Princeton

Princeton is a new chamber pop band out of California. They are very poppy and being compared to Ra Ra Riot, Vampire Weekend, and Noah And The Whale. The band is made up of twin brothers and their childhood friends. Princeton's full length album is entitled Cocoon of Love and it is definately worth a listen for anyone into the new indie pop music crase. I believe this band will gain a lot of notority in 2010. I saw them earlier this year opening for Ra Ra Riot and they put on a really good live performance. Here is their website because it was a little hard to find due to the fact that Princeton University kept popping up in search engines instead.

Martina and Clive Krantz from Andrew White on Vimeo.

Princeton - Download

The Civil Wars

The Civil Wars are a relatively new band out of Nashville and Alabama. Joy Williams and John Paul White perform together in an intimate acoustic setting. They craft elegant harmonies together with their minimalistic instrumentation of guitar and piano. Their live performances sound just as rehearsed as their recordings so you know they are full of talent. They have already been featured on Grey's Anatomy and I believe they will be a staple on the show just as Mat Kearney, a fellow Nashville songwriter, has become. I reccomend this for any fans of The Swell Season. Also you can download a free live album recorded at Eddie's Attic on their Myspace.





The Civil Wars - Download

NPR Radio

This is the coolest and most practical gadgets that I have seen in a while. The NPR radio lets you listen to any NPR programs whenever you want. It runs off of your homes WI-FI and lets you control it remotely. For someone that loves the station but hates dealing with podcasts, frequencys full of static, or NPR just isn't in your area then this is for you. Check it out here. The best part about it, there's no subscribing to do. Once you buy the radio hook it up to your internet and you are good to go.

Noah And The Whale

I posted a while back the new Noah And The Whale album. They also made a film that goes along with the album from start to finish. It bears the same title as the album "The First Days of Spring." You can view it thanks to Vimeo here.

The First Days of Spring - A Film By Noah And The Whale from charlie fink on Vimeo.

John Mayer

I find John Mayer to be one of the most talented guitar players in the MAIN STREAM (I didn't say world). But the thing that really sets him apart for me is his sense of humor. He knows that he is an asshole and he loves it. Several years ago I saw John Mayer Has A TV Show on VH1 and I didn't get it. I was too young to really understand his sense of humor and what he was all about. That is no longer the case. Please check out some of these videos to be able to understand his sense of humor. If you are a John Mayer basher then maybe you'll find it funny that he can make fun of himself and Kanye.

Makin' Music with John Mayer from John Mayer

If you didn't like those here is a good clip of Justin Timberlake making fun of him

Justin Timberlake doing a John Mayer Impression on Fallon
Uploaded by johnkeils. - See the latest featured music videos.

The Shouting Matches

Upon doing some more Justin Vernon research (it's a minor obsession) I discovered that he is/was in a two-piece blues band called The Shouting Matches. The members are Justin Vernon (Bon Iver, Volcano Choir) on vocals and guitar and Brian Moen (Land of Talk, Laarks) on drums. The band recorded an ep in 2007 and it has been sitting on a computer ever since. The ep entitled "Mouthoil" has yet to be released according to Amble Down Records, which I believe is Justin's record label. I emailed the manager of the label and he told me the ep "was never released, and it will be released eventually." I would really like to hear this album because the few songs I've heard via myspace and youtube have a really gritty southern blues feel to them. I wouldn't expect such a sound from a band based out of Wisconsin. I will definately be keeping track of this band. Maybe with Bon Iver taking some time off there will be new developments for The Shouting Matches.

Update: The Shouting Matches played their first show in years and apparently it will be their last forever. Here is a great video though of Justin and Brian in all of their Bluezy glory.









The Shouting Matches (Myspace)

La Blogotheque

I am a very big fan of director VIncent Moon. It's refreshing to see single shot videos done with bands in creative ways. I get a little annoyed by how close he gets to the artist, where you are seeing the details on Jonsí's shirt but you don't see the full band. Nevertheless the La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows series of films is amazing. Please check out this one from Sigur Rós and look for something similar to the from me in the future.

