Free Bad Bad Hats Debut LP

I wrote about Minnesota-based band Bad Bad Hats a couple years ago. At the time, the trio had just released their second EP, the poppy and catchy "It Hurts." That EP is still available for free on Bandcamp. Since then, I've been anxiously anticipating the band's debut full length, and I can finally stop waiting and start listening since the album was released today. Their debut full-length is titled "Psychic Reader," and the band has picked up right where they left off. I imagine I'll play this album quite a few times before the summer is over. And if you don't want to take my word for it, Paste Magazine recently gave the album a 9.0 / 10 in their review. Even better than an awesome new album though is an awesome *free* new album (which you can get by entering your email address here)!

Since the band seems keen on giving their music away, I highly recommend paying to go see them if they stop in your town. I have to assume they put on a really fun show. You can find their tour dates here. They've got a show in Minnesota in September playing with The Mynabirds.

So click here, get free music, and let it soundtrack some gorgeous summer days.

Where to find Bad Bad Hats online...

Band website
Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp (lots of free music here)
Tumblr
Soundcloud
YouTube
Instagram

I'm back! Let's listen to Great Elk together

I spent the last few months finishing writing a dissertation, teaching a bunch of students about statistics, finally graduating from grad school, moving 1000 miles across the country, finding a job for the fall, adopting a sweet 4 year old American Staffordshire Terrier from a shelter, and woefully neglecting my music blogging. I've still been listening to a whole bunch of music during all of those things though, so I'm hoping to start posting some stuff here much more regularly now that life is starting to settle down a bit.

Today I wanted to share a song (or two) by the Brooklyn indie rock / indie folk quintet Great Elk. I first discovered the band on the Wild Honey Pie blog, and I've found myself wanting to keep replaying their album since then. The album closer, "A Clouded Head," is perhaps my favorite track from the band's new album "Star Stuff." A beautiful solo acoustic version of the song can be listened to / watched below.



Another album standout is "Music Is Better Than Life," which you can stream (and download) below.



The album is only $7.99 on Amazon and seems like a great soundtrack for summer evening drives.

Where to find Great Elk online...

Band website
Facebook
Twitter

Artist To Watch: Leon Bridges

Leon Bridges name has been popping up a lot for someone who has only released two songs thus far, but it's for good reason. Bridges, a Texas native, performs some of the sweetest sounding soul and r&b since Sam Cooke. Leon Bridges' debut album will be coming out for Columbia Records later this year, and it is quickly becoming one of my most eagerly anticipated albums. In the meantime, I recommend putting the two songs below on repeat.
 




If like me, you're craving more from him, it looks like he's releasing a third song, called "Lisa Sawyer," on Tuesday. You can watch a live performance of it here. You can find some other live performances of his songs such as My Love Stays, River, and Let You Down. They are all absolutely gorgeous. You can also listen to him cover a couple Sam Cooke songs here and here. Alright, I could do this all night, but I better stop.

Leon Bridges is currently on tour. I'd recommend seeing if you can catch him now because I'm guessing tickets will be a lot more expensive the next time you get a chance.

Want to check out Leon Bridges?

Artist Website
Facebook
Twitter
Soundcloud
Instagram

Song of the Day: Gagarin by Public Service Broadcasting

I love this song. I love this video. I love this artwork.

I didn't know anything about this band until I heard "Gagarin" this morning while listening to the All Songs Considered podcast. The British duo Public Service Broadcasting attempts to "teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future" by mixing sounds from old propaganda films with electronic sounds. It works surprisingly well for them I must say. Below is a video for "Gagarin" off the band's forthcoming album. If you've ever wanted to watch two astronauts (or cosmonauts?) dancing while you listen to some real funky horns mixed with old sound clips about Yuri Gagarin, you have weirdly specific wishes, but also you can satisfy those desires with the video below:



The band's full-length album "The Race For Space" is due out February 24. I love the artwork for the album too. I think I may have to go from never hearing of them to pre-ordering the vinyl from the band's website in about a 12 hour span.

