Regina Kills It on Conan

I have to admit that Far doesn't stack up to her previous efforts in my mind. "Laughing With" is one of the tracks off the album that I didn't really care for much. But last night she dominated on the Tonight Show. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much from the performance, and when I heard the opening chords I cringed a little bit, I was hoping she'd do "Blue Lips." But about 10 seconds in, I was cool with it and really liked it. There's something about being over-production that takes a certain beautiful edge off her voice, and it's much more present in a live performance, which is all the better for it. This is also a logical explanation for why each album she has released I've liked less and less, each album keeps getting more and more "clean." Anyway, even if you didn't like the album, I think there's a lot of merit in the performance, so here it is.



-Donovan

Rainy Day Mix #1

Well, it's another rainy day in the northeast. It seems that we've been cursed with a sopping wet summer, but things could be worse. Waking up to the sound of pouring rain, I thought I'd put together a small mix of songs for a rainy day. Admittedly, these specific songs are pretty introverted and moody, for quiet mornings when you don't want to be bothered. I hope there's a few you like, and keep an eye out for more mini-mixes 'cause making this one was too much fun.

Jeff Mangum - Engine

Deep Blue Sea (Daniel Rossen Home Recording) - Grizzly Bear

Last Songs - Dntel

3 AM - Jim Guthrie

Ocean Night Song - Laura Veirs

Death Cab for Cutie - Tiny Vessels

Sad Song - Peasant

-Chris

Song o' The Week #25

It's been a long time since a song o' the week for two reasons. One is that there actually hasn't been a song that's captivated me for most of a week lately, but also because work takes up a lot more time and energy than school does. So when classes start again you can count on rather steady song o' the weeks. If that's what you guys look for.

Anyway, I listened to this song before we left for VT, and it was stuck in my head the whole time. Incidentally, I heard it when I listened to Thom Yorkes solo set from the Latitude Fest the other day, but have the earlier recording from I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings basically on repeat. The more I listen the more I feel like it's becoming one of my favorite Radiohead songs. Yorke's voice just sounds so sincere and vulnerable as he's pleading throughout the song, I can't help but fall in love with it. Can you?


Radiohead- True Love Waits (Acoustic)
iTunes / amazon

-Chandler

...And We're Home

As you may or may not have known, 3/4 of the fork/knifers have been gone on vacation since Friday. We've been camping in Vermont, enjoying some time away from technology and our pesky summer jobs. Anyways, we're back, and glad to see that Donovan kept things running smoothly. Time for more music! Here's a great song that I've been listening to a lot lately, an oldie from Kings of Leon before their days as arena-rock stars. Enjoy!

Kings of Leon - Taper Jean Girl

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Old School Death Cab

I liked Narrow Stairs and Plans to an extent, but nothing beats the awesome lo-fi ness of We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes. My favorite song is the upbeat "Company Calls." Everyone should hear it if they haven't already.

Death Cab for Cutie - Company Calls
Amazon / iTunes

-Donovan

Shuffle Mania

Sometimes music really scares me. I was having a nice shuffle session earlier today when "Lonely Soul" by UNKLE came up. It was simply the perfect song to listen to at the time, and it made my spine tingle. This song is definitely one of the strongest off Psyence Fiction, probably behind the Thom Yorke led "Rabbit in Your Headlights" and of course "Getting Ahead In The Lucrative Field of Artist Management." DJ Shadow was the brains behind the operation, and the UNKLE moniker definitely hasn't been the same since he left. He just really understands good music. Maybe this will be the perfect song for you listen to also. Or maybe not. Either way, if you haven't heard it in a while or never at all, take a listen.

UNKLE - Lonely Soul
Amazon / iTunes

-Donovan

P4k Fest Highlights: Day 3

Day 3 kicked off for me with Women, who turned in a wonderfully noisy and enjoyable set. The Walkmen continued the streak of great bands, and were much better than the last time I saw them. Hamilton's mic was at the perfect volume where it wasn't too loud, but was loud enough at the right times. Grizzly Bear was apparently what everyone came to see, because the crowd waiting for them was the largest that I saw other than Flaming Lips. Anyway, they were fantastic, with the exception of a couple sound hiccups. The Flaming Lips closed the fest with balloons, giant plastic balls, and even bigger sonic vaginas. It was quite a show, but not really for me. All in all I had a blast, and strongly suggest it for y'all next year, depending on the lineup.

