Go On, Say It...

Blind Pilot is a great band. I had the opportunity to see them live earlier this month when they played in Ann Arbor. I had their single "Go On, Say It" from a sampler CD, and I really liked it, and since I was volunteering at the venue, I didn't have to buy a ticket so I couldn't possibly lose in this situation...free live music, can't get much better than that. And I can honestly say I was not disappointed at all. Blind Pilot put on a great show. Their music is kinda low key, but apparently they've got some more upbeat songs up their sleeve that they just haven't released yet (see "We Are the Tide"). I was so impressed that I bought their CD, 3 Rounds and a Sound, from the merch table and it's seriously been playing non-stop since. Favorites include "The Bitter End," "Oviedo," and "One Red Thread," but all the tracks are pretty solid.

They do cool things too, like do bike tours down the west coast. Badass. You should buy their album and see them when they play in your area.






Bitter End
We Are The Tide
Go On, Say It

I'm making it back!

Holy wow. I was completely unprepared for how much damn time grad school was going to take up. To the people who are still awesome and sending me music to check out, thank you!! I really promise I'm not ignoring you, it's just that classes like Principles of Chemical Hazards and Biostats have completely taken over my life....sigh...

BUT I've decided in order to keep my sanity I need music breaks. It's amazing how much better I feel after spending an hour or so poking around online for music and/or strumming out some tunes on my guitar. So, I'm bringing the blog back. I have to find some better file hosting sites, but be on the lookout for some new posts in the very near future. I've gotten to go to some pretty awesome shows in the last month and have some good ones coming up so I've got lots to say! In the meantime check out the new video from one of my absolute FAVORITE groups of the last few months, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros....If you haven't purchased their album, DO IT NOW! Seriously. It's def one of my faves of the past year.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros "KISSES OVER BABYLON" from Edward Sharpe on Vimeo.

Monsters on Conan

I'm still obsessively listening to the Monsters of Folk album that came out yesterday, so no review just yet. BUT the guys were on The Tonight Show last night. And judging by what I've heard on the album so far and by watching their performance, I'm going to try my damnedest to catch one of their live shows. Check it out:


This video and song is pretty awesome too. Go buy their album now.

RIP Mary Travers

Mary Travers died earlier this week from complications from chemotherapy. I'm not exactly sure why, but her death has completely taken me out of commission. Of all the "celebrity" deaths this year, I find myself the most sad over her passing. And I can't exactly place why that is. I didn't grow up in the 60s, I was definitely not a part of the emerging folk scene, wasn't alive during the civil rights movement, yet I am totally shaken by her death.

Peter Paul & Mary had the best harmonies of any folk group, period. They sang songs (mostly) about justice and civil rights. Even though I wasn't alive during their hay-day, I still grew up on their music. Their music is comfort music to me. I remember my mom singing their songs to me when I was little. I visibly remember singing along to their take on Tom Paxton's "Marvelous Toy" when I was 5. As I grew older and started exploring music on my own, I dove head first into the old folk my mom was so into. And I always came back to PP&M, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan.

Mary had such a powerful and beautiful voice that was completely complimented my Peter Yarrow and Noel "Paul" Stookey. Their take on Dylan's songs "Blowing in the Wind" and "Don't Think Twice it's Alright," Seeger's "If I had a Hammer," and Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain" are mesmerizing. My attempt to surprise my mom with tickets to see all three of them live fell through, and I totally and completely regret not making it happen.

Travers stood up for those whose voice couldn't be heard. She was graceful and honest in her fight against the leukemia that eventually took her life. I keep watching Peter, Paul & Mary's performance in Washington in 1971 at the big protest against the Vietnam War, and I wonder why that's not being done now for Iraq and Afghanistan. The Untied States lost a true fighter for peace and justice. I can only hope that someone from my generation picks up the slack.

RIP Mary. You will be missed.
Early Morning Rain - Peter, Paul & Mary (boxstr)

Kanye's lame. Listen to Wale instead

I'm sure by now everyone is aware of Kanye's great dislplay of douchebaggery at the VMAs the other night. I was unaware there was still an awards show on MTV for music videos. I don't think I've seen a music video on that channel in YEARS. But that's besides the point. Point is Kanye is a giant douche. True his first couple albums were genius. But ever since he stuck his head up his ass a few years ago, lets be frank, he sucks. He sucks long and he sucks hard.

So, if you're looking for a hype mc, just listen to Wale. I've plugged for him many times here at Candy for your Ears, but he is definitely more worthy of a listen than Kanye. Wale has four pretty freaking awesome mixtapes under his belt (if you still haven't gotten "Back to the Feature" go here to download it now) and is releasing a full length album soon. Check out his myspace for updates and keep an ear out for that debut album because it's gonna be hot.
My Sweety (boxstr)

A.A. Bondy release tomorrow!

Is anyone else kind of excited for A.A. Bondy's album, When The Devil's Loose, being released tomorrow? If you're not excited, you should probably check out his music. I posted about him last month, but came across another one of his songs from the new album so I had to share it with y'all.

