WAKEUPANDSMELLTHEMUSIC.COM

Blair "Hello Halo"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-09T11:00:00Z

Blair - Hello Halo

"Back in 2007, New Orleans native Blair was gracing my ears with soft and melodic tracks. A lot has changed for the singer/songwriter since then, she's left the Big Easy for L.A. livin' and currently resides where the indie music pulse thump the loudest: Brooklyn. She also has a new record that released in January on Aquarium Drunkard's endorsed label Autumn Tone. Her debut LP is much deeper than the Pluto EP of 2007, with expanded instrumentation and songs far more dynamic than before.

"Paris France" is an extension on the type of soulful pop tunes from her earlier releases, complete with strong percussion that would fit perfectly in a jam from swingin' eras gone-by. Meanwhile "Hello Halo" is a great guitar driven track as catchy as it is cleverly constructed, definitely watch the outdoor live rendition below. Die Young oozes with upside and showcases Blair's artistic strengths while maintaining the free-spirited edge so crucial to her success." (via I Guess I'm Floating)

Bonus: Blair - Paris, France

Blair

Die Young

Release Date: January 26, 2010

Label: Autumn ToneRecords

Buy On Amazon

SXSW Performer

Scheduled Show(s) Here

Freelance Whales "Hannah"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-08T10:00:00Z

Freelance Whales - Hannah

"Tambourines, banjo, glockenspiel, cello and harmonium line their music, along with more traditional instruments like guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. And while it’s not entirely original (what is nowadays); they blend the sharp electronic stabs of The Postal Service; the urban country twang of Noah and the Whale and Bishop Allen’s slightly awkward hipster melodies, they come across as a band following their hearts, working on a sound that will satisfy fans of the indie pop genre without slipping into a naff delirium. Anyone vaguely familiar with the bands mentioned will eagerly engage Freelance Whales’ soft, inoffensive swoon pop.

For a band that only formed in late 2008, Freelance Whales have an instant chemistry. Their recently self-released debut LP Weathervanes paints them as a much older band, one that has been writing music together for several years and has grown while learning in New York’s musical playground. Displaying such maturity is a credit to all five members’ ability to not only channel their influences but to evolve and find a unique cross-over that defines themselves without falling victim to the usual clichés. Debut records displaying this much class normally lead to greatness."(via Einstein Music Journal)

Bonus: Freelance Whales - Generator 2nd Floor (courtesy There Goes The Fear)

Freelance Whales

Weathervanes

Release Date: April 13, 2010

Label: Frenchkiss Records

Buy On Amazon

SXSW Performer

Scheduled Shows Here

The Indie Music Grinder Vol. 2

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-07T21:04:00Z

Ed. Note - We had to change the title of this feature from The Indie Music Filter in order to avoid confusion with another web site. Actually, this title works with our graphic and conveys our irreverent view of the indie music scene just fine. Cool beans!

Albums That Make Us Wish The Format Wasn't Dead

Broken Bells

Release Date: March 9, 2010

Label: Sony

Broken Bells combines the intelligence of The Shins frontman James Mercer with the tight production of Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse. Much like Burton's collaboration with Beck a couple years ago on Modern Guilt, it's a dreamscape of pop goodness. Buy On Amazon

The High Road

Vaporize

Videos That Don't Suck

Gorillaz new video debuted Tuesday as we mentioned last week and it lived up to all expectations. It's a wild car chase between the cartoon monkeys and guest star Bruce Willis who's playing his typical bad ass character. Check it out below.

Gorillaz Video Link Via YouTube

OK Go succeed in making better videos than music. We all remember their You Tube sensation "Here We Go Again" a few years ago. This one probably took longer to set up, but damn if it isn't worth it.

OK Go Video Link Via YouTube

Joy Formidable have a great new single. This is a band we're just catching up with and it looks like this is the first new material for a follow-up to their debut. Right now, this lo-fi animation is the only place you can hear the song on-line. Now will somebody please download the single and post it somewhere?

The Joy Formidable Video Link Via YouTube

Videos That Suck Harder Than Your Mom('s Oreck XL)

Goldfrapp seems to have gone for a retro 80's sound which is one thing we're not terribly excited about, but this video really dissapointed. Is it just us or does wrapping up your ex like a mummy and shooting them off in a rocket seem a bit over the top. Dull dance numbers also ensue along the way. Be warned!

GoldfrappVideo Link Via YouTube

Class Actress's Elizabeth Harper has the looks no doubt. We like her latest album and featured some songs off it this week in our Java Jukebox while she gets set to play SXSW in a couple of weeks. So, why should we mind a video of her squirming around in a sexy outfit. Well, because it's badly lit, out of focus, and winds up being a long boring tease. Good idea, bad execution.

Class Actress Video Link Via YouTube

This week, Pitchfork announced more additions to their Music Festival at Chicago's Union Park. The artists joining this year's bill are Broken Social Scene, Panda Bear, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, El-P, Girls, Titus Andronicus, Bear in Heaven, Freddie Gibbs, the Smith Westerns, Dâm-Funk, Cave, and Allá.

