heaven is a feeling i get in your arms

Bat For Lashes — September 28, 2007 @ El Mocambo


Setlist:
Intro - Pearl's Dream
Trophy
Tahiti
Horse And I
Missing Time
I Saw A Light
Sad Eyes
The Wizard
Bat's Mouth
Sarah
Lonely (Tom Waits Cover)
Prescilla
Encore: Moon + Moon

i've been under the ground, eating prayers from this old book i found

Great Lake Swimmers have released a free 5-song live EP from their sold-out show at Toronto's Church of the Redeemer back in April 14, 2007. The show featured backing vocals by the lovely Basia Bulat and strings by the virtuoso Owen Pallett. Don't forget, Great Lake Swimmers are playing for FREE at Criminal Records in Toronto this evening (7:00pm) and at Phoenix Concert Theatre on Saturday.

Moving Pictures Silent Films (Live) [wicked-cool song]
Various Stages (Live) [wicked-cool song]
I Am Part Of A Large Family (Live) [wicked-cool song]
Put There By The Land (Live) [wicked-cool song]
There Is A Light (Live) [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Great Lake Swimmers albums here

i've strangled necks of ages with the fabric of new words

There is really no point to write a brand new review for the upcoming A Wilhelm Scream record, Career Suicide, since my opinion for it is pretty much the same as Ruiner (and because I am lazy). Career Suicide is again another incredible punk rock/post hardcore album full of unforgettable guitar riffs, lightning fast rhythms, and aggrieve vocals. What I forgot to mention in the previous post is that A Wilhelm Scream have the magic ability to create insanely catchy and perfectly timed hooks. In short, Career Suicide will surprise listeners with endless memorable melodies and it is by far, the year’s best punk record.

Jaws 3, People 0 [wicked-cool song]
Cold Slither II [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Career Suicide comes out on October 9th, you can pre-order it here

out this week

What a weird release week: three dramatic changes in musical style coming from PJ Harvey, Iron and Wine, and Múm… it’s like The Twilight Zone!!!

The Weakerthans: Reunion Tour
The highly-anticipated and long-awaited follow-up to Reconstruction Site is another lycially satisfying record by The Weakerthans.

Civil Twilight [wicked-cool song]
Reunion Tour [wicked-cool song]

buy Reunion Tour here


PJ Harvey: White Chalk
Hauntingly gorgeous!!! PJ Harvey has taken a brand new direction on White Chalk: musically, the angry rock guitar melodies are replaced by haunting piano notes whereas vocally, her commanding deep voice is replaced by mesmerizing soft tones as well as unusual high pitches.

The Devil [wicked-cool song]
When Under Ether [wicked-cool song]

White Chalk is out this week in the UK, but it won't be out till next week in North America


The New Amsterdams: At The Foot Of My Rival

Hughes
Fortunate Fool

buy At The Foot Of My Rival here


Iron & Wine: Sheperd's Dog

Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
Boy With a Coin [wicked-cool song]

buy Sheperd's Dog here


Tiny Masters of Today: Bang Bang Boom Cake
Two kids (13-year-old Ivan and 11-year-old Ada) making rebellious punk songs – wickedly entertaining!!! Already had a profound impact in the UK, Bang Bang Boom Cake will try to make some noise in North America this week.

Stickin' It to the Man [wicked-cool song]
Bushy [wicked-cool song]

buy Bang Bang Boom Cake here


Múm: Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy
So different... ???

They Made Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded
Dancing Behind My Eyelids

buy Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy here


Two Gallants: Two Gallants
A good folk rock record full of heart and soul! Indeed, it is a giant step up from What The Toll Tells.

The Deader [wicked-cool song]
Despite What You've Been Told [wicked-cool song]

buy Two Gallants here


Devendra Banhart: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

Shabop Shalom

buy Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon here

***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

preview

Say Anything has just posted a brand new song entitled "Skinny Mean Man" on their MySpace homepage. The song is taken from the band's highly anticipated double album, In Defense of the Genre, out on October 23rd.

Pre-order an autographed CD here

tomorrow!

One of the best horror movies of all time, Suspiria (1977), will be out on a 2-disc special edition DVD tomorrow! Not only is Dario Argento’s classic Italian horror a cinematic masterpiece, but it also features a very memorable soundtrack by Goblin as well.

Goblin - Suspiria [super-wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

see a penny pick it up and all day you'll have good luck

Watch YACHT performs "See A Penny (Pick It Up)" on Retread Session #3.


See A Penny (Pick It Up) [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real here

if you don’t sleep then i won’t sleep, we’re such close friends that we’re the best of friends

At the moment, I am sort of crazy about Cutting Pink With Knives’s latest album, Populuxxe even though I have only been listening to it for a few days. Populuxxe is an experimental electro scremo album... I guess I probably need to explain that a little. If I have to compare, Cutting Pink With Knives’ style closely resemble The Blood Brothers. They have similar tempo and guitar works; in addition, their vocal delivery occasionally reminds me of The Blood Brothers as well. Likewise, Cutting Pink With Knives is also like Enter Shikari, but better because their music seem less serious and less ambitious. With the longest song running at only 2:19, Populuxxe is fast, wild, and exceptionally energetic!

