evil don’t look like anything

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

out this week

Okkervil River: The Stage Names
From start to finish, The Stage Names is packed with engaging narratives; it is fascinating, wonderfully passionate, and full of genuine emotions.

Go buy this now because the first pressing of the album comes with a bonus CD featuring solo demos of every track on The Stage Names! (look for the digipak packaging)

Savannah Smiles [wicked-cool song]
John Allyn Smith Sails [super-wicked-cool song]

from the bonus solo demos disc:
A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene (Demo)
Plus Ones (Demo)

buy The Stage Names here


Mirah: Share This Place: Stories and Observations
An absolutely lovely cross between Joanna Newsom and Beirut. Mirah has created an album that should satisfy everyone... like my friend said, “Every song is about a different insect! How can you not love that?!”

Gestation of the Sacred Beetle [wicked-cool song]
Supper [wicked-cool song]

buy This Place: Stories and Observations here


The Receiving End Of Sirens: The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi

Smoke And Mirrors

buy The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi here

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

i wanted to smile like a glistening shot of a kiss that's as sharp as a knife

Jonathan Meiburg is a natural lyricist. Okkervil River’s new record, The Stage Names is an excellent example of Meiburg’s talented song-writing abilities. From start to finish, The Stage Names is packed with engaging narratives. In the second verse of the first track, "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe", Meiburg brilliantly utilizes film techniques to help assemble his lyrics. Meiburg ends the album with one of the saddest songs of the year. In my opinion, "John Allyn Smith Sails" is a song about a man who committed suicide, but after he died, he realized that he might have made a mistake and thus, desperately trying to "go back home". It is so fascinating how Meiburg uses plain simple ideas to build some brilliant and unique metaphors. All the songs are carefully thought-out as every track on The Stage Names sounds wonderfully passionate and full of genuine emotions.

Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe [wicked-cool song]
Savannah Smiles [wicked-cool song]
John Allyn Smith Sails [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

The Stage Names comes out on August 7, you can pre-order it here

i heart best of lists!!!

top 20 albums:

1 patrick wolf - wind in the wires
2 sufjan stevens - illinois
3 bloc party - silent alarm
4 final fantasy - has a good home
5 bright eyes - i’m wide awake, it’s morning
6 death cab - plans
7 against me! - searching for a former clarity
8 antony & the johnsons - i am a bird
9 spoon - gimme fiction
10 nade surf - the weight is a gift
11 andrew bird - the mysterious production of eggs
12 buck 65 - secret house against the world
13 boys night out - trainwreck
14 xiu xiu - la forêt
15 bayside - bayside
16 pajo - pajo
17 alkaline trio - crimson
18 bell orchestre - recording a tape the colour of the light
19 mars volta - frances the mute
20 the fiery furnaces - ep

other awesome releases by jens lekman, anberlin, atmosphere, the decemberists, edan, the shining, my morning jacket, m.i.a, fall out boy, art brut, m83

top songs

#1: okkervil rilver – black
the rest, in no particular order:
patrick wolf - wind in the wires, libertine, gypsy king, this weather, and tristan
buck 65 - le 65isme
death cab - i will follow you into the dark, summer skin
the game - how we do
architecture in helsinki - do the whirlwind
m83 - don’t save us from the flames
bright eyes - old soul song, at the bottom of everything, lua, poison oak, road to joy
final fantasy - please please please
white strips - blue orchid
kelly clarkson - since u been gone
spoon - sister jack, i turn the camera on
antony & the johnsons - for today i am a boy, you are my sister
shakira - la tourtura


favorite artists of 2005
eric feng (the coolest website ever!), nicholas de genova, brian ewing (been my favorite for the past few years), kurt halsey, and rob dobi (also been my favorite for the past few years… season 3 work just came out… absolutely amazing!)

concerts of the year
(i went to way less shows this year… i even missed warped tour for the first time in 5/6 years)
the goodlife
bright eyes (wide awake tour)

top movies
me and you and everyone we know, lords of dogtown, c.r.a.z.y., sommersturm, history of violence, mysterious skin, last days, walk the line

coolest animal of the year:
penguins

best returns:
nhl and family guy

best tv channel:
cbc and cbc newsworld

best tv shows of 2005:
desperate housewives and monday (rick mercer) report

best radio show:
cbc 3 podcast

the funniest (and absolute best) thing of the year:
))<>(( forever.

most anticipated for 2006:
new albums from brandnew, patrick wolf, thursday, and final fantasy’s he poos clouds
movie: the devil and daniel johnston
tv: the return of 24 (i almost had an orgasm seeing the preview commercial the other day)