Old Crow Medicine Show

Don't snub these guys just because you hear a banjo and a twang. Broaden your horizons. Old Crow Medicine Show is an old-time american string band, and the new face of bluegrass and blues, which they are unabashedly showing across the country. Playing pre-war covers alongside original material, these young, southern Dylans have a stash of songs that I'm not ashamed to play loud. Ketch Sechor, lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, went to prep school at Phillips-Exeter, so his southern sound is accented by a northern mood and experience that just seems to hit home for me. Put your feet up on the porch, open a can of beer, and drift into the intelligent but accessible melodies of Old Crow Medicine Show.

I'm Still an Animal

The video and the sound both conjure ideas of a swedish Animal Collective. Miike Snow is not one person, but three people, none of whom is named Miike. The two swedish members of the group (Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg) are the creative force that wrote "Toxic," Britney Spears' grammy-winning hit of 2004 (hey, we all have to make money). Don't judge them for that. They are joined by american singer/songwriter Andrew Wyatt to form Miike Snow. They released their first single, "Animal" in August of 2009, so this stuff is still fresh. They are charting in the UK, and their name recognition in the US is on the rise. Melodic electro and piano chords drive their airy, quietly dramatic anthems and combine with intelligent lyrics to produce something that sounds just right in the sun or in the sleet. A neat trick.

As opposed to the above-mentioned Movits!, I recommend that you get Miike Snow's entire album; there isn't a bad track to be found. I'm partial to Sylvia, Burial, and A Song for No One.

EPIC PIECE OF TRIVIA: The band is infamous in some circles in Sweden due to the ongoing rumor that Christian Karlsson is in fact the true reincarnation of Grigori Rasputin, one of the most evil and hated men in Russian history.

MOVITS!

Hailing from Luleå, Sweden, these three nordic gents are smashing together jazz, swing, and hip-hop, and taking the charts by storm. It's a new kind of music, and my only xenophobic complaint is that it ain't in English. Movits! (pronounced Move-Its) debut album, Äppelknyckarjazz, dropped in November 2008, and is making its mark both on Amazon and on iTunes.

Stephen Colbert brought them on his show just a couple of weeks ago, providing a "Colbert Bump" to their popularity.

Don't doubt their rapping abilities just because they look like they're straight out of The Sound of Music. This stuff is dancetastic.

Their motto?

"They say Hip-Hop was born in the Bronx, but the Bronx was born in Sweden."

Press play and get moving.

I Was Out of Your League...

Mikhaela Yvonne Maricich, AKA The Blow, is a singer/songwriter from (my favorite) Portland, Oregon. Formerly a member of The Microphones, Mikhaela branched off on her own as The Blow, a lo-fi combination of lilting vocals a la Regina Spektor, and sparse electronic beats. "Parentheses," a track The Blow released in 2006, was critically acclaimed, and climbed as high as #66 on Pitchfork's "Best Tracks of the Year." Here it is, along with my current favorite, "True Affection."


"If something in the deli aisle makes you cry, you know I’ll put my arm around you"



"I was out of your league, and you were 20,000 leagues under the sea"

Enter The Vaselines

Subpop Records released this remastering of selections from The Vaselines' discography just a month ago. These unusual indie-boppers come all the way from Glasgow, Scotland, and have been in and out of recording studios since 1986. With a Belle and Sebastian meet Kimya Dawson kind of sound, The Vaselines never fail to surprise audiences with their bizarre, often overtly sexual song lyrics and subjects (The Day I Was a Horse, Rory Rides Me Raw, Sex Sux, and Monsterpussy, to name a few). Their biggest claim to fame is that they are one of Kurt Cobain's most-cited musical influences (Nirvana covered at least 3 Vaselines songs). And that's more than enough of an endorsement to get me to set aside 2 minutes to give them a listen. I hope you do too.

Matt & Kim Do Times Square

Here's the new Matt & Kim video, "Lessons Learned," off of their most recent album, Grand. As usual, this savagely cute duo keeps the budget low and the entertainment high. It looks like they're hitting the mainstream now, because this video was featured all day on MTV. I'll cry if I hear teeny-bopppers screaming at the next Matt & Kim show I attend.