They say they still have plenty of artists left to announce, so stay tuned.
The current daily line-up is below with some selected tracks and links to more music. By the way, three-day passes are already sold out, so you're going to want to get your single-day passes quick here.

Friday, July 16:
-- Modest Mouse - Satellite Skin

-- Broken Social Scene - World Sick
-- El-P

Saturday, July 17:
-- LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House

-- Panda Bear
-- The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
-- Raekwon
-- Titus Andronicus
-- Bear in Heaven - Lovesick Teenager
-- Freddie Gibbs
-- The Smith Westerns
-- Dâm-Funk

Sunday, July 18:
-- Pavement - Gold Soundz

-- St. Vincent - Marrow
-- Lightning Bolt
-- Girls - Laura
-- Cass McCombs
-- Here We Go Magic - Fangela
-- Sleigh Bells - Ring Ring
-- Cave
-- Allá

If you've seen this logo at the bottom of our Java Jukebox posts this week, you've noticed we've been focusing on artists performing at the upcoming SXSW fest. Next to the logo we have a link to the performer's scheduled show(s). We'll be covering as many artists as we can the next couple of weeks until it's over.

May is gearing up to be quite a big album release month. We already reported new albums from indie music giants The New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene
. This week we had some news on more new albums
releasing that month.

Minus The Bear is releasing it's new album Omni first on May 4th on Dangerbird Records. Head over to OmniTheAlbum.com to check out their game OMNI SAYS (an homage to one of their favorite 80's games, Simon Says). They have a new track "My Time" to download there. "Hearing this electronic Minus The Bear may be rather off setting at first. But as the song progresses you realize (we) still have the same band here, they are just trying out some new things." (via We All Want Someone To Shout For)

Minus The Bear - My Time

Band of Horses return with their much anticipated third album, Infinite Arms, on May 18. Touring members Tyler Ramsey and Bill Reynolds were added the band. All five members contributed to the recording process, causing frontman Ben Bridwell to state, "in many ways, this is the first Band of Horses record." (via Pitchfork). We're still waiting for a cover or track list.

Band of Horses - Funeral (from their debut Everything All The Time)

After their hip-hop collaboration with Damon Dash, BlakRoc, Dan Auerbach's solo album, The Almighty Defenders, and Patrick Carney's Drummer project, it seems like the Black Keys were putting their main band on hold. Well, they will be back on May 18 with Brothers, the sixth Black Keys album. Mostly recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama and produced by Auerbach and Carney themselves, Brothers features one song ("Tighten Up") produced by Danger Mouse, who helmed the last Black Keys album, Attack and Release.

Dan Auerbach - Brokenhearted, In Disrepair (from his solo album Keep It Hid)

LCD Soundsystem's new album is due in the UK May 17 courtesy of DFA/Parlophone and May 18 in the U.S. on DFA/Virgin. The nine-track album runs 65 minutes, according to band mastermind James Murphy. He told Pitchfork his label is currently deciding between "Drunk Girls" and "Change" for the first single. Apparently, last year's single (below) will not be on it.

LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou

Saving the best for last, The National's fifth LP, High Violet, is due out May 11 on 4AD. We don't have any cover art or a track yet, but they do have a website where you can see them recording it here. Here's a track they contributed last year to the Red Hot Organization's charity compilation.

The National - So Far Around The Bend (from Dark Was The Night)

The Sandwitches "Kiss Your Feet"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-06T10:00:00Z

The Sandwitches - Kiss Your Feet

"Imbuing new indie music with a heavy dose of early 60's doo-wop isn't exactly new (see The Raveonettes, Jens Lekman, etc.), but it has been primarily concentrated in Scandinavia for reasons unknown (or too lengthy to wax on at this moment). Until now.

Enter San Francisco's The Sandwitches, a band who brings a sock-hop-meets-monster-mash indie vibe to their music that makes me want to dress up like Rizzo from Grease and tie a cute scarf around my neck. And not in a bad way. Their sound has just the right amount of scratchiness to keep it from falling into a retro cliche...and many of the songs add in a completely different vibe making for a thoroughly A plus album experience (bouncier Cat Power on "Kiss Your Feet" anyone?)."(via The Music File)

Bonus: The Sandwitches - Back To The Sea (courtesy Gorilla vs. Bear)

The Sandwitches

How To Make Ambient Sad Cake

Release Date (unofficial): March 6, 2010

Label: Turn Up

Buy On Insound

SXSW Performer

Scheduled Show(s) Here

Wakey!Wakey! "Twenty Two"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-05T11:00:00Z

Wakey!Wakey! - Twenty Two

"Mike Grubbs, the creative tour-de force known as Wakey! Wakey!, possesses two rarities in modern indie-pop: a commanding, scale-ascending voice of vibrant clarity and a classically-trained background that gives his songs a dazzling piano virtuoso musicality. After a slew of NY club dates, two live albums, last spring's War Sweater EP and a growing Big Apple buzzfactor, Grubbs recently unleashed his studio debut full length with the verbosely monikered Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You (Family). Like everything else we've heard from the Brooklyn-based troubadour, we're expecting Almost Everything to be an almost perfect amalgam of intelligent, emotionally centered lyricism, sweeping melodies and wide-screen, theatrical flourishes. This is "big idea" music -- but fortunately for us Grubbs and crew have the chops and the chutzpah to pull it off."(via Direct Current Music)

Wakey!Wakey!

Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said the Last Time I Saw You

Release Date: February 2, 2010

Label: Family Records

Buy On Amazon

Class Actress "Careful What You Say"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-04T21:50:00Z

Class Actress - Careful What You Say

"Brooklyn: cesspool of indie creativity and the stomping grounds of a seriously potent pipeline o' talent. Most cities have their day in the musical spotlight and then it moves elsewhere around America, yet Brooklyn could be the focal point of an entire book based on their fixation with remaining in the spotlight. Another outfit jumping from the beloved borough onto my computer and into my ears, Class Actress has my head bobbing.

Formerly the solo project of theatre graduate Elizabeth Harper, Class Actress expanded to a trio and further developed their sound into a twist of dark pop infused with electro-beats. Harper's smooth vocals and penchant for melody fit perfectly with synthesizers, urging your body to twist and squirm rhythmically with the music. "Careful What You Say" had me hooked from the in-your-face synth at the beginning, almost lifting my spirits all-together in addition to putting a smile on my face." (via I Guess I'm Floating)

Bonus: Class Actress - Journal of Ardency

Class Actress

Journal Of Ardency

Release Date: February 9, 2010

Label: Terrible Records

Buy On Amazon

SXSW Performer

Scheduled Show(s) Here

Slow Club "Giving Up On Love"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-04T11:00:00Z

Slow Club - Giving Up On Love

"Well, these two sound awfully cheerful for a couple of people singing about abandoning their hopes and dreams! Still, as much as they’re expressing frustration with unrequited love and loneliness, it’s very apparent that they’re having a lot of fun with the drama of it all. Why else would this song sound like such an unironic thrill? On the face of it, Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor are shouting “That does it, I quit!”, but it’s obvious to anyone that they’re actually sweetly proclaiming “I’m ready! Love me! Love me!” The best moment in the song comes when Rebecca sings “I’ve been tired and hopeful for far too long now” on the bridge to the chorus, and despite the negativity in her words, she couldn’t sound more forthright and optimistic. This isn’t really about being sad and desperate, it’s about having a lot of love to give and getting impatient waiting for someone who deserves it all."(via Fluxblog)

Bonus: Slow Club - It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful (courtesy The Culture Of Me)

Slow Club

Yeah, So

Release Date: March 30, 2010

Label: Moshi Moshi Records

Buy On Amazon

SXSW Performer

Scheduled Show(s) Here

The Delta Mirror "He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-03T10:00:00Z

The Delta Mirror - He Was Worse Than The Needle He Gave You

"The trio of Craig Gordon (vox, guitar), David Bolt (vox, gadgets) and Karrie K (vox, bass) uses the descriptor “electro shoe-goth” to capture their sound. It’s pretty dead-on. As with former Portlander Bolt’s solo gig Letdown, The Delta Mirror puts together ambient indie rock with purpose—chirps, whooshes and beeps all find their place over hushed vocals and gentle beats—and, more importantly, melodies. It’s not just an exercise in self-indulgence (i.e. wankery)—these songs are good.

The group’s new release Machines That Listen is out March 16 on Lefse Records (including vinyl!)—nine songs that take place in a different room of a hospital. The concept began with a couple autobiographical songs written by Gordon, who then decided to build the story from there. Each song stands on its own, too. “He Was Worse Than the Needle He Gave You” and album closer “A Song About the End” are the standouts (the latter reminds of Zooropa-era U2)." (via The Days of Lore)

Bonus Download: The Delta Mirror - A Song About The End (via Ear, Eye, Nose Candy)

The Delta Mirror

Machines That Listen

Release Date: March 16, 2010

Label: Lefse Records

Dr. Dog "Shadow People"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-02T10:00:00Z

Dr. Dog - Shadow People

"Dr. Dog has been around, as a band, for over a decade now. Their impending release – Shame, Shame – will be their sixth, and it’s undoubtedly their most anticipated. The lead single was released this past week, entitled “Shadow People,” and it shows off an upbeat, polished Americana sound.

