Guillemots Single Premieres Tomorrow!

After releasing both a spectacular album (Through the Windowpane) and almost-album in 2006 (From the Cliffs EP), I knew Guillemots weren't going to be just a one-hit wonder or mega-blog-hype kinda band, but 2007 was a pretty quiet year from the band. Turns out Fyfe Dangerfield and co. were hard at work on Red, which has finally been completed. The record's out March 24th, but you can hear the first single, "Get Over It," on Radio 1 tomorrow (and probably in various horribly ripped formats elsewhere). Hopefully it's not an OK Go cover. In the meantime, rediscover your love for "Trains to Brazil." It really is that good.

LISTEN:
"Trains to Brazil" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Guillemots' website
Guillemots on MySpace

Bishop Allen to Re-release Charm School!

When I first got into Bishop Allen a few years ago, tracking down Charm School was a tough order. It was on out of stock everywhere, and sites like Hype Machine weren't yet on my radar (nor Bishop Allen's, I would guess). Eventually I found it used on Amazon.com, and the album was replayed like no other! A few years passed, a dozen EPs, one scrapped album (Clementines) and an album later and Bishop Allen is all over my Internet (any my TV, thanks to that camera ad)! This year, the band will rerelease that charming little album that could, featuring new artwork and some additional demo tracks ("You Ain't No Picasso," anybody?). No word yet if that'll be available on vinyl for the first time, as The Broken String was. In any case, I'm glad more people will be able to hear the album.

Also in the works? Another album, which they aim to have completed before year's end and a revamped, updated website, in addition to more European and U.S. tour dates. Oh, and appearing with Michael Cera in Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist.

LISTEN:
"Things Are What You Make of Them" [MP3] off Charm School

ON THE WEB:
Bishop Allen's website
Bishop Allen's MySpace

Whiskeytown Deluxe Reissue Due in March

After digging around for the Samta Barbara set list earlier today, I ran across an item about an upcoming reissue of Stranger's Almanac (1997), which is one of my favorite albums of all time. On Mar. 4, Geffen/Universal will be putting out a 2-disc edition of this alt-country classic, which will feature a KCRW set, covers, outtakes and alternative tracks for the disc in addition to the original tracks. Much thanks to No Depression for this information (click that link for even more details). It definitely sounds like it'll be worth any fan's time. Still no further word on the upcoming Ryan Adams boxed set...

LISTEN:
"Houses on the Hill" [MP3]

Favorite 11 Films of 2007

I don't write about films here all too often, since I do enough of that for class, but I'm as big a fan of lists (and There Will Be Blood!) as anyone else on the Internet. I'll probably be M.I.A. from blogging this weekend since I'll be covering the Santa Barbara International Film Festival for UCSB's Daily Nexus, so here's something to argue with/contest while I'm gone.

P.S. - Why yes, I did see Juno.

11) 2 Days in Paris (Julie Delpy)
Please don't confuse this with the similarly titled Paris Hilton, erm... video. Julie Delpy's Parisian film, populated by some of the world's most neurotic people, had me smiling with delight the whole time I was watching it.

10) The Darjeeling Ltd. (Wes Anderson)
I guess people are a little tired of watching Wes Anderson be Wes Anderson, because I haven't seen this film on too many critic's lists, despite the fact that it's on par with his best work.

9) I'm Not There (Todd Haynes)
Though the film has a couple of missteps and uneven points (which I mostly attribute to Richard Gere, fairly or unfairly), Cate Blanchett's performance was more than enough to tip this film over the line. I'm probably not as obsessed with Bob Dylan now as much as I was in high school, but I'm still a huge fan and this film is the perfect reminder of why people find Bob Dylan so fascinating (though people are quite right in saying this film's strategy of employing multiple actors to portray the same individual could be applied to anyone else).

8) Once
I was expecting to see the Irish equivalent of RENT when I saw the ads for this film, but the film's kind of like the anti-RENT.

7) Atonement (Joe Wright)
I'm not typically a fan of the British melodrama, as a genre, but Atonement's more a story about storytelling than Pride and Prejudice II.

6) The Lookout (Scott Frank)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt needs to be handed more roles so he can be appreciated by more people than just critics and teenage girls.

5) No Country for Old Men (The Coen Brothers)
I'm not sure how good I'll be at trying to explain this film. Like everyone else, I left the theater a bit confused by the ending the first time. My parents called me after they saw it (I had recommended it, and they like to see all the nominated films anyway) and kept telling me about how violent it was, and how there was nothing redeeming about it, which is completely untrue. What redeems the film? It's difficult to explain. I plan on writing something about that soon, because I believe the answer to that question is at the heart of what makes this film so great.

4) Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Sidney Lumet)
Finally, a film where Ethan Hawke tones down the obnoxiousness! The heist-gone-wrong, and the way the film lays it out (un)chronologically, cannot fail to engage. Questions are posed, answered and subsequently replaced by bigger and more frightening questions. And we get to witness Philip Seymour Hoffman's descent into madness.

3) Zodiac (David Fincher)
One doesn't typically expect much from a big-budget, star-filled crime thriller, but this film is so much more than that. The film is a portrait of unending obsession, chronicling the dead-end search for the real-life serial killer and the toll it has on the men involved in the hunt. Fincher's filmic techniques gradually intensify the audience's own feelings of paranoia and nervousness right along with the characters'. How horrifying was that basement scene?!?

2) There Will Be Blood (P.T. Anderson)
I wasn't sure how to react, after seeing this film. The film didn't instantly elate me, and it took some time for the brilliance of the film to fully sink in. This is probably because the film is structured in a way that is so different than the way most films are structured, and ends on such an ambiguous note.

1) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik)
This little-seen, little-recognized film has to be the best thing I saw all year. Both the critically minded and entertainment-minded can enjoy this film equally, which is something I always take into consideration when watching a film. The performances are indescribably better than you'd imagine (Brad Pitt's a movie star, sure, but I don't know that I ever had supreme faith in his ability to act), and I'm pulling for Casey Affleck to get the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as the titular coward. Also: Roger Deakins has got to be one of the best cinematographers working today (the man also did No Country for Old Men).

Other films I saw worth checking out: Persepolis (more for the amazing animation than the story itself), Margot at the Wedding (completely miserable, with some great performances), 3:10 to Yuma, Stephanie Daley (Amber Tamblyn really is as good as everyone said she was in this film), Interview (I hated it until the end), The Namesake, Grindhouse (well, Tarantino's half was enjoyable) and The Wind That Shakes the Barley (which would probably make my top 10, had I seen it more recently than a year and a half ago). Oh, and if I made a #12, it would be Eastern Promises.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Live @ the Arlington Theater

Photo by Joker Style Productions
Ryan Adams must have a crazy calendar or something where he lays out his shenanigans for the year: December was his month off, but in January, the onslaught of YouTube videos began. I haven't been keeping up with them much, but apparently being single hasn't been so bad (musically, anyway), if his show at the Arlington the other night was any indication.

This Ryan Adams tour seems to be all about the Cardinals, and that's working well, if tonight's show was any indication. Adams has been saying he wants to be considered just one of the Cardinals in interviews for awhile now, and he's making good on his word. The whole band seemed to have a lot more energy than when I saw them play in July in L.A., and Adams wasn't sitting down or slouched over the whole time. Neal Casal contributed lead vocals to one of the songs (which I thought was pretty cool but a lot of my fellow audience members took as a signal to rush to the bar). Some of the songs were reworked a bit, with a much louder and aggressive version of "Bartering Lines" or a piano-driven, acoustic "Halloweenhead."

And guess who opened the show? Ryan Adams, acoustic and solo, was onstage before the show was scheduled to start, which was a real treat since usually you arrive to shows and have to wait 45 minutes from the scheduled start time. Masquerading as J.J. Bouillabaise, he claimed that "Ryan Adams wouldn't let me open for him unless I played his songs. That guy is such a prick... I hear he's great in the sack, though."

So obviously the sense of humor's still there, only this time, more coherent and audible. There could be an entire blog devoted to things Ryan Adams says in between songs, but it's probably more of a "you had to be there" sort of thing (necrophilia, anybody?). He made fun of reported "meltdowns," laid down on the floor and asked his band to "come pick me up," and muttered about how he couldn't figure out if he was feeling too hot or too cold... "Just like my last relationship," he quipped, "Except not that cold." ZING!

The thing about playing in Santa Barbara is that you're going to draw a comparatively older crowd than you would in, say, L.A., so unfortunately nobody stood up or anything (save for that one guy who ran to the front and rolled offstage). A little more enthusiasm on the part of the audience wouldn't hurt.

OPENING:
Call Me on Your Way Back Home
Damn Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains)
Blossom

SETLIST:
Bartering Lines
Cold Roses
Blue Hotel
Off Broadway
The Rescue Blues
Nightbirds
Everybody Knows
Goodnight Rose
The Sun Also Sets
Halloween Head
Freeway to the Canyon

SET BREAK
When The Stars Go Blue
Beautiful Sorta
Peaceful Valley
Dear Chicago
Happy Birthday Spacewolf
A Kiss Before I Go
Shakedown On 9th Street


ONE FINAL QUESTION: How many times am I going to have to