PS: Kim, we were so close! Fuck censorship...

This Week's Random Obsession

Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective.
This album has been the soundtrack to the last 10 days for me, especially through an all-nighter of nicotine, alcohol and headphones Sunday night.
I really hadn't listened to it carefully since I first downloaded it in January, and I feel like a fool for wasting these last two months when I could have been enjoying Animal Collective at their best.
Honestly, This is my favorite of their albums. It shows more talent and listenability than 2005's Feels, and is more adventurous and confident than 2007's (admittedly awesome) Strawberry Jam. This Baltimore-bred band is SOLD OUT at the 9:30 club, and you are gonna have to cough up a good deal of money to get in on this one. Every time they play in the DC/Baltimore area, they sell every ticket in half a day. Be on your toes next time; I know I will be.
As far as things to look forward to with Animal Collective, Panda Bear revealed in an NPR interview that there's a new music video coming out this summer, saying that it would be "some of the most experimental stuff [they've] ever done." The video, directed by Danny Perez, is meant to "create a movie that would have visuals similar to what somebody would see if they closed their eyes while listening to Animal Collective's music"
Just do me a favor and close your eyes when you listen; these songs not just ask for but deserve your full attention.

This Love is Fucking Right!

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, straight out of New York, NY (and this is classic New York rock), have finally released a full-length album. The self-titled album dropped last month, and is a follow up to their 2007 EP. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart sound like a collision between The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Belle & Sebastian, and the 1980's. The noise-rock feel that this frenetic foursome emanates certainly owes something to bands like Sonic Youth and even The Velvet Underground too. Their sound is hip enough to catch the ear of indie aficionados throughout Williamsburg, but is catchy enough to probably get some mainstream attention. Let's see what happens.

Where The Wild Things Are

I can't wait for this movie to come out. The book is a classic tale of the power of imagination, and I will always love it. In the hands of Spike Jonze, I think the film is going to be a masterpiece.
In theaters October 16th, 2009.
(The song playing in the trailer is "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire)
You didn't think I'd post without mentioning music, did you?

...And You Will Know Us By Our Band's Ridiculous Name

People have been telling me to listen to ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead for a while now, and I'll be honest, I blew them off completely. I judged the shit out of that book's cover. They sounded like a hardcore/screamo band to me, and I was not at all interested in hearing them. Recently, I was told by yet another person to listen to Trail of Dead, and the camel's back broke. I looked into the band. I found out that their 2002 album, Source Tags & Codes got a 10 out of 10 from Pitchfork magazine. I was intrigued. I downloaded the album, and what do you know, they're pretty damn good. Listen to these two songs (anyone else hear Sonic Youth in there?), and tell me that you don't want to slap this talented band in the face for having such a stupid name (apparently a wink at an ancient Mayan chant) that they scare away potential fans.

BORN RUFFIANS!

I am crazy amped about this band right now. I saw them at Black Cat last night and was just floored. They put on an amazing show, and I'd hate to have been Tokyo Police Club, trying to follow them. I barely remember TPC, but I can't get Born Ruffians out of my head. They sometimes sound similar to Vampire Weekend, but Vampire Weekend is the version of Born Ruffians that you bring home to your mom. Born ruffians are the ones that fuck you in an elevator. Ruffians were first, they're the ones you really like, and they're fucking better.
Just listen.



And one other song for you.

I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You

The Black Kids started in 2007, with a breakout performance at the Athens Pop Festival in Athens, GA. Pitchfork Magazine called them one of the best new artists of the year, and that's saying something, because Pitchfork hates everything. Last year, The Black Kids toured the US with Cut Copy, and this year they are signed up to open for Kaiser Chiefs on their tour. The Black Kids make some seriously fun music, and this song, "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You," or another bouncin'-ballad from these 80's-inspired indie-kids, "Look at Me (When I Rock Wichoo)," had better be on your next party mix.
I fucking love this song.
And I'm sorry, but I'm not teaching him shit.