If you want to hear more from Public Service Broadcasting (as I did), they have a 2013 album titled "Inform - Educate - Entertain" that you can listen to on Spotify.

My Favorite Albums of 2014 (1-5)

If you missed the first two parts of my favorite albums list, here are links for albums 16-25 and for albums 6-15. Now onto my five favorite albums of the year.

5) Mimicking Birds - Eons

I talked about this album a bit back in August. The Portland trio released their first record in four years in 2014, and it was well worth the wait. They combine acoustic and electric guitars, keys, and percussion, along with some electronic sounding elements expertly to create their own sound. While things could seem muddled with so much going on, they layering things really well to create a nice peaceful sound. My favorite tracks are "Bloodlines" and "Acting Your Age," but it's really nice album to play from beginning to end. It would make a nice soundtrack for a Fall walk with some headphones.

4) William Tyler - Lost Colony EP

This EP marks the third release from Merge Records to make my list this year (along with the previously mentioned albums by Hiss Golden Messenger and Ex Hex). The album is entirely instrumental featuring William Tyler's amazing guitar backed by percussion, bass, keyboard, and pedal steel. The three-song EP clocks in at 26 minutes and is perfect for driving with the windows down in the summer and soaking up the world around you. The 13-minute long opening track, "Whole New Dude," is my favorite of the three. According to the Merge Records website, William Tyler and MC Taylor (of Hiss Golden Messenger) were discussing a book called "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" and joked that it should be called "Whole New Dude," which gave birth to a song title.

3) S - Cool Choices

S is the stage name of Jenn Ghetto. At least she seems to recognize the extra efforts that fans have to put in to find her on the internet since she has begun selling shirts of her face with the word "ungoogleable" across them. However, once you do find her, you're in for something pretty special. Cool Choices is anchored by her voice and piano playing although there are guitars and drums on songs too. Her lyrics can be depressing, but they have a sweet honesty and openness to them. The album starts off with the line "This is how losers feel. I am a loser. And you're here to remind me that this is how losers feel." The song manages to captures a feeling of being on the outside or feeling self doubt and marries it with beautiful piano. When the second track "Like Gangbusters!" picks things up a little bit it's a welcome transition and includes the line "Another day here, and I am not breaking. And we all fall sometimes. You will not take me down" to make you realize the whole album won't be quite as depressing as the first track. "Vampires," which has a lo-fi bedroom recording feel and is probably the most immediately accessible song, and "Brunch" are two of my other favorite tracks on the record.

2) Cayetana - Nervous Like Me

I first wrote about Cayetana two months ago, and I still can't get enough of the Philadelphia pop punk trio. Nervous Like Me is a bit of a deviation from what I normally listen to, but I found myself wanting to return to this album over and over and over again (sometimes all in one day). I'm really hoping to see the band in concert sometime in 2015 (in the meantime this live performance on NPR will have to suffice). Augusta Koch's vocals manage to wonderfully toe the line between singing and screaming in a perfect way that is catchy and fun to sing along with. Her lyrics do a great job of touching on love, longing, anxiety, the mundane, and life as a 20-something. Allegra Anka on bass and Kelly Olsen on drums help provide a constant energy to the album that manages to not get lost at all from beginning to end. My favorite tracks are currently "Hot Dad Calendar," "Dirty Laundry," and "Busy Brain," but that could change the next time I listen to the album and find something new stuck in my head.

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and my favorite album of 2014 is...