“Shadow People” is an I-95 South track, warming as it forges down the coast, the temperature increasing with each state line that passes. It drops you off somewhere around Columbia, SC, in a bar off of the well-worn strip, where there’s no cover and the band is playing for $50 and some beers. In a nutshell, you should enjoy it."(via Tympanogram)

Dr. Dog

Shame, Shame

Release Date: April 6, 2010

Label: ANTI- Records

SXSW Performer

Scheduled Show(s) Here

Holly Miranda "Waves"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-03-01T10:42:00Z

Holly Miranda - Waves

"Holly Miranda, lead singer of one of my favorite bands The Jealous Girlfriends, has gone solo for the moment with her new debut LP The Magician’s Private Library. One thing I knew about Miranda from the few Jealous Girlfriend shows I’d attended – she can sing, and she can rock. Buuut…I had no idea she’d be capable of making such a diverse and spectacular album such as this. Seriously she touches on that Bat For Lashes realm here. Miranda sets down the guitar, picks up EVERYTHING else and layers it behind her ethereal voice. The Magician’s Private Library was recorded with Dave Sitek (of TV on the Radio fame). Apparently they slept all day and recorded all night for three weeks. Miranda says “if my prior recording sessions were school, this was like getting a master’s." (via Pasta Primavera)

Bonus Download: Holly Miranda - Forest Green Oh Forest Green (via 20 Watts)

Holly Miranda

Magician's Private Library

Release Date: February 23, 2010

Label: XL Recordings

SXSW Performer

Scheduled Show(s) Here

The Indie Music Grinder Vol. 1

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-28T20:00:00Z

If you've landed here recently, you're probably noticed some changes happening. Most obvious is the new look. We think it's a cleaner, brighter, more streamlined format. We hope you like it. Less visible, but more significant is the fundamental shift in our content you'll see going forward. Sure, we're still covering the best of indie music, but we're going back to basics to how we envisioned this site when we started a couple of years ago.

There's a lot of indie music and news each week and it's really impossible for one source to cover it all. Believe me, we have tried. Thankfully, there are plenty of devoted blogs and publications which collectively do a fine job. So why cover what has already been reported somewhere else? I know most blogs do it, but it seems redundant to us. Instead, why not just search out the best music from the resources available already. Couple that with with new music submitted to us by the good folks at the record labels and PR firms and we can spotlight the best content out there. We'll condense it into a daily sort of a Reader's Digest dose and deliver it in the morning early enough for you to have with your first cup of coffee. Wow, that not only fits our name, but fulfills the original mission we had in mind when we began this blog. So, that's what we'll be doing most days.

This weekend feature you are now reading, we call ~~The Indie Music Filter~~ (change that, we were notified we inadvertently infringed on another web site) The Indie Music Grinder, is the one exception to the new format. This will be our forum to share the odds and ends: music, news, videos and a chance to express some opinions. Although we're becoming very track oriented, this will be a place we can still discuss and recommend new album releases without getting bogged down in the process of assigning a score as we have in the past. Take this as a semi-serious, somewhat irreverent look at the state of Indie Music. That's where we we want to go with this feature. Now that you have an idea of what is happening here, let's kick off this first issue.

Albums That Make Us Wish The Format Wasn't Dead

Rogue Wave

Permalight

Release Date: March 2, 2010

Label: Brushfire Records

Considering what the band has been through since their last record (one member died, another had kidney failure), this is a terrific upbeat, joyous slice of indie pop that's surprisingly even danceable. We've featured a couple tracks here already. Here those tracks again:

Good Morning

Solitary Gun

Albums That Make Us Wish We Were Dead

Joanna Newsom

Have One On Me

Release Date: February 23, 2010

Label: Drag City

Good god, this is awful! Awfully long too, like 3 albums of her warbling, off key wailing about something or other, while our brains rot into mush. One reviewer from a respected publication apparently lost so many brain cells listening to this, they actually compared her voice to Joni Mitchell. Joni Mitchell! WTF! Don't be swayed by the gushing reviews, you will be lucky to listen to the whole thing before taking your own life.

Shearwater
Golden Archipelago
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Label: Matado
r Records
Maybe, I've just never really found Jonathan Meiburg's work after he left Okkervil River to be very interesting. Sure, he's a fine musician, but it always seems like he's holding back on me. There's a hint at times it might swell into something grand, but I keep drifting off in thought. When you start thinking about a better album you'd rather be listening right then, that is the calling card of boredom, my friend.

Videos That Didn't Suck

Oh, and they are all live performances. One was from a new band we spotlighted yesterday. San Franciso's The Morning Benders got together to do their hit "Excuses" with a group of Bay Area friends, including John Vaderslice and Christopher Owens of Girls.

Morning Benders Video Link on Vimeo

Secondly, we meant to post this video awhile back and...well, we forgot. Before we let the month end, we gonna revisit this February 11th performance from Neon Indian on Jimmy Fallon doing a medley of two Psychic Chasms tracks, "Terminally Chill" and "Ephemeral Artery".

Neon Indian Video Link (Via Stereogum)

Next Tuesday, Broken Bells, the duo of The Shins' Jim Mercer and Danger Mouse, will release their self titled collaberation. Last Friday, they performed together for the first time on stage at LA's Bootleg Theatre. There was a video set of the entire live performance, but it's been taken down, but we found another one for their single "The High Road". Although it's not quite as good in quality, you can see they had quite a light show going that night. Better watch it quick before it's taken down, too.

Video Link Via YouTube

Videos That Suck Harder Than An Oreck XL

Whoever keeps sending me these stupid mysterious videos going by the ridiculous moniker iamamiwhoiam needs to knock it off. Please! I was turned off enough by the first couple of them. Here the latest one if you want to see what I'm talking about.

