fork/knife

New Beginnings - We've Moved!

2009-09-08T22:12:00.012-04:00

This post is to direct anyone coming to this website that fork/knife has moved! The new URL is forkknifemusic.com. We started fork/knife 9 months ago today with literally zero aspirations of ever having it continue into... well, anything really, but we're proud to announce that we've acquired a URL so that we can add exciting things we never thought we'd be able to. Much thanks to everyone who made this possible, and if you were one of those people, you know who you are already, so thanks a ton for your help, we wouldn't be anywhere without you.

fork/knife's new website

-f/k

Whoa. Dirty Projectors.

2009-09-06T22:09:00.004-04:00

Hey there everyone!! Fork/knife has moved to http://forkknifemusic.com

This particular post can be found at http://forkknifemusic.com/?p=532
Thanks!!

-f/k

Song o' the Week #28

2009-09-05T21:15:00.003-04:00

Donovan and I took an impromptu drive up to Cornell to visit Bishop, as well as to see some bands including The Rural Alberta Advantage, Deer Tick and Hold Steady tomorrow. On the drive up, we played every Radiohead album from The Bends to In Rainbows. I felt like I needed to post this song because it was right when our excitement was at the peak, before it slowly formed into frustration.

Radiohead- A Punch Up At A Wedding (No No No No No No No No)
iTunes / amazon

-Chandler

Mix: Goodbye Summer

2009-09-02T22:02:00.004-04:00

Here's a short and sweet mix to mark the end of what has been a great summer. Goodbye humid weather, hello.....schoolwork. I'm headed back to Minnesota on Saturday for another year of midwestern education - along with months of bone-chilling, teeth-rattling, snot-freezing cold. You won't hear from me until I'm settled in - until then, enjoy!

Haikuesque (When She Laughs) - Bibio

Eat Street - People Under the Stairs

In The Summertime - The Rural Alberta Advantage

Evelyn - Dabrye

I'm Not (Phaseone Remix) - Panda Bear

-Chris

Norm Kills on Conan

2009-09-01T15:54:00.004-04:00

The best thing in this world is when Norm appears on Conan. Such a spectacle occurred last night when Norm told a joke about a moth that was an instant classic. It sent our room into a laughing frenzy, so I hope it has the same effect on you.

-Chandler

Forgotten Album of '08

2009-08-31T22:59:00.005-04:00

These past few weeks I've been obsessed with Blitzen Trapper's underrated 2008 release Furr. Now I know that this got pretty significant attention, but I still feel that it deserved as much attention as Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver.

The simple, old-fashioned sextet from Oregon plays "experimental folk music" like no other. Whatever "experimental folk music" is, they play it like no other...

Anyway, all that people need to know is that with Furr, the band let the world know that they can be a Sub Pop band, and that is a big deal.

I won't say anymore. Simply, listen to it.

Blitzen Trapper - Lady On The Water
iTunes/Amazon
Band's myspace

-Bishop-

Perusing iTunes

2009-08-30T23:45:00.004-04:00

Well Donovan and I are back at school, which can only mean one thing: it's time to sift through our neighbors iTunes connected to the same network. This is the standout so far.

Les Miserables- Master of the House

-Chandler

How About Some Men At Work?

2009-08-30T19:09:00.007-04:00

I'm of the opinion that the 1980s were, musically speaking, forgettable. Unfortunately, the first images I have of the era involve the hair-metal glam of groups like Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, and Twisted Sister. Bleh. Frequently, though, music from groups like Talking Heads and The Beastie Boys reminds me that there was indeed good music quietly circulating through the decade. Like today, when a friend played a cool version of "Who Can It Be Now?" by Men At Work. It's an acoustic version by frontman Colin Hay, who has gone on to have a moderately successful solo career. I think I might even like this stripped down version a little more than original, which featured a jazzy saxophone playing the main melody that you'll most likely recognize. The mp3 is downloadable below, and to boot, another another acoustic version of a classic Men At Work tune. Enjoy!

Colin Hay - Who Can It Be Now?

Colin Hay - Overkill

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

A Little Pop

2009-08-29T00:50:00.004-04:00

I took a trip to New York the other day, and on the way my friend requested this song by Matt & Kim. Shockingly, they have indeed made songs other than "Daylight." This one has been a frequent choice lately simply because it's so irresistible, so I thought I'd post it before I went to bed in hopes that it may have the same effect on you. A little poppy? Yes. But a little pop here and there never hurt anyone.