He's headlining a bunch of shows in September before heading off to Europe to tour with The Felice Brothers, and then he's back in the States in November to tour with Elvis Perkins in Dearland. Head over to Mr. Bondy's myspace to see if he's playing near you and check out the new album when it drops tomorrow!
I Can See The Pines Are Dancing (boxstr)

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's live @ Daytrotter

So my most recent favorite band, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, stopped by the Daytrotter studio recently to play a few songs. I love it! If you are ANYWHERE near one of their shows, please for my sake go!! It sounds on these recordings like they kind of mellowed out a bit from other live recordings I've heard (especially on "40 Day Dream") but they still sound great! Daytrotter is giving away the songs from the session for FREE, so go check them out!
Up From Below (Daytrotter Session) (boxstr)

help!

Ebony Bones - Warrior from maskomi on Vimeo.

I NEED this song RIGHT NOW.

Well maybe it's not that urgent, but I would still really like to be in possession of this song and any other songs by Ebony Bones! Seriously. I'm in a rut and I think she will pull me out. Any readers in the UK, Spain, Japan, anywhere it's been released want to help me out since this isn't available in the US yet?? Pretty pretty pretty please?

i need to read my emails closer

So...I was going through all the emails I've had to hold off on, and lo and behold I got an email Jeremy at Vagrant, with a video of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros performing @ The Regent. It is fab and shows how awesome they are. So, check it out and now I for real promise to get through my emails in a more timely manner so I don't almost miss out on gems like this.

looking for utopia?

If you're down with hippies and/or like the idea of utopia, you should check out the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I heart them. They have this whole communal family feeling, and I just really really like their songs. Band leader Alex Ebert said in an interview recently that he wants to start a commune with his band mates and the whole communal idea behind music is what brought the band together. Awesome. If they ever tour in Michigan, or if I happen to find myself on the west coast where they're from, I'm definitely going to catch one of their shows (and maybe see if they need an extra person to shake a tambourine or strum the few chords I know on guitar...) They have an EP out, but it's really just 3 songs (40 Day Dream, Janglin', and Carries On) off their self titled debut album that was released a few weeks ago. So if you want a sampler get the EP, but you might as well buy the whole thing, as the EP leaves out my favorite track "Home." Their first single is "40 Day Dream" and it's awesome (See video in the post above this one...). Check back in a few months for new singles/awesome videos because I know I'll love whatever they put out next (at least I'm hoping to...)
40 Day Dream (boxstr)



On a completely unrelated note, I've gotten a ton of emails from people in the last month or so with songs to check out, and I PROMISE I'm not ignoring you. I've just been super super busy and want to be sure if/when I post something about the song you sent me, it's not half assed. But by all means keep the emails coming! Maybe I'll get my life somewhat back together this weekend and get some listening done...

Why is Iceland so awesome?

So apparently Iceland is the place to be for new music recently. I'm currently battling an obsession with Lay Low's music, and now I've come across the band Retro Stefson. They're all sorts of poppy wonderful. I want to compare them to Vampire Weekend but I'm not sure I want to make that leap. They have songs in Icelandic, English, and Spanish, and they pretty much amazing. They just really seem like they're having a blast, which is really awesome for the listener. It's hard not to start smiling and bobbing my head when their songs come on.


Salvatore (boxstr)

NPR + Newport Folk Festival 2009

Wow. I feel like I've been away for forever. Work is currently kind of crazy since I'm leaving in like 2 weeks (bye bye health insurance...*tear) to go back to school. It's basically like lets see how much work we can milk out of you before you leave. Sigh. So that's been seriously cutting into my blogging time haha. I hope you all (if there is anybody still reading) can forgive me.

You know who I love? NPR. It's probably because my mom not so secretly brainwashed me, as it was on NONSTOP growing up. I usually get most of my news from them and sometimes even get some good song suggestions via "All Songs Considered." And seriously who doesn't love Ira Glass and "This American Life"? Now I have yet another reason to love them... They have posted pretty much all of the performers from the Newport Folk Festival last weekend. If I try really hard, it's almost like I was there. Okay, well not really but it makes me feel a teeny tiny bit better about missing it. I'm also 85% sure you can download all the performances. Go here to check it out!

photo by Wiquan Ang

summer's ending...

This is not the Modest Mouse I know and love, but I kinda like it. I came across this tune the other day, and it immediately went right into regular rotation. Isaac Brock kind of mellows out a bit over acoustic guitar and a sweet sweet banjo while lamenting the end of summer. Preach on. Preach on. To help make the end of summer not so bad try and catch Isaac and the rest of the band on tour. They're in Canada for a bit before coming back to the States for some shows in late August and September.
Autumn Beds.mp3

new release tuesday

Do you like taking drives with just your thoughts and some good tunes? That's what Trevor Giuliani's debut album, Subcontrario (In Stereo), reminds me of. It's really chill, and makes me wish I had enough gas money to just cruise with all my windows down for hours. The album is pretty solid, there are songs that I like more than others, but overall it's a very good album. His stories just kind of draw you in, and soon you realize that you're completely lost in the music. I'm pretty sure Dovecote is still offering up the single "Wasting Your Town" as a free download, and you can also check out many of the songs on his myspace page. If you like it (which you should...) head over to Amazon, iTunes, or Insound and pick up a copy.
Nubian Forest (boxstr)

September 22nd is a good day..