1) Racing Glaciers - Ahead of You Forever EP

If you've been paying attention to my list so far, you could have predicted this album since I said there were two entries by Racing Glaciers. This five-piece from the United Kingdom just absolutely won 2014 for me, and I am so glad to have stumbled across their music. I normally don't even include EPs on my top albums list, but I couldn't imagine anything else taking the #1 spot this year. Every time I listened to the Ahead Of You Forever EP I was overcome with just how much I loved it and how well everything gelled. To me the sign of a great album is that I have a hard time coming up with anything to listen to next when I finish listening to it. This year I found myself often just starting the EP back over from the beginning for that reason. I was thankful when they released their other 2014 EP so that then I could at least play both. As I mentioned before, the band is absolutely perfect at building a song til it can't build anymore and then kicking in everything they've got. The guitars, horns, and percussion all come together into such a nice package that sounds familiar yet not really like another artist I know. To date, Racing Glaciers has 3 EPs, and I read that they are working on their first full length album now (which my fingers are crossed is true). I wouldn't be at all surprised if their debut album launches them toward stardom, so I recommend hopping on the bandwagon now so you can say you were ahead of the curve. I'm not going to pick a favorite song because the EP is only 24 minutes long and should be listened to as a whole anyway. You can find it on Spotify or buy it from Amazon or wherever else you find it.

Below is a mix of some songs from my five favorite albums of 2014.


If you use Spotify, below is a playlist where you can listen to 24 of my top 25 albums. Louis Weeks' album isn't on there, but you can stream (or download) the whole thing here.




Lastly, thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog at any point this year. Thanks to all the bands on my list and a whole bunch of others that didn't make it but still produced awesome music in 2014. And thanks to blogs like songsfortheday, We Listen For You, My Random Jukebox, Music Savage, and a whole bunch of others that helped me discover all kinds of great music. See you all in 2015!

My Favorite Albums of 2014 (6-15)

If you missed the first installment of my list, you can find my albums ranked 16-25 here. Otherwise, it's onto the next portion of the list.

15) Field Report - Marigolden

Wisconsin's Field Report is led by Chris Porterfield (and is an anagram of his last name). Field Report's debut album was one of my very favorites of 2012. Their second album sees them refining their blend of indie rock and indie folk with beautiful lyrics that drag you into the story of the song. While I still haven't gotten quite as lost in this album as I did their debut, I wouldn't be surprised to have it click for me someday, and it's a darn nice album anyway. My favorite tracks are the first two off the record, "Decision Day" and "Home (Leave The Lights On)."

14) Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness of Dancers

I feel like I had probably seen Hiss Golden Messenger's name around before, but I somehow never got around to listening to them until this year. The North Carolina folk duo was another artist whose discovery I owe to their presence on Merge Records. I'm planning to move to North Carolina this summer after I graduate, and besides finally getting to live in the same state as my girlfriend again, I'm also excited to be around the music scene in the Durham / Chapel Hill area. My favorite songs from this record are "Saturday's Song" and "Black Dog Wind (Rose of Roses)."

13) Allo Darlin' - We Come From The Same Place

The third album by the London-based Allo' Darlin is chock full of good solid indie pop. They don't try to make the songs too extravagant or frilly, but it's a really fun album to listen to , and I found myself doing just that more often than I had expected based on my brief previous knowledge of the group. A couple songs reminded me a bit of Camera Obscura, and I really enjoy the pedal steel on a couple of songs like the albums closer "Another Year." "History Lessons" and "Heartbeat" were two other favorite tracks.

12) Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Give The People What They Want

I had the immense pleasure of seeing Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings perform back in March and it was some of the most fun I've ever had at a show. If you can spend an hour watching a tiny 50 year old woman who recently beat cancer singing and dancing her heart out all night without having a huge smile on your face you may need to get yourself checked out. Much of the group's energy and enthusiasm is captured on this record as well. If your Monday ever needs a little kick in the pants to get going, fire this up and it should get your foot tapping and your mood improving. I particularly enjoy "Retreat!" and "Stranger To My Happiness."

11) Racing Glaciers - Don't Wait For Me EP

Racing Glaciers released two EPs this year. I didn't know whether to group them together or treat them separately, but I chose to split them up. And as a slight spoiler for the remainder of this list, this was my second favorite of the two. Racing Glaciers is great at letting a song slowly build until you can't take it anymore before letting everything kick in. Everything blends together into a whole that I cannot get enough of. The only thing preventing this from being higher on the list is that it's only four songs. Of the four tracks, I enjoy "First Light" and "Animal" the most, but the whole EP is excellent. I'll talk a bit more of the band when their second EP pops up in this list.