Matt & Kim- Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare
iTunes / amazon
Matt & Kim MySpace

-Chandler

Them Crooked Vultures

2009-08-28T17:19:00.006-04:00

Prepare yourself for October 23rd. That's the release date for the album called Never Deserved The Future, from supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. The band consists of Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters/Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age/Eagles of Death Metal), and John Paul Jones (f-ing Led Zeppelin). I'm still trying to figure out how these three guys got together, and how it must feel for Grohl and Homme to be playing with Jones. Given the quality of the members' collective albums, there's little doubt in my mind that this will be one of the most notable releases of '09.

Here are the two seizure-inducing teaser videos released to date. Ohhhh mama.

Them Crooked Vultures Official Website

-Chris

I ♥ the Decemberists

2009-08-26T21:07:00.004-04:00

Below is a video of the Decemberists covering "Crazy on You" by Heart a few months ago, featuring Shara Worden and Becky Stark on vocals. To say that Shara killed it on vocals would be an understatement, she was god-like.

PS. Fellow blogger Chandler found this and was kind enough to inform me!

-Donovan

He's A Genius

2009-08-26T17:52:00.008-04:00

**Correction: Sorry, I embedded the wrong video. Now, watch it!

The title really says it all.

As I was doing my daily scanning of the blogosphere I came upon a new Pitchfork.tv video - Andrew Bird playing a few selections at the Cemetery Gates. All I ask is that you watch.

-Bishop-

BLK JKS Debut Due Out Soon!

2009-08-26T08:38:00.006-04:00

BLK JKS (Black Jacks) are set to release their debut LP After Robots Sept. 8th, which is drawing closer. Hailing from Johannesburg, BLK JKS are creating fresh sounding music that's hard to pin down in one genre. In addition, they have a pretty awesome album cover for their debut:
Anyway, you can hear a few songs from this anticipated release at their Daytrotter session, pre-order the release from Secretly Canadian, and hear a song from their EP below.

BLK JKS- Lakeside
iTunes / amazon
BLK JKS Myspace

-Chandler

Birds Mimicking Birds

2009-08-25T14:20:00.004-04:00

A while back I ran across this band, Mimicking Birds, and was immediately hooked. It's nothing groundbreaking, just the home recordings of a man by the name of Nate Lacy.

Hailing from Portland Lacy attracted the attention of another local band that has gotten a little bit more attention, Modest Mouse. Isaac Brock and his band mates even brought Mr. Lacy out on tour, having him open for the band.

Since then Lacy has recruited some help for his live shows, Tim Skellenger on guitar and Aaron Hanson on drums. According to their myspace page, we should be expecting their first LP sometime in the near future. I look forward to it.

Mimicking Birds - Home and Somewhere Else
Modest Mouse - The World At Large
iTunes/Amazon
Mimicking Birds - Rivers, Veins and Roots

**Also, be sure to go here for more songs/free downloads.

-Bishop-

Just A Song Before I Go

2009-08-25T08:44:00.003-04:00

I'm headed off to work, but before I go I'll leave you with a wonderful song from 1973. I only found this song a couple years ago, but every once and a while the lyrics hit the spot and it ends up on repeat for a week or so. This is one of those times.

Faces - Ooh La La

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Ah, Weezer...

2009-08-24T11:15:00.005-04:00

Weezer has seen better days. Led by frontman Rivers Cuomo, they've taken a turn towards painfully simple melodramatic pop ever since the fateful Make Believe album of 2005. Over the past couple days, I've been reading about their upcoming album, entitled Ratitude. The album (which was named by Rainn Wilson of The Office) will be released October 27 and will include two songs called "I"m Your Daddy" and "The Girl Got Hot," which have both gotten lukewarm reviews. With song titles like that, I'm not holding out much hope but I'll definitely give the album a listen.

Anyways, I've been listening to Alone, Cuomo's 2007 release of home demos. It features a few early versions of songs like "Buddy Holly" and "I Was Made For You," but largely the demos are self-indulgent ventures that range from bubble-gum pop to straight up hip-hop. Keeping this in mind, I think it's still worth your time. Sifting through Cuomo's erratic demos, it's easy to see how Weezer's albums have taken the turn they have. And it's not as if the songs are all terrible. Here's a notable standout, "Lover In The Snow."