P.S. Notice the Drummer's sweet tiger shirt

Sigur Ros - Við spilum endalaust - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Vincent Moon's Take Away Shows Website

Eau Claire Jazz Band ft. Justin Vernon

It doesn't matter what Justin Vernon puts his name on because I will buy it. The latest in my Vernon collection is his performance with his high school jazz band. The full performance was recorded and put onto Amazon to buy. If you have to money please buy it because it all goes to support the school. I was under the impression that the album would only have Justin singing on his own songs but I was wrong. He sings on every song and they are really good jazz/big band ensembles. Please check this music out and support a good cause.







A Decade With Duke ft. Justin Vernon - Download

The Album Leaf

I haven't been this excited for an album in a while. February 2, 2010 I will actually purchase this new Album Leaf cd.

Mixing in Iceland from TheAlbumLeaf on Vimeo.

O' Pioneers!

O'Pioneers is the new Levi Jeans commercial featuring a reading of a Walt Whitman poem. I have never been into poetry but this video really inspires me to read some. The image below is a still from the video. This shot is very brief but with the music building and the poetry closing it is a really powerful shot. I know a lot of people are criticizing this advertisement campaign but I commend it for at least being original.

In B Flat

This is one of the most original ideas for cooperative music that I have ever seen. The fact that is ambient music makes it even better for me. Check out the site. Just start clicking all the youtube videos at the same time and listen as it all flows together.

In B Flat

New Dodos video

Signs of Life Video

Here is a new Signs of Life song. A full band version will sound much better and will hopefully happen soon.

BLAKROC

One of the coolest compilations came out this week. It is called BLAKROC. The Black Keys got together with some of the best hip-hop around and made some sweet grooves. I don't even like hip-hop or rap but I am digging this album.

Blakroc Project from Myrhax on Vimeo.

BLAKROC

The Antlers Live on WEGL

I wrote earlier that we were trying to get The Antlers to perform on WEGL and it happened. Here is the video of their songs "Thirteen" and "Bear"

The Antlers Visit WEGL 91.1 FM from Eagle Eye TV on Vimeo.

Vampire Weekend-Cousins

Daytripping with Bon Iver

Gihm

I don't know who this guy is but he has done really beautiful covers of two of my favorite songs. I really wish I had this sort of skill. I will be very disappointed if I find out he reads off of tabs.

Never Meant by American Football/Owen


Your Hand In Mine by Explosions In The Sky

Under Armour Knows What's Up

"First Breathe After Coma" by Explosions In The Sky

Owen (Oasis)

Here is Owen playing "Wonderwall" at the Bell House in Brooklyn. This is the show where he completely covered "What's The Story Morning Glory." You can see the entire performance here.

Thriller

Here is Ben Gibbard's cover of "Thriller". No dancing involved though.

Happy Halloween

If you need a good Halloween cd for your party here is a good mix by eMusic. I was a little disappointed that "Halloween" by A.F.I. didn't make it, but this is a good typical song list for anyone. "Thriller" is surprisingly not on here either but Michael Jackson's hit gets too much play anyway.



Halloween Mix

The Antlers Daytrotter

I'm tying to get them to come and play at WEGL in November. I'll keep you posted to how this is working out

Daytrotter Session

CMJ day 4

Friday marks the last full day that I was in New York. Saturday was mainly a travel day except for seeing the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park and me getting the flu.

Panels:
Music Industry Myths, Gossip, and Predictions For The Next Five Years.
In this panel I got to hear from some record label heads including the manager of Sub Pop. I was thinking that this panel would be very helpful in seeing where music was going in the next few years. I am always interested to predict what bands are going to make it big and what style of music is going to become popular. This panel was not like this. It was more of just talking about what bands need to do to get noticed by fans and how to keep them newsworthy. Lots of focus was put on bands using Twitter and having all of their websites up to date with current information. People asked questions about if the labels make bands use things like Facebook and Twitter. A few of the panelist said yes and that if the artist is not interested then they will do it for them. When they asked Chris Jacobs from Sub Pop he had a very dead pan look on his face. He commented that they do not care if their artists do this. I can only imagine someone yelling at Band of Horses to post updates on Twitter. I just don't see guys like that doing that. The good part of the panel were some pointers to make sure and have your information on things like Reverb Nation and blogs and different things like that. They said that trying to get the information to magazines like Spin was a waste of time. If you have everything covered yourself they will end up coming to you. Even though I have resisted Twitter I'm glad that it is working out for so many artists. One manager reported that their artist will post that they are going to drink beer at a certain beach one day and they invite fans to come and hang out. That is the one cool thing about Twitter to me is that you can have that sort of interaction with artists.

In the after noon Blicker and I went to 30 Rock and got to see the NBC building. We then went to the Paley Center for Media. It was originally the Radio and Television museum but changed their name. We got to check out tv shows and watch them in little cubicles. I watched an interview that Conan O'Brian did about his show and the writers. It was really interesting to hear him talk about how they created some of the best sketches for the show.

After that we went to some shows in Brooklyn. Blicker went to the Park the Van showcase at Union Hall while I went to The Bell House. I was really excited because in the bar I got to meet Mike Kinsella from Owen and American Football. I told him that I was a big fan and excited to see Owen play with a full band. He responded by laughing and saying I could come and punch him in the chest later if I wanted. I didnt know what that meant until they played later. The first band that I saw was Motel Motel. They were a pretty good indie rock band from Brooklyn. Their songs were really long but had some nice 2nd wave emo inflence. I think I'm gonna pick up their cd. The next band was Owen. Owen was the band that I was really there to see. The full band gets going with 2 songs I don't recognize, which I thought was weird because I have heard a lot of Owen. Then Mike starts strumming the G,C,D chords to Wonderwall by Oasis. This is the point where I went "Oh, no..." I pulled out my phone and looked up the track listings for Oasis and kept listening. Owen decided to play "What's The Story Morning Glory" in its entirety and in order. I have never seen so many confused faces from a crowd. Throughout the entire performance Mike never mentions what they are doing or why but he definately did not play one original song. I was really disappointed and now understood why he gave be freedom to punch him in the chest. He left the stage and the next band Cale Parks came on. Cale is the drummer for the band Aloha. He played some cool dance music with lots of loops and drumming while singing. It was definately not my style but if you attend dance parties like TKO or Kids Got The Disco then you will like this band. James Husband came on next and was horrible. I have nothing to say about him. Finally Headlights took the stage. I had only listened to the band previously off of Blicker's ipod that week but they really impressed me live. They were a piano driven indie rock band from Chicago. All of their music is pop but it is in a way that is still relaxing to listen to. Check out their new album Wildlife. After them we left before Japandroids. I had the flu by this point and was sick of standing. CMJ had way more walking/standing than I was ready for. Overall the trip was amazing and I am so glad that I went. Hopefully Ill be able to make it back someday. But right now I already have my sights on SXSW 2010.

CMJ day 3

It appears to be a theme that by the end of the day I am exhausted in New York. There is just too much damn walking, but since the weather has been in the 60's and 70's the whole time I really can't complain. I am going to break down today's events in a few different sections because so much happened. I actually found time to do touristy things today. I rode the subway up to Times Square and checkout the sights. It surprised me that it wasn't as big as movies and tv make it out to be. I need to go back at night when the lights will stand out a lot more. I checked out a few stores then went on to the CMJ panels.

Panels:
Career Choice Series: I want to work in music marketing. This was the first panel that I attended today. I was told several things that I already knew today, but it was nice to hear them from people in the industry. I was told the most important thing is to do your job well. All the people on the panel agreed that the money will come if you do the work. I learned that finishing college looks good to them because it shows that you are goal oriented but they also said that just because you have a degree doesn't mean that you are entitled to anything. They said a degree is only part of it. This makes me feel better because it is obvious that I put in more time at the station than I do to school. You also need to have the mindset to "make it happen" even if you don't know what someone is wanting you to do you have to be self driven enough to figure it out for yourself. These were all interesting things that I'll keep in mind when looking for a job. When it came to actually talking about music marketing there were different ideas but the one that stood out to me was a band Ash. They are trying a new marketing concept where they will release a new song every two weeks starting in January. The songs will be released on 7" Vinyl and digitally. Then halfway though the year they will put all the songs together on an album, then at the end of the year they will do the same thing with the second half of the songs. It is a way to get the new fans excited about the project and the anticipation of new music. One of the panelist said that Lady GaGa should have done something like this to maximize her profits.

Not oil and water:Connecting the physical and digital music product relationship was the second panel I attended. This was a very boring group of people talking about the way that they still rely on physical cds and they are unsure of how to move to more digital. The only part that sparked my interest was a topic that was brought up involving Japan. Apparently in Japan when you buy a cd, you can open it up and scan a special barcode with your phone. When you do this, the album automatically downloads to your phone. If this can occur in America, iTunes may actually have some competition. Apart from that they mentioned a few companies that throw in things like posters, extra songs, and digital copies of cds when you buy the physical copy. These all seem to be ways to combat internet pirating but it seems like noone really knows where this side of the industry is going.

Thursday I went to the Music Hall of Williamsburg to see The Temper Trap. I would compare the venue to the big brother of Birmingham's Workplay Theater. The layout was pretty much identical it was just larger. When I arrived I was greeted by the music of Goldhawks. They are a London based band with a nice Anthem Rock sound, similar to the new Kings of Leon album. I really liked hearing their song 1996 live. They handed out cards to everyone that had their myspace account on it so you could download that song for free. The next band to come on stage was Mumford and Sons. I had heard one song by the band prior to seeing them live. The song "The Cave" has been featured on Live 100.5 since this summer and it really made me want to hear more from the band. Seeing them live was a treat. The lead singer played guitar but also had a kick drum and a tambourine at his feet. He was the only percussion for the band with his steady 4/4 beat, while keeping the backbeat with the tambourine. I am not sure how he was able to keep it all straight while playing guitar and singing. The other members of the band played piano, electric banjo, and standup bass. They had a really rich sound. I would compare them to the bands The Avett Brothers and Flogging Molly, Their album has just been released in London and won't reach us in the states until March but I'll be keeping a lookout for it. Finally The Temper Trap came on stage. I found their album back in June and claimed they would be big, and it looks like that is coming true. They were even featured on the cover of this month's CMJ. During the show lead singer did a great job of really getting the crowd clapping and dancing to their music. I was really impressed with the way they adapted their songs to give them some more energy live. Their standout song is definately "Sweet Disposition". Once they played the first few bars of the song, everyone knew what they were in for. With the crowd jumping, the lights shining, and the singer hitting his falsetto it was one of the most memorable times I had in New York. To finish the set the band played their song "Science of Fear". The singer had a floor tom that he poured water on so at the end of the song the show looked like it was right out of a Blue Man Group performance. It was a great ending to a spectacular show.

CMJ day 2

Today was a day filled with a lot of walking, drinking, and networking. Blicker and I started off the day by taking the subway to Brooklyn. We got off at the wrong stop, so we ended up walking over three miles to a park for the Pirate! Playground kickball game. We got their late for brunch but were still able to make it into the game. From there we went and bowled with Pirate! at The Gutter for four hours. They rented out a bar/bowling alley for the afternoon so we had plenty of time to drink the free beer and meet everyone. I met several people that I've only had the chance to talk over the phone with but got to learn about how they all started out in the music business. It was interesting talking to Doug from Pirate! because he started the company. He told be a little about how it began and gave me a few tips. I was really interested to hear that his favorite band that he has been promoting came from the Generationals. I also had the chance to talk with Jesse from Vitriol about his favorite albums from this year. He couldn't decide between Metric and Phoenix, understandably so. I met Nuwan who was Cymbal Eats Guitars' tour manager and he convinced me to go to their show tonight. So tonight I made it to Santos Party Room and caught the end of I Was A King. I didn't see much of them but what I saw I liked enough to look them up later. When Cymbal Eats Guitars came and the crowd roared I knew I was in for a treat. I initially thought the band was gonna be another indie-rock group similar to Deerhunter but I was way off. They sound more like The Pixies meet Radiohead. After the show their manager gave me a cd and told me to email him about doing an interview with the band. So be on the lookout for the interview in a few weeks. Coming up Thursday I am going to check out Mumford & Sons and The Temper Trap and Friday I am gonna see Owen, Headlights, and Japandroids. Tune in later to hear my other CMJ updates.

CMJ day 1

CMJ has already been a whirlwind, and it is only day 2. So I am going to do a wrap up of what I have seen so far. Last night while I was looking for Union Hall in New York (it's actually in Brooklyn) I ran into The Static Jacks in Union Square Park. They were two acoustic guitars, a singer with maracas, and a drummer with a tambourine and banging on guitar cases. I thought this was your average street musician, then they stopped and said "this next song was on The Hills last week." I was shocked that this band had actually already become popular. They had a really catchy pop sound with lots of "Whoas!!!" so you know they're good. After hearing them for a few songs I was impressed but had to move on. I ended up in Brooklyn at Union Hall and got to see some really great bands. The first was All The Day Holiday. They were a very post-rock sounding band but they had an amazing vocalist. They were not listed on the bill but when I looked them up later their CMJ description was "what happens when a post-rock band finds an emo singer." It was a match made in heaven for me. They are well worth checking out. Next was Empires!. They were a very forgettable band from Chicago. The only thing I remember about them is that they reminded me of Maroon 5, and I hate Maroon 5. Finally the headliner was Paper Route. I have been a big fan of this band for a while but they blew away any thoughts I had of what they would be live. With harmonizing vocals, more effects than any band I've ever seen, and a theremin this band was set. The songs all sounded better live than they do on any of their eps or album and I could not believe that. Please check out anything by Paper Route and you will notice the production is intense. I'm really glad I got to see them since they are on tour with Paramore now and they will most likely be huge a year from now. They played most of the songs off their new album Absence and a few off of older eps. It was really cool to see the lead singer play a theremin as if he were conducting an orchestra. The band had great energy and stage presence. All in all CMJ day 1 was a success and there is only more to come.

Bon Iver Hiatus

I died a little inside when I read the word indefinite, but then Justin says just until next year. Whew....

Paste Article

Update: You can download the entire performance from Radio Milwaukee. It is a really well recorded live show with a great version of Bon Iver singing The Outfield's "Your Love." And If you have seen them live then you know the live version of "Blood Bank" totally kicks ass. Please check it out.

"Blood Bank"

An Horse

An Horse recently did a Daytrotter session. This performance is really true to their sound which I was impressed by. The story I heard about this band is that while Teagan and Sarah were touring in Australia this band opened for them and they were so impressed they helped them get a record deal. I'll post this album soon, but check out the Daytrotter session in the meantime.



An Horse Daytrotter Session

Built To Spill

There is No Enemy is the new Built to Spill album. I have never listened to them before but I am really liking this album. This may be a stretch but I think that Doug Martsch sounds a bit like Ben Gibbard. I haven't discovered my favorite songs yet but I'll update that later.





There Is No Enemy

Where The Wild Things Are

Karen O and The Kids finally released the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is solely responsible for the entire film score. I have only listened to a few of the songs so far but it is very happy with the kids singing along. Check it out.





Where The Wild Things Are Soundtrack

Island Is Video

Kid Cudi

Ok I normally hate rap, but come on this song is tight. Kanye West may be a "jackass" according to Obama but he still is an artist and he lends his voice to some pretty good stuff.

KID CUDI - MAKE HER SAY from tr3nt3trois on Vimeo.

Fall Playlist

Fall is here and that means colder weather and some nostalgia for me. Here is my mix for October bike rides or just laying around the house with the windows open.



Casual Discussion In A Dome Between Two Temples- Algernon Cadwallader
Blue Skies- Noah and the Whale
The End's Not Near- Band of Horses
Cowgirl In The Sand- City and Colour
September Come Take This Heart Away- Carissa's Wierd
Libelle- Tenebre
Red-Eye- The Album Leaf
Broadripple is Burning- Margot and The Nuclear So & So's
All The Wine- The National
Tiny Vessels- Death Cab For Cutie
The Temptation of Adam- Josh Ritter
The Wolves (live at Glastonbury)- Bon Iver
More Stars Than There Are In Heaven - Yo La Tengo
Njósnavélin - Sigur Rós
Great Death- Explosions In The Sky

Fall

Yo La Tengo

Popular Songs is the new Yo La Tengo album. "More Stars Than There Are In Heaven," is quickly rising up my favorite songs. I want it to build into somethings huge throughout the entire song but the fact that it never does makes it even more memorible to me.





Popular Songs

Cadillac Sky

I really want to hear people's opinion on this video. Cadillac Sky covered Death Cab For Cutie's "I WIll Follow You Into The Dark." I really don't like this version and I think it is almost blasphemy to try and cover this song.

Owl City

After the Port Blue post I was asked to provide some Owl City records because they are hard to find. So here they are. The more that I listen to them the more they grow on me. RIYL: Passion Pit or The Postal Service



Of June



Maybe I'm Dreaming



Ocean Eyes

Fireflies - Owl City from Kyle Puls on Vimeo.

Port Blue

Adam Young is a guy that has way too many bands and uses Auto-tune as much as T-Pain. I don't agree with either of those things, but his band Port Blue is pretty tight. He is beginning to get famous from Owl City, since it is starting to get recognized on top 40 radio. I'm glad he is making it but he is in 7 bands so he had some pretty good odds. Personally I would rather listen to his Ambient, Post-Rock stuff. The beats are similar to The Album Leaf meets Postal Service but it just gives me a really good vibe. This is definately studying or bike riding music.





The Albatross Ep

MGMT

Here is an old ep from MGMT titled "we (don't) care". The whole thing isn't great but track 3 "Love Always Remains" is a gem. It sounds more like The Postal Service than Ween. I wish they would try and write more like this.





We (Don't) Care

The Hood Internet

I haven't done much research into this yet but whoever is behind The Hood Internet is genius. Here are the Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes mash ups that were released pretty recently. Please check out The Hood Internet's site.

The Hood Internet

Bon Iver vs. Friendly Fires & Aeroplane



Fleet Foxes vs. Beyoncé



The Hood Internet Mashups

Noah and The Whale

The First Days of Spring is the new record from Noah and The Whale. This album is a lot more orchestrated than their last pop record. None of these songs make you want to tap your foot or do dance moves like "5 years time" off of Peaceful, the world lays me down. But, it is a much more mature record for a band that now has the potential to last a while. I think that they realized it would be too hard to follow up their last record with the same sort of songs. These are all very chill but not boring. The choir adds to songs like Blue Skies or Love of an Orchestra.



Also this film is going to be fantastic



The First Days Of Spring

David Bazan

Curse Your Branches is the new home brewed record from mastermind David Bazan. I personally like this record better than Fewer Moving Parts, but that's just me. I have heard the opposite from different people. It is your standard Bazan record with a more full band feel even though I'm pretty sure he did all the recording himself in his Seattle basement. Standout tracks to me are tracks 1 and 4.





Curse Your Branches

The Antlers

Hello best of 2009 list. The Antlers may be on mine. I immediately fell in love with this song "two." Everything else that I have heard from this record is just as good but please check them out.





Hospice

Frontier Ruckus

I am in love with this song "Mona and Emmy." Someone please let me know what I can call this genre. I don't know if it's folk or alt-country but I am really digging this song. This song has not been released on an album which is disappointing I have only been able to find an mp3 of the acoustic demo. Please check out their other stuff. I think that the Paste video is better because I like the girl's voice.



The PASTE video

Fleet Foxes Dubstep

Not as good as the Beyonce mix but its still tight. Crank up the bass before you hit play.

Nike Commercial

This commercial kicks ass thanks to Mogwai.

La Roux

I am a sucker for catchy beats and a hook like "I'm going in for the kill." Damn you La Roux. As much as I don't want to like artists like this they attach to my brain and won't let go. This girl is in the same field as The Ting Tings and Ladyhawke. So far all the tracks are solid. The single, track one, "In For The Kill" is definately the strongest though. Be on the lookout for this girl to blowup in the very near future. And you're welcome for this song being stuck in your head later.

La Roux

RAR Expander

Some of the links I post for downloading albums are in .rar form. This is the program that I use to extract these files. Just open the program, click File, Expand, then whatever file it is that you are trying to convert. It is pretty easy but I figured I would just make it easier for everyone by putting this up.

RAR Expander

Bearpark

I am a closet Taylor Swift fan. It is now out into the open. So I can tell you about Daniel White's (Bearpark) newest song. He did an electronic cover of Love Story and it is indie in the best way. Even if you hate Taylor Swift you may like this version.