Video Link (via YouTube)

The current #1 video on elbo.ws is jj's "Let Go". Nice song, but boring video. Don't believe me? Go ahead and watch it below. Hey, it's your time to waste anyway you want.

Video Link (via YouTube)

We've admitted it. We do well to keep up with all the new indie music releases, but we noticed out of the current top 15 tracks on elbo.ws, we've posted 6 of them this week ourselves. (Yes, we just took our own hand and patted ourselves on the back.) Here's a few more tracks on their list we've been trying to find a spot to post. Mmm...looks like right below is as good a place as any.

Club 8 - Western Hospitality

Nada Surf - Electrocution (Bill Fox Cover)

The Radio Dept. - Heaven's On Fire

Rafter - Paper

On Tuesday, we'll see some highly anticipated albums from Frightened Rabbit, Portugal. The Man, The Ruby Suns and of course our recommended pick Rogue Wave. We've posted a track off all those in the archives. Also on Tuesday, watch for Gorillaz video premiere for "Stylo" on YouTube a week prior the release of Plastic Beach. We've already posted that particular track, but here's another cut that surfaced this week.

Gorillaz - Superfast Jellyfish (Via The Music Ninja)

Lastly, we have some just announced info on a new album in the works for Born Ruffians. The album Say It will be released June 1st on Paper Bag Records. We'll leave you with the cover art, tracklist and a new song below.

Tracklist

1. Oh Man

2. Retard Canard
3. Sole Brother (via So Much Silence)
4. What To Say
5. The Ballad Of Moose Bruce
6. Higher And Higher
7. Come Back
8. Nova-Leigh
9. Blood, The Sun & Water
10. At Home Now

Morning Benders "Promises"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-27T15:19:00Z

Morning Benders - Promises

"In keeping with their band's name, the Morning Benders' "Promises", the first mp3 from their upcoming album Big Echo, is the sort of sleepy-eyed song you might hear just before staggering out of the bar at 6 am. It's the stuff of a thousand fond, albeit half-fabricated, memories. No surprise that Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor is partly responsible for the track's woozy feel (he gets a co-producer credit). But next to Grizzly Bear, the Benders exhibit a comparatively loose and laid-back approach to songwriting consistent with the Bay-area band's West Coast pedigree. The sense of impermanence heard here might strike some as noncommittal, but it mostly seems honest, an admission that life often goes by drifts. In any other context, a lyric like "I know this won't last" would come off as naively hopeful or depressingly defeatist. In the case of the Benders, it's their way of saying it's just another day." (via Pitchfork Media)

Bonus: Morning Benders - Excuses (courtesy Captain Obvious)

Morning Blenders

Big Echo

Release Date: March 9, 2010

Label: Rough Trade Records

Brewing: Frightened Rabbit, The Ruby Suns, Ted Leo, She & Him, Dum Dum Girls

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-26T10:00:00Z

The indie music machine is cranking out a bevy of new albums next month. Here's a few to put on your checklist with the latest single posted below.

Frightened Rabbit The Winter of Mixed Drinks March 2nd on Fat Cat Records.

New Single: Nothing Like You

The Ruby Suns Fight Softly March 2nd on Sub-Pop Records.

New Single: Cranberry

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists The Brutalist Bricks March 9th on Matador Records.

New Single: The Mighty Sparrow

She & Him Volume Two March 23rd on Merge Records.

New Single: Thieves

Dum Dum Girls I Will Be March 30rd on Sub-Pop Records.

New Single: Jail La La

Enjoy, GB

BREWING: Portugal. The Man, The Apples In Stereo, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-25T10:00:00Z

There's been a load of new album announcements in the past couple of weeks. We want to get you caught up on a few of those and pass you a new track from each album right now...

Portugal. The Man American Ghetto March 2nd on Equal Vision Records.

New Track: The Dead Dog

The Apples In Stereo Travellers In Space And Time April 20th on Elephant 6.

New Track: Dance Floor

Broken Social Scene Forgiveness Rock Record May 4th on Arts & Crafts.

New Track: World Sick

The New Pornographers Together May 4th on Matador.

New Track: Your Hands (Together)

Enjoy, GB

Video Cafe: Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-24T15:15:00Z

What with all the concert announces and reviews, we didn't get to any new videos last week. So here's a couple that caught our attention last week and this week.

Vampire Weekend came up with another great video last week, this time working with the Malloy Brothers, for a song off the recommended album Contra. The video revolves around a tennis match featuring Joe Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers) and a drunken Jack Gyllenhaal as players, Wu Tang Clan's RZA as the umpire, and Lil' Jon as the coach. The song title means turning your back on aggression and selfishness according to vocalist Ezra Koenig explaining of the song's concept, "The heroine of the video isn't an amazing tennis player, but she has heart. She stays calm despite the unfairness of it all."

VIDEO Giving Up The Gun:

Video Link

Just before Frightened Rabbit's new album The Winter of Mixed Drinks drops on March 2nd, they dropped a new video this week for second single Nothing Like You. The video utilizes a background of collapsing symmetrical images.