Rivers Cuomo - Lover In The Snow
Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

80 Minutes for Life

2009-08-23T20:44:00.003-04:00

So I've been absent from blogging for a little while, mostly out of laziness (and I can shamefully admit a little bit because of Madden 10...), but over the past few days I stumbled upon a cool site with an even cooler concept, called 80 Minutes for Life (courtesy of our blog buddy Liz at the Blisslist, who gave it some love). The website makes an 80 minute long mixtape for you of a particular band, in an attempt to introduce you to said band if you're not already a fan. The Wilco post is my favorite, but there are a lot of good 80 minute mixes to start off the site, and the best thing is that there are going to be many, many more to come in the future. So it's a site where paradoxically, the less you know about music, the more use you can get out of it. And even if you do know the band, it still gives you a pretty awesome mix for you to give other people. So check it out, and keep checking in because I'm sure a lot of new stuff is in on the way soon

80 Minutes for Life
The Blisslist

-Donovan

The Music of Bibio

2009-08-23T10:16:00.009-04:00

Having spent a full week away from the world in Maine, I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. To be honest, blogging has started to feel like a pesky job lately. When I start to worry about how often we post or whether or not we're staying up to date on the latest music, all the fun gets sucked out of fork/knife. I've got to remember that it's really just about sharing the music we love with the wonderful people that read along (i.e. you). After nine months of nurturing and growth, our little blog fetus is just getting going (I'll avoid any questionable birth metaphors). And so, this post is a much a note-to-self as it is a thank you for reading. Whether you simply stumbled onto f/k, or if you're a dedicated reader (slightly preferred), I hope you like what we're doing. If it wasn't for your comments and emails, I'm sure we would've quit long ago.

I can think of no better music to wrap up this novella than that of Bibio. A friend recommended him to me just yesterday, and already I'm in love with his acoustic/electronic vibe. NOTE: make sure you make it to the 1:29 mark in "Lovers' Carvings."

Bibio - Lovers' Carvings
Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
Amazon / iTunes

Bibio's MySpace Page

-Chris

Song o' the Week #27

2009-08-22T19:36:00.002-04:00

I've had this song stuck in my head for a while now, and I don't really know why. I haven't listened to it in a long time, yet somehow it continues to pleasantly plague me many times throughout the day. Maybe it'll help those who are experiencing the heat like I am with it's wintry lyrics. Or maybe not.

Animal Collective- Winters Love
iTunes / amazon

As an added bonus, I was getting all Tarantino'd out to prepare for his latest film Inglourious Basterds by watching a few of his past endeavors, and I decided to help you do the same. To get you in the mood I figured I'd post the theme from True Romance and "Little Green Bags," the song that plays during the opening credits of Reservoir Dogs. Hopefully you'll enjoy both and go to see his new film, which I can't give enough praise for.

Hans Zimmer- You're So Cool (True Romance)

George Baker Selection- Little Green Bags
iTunes

-Chandler

Re-Release of Hospice

2009-08-19T10:12:00.005-04:00

Yesterday The Antlers re-released their stunning debut Hospice through Frenchkiss records, which also made it available on vinyl. When I first heard it, I wasn't blown away. There were many people and publications saying that it was one of the finer releases of the year, and I just didn't see it. Yet, with more listens it has indeed won me over and proven why it has gotten all the accolades it has received. I strongly suggest picking up a copy of this haunting album and discover why there's so much buzz about it. In addition, they released a video of the best stand alone song from the album "Two" which is embedded below. And finally, feel free to check out all that the blog has done with The Antlers in the past, including Bishop's interview with the band and review of Hospice.

iTunes / amazon / Insound

-Chandler

Ellipse Stream

2009-08-18T00:33:00.009-04:00

If you're not one of the 888, 133 people who follow Imogen Heap on twitter, then you may not know that her album Ellipse is now streaming for free off her website. I liked it a lot, and I'm sure that I'll like it even more on subsequent listens. It's below, take a listen, you might just like it!!
PS. I listened to them when they had like 15 listens each!!! I feel ultra-special.

-Donovan

Covering

2009-08-16T22:51:00.004-04:00

So, on Friday night, I finally got to see Phish live! I was supposed to have seen them three times prior to this show, but alas, people suck.

Anyways, they were amazing and seeing as I would get shit from my blogmates for posting Phish songs, I give you the two songs they covered.

Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

-Bishop-

Cone Of Light

2009-08-15T11:40:00.004-04:00

Photo by David Waldman

I'm somewhat impartial to both Black Lips and King Khan & BBQ, but there's something about this song that makes me keep playing it. Maybe it's just because I've been starved of good music the last couple of weeks (or haven't been looking hard enough). Or maybe it's because the song doesn't really sound like many other artists today....except maybe a combination of the Black Lips and King Khan & BBQ.

The Almighty Defenders- Cone Of Light
The Almighty Defenders MySpace

-Chandler

ASXCVS@#&$! Mix

2009-08-15T00:30:00.010-04:00

Wow, has it been an exhausting couple of weeks. Between working non-stop at my just-above-minimum-wage job, playing a couple of fun (yet stressful) shows with my band, and helping out with some general housework, my brain is fried. Lucky for me, I'm waking up in four hours and taking a nine hour drive to Maine, where I'll vacation for a week with my family on the coast. Since I'll be gone for the week, I thought I'd leave you all with a mix! Perhaps it might be more accurate to call this a miniature mix, but it's a mix nonetheless. These four songs are rather reflective of my current state, somewhere between a stress induced meltdown and the unabashed enthusiasm that comes along just before such a life-saving vacation. Crank up the volume and freakkk outttt.

The Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel
Broken Social Scene - Cause = Time
Queens Of The Stone Age - No One Knows
Arcade Fire - Wake Up

-Chris

I ♥ tUnE-YaRdS

2009-08-14T20:26:00.006-04:00

tUnE-YaRdS is the project of a woman called Merrill Garbus. She released her first album, BiRd-BrAiNs, almost exactly a year ago. And so began the journey it took for the music to finally reach my ears. And so the music has reached my ears, and I am currently all the better for it having happened. The album is, in a word, magical. It's hard to describe in words what it's like, it's perhaps the ultimate lo-fi listening experience, it's ultra experimental, extremely intimate, and distinctly original. Her live performances are extremely different from her studio recordings, and even though both sound great I'm going to take a stand and say I prefer the live recordings. This could potentially be because I've had a video of her playing "Hatari" on repeat for several hours now, because I think it's brilliant and extremely offbeat. Here is the video, and spend money buying her album if you like it because I think she deserves it. It's hard to believe that I missed this for the past year, and the thought of how much could be out there that I haven't heard kind of scares me sometimes, but in a good way.

tUnE-YaRdS on MySpace
Buy BiRd-BrAiNs on Amazon
-Donovan

The Verve Break Up Again!

2009-08-12T23:21:00.006-04:00

photo credit: Ben Blood photography

Oh wait. No one cares. Instead, here's a song from The Globes. I've plugged these guys once before (we even did an interview!). They're a young band from the Seattle area with a ton of potential. Get your hands on their 2008 EP (here amongst other places) and definitely take a minute to go head over to their MySpace page. I'm really digging their newest song, "A Stitch Couldn't Save the World." Good riddance to The Verve. It's time for some new talent.

The Globes - Killers/Saints

iTunes

fork/knife interview

The Globes on MySpace

-Chris

Late Night Cruiser

2009-08-12T11:28:00.006-04:00

I have no idea where this came from, but it came up on shuffle last night on my drive home and seemed to perfectly fit the summer night as I was cruisin'...that's all I got.

Washed Out- Feel It All Around
Washed Out MySpace

Update: It was gvb. Proving again why they're the best.

-Chandler

Happy Birthday!

2009-08-11T13:46:00.003-04:00

Happy 33rd birthday to a f/k fave, Ben Gibbard!! Ben has been an integral part of both Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, both of which have serious indie cred and are all around fun to listen to. In fact, Ben is responsible for three of my all time favorite albums (We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, Transatlanticism, and Give Up if you care) and has arguably the most popular pure indie act of all time on his hands. Recently Gibbard has gotten as much publicity for his engagement to Zooey Deschanel as he has for his music, and while that's to be expected, there's an unfortunate amount of people who probably know him as the guy with Zooey Deschanel (by the way, Zooey was excellent on Craig Ferguson a few night ago!). Ben has recently been promoting the very nice The Open Door EP, but we don't know when anything new might be coming out. I'll leave you with one of his early gems off The Photo Album.

Death Cab for Cutie - Why You'd Want to Live Here
Amazon / iTunes

-Donovan

Dry The Rain

2009-08-09T19:07:00.002-04:00

On our way home from New Hampshire this weekend my sister, Allie, brother-in-law, Charlie and myself decided that the music for the ride would work on a shuffle/veto system. Simply, the iPod was on shuffle and each person was given two vetoes.

The first song was Dry The Rain by The Beta Band and it just got better from there; no vetoes were used.

The Beta Band - Dry The Rain
iTunes/Amazon

-Bishop-

The Rural Alberta Advantage @ Middle East, 8/5/09

2009-08-09T13:29:00.011-04:00

(Nils killed it the entire night)

I have to admit that I expected the Rural Alberta Advantage to put on a good live show. I had read a few concert reviews which were all glowing and I have learned in my musical experiences to generally trust live reviews. I knew I loved the material as well, I can remember listening to the few songs I had on repeat constantly during studying (I know, I actually studied!) for finals semester one. A lot of people have gone through the same transfixion with their debut album, Hometowns, over the past eight months. I know this because I can remember when their MySpace had 8,000 hits, and now it's approaching 200,000. But I especially know it because of how many people jammed themselves into the Middle East club to see these guys. It was the first time in my personal concert going experience that I can truly say that I was front row, as I was reaching out and touching Paul Banwatt's drum set between songs.

(This is actually what he looks like when he's drumming!)

