Songbird
Jul
12
Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
By Rachel | Album Picks | 10 Comments
That’s right all my fine feathered friends Spoon’s highly anticipated follow up to Gimme Fiction, their sixth album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was finally released this week. And although this is old news around the blog-o-sphere I am sure there are some of you out there who held out as long as I to experience this release.
So what do I think of this album? Well for one thing I don’t think the title is stupid, it’s crazy! And my oh my I do love crazy. As for the music? I really wasn’t expecting much but this 10 track album has kind of knocked my socks off…Rarely do I enjoy an entire album all the way through but this set of songs seem to pull me right in with all of their toe tapping energetic rock and apparently “it can all be wedding cake” ;-). It is hard to keep a frown listening to these guys rock that’s all I’m saying.
And not to sound all cliché or anything but this is a must have album…It has certainly quickly climbed up my favorite albums of 2007 list. They come to LA in September to the Henry Fonda Theater.
Check to see when they are coming to you!
mp3 Expired: The Underdog
mp3 Expired: Black Like Me
Spoon on myspace
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 2007 (Merge Records)
The new album is available HERE and HERE
Jul
10
The Yarrows, Plum
By Rachel | Album Picks | 2 Comments
Sorry for the hiatus life has been busy and the summer heat has left me quite lazy I must confess and I think some of you know how much I hate the heat. But I have so much new music I seriously am not sure where to begin…So let us back up a bit, rewind, reverse, what have you.
The Yarrows hail from New Jersey and according to their website
The Yarrows are a band started in a house in a 200 acre woods in New Jersey in 2002.
Four guys from Jersey who make mellow indie folk rock. Their debut album Plum was released through Empyrean Records on June 19th. An inspiring debut from this group of guys from Jersey indeed, their tour dates have yet to be determined but hopefully they can make it out West eventually, for now I recommend tracking them down if you live in the Jersey/Philadelphia area and I will keep you posted on tour dates. A couple tracks I hope tickle your fancy as much as they tickled mine.
mp3 Expired: Cellophane
mp3 Expired: Impossible One
The Yarrows on myspace
Plum 2007 (Empyrean Records) available HERE and HERE
Jul
5
Ray’s Vast Basement
By Rachel | Album Picks | 6 Comments
Starvation Under Orange Trees is the new album by Ray’s Vast Basement. An album which lifts your spirits with it’s acoustic folk melodies and gentle poetic lyrics. The songs that make up Starvation Under Orange Trees are from a score Jon (lead singer) wrote for a John Steinbeck play; the band performed it live in the theater for 16 weeks. I would have loved to see this because the album is really a delight song after song.
Ray’s Vast Basement hails from San Francisco and although most of their shows are currently in the SF area they set sail in August for a few shows on the East Coast. I highly recommend checking them out.
mp3 Expired: California’s Gone (Grapes of Wrath)
mp3 Expired: Palace Flophouse (Cannery Row)
Ray’s Vast Basement on myspace
Starvation Under Orange Trees 2007 (Howells Transmitter)
Get the new album HERE or download it HERE
Jul
2
The Lovetones, Axiom
By Rachel | Album Picks | 5 Comments
The Lovetones hail from Melbourne Australia and have just released their third full length album through Tee Pee Records on June 19th. The Lovetones have toured extensively all over Australia and Europe and have even supported Morrissey on his first ever Australian tour.
Their new album Axiom is filled with polished dreamy indie rock that is enjoyable indeed.
mp3 Expired: Navigator
mp3 Expired: Wintertime In Hollywood
The Lovetones on myspace
Axiom 2007 (Tee Pee Records) GET IT
Jun
28
The Winter Sounds, Porcelain Empire
By Rachel | Album Picks | 3 Comments
The Winter Sounds hail from South Carolina and Athens Georgia. Their debut album Porcelain Empire was just released this week on Livewire Recordings. An album which demonstrates their ability to create airy indie-pop that entice the senses. A solid debut indeed and this band is a touring machine, check out their myspace to see when they are coming to you.
mp3 Expired: Windy City Nights
mp3 Expired: You Can’t Give Up
The Winter Sounds on myspace
Porcelain Empire 2007 (Livewire Recordings)
In other news I finally got my new keyboard for my laptop…So I will no longer have a broken “A”!!! Weeee! Also has anyone played the Xbox 360 Guitar Hero II? Holy Shit it is an addictive and fun game…So much so that I think we might buy it!!!! I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.