"And Baby says, 'Baby, your kiss don't do anything.'"

Another band from the northwest, the boys of Beulah hail from San Fransisco, CA, where they got started in 1996. Sharing a coveted spot on the Elephant 6 recording label with the likes of Apples in Stereo, Of Montreal, and Neutral Milk Hotel, Beulah didn't find success until their 2003 album release, "Yoko." Just a year later, in 2004, rumors began circulating that the band had sworn to split up if "Yoko" didn't reach gold status by the end of the year. The album didn't quite make it, and true to their word, the band announced the end. They capped off their 8 year career with a free concert in Battery Park in New York City, and then they disappeared. Here are a couple of songs from "Yoko," which is really a beautiful album, full of rattling horns, crashing cymbals, and driving piano.

"Me and Jesus Don't Talk Anymore" starts slow, and builds into a symphonic, sing-along, rock anthem: it's my favorite Beulah song, and the one that got me into them in the first place.
"And though we are falling stars, we feel just fine..."


"Landslide Baby" is more mellow; an honest dialogue about that strange time when you realize that a relationship just seems to have run its course.
"And I know you know I know why you won't try..."

"You stood out like a sore thumb; the most beautiful sore thumb I'd ever seen"

The Maccabees. Five gents from South London who you probably haven't listened to. Shame on you. These Englishmen released their first and only album so far, "Colour It In," in May 2007. A couple of their songs bounced around the British charts in the #30-40 area, but they have yet to fully break into the American scene. Their only exposure stateside was a quick tour with Bloc Party, also in 2007, which culminated in a sold out show back across the pond in London. These guys are edgier than The Kooks, way cooler than the Arctic Monkeys, and are definite indie dance-rockers. Personally, I only know about them because two of my good friends happen to have grown up with them in London. Here's "About Your Dress."



I can't resist giving you one more. They're bloody brilliant. This one's called "Mary," and you'll be glad I added it. Cheers.





PS: Don't worry, they aren't done. Lucky for us, they are in the studio right now wrapping up their newest album, "Wall of Arms," due to drop in April.

PPS: Thanks to Joe and Alex, my favorite Brits.

The Mountain Goats and Emilie Mover: So Rough and So Sweet

The Mountain Goats, headed by John Darnielle, have some of the best lyrics I've heard from any band playing today. Their folky, raw, storytelling style of music has a keen ability to take you away from your life and into their world. Get away for a while with "This Year," off their album "The Sunset Tree." Step 2: go listen to everything they've ever recorded, and definitely find a live show, where you can be sure that most of the people there will sing along with every word.



Then we have the ever-lovely Emilie Mover. She isn't a household name yet, but you'll recognize the tune of her song "Ordinary Day" from what I believe is a Tide commercial. If THAT doesn't get you excited (and how could it not?), just take it from me, she has a great sound that's somewhere between Colbie Caillat and Norah Jones. Check out the playfully melancholy track "Alex," which was introduced to me by someone special.
I can't find a version of the mp3 that I can embed on the site, so I'm just going to have to give you all a link for now, but seriously, click it and listen. It's not that hard. I believe in you.

"Alex" by Emilie Mover




...But you know I like you better
When your hair is standing up on end

AHHH too much music coming my way!

There are so many good shows heading to the DC/Baltimore area that I don't know what to do with myself. I can't afford all of them, so I'm going to have to pick and choose from all the talent coming my way. I'm going to list some of the great acts that are going to be in our area for you, because I know how easy it is to miss your favorite band. Ever go to the 9:30 Club website and see the words "Just Announced" right above the words "Sold Out?" I've definitely been there. Here's a heads up for all you cool cats on what's going on in the next month or so. Tell your friends.

February 26th @ Black Cat: Tokyo Police Club w/ Born Ruffians. Do you like The Killers or Bloc Party? If so, you should probably check them out. I already have tickets to the show. See you there?


February 23rd @ 9:30 Club: Mos Def. Need I say more? Get your tickets before the second night sells out too.