To release highly anticipated albums apparently. Wale stopped by the Jimmy Fallon show earlier in the week to help out Daniel Merriweather. In the hilarious opening segment he told Jimmy that his album Attention: Deficit will be dropping on September 22nd. Sweet action. That makes 2 albums to be released the day after my birthday that I'm REALLY looking forward to (the other one is the Monsters of Folk album from Conor Oberst, Jim James, and M. Ward). Wale has a dope (do people still use that word?) mix tape he released earlier this summer called Back to the Feature, which I HIGHLY suggest you check out.
Pretty Girls (boxstr)

When the Devil's Loose

Holy cow. This is turning into the summer that could have been. Apparently Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band were in Detroit yesterday and I had NO IDEA they were performing less than an hour away from me. Son of a bitch. And he has a really really good opener touring with him, who is the focus of today's post (and how I found out that I just missed them here...sigh).


A.A. Bondy is touring with Conor Oberst for a bit this summer. Bondy used to front the Alabama rock band, Verbena, but when they broke up in 2003 he started composing stripped down indie folk tunes. His first solo album, American Hearts, is fantastic, and the title track from his sophomore album, When the Devil's Loose, is pretty awesome as well. The new album is set to be released September 1st on Fat Possum Records. If you go to his page at Fat Possum, you can download a track from American Hearts. It's free and it's good, so do it.... Though I'm bummed that I missed out on this show, if you live in Bloomington, IN or Athens, GA there is still hope for you! They will be in Indiana on the 20th, and Georgia on the 21st. If you don't conveniently live in or near those places, you should still take a minute and check out A.A. Bondy's music. It won't be a waste of time.
When The Devil's Loose (boxstr)

Farewell Good Night's Sleep

So I keep getting all these little music samplers and the most recent came via NPR music promoting the 50th Newport Folk Festival coming up in August, and it's just like shoving daggers into my heart because there is no way I can go, and it reminds me that this is like the 4th festival of awesomeness happening this summer that I cannot attend. Sigh. At least I've discovered a crap ton of music in the last couple weeks that will get me through. Prepare for a multitude of posts in the next week or so...

First up for my new music discoveries is Lay Low. If you're in the mood for melancholic country-ish music (it seems like I have lately...) you should check out Icelandic singer/songwriter Lay Low. Her sound on the most recent album reminds me a lot of She & Him...Apparently she's been around the music scene for a few years now, but me being forever late for everything, just discovered her music last week. Her first album, Please Don't Hate Me, is definitely more bluesy that the most recent old school country inspired, Farewell Good Night's Sleep, but both are solid and worth a listen. If you join her mailing list she'll even give you a free download. Yippee! To hear more of her songs check out her myspace...
Last Time Around - (boxstr)

tribute to

I could try really hard to put into words how awesome Yim Yames' (aka Jim James from MMJ) solo EP, Tribute To, is but I don't think I'd be able to do it. You just have to buy it and listen. The six song EP is absolutely gorgeous. He recorded the songs after George Harrison's death in 2001, and is just now releasing them. He released the songs digitally on his website this past Tuesday, and the actual CD and/or vinyl will be released on August 4th. You can get one of the tracks "Behind that Locked Door" for free, but I really suggest just spending the $6 and download the whole thing. Seriously it's beautiful.
All Things Must Pass (boxstr)

joe pug for FREES!

You all should know by now how much I enjoy Joe Pug's music. So while I was poking around on twitter, I see that the WONDERFUL folks at Paste Magazine posted that Joe Pug is giving away his new EP, In The Meantime, away on his website for zero dollars. It pretty much made my day, and it's only 9:15am. All you have to do is join his email list and you get a link in an email to download the five song album. You know what would be an awesome thank you that you could give Mr. Pug? Going to one of his shows. They are pretty fantastic. I'm just sayin'...
In The Meantime (zshare)

whistling is funnnnnnn

Andrew Bird was on Conan last night, and as I was watching the clip this morning (I'm too lame to stay up late during the week...) I was thinking about how even though his songs are not usually about happy fun things, but he puts them to such happy melodies and adds in the whistling and before you know it you're bobbing your head to music with lyrics like "Thank God it's fatal." I love it. He just released his fall tour dates, and it looks like I might be making a road trip to Kalamazoo this fall so I can see him again. And rising star St.Vincent is joining him for most of the fall tour. Yay.