Jun
27
Portishead
By Rachel | Music Mix Up | 4 Comments
On the way home last night this song shuffled on and once again I’m reminded why I hold Portishead on such a high pedestal. When I think of trip-hop Portishead is the first band that comes to mind…Sue me. I can’t help it, hypnotizing that Beth Gibbons is and well the beat just makes you want to turn it up to feel the vibrations. Their music is seductive with a vulnerable attitude and I love it…
Damn it! If they would just finish their 3rd album already…Supposedly 2007 is the estimated arrival date…We will just have to wait and see.
For now I offer my favorite track off their 1994 debut album, Dummy
mp3 Expired: Glory Box
Portishead on myspace
Dummy 1994 (Polygram Records) GET IT
Jun
27
Technical Stop
By Rachel | News & Info. | 3 Comments
I don’t know what the hell is happening, Dreamhost is having issues so I can’t get to my FTP or my domain at all. I have no idea where or how to find my API Key and yes I have read the instructions in the WP documentation in regards to this yet it is still not working out the way it should.
Sigh…So please be patient while all this gets worked out.
Jun
26
Internet Radio Silence
By Rachel | Music Mix Up | 3 Comments
If you notice that some of your favorite internet radio sites don’t seem to be streaming any music today that’s because they are participating in a protest against new royalty rates which are set to take effect on July 15th.
Internet Radio Silently Protests Royalties
by
Morning Edition, June 26, 2007 · Many fans of Internet radio will be tuning in to nothing on Tuesday, as many Webcasters participate in “A National Day of Silence.”
It is a protest against what Webcasters call excessive royalties on the music they stream. New royalty rates are set to take effect in little more than three weeks.
Organizers of SaveNetRadio, a coalition of Webcasters protesting the hikes, say Internet radio outlets — big and small — will be participating.
Pandora, Rhapsody, AccuRadio, one of Yahoo’s free radio streams and many smaller outlets will all go black for all or part of the day.
In between the silence, many outlets will be playing announcements explaining the protest and asking listeners to write their senators or representatives.
That is what Live 365 will be doing. It is an Internet radio site that aggregates ten thousand independently programmed channels.
Johnnie Floater is Live 365’s general manager of media. He says listeners have supported the fight against the rate hikes. He also says Live 365 is willing to forego its advertising revenue because the royalty increases do not take into consideration the value Web radio offers the music industry.
“We have to look at what Internet radio does for the music industry. Beside coming up with royalties, it comes out with an immense amount of promotion for a wide amount of artists that are not heard anywhere else,” says Floater. “You’re going to silence one of the most powerful tools for music and that’s what you’re going to hear tomorrow- silence.”
Several public radio stations will also shut down their music streams to protest the rate hikes that are set to take effect July 15.
The new rates were imposed by the Copyright Royalty Board, a three-judge panel established by the Library of Congress to oversee royalties in the digital domain.
The new rates are based on a per song, per listener formula. The old rates were based on a percentage of Webcasters’ revenue.
The burgeoning Internet radio industry has collectively argued that those rates will put many Webcasters out of business.
At a recent conference on digital media, Kurt Hanson, executive director of the Digital Music Association, says silence is what listeners can expect if the new rates go into effect.
“Silence may become pervasive on the Internet if the royalty rates stay in effect or go into effect on July 15,” says Hanson. “I think the goal is to do get people to do something to get the Webcasters to stay on the air.”
Those supporting the royalty increases say the money goes to musicians who are creating the content for the Webcasters.
John Simson is the executive director of SoundExchange, the organization created by the recording industry to collect royalties from Internet radio outlets.
“The absence of music will happen when performers are not adequately compensated fairly for creating,” Simson says. “I think in their own back-handed way they are proving our point, which is performers need to compensated so we will have wonderful works being created.
Congress has already gotten involved in the royalty fight. There are two bills making their way though the House and Senate to roll back the rates.
Webcasters and National Public Radio, on behalf of its member stations, have also asked the Circuit Court in Washington, D.C. for an emergency stay of the Copyright Royalty Board’s decision.
Both sides say they are open to a negotiated settlement to the royalty issue outside of the courts and Congress.
– NPR
I don’t really know when the music industry and big record labels will wake up and realize that they need to embrace the changes in technology and learn to adapt. Of course I am not really sure why I am surprised when I still hear music from 2004/2005 playing constantly on main stream media. Personally I can’t stand having the big record companies and main stream media tell me what I should be listening to. But I am beginning to see that they are simply eliminating the options and our right to choose, kind of like brain washing tactics.
Jun
25
Pela, Anytown Graffiti
By Rachel | Album Picks | 4 Comments
I know I have been gone all weekend and I’m sorry it has been so quiet but I have been listening to some new music and now I am backed up with goodness to share so let’s just get right to it.
Pela is a band from Brooklyn, New York who’s members include:
Billy McCarthy – Vocals, Guitar
Nate “Natron†Martinez – Guitar
Eric Sanderson – Bass, Vocals
Tomislav Zovich – Drums, Vocals
They have released 2 EP’s in the last 2 years and toured their little hearts out. Their debut full length album, Anytown Graffiti was just released on The Great Society Label. And let me tell you these guys can make some honest rock & roll, with layers of blazing guitars carried by a steady marching rhythm and McCarthy’s vocals are filled with so much passion, the entire album is nothing short of inspirational.
They are currently touring in support of their new album and Pela will also be featured in the documentary Rockin’ Brooklyn by Wojtek Bozyk, which is supposed to be coming out soon but I have yet to get an official release date, if anyone knows please enlighten us and if I find anything out I will let you all know. In the mean time check out the website and watch the trailer.
mp3 Expired: Lost To The Lonesome
mp3 Expired: Cavalry
Pela on myspace
Anytown Graffiti 2007 (The Great Society Label) GET IT
Jun
22
Beirut New Album & Tour Info.
By Rachel | Music Mix Up | 7 Comments
Oh yes this was music to my little ears…Yesterday Beirut announced via Pitchfork all the details on their 2nd album and a handful of U.S. tour dates…Drum role please…The album, which has yet to be titled will be released on October 9th on Ba Da Bing!
Album Tracks:
00 A Call to Arms
01 Nantes
02 A Sunday Smile
03 Guyamas Sonora
04 La Banlieu
05 Cliquot
06 The Penalty
07 Forks and Knives (La Fête)
08 In the Mausoleum
09 Un Dernier Verre (Pour la Route)
10 Cherbourg
11 St. Apollonia
12 The Flying Club Cup
In an interview last month with Pitchfork Condon explained what to expect on the new album, “I was listening to a lot of Jacques Brel and French chanson music– pop songs shrouded in big, glorious, over-the-top arrangements and all this drama…very much throwing myself in the world of classical pop music”. Ok I am just going to come right out and say it, I am really excited!
Tour Dates:
06-22 Dublin, Ireland – Tripod
06-24 Pilton, England – Jazz World Stage (Glastonbury Festival)
06-26 London, England – KOKO *
06-28 Malta, Poland – Malta Festival
06-30 Istanbul, Turkey – Radar Festival
07-03 Paris, France – Trabendo *
07-05 Berlin, Germany – Postbahnhof *
07-08 Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival
07-10 Athens, Greece – Vrahon Theater (Gagarin Open Air Festival)
09-23 Princeton, NJ – Terrace F Club #
09-24 New York, NY – Society for Ethical Culture (Wordless Music Series) #
09-26 New York, NY – Delacorte Theater #
09-30 Montreal, Quebec – La Sala Rossa #
10-02 Toronto, Ontario – Danforth Music Hall #
10-04 Chicago, IL – Portage Theater #
10-08 San Francisco, CA – Herbst Theater #
10-09 San Francisco, CA – Herbst Theater #
10-10 Los Angeles, CA – Avalon #* with Dirty Projectors opening
# with Colleen opening
_________________________________________
mp3 Expired: Scenic World (full band version)
Lon Gisland EP 2007 (Ba Da Bing!) GET IT
Disclaimer
Music found on this blog is for sampling only. If you like what you hear then support the artist. Buy their music, attend a show and spread the word. If you own the rights to any of the music featured here and you would like me to remove it contact me and I will remove the link immediately.
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tag to listen, right click the song title to save. If you find that an mp3 is not playing chances are it has expired.
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Rachel - Music, FilmAggregator Love
