dosh: wolves and wishes

Wolves and Wishes by Dosh is yet another experimental electronic/ambient instrumental album that conveys a beautiful, peaceful, and dreamlike environment through its music. Similar to works by The Album Leaf, Eluvium, and Our Sleepless Forest, Wolves and Wishes is full of gorgeous abstract sounds that remind me of all the fine things in life and nature!

Don't Wait for the Needle to Drop
First Impossible
Wolves [wicked-cool song]
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visit Dosh's MySpace here
buy Wolves and Wishes here

with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly

Sigur Rós has released the first song off their upcoming record, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. You can download the video and mp3 for "Gobbledigook" here.

no one cares, no one sympathizes. you just stay home and play synthesizers

The boys from HBO's The Flight of the Conchords released their self-titled album from SubPop last month. If you've never watched the shows or aren't a fan of novelty music, you might still like it. Having said that, I think some songs are heightened (or maybe just make a bit more sense) if you know the context in which they’re set (eg: “Leggy Blonde”). So, if you like the songs, then you should watch the DVD too. If you’ve seen the DVD, get the songs because they’ve been reworked here, and are strong enough to stand by themselves and to repeat listening.

Inner City Pressure
Hiphopopotamus vs Rhymenoceros
Think About It
The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)
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visit Flight of the Conchords' MySpace here
buy Flight of the Conchords here

i've been running around, running around

Here's another remix of Mystery Jets' "Hideaway"... it was produced by Erol Alkan, remixed by Switch, then edited by Diplo!

Mystery Jets: Hideaway (Diplo Edit)
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(sort of) new bishi song

Bishi just released a new version of "On My Own Again"... compared to the one from Nights At The Circus, this new version features strings and it is more electronic/disco sounding.

On My Own Again (new version) [wicked-cool song]
On My Own Again (Nights At The Circus version) [wicked-cool song]
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ratatat: lp3

When I first heard Ratatat’s debut album four years ago, I thought it was one of the most original sounding records at the time. On the other hand, I find myself bored and let down by a sound that I once loved when Classics came out in 2006. So with a not so optimistic mindset, I listened to the duo’s third studio full-length, LP3... and boy, I was in for a surprise! LP3 still very much consists that signature Ratatat style; but this time, the duo experimented with more effects and different instruments. As a result, LP3 has more depth and it (thankfully!) sounds more diverse. I am really enjoying Ratatat's new record at the moment and it totally made up for my disappointment in Classics!

Mirando [wicked-cool song]
Shempi [wicked-cool song]
Mumtaz Khan [wicked-cool song]
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visit Ratatat's MySpace here
buy Shiller 7" Single here
LP3 comes out on July 8th, you can pre-order it here

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Patrick Wolf has posted yet another unfinished track on his MySpace. Unfortunately, unlike "Wargames", this one is actually quite disappointing... the track, entitled "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" is 27 seconds of siren-like noise which reminds me of those THX clips shown at the beginning of movies back in the 90s.

Patrick Wolf - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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i have seen you in unlikely and unfamiliar places

Great Lake Swimmers and Tony Dekker have a few shows lined up in Toronto in the next few weeks. First a solo performance by Tony Dekker will take place on May 25 at the Music Gallery as part of the SoundaXis Festival. Next, another solo performance will take place at the Science Centre (yes, the Science Certre!) on June 1. Finally Great Lake Swimmers will perform with Sarah Harmer, Serena Ryder, Hawksley Workman, and Danny Michel at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on June 19.

fleet foxes: ragged wood

I don’t really know why I held off on recommending Fleet Foxes’ Ragged Wood until now as I have been listening the band’s magnificent debut record for about two months now. The best part... or at least my favourite part of Fleet Foxes is the voice of Robin Pecknold. He captures the compelling tone of My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers. His voice is exceptionally powerful but very soft and comforting at the same time. That, along with the equally wonderful folk music is enough to create a surreal and dream-like sensation! Ragged Wood is definitely one of the best records I have heard this year and without a doubt, fans of My Morning Jacket’s It Still Moves and Great Lake Swimmers will certainly love Fleet Foxes!

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song [wicked-cool song]
He Doesn't Know Why [wicked-cool song]
Blue Ridge Mountains [wicked-cool song]
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visit Fleet Foxes' MySpace here
Ragged Wood comes out on June 3rd, you can pre-order it here

"she looks like that dead girl! how sick are you?"