-Chandler

fork/knife vacation

Three out of the four of us will be gone for the weekend. We're taking a much needed trip up to the gorgeous state of Vermont for some camping, hiking, and biking. Donovan will be home here at the helm, leading fork/knife faithfully, with unparalleled vigor and a steady hand. Now to the music. As a soundtrack for your weekend, here's some Sigur Ros. It's from Takk, one of my favorite albums ever. See you in a few.

Sigur Ros - Hoppípolla

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

P4k Fest Highlights: Day 2

Because I had to stay at the C stage the whole day to get good pics for Beirut, I missed a lot of bands I wanted to see. I also got there a little late, and missed what I heard to be the best act so far. Apparently Plants and Animals was amazing, and all I heard throughout the day was how good their set was. Oh well. I managed to catch some solid acts, Beirut probably being my favorite of the day. They were also joined by Final Fantasy towards the end, whose set I kind of heard from across the park (did he open with a "My Body Is A Cage" cover?) Yeasayer surprised me again and turned in an energy-filled set that I was more than pleased with. And the National was, you know, the National: they were solid. Click da pic for a bigga view.


-Chandler

P4k Fest Highlights: Day 1

The best act day 1 was Yo La Tengo followed closely by Built to Spill. Jesus Lizard was a little too hard for me, and Tortoise was a little too suck for me (sorry Tortoise fans). But YLT played a whole bunch of classics, including the relatively new epic "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind." I really liked the whole "write the playlist" feature, and it worked well with BTS also. Overall, it was a solid day, but it would eventually be outdone by day 2. Anyway, here's a couple pics from a decent digital camera. As always, click any of them to see a bigger version and to be brought to the f/k flickr account, where there are more from this show and others for your viewing pleasure.


-Chandler

New Thom Yorke Cover

This song is gorgeous. Originally by Mark Mulcahy, cover by Thom Yorke of Radiohead. As an interesting note for Yorke fans, his brother Andy sings vocals with him on this track. It's part of a tribute album dedicated to Mulcahy, with covers by various artists. More info over at stereogum.

Thom Yorke - All For The Best

-Chris

The Tennessee Fire: Side C

Let it be known that all members of the f/k crew are audiophiles. Donovan has his signed copy of The Hazards of Love; Chan has, well, Miles; and Chris has the utterly brilliant Veckatimest.

So what do I have to bring to the table? One of my favorite albums, and a Side C which contains the most succulent physical representations of sound ever to run under my needle. Once you drop the needle on the second LP of My Morning Jacket's Tennessee Fire and are greeted by "War Begun", you know it's going to be a fantastic 14 minutes and 28 seconds (which I am currently in the middle).

Although it is nothing like the vinyl version, I leave you with the eerie, yet comforting "I Will Be There When You Die".

My Morning Jacket - I Will Be There When You Die
iTunes/Amazon

-Bishop-

No One Does It Like Kaki

Kaki King (pronounced "khaki") is a master of the guitar. With an untouchably unique style, Kaki slaps, taps, and beats on her guitar like it's nobody's business. Since 2003, she's released four full-length albums, full of intricate guitar compositions that she perfected during her time as a performer in the New York City subway system. In 2006, she was named a "Guitar God" by Rolling Stone, the first female to ever earn that honor. She's occasionally worked with the Foo Fighters, and was featured on the song "The Ballad of Beaconsfield" from their album, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace. To quote Dave Grohl, frontman of the Foo Fighters: "There are some guitar players that are good, and there are some guitar players that are really fucking good. And then there's Kaki King."

Kaki King - Solipsist

Kaki King - Open Mouth

Amazon / iTunes

Kaki King on MySpace

-Chris

Video: Awesome Grizzly Bear On Letterman

Late night performances tend to be lackluster and awkward. Not this one. Holy smokes. Here's Grizzly Bear on Letterman, playing "Ready, Able" from their fantastic album, Veckatimest. Enjoy.