February 26th @ 9:30 Club: Ben Kweller. Upbeat, fun, suburban white-kid music. If you don't already listen to his stuff, you're missing out.

February 28th @ Rams Head Live!: Michael Franti & Spearhead.


March 7th @ Black Cat: Kimya Dawson. This is the chick whose voice you'll recognize from most of the soundtrack for the movie Juno. Playful, political, and fun, Kimya Dawson is worth the $13 it'll cost you to see her.

March 23rd @ 9:30 Club: Cut Copy w/Matt & Kim. I do love Cut Copy, but the real reason I'm going to this show is to see Matt & Kim. Watch this video and see how hard it is to not love this Brooklyn dance-duo. If you only go to one show I mention, make it this one. I will definitely be at this show, and it will be the eve of my birthday; join the festivities!

"There may be mermaids under the water, there may even be a man in the moon..."

So it's turning out that I may have a thing for music coming out of Portland. The more research I do about the bands I listen to, the more I realize that much of my favorite music comes from Portland, and to some extent from the Bay Area as well. This post is dedicated to M. Ward, an artist I first heard when I picked up the album "Matador at 15," marking Matador Records' 15th anniversary. I picked it up at the Barnes & Noble in Simsbury, CT, and sat in the parking lot of a movie theater, listening to it with my two best friends.
This song, "Vincent O'Brien," is one of his best songs, with a soft and sweet, yet driving melody, backing some truly great lyrics. And you know I'm a sucker for lyrics...



M. Ward, known to his mom and pop as Mark Ward, performed with actress Zooey Deschanel (the cute blonde number who sings "Baby, It's Cold Outside" in the movie Elf) for a short time in a duo called She & Him. Their act was featured at the reknowned Newport Folk Festival (the old stomping grounds of our friend Bob Dylan), in August 2008.
Put on the album "The Transfiguration of Vincent," close your eyes, and enjoy some very sweet dreams.

La Blogotheque & Beirut

Oscar inspired me to share this with you all today, with his well-chosen post of the video to Beirut's "Elephant Gun," which you can check out at gerdner.net.

Beirut's album, "The Flying Club Cup," was released in October 2007, and a very cool website was dedicated to the videos that accompany each song on the album. Parisian indie-filmmaker Vincent Moon, in association with his website, La Blogotheque, filmed all of the videos in Brooklyn, NY. The videos are simple and charming, and emphasize the raw, orchestral, organic sound that makes Beirut one of my desert island top 5 favorite bands. Here is the video for the first track of the album. The song is called "Nantes."



Also, please listen to the song "Scenic World," off of their "Lon Gisland" EP. It's amazing.

San Fransisco Style Delta Blues

Adam Stephens plays guitar and harmonica, backed by Tyson Vogel on drums, and their raw and beautiful sound epitomizes a sound I love in music. Two Gallants, out of San Fransisco, borrow their name from a short story by James Joyce. Check them out and fall in love with the sweet and melancholy rumble of the recording.

Alice in Electroland

An amateur composer put this song together, and 90 percent of the sound in the song is directly recorded from the film "Alice in Wonderland."
I find that I can't always sit through the whole video because the music and images are so hypnotic. Notice especially the feeling when the flower begins beating the drums, and the way the drums glow with each beat. The song is well done, and is very possibly making me do things at night of which I have no memory.

One of My Many Crushes

Theresa Andersson, raised in rural Sweden and currently living in New Orleans, is a one-woman band. Utilising lo-fi looping technology, she is able to play all instruments at once. What's amazing about Theresa is not only how she loops back each instrument perfectly, but the simple fact that she has the talent to play so many different instruments in the first place. I love her for her ingenuity, for her talent, and for being absolutely cute as hell.
All credit for my being aware of her and of this song goes to my good friend, Oscar Gerdner.
Please enjoy again and again.

Robot Dreams

This is a neat music-video I came across a few weeks ago. The video shows the story of a robot obsessed with humanity and with trying to be human. Sounds like some people I know.

The song is called "Duality of Deathening," by Talkdemonic. Talkdemonic, established in 2002 in Portland, OR, call their special brand of music "folktronic."