VIDEO Nothing Like You:

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Video Link

Enjoy, GB

Quick Brew Review: Shout Out Louds "Work"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-23T16:44:00Z

Shout Out Louds

Work

Release Date: February 23, 2010

Label: Merge Records

After a three year absence, this Swedish band decided to get to "work" and make their most complete album to date. Don't let their name fool you, smooth vocalist Adam Olenius isn't doing any shouting out loud here. Rather, it's breezy pop front loaded with their most catchy songs. Phil Ek polishes the band's sound this time and makes the guitars chime as he did with Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes. Sounding something like Arcade Fire-lite, it probably won't be blasting from your car windows this summer, but it's well timed for winter days cozying up to a good fire.

KEY TRACKS:
Walls

Fall Hard

Hear The Album:

Spinner Link

Enjoy, GB

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Quick Brew Review: Owen Pallett "Heartland"

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-22T10:43:00Z

Owen Pallet

Heartland

Release Date: January 12, 2010

Label: Domino

His first album under his own name (after previous moniker Final Fantasy came under trademark scrutiny from a video game maker), Toronto's composer and musician arranges a complex orchestrated production. It approaches the work of Sufjan Stevens, although he's not as great a storyteller. Pallett's skill on violin and loop pedals draw comparisons to Andrew Bird and his vocals are very similar (sans Bird's vocabulary play). This is work on a big scope, albeit hits and misses, requiring time to take it all in. His most accessible songs are the ones with the name of his fictional character, "an ultra-violent farmer", in the title.

KEY TRACKS:
Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

Lewis Takes Action

Listen On :

Heartland - Owen Pallett

Enjoy, GB

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WUASTM Top Twenty Tracks For W/E Feb 19th

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-20T22:54:00Z

Field Music sets the benchmark this week with the top track, while three new songs make landfall on the chart. The UK outfit Field Music, led by brothers David and Peter Brewis, tops the chart Effortlessly off their just released and recommended album Field Music (Measure). The biggest gain from last week was made by Vaporize from Broken Bells, the duo of James Mercer (The Shins) and Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse, on their self titled disc out March 9th. The highest charting new track was Mexico, another one from San Diego band The Soft Pack from their recommended self titled debut. Making their first appearance on the chart are two singles posted previously in our Brewing feature series. Swedish group Shout Out Louds' Walls busts through just in time for next Tuesday's release Work, while Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Even Heroes Have To Die rises up on the list before their new album The Brutalist Bricks drops March 9th.

Editor's Note: We mentioned last week we would be issuing a review of Owen Pallet's latest album Heartland, but we had to make room to cover the concert line-ups announced this week for both Sasquatch! and SXSW. The review was done and you can expect to see it this week. Until then, check out the track Lewis Takes Off His Shirt, on the chart for a second week.

WUASTM TOP TWENTY TRACKS FOR THE WEEK ENDING 2-19-10

THIS

LAST

# OF

WEEK

WEEK

WEEKS

ARTIST

TRACK

1

2

3

Field Music

Effortlessly

2

4

3

Caribou

Odessa

3

10

3

Broken Bells

Vaporize

4

1

4

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Greenwich Mean Time

5

3

6

Spoon

The Mystery Zone

6

7

3

Bear Hands

What A Drag

7

8

2

Phantogram

When I'm Small

8

5

4

The Happy Hollows

We Will Find You

9

6

7

Vampire Weekend

Run

10

---

1

The Soft Pack

Mexico

11

12

2

Rogue Wave

Solitary Gun

12

18

3

The Happy Hollows

Faces

13

---

1

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists

Even Heroes Have To Die

14

11

6

Surfer Blood

Harmonix

15

9

4

Los Campesinos!

Romance Is Boring

16

---

1

Shout Out Louds

Walls

17

16

4

Yeasayer

O.N.E.

18

13

7

Hot Chip

One Life Stand

19

20

2

Owen Pallett

Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

20

14

7

Rogue Wave

Good Morning

Enjoy, GB

Concert Grounds: SXSW Odd Band Names and Our Picks

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-19T15:48:00Z

The 2010 South By Southwest Festival schedule was posted this week and it's huge! Over 1,800 bands will be converging on Austin's downtown area from March 17th until the wee hours of the morning of March 21st. The schedule is available on the SXSW web site here, but be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time scrolling through all the shows. We spent some time reviewing it this week and compiled a list of unusual band names. We have no idea what most of them sound like, but exposing new talent is what SXSW is all about.

Unusual Band Names

Band will do anything to get public attention. Adopting an absurd name can be an ice breaker.

Bands With Character:
!!!
Aa
DD/MM/YYYY
UUVVWWZ.

A Bunch Of Animals:
Bird By Bird
Dirty Little Rabbits
Kittens Ablaze
Mouse and The Traps
Nervous Turkey
Pets With Pets
Pigeon Religion
The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!
Trampled By Turtles

To Err Is Human:
Black Cock
One Be Lo
Puffy Areolas
Teeth Mountain
The Hickey Underworld

Nuts, Get Your Nuts:
Asylum Street Spankers
Beans On Toast
Creature With The Atomic Brain
Gay Witch Abortion
Man or Astro-Man
Morning Teleportation
Pocahaunted
Red Bacteria Vacuum
Shit And Shine
The Atomic Bitchwax
The Bewitched Hands On The Top Of Our Heads
The Unthanks
This Town Needs Guns

Scary Monsters:
Attack Attack!
Bastard Child Death Cult
Coffinworm
Die! Die! Die!
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb
This Will Destroy You
You Say Party! We Say Die!