I have to admit, I love Scarlett Johansson’s new album, Anywhere I Lay My Head. Her imperfect voice works perfectly with the spectacular shoegaze sounding music. ScarJo recently performed tracks from her new record on AOL Session, you can download them below.

1. Falling Down [wicked-cool song]
2. Anywhere I Lay My Head [wicked-cool song]
3. Green Grass
4. Who Are You?
5. Yesterday Is Here [wicked-cool song]
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cover song of the moment

Two Cure covers: "Close To Me" by one of my favourite new bands of this year, I Was A Cub Scout; and the second one is The Watson Twins' take on "Just Like Heaven".

I Was A Cub Scout: Close To Me (The Cure cover)
The Watson Twins: Just Like Heaven: Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover)
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cocorosie: god has a voice, she speaks through me

I don’t think I have blogged about Cocorosie since the disappointing cancellation of their North American tour about a year ago. But I have a feeling there will be more posting in the near future especially with a new record on the horizon! The sisters have recently released a new track entitled "God Has A Voice, She Speaks Through Me", and according to Cocorosie’s MySpace, the new album "will continue in the vein of God Has A Voice..., exploring spiritual dance music, driven by oceanic and apocalyptic themes."

God Has A Voice, She Speaks Through Me [wicked-cool song]
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visit Cocorosie's MySpace here
God Has A Voice, She Speaks Through Me limited-edition 7" picture disc comes out on July 8, you can pre-order it here

cover song of the moment

As requested, here is "Some Things Last A Long Time", the Daniel Johnston cover by The Twilight Sad. The track is off of The Twilight Sad's new EP entitled Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did. It comes out on June 9 in UK and Europe and on the 10th in US and Canada via FatCat Records.

The Twilight Sad: Some Things Last A Long Time (Daniel Johnston cover)
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mates of state: re-arrange us

Compared to Team Boo and Bring It Back, Mates of State new record, Re-Arrange Us is definitely the least "hyper" album out of the three. The call and response between Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel is less spontaneous and the music (especially the keyboard) is less abrupt. I actually don’t mind this change of pace. I love (and will miss) the crazy and spastic Mates of State ("Whiner's Bio" and "Middle Is Gold" are classics!); however, Re-Arrange Us' Mates of State are more serious, cohesive, and it just seems like the right time for this change. Nevertheless, much like the duo’s past releases, Re-Arrange Us is still full of fun, witty, and cheerful songs!

My Only Offer
The Re-Arranger [wicked-cool song]
Great Dane
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visit Mates of State's MySpace here
Re-Arrange Us comes out on May 20th, you pre-order it here

the twilight sad: here it never snowed afterwards it did ep

The Twilight Sad new EP, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did has the band taking on a slightly different sound. The EP features six songs (four new versions of songs from Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters and two new ones including a Daniel Johnston cover!) The new versions of "And She Would Darken The Memory" (and yes, for those who own The Twilight Sad EP, this is yet another version of the song!), "Cold Days From The Birdhouse", "Mapped By What Surrounded Them", and "Walking For Two Hours" are simpler and less layered than the originals; but they are more drone and spacey sounding. The two new songs also sound more like the reworks than their previous releases. They are noticeably less epic sounding and in a somewhat ambient/shoegaze style. Although I am a huge fan of Fourteen Autumns And Fifteen Winters, I must say that I am pretty impressed by the band’s new direction... and I am definitely looking forward to The Twilight Sad’s next record!

Cold Days From The Birdhouse [wicked-cool song]
Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did [wicked-cool song]
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visit The Twilight Sad MySpace here
Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did EP comes out on June 9th in UK and Europe, and on June 10th in US and Canada, you can pre-order it here

nathan moomaw: 26

To tell a fictional story of the rise and fall of a relationship, The Good Life used each month of the year to represent a track in Album of the Year. Similarly, in 26, Nathan Moomaw documented each month of his twenty-six year old life with a song. 26 is created throughout the course of April 06 to March 07; as Nathan posted on his site, the idea is "to record a song a month (write and record). Any style. As long as it fits and was written (entirely) and recorded within the month." The end result is an album full of genuinely breathtaking songs! The sincere lyrics and soft, lo-fi vocals are backed by a very folk-country sound... kind of like Iron & Wine, but there are more experimenting with styles and instruments. Essentially, 26 lets the listeners peek into the personal journey of Nathan Moomaw; in a way, we get to witness Nathan’s growth from a twenty-six year old musician with a brilliant idea for an album to a twenty-seven year old musician who just completed a strikingly ambitious project.

