13 November 2008

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals



Album download here.

If ya need something new and different.



The Zutons, are a Liverpool band, nothing special. Critics can't seem to agree on whether the band is just hooks and beats or crap. Regardless, they can agree that they can't stop listening to them.

Give it shot. I hear its good to drive to on a Saturday night...

A Little Joy in these hard times.



Little Joy, is a band with Fabrizio Moretti of the Strokes, Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos, and Binki Shapiro. Some say it sounds like Vampire Weekend, I don't think so.

A small blurb from the Obscuresound.com review:
I suppose that when describing the sound of Little Joy it would be appropriate to compare it to the styles of The Strokes and Los Hermanos, two of the groups that the members of Little Joy derive from. It would be linear to call Little Joy a fusion of both groups, as Little Joy’s style is considerably more laid-back than either, but it is certainly not startling that both Moretti and Amarante have chosen to take this direction. Both The Strokes and Los Hermanos have attempted upbeat pop charmers with a lo-fi edge in the past, but never quite as consistently or successfully as Little Joy. Their self-titled debut album is full of the hooks one should come to expect from masterful songwriters in the vein of Moretti and Amarante, two artists who have certainly been around enough versions of success to distinguish what will fare well in the contemporary music scene.


Either way, get it here.

12 November 2008

Deer and the Headlights



Natives of Phoenix, Arizona, Deer and the Headlights have been compared to the Bright Eyes. Give a listen to the new album and judge for yourself.

P.S. I like track 2: Bad News :)

Feist -- The First Album circa 1999



I was surprised when I came across this little gem. I though that I had all of her albums. Boy was I wrong!

Click here for your fix.


Beck -- MODERN GUILT




I heard that this album is pretty darn good.

Have a listen and let me know.


Natalie Portman's Shaved Head



For those of you that went the see The Faint, but were more impressed by their opening act. Get the full album here.

Ra Ra Riot For You!




Download album here.

06 November 2008

The Faint at CSUS

Is anyone really planning to go this show? Rosemary and I saw the Faint in SF a couple years ago (with TV on the Radio) and they put on a decent show. They played a cover of "Psycho Killer" that I really enjoyed. This time they're playing with some band called Natalie Portman's Shaved Head (shoot me now). Anyway, tickets are $20 and the show starts at 7:30pm. The price is a little steep for me, but if peeps are going I might be persuaded.

Prior to becoming our president elect, Barack Obama was polled by Blender magazine for his top 10 songs (they also polled McCain, but who cares?). Here's what our new president listens to:

1. "Ready or Not" by Fugees
2. "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
3. "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
4. "Gimme Shelter" by Rolling Stones
5. "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone
6. "Touch the Sky" by Kanye West
7. "You'd Be So Easy to Love" by Frank Sinatra
8. "Think" by Aretha Franklin
9. "City of Blinding Lights" by U2
10. "Yes We Can" by will.i.am

05 November 2008

2 Cool 4 School


NME announced this year's "NME Cool List," a list of the coolest people of 2008. The British music publication is asking voters to rate those peeps who made it on the list, effectively shortening the list to the top 10 readers' favs. According to NME, "[the list is] also an attempt to take the pulse of Britain in 2008." Here's just a few who made it onto the list:

Karen O., Little Boots, Rivers Cuomo (of Weezer), Scarlett Johansson, Andrew VanWyngarden (of MGMT), Florence Welch, Santogold, Jay-Z, Alice Glass (of Crystal Castles) & Ladyhawke.

Rubies


The California-based duo, Rubies, have recently peaked my interest. Signed by Hybris, the same label that is home to El Perro Del Mar, the Rubies released Explode from the Center earlier this year. They have mellow songs like "The Truth and the Lies" and tracks that have already been remixed into dance-inducing tunes like "Stand in Line." One thing is for sure, Simone Rubi (lead vocals, keyboards) and Terri Loewenthal (bass) make the sweet pop music that makes my world tick!

03 November 2008

11/24/08 :: The Rosebuds :: The Independent

One of my favorite bands is playing in SF later this month. Tickets are $12adv/$14door -- Anyone want to join me? Visit Merge Records to stream tracks from their earlier releases. If you're looking to buy, I suggest picking up 2007's Night of the Furies, which features synth-heavy dance pop. Good stuff.

The Weepies


I'm a sucker for boy-girl vocals, especially when it's indie pop perfection. First there was Butterglory, an American indie-rock band from Lawrence, Kansas; then there was Mates of State, a indie-pop duo who met in Lawrence, Kansas; and there's my newest discovery the Weepies, who are a folk-pop duo who have nothing to do with Lawrence, Kansas.

I haven't heard anything off their latest release, Hideaway, but "Gotta Have You" is a sweet little ditty from 2006's Say I Am You.

Plus, their album art is very cute!

"Who'd Have Known" she could be so sweet?

Lily Allen's newest track "Who'd Have Known" is a sweet little love song about spending the day cuddling with your honey.

Download the track here.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Wilco and the Fleet Foxes have teamed up to cover Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released." Promise that you'll vote, and you can download the track for free!

On a side note, Starbuck's will be giving away free coffee to those who vote this election day.

02 November 2008

Tongue Tied



I'm curious what you guys think of Jenny Lewis' latest album. I've only heard three tracks (Acid Tongue, The Next Messiah, and Carpetbaggers) and I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed. Still, I need to hear the rest of the tracks before I make a decision. Anyone have any thoughts?

RC is back!

That's right, kids. RC is back! It's been awhile since I've been inspired by any new music, and I want to hear what new songs/bands you guys have been listening to. I've searched my favorite sites (hypemachine, cmj, etc.) looking for new tunes and I haven't discovered much that I like.

November's RC meeting will be at my house on Monday, November 10th - 7:30pm. Since it's been so long since our last meeting, let's just bring two songs that you've been listening to on repeat lately. Also, please bring a little info to share about your selections! Oh, and bring a food or beverage to share!