Laugh It Up Fuzzball:
Drunkendriver
Fair To Midland
Fucked Up
Hammer No More The Fingers
Holy Fuck!
Mad Juana
Muck and The Mires
Sex Worker
Shitty Carwash
Ten Out of Tenn
The Beatards
The Biscuit Rollers
Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger!

Our Show Picks
You can personalize your own schedule over at the SXSW web site after registering. Here's our current schedule, but you can see w
e have a lot of narrowing down to do after all the show times are published. We also posted some select tracks by artists you may not be familiar with or ones we haven't featured here lately.

Wednesday, March 17th:
The Antlers Galaxy Room Backyard TBA
Band of Skulls Beauty Bar/Palm Door TBA
Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles (The Day We Met) Cedar Street Courtyard TBA
Class Actress (Careful What You Say) The Phoenix TBA
The Drums Stubb's TBA
Free Energy Cedar Street Courtyard TBA
Here We Go Magic (Fangela) TBA TBA
Local Natives Galaxy Room Backyard TBA
Minus the Bear (The Game Needed Me) Stubb's TBA
Neon Indian Club de Ville TBA
These United States Encore Patio TBA
We Are Scientists The Phoenix TBA
Yacht Cedar Street Courtyard TBA
The Walkmen (The Rat) Stubb's 08:45 PM
Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles Continental Club 09:00 PM
The Happy Hollows Jaime's 09:00 PM
Here We Go Magic Club de Ville 09:00 PM
Kaiser Cartel (Season Song) Lamberts 09:00 PM
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour Emo's Annex 10:00 PM
Born Ruffians (I Need A Life) The Phoenix 10:00 PM
Das Racist Buffalo Billiards 10:00 PM
Fanfarlo Galaxy Room Backyard 10:00 PM
Broken Bells Stubb's 11:00 PM
Jookabox (You Cried Me) Beauty Bar 11:00 PM
Frightened Rabbit The Parish 12:00 AM
Spoon Stubb's 12:15 AM
Miike Snow Galaxy Room Backyard 01:00 AM
Surfer Blood Wave Rooftop 01:00 AM
Diamond Rings Beauty Bar Backyard 01:15 AM

Thursday, March 18th:
Delta Spirit Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center 03:00 PM
The Besnard Lakes (Albatross) Stubb's 08:30 PM
Harlem Red 7 Patio 09:00 PM
The 88 (Coming Home) La Zona Rosa 09:30 PM
The Soft Pack Stubb's 09:30 PM
Little Girls (Growing) Speakeasy 10:00 PM
Rogue Wave Emo's Main Room 10:00 PM
She & Him Cedar Street Courtyard 10:00 PM
Generationals (When They Fight, They Fight) Club de Ville 10:30 PM
Avi Buffalo (What's In It For) Galaxy Room Backyard 11:00 PM
Brazos (Day Glo) Emo's Annex 11:00 PM
Local Natives Emo's Main Room 11:00 PM
Band of Horses Stubb's 11:30 PM
The Dutchess & the Duke Galaxy Room 11:30 PM
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Antone's 12:00 AM
Roky Erickson with Okkervil River La Zona Rosa 12:30 AM
Broken Social Scene Stubb's 12:45 AM
Bear In Heaven Mohawk 01:00 AM
Delta Spirit (Trashcan) Emo's Main Room 01:00 AM
Phantogram Red Eyed Fly 01:00 AM
Toro Y Moi Wave 01:00 AM
The Very Best Beauty Bar Backyard 01:00 AM
White Denim (Regina Holding Hands) Emo's Annex 01:00 AM
The xx Mohawk Patio 01:00 AM

Friday, March 19th:
Fanfarlo The Ale House 12:00 PM
Band of Horses Central Presbyterian Church 08:55 PM
Born Ruffians Emo's Main Room 10:00 PM
WhoMadeWho (Keep Me In My Plane) Emo's Jr 10:00 PM
Yacht Billboard.com Bungalow 10:00 PM
jj Central Presbyterian Church 10:30 PM
Bear Hands (What A Drag) Maggie Mae's Gibson Room 11:00 PM
Cymbals Eat Guitars (...And The Hazy Sea) Emo's Annex 11:00 PM
Jesca Hoop The Tap Room at Six 11:00 PM
Real Estate Klub Krucial 11:00 PM
That Ghost (The Red Bow) Wave 11:00 PM
Broken Social Scene The Parish 12:00 AM
Crystal Antlers (Andrew) Emo's Annex 12:00 AM
Memory Tapes Klub Krucial 12:00 AM
Shearwater Antone's 12:00 AM
Miike Snow Mohawk Patio 12:00 AM
We Are Scientists (After Hours) Emo's Main Room 12:00 AM
The xx Central Presbyterian Church 12:30 AM
Band of Skulls (Friends) Maggie Mae's 01:00 AM
Bear In Heaven (You Do You) Emo's Annex 01:00 AM
The Cool Kids Mohawk Patio 01:00 AM
The Drums Latitude 30 01:00 AM
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Mohawk 01:00 AM
The Very Best Emo's Main Room 01:00 AM
Washed Out (Feel It All Around) Klub Krucial 01:00 AM