10) Louis Weeks - shift/away

This was the first album that I fell in love with this year, which I wrote about back in February. The Washington DC based composer combines electronic elements with organic sounds so well. One of my favorite blogs, We Listen For You, said of the album that it has "that rare quality in electronic music of feeling handmade as if the machines that go into producing the sound were as organic as the vocals that accompany them." I can't say it much better. "Bloodline" and "Fold" are my two favorite tracks. You can currently download the album for any price of your choosing here.

9) First Aid Kit - Stay Gold

The two Swedish sisters who make up First Aid Kit made my favorite album of 2012 and Stay Gold is another wonderful blend of country and folk from the duo. It's hard to believe they've put out this much good music while they are still only 21 and 24 years old. On this album, they introduced a 13-piece orchestra to back their beautiful vocals and own instrumentation. While none of the songs was quite as transcendent as "Emmylou" from their last album, I became pretty addicted to "Heaven Knows" for a while. "My Silver Lining," "Master Pretender," and "Shattered & Hollow" are other standout tracks.


8) Bahamas - Bahamas Is Afie

Bahamas is the stage name of Canadian Afie Jurvanen, so he nailed the album name. His 2012 record Barchords was enjoyable, but I found myself just picking out songs here and there but never really getting into the album as a whole. My first time through Bahamas is Afie, I knew this album would be different. I'm not sure what is different about this one or if it's just me, but I love listening to this whole album. "Stronger Than That" and "Can't Take You With Me" are my two favorite tracks.

7) Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas - Secret Evil

I discovered this band / album late in the year, but man is it fun to listen to. All Music describes Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas as a "gritty, high-energy Detroit rock & roll band whose sound embodies everything from Motown to early surf, psych, carnival, and girl group pop." It's hard to choose a favorite track and the band can do both upbeat and slower songs really well, something not all similar bands can pull off. If I had to choose, I'd say "No Place Left To Hide," "Cry Cry Cry," and "Caught Up" are my favorite tracks. Apparently this album had been completed for a couple years before seeing the light of day due to label issues, but I'm really glad it finally did.

6) Owl John - Owl John

Owl John is the solo debut of Scott Hutchison from Frightened Rabbit. Since Frightened Rabbit is one of my favorite bands, I was pretty excited for this album, and it did not disappoint. Hutchison amusingly stated his impetus for trying his hand at a solo album saying "it was also approximately 10 years ago that I started a band called Frightened Rabbit. In that time I've dedicated so much of my life to that good wee band with a stupid name, I felt it was time to indulge John." As Frightened Rabbit's sound has grown and become more elaborate, Owl John allowed Hutchison a chance to pull things back and try some new things musically. However, his thoughtful lyrics that fans have come to expect are present along with that wonderful Scottish singing voice.


Below is a mix with a song from each of the albums listed above. Hopefully you find something you like. If you do, go check out the artist(s) more and support them if you feel so inclined.



I'll be back tomorrow with my five favorite albums of 2014. Thanks for reading!

My Favorite Albums of 2014 (16-25)

My blog hasn't been quite so active lately since I've been busy with other things, but I've still been listening to plenty of music and working on my annual favorite albums of the year list. This year I've narrowed things down to my top 25 (although I may talk about some others that just missed the cut in a post later). Here are entries 16-25. I'm hoping to follow this up with 6-15 tomorrow and squeezing in 1-5 on the last day of the new year. I hope you find something you enjoy here. I'd love to hear what albums other people enjoyed that I missed.


25) The Antlers - Familiar

Familiars is the fourth album from the New York indie rock trio. It continues their tradition of making gorgeous music. My favorite tracks are "Palace" and "Intruders."