And I would have to say that the enthusiastic turnout was warranted, and then some. Simply put, and I think my two fellow blogmates would agree (Boobhead Bishop was absent), it was the best live show I've ever seen. Every beat of every song was flawless, and the band flowed with energy of a band that is overflowing with talent. In awe of the performance, we kind of forgot to take a setlist, and subsequently can't remember the exact order, but setlists are overrated anyway, right?! (Please say yes...) Their hour long set really seemed to fly by, and before we knew it they were out for their encore (not tremendously special) and then their second encore (tremendouly special) in which they played their "closer" which has yet to be recorded, entitled "Good Night." If you don't already know, the band comes down off the stage and finishes playing in the crowd, completely acoustic. I must say, being one foot from the band as they finished their set was a pretty special way to end the show. All in all, just the most solid, energy filled hour of music I've yet experienced.

(Amy sets the atmosphere with backing vocals and keyboards)

However, despite all the hoopla over the RAA, I would be seriously remiss if I didn't mention the artists that opened, and there were three opening acts. The first was Jennifer Greer, who I thought was very good. I will admit that I have never heard of her before this performance, but that's what opening shows is all about! She had almost a Tori Amos vibe about her, with complex piano based song structures and sudden tempo shifts. I really liked her, but I will give an unfortunate thumbs down to the bassist, who was rocking out like he was possessed despite laying down less than awesome beats. Oh well. Baby Teeth was.... strange. Really, everything about the performance was strange. There's not really much for me to say about it, they rocked kind of an 80's vibe and the lead singer had some pretty stellar moves up on stage. I don't think it was a bad performance, but I don't know if I was ready for it. Then came easily my favorite of the opening acts, Joshua English, accompanied by fantastic viola player (violist??) Lisa Molinaro. They played an incredibly solid set and really seemed to have a lot of experience and chemistry onstage. Joshua spun beautiful guitar driven folk songs, and while the songs certainly can exist without viola, it was always a welcome addition whenever it entered. Joshua claims to have only recently shaved his head, but it seems odd for me to picture him with hair after seeing the show. I was surprised to see that he seems to be out of the public eye, so look for f/k to keep you up to date on him, because I think a lot of people will find him worthy of their attention. For more pics, check out the f/k flickr!

(Joshua English with a harmonica and a shaved head.)

The Rural Alberta Advantage MySpace
Joshua English MySpace
Baby Teeth MySpace
Jennifer Greer MySpace
f/k flickr

-Donovan

Song o' The Week #26

2009-08-08T21:14:00.007-04:00

(Not me and not my grandma)

Like previously mentioned, us f/k fellows have been working quite a lot lately, and as a result our post output has decreased a bit. In fact, I'm mustering all my remaining energy of the day to do this one, so I hope you enjoy it. I blast this song sometimes when I drive to my grandma's for some grub on my lunch break, because it seems to fit very nicely with the warm weather and sunny days we've had recently. It's Wavves before he hit it big via Pitchfork, had a meltdown, and broke some bones skateboarding.

Wavves- Wavves
amazon

-Chandler

Remix 16: The Notwist

2009-08-08T18:11:00.004-04:00

In the spirit of summer, I'd like to share with you a great remix by Panda Bear. Noah Lennox (the man behind Panda Bear) has become one of my favorite musicians over the past year or so, due in large part to his amazing album, Person Pitch. It's an album that I've poured over for months, to the point where I feel like I need to explore the rest of his work. Looking around, I found this remix of a song by The Notwist. It was released a while ago, but listening to it today reminded me of its greatness. The remix is a huge departure from the original, and I love the way everything sort of floats around the drums. If you haven't checked out Panda Bear yet, I hope you will. Enjoy!

The Notwist - Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Woops.

2009-08-06T23:33:00.008-04:00

Every once and a while, things get busy and we become the four laziest bloggers in the world. Recently, Chandler and I have been working so much our brains are melting. Today was even worse than usual, because both of us were running on two and half hours of sleep. How come we got no sleep? Well, Chandler, Donovan, and I took a drive to Cambridge, Mass. yesterday in order to go see a wonderful band called The Rural Alberta Advantage. We got home at 4AM and started our eight hour shift at 730 this morning. Ooph. Long story short, we had a great night (but not such a great morning). You can expect some pictures of the show soon!

But right now, I've got to take care of something. I just noticed that somehow, I've never posted any Bjork! How has this happened? She's a total oddball and I couldn't love her more for it. Here's a song off of Homogenic.