Saturday, March 20th:
Rogue Wave Day Stage Cafe Austin Convention Center 02:00 PM
She & Him Auditorium Shores Stage (Lady Bird Lake) 08:00 PM
Small Black (Despiciable Dogs) Mohawk Patio 08:15 PM
The Sandwitches (Kiss Your Feet) Mohawk 08:50 PM
Crystal Antlers Red 7 Patio 09:15 PM
Deleted Waveform Gatherings (Ways Around It) Wave Rooftop 11:00 PM
Surfer Blood Mohawk Patio 11:00 PM
Darker My Love
(Two Ways Out) Galaxy Room Backyard 12:00 AM
Real Estate Red 7 12:00 AM
Japandroids Galaxy Room 01:00 AM
No Age Barbarella 01:10 AM

Enjoy, GB

Concert Grounds: Sasquatch! Line-up Announced

Wake Up and Smell The Music — 2010-02-18T14:52:00Z

The Sasquatch! Music Festival will take place in May again at The Gorge amphitheater in Quincy, Washington. Headliners this year include Pavement, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, My Morning Jacket, Dirty Projectors, The Nationals, and LCD Soundsystem.

This year’s festival will be held over Memorial Day weekend, May 29-31. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 am PST. Single day tickets are $70 per day until May 23th, $80 per day from May 24 to May 28, and $86 per day if purchased on the day of the show. Discount 3 day passes are $170 (available until Feb. 21st at midnight). Get more info on the venue at the web site here.

Here's the daily list of artists scheduled and selected tracks:

Saturday, May 29th

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

Vampire Weekend - Horchata

The National - So Far Around The Bend

Also: Deadmau5 / Broken Social Scene / OK Go / Wale / Public Enemy / The Hold Steady / Miike Snow / Z-Trip / Brother Ali / Minus The Bear / WHY? / The Very Best / Portugal. The Man / Mumford & Sons / The Lonely Forest / Nurses / The Middle East / Patrick Watson / Morning Teleportation / Laura Marling / Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros / Fool's Gold / Garfunkel & Oates / Dam-Funk / Shabazz Palaces

Sunday, May 30th

Pavement - Gold Soundz

LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou

Tegan and Sara - The Cure

Also: Massive Attack / Kid Cudi / Nada Surf / Dirty Projectors / The xx / The Long Winters / Simian Mobile Disco / Midlake / Girls / Vetiver / The Tallest Man On Earth / YACHT / Booka Shade / Caribou / Avi Buffalo / City and Colour / Cymbals Eat Guitars / A-Trak / Fruit Bats / tUnE-yArDs / Local Natives / Freelance Whales / Jets Overhead / Rob Riggle / Luke Burbank

Monday, May 31st

MGMT - Kids

Band of Horses - Funeral

She & Him - In The Sun

Also: Ween / Passion Pit / The New Pornographers / Drive-By Truckers / Boys Noize / Camera Obscura / The Temper Trap / Dr. Dog / Neon Indian / No Age / The Mountain Goats / Phantogram / Quasi / Japandroids / Mayer Hawthorne & The County / The Low Anthem / Fresh Espresso / Hudson Mohawke / Telekinesis / Past Lives / Yes Giantess / Craig Robinson

Also this week, SXSW Festival organizers posted an extensive schedule of over 1,800 artists playing around the Austin, TX downtown area on March 17-21. Check back tomorrow for our guide to the shows to see.

Enjoy, GB

THIS	LAST	# OF
WEEK	WEEK	WEEKS	ARTIST	TRACK
1	2	3	Field Music	Effortlessly
2	4	3	Caribou	Odessa
3	10	3	Broken Bells	Vaporize
4	1	4	Charlotte Gainsbourg	Greenwich Mean Time
5	3	6	Spoon	The Mystery Zone
6	7	3	Bear Hands	What A Drag
7	8	2	Phantogram	When I'm Small
8	5	4	The Happy Hollows	We Will Find You
9	6	7	Vampire Weekend	Run
10	---	1	The Soft Pack	Mexico
11	12	2	Rogue Wave	Solitary Gun
12	18	3	The Happy Hollows	Faces
13	---	1	Ted Leo and The Pharmacists	Even Heroes Have To Die
14	11	6	Surfer Blood	Harmonix
15	9	4	Los Campesinos!	Romance Is Boring
16	---	1	Shout Out Louds	Walls
17	16	4	Yeasayer	O.N.E.
18	13	7	Hot Chip	One Life Stand
19	20	2	Owen Pallett	Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
20	14	7	Rogue Wave	Good Morning