24) Benjamin Booker - Benjamin Booker

This album is Benjamin Booker's debut, and his high energy version of blues rock is instantly infectious. The album kicks off with the track "Violent Shiver," which is a great start to an album. I love the guitar work, and I can't wait to hear more from him in the future. In addition to "Violent Shiver," my other favorite tracks are "Wicked Waters" and "Have You Seen My Son?"

23) Cataldo - Gilded Oldies

Seattle-based Cataldo was new to me this year. I can't recall how I discovered them, but I've found myself returning to this album (released in March) quite a bit over the year. You can download the lead track for the price of an email address on their website. My favorite tracks are "Sinkhole" and album closer "Other Side."

22) Shovels & Rope - Swimmin' Time

Shovels & Rope is the stage name for married duo Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent. Swimmin' Time is their follow up to their excellent "O' Be Joyful" in 2012. Once again, Hearst's voice is the real star, but the charm and chemistry of both members is readily apparent in all of their music. I saw the them a couple years ago at Sasquatch Music Festival, and I highly recommend going to see them if you ever get a chance.

21) Courtney Barnett - The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas

Technically this is just a repackaging of two previously released EPs by the Australian Courtney Barnett. And technically it was first released last year. However, it got a US release this year, and this is my list, so I'm including it! Courtney Barnett's music is sort of wandering indie rock that reminds me a bit of Kurt Vile, who released one of my favorite albums last year. Her music is highlighted by her wonderfully witty lyrics. "Avant Gardner" and "History Eraser" are my two favorite tracks off the record.

20) Cold Specks - Neuroplasticity

In 2012, Cold Specks had my second favorite album of the year. While Neuroplasticity didn't quite grab me the way I Predict A Graceful Expulsion did, I will always listen to anything featuring Al Spx's incredibly voice. This album featured the addition of a trumpet, which added a nice new element. My favorite track is "Bodies At Bay."

19) Sallie Ford - Slap Back

Last year, Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside put out one of my favorite albums of the year as well as a really good EP. Thus, I was pretty disappointed to hear the band was splitting up, but I was intrigued by Sallie Ford's new venture (under her own name), which included three local women from other bands to round out her new group. Sallie Ford's energy is ever present as she blends sounds from the 60s-90s (venturing away from her 50s sound with The Sound Outside). Everything she does seems to work, and however she chooses to make music, I'll be there eagerly anticipating it. My favorite track from the new album is "Coulda Been".

18) Nick Waterhouse - Holly

Nick Waterhouse's second album proves that his solid debut was no a fluke. His sound is a really nice mix of rock 'n roll, old school R&B, and soul that sounds like it could have been at home in the 50s or 60s. My favorite tracks on the album are "This Is A Game" and "Dead Room."

17) Ex Hex - Rips

This Washington D.C. trio creates some rockin' tunes led by Mary Timony (formerly of Wild Flag). This album is my annual reminder that Merge Records is the best label around. I'm glad to have been introduced to another band by them. My favorite tracks are "Beast" and "Hot and Cold."

16) Collapsible Mountains - Ribs On Heart

Scotland's I Build Collapsible Mountains has been a blog favorite that I've written about several times. It appears that Luke G Joyce has added another member in Sophie Adams and dropped the "I Build" to become just Collapsible Mountains now though. While I happen to miss the old name a bit, I love the new sound. The vocals of the two beautifully pair with one another throughout the album. This is especially true on the lead track "Endings." This is a gorgeous album, and I highly recommend going to grab it for yourself over on their Bandcamp page and supporting an excellent independent artist in the process.


Below you can listen to a song from each album on the list. If you like something, go check out more and/or support the artist.



Check back tomorrow for albums 6-15.

Happy 65th Birthday, Tom Waits!

I haven't had much time for blogging lately (although I'm working on my favorite albums of the year list), but I always have time to wish a happy birthday to one of my all-time favorite musicians (and the creator of this blog's name), Tom Waits. It's way too hard to pick a favorite song from the hundreds he has written, so here's a couple that I don't think I've shared before. Enjoy!

