SOUL; Mutemath
First of all, may I just say that all bands of the world should take note that THIS is what good album art looks like.
There’s not really too much to say about Odd Soul, other than it is just really beastly in general and it lived up to—nay, exceeded—my expectations. This album just has really great songwriting, perfect vocals, and, of course, ridiculously amazing drumming....
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WASTING LIGHT; Foo Fighters
Yes, yes, I realize this is a bit overdue. But better late than never, eh?
There are times when I let myself become content with sub-par rock drumming. It was at such a time that Wasting Light entered my life. And I don’t think I’ll ever quite be content with sub-par rock drumming ever again.
As you can probably tell, the drums were my favorite part of this record. Having seen them...
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TRUE LOVES; Hooray For Earth
Hooray For Earth take a little of this and a little of that to make the musical soup of trance-y goodness that is True Loves. I’m typically slow to love anything in the vein of trance or electronica, but the velvety-smooth synths, sharp beats, and rock song structure of the songs on this album intrigued and endeared me to it. This is multi-faceted and melodic music with an epic,...
September 2011
10 posts
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SINCE OUR DEPARTURE; Dinner and a Suit
I came across these guys in a bit of a roundabout way. In fact, I discovered them through Hayley Williams’ recommendation of their mad awesome cover of her own song “In the Mourning”, which has merited previous mentioning on this blog.
This album, though, introduced me to the band on their own terms. These songs are great mellow jams, the kind that you can really just put on...
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Guilty Pleasure Monday!
It’s Monday, and you know what that means! Yes, it means exiting the glorious dreamland of the Weekend and subjecting yourself once more to the vicious regime of the Man. Yes, it means enduring the Universe’s scorn as you inevitably spill some food or drink item on yourself. Yes, it means succumbing to the inexorable tug of Corporate America, draining away your life force more steadily...
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ACL 2011!
I won’t bore you with lengthy ramblings, but here’s a super short summary (think Mike’s-Super-Short-Show short) of most everybody I saw at ACL this last weekend:
Young the Giant - Saw the very last song, wish I had gotten there earlier. Amazing energy.
Alexander - Great vibes. Loved his straw hat and graffiti’d guitar.
City and Colour - What an extraordinary voice! Even...
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NEVER TRUST A HAPPY SONG; Grouplove
While Grouplove would perhaps posit that you should be wary of happy songs, I would add that neither should you trust every album title: their debut is nothing if not happy. No, perhaps not always bouncing-off-the-walls cheerful, but the buoyant dance-folk that comprises Never Trust a Happy Song has an undeniable, underlying current of joy keeping it afloat. Think Mates of State meets Edward...
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ALEXANDER; Alexander
Alexander is that guy from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. His name isn’t Edward. Yeah, it was a bit of a letdown for me, too. Also, his last name is apparently Ebert… What an awful name. If I was him, I would do exactly the same as he did and drop that sucker.
This album has all the wonderful weirdness of Edward Sharpe’s merry ensemble, minus the ensemble. Most of...
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Play of the Day:
“Wait It Out” -...
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YOUNG LOVE; Mat Kearney
Every so often there comes an album that I’m sort of attached at the hip to. The kind of album that I feel like I’m cheating on if I listen to anything else. Not because I feel obligated towards that album, but because I would really just rather be listening to that album than anything else.
I try going out with other albums, but the whole time I’m just kicking my feet...
August 2011
2 posts
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The Ultimate Bromance.
Well, that was a nice break. But it’s certainly much, much, much nicer to be back.
I had been contemplating writing on here again for a bit but really it all culminated today in my happy discovery of a blesséd collaboration between two of my very favorite men in music: James Blake and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver, y’all). I mean, how could I not shout this news from the mountaintops...
July 2011
8 posts
Dear Followers,
I will be taking a break from music blogging for a while. If you can find it in your precious little heart to continue following me, I believe I’ll be back eventually. If not, I understand if you simply must unfollow me. Either way, I just feel the need to focus on other pursuits for a bit. Thanks for your ever-faithful readership!
All my love,
Katie
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LITTLE HELL; City and Colour
Dallas Green of City and Colour is, in his own way, a modern voice of soul. On Little Hell, he explores this facet of his identity thoroughly, even channeling gospel in some tracks, like the last one, an acoustic song called “At The Bird’s Foot”. His quintessential acoustic guitar strumming is accented by gracefully lo-fi riffs and drum beats on some tracks, like The Black...
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BON IVER; Bon Iver
I avoided listening to this album for a while because I assumed it was all hype. There. I said it. I’ve got to earn some honesty points for that confession, right? Well, here’s my honest opinion: it’s not hype. It really is all that and a bag of chips. I think Justin Vernon does a great job on this album of keeping a tight, rhythmic feel to the songs, while allowing just enough...
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SUBURBIA; The Wonder Years
Guys, good news! Punk isn’t dead! I bet you were wondering if it was. I mean, there’s enough terrible, wince-worthy, weak-sauce punk wanna-be’s out there right now to downright discourage anyone from holding onto hope for its survival.
Yet amidst the ashes of this auto-tuned mess rise The Wonder Years. Yeah, they’re not the most revolutionary band you’ve ever heard. But somebody’s got to carry on...
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Seventh Annual Busby Foundation Crawfish Boil
The Busby Foundation is a charity founded in honor of the late Bo Busby, who passed away some years ago from ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and the foundation provides financial and emotional support to families affected by this disease. Each year they host a Crawfish Boil and concert fundraiser in Austin to help generate support and awareness for the foundation, and I was...