May [wicked-cool song]
July [wicked-cool song]
September [wicked-cool song]
January [wicked-cool song]
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you can download all the tracks from 26 here
visit Nathan Moomaw's MySpace here
26 is not out in CD format yet, but you can buy another release by Nathan Moomaw here

my life's not alright without no age

Pitchfork posted a bunch of new No Age dates!

05-09 Rome, Italy - Aula Magna (Dissonanze Festival)
05-09-11 Rye, England - Camber Sands Holiday Centre (ATP vs. Pitchfork)
05-13 Bristol, England - Thekla
05-15 Brighton, England - Pressure Point (The Great Escape festival)
05-16 Manchester, England - Islington Mill
05-17 Leeds, England - Faversham (Nasty Fest)
05-18 Glasgow, Scotland - Optimo
05-20 Dublin, Ireland - Whelan's
05-21 London, England - Dome
05-22 Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
05-23 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
05-24 Paard, Netherlands - Dagindebranding Festival
05-26 Vienna, Australia - Arena
05-27 Heidelberg, Germany - Zum Tuefel
05-28 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
05-29 Barcelona, Spain - Parc del Fòrum (Primavera Sound)
06-25 Calgary, Alberta - Sled Island Music Festival
06-28 Phoenix, AZ - Modified
06-29 El Paso, TX - The Blue Iguana
06-30 Dallas, TX - The Loft
07-01 Austin, TX - Emo's
07-03 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
07-08 Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
07-09 Baltimore, MD - Floristree
07-10 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
07-11 New York, NY - Seaport Music Festival
07-13 Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park (Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Festival)
07-14 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
07-15 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
07-16 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
07-17 Pontiac, MI - Pike Room
07-19 Chicago, IL - Union Park (Pitchfork Music Festival)
07-21 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
07-23 Seattle, WA - TBA (Free Yr Radio)
07-24 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
07-26 Portland, OR - Hawthorne
07-28 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
08-05-09 Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival

wildbirds & peacedrums: heartcore

Two distinct styles seem to carry through Heartcore by Wildbirds & Peacedrums: a minimalist, vocal driven style like Scout Niblett, and the avant-garde, gospel/chanting style similar to Akron/Family. Nevertheless, the two approaches give the album quite a pleasant balance; and together, they create a wonderfully dark, haunting, and surreal atmosphere. Heartcore is led by Mariam Wallentin’s gorgeous vocals and backed by Andreas Werliin’s experimental percussions. They convey such extraordinary chemistry throughout the record; and this makes sense to me after reading that the two are married. The breathtaking duet makes "The Battle In Water" one of the best songs on the album while the raw and minimal percussion along with Mariam’s powerfully hypnotic vocal create a mesmerizing tribal feel in "The Window". I don’t see too many people getting into Heartcore as it is quite unusual sounding; however, for the few that do get it, you will understand why I think Mariam Wallentin has one of the most beautiful and versatile voices in music today!

Bird [wicked-cool song]
The Battle In Water [wicked-cool song]
The Window [wicked-cool song]
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visit Wildbirds & Peacedrums' MySpace here
buy Heartcore here

neon blood all around

There is a new EP entitled Things I'll Miss up for download over at Bradford Cox's blog.

dire times call for dire faces

Tokyo Police Club — May 3, 2008 @ Criminal Records
(big thanks to Tokyo Police Club for playing this free show and Criminal Records for hosting it!)

cover song of the moment

Calico Horse’s simple and striped-down take on "Idioteque" undeniably stands out among the dozen of bad Radiohead covers out there!

Calico Horse: Idioteque (Radiohead Cover) [wicked-cool song]
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tokyo police club: elephant shell

Reminder: Tokyo Police Club will be doing a FREE in-store show at Criminal Records (493 Queen St. West, Toronto) today (Saturday, May 3) at 12:30 pm!

I am absolutely in love with Tokyo Police Club's new record, Elephant Shell! It is full of adorable and catchy songs; each track has its own charm along with some clever and witty lyrics. I can't think of anything negative to say about this record, I have been listening to it since the beginning of March and I still can't get enough of it! I am so glad that the band’s long awaited full-length debut lives up to their smash success EP... it must be such a relief for them! Check out the songs below, come out and see the boys play at Criminal Records and pick up Elephant Shell (as well as a sweet poster designed by Jeremy Wilson of Pop Fuel)... Elephant Shell is indeed the perfect laid-back summer album!

Juno [super-wicked-cool song]
Nursey, Academy [wicked-cool song]
Your English Is Good [super-wicked-cool song]
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visit Tokyo Police Club's MySpace here
buy Elephant Shell here