St. Mark
See Emm Sea
IDIC
Laser Hannon
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Populuxxe here

evil don’t look like anything

Okkervil River — September 21, 2007 @ Lee's Palace

i sowed a rose underneath the oak grove

Watch PJ Harvey performs "Grow Grow Grow" on French television.


Grow Grow Grow [wicked-cool song]
Broken Harp [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

White Chalk comes out on September 24th in the UK, you can pre-order it here

is this all you care about?

I don’t usually compare bands to The Arcade Fire; however, I have no choice but to reference them to describe Forward March! by The Strange Death of Liberal England. TSDOLE’s (unfortunately short) debut album carries a very similar musical quality as The Arcade Fire. For instance, the music of Forward March! is full of very rich and grand scale marching band-like sound. Likewise, the arrangement of a song usually begins with quiet and simple instruments that eventually crescendo to multi-layers instrumentations and vocals is also very Arcade Fire like. I must note that The Strange Death of Liberal England is NOT an Arcade Fire rip-off band, it just so happened that both bands utilize similar musical motifs. TSDOLE are fresh and promising; in fact, I prefer them over The Arcade Fire as Forward March! is an outstanding record.

Modern Folk Song [wicked-cool song]
An Old Fashioned War [wicked-cool song]
I Saw Evil [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

buy Forward March! here

aarrr!!!

Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!!!
Learn how to talk like a pirate here.

face swelled up like a rainbow trout

The mighty Hadouken! will be releasing a mixtape entitled Not Here To Please You on November 12.

Tracklist:
Leap Of Faith
Bounce
Girls
Love, Sweat & Beer
Dance Lesson
You Can't Be That
Liquid Lives (Noisia Remix)
Tuning In (H! Rerub)
Bloc Party Vs Hadouken! Remix
Plan B Vs Hadouken! Remix
Bolt Action 5 Vs Hadouken! Remix

Liquid Lives
That Boy That Girl [super-wicked-cool song]
Tuning In [wicked-cool song]

Plan B - No More Eatin' (Hadouken! Remix) [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

out this week

PJ Harvey: White Chalk Single
First single off PJ Harvey’s stunning 8th studio album, White Chalk.

When Under Ether [super-wicked-cool song]

buy White Chalk 7" here


Babyshambles: Delivery Singles
Brand new Babyshambles single supporting their new album, Shotter's Nation, out on October 1st!!! You can get the single on two CDs and a 7"!!!

Delivery

buy Delivery Singles here


Kevin Drew: Spirit If...
A surprisingly great solo debut by one of the founding members of Broken Social Scene. It features many BSS motifs such as uneven and unorderly dynamics, melodic and unwinding timbre, and the big and triumphant sound.

Farewell To The Pressure Kids [wicked-cool song]
Back Out On The... [wicked-cool song]

buy Spirit If... here


Basia Bulat: Oh, My Darling
Oh, My Darling is a collection of some very gorgeous tunes and it is an ideal companion for those peaceful autumn walks.

Little One [wicked-cool song]
(see my review for Oh, My Darling a few posts ago for more songs)

buy Oh, My Darling here


Example: What We Made

Milk Your Goat
Popcorn & Fisticuffs [wicked-cool song]

buy What We Made here


Dropkick Murphys: The Meanest Of Times
Be sure to add this celebratory fast tempo and raw vocals album to your Celtic punk collection!

Tomorrow's Industry [wicked-cool song]
(F)lannigan's Ball [wicked-cool song]

buy The Meanest Of Times here


Akron/Family: Love Is Simple
Love Is Simple is wonderfully jam-packed with chants, weird noises, as well as witty and unusual interlopes to create an utterly strange atmosphere from start to finish.

Ed is a Portal [wicked-cool song]
Of All the Things [wicked-cool song]

buy Love Is Simple here


Motion City Soundtrack: Even If It Kills Me

Last Night
Point Of Extinction

buy Even If It Kills Me here


Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends
This is one fine indie rock/post-punk record! ...and I absolutely LOVE the album cover!!!

The Equestrian
Brace Yourself [wicked-cool song]

buy Let's Stay Friends here

***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

all i wanna do is...

Watch M.I.A. performs "Paper Planes" on Late Show with David Letterman:

don't you know it's bad luck to stay in one place for too long

About two months ago, a reader recommended an artist named Basia Bulat based on my love for St. Vincent. Boy, what a great suggestion! To a degree, Basia Bulat’s debut, Oh, My Darling does remind me of St. Vincent, especially songs like "I Was A Daughter", "Snakes And Ladders", "Little One", and "The Pilgriming Vine" where the rich instrumentals produce some beautiful multi-texture layers of music. On the other hand, tracks like "Little Waltz", "Bird Of Paradise", and "Secret" are as bare and as gentle as songs from Dear Companion by Meg Baird. Oh, My Darling is essentially a collection of some very gorgeous tunes and it is an ideal companion for those peaceful autumn walks.