Bjork - Joga

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Heath Ledger Modest Mouse Video

2009-08-04T17:33:00.004-04:00

Today, a music video for the Modest Mouse song "King Rat" was unveiled on MySpace. It was directed by none other than Heath Ledger, and was an uncompleted project at the time of his death. It's an animated video, that starts a little bit strangely and ends more than a little gruesomely. Yes, I do think that the video is getting more attention that it otherwise would've if Heath was still alive, however I also think that it's worth watching. Viewers beware, it does get gross.

Watch the Video

-Chris

Going To NH.

2009-08-04T13:30:00.002-04:00

I am saddened yet again by the fact that I have to sit on the bench for a few days. For the first time in almost two years all three of my sisters, my parents and I will be in the same place, so we decided to rent a house on Lake Winnipesaukee for the rest of the week. This means that I will be unable to post, or often, at least. I will miss all of you dearly.

With that being said I will leave you with a song that I've had on repeat for a few days now.

Ice 9 - Small Can Be Big

-Bishop-

Floored by Four & M. Ward @ Central Park: 8/1/09

2009-08-03T15:55:00.012-04:00

When I showed up to this show, I expected to see Nels Cline as it was billed. Surprised was I to find that Cline was actually part of a band that call themselves "Floored by Four" that consists of iconic bassist Mike Watt and two people who I didn't know, Yuka Honda and Dougie Bowne (apologies to Yuka Honda and Dougie Bowne!). Their opening performance was...interesting to say the least. It was potentially the most self-indulgent performance I've ever heard, but I say that in a non-judgmental way because it was enthralling to see a band that so obviously just wanted to jam. There were 10 minute long solos, moments when you couldn't hear the band playing, moments when you couldn't hear yourself think, and everything in between. By the end however, the performance was tending to get a little tedious, as evidenced by a large portion of the audience sitting down and more than a few people reading and conversing. I would say that they are extremely talented and I await hearing their album whenever it comes out, because it's a little scary to think what they might be capable of after getting a little more comfortable with each other. Overall, I think this a band that should be headlining shows rather than opening them, so they can perhaps attract an audience more suited to them.

Photo Credit: Hippies Are Dead

After about 30 minutes of intermission between acts, M. Ward came onstage right as it was getting dark outside and put on one of the most solid sets I've yet seen. The only slight complaint I may have had with the performance is just how comfortable M. Ward and his band looked up there. M. Ward has claimed that he's not a big fan of doing live shows in the past, and it kind of looks that way when he's performing. It's a small qualm, because the performance was technically exceptional, and the diehard M. Ward fans seemed very pleased with the set. But there definitely is an element of seeing an artist really engaged in his/her performance that was missing. Overall, an extremely solid performance, and I would recommend him to anyone if he's coming near you. Also, there are no original pictures that accompany this post, because M. Ward is a stickler for no cameras, and I respect that. (aka I snuck a couple of pictures that were too low quality to post)

Photo Credit: Hippies Are Dead

M. Ward Setlist

Sad Song
One Hundred Million Years
Post War
Chinese Translation
Rave On
Never Had Nobody Like You
Hold Time
Jailbird
To Save Me
Poor Boy, Minor Key
Poison Cup
Fool Says
Magic Trick
Big Boat
Bean Vine Blues (John Fahey Cover)
Fisher Of Men
Requiem
Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry Cover)

Encore #1
Helicopter

Encore #2
To Go Home

-Donovan

The 'I Feel Left Out Without Making a Mix' Mix

2009-08-03T11:25:00.011-04:00

It appears as though f/k has caught a mix bug. Normally I don't like to follow what Chris and Bishop do, but this time I have to make an exception because it's just too much fun to refuse. It's really nice out, but the sun themed mix was already taken, so my songs don't really have a theme. Except that they're kinda old.
I wanted to post a Monks song, but this video is just too cool, so it will have to suffice. Hard to believe they made this sound more than 40 years ago...

My Bloody Valentine- Come In Alone
Galaxie 500- Blue Thunder
Guided By Voices- Queen of Cans and Jars
R.E.M.- Radio Free Europe
Pavement- Gold Soundz
Hall and Oates- Maneater (Original 12" Extended Club Mix)

-Chandler

Nickelback

2009-08-03T01:12:00.004-04:00

Via www.wikipedia.org:

In 2004, Nickelback were playing at a heavy metal music festival in Portugal when the crowd started throwing debris at the stage. Front man Chad Kroeger put down his guitar and announced on the microphone, "Have we got any Nickelback fans in Portugal?" As this resulted in only a minimal positive response, he added, "Are you sure? Up to you. You guys wanna hear some rock 'n' roll or you wanna go home?" Kroeger then turned around and he was hit by an object in the back of the head, he then said "See you", before leaving the stage with the finger raised.

