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:

out this week

Black Lips: Good Bad Not Evil
Black Lips’ ultimate retro record is the best release of this week. Borrowing the sounds of popular bands between the 50s and the 70s, Good Bad Not Evil is clever, witty, and exceptionally fascinating.

Katrina [wicked-cool song]
Bad Kids [wicked-cool song]

buy Good Bad Not Evil here


The Good Life: Help Wanted Nights
Yet another emotional rollercoaster by Tim Kasher.

Heartbroke [wicked-cool song]
Keely Aimee

buy Help Wanted Nights here


The Go! Team: Proof of Youth
Go buy The Go! Team’s absolutely crazy sophomore now as the first pressing of the CD will include a four track bonus disc!!!

Grip Like A Vice [wicked-cool song]

from bonus disc:
Milk Crisis

buy Proof of Youth here


Animal Collective: Stawberry Jam
Make sure you go watch the wonderfully bizarre music video for "Peacebone" via YouTube!

Peacebone [wicked-cool song]

buy Stawberry Jam here

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

when I lived alone, is there a ghost in my house

I have been trying to figure out these last few days the differences between Band of Horses’ debut Everything All The Time and their follow-up, Cease to Begin. Is the new record faster? Louder? Is it more country or more folk? Then I finally realized, there’s really nothing to compare because in a way, Cease to Begin is very much like the band’s debut album. Other than the fact that it may feel slightly more country, it is yet another excellent record by Band of Horses. What I love most is that Ben Bridwell’s magnificent controlled vocal along with the melodic instrumentations work perfectly to create some electrifying and triumphant sensations for the listeners. So, the bottom line is, if you like Everything All The Time, you will most likely enjoy Cease to Begin as well!

Is There a Ghost? [super-wicked-cool song]
The General Specific [wicked-cool song]
Lamb of the Lam (In The City) [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Cease to Begin comes out on October 9th, you can pre-order it here