Song of the Day: Dearly Departed by Shakey Graves

I've had the chorus to this song stuck in my head for most of the day, so I thought I'd share it on the blog. One of the advantages to living alone is that I haven't annoyed anyone yet by periodically shouting "You and I both know that the house is haunted!" out of nowhere.

Shakey Graves is the stage name of Alejandro Rose-Garcia who apparently is also an actor and has appeared in the most recent Sin City movie and had a four episode stint on Friday Night Lights. He describes his most recent album as "simple, jaunty 50s-70s country."

Anyhow, check it out "Dearly Departed" featuring Esme Patterson below, and enjoy!




Want to check out Shakey Graves?

Band website
Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp
Tumblr

New Music: Cayetana

One of the most impressive things a band can do is make you change your initial impression of them. I first heard Cayetana a couple days ago on NPR's All Songs Considered podcast. The band was introduced as a Philly punk band and the song they played was called "Hot Dad Calendar." In my head I kinda dismissed them as probably not my type of music and too cutesy or weird with their song titles. I figured I'd zone out a bit until the next band was introduced on the podcast. The thing is, about halfway through the song I realized I was nodding my head to the music, drumming along, and starting to sort of sing the catchy chorus to myself. By the end of the song, I figured I'd at least check out their stuff sometime to see if I liked the rest of it. Well, it turns out I did, and I'm fully on board with this band now. I think I listened to the album four times in a row initially, and I've returned a few more times since then.

So... check out "Hot Dad Calendar" by Philly punk band Cayetana below, and try not to write them off too much (like me) til you hear the music.



If you like it, it looks like you can stream the whole album at this link (Cayetana - Nervous Like Me) or buy the album from their label here.

And if you want to check out Cayetana, here are some links:

Facebook
Twitter
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Merge Records Round-Up

I've written on several occasions about my love for Merge Records. The label was founded in 1989 by two members of the band Superchunk. Since then, they've staked their claim as one of the best indie labels around. They've put out albums by bands like The Arcade Fire, Spoon, Conor Oberst, The Mountain Goats, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Magnetic Fields, (my personal favorite) M. Ward, and so many more. It should come as no surprise, but over the last few months they have been on fire with their releases. Below are five albums they've released this year that I've been enjoying lately.

William Tyler - Lost Colony EP

Released in April, this EP has been one of my most listened to albums this year. The album, comprised of three instrumental guitar tracks, is a perfect driving or walking album.



Reigning Sound - Shattered

This album is full of old school rock 'n roll / r&b / soul music that reminds me of JD McPherson or Nick Waterhouse a bit. This is the band's fifth album and my first introduction to them. Looks like I've got some back catalog to check out.



David Kilgour and the Heavy Eights - End Times Undone

This album has a bit of a Kurt Vile feel, featuring meandering somewhat psychedelic indie rock that is a joy to listen to.  David Kilgour is another established artist that is new to me, but I really enjoy what he's doing on this album



Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness of Dancers

William Tyler lends his helping hand (and guitar) to this excellent Dylan-esque folk album from North Carolina based Hiss Golden Messenger.



Ex Hex - Rips

This is an incredibly infectious debut album of driving indie rock / power pop. The trio, fronted by a former member of Wild Flag, has set the bar high with their debut.

Video of the Day: Conor Oberst performing Lua with First Aid Kit

Conor Oberst recently performed a live version of his track "Lua" (from the 2005 Bright Eyes release "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning") with some help from First Aid Kit and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. I don't have a lot to add, other than to sit back and enjoy because it's already a really good song made even better by the always wonderful First Aid Kit.



Conor Oberst released an album called "Upside Down Mountain" back in May that I've enjoyed

First Aid Kit (who made my favorite album of 2012) released "Stay Gold," their third LP, in June.