Little Waltz
Snakes And Ladders [wicked-cool song]
Secret [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Oh, My Darling is out in Europe via Rough Trade and it will hit stores in Canada tomorrow (18)!

i like candy when it's wrapped in a sweater

Early this week, I saw White Williams (a band which I had no prior knowledge of) open for Girl Talk. I was pretty impressed with their visually stimulating set; in fact, I enjoyed their performance so much that I bought their CD, Smoke, after the show. White Williams is one of those bands that is very difficult to categorize because their sound is very diverse and their style derive from so many different styles/genres. With that being said, let me try my best to describe what White William sound like: ultimately, Smokes is a strange sounding album that combines ambient noise with electronic elements. The addition of Kevin Shields and Grizzly Bear-like low-key vocal style helps to create a psychedelic and lethargic feel. Indeed, Smokes is a superb debut; but White Williams live is even better and you should definitely try to make it to one of their remaining Girl Talks dates or catch them open for Battles later on this fall.

New Violence [wicked-cool song]
The Shadow
Route To Palm [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Smoke comes out on October 30, stay tuned for pre-order details

if things start splitting at the seams and now...

Band of Horses will be kicking off a national headlining tour beginning October 30 in Charlottesville, Virginia with special guest The Drones.

Oct 30, 2007 @ Satellite Ballroom in Charlottesville, VA
Nov 1, 2007 @ Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC
Nov 2, 2007 @ 9:30 Club in Washington, DC
Nov 3, 2007 @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, RI
Nov 4, 2007 @ Terminal 5 in New York, NY
Nov 6, 2007 @ Toad's Place in New Haven, CT
Nov 7, 2007 @ Pearl Street in Northampton, MA
Nov 8, 2007 @ La Tuilpe in Montreal, QC
Nov 9, 2007 @ Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, ON
Nov 10, 2007 @ Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac, MI
Nov 12, 2007 @ Metro in Chicago, IL
Nov 14, 2007 @ First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN
Nov 15, 2007 @ The Aquarium (Dempsey's Upstairs) in Fargo, ND
Nov 17, 2007 @ The Filling Station in Bozeman, MT
Nov 18, 2007 @ Neurolux in Boise, ID
Nov 19, 2007 @ Showbox in Seattle, WA
Nov 20, 2007 @ Showbox in Seattle, WA
Nov 21, 2007 @ Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR
Nov 23, 2007 @ Mezzanine in San Francisco, CA
Nov 24, 2007 @ Avalon LA in Los Angeles, CA
Nov 26, 2007 @ Glass House in Pomona, CA

No One's Gonna Love You [wicked-cool song]
Window Blues
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

You can now pre-order BoH's gorgeous new album Cease to Begin at their official store.

where are your legs that used to run

I guess it is fair to say that I have a soft spot for Celtic punk as I have been a longtime fan of bands like Flogging Molly and especially Shane MacGowan and The Pogues! My love for the genre will continue to grow as Dropkick Murphys are set to release their sixth album entitled The Meanest of Times this coming Tuesday (Sept 18). As always, the band’s exceptional ability to blend punk rock and Celtic folk is evident throughout the new record. Perhaps tracks such as "The State of Massachusetts", "Flannigan's Ball", "Loyal To No-One" and the traditional Irish anti-war song, "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya" are perfect examples that exhibit from the best of both worlds. The Meanest of Times is everything a fan could ask for as the celebratory fast tempo and raw vocals will no doubt satisfy everyone.

The State of Massachusetts [wicked-cool song]
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

The Meanest Of Times comes out on September 18th, you can pre-order it here

new florists chinese pop demos

The Florists have create a new MySpace account featuring four rough demos, check them out here!

The Florists - Stolen Love [super-wicked-cool song]


In other news, Jamie T begins his first US tour tonight in New York:

09.13.07 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (18+)
09.14.07 - Brooklyn, NY @ Sound Fix Records (free all ages performance solo-acoustic at 6pm)
09.15.07 - Philadelphia, PA @ North Star (21+)
09.18.07 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas (21+)
09.19.07 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry (18+)
09.22.07 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Cafe (21+)
09.23.07 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (21+)
09.25.07 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s (All ages)
09.26.07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour (All ages)

Jamie T - Sheila [wicked-cool song]

buy Panic Prevention here


Lastly, Great Lake Swimmers will be performing live at Criminal Records in downtown Toronto for free on Thursday, September 27 at 7pm!

Great Lake Swimmers - Changing Colours [wicked-cool song]

buy Ongiara here

***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

bring em out, bring em out

Girl Talk with Dan Deacon and White Williams — September 12, 2007 @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

White Williams:

Dan Deacon:

Girl Talk: