Duck & Cover :: Indie rock music writing from Arcade Fire to the Zygotic Minci

Download The Paper Boy from The Racoon Wedding's album, Gather Gather Bones/Rattle Rattle Truth Sounds Like : they're gonna rip your ribcage out and find your heart RIYL : White Rabbits, Portugal. The Man, Fanfarlo, Rolling Stones ala Beggar's Banquet From the Press Release : Forming from the ashes of Vermicious Knid, and authoring songs in the basement of the all ages not-for-profit art space they own in a nook of the city’s forgotten downtown, frontman Tim Ford and company boast a sense of loyalty to their community that few other bands share. On their debut LP, Gather Gather Bones/Rattle Rattle Truth , issued this October via their own Ford Plant Recordings Co., the band enlisted the help of engineer Leon Taheny (of the Final Fantasy recording credit) and hammered out a record that teems with the spirit of long-forgotten roots music. It’s indebted to the history of mighty back porch music: unbridled, unedited, beautifully intense.

The Low Anthem - Charlie Darwin - Official Video from End of the Road Films on Vimeo . RIYL: Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Springsteen (circa Nebraska ) Rhode Island trio The Low Anthem have released a brand new stop-motion video for the lead song, "Charlie Darwin" on their Nonesuch debut, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin . The band has been touring the US with Blind Pilot, and after a brief stopover in Europe, will finish out the year with Josh Ritter in December.

Whitey puts the "F-U" back in Funk. Download the track "West of Hope" to hear what I mean. What : Two free tickets to see indie post-funk sensation, Whitey, at The Railway Club in downtown Vancouver. When : Friday! Friday! Friday! (6 November) How the funk do I get them? Leave a comment. That's all. RIYL : Vampire Weekend, Ozomatli, Cat Empire A Few Words : We don't do ticket give-aways very often here at Duck & Cover. In fact, we don't do them at all. Which is why this is such a special event. Well, it's a special event so long as you live in or around Vancouver, BC. So here's what happened: these two tickets to Whitey just fell off the back of a truck. No, really. They were just sitting there. So I'm turning my good fortune into an opportunity for you, my loyal reader(s). All you have to do to win the tickets to see Whitey at The Railway Club this Friday is to leave a comment . . . that's it! That's all! I'll put all the ...

Band :: White Rabbits Album :: It's Frightening Song :: They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong Sounds Like: The Midwest strikes back. RIYL: Spoon, The Walkmen, Tapes 'n Tapes A Few Words: White Rabbits (the band) is living in NYC, it's true. However, they are, by all accounts, from the Midwest. This is only a point worth mentioning because I am also from the Midwest, so we have a lot in common that way. Which is to say we have an inherent understanding of vast distances, wind, and non-existent public transport (unless you count Chicago). White Rabbits could also be that band you know you've heard of, but can't remember. For all their PR efforts it's amazing how easily they continue to slip under the proverbial radar (not sure if "radar" is an acronym when used in a cliche, but I'm guessing not). For example, they've been on NPR's "World Cafe" and on Letterman. Furthermore, they played Glastonbury in 2007 PLUS their new album, It'...

I don't usually do festive or holiday posts. In fact, the closest I get is writing some kind of seasonal bent against a track, and only then when I've had too much coffee and can't find any relation to a song other than what the weather is doing. I just think holiday-themed posts / articles are lazy. But Halloween is different. Why? Because Halloween, to paraphrase Wesley Willis, whips a horse's ass. So when Ryan from The Musebox put me on to Peter Squires a few days ago, I knew it was going into the annals of Duck & Cover (that's right, I said "annals" on the Internets). From the Press Release: Peter’s direct and honest vocal delivery is reminiscent of contemporaries such as Kimya Dawson and Luke Temple. The album is all heart, laid bare for our aural pleasure. Woe Is Me was recorded in Peter Squires’ Brooklyn bedroom and is available on his website for fans to download at no charge. The first video from the album is “Witch” and it was just rele...

Sounds Like : you need to be careful how you phrase the question RIYL : Psychocandy , Joy Division, A Place to Bury Strangers A Few Words : It's raining. So guess what? You get droney new wave noise pop. It's actually a miracle you don't get this kind of music more often considering my geographic location. Meteorologists only appear on TV here when the forecast is NOT overcast and drizzly. Needless to say, I haven't seen one for weeks. So yeah. Little Girls and their album Concepts . I was joking with a good friend of mine recently that it's difficult to profess ones love for this band. Not that it has anything to do with their sound (which I do, indeed, love), just their name. Imagine, if you will, the awkwardness arising at the daycare center when a shabby, bearded man exclaims to his pal, "Oh, I LOVE 'Little Girls'!" Gasp! Horror! And a dozen yoga moms are on their iPhones Face-apping and camera-phoning the perpetrator. Uh oh. One-way ticket to ...

Sounds Like : thankfully, the music overshadows the cover art RIYL : Phoenix, New Order, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand A Few Words : I took one look at their cover art and very nearly wrote off The Swimmers altogether. It seemed like it would be an album full of derivative synth pop tunes that bounce from cliche-laden verse to chorus and back again. Yet into the player it went. Considering my patience is thinner than Donald Trump's hair plugs, the fact that I listened to the entire disc says something. There are just enough surprises on People Are Soft to keep the album interesting. Just. Let me just say this: if a track from the album popped up on shuffle, I wouldn't skip it. That's a good thing. Seriously. Band :: The Swimmers Album :: People Are Soft Track :: What This World is Coming To

Sounds Like : dancing to the great indie waltz RIYL : Calla, Maritime, 764-HERO, Band of Horses A Few Words : Some of my favorite bands are the ones unknown to others. Obscurity lends a particular allure. Of course, sometimes these little-known bands are off the radar for a reason--and by all accounts should remain buried. Yet I can hardly describe the excitement I feel when I'm introduced to a band who is very clearly about to get a break (or at least deserves to get bigger). I felt it when Flake Music became The Shins, and when Duck and Cover got a hold of a little EP by Vampire Weekend two years ago. This giddiness is welling up again as I listen to Pixie Dust on the Blood Range . Hailing from California, Swim Party employs smooth, calculated riffs reminiscent of American Analog Set, but isn't satisfied with moody grooves alone. Instead of sinking easily into the musical equivalent of a rainy Sunday, they quickly pick up the tempo. Power chords pose for transitions rather ...

Listen to "Ticket Away From Prague" Sounds Like : Ohio is the new black. RIYL : Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yo La Tengo, The Dodos From the Press Release : The World’s Hardest Working Telescope and the Violent Birth of Stars is the much anticipated debut full-length from the ladies of HotChaCha, and follow up to 2008’s critically acclaimed EP, Rifle, I Knew You When You Were Just a Pistol , which provided the band with accolades from the press and shows with bands such as the Vivian Girls, The Coathangers, and more. The full-length finds HotChaCha expanding upon many of the ideas laid out on their debut EP and adding new instrumentation and sophistication to their arrangements. Consequently, the 11 songs presented here coherently run the gamut from staccato sing-a-longs to slowly building atmospheric explorations. While many of HotChaCha’s songs are incredibly danceable and high energy and come in at under the three-and-a-half minute mark, it would be an oversimplification to classify...

Sounds Like : not quite winter RIYL : Animal Collective, Cloud Cult, Samuel Flynn Scott, Belle & Sebastian I waited until Autumn to post Sin Fang Bous, the solo moniker for Seabear founder Sindri Mar Sigfusson, because listening to it makes me reach for a sweater. Or a hoodie. Or a jacket. Anything to keep in the warmth. And, surprisingly, this has little to do with Sigfusson's Icelandic origins. Clangour , the debut Album out now, is laced with eccentric loops and melodies easily mistaken for chill winds howling through Autumn's exposed hollows. Equal parts Animal Collective and Belle & Sebastian, Sin Fang Bous is the music of scarves, fading light, and the sliding saturation and hue of maples. Even the music seems to match the changing season, as Sigfusson begins lightly with a voice and guitar only to re-layer his own singing, add textures, and over-color what he leaves. And although each track could easily be a single release, songs grace from one to the next to cre...

Darken My Door from Lucero on Vimeo . It's good to see that a serious band doesn't have to take itself seriously. Even better when a band's fans don't take them too seriously. "Darken My Door" off of Lucero's latest album, 1372 Overton Park , is a song about losing stuff--girlfriend, money, dignity. In fact, a lot of Lucero's songs are like that, but I'm not getting into that now. I'm talking about the video, which has so much to love. Obviously, I love the fact director Alex Mecum has used a puppet as the protagonist. But it's what the puppet does that makes this video so much fun. Puppet eating chili dogs, puppet drinking whiskey, puppet giving blow jobs . . . Hell, there's even puppet vomit! It's ridiculous, yes, but also tragic. By the end of the video, if you don't feel a little sorry for the scruffy faced whore puppet, then you have no soul. Here's a little more about the videos for Lucero's new album: To promot...

Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo . Sometimes it serves us well to do no more than be still and listen.

Buy Fanfarlo's Reservoir from Amazon. Sounds Like : You're either in love, or your heart has been cut into a dozen pieces, shoved into a potato gun, and blasted from your lover's window; but really, is there a difference? RIYL : Okkervil River, The Arcade Fire, The Decemberists A Few Words : Reservoir , the debut album from Fanfarlo , as been on repeat for three days. While I'm prone to hyperbole, this time it's true. There exists a torrent of furious emotion bounded by an artistic keenness to craft a balanced album. Vocals swoon and bounce between anxiety and ecstasy. Instrumentally, it's difficult to not compare Fanfarlo to The Arcade Fire: the thick bass beat, melodies dancing through violins to ukulele to blasts of horn, the overriding feeling that you're breaking free from the dusty walls that separate life from living. A few weeks ago I posted a beautiful video of "The Walls Are Coming Down" off Reservoir , so today I'll leave you with ...

Of course it's not typical. For one thing, it's Ash. For another, it's 1980--a time when the world was bathed in faded orange and all our t-shirts were either monochrome or E.T. iron-ons. We forgot about this ambient cusp of existence between disco and Don Johnson as soon as we hit 1985 and discovered the magic of neon and asymmetry. But don't let the contemporary hipster culture fool you--nobody wore porkpie hats on the backs of their heads. Well, nobody outside of Tears for Fears.

How about a little rockabilly for Friday? Or "insurgent country"? Or "alt country"? Whatever the hell the kids are calling it these days, Miss Derringer isn't paying attention because they're busy promoting their second album of vintage sounds, Winter Hill , which, set in 1960s New England, tells the tale of a mob war between the Irish and (who else?) the Irish. With influences ranging from Merle Haggard to The Misfits, Miss Derringer add more layers to the already-multifaceted genre. Garageabilly anyone? Download "Click Click, Bang Bang" off Miss Derringer's new album, Winter Hill

Buy The Pattern Prism from Amazon. Sounds Like: "forget the defibrillator, spark 'em up with Vowels." RIYL: Battles, Stereolab, Gang Gang Dance, Holy Fuck A Few Words: I dropped the press release for Vowels a few weeks ago. At the time I'd only listened to one track, but it was enough for me note something interesting going on. Since then, the 8-song album by UK producer James Rutledge has become a regular part of my daily listening. Although my audio routine may differ slightly from yours. After 9am and my fourth cup of coffee, Vowels grabs me by the ears and, with a gnarly grin, greets me with a fierce head butt. There is calculated madness behind it; from the tremolo syth on "Appendix" to the beats on "Two Wires" that roll and turn like tumbling boulders. Between this and the joe, I'm wired by 10am. Vowels invades again in the evening when there is talk of the pub. "On Up" has become a flat favorite with it's see-saw time s...

Check out the stunning, animated sci-fi music video for "Flashing Red Light Means Go" from the UK indie-rock squad The Boxer Rebellion. Directed by Grant Berry & Nick Tarte, the video was created digitally, frame-by-frame, over an incredibly intense period of four weeks and is a fantastical moving image of futuristic travel we can only conceive in our most dizzying of dreams.

Download "Chivalry's Dead" of The Paper Cranes' debut album of the same name Sounds Like: the soundtrack for Autumn Sundays in the park. RIYL: Modern Skirts, The Clash, Portugal. The Man A Few Words: The press release that came with The Paper Cranes has a great line in it. Right off the bat, they moan "Welcome to 2k9, where it’s all about hazy bro-fi detachment, cocktail-soaked dancefloor music, and Hipster Runoff. Stifling . . . ". They continue on to introduce the antidote to all this detachment: Victoria, BC band The Paper Cranes. Artists who, I agree, are kicking out some excellent indie pop hooks. Good enough to open in the past 12 months for The Walkmen as well as Wolf Parade. Also included in that little press release is a great quote from Pitchfork (but I'd read this one before): If you're not afraid to admit your favorite Cure song was "Love Cats"; if you think Paul Weller hasn't written a classic song since "A Town Cal...

Sounds Like: what happens when shoegazers harden up. RIYL: My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Ride, Red Stars Theory, Amateur Radio Operator A Few Words: In high school chemistry, we learned about reactions. More specifically, the reactions that can occur from combining individual and often disparate components. Most of the classes were focused on common syntheses: salts, acids, reducing agents, covalent bonds--you get the idea. Most of it bored me to tears, until one day when our teacher closed all the windows, shut the classroom door, and told us today's lesson was heating ammonium nitrate: we were making nitrous oxide . It was one of the most memorable days in school--mostly because we got high with our teacher and Chrissy H. touched my hand. I may have failed chemistry, but I took away the knowledge that some reactions have an effect greater then the combination of their parts. Take Your Cannons , for example: the individual members hail from Colorado, Sweden, England, and Th...

A good friend said, "It'll probably sound like all the rest, but I'll still love it." I'm happy to report that she's right on both counts. Listen to "Smoke" off the new album, 1372 Overton Park Sounds Like: Lying drunk on the bar floor with whiskey in one hand, and the other balled into a fist and raised high in some kind of inebriated salute. RIYL: Old 97s, Whiskeytown, Drag the River, Drive by Truckers From the Press Release: Lucero’s sixth studio album and major label debut, 1372 Overton Park , is due October 6 on Universal Republic Records. Produced by Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem) and featuring horn arrangements by legendary Memphis session player Jim Spake (Al Green, John Hiatt, Solomon Burke, Cat Power), the record marks a decided turn toward the Memphis soul sound that has long informed the band’s records from afar. 1372 Overton Park follows the band’s 2006 release, Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers, hailed by Pitchfork as “the best sho...

Download "Fast Forward Regrets" It's difficult to categorize this one because I have as yet only heard the single they've released--the same single I'm giving to you now. On this one, minimalist but highly dance-able track, there is enough eclectic energy to rank them with the likes of Man Man or Matt & Kim. With nothing more than hand-claps, an accordion, and their throaty growls, The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt create a sound I would drive for miles to witness. Which is good since their debut album isn't slated for release until Spring 2010, and their only live shows are on the east coast for now. Tour Dates below: Wed 10/14*Soundlab*Buffalo,NY Thu 10/15*Sneaky Dees*Toronto, ON Fri 10/16*Foufounes Electriques*Montreal, QC Thu 10/22*Pianos*New York,NY*CMJ Showcase Sat 10/24*Santos Partyhouse*New York, NY*CMJ Showcase Tue 10/27*Firehouse 13*Providence, RI Wed 10/28*Distant Castle*Worcester, MA Thu 10/29*Danger Danger House*Philadelphia, PA Fri 10/30*Sonar*B...

And it all begins here in Vancouver. . . Social networks are an interesting way to meet people. In fact, I don't really recommend them unless you're better in digitrons than you are in person. And music-oriented social networks are even worse than the Facebooks and Bebos of the world because sites like iMeem and Last.FM are full of folks who either want to hock their DJ set or get you to read their blog--btw, read my blog. However, sometimes you encounter some genuinely cool people. And SOMETIMES those cool people will even write to you. When that happens, you're usually in for a good read, like when I got a shout on Last.FM to go see Portugal.The Man because--lo and behold--they were playing in my city in just a few days. That shout came early last week, and I've been thrashing P.TM's album The Satanic Satanist ever since. If you don't catch Portugal.The Man, who is playing dates with Drug Rug, Hockey, and Robert Francis (!!), on this tour, I bet you that in a...

If you liked Springsteen's Nebraska , then Robert Francis is going to butter your bread; and I'm talking real butter, none of that margarine crap. There's no shortage of folky singer-songwriters making great music these days. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of the most competitive--if only because it's the most saturated--genre on the scene. So while it can be a bit difficult at times to separate the wheat from the chaff, one's efforts pay off when engaged with artists like Robert Francis. It's not solely I who believes this, though. The Huffington Post recently raved that "...Robert's writing style emulates Ry Cooder's and, occasionally, Bruce Springsteen's... Performance-wise, Robert's sound takes a young, 21st century run at The Band". Francis also got a pat on the back from Washington Times: During a recent performance...Mr. Francis howled his way through a 45-minute set of heartland rock 'n' roll... he str...

Buy Lay It On Me from Amazon.com Sounds Like: Gospel bespectacled blues rock seeking damnation over salvation. RIYL: Cold War Kids, Rolling Stones, BRMC A Few Words: There was a time when rock 'n roll was the norm. And I don't mean Smooth Rock, Heavy Metal, or (::shudder::) Country Pop Rock; I mean Rock and Fucking Roll. I mean three-sheets-to-the-wind, kick-a-hole-in-the-wall Rrrrrock. Yet in today's contemporary music scene with its myriad of genres, good rock is as difficult to come by as a Family Values Republican who isn't getting some on the side . But have faith, there is hope; Vancouver-based Minto is one more band keeping good 'ol rock 'n roll alive. While it's more accurately defined as blues rock, Minto's sound will make you toss your pint down your throat and pump your fist in the air--heck, you might even give a rebel yell. The enormity of the band is well-captured on their latest, Albini-produced album, Lay it On Me , but you really nee...

Download Langhorne Slim's "I Love You, But Goodbye" In a few weeks, that folk songer-songwriter with the tear-jerking voice will release his new album, Be Set Free on Kemado Records. In anticipation of what's sure to be a beautiful album and most definitely an autumn favorite, please treat yourselves to an mp3 prepared specially for you. I'd serve it up with coffee, but hot beverages don't compress very well. Slim will also begin his North American tour in October. In the past he's toured with Murder By Death, The Violent Femmes, and Lucero, but this one's all his. Check out Langhorne Slim on the following dates. I'll be at the Media Club in Vancouver if anyone wants to buy me a beer--er, I mean, say 'hello.' 10/15 - Bell House - Brooklyn, NY 10/17 - TT The Bears - Cambridge, MA 10/21 - Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH 10/22 - Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI 10/24 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI 10/25 - 400 Bar - Minneapolis, MN 10/26 - Waiting Roo...

Often music videos are overly complicated. Either the director is trying cram too many metaphors into a three-minute box, or the cut-scenes and special effects detract from the song itself. Thankfully, directors Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard employed simplicity alongside Fanfarlo in the video for "The Walls Are Coming Down." Featuring Roslyn Walker, one of the few living professional escape artists, the video's only other props are a couple of well-placed spotlights. Enjoy, and check out Fanfarlo if you're in the area: Sep 14*Chop Suey*Seattle Sep 15*Troubadour*West Hollywood Sep 16*The Echo*Los Angeles Sep 17*Popscene*San Francisco Sep 20*Kungfu Necktie*Philadelphia Sep 21*Bowery Ballroom*New York Sep 22*The Bell House*New York

I didn't know what to make of this when I first received it. Yet whether it's an honest, low-budget sci-fi or a spoof now seems irrelevant because Stingray Sam is going to be my new hero. He's genuine, dynamic, and best of all his outfit will be easy to put together for Halloween. In Stingray Sam, Cory McAbee's second sci-fi musical featuring music by McAbee's band The Billy Nayer Show, David Hyde Pierce narrates the story that begins with a dangerous mission that reunites Stingray Sam with his long lost accomplice, The Quasar Kid. The story follows these two space convicts as they earn their freedom in exchange for the rescue of a young girl who is being held captive by the genetically designed figurehead of a very wealthy planet. Now go grab a bowl of olives and enjoy the clip!

1001 NIGHTS is a comprehensive anthology of the ethereal Damon and Naomi, including videos and live performances by the duo from 2001 through 2009, being released via Factory 25 , a new Brooklyn-based independent film and music label. This decade-long road trip includes live footage of the musicians and friends including Michio Kurihara, The Clientele, Ghost, Richard Youngs, Rheinallt H. Rowlands, Thom Revolver, Bhob Rainey, Masaki Batoh and Helena Espvall. Damon and Naomi curated 1001 Nights and included a rare live version of "Blue Thunder," a song originally performed by their legendary first band Galaxie 500. A special, limited edition LP/DVD bundle includes the DVD, Live in San Sebastian on vinyl and a three-dimensional 1001 Nights calendar (seriously, D&N--a calendar?). You can also check out their page on the Factory 25 website to view more video clips from the DVD and to pre-order the LP/DVD.

I was recently in Denver visiting my muso-anthropologist friends, and The Phenomenal Handclap Band was a recurring mention. So when I came across this remix for "You'll Disappear," I couldn't help think it would make the doldrums of Wednesday seem a little less droll. This one's for you, Jaguars. Download the remix of "You'll Disappear" from The Phenomenal Handclap Band.

Download "On Up!" by Vowels Sounds Like: Quantum entanglement dance party RIYL: Four Tet, Neu!, Can From the Press Release: UK producer James Rutledge has taken on many personas over the years, and is now moving his efforts and exploration into the Krautrock realm. Rutledge will release this new music under the name Vowels, teaming up with LOAF records (The Chap, Johan Agebjorn/Sally Shapiro, Pete Fowler), for the US release of Pattern Prism on September 22nd. Previously only available on import, Pattern Prism is an extension of Rutledge's continuing interest in Krautrock, and he cites influences ranging from Silver Apples and SunnO))) to John Carpenter and Black Dice among others. Previously, Rutledge has released music on Domino, Melodic, Moshi Moshi, Warp and Wichita and has worked with artists like Dangermouse, Four Tet, Kevin Shields, The Pastels and Prefuse 73. This past year, he released an album with Mush Records under the name Pedro, and has been doing remi...

Formerly the world's number one DJ, Clive Rudloe's career nosedived following an incident at Ministry of Sound in 2008 . The Above & Beyond film crew joins him shortly after his decision to ditch his assistant in favor of a new heavyweight manager.

Sounds Like: It's going to be a cool, cloudy kind of day RIYL: Bon Iver, Elliot Smith, Age Pryor, Nick Drake, Iron & Wine A Few Words: Hands up, who like sad songs! That's right, we all do. Or maybe nobody does--I can't actually see your hands. I just assume people like sad music because musicians keep making it. And also because I like it. And since the sun isn't out today, I've been listening to the acoustic musings of young, East Coast singer-songwriter, Peasant. I had to through "young" into the adjective list because Peasant (Damien DeRose) was 19 when he self-recorded his first album, fear not distant lover , in his 1 bedroom apartment. With another release in 09 ( On the Ground , distributed through Team Love ), he's now off on a European tour. Upon his return he plans to record a third album, Shady Retreat , on his own in a converted springhouse studio in the woods. It's easy to lump Peasant in with other Americana, Folk, or the gamut o...

Division Day is set to strike with their sophomore release, Visitation released Tuesday, August 18th via Dangerbird Records. To prepare you for this innovative new record we wanted to share with you the video for "Surrender." Inspired by this song, a fan was flushed with creativity and images from the 1977 Japanese cult film, Hausu . The result is gore-encrusted-mythological-journey that matches the experimentally bold "Surrender." Don't forget to watch out for the cats with glowing eyes.

Sounds Like: Not quite post punk, not quite new wave RIYL: British Sea Power, Pere Ubu, (early) Joy Division, Hot Cha Cha From the Press Release: At a time when music descended from “punk” and “new wave” has been reduced to it’s most rudimentary and lo-fi elements, Mystery of Two continues to pursue the original artistic aspirations of the genre---believing that art and music can be unfamiliar and challenging, without sacrificing accessibility. Much like their musical touchstones—The Feelies, The Voidoids, Talking Heads, and Pere Ubu—Mystery of Two follow the axiom that the unconventional can be created through paramount musicianship, attention to song-craft, and sonic structuring. Their self-titled follow up to 2006’s Arrows Are All You Know , finds Mystery of Two further traversing the boundaries of experimental pop, and no where is this more evident than in the masterful guitar playing of singer/guitarist Ryan Weitzel. Channeling Robert Quine (Voidoids) and Richard Lloyd (Televis...

Americana songs tend to root their lyrical metaphors in one of two themes: road trips or redemption (one often leading to the other). Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons head straight for the latter in "Born Again," the single released from their upcoming album Death Won't Send a Letter , due out on 29 September. The video is a beautiful montage of bathtub baptisms and revivals in the heat of summer's lingering sunsets. On a more personal note (and filed neatly in the "just saying" department), if my church had played more music like this (especially with a sultry blond organist), I may have given religion a chance. But they didn't. And I wouldn't. Probably more to do with the fact Catholics don't like to appear to be enjoying themselves--should have hung out with more Baptists, I guess.

Listen to The Octopus Project's Golden Beds EP here . Austin four-piece The Octopus Project are excited to reveal their brand new video for "Wet Gold," one of the featured videos on their brand new Golden Beds Enhanced EP (Peek-A-Boo Records), which includes five different tunes and seven brand new videos! Josh Lambert in the band talks about the making of the video: ...it was wet and cold! We filmed it in Galveston a couple of months after the hurricane hit, so it was pretty devastated. The whole city (specifically the beach) was filled with debris and completely ripped up buildings -- totally creepy. There was a pretty gnarly fog that day as well, so it only added to the eeriness. Making the video was a blast! Yvonne spent a couple of days learning semaphore and was spelling out "Wet Gold" when we filmed it. I've never been colder in my life. Standing in the ocean all day long in the middle of January wouldn't be first on my list of things to do in the...

download The Wooden Sky’s “Something Hiding For Us In The Night” mp3 here RIYL: Wilco, Allman Brothers, Flaming Lips From the Press: Currently in the midst of their Bedrooms and Backstreets Tour, Toronto-based outfit known as The Wooden Sky are preparing for the release of their second album under the name If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone . The CD drops on August 25th through Black Box, distributed by Fontana North. The band has spent the last few weeks playing unconventional spaces like rooftops, backyards, campfires and parks, but is now pleased to announce a more traditional tour through Canada supporting Elliott Brood starting on 9/26 in Sudbury and ending up in Victoria on 10/8. The album is also now available for pre-order at www.myspace.com/thewoodensky Upcoming Tour Dates 9/26 - Sudbury, ON @ Townehouse 9/27 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON @ Lop Lops 9/29 - Thunder Bay, ON @ C2 9/30 - Winnipeg, ON @ West End Cultural Centre 10/01 - Regina, SK @ The Exchange 10/02 - Saskatoon,...

RIYL: The Dodos, The Dirty Projectors, Atlas Sound, Blitzen Trapper Sounds Like: Art rock you can dance to. A Few Words: Despite their somewhat awkward name, Here Is What Is sounds and performs like musicians bound for larger venues. Their short EP ( Done Before it Starts ) is the musical equivalent of stuffing a watermelon into your back pocket, yet they accomplish the feat with ease. While just over 30 minutes long, the EP is filled with ethereal harmonies floating over lyrics as tight and punctuated as the underlying, danceable grooves. I had the good fortune of catching their CD release party at Vancouver's Media Club, which only reinforces my earlier melon-in-back-pocket analogy. For those who've been, you know how small the stage is; fitting four musicians up there is a challenge, on a good day--let alone five. But up they went--the entire quintet--and launched into their set as though there was enough room to contain their massive sound. The pace and structure of the ...

RIYL: Flaming Lips, David Byrne, Flotation Toy Warning, Cloud Cult, Broken Social Scene Sounds Like: Concept albums: not just for Prog anymore. A Few Words: I get my music in a myriad of ways, most of it dubious and downright sneaky. But sometimes I manage to procure a legitimate review copy of an album. It just so happens that my Twitter obsession helped me fill the shoes of "honest blogger" for once. If Twitter needs another success story, I'm willing to throw Umbrella Tree into the pile. By following a fan's tweet, I got in touch with the band and was very soon getting an earful of their latest album, The Letter C . At first blush the album appears to revolve around a nautical theme. Swaying 3/3 signatures will suddenly shift like the seas into rockier, more disjointed patterns. And with track names like "Ocean Sober", "Starfish", and interludes called "Periscoper" (A through C) it's easy to assume they're taking us down in ...

Organic sweetener for saccharine shoegazers RIYL: My Bloody Valentine, Wye Oak, Sonic Youth, Sully, the heavier side of Yo La Tengo Sounds Like: Musicians with the talent to capture both their angst and the irony of their angst. A few words: I confess: I'm a sucker for shoegaze. When my friend Drew played MBV's Loveless for me back in the 90s, I thought I'd found the best record of all time. And while Loveless is still arguably the quintessential shoegaze record, the genre has evolved remarkably, as is evident on the third record from Northfield, MN band Gospel Gossip . The album exhibits everything a shoegaze fan will be looking for: dreamy layers of distortion, frenzied drumming, and songs well past the 3 minute mark. But Dreamland has elements that raise it above the generic; most notably are Sarah Nienaber's vocals, through which we can hear (shock horror!) discernible lyrics. I can't tell you how relieving it is to finally be able to stare at my sneakers AN...

Just before leaving NZ I ended up bunking with James and Ami for a bit. Technically I was not in the same bed and I slept in a different room, but I wanted to use the word "bunking" because I think it sounds neat. Hanging out at their place had its benefits, like drinking on their back deck in the sun, but the greatest was exposure to a world of music. The muse living within James extended my music collection from the 200 songs I'd been listening to since I was 16, to an overwhelming collection and a new appreciation for music that lives outside of the retard stuff we hear droning on the radio. And one of these bands I was introduced to was Beirut. I was hooked. After two unsuccessful attempts to see them (first tour sold out in London the day before I arrived, and then they pulled out of the Benicassim festival a few weeks before I was to go) I was all but giving up hope. But in January of this year a golden platter was put in front of me. After selling the platter for a...

"[I Was a King]'s self-titled album confidently weaves together shoe gaze, indie rock, and pop to create a product that can appeal to both the cynical and the cheerful." - NPR Buy I Was a King from Amazon Sounds Like: Elefant 6 RIYL: Sonic Youth, Apples in Stereo, The Thrills, The Clientele, My Bloody Valentine (circa Strawberry Wine) A Few Words: Noregian fuzz pop quintet I Was a King marries Byrds-era flower power melodies (so readily employed by The Clientele) with the distortion that set apart bands like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. The result isn't earth-shattering, but it has something that Apples in Stereo always lacked: subtlety. The album, which features collaborations from Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Ladybug Transistor and Serena Maneesh, clocks in at just over 30 minutes. Yet the robust composition, layering, and instrumentation makes it feel more like 35--maybe even 40. The tracks tend to be void of guilt or angst, musing instead on the decadenc...

Guest post by David Schutz Buy Here Anonymous from Amazon. Sounds Like: They’re on the verge of an iPod commercial RIYL: Shins, Built To Spill, Film School A Few Words: At first glance, Eulogies' second, Here Anonymous , comes across like it’s pre-fabbed for Apple’s ad division. Driven by Peter Walker’s restrained, lilting vocals (a la Shins, Chairlift, Shins), the quartet engages for the most part in jangly, mid-tempo, middle-of-the-road indie rock. When they’re going through the motions (“This Fine Progression”, “Eyes on the Prize”), they’re predictably boring and ultimately marketable. But sometimes they throw a wrench in the formula and things get good. “Bad Connection” is weighed down by a subtle melancholy that Walker seems bent on trying to sing his way out of. The resulting tension creates a more complicated emotional landscape than on other songs, where optimistic and dejected feelings tend to inhabit different sections, fearful of stepping on each others’ toes. “Da...