Please check out his Facebook.

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

With Lyrics similar to Conor Oberst and a set up that resembles Dan Deacon, Owen Ashworth writes beautiful stories in simple piano melodies. This is the newest release from Casiotone For The Painfully Alone and it is the first time I have ever listened to him. I know that I've heard of him before but never really took the time to listen. I wish that I would have checked him out one of the times he was an opener at Bottletree because I know there have been a few. Tracks 2, 3, & 4 sound the strongest to me but you be the judge. I have a feeling that this is along the same lines as his previous releases so please feel free to check them out as well.

This is a live version of track 4.

This song is off of another album but it is a great performance from SXSW 2008.

Vs. Children

The Temper Trap

So I was reading Rolling Stone's artists to watch from 2007 and so far they have gotten 8 out of 10 right. Meaning that from my perspective 8 artists have had commercial success and one more may be close. I am not saying that I am Rolling Stone but I have thrown some names out there that I am saying are going to be big and this band is one of them. The Temper Trap is a band out of Australia with some pretty good new indie music. It is danceable like Phoenix but not over the top like Passion Pit. Their debut full length was just released in Australia and should be in the states soon. They are going to be growing fast. I know they are on the soundtrack to Zooey Deschanel's new film 500 Days of Summer. I have a feeling it is going to propel them just as Garden State skyrocketed The Shins. Be on the lookout for this band in things like ipod commercials or adds for Crest toothpaste.

The album is only available if you are in Australia right now, so in the mean time check out their myspace.

and this catchy single

I found the link for the new cd

Conditions

Signal Hill

It is about time for some new post-rock in my life. One of my favorites Signal Hill just released their new full length entitled "more after we're gone." I have been waiting for this for almost a year now so I am pumped. The album is downloading now but you can hear some new songs on their myspace. Everything I've heard so far is great. 

Signal Hill's Myspace

Taylor Swift

Thank you Taylor for this video of Taylor Swift and T-Pain. I sure hope an album drops soon.

Grizzly Bear

The new Grizzly Bear is fantastic. This single "two weeks," is extremely catchy. I mean that in the best way. Not electronic like MGMT catchy but the harmonizing vocals are the best to me. They stepped away from the more acoustic homey sound of Yellow House. I can't pronounce the album name but Veckatimest is an A+ in my book. 

Veckatimest

Roman Candle

This band is another one going under the Next Big Thing category. Roman Candle have been a band for the past 10 years and have released 2 full lengths and a handfuls of eps. 3 members of the band are brothers so they have a tight band makeup which I believe shows in their live performances. The lead singers lyrics are very visual in my opinion which is another great element to their rock n' roll sound. They have a very Nashville sound right now which is why I think they are about to hit it big. I know they are on tour sponsored by Paste Magazine if that tells you anything.

Roman Candle "Why Modern Radio Is A-OK" from Lake Fever Sessions on Vimeo.

Oh Tall Tree In The Air

Bon Iver

I saw Bon Iver last week and it was just as amazing as I was hoping for. Here is a cover of a Feist song "The Park" that Justin did while he was in Australia. After hearing more of his covers and his new songs off of the Dark Was The Night mix I am really confident that his new stuff will kick ass. 

"The Park"

Bat For Lashes

She was named one of the top artists to watch this year by Under The Radar magazine. I am really digging her style. The first song has a great tribal drum beat that gets you pumped then she starts singing with an opera voice. This album features lost of comparisons and new age fables. RIFL : Bjork.

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=7bc419682ac0c652d1014a7a667fa2b4e04e75f6e8ebb871

Ladyhawke

This album has been out a while but I'm just getting into it. It is the self-titled debut from New Zealander Ladyhawke. It is completely 80's influenced, but perfect for this time of year. Just roll your windows down and listen to "Back of the Van."

http://rapidshare.com/files/199268601/Ladyhawke_-_Ladyhawke__2008_.rar

Phoenix

By now I am sure everyone is aware of Pheonix. So I am not going to post their new album up here. If you have not heard it yet, let me know and I can hook you up. The main point of this post is just to show their video for Lisztomania. Sure the band's version is good but I think I like the 80's one better.