-Donovan

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

2009-08-02T14:07:00.006-04:00

Time for a confession. I've completely ignored The Flaming Lips for years. To be honest, I never even gave them a shot until about a year ago. Even a month ago, they were a band that I rarely listened to. Something happened, though, when I played Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots all the way through last week. I'd heard it before, but not like this. All at once, the album unfolded and I was left stunned, sitting there looking at layer upon layer of genius that I'd never heard before. Here is the first and last track from the album, which I think come together nicely to convey the band's larger position as pioneers of electronic pop. And hey, here's to being surprised by music you foolishly tossed aside.

The Flaming Lips - Fight Test

The Flaming Lips - Approaching Pavonis Mons By Balloon (Utopia Planitia)

Amazon/iTunes

-Chris

"Sun"ny Day Mix #1

2009-08-01T12:46:00.005-04:00

With the weather being what it has in the Northeast this summer, it was a fantastic to awaken to the birds chirping and the sun shining today. In light of this seldom occurrence I give you a "sun"ny day mix.

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Sun Lips
Yeasayer - Sunrise
Local Natives - Sun Hands
Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant
Iron & Wine - Sunset Soon Forgotten

-Bishop-

Regina Kills It on Conan

2009-07-31T13:58:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-31T10:32:00.008-04:00

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

2009-07-29T20:35:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-28T17:42:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-27T13:10:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-25T00:55:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-23T13:27:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-22T16:06:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-20T20:34:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-19T09:47:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-18T23:20:00.008-04:00

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

2009-07-18T20:00:00.008-04:00

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

2009-07-18T08:50:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-17T23:29:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-17T20:21:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-07-17T00:35:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-16T10:40:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-16T08:00:00.008-04:00

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

2009-07-15T22:55:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-15T18:14:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-15T10:58:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-07-14T11:38:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-13T22:17:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-13T22:08:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-07-13T14:31:00.005-04:00

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!

2009-07-12T22:29:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-11T17:29:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-11T16:35:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-10T22:04:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-07-09T23:19:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-09T13:58:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-08T23:00:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-08T18:28:00.011-04:00

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!

2009-07-07T22:41:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-07T14:05:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-06T18:26:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-06T13:46:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-07-05T23:29:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-05T23:22:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-05T22:42:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-05T07:15:00.008-04:00

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

2009-07-04T22:52:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-04T13:20:00.009-04:00

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

2009-07-03T22:01:00.007-04:00

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

2009-07-03T15:51:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-02T17:15:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-01T23:29:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-01T19:00:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-01T17:14:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-07-01T12:22:00.005-04:00

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

Band To Watch: Fanfarlo

2009-06-30T19:59:00.004-04:00

First of all, go here to download Fanfarlo's debut album for one dollar and by the time you're done reading this you'll be able to enjoy this London-based band's catchy indie pop. Seriously though, do it, this one dollar offer ends the 4th.

Drawing comparisons to bands like Arcade Fire and Belle & Sebastian, Fanfarlo has big shoes to fill, but with the release of Reservoir the band is taking a step in the right direction; Reservoir takes the listener through a land of supple instrumentation and alluring orchestration. The thing that stands out the most about this album is just that, it's an album. Too many bands today attempt to write albums chock full of sagas and masterpieces which result in an overcrowded, incohesive album. Luckily, Fanfarlo has been able to avoid this pitfall and as a result we have Reservoir, a saga and masterpiece all it's own.

Watch out for this band to slowly grow a following...

Fanfarlo - I'm A Pilot
iTunes/Fanfarlo

-Bishop-

Chairlift on Ferguson

2009-06-29T12:28:00.003-04:00

We know all know the song "Brusies" by Chairlift by now. It was basically crowned indie pop gem of all time a little while back. Nevertheless, the reason it is so popular is because of how impossible to resist it truly is. As I listen, the second she goes into that falsetto of gold, I melt instantaneously. Anyway, Chairlift took their first step towards world domination Friday night when they performed the song on Craig Ferguson, instantly melting the hearts of the couple hundred people who stay up that late. Also, another classic Craig moment in which Bob Barker destroys Craig's desk with his bare hands.

Chairlift's MySpace
-Donovan

Some Radiohead?

2009-06-28T15:28:00.013-04:00

I've recently been trying to suck up as much Radiohead as I can, especially b-sides and EP's. I figured I'd post a few of them here to not only sway someone to fall in love with Radiohead, but also to show their amazing versatility.