-Chris

Will Sturgeon

I have made it known that our blog inbox is a complete craps shoot. A large portion of the music we receive is not very well made and often clearly not our taste (see "Tha Pumpsta"). That's why when we get something good in there, it's often surprising to me. And what I found was really good. Will Sturgeon is a 19 year old kid out of California who makes "laptop folk" as he describes it. And that's a very interesting and apt description for what the music sounds like. I listened through it this morning and was instantly hooked. His recent EP, geo geo, consists of seven succinct and very beautiful songs most built around acoustic guitars and melodies. On his website, he said that he did everything himself, and I believe it, it's hard to imagine a more lo-fi listening experience. Not that I'm complaining, because I thought that it still sounded great and very campfirey. Another cool bonus is that the entire album is streaming on Facebook and you can get most of the songs off his MySpace. Big ups to Will for sending this to us, and I strongly recommend that everyone go give his album a shot. If you happen to be too lazy to click the link, you can listen to my favorite song, "Sea/Moon" at the bottom of the post, and hopefully some hype people can get an introduction to Will's music if they don't already know it.

Will Sturgeon - Sea/Moon

-MySpace
-Facebook
-YouTube
-Twitter

-Donovan

We've Lost Bishop!

Bishop, if you're reading this: could you comment and tell us where you are?


No one has seen or heard from poor Bish in a while, so if anyone knows his whereabouts you could you let us know? We miss him :(

Cat Power- I Lost Someone (Live Black Session)
Cat Power MySpace
About the Black Sessions

-Chandler

New Modest Mouse

Just a quick note - there's a new Modest Mouse song, "History Sticks to Your Feet" available for streaming on Pitchfork. The song is a b-side from the band's upcoming release, Perpetual Motion Machine, which will be released on vinyl July 21st. This definitely isn't the catchiest song they've ever recorded, but it's nice to keep tabs on what they're up to.

Stream: History Sticks to Your Feet

-Chris

Remix 15: Phoenix

Remix #15 is a new take on Phoenix's hit single "1901." The original version of this song is an upbeat pop gem that's possible to get out of your head, featuring huge keyboards and in-your-face guitar. It was recently released on Phoenix's full length album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, a great album that I highly recommend checking out. This remix takes "1901" and slows it down, yet the song doesn't lose a bit of its edge. Enjoy!

Phoenix - 1901 (Customised by DLID)

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Pitchfork Festival Coverage Comin' Atcha

Well I'm off to Chicago to bring you guys (hopefully) good coverage of what I think is the festival with the best lineup this summer has to offer. Some fantastic acts are playing P4k Fest, so count on what should be day to day coverage on stuff like this:

Ok, ok. Fleet Foxes actually won't be there, but I'll take any excuse to watch that video. Anyway, all these videos are from La Blogotheque, which we all strongly suggest you visit.

-Chandler

Mayer Hawthorne

Mayer Hawthorne sings soul music. Before I go any further, let me just say that I think the music of the 1960's is some of the greatest stuff in the world. Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Etta James, The Temptations, and other Motown greats paved the way for modern music to be what it is today. Hawthorne draws heavily from this era of music, except that he's a 29 year old white guy and the year is 2009. He may not be Marvin Gaye, but I think he's definitely worth your time, and it'll be interesting to see how he can do in today's music world. Enjoy.

Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Beach House In the Sun

Beach House is one of those bands that grows on you. The first couple times I listened through their 2008 release, Devotion, I was pretty bored. But now, a couple months later, it's become one of my go-to albums of the summer. I don't really know how it happened. The slow melodies I once thought boring just sort of soaked into my brain. Here's my favorite song from the album, "Holy Dances." Take a listen, and don't toss it aside if you don't like it at first. Let it sit and see where it goes.

Beach House - Holy Dances

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Hear the New Album from The Dodos!

Time To Die, the upcoming album from The Dodos, has leaked. In response, the band has posted a complete and high-quality version of the album on the web, which you can listen to right now! Whether or not the band is bummed about the leak, I'm just happy that I get to hear it. Time To Die will be released in stores September 15th, and the digital version will be available July 28th.

Stream: The Dodos - Time To Die

-Chris

First Train Home

I am a big Imogen Heap fan. The fact that she wrote music for the OC oddly does not bother me. I've eaten up everything she's ever put out, and now she's putting out new material, so I thought I should take a listen. The first time I heard the new single, "First Train Home" I was thoroughly unimpressed. I had already heard bits and pieces from her vBlog and I thought it kind of dragged. But then I listened again. And again. After about 20 listens, I thought I might have a problem. The odd thing is I'm still unsure about the song. I just can't stop listening to it. This is much cleaner and crisper than a lot of the music on Heap's Speak For Yourself, but it's still abound with layers and ethereal sounds. Now that I have the lyrics memorized as well, I'm impressed with her poetic writing, although I always have been in the past as well. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of Ellipse immensely. Take a listen for yourself, don't just go on what I have to say!

Imogen Heap - First Train Home
Preorder Ellipse on Amazon

-Donovan

Hall & Oates Soothe

Nothing like a little Hall & Oates. Here's their hit single, "Sara Smile," which catapulted them into the spotlight way back in 1976. There's not much to say, it's pure gold.

Hall & Oates - Sara Smile

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Pixies to Tour North America!

The Pixies were planning to tour just Europe at first, but now have announced that they'll play a number of shows in major cities throughout North America. What makes it extra special is that the tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album Doolittle, one of the more influential pieces of music that was released in the 20th century. They've stated they'll play the entire album, which makes me about as a giddy as a schoolgirl. Until more is announced, might I suggest revisiting the classic with the opening track?

Pixies- Debaser
iTunes / amazon

-Chandler

Listen To This!

All we ask is that you listen to this song; it is amazing.

My Morning Jacket - What A Wonderful Man

-Hoge & Bishop-

Joy Orbison Makes Us Dance

That's no typo. Joy Orbison is a promising new DJ from the UK that I stumbled across in a Pitchfork column on dance music. Although he's yet to officially release anything, Orbison has posted several of his dance mixes for download on his MySpace. Here's the first one I've listened to, a ridiculously good mix comprised of extended mash-ups and samples from funk and dance songs. At a length of 51 minutes, it's a never-ending party mix that'll have you and all of your friends bumpin' 'til the sun comes up. Here's a clip from the mix, be sure to download the entire mp3 at the link below.

Joy Orbison - BSRkR (Clip)
Download Full mp3 HERE

Joy Orbison on MySpace

-Chris

Saturday Punk

New segment? Probably not. I'm just not really listening to a lot of new music, with the exception of the new Tiny Vipers album Life on Earth, which is great. Instead, I've been listening to a bunch of punk and post-punk, specifically Joy Division. Anyway, here's some tunage for all of our nostalgic readers longing for the 70's and 80's.




Knocked Up is one of those movies that I watch every time it's on, and it was on the other day. I love some parts and others are just 'eh', but I always love to hear the Clash. This song keeps popping into my head whenever I see the movie, so I figured I'd pass the curse to many more people.
The Clash- Police On My Back
iTunes / amazon

This is a song off the debut album by The Jam In The City. What more can I say?
The Jam- In The City
iTunes / amazon

And here's some Joy Division. The first song off their first album, to be exact. As a side note, if Ian Curtis was still alive, we'd be celebrating his 53rd birthday this Wednesday...
Joy Division- Disorder
iTunes / amazon

-Chandler

Remix 14: Feist

Remix time. I wouldn't have found this one without our good friend Liz over at The Blisslist. She's got a great blog that's got wonderful music and tons personality, you should really give it a read. Anyways, here's the Feist remix of "1234," that gives new life to a song that you may otherwise be tired of. Or not. Make sure you make it to around the 1 minute mark, when things really get going. Enjoy!

Feist - 1234 (Van She Remix)

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!

Happy double birthday to Jack White and Isaac Brock, who both turn 34 today. Jack White is perhaps the more well known of the two, having founded three different groups, two of which have met with great success and one of which is recently new but has started well for him. He is most well known for his first band, The White Stripes, the duo formed with his ex-wife but still good friend Meg White. In particular, the album Elephant stands out as moment of excellence for the band. His other two groups have also gone on to be quite successful, both the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather have serious rock and roll cred.
Isaac Brock is the founder of Modest Mouse, one of my favorite bands of my youth and creators of two of my favorite all time albums with The Lonesome Crowded West and The Moon & Antarctica. Not to say their other work isn't accomplished as well, they have been one of the leading forces of the indie world over the last 10 years. "Dramamine" is my favorite song from them, and currently holds the distinction of the only song ever posted twice on this blog (I think).

-Donovan

Carbon Glacier

I have recently been absolutely obsessed with Laura Veirs' Carbon Glacier. For some reason, Laura has managed to stay small despite crafting really fantastic songs, and sonically ambitious albums. Listening to Carbon Glacier recently has made me realize how musically intelligent she is. In particular the lyrics on this album have struck me as particularly striking and beautiful. At one point Laura sings, "A tiny little girl ties flowers to her wrists, and the bees come 'round to adorn her." That is simply awesome songwriting. "Ether Sings" is the first song off the album, and I think through a few listens that it's my favorite ("The Cloud Room" not far off). Laura has an album, July Flame, coming out sometime in the near future. I cannot wait for more new material from Laura, as she is one of the true professionals of the music industry today.

Laura Veirs - Ether Sings
Amazon / iTunes

-Donovan

The Other Side of Neutral Milk Hotel

Most serious indie music fans know about Neutral Milk Hotel. But the album that gets the most play is In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, their second album released in '98. And don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Aeroplane, in fact it's in my top five albums of all time (and a lot of days it's #1). But their debut album, On Avery Island, is oft neglected as less than good. Well, I am here to say that it is most certainly more than good, and at times has moments even Aeroplane isn't capable of. It's all fun and games, however, until someone pulls out the final track, "Pree Sisters Swallowing a Donkey's Eye." Considered unlistenable by most people, it is the insanely epicly bizarre closer, and the most obvious difference between Avery and Aeroplane. I can still remember clutching my ears in disgust my first listen. And yet, as time passed, Mangum and his band of ruffians managed to do the impossible, turning me into a believer, and swearing by the song. I remember eagerly telling my blogmates how good it was, only to have it rejected as trash. And I couldn't blame them, remembering that feeling myself. There's something about this song that you simply can't express in words. It's an instrumental symphony as violent and abrasive as music can possible come, and serves as a litmus test for those who calls themselves true fans of NMH. Nah, not really, you can still be a fan without liking it.

Neutral Milk Hotel - Pree-Sisters Swallowing a Donkey's Eye
Amazon / iTunes

-Donovan

Heart It Races

This is Dr. Dog at their best. The song is "Heart It Races," originally by Architecture In Helsinki. My good friend Lewis played it for me this spring, and I loved it instantly. I hope you do too.

Dr. Dog - Heart It Races

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Hometowns Re-Issue Today!

This is just a quick little reminder to pick up The Rural Alberta Advantage's Hometowns today, or whenever you're at a record store next (if you want the vinyl though, you'll have to wait until July 21st. Sorry). Hometowns was one of f/k's favorite albums of last year, and it's seeing a much wider release today, which is great. It's really a stunning record, so we can't recommend it enough. Also, try and see them now that they're touring extensively. Who knows, you may see the f/k gang there!

The Rural Alberta Advantage- Sleep All Day
iTunes / amazon / saddle creek

-Chandler

Kiersten Holine

Kiersten Holine is the kind of artist very unique to our current time. She has risen up to relative notoriety primarily through her YouTube channel. I first became familiar with her through her YouTube channel where she posted covers of songs with just herself playing acoustic guitar almost three years ago. Unlike a lot of other people who post videos of themselves covering songs there were two things about Kiersten that stood out. The first and most important was the quality of her performances, she truly sounded and still sounds like a very seasoned performer who does every song she covers justice (even though she doesn't always seem to think so). The second, and the one that drew me to her was her repertoire, she was a huge fan of indie music, and still is. She may be a fan of Bob Dylan and the Beatles, but she's also influenced by Grizzly Bear and Bon Iver, which is an obvious draw for someone who loves indie music. Being the Decemberists fan I am, the first video I ever saw of her was a cover of "The Engine Driver," and I still believe that it is every bit the equal of the original (Except for the fact that it cuts off at the end, but I'll give her a pass because she was just starting!). She also debuted some new material fairly recently, which was absolutely fantastic, very minimalist, and shows her progression from cover artist to real artist. She has a debut album available for purchase off her website, for only $6 if you live in the US, $8 if you live outside the US, so it's a great deal for four songs. "I Have Waited" is my favorite off it. I'll leave you with her video for "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver, she absolutely knocks it out of the park, and links to her MySpace and YouTube pages.



Kiersten's MySpace page
Kiersten's YouTube Channel
Kiersten's Website

-Donovan

Da Beach Boyz

I've been listening to a lot of Miles Davis and Beach Boys lately, and because the Miles songs are too long to post, I figured some Beach Boys would suffice. Plus, who couldn't use some golden harmonies while they're soaking up this great weather the Northeast has been having?

The Beach Boys- Funky Pretty
iTunes / amazon
"Funky Pretty" is off the 1973 album Holland, and it's quite funky, especially towards the end.

The Beach Boys- California Saga/ California
iTunes / amazon
To accompany it is fellow Holland song "California Saga/ California," which is pretty irresistible as well.

The Beach Boys- I'm Waiting for the Day (a capella)
iTunes / amazon
Finally, here's an a capella version of "I'm Waiting for the Day" from The Pet Sounds Session Box Set, the discovery of which can be attributed to blog friend Carolyn. Thanks doll! It's rather different without the accompanying instrumentation, and is also lathered in reverb, which makes it that much better.

-Chandler

Shuffle Mania

Anyone using ITunes probably knows the joy of the accidental shuffle, when you've forgotten it's on, and then it hits you when you least expect it. Anyway, today it led me back to a song I haven't listened to in far too long by the Shins. The Shins seem to be in a troublesome place recently, having just replaced two members, and two years since their last release, which I liked, but was received lukewarmly in general. I hope they can come back and make music like this again, because while the indie world clearly doesn't need them, they could certainly use these guys back as the kings they once were. This is the closer off their debut, "Oh, Inverted World."

The Shins - The Past and Pending
Buy Song:iTunes

-Donovan

Keep Tabs On fork/knife!

Hey guys, a quick reminder about our Facebook and Twitter pages, where you can keep up with what's going on here. Maybe you'll even find some embarrassing pics of Bishop? Muahaha.

Facebook

Twitter

-Chris

DJ Shadow

DJ Shadow is the king of all DJ's. This skinny little white dude from San Jose, CA is responsible for some of the most innovative and progressive music available today. Using the gear you see above, Shadow works extensively with "sampling," a musical process in which snippets of different songs are cut, modified, and pieced together to create a unique song. In 1996, he released Endtroducing..... which later made the Guinness Book of World Records as the first album comprised of entirely sampled sources. It is a work of unparalleled creativity, and one of my favorite records of all time. Here's an alternative version of "Organ Donor," which appears on Endtroducing..... If you're at all intrigued, I highly recommend you pick up one or two of his albums and delve into this unique genre of music.

DJ Shadow - Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Read Silence

As I re-kindle my love for TV On The Radio's 2008 album, Dear Science, I am reminded of the three song remix EP that they released, Read Silence, back in April. The EP features three emixes, "Shout Me Out", "Stork & Owl", and "Red Dress" remixed by Jneiro Jarel, Gang Gang Dance and The Glitch Mob respectively.

I highly recommend purchasing this EP, and in order to convince you to, I give you the Justice-esque remix of "Red Dress".

TV On The Radio - Red Dress (The Glitch Mob Remix)
iTunes/Amazon
-Bishop-

Album Review: Farm

In 1987, Dinosaur Jr. released You're Living All Over Me. It was a ground-breaking record, covered in distortion and widely regarded as one of the most influential alt-rock albums of all time. Now, after twenty years, the trio is back in full force. Their recent album, Farm, ignores all that is hip, and it couldn't be better. Singer/guitarist J. Mascis leads with nonchalant confidence as the band rides their own wave of sound through layers of country, punk, and straight-up rock. It's refreshing to see that bands like Dinosaur Jr. can stick around for a long time and still produce great albums instead of falling into obscurity or wearing out their welcome with predictable and mundane releases. With Farm, Dinosaur Jr. have made rock and roll cool again.

Dinosaur Jr. - Pieces
Dinosaur Jr. - Ocean In The Way

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Good Ole Fleet Foxes

Ah, Fleet Foxes. While their 2008 self-titled album was loved by many, few have heard the music they made before busting into the bigtime. Here's a song called "Textbook Love" from their days as a small band trying to find a unique sound. They sounded nothing like they do now, but even if you don't love the song I think it's cool to see how far they've come.

Fleet Foxes - Textbook Love

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Allie's Mix Tape Series #2

My second installment of my latest series features a band that I was fortunate enough to hang out with after their concert in Ithaca last fall. Stars.

This Canadian indie pop band has one of the most charismatic frontman in Torquil Campbell, and he himself is surrounded with a group of pulchritudinous individuals, making Stars a lovable band from the start.

So, without farther delay, I present to you a track off their 2004 album, Set Yourself on Fire, entitled "Reunion".

Stars - Reunion
iTunes/Amazon

-Bishop-

Black Cab Sessions: Grizzly Bear

There are a few sites out their known for taking in indie bands for a few hours and shooting some smashing videos or recording some ravishing audio. The most popular of these sites are Daytrotter and La Blogotheque, but one lesser known websites is the Black Cab Sessions. Their mission statement is "One song. One take. One cab." and I think that sums it up.

One of their latest videos featured blog-favorite Grizzly Bear performing "All We Ask" off their latest album Veckatimest. Enjoy and be sure to check out Black Cab Sessions' website to view their videos of other bands such as My Morning Jacket, Spoon, and Fleet Foxes.

-Bishop-

Mike Donovan, the Barrow Boy

So lately I've been outside doing some yardwork, and listening to some music. As I was doing this yardwork, it occasionally required the use of a wheelbarrow. This gave me an excuse to listen to "Eli, the Barrow Boy" by the Decemberists, which made me laugh wildly while porting weeds to and fro. It also reminded me of a video I found a long time ago, which is just someone's school project from a while ago, but I liked it and it made me laugh, so I felt I would share.




The Decemberists - Eli, the Barrow Boy
Buy Song:ITunes

-Donovan

Bee Hives

You Forgot It in People came out seven years ago (wow), and one of the key tracks off that fantastic album was "Lover's Spit," a ballad as cynical as it sounds. Broken Social Scene subsequently released some B-sides from the album, including a breathtaking version of "Lover's Spit" sung by Feist which closes the EP and runs about a minute longer than the original. It's really a fantastic version, and Feist does it justice by changing it around enough to make it sound fresh. On a side note, I hope Feist comes back from her hiatus soon, because her originality is a great commodity to the music world.

Feist - Lover's Spit
Buy Song:ITunes

-Donovan

Allie's Mix Tape Series #1

As I have said before, my first real introduction to music was through a series of mixed tapes that my sister, Allison, gave to me starting back about 5 years ago. That being said, I am going to start a series dedicated to her and the mixed tapes which saved my life!

My first installment of this series supplies a song that anyone reading this blog should already know. It's called "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and it's by the almighty Arcade Fire. This was my first taste of Arcade Fire ever; I fell in love immediately and haven't looked back since.

Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
iTunes/Amazon

-Bishop-

Crazy "Crazy" Cover

Ever wonder what Beyoncé's single "Crazy" would sound like if it was slowed down and sung by Antony and the Johnsons? Well, wonder no longer! The answer is really good.



Antony and the Johnsons MySpace

-Chandler

Video: "Little Bribes" by Death Cab for Cutie

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

Here's the newest video from Death Cab for Cutie. The song is "Little Bribes" from The Open Door EP. I have to say, I kind of like it and it kind of gives me a headache. Much like the EP.

-Chris

Wednesday Wiggles!

We haven't done a Wednesday Wiggles post in a long time, and I thought it was a good time to bring it back now that it feels like summer has really begun. The high schoolers are out, it's getting warmer, and the Northeast is actually seeing the sun! So here's some tuneage to help you tear up the carpet during the upcoming weekend.

Avenue- Can You Feel It (Soda Boys Remix)
I have no idea how this got on my computer, but I'm glad. It's great.
Soda Boys MySpace

The Avalanches- Live at Dominoes
iTunes / amazon
How did the Avalanches do it? I don't know, but they did it so right and it's just so good.
The Avalanches MySpace

Semi Auto vs. Queen- Take It Slow (Half-A-Remix)
Semi Auto was kind enough to send this exclusively to us, and we're more than happy to post it for them. Plus, it's pretty bumpin'.
Semi Auto Myspace

Justice- Stress
iTunes / amazon
I know, I know. "Straight Justice, Chandler? No remix? What is this, '07?" The fact is, no one makes 'em like Justice. And Justice doesn't make 'em like "Stress". So just play it loud and enjoy.
Justice MySpace

-Chandler