Passion Pit

This band is the shit. Yes it is indie dance music. Yes the lead singer has a Bon Iver style falsetto, Yes there are at least 5 keyboards in the band. This album is going on my summer playlist right after Empire of The Sun. Thanks Sam. 

http://www.mediafire.com/?nbyykzdmqyd

The Peekers

I'll write about them later

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=7bc419682ac0c652d1014a7a667fa2b4e04e75f6e8ebb871

The Apocalypse is near

Only God can save us now.

Saturday September 12, 2009 in Birmingham, AL

http://www.creed.com/

Trials Bike

I could probably sit and watch this all day and still be amazed. Plus it's playing Band of Horses.

I was right

Check this out. iTunes free download. I totally called this band last week

Marissa Nadler

I've got to say this record is pretty solid. I took the vinyl copy from WEGL and was pretty impressed with it. I had no problem putting it on and just relaxing to it. Her voice has tons of reverb throughout the entire thing but it gives it a pretty connected feel. I couldn't tell by listening if there was a single because no tracks stuck out to me, but I would recommend this to someone. I suppose if you like artists like Jenny Lewis then you will like this. 

http://rs139.rapidshare.com/files/223304632/MrssNdlr-LttlHllsV2.rar

Empire Of The Sun

Do you like pop music? Do like bands that sound just like MGMT? Well then this band is for you. This Australian band, Empire Of The Sun, is not as psychedelic as some of MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, but it is pretty damn catchy. Yes it is trendy American Apparel music but I think this record is gonna be a good summer jam. The very first track hooks you in,  I am always thankful when bands do this. If the first song on an album sucks then I have a hard time giving the full thing a listen. This band may not be the most original or talented but sometimes you need something just fun to listen to. 

This is a pretty sweet star wars rip off

Empire Of The Sun

They look a little too similar for me. 

MGMT

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=7bc419682ac0c652d1014a7a667fa2b4e04e75f6e8ebb871

Cornelius

Cornelius is a Japanese artist/producer. He is ranked in Japan's top 100 artists but that doesn't matter. "Point" came out in 2001 and had moderate success. I heard it last year and was a big fan. The only band I would say this is similar to is The Books. There are some cool beats, guitar riffs (including a little tapping), and random noises (water flowing through "Drop"). It is worth scanning through. Standout tracks are "Drop", "Another View Point", and "Tone Twilight Zone."

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HYN36GLP

Inspiration

I really want to write a song of this caliber.

Here is the full song. It is just as good without the speech, but damn that speech just adds to it. And this is coming from someone who doesn't like football.

Where The Wild Things Are

Great story, great director, and Arcade Fire makes it even better.

Sad Steve.com

Check out this website for any songs you wanna hear. They are streamed CD quality without all the problems that you get with youtube and other similar sites such as Hype Machine. I use it all the time to play on the radio. They have everything I've searched for, so you might as well check it out.

http://sadsteve.com/

Classic Rock?

The Weight is a new band that sounds like they are straight out of the 70's with this song "Had It Made." Very similar to older groups like BTO. I am not a big Classic Rock fan but this song is catchy and has all the essential parts including an organ solo. Check it out.

http://sadsteve.com/search.py?q=had+it+made

Manchester Orchestra

Mean Everything To Nothing is Manchester Orchestra's second full-length. They were on everyone's lists for most anticipated albums of this year and I don't know if this lives up to the hype. I read that they wanted to turn into a full rock band instead of the Death Cab cover band that they were. But that Death Cab cover band could have suited them better. It sounds like they are trying to be more like Colour Revolt. It's worth a listen. 

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DAB9S245

02 - Manchester Orchestra "Shake It Out" from DestroyRockMusic Inc. on Vimeo.

City And Colour

Dallas Green is better known for his post hardcore band Alexisonfire but this side project sounds absolutely nothing like them. Picture a more modern, yet still folky Neil Young. I first saw him on some myspace video thing the same time that Bon Iver was getting big. I've just forgotten about him until now.  

http://www.mediafire.com/?1e2gjnn9hdj

Also check out his Neil Young cover.