Fake Palindromes (zshare)

happy discovery day

So the Discovery LP officially dropped today. Hooray. It's all autotune wonderful. If you don't know who Discovery is, it's the glorious side project of Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend. I know most of you probably have the majority of the album from the leaked songs BUT if you purchase it through Amie Street then $2 goes to Oxfam America, a relief and development organization. Good cause and some good music...
So Insane (zshare)

I've also been listening to Conor Oberst's most recent album, Outer South. It came out forever ago, but it took me a long time to really get into it. I think I still like his solo stuff better, but it's nice to hear Conor really kind of let loose with this album...I mean you definitely wouldn't have heard a song like "Air Mattress" on any of his other albums. I'm glad I didn't give up on this one.
Nikorette (zshare)

so much MJ so little time

I know all the Michael Jackson tributes/mash-ups/remixes are soooo last week but this one was on repeat this past weekend, so I HAD to share it with those of you who haven't heard it yet. I love Q-Tip. I loved his last album, The Renaissance. So listen to this, and then go buy the album.
Breathe and Stop vs. Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (White Label mix) (zshare)
Gettin Up (zshare)

thank you concert gods

So it looked really grim for the Alice Russell concert tonight. It started raining at like 5:30 and didn't look like it was going to let up by 8:30. I had resigned myself to the fact that it just wasn't in the cards for Alice to play in Ann Arbor this year. But thank you 8lb 4oz baby Jesus for making the Summer Festival people so flexible and figuring out a way to let Alice still perform. She ended up performing underneath the booze tent. It was almost better this way. It felt way more personal. There were only maybe like 50 people there, but I'm sure that everybody was glad that they braved the rain b/c she was just fantastic. She just had an acoustic guitar and a violin to back her, so sadly she didn't do "Seven Nation Army" like I hoped she would, but she did do an absolutely brilliant "Crazy" cover. I had heard her cover of it before but damn. Hearing it live is a whole different ballgame. I had goosebumps. She's headed to Canada for a couple shows then it's back to Europe for a little more touring. If you have a chance, go see her live. Her albums are great and all but hearing her live is just too awesome to pass up. I tried to take some video, but my camera battery died...I did get about 20 seconds of her singing "Turn and Run" though, which is still cool. Seriously go see her sing.
Crazy

Alice Russell @ A2 Summer Festival

The Summer Festival in Ann Arbor is almost over (so sad). I've been fortunate to see some pretty awesome acts so far: Los Lobos, Savion Glover, Zap Mama, and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings to name a few. Sharon Jones has DEFINITELY been the best one yet. There have been some great acts on the outdoor stage too that unfortunately I couln't go to. My My My and hometown favorites My Dear Disco and The Macpodz are the ones that come to mind...But one that I'm for sure not missing is Alice Russell tomorrow night. If you don't know who she is check her out right now. I know there seems to be a lot of singers crowding the "vintage" soul genre as of late, but Alice Russell is seriously really good. She was slated to open for Jose Gonzalez on the main stage, but after Jose canceled due to a family emergency, the festival organizers moved some things around so Alice can still perform. She takes the stage tomorrow on the outdoor stage (aka the free stage) at 8:30pm. I am SO happy that the organizers didn't scrap her performance. Her most recent album, Pot of Gold, is out now and it's really good, but you shouldn't overlook her earlier albums Under the Munka Moon and My Favourite Letters. They are worth a listen too.
Seven Nation Army (zshare)
Turn and Run (zshare)
A Blind Salamander - My My My (zshare)
White Lies - My Dear Disco (zshare)
Panama Jackalope - The Macpodz (zshare)

everyone needs some good drinking songs

That's what Deer Tick makes. Fabulous songs that make you think you're in some dive bar with an old jukebox playing songs by guys with croaky cigarette laced drawls that sound as booze soaked as the guy next to you crying into his beer.

Last week, Deer Tick released their sophomore album, Born On Flag Day. It's got a bit of a different feel to it than their first album War Elephant. I was turned on to Deer Tick after hearing their songs "Art Isn't Real (City of Sin)" and "Ashamed." I had an instant connection with the song "Art Isn't Real (City of Sin)"...you know when you hear a song and think that it's totally the story of your life? Cliché, I know, but still. And if that's what it takes me to discover a really fantastic band, then so be it.

Anyways, Deer Tick released their new album and I really really like it. Maybe not quite as much as War Elephant, but it's still really good. The first track, "Easy", is really the most radio friendly track on the album. It really kicks starts the album. But after it's done the album kind of takes on a softer side for the next few songs. Not a bad thing, just a little different. "Song About a Man" is a powerful slow burner of a song that is the perfect end to the slower portion of the album. Things start to pick back up with "Houston, TX" which leads right in to the high energy honky-tonk meets "Johnny B. Goode" track "Straight into a Storm." The hidden track, a beer fueled cover of the standard "Goodnight Irene" is fantastic. So don't stop listening after "Stung" finishes up. This album is definitely worth your while. I also hear they put on rockin live shows so try and catch them live sometime this summer too.
Easy .
Song About A Man .
Straight Into A Storm .

the king of pop and sharon jones

First and foremost a HUGE HUGE HUGE RIP to the one and only Michael Jackson. I think I'm still in shock that he's actually dead. True, he was completely bat shit crazy, but he pioneered pop music, and no matter what he will always be the king of pop. The "Thriller" video always terrified me but I watched it anyways b/c it was (and is) awesome. His music always takes me back to elementary school when our 4th and 5th grade classes sang "Man in the Mirror" at school assemblies. What a sad day. RIP MJ. What a shitty week in the entertainment world losing 3 icons in one week. Oofda.


But the main point of this post is Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. If you haven't seen them live you are SERIOUSLY missing out. They played the Summer Festival here in Ann Arbor tonight and it was awesome. Some of the old fuddy duddies were upset that the main floor got turned into a dance floor but seriously. If you don't start moving when Sharon Jones is on stage something is wrong with you. Sharon Jones is a spark plug, whose petite 4'11" frame flies around the stage dancing up a storm, as she belts out funky soul tune after funky soul tune. You would NEVER NEVER guess that she was 53 years old. It is about time that she is getting the attention she very much deserves. She and the Dap-Kings have a new album coming out soon and from the tracks she played tonight from it, it's going to be a damn good album. Go see her live...she's playing a bunch of festivals this summer...and buy her albums. NOW!!
This Land Is Your Land
Humble Me
Nobody's Baby

Check it out...

So I've been meaning to feature some of the stuff that's been sent to me for a looooooooooong time now. Sorry to the bands for the delay...I really do enjoy getting notes from people telling me to check out their stuff. I've received a pretty wide range of acts so far, and these are my favorite ones, so you should definitely check them out!

First up is Apteka. If you're a shoegazer you'll probably most definitely like this band. They're even offering up their tour EP for free download via their myspace page. Check them out!
If You Were Here

Next, Suds and Soda has been generating some buzz. Most of the time I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy the type of electro/dance pop that they do, and I'm either in one of those moods or they're just good. I'm going to lean towards the latter because on multiple listens I don't turn it off. They're busy doing lots of remixes and such so be on the lookout!
Style Over Substance

Joseph Scott makes some nice abient electronica music that is perfect to just chill out to. From his press release: "the hushed-pulsating-vibrating-still-dreaming-luminousintimate
sounds of this EP are abundant with artistic singularities and personal meanings." Kind of a mouthful of a description, but he's worth a listen!
Celeste

And last but not least, Trevor Giulliani. He has a Andrew Bird/Sufjan Stevens/Jens Lekman feel to his sound and it is really nice to just relax to. His debut album, Subcontrario (In Stereo), drops on July 21st, and you can pre-order it from his myspace or his label, Dovecote Records. I suggest you do so.
Wasting Your Town

That's it for now. If you want to submit something to me, I definitely encourage it! I can't promise everything will make it on here, but I'll do my best. So drop me an email and I'll see what I can do.

Mixtape mania

My life has taken a turn towards crazytown lately, so I apologize for the lack of posts/not updating links since boxstr still sucks donkey nards. I went through and put in some better links in the most recent posts and I managed to find some time to share some new stuff I've gotten with y'all.

i know I'm late with this but Santigold's mixtape is hot. There was a contoversy b/c someone sent a cease and desist order to the maker (not Santigold...), Terry Urban, but there are still ways to get it if you search for it. My fave track is Andre 3000 and Bun B's contribution.
You'll Find A Way Player

And keeping with the mixtape theme, my favorite DC area rapper Wale released his mixtape "Back to the Feature". I absolutely love it. For those who don't know me personally, I am a HUGE fan of UofM football, so the shout out he gives to Tim Biakabutuka, the Michigan running back form the 90s, in the track "Wonder Why" makes me happy. Wale's wordplay is fantastic, and he has some hot producers and guest appearances on it. Def check it out.
5 Minutes feat. Skyzoo
Life's a Bitch feat. Talib Kweli & Joel Ortiz
Wonder Why feat. Big Sean, Ken Starr, & Mike Posner
New Soul feat. Yael Naim

Because I don't want to be at work...

So because I REALLY don't want to be at work today, I am procrastinating and writing up a little note for y'all. Moving sucks. Just going to throw that out there. But there is some pretty sweet music that's about to drop, has dropped, and has been getting buzz lately that has been keeping my spirits up as I try to unpack and reorganize my life. But before I start on that, I just want to let you know that I've caught the Twitter bug. Follow me on there and you'll get random musings and notices about new posts. Check out the Twitter update box on the left side of the page...

There have been lots of leaked tracks from Discovery's upcoming LP lately. I like them. I didn't expect to because they discovered (ha!) their love of Autotune, and we all know how much I dislike Autotune. They're streaming 4 songs on their website. Check them out, and if you like them buy the LP when it drops July 7th.
I Want You Back


I also feel like Jenny Owen Youngs has been getting a fair amount of buzz lately. I might be lying but I feel like there was a week long period where every music site had something about her....Anyways, I saw her open for someone last year and I really liked her. Her stage presence is great....tells lots of great stories. And she does fun covers (see Hot in Herre video) and my favorite song of hers, "Fuck Was I," is off her 2005 album Batten The Hatches. Her new album is good too...check it out her myspace page and try to catch her live.
Fuck Was I
Led To The Sea

And finally there is an indie folk lover's wet dream in the making. Conor Oberst, Jim James, and M. Ward finally made an album together after touring together way back in 2004 on the Monsters of Folk tour. The new album drops conveniently the day after my birthday, September 22. Happy birthday to me.
Girl From The North Country

Boxstr Blows

I apologize for most of my links not working...Boxstr decided to be all sucky and disappear. Argh. I'll work on reuploading the songs to a different site (anyone have any suggestions?), but it might take a while because I just moved and need to unpack. So, be patient...we'll be back up and running soon. Until then f you boxstr. You suck.

Flashback Friday #3

I had a pretty fantastic week. I got into the grad school I wanted, I didn't have to stay late at work once, and I got a mystery check in the mail for $40. Life is goooooood. So in an homage to the 2am sing-a-longs that happened my senior year in college, today's Flashback Friday post is all about OLD Weezer. New Weezer sucks ass (see MGMT/Lady Gaga cover, Snuggies, that Beverly Hills craptastic song, etc.). However, their old stuff still rocks. Nothing will ever be better than coming down the stairs at 2am, taking a break from cramming for a Biochem test and seeing your housemates jumping up and down, screaming at the top of their lungs all the words to every song on The Blue Album. BEST STUDY BREAK EVER.
The World Has Turned And Left Me Here (hl)
In The Garage (hl)
Surfwax America (hl)

the more i buy the more i'm bought

I know I've blogged about him before, but Joe Pug is awesome. The Chicago based singer/songwriter is going to be to playing the Newport Folk Festival this year, and I really really really really wish I could go. Seriously it's going to be amazing. Look at the line-up and tell me you're not impressed. I dare you. Anyways, I was browsing his myspace page the other day to see if there's any new material, and after being thoroughly impressed with his tour schedule (touring with Steve Earle and Josh Ritter and hitting up a bazillion festivals...), I found a video of him giving six concerts in six hours in Chicago. I love it.


I also came across tracks from a show he did at Schuba's Tavern in Chi-town thanks to Ghost of Electricity. I love Tom Waits and I think he does a pretty decent job on Ol' 55. Better than the Eagles version (I hate the fucking Eagles, man). I've been fortunate to see Joe live twice, and REALLY recommend that everybody try to catch him at least once this summer.
Ol' 55 (hl)

Simmer down simmer down simmer down...

Mos Def was on Letterman last night (6/8) and rocked out on the timpanis performing "Quiet Dog." TOTALLY rocked it and made me love him even more. Plus the Fela Kuti intro was pretty sweet too.

As I said in my previous post, his new album The Ecstatic, dropped earlier today. It's pretty on point, minus a 3 song lull towards the end. After the track "Pretty Dancer" he kind of tunes out until "History" with Talib Kweli. Secretly (or not so secretly) I want there to be a Black Star reunion album sooo badly, so whenever Mos and Talib team up it makes me happy. The first six or seven tracks are definitely the best, and I'm sure they will move into my regular rotation quickly. Overall I give the album 3 1/2 out of 4....because maybe the 3 songs I hate will grow on me. But it's definitely a very very solid album. Buy it here...it's only $3.99....
Priority (hl)
Auditorium (hl)

Mos Def is back!

IT'S FINALLY HERE! And it's hype. Well worth the wait. I'm in the middle of listening to it right now, but wanted to plug the new album right away. Seriously, I love it. Go buy it NOW. I'll post a better review after I've listened to it a few more times...

This track was posted in short on Mos's myspace page before the album dropped. When he posted it I was REALLY hoping it was part of the album and it was. holleRRR.

Seriously buy the album.
Wahid-(hl)

D.O.A.

I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE AutoTune. It's about time somebody called it out. I love you Jay-Z.

"I know we facin' a recession, but the music ya'll makin gonna make it a great depression....This is Death of Autotune, moment of silence"

word.
D.O.A. (Death of AutoTune)-(hl)

pack it up pack it in

I'm moving this coming weekend, so that means that every spare second of my day is spent shoving everything I own into boxes. I HATE packing. In college when I'd move out of the dorms, I would usually wait until the morning my dad would pick me up to start shoving things into oversize garbage bags. He wouldn't be pleased but I'd get the job done. But now that I'm theoretically older and wiser, I'm trying out this whole "non-procrastination" thing. So to get me through packing (to the dismay of my current neighbors) I've been blaring my music. Yesterday I accidentally went on a Yeah Yeah Yeahs bender. To be honest I had never really listened to them a lot. They were one of those bands I knew I should like but could never really get into. Until yesterday. I was a packing MACHINE yesterday. Thank you Karen O. I started with "Zero" off their their new album, It's Blitz!, because it's all 80's synth wonderful. Instead of shuffling to a different artist my computer played a couple more songs off that album, and I was hooked. My living room was done in an hour and a half. I got to pack up most of my bedroom while rocking out to their back catalog. And to top off the wonderful day, just as I was coming down (aka giving up for the day), the acoustic version of "Maps" came on. PERFECT.
They are playing in El Paso, Texas on Wednesday and if my friend who lives there doesn't go to the show, I'm punching her in the face next time I see her. Well not really, but I'll be super disappointed...
Maps (acoustic) (hl)
Black Tongue (hl)
Phenomena (hl)
Y Control (hl)
Dull Life (hl)

RIP Koko Taylor

It is a sad sad day. Blues legend Koko Taylor passed away earlier today from complications from surgery to fix a gastrointestinal bleed. She was 80 years old.

Taylor was the reigning Queen of the Blues, and leaves some HUGE shoes to fill. Her breakout hit was "Wang Dang Doodle" when she first signed to Chess Records in 1965. She held her own in the male dominated Chicago blues scene, with her signature growl and emotional singing style. After she moved to Alligator Records, almost all of her albums were nominated for Grammy's, and you'd be hard pressed to find a current blues artist who doesn't cite Taylor as a major influence. Koko you will be missed....
Voodoo Woman
I Got What It Takes

Bon Iver rocks my socks

Man do I love me some Bon Iver. This live track I came across at box of boom via The Hype Machine seriously is my new favorite. It's from the Radio City Music Hall concert for the Dark was the Night/Red Hot Organization fundraising concert (remember I told you to buy the compilation b/c it's stocked with really great music and proceeds go to a good cause?). I have yet to see Bon Iver live (though I'm hoping to this summer...), so I'm sustaining myself by watching YouTube clips and blog surfing for anything that could remotely be considered new material and keeping what I do have in steady rotation on my iPod. I also love the video at the end of this post. I love it for the dog that wanders through, the random people who walk in on the impromptu concert, and for just making me smile every time I see it.
Flume (with My Brightest Diamond)

flashback friday...take 2

I think I might make this whole "flashback friday" idea a regular thing. It's fun. If you don't like it don't read on Fridays. Ha.

If you can't remember the lyrics to "What I got", I'm afraid we can't be friends. I realized that it has been 13 years (as of May 25th) since Sublime lead singer Bradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose. Sublime was probably my absolute FAVORITE band from when they released the "What I Got" single until at least through 1998....I mean they're still up there now, but back then I was a little bit obsessed. I could probably still sing along with any of their songs off of their self titled major label debut album, Sublime, and at least a few other classics like 40oz to Freedom and Waiting for my Rucca. Apparently they had a reunion concert in March, but I would think that without Brad, they probably sounded like a good Sublime cover band. So, in honor of the late Bradley Nowell, here are some of my favorite Sublime tracks. Crack open some of the finest malt liquor available and enjoy.
April 22, 1992 (Miami)
40oz to Freedom
54-46/Ball and Chain
Jailhouse
What I Got
Waiting for My Ruca

Heartless Bastards live in studio

One of my new favorite bands stopped in at Luxury Wafers for an in studio performance. I dig it. You probably will too. They are pretty sweet in concert (I saw them open for The Gaslight Anthem) and you should definitely check them out if they are coming to your area...

Heartless Bastards - The Mountain - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Sway
Hold Your Head High

Smoke em if you got em....

I'm the first to admit that I am really really lazy. Which totally explains why I love music aggregating sites like the hype machine, elbows, stumbleupon, blip.fm, and pandora. I don't actually have to dig for it, the music kind of just comes right to me. Enter William Elliott Whitmore. Thanks to a friend's husband's love of Tom Waits, and Pandora's Tom Waits station, I discovered WEW. I love him. His voice is all gritty like, he writes about bums, and is just all around awesome.
Old Devils
There's Hope For You
Hell or High Water

reason #2394873 why i love stumble upon

So while Stumbling through YouTube, I came across this video. I really dig her sound. After a little more research, I found out she is signed to Jack Johnson's label (which makes sense). She will also be playing at Bonnaroo. Apparently Zee Avi was discovered via YouTube by Raconteur's drummer Patrick Keeler, who forwarded the video on, blah blah blah. Basically check her out. Her first album was just released on the 19th. You should probably buy it.
Bitter Heart -mp3
Brushfire Records
Zee Avi's Website
Find Zee Avi on Myspace

flashback friday?

Because I'm bored and my iPod was on point this morning, I decided to write up a short ode to the marvelous hip-hop of the early/mid 90's. My morning started off with Young MC's "Bust a Move", which I know isn't technically a 90's song but whatever. It made my morning SOOO much better. Then it played "Wild Thing" by Tone-Loc, but it played the Peaches remix that I have instead of the original. Kind of amazing. So here's a couple other favorite/guilty pleasures (plus a cover of Biz Markie's Just a Friend by a local band who are great....check out Tally Hall here) to get you through today and excited for the long weekend.

Just a Friend - Tally Hall
Just a Friend - Biz Markie
Humpty Dance - Digital Underground
Wild Thing (Peaches Remix) - Tone-Loc
Bust A Move - Young MC

who doesn't love the cello?

I've been meaning to write something up on Ben Sollee for a looooong time but for one reason or another haven't until now. If you've never heard of him, go to his website and buy his CD. Coolest cello playing ever. I bet if more kids heard his music there'd be a flood of little 5th graders running to learn how to play the cello. I first saw him when he was touring with Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet (they are also AMAZING and you should definitely go see them if and when they tour together again...Bela Fleck is in it if you need some added incentive...which you shouldn't) and immediately bought his album "Learning to Bend." Then he came back to Ann Arbor last month with Vienna Teng and Alex Wong (he's in The Paper Raincoat...another band you should check out) and played a solo set. He didn't disappoint at all, and I think he gained a whole bunch of new fans, as his CDs almost sold out the first night of a 2 night gig. And he's a super nice guy. And he went after how lame Kanye's gotten. And he's been working with My Morning Jacket's Jim James on an upcoming EP. So basically check this guy out. Buy his music. See him live. Read this nice little article about him.
The end.



Dear Kanye
How To See The Sun Rise
Bury Me With My Car
Mute With A Bullhorn

good rappers ain't eatin' they olson twinin'

I'm wondering why D.C. area rapper Wale hasn't completely blown up yet....his stuff is wayyyyy better than the mainstream crap that's married to the god damn AutoTune. He's been featured on a couple Roots' songs but besides that I've only been able to find a few remixes and random singles....Anyways, he's touring this summer so def check him out.

RH TV: Wale Live in Chicago pt1 from Ruby Hornet on Vimeo.

Chillin' - Wale ft. Lady Gaga
Nike Boots
w.a.l.e.d.a.n.c.e

Weezer doing MGMT and Lady Gaga

hmm. I'm still undecided on this one but check it out for yourselves....



and if you decide that you like it here's a mp3 version
Kids/Poker Face - Weezer

Things I can't get enough of lately

Ra Ra Riot- They make me happy. Buy their album and/or go see them live.
Blip.fm - check out what I'm listening to when I'm too lazy to make a post here. My DJ name is kari8306.
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - I think I'm a little slow on the uptake with them, but whatever. I've been waiting for a new voice in the blues/soul department since Otis Redding and Sam Cooke aren't going to be feeding my obsession with new material anytime soon. Raphael Saadiq kind of filled that void for a while but Black Joe Lewis has a bit more energy. I also hear they put on a great high energy show, so if they're playing near you go see them.

Can You Tell (Discovery remix) - Ra Ra Riot
Get Your Shit - Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Sugarfoot - Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Bitch I Love You - Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
100 Yard Dash - Raphael Saadiq

lots o' new stuff

New Mos Def song form his eagerly awaited new album, The Ecstatic, which drops June 9th. He's also got some sweet new vids up on his myspace page. And Wes Miles from Ra Ra Riot and Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend collaborated to form Discovery. I like it. You will probably like it to...

Casa Bey - Mos Def
Orange Shirt - Discovery
Osaka Loop Line - Discovery

this is cool

So I've already professed my love for Radiohead multiple times, as well as my occasional love of mashups, remixes, and things of that sort. I came across this thanks to StumbleUpon (seriously the greatest thing ever...). The guy that does these mashups has a whole slew of them, most of them are pretty good, but this is by far my favorite. Be sure to check out the website for more cool sounds...


Radiohead vs. Dave Brubeck - mp3

things i like

So I FINALLY got my copy of Bob Dylan's new album in the mail on Friday (woohoo!). I'm not a huge fan of all the songs but I would say the majority of the album lives up to the hype. His voice sounds pretty rough throughout the album, but he seems to know the limits of it and kind of speak sings his way through the songs, and it works. I'm drawn to the more bluesy tracks on the album, but I think that's just the kind of mood I've been in lately. All in all, I think this album definitely is worth buying...just give it a few listens and you'll be hooked!
It's All Good
Forgetful Heart

In other news, I've been turned on to the band Deer Tick. A friend listens to them and thought I'd enjoy their sound. Long story short; they're awesome. They rocked out at SXSW this year and have a new album dropping June 23rd, but their album "War Elephant" is out now and I highly recommend buying it if you enjoy the kind of Alt/Indie/Country sound. They will also be touring with some of my other fav groups Jenny Lewis and the Heartless Bastards. I'm sure that would be a GREAT concert.
Art Isn't Real (City of Sin) - Deer Tick
Ashamed - Deer Tick
Jack Killed Mom - Jenny Lewis
Out At Sea - Heartless Bastards