Photo from Dead Air Space

Radiohead- Worrywort
"Worrywort" is off the Amnesiac b-sides and the Knives Out single. It's not only my favorite track that didn't make one of their albums, it's up there with my favorite tracks of their entire collection. Everything about it is so fleeting, and it's almost like after you listen to it just sort of floats away. Just me? Alright.
iTunes / amazon

Radiohead- The Amazing Sounds of Orgy
I get really weird imagery when I hear this song. Like corpses coming back to life and dancing around Yorke as he sings. Especially towards the end, I can just picture a bunch of goblins and ghouls on puppet strings eerily moving about. Just me again? Anyway, it too is off the Amnesiac b-sides and the Pyramid Song single, and I adore it.
iTunes / amazon

Radiohead- Gagging Order
Going in a completely different direction, "Gagging Order" is a much softer song than the one above, but just as much satisfying. As one of the few good songs off the Com Lag EP, this is a breathe of fresh air in comparison to the regular Radiohead sound. It just goes to show, Yorke + acoustic = money. But then again, Yorke + anything = money.
iTunes / amazon

DEAD AIR SPACE
Radiohead MySpace

-Chandler

Days Like These

2009-06-27T20:09:00.008-04:00

People Under the Stairs make music that's made for the summertime. Seriously, invest in one or two of their albums, you may end up listening to them and only them 'til this winter. O.S.T. and Stepfather are classics, I seriously can't plug them enough.

Today was one of those perfect summer days. The northeast has been doused with rain for weeks, and we all needed the sunshine. Here are two songs from People Under the Stairs, exactly what you need to start your Saturday night off right. Who wants to have a barbeque??

People Under the Stairs - Days Like These
People Under the Stairs - Jamboree Pt. 1

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band Records Daytrotter Session

2009-06-27T01:02:00.004-04:00

This is a band that my sister tipped me off on a long while back, and I had always ignored the suggestion, until now. Fortunately, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band recently sat down with those gentle boys over at Daytrotter and recorded a few songs for our listening pleasure. Be sure to check out their myspace as well.

-Bishop-

New Free Song from Fleet Foxes

2009-06-26T18:41:00.004-04:00

While my love for Fleet Foxes has diminished slightly since last summer, I'm still rootin' for the guys. Amidst all the over-hyped bands riding the trendy wavves to success, Fleet Foxes are just a bunch of awkward friends recording folksy songs.

Anyways, after the band recently played the Glastonbury festival in the UK, lead singer Robin Pecknold recorded this new song, available for download below. It doesn't matter if you've never heard their music or if you're a hardcore fan looking for more, take a listen. As always, right-click and "save as" in order to download the mp3 onto your computer.

Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Big Ups

2009-06-26T12:27:00.003-04:00

As everyone already knows, Michael Jackson died yesterday at the age of 50. I personally just want to say how awesome MTV was last night for showing old MJ videos and bringing in artists who had worked and been influenced by him (which is almost everyone). To be honest, it was the first time I think I've ever watched MTV. It was on all night, just scrolling through the same videos and same melancholy monologue concerning his death. In retrospect, it should have made me pretty angry about the pitiful state MTV is in nowadays, shamelessly parading its seemingly endless group of shows which don't concern music in the least. In part, blogs like this one can actually thank MTV for becoming completely useless in musical reporting, because they in essence helped create the blogosphere by doing so poorly. They definitely showed last night that they were capable of being cool, but unfortunately in a day or so they'll return to the pitiful drudgery. And for those of you who enjoy MTV, I'm sorry, but I don't know if it really has much right to have music anywhere in the name nowadays. Anyway, I just wanted to say that MTV was really cool last night, if only for last night.

-Donovan

I Just...I Just...

2009-06-26T02:15:00.005-04:00

With fellow blogmates running for tampons as they jubilantly awaited the release of Regina Spektor's latest album, Far, I finally decided to give her a shot.

Holy Poopsicle! This chick is good!

Despite the fact that I loathe being the guy that jumps on the bandwagon, I wish I could shout my love for Regina from a mountaintop, but I don't have a mountaintop, I have a blog! All I have to say is if you haven't given her a chance yet, pick up a copy of Soviet Kitsch and fall in love. And if you have already fallen in love, fall in love again by listening to the opening track of 2004's Soviet Kitsch again!

Regina Spektor - Ode To Divorce

-Bishop-

Michael Jackson Is Dead

2009-06-25T17:54:00.007-04:00

Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50. According to several sources (including the ever-questionable TMZ), Jackson suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital around 2:30pm pacific time this afternoon. We'll let you know more once we know more, but right now you know as much as we do, if not more.

Song o' the Week #24

2009-06-25T17:32:00.004-04:00

Photo from Harlem MySpace

I've been listening to Harlem's Free Drugs a lot lately as news came that they signed with Matador and will release their second album sometime next year. This is great news for everyone, because not does it mean another great act is added to the Matador roster, but also Harlem's next release should get some more attention. Which they certainly deserve.

Harlem- Caroline
iTunes / amazon
Harlem MySpace

-Chandler