Bahamas Is Afie

The new album from Bahamas, "Bahamas Is Afie," has been in regular rotation for me the last couple weeks. As the album title suggests, Bahamas is the stage name for Afie Jurvanen, a Canadian folk musician. His songs are built around a soft meandering guitar and his soulful vocals, but they periodically incorporate elements from all sorts of other genres like pop, blues, gospel, soul, and country. With summer winding to a close, this album should be the perfect soundtrack to counteract the hustle and bustle of everyday life by getting you to slow down, relax, and soak in the tunes.

Below is an excellent live version of "Stronger Than That," one of my favorite tracks from the new album.



I was absolutely convinced that I had previously posted the excellent track "Okay Alright I'm Alive" from Bahamas' 2012 album "Barchords," but somehow I never got around to it, so listen to that one too!




Check Out Bahamas

Artist website
Facebook
Twitter
Soundcloud

Happy 40th Birthday Tim Kasher

Today is the 40th birthday of Tim Kasher, front man of Cursive and The Good Life. In honor, below is one of my favorite "story songs" of all time "Album of the Year," the lead track of the 2004 album of the same name, which, chronicles a year of ups and downs in a relationship through 12 tracks (one for each month of that year). The title track covers the two people's initial meeting and then summarizes the year before the remaining tracks get into more detail. It's a simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking song with lines like "She said she'd never seen someone so lost, I said I'd never felt so found" and "I know she loved me once, but those days are done. She used to call me every day from a pay phone on her break for lunch just to say she can't wait to come home." Give it a listen and (hopefully) enjoy!



Does anyone else have any favorite "story songs"? Or perhaps a favorite The Good Life of Cursive song to help celebrate Tim Kasher's birthday? Let me know in the comments or by email.

Mimicking Birds - Eons

The blog has been quiet the last few months as life has been busy (and I've been lazy I suppose), but there's too much good music I want to share for it to stay silent forever. I'm hoping to start posting more regularly soon, but first... Mimicking Birds.

One of my favorite albums so far this year has been "Eons" by the Portland trio Mimicking Birds. This is the band's first release in four years, but it has been well worth the wait. I wrote a little bit about the first album here. Since that album, the band has reinvented its sound a bit, straying more from a folksy Modest Mouse to a band that expertly combines folk-rock and electronic elements in a way that sounds incredibly natural.

The first two tracks are outstanding and really set the tone for the album, but the whole thing is wonderful. Below, you can listen to track number five, "Bloodlines". I've had this album on repeat for large portions of the summer, and I expect to keep returning to it for quite some time. Here's hoping we won't have to wait another four years for their next album, but if we do I have faith they'll make it worth the wait again.

Want to check out Mimicking Birds?

Website

Facebook

Twitter

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Soundcloud (Glacial Pace label)

Happy MLB Opening Day

Since I'm a huge baseball fan, Opening Day is one of my favorite days of the year. I know three games have already been played, but today is the first day with a full slate of games. Plus, almost every day from now until October should provide me with baseball to watch, so I'm in a good mood! A couple years ago, I wrote a post highlighting some baseball related music. That's certainly not the only time I've brought the sport up on this blog though. I figured I could add to those posts with a couple new items.

* The other day, Salon.com posted a list of baseball's 27 greatest songs. Check it out here.

* The Baseball Project, a supergroup comprised of members from R.E.M. and other bands, released their third album last week, the appropriately titled "3rd." The album contains songs about Babe Ruth ("The Babe"), the sad fall of Lenny Dykstra ("From Nails To Thumbtacks"), Dale Murphy's Hall of Fame candidacy ("To The Veteran's Committee"), and many more. The whole album is a lot of fun if you're a baseball fan. I mean it starts out with a voice just reading off numbers from famous baseball records over a driving electronic beat... Below I've included a song about the history of the Oakland A's. Since MLB.tv prevents me from watching Twins games in Iowa, I've adopted Oakland as my second team.



* Lastly, this connection is a bit more superficial, but Philadelphia-based pop punk/indie rock group Modern Baseball released an album earlier this year, that is an enjoyable listen. For a much longer write up on the band, you can read this post over on Grantland. If you'd rather just hear the music, below is a song of theirs.



Happy Opening Day!

Vancouver Sleep Clinic

Last week was my "Spring Break" from school. However, while the week started with temperatures nearing 70 degrees, last night I had to scrape ice off my car as snow fell around me. I thought that maybe I should make a "spring mix" to encourage the warm weather to hurry up, but I'll hold off for one more week and succumb to the sweet sounds of winter courtesy of Vancouver Sleep Clinic.

Vancouver Sleep Clinic is the moniker of 17 year old Australian Tim Bettinson, who makes some pretty gorgeous music along the lines of Bon Iver, or fellow Aussie and blog favorite Hayden Calnin. While we here in the northern hemisphere are (hopefully) seeing the end of winter, this album should perfectly soundtrack the upcoming winter for the southern hemisphere. I've included a song from the band's Soundcloud page below, but I recommend going and listening to (or buying) the whole album. At the very least, head over to the Soundcloud page and check out the beautiful track "Vapour."




Want to check out Vancouver Sleep Clinic?

Band website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
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I Don't Care / I Don't Mind

I don't have time for a proper blog post, but a while ago these two songs came up back to back on my iTunes. Since then, I've been meaning to post them together, partially because I found it amusing and partially because they are both relatively unknown gems.

"I Don't Care" by Breakfast in Fur is from the New York band's self-titled EP released in 2009. You can download that EP and another EP through the band's Bandcamp page for whatever price you'd like.




"I Don't Mind" by The Decemberists is from the Portland, Oregon band's "5 Songs EP," originally released independently in 2001. It was later re-released, and the whole thing is worth checking out. I also really enjoy the track "Oceanside" off this EP.

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings Concert

First some advice: If you get a chance to see Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings perform live, take it!

Last week I went to see Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings here in Iowa City, and it was up there with the most fun I've had at any show. Right from the start, the band took the stage and informed the crowd that we wouldn't be needing our chairs that night. What followed was one and a half hours of soul, funk, singing, dancing, and just a general air of happiness.

Lead-singer Sharon Jones was diagnosed with cancer last year, but it has done nothing to hold her down. Quite to the contrary, Jones sang and danced all night with an energy that would have been impressive from anyone, let alone a 50-something who had just battled cancer. Her positive energy was incredibly infectious too as I'm not sure I've ever smiled more during a concert. Throughout the set, she pulled fans on stage to dance with her, led a dance tutorial of moves from decades past, and just sang and danced her heart out.

The tour was in support of the band's January release "Give The People What They Want." While I haven't written about it yet, it is an excellent album that I've been listening to a lot. Below are two tracks from the album. It may not quite be able to do justice to the band's live show, but it's an excellent stopgap until the next time they visit your town. Enjoy!

Out this week (3/4/14) - Featuring new Nick Waterhouse

There were an insane number of intriguing new releases this week. The one that I was most excited about was the sophomore album from Nick Waterhouse, "Holly," and it has not disappointed one little bit. I've only listened to it a couple times so far, but I see this being one of the albums I return to over and over throughout the whole year.

Nick Waterhouse's music combines rock & roll, old school r & b, and soul. While all of these were present on his debut album, he seems to have found a way to put them together with more punch on "Holly." I previously posted a stream of the track "This Is A Game," so here's another track from the album, this one featuring a nice saxophone solo.



Also out this week is the fourth album from Seattle-based Cataldo (the stage name of Eric Anderson). My only introduction to the band was this post on Songs For The Day, but one listen through the album has me sold. Here's the album's closing track.



KHUSHI (who apparently shares his name with a poorly rated Bollywood movie) released his debut EP this week. The three original songs are an exciting debut somewhat similar to previous blog favorite Hayden Calnin (who has his second EP coming out later this month!).



If none of these grabbed you, there were also new releases by Drive-By Truckers, Wake Owl, Eagulls (on Partisan Records, who never seems to fail me), and Nothing. It looks like new releases are finally starting to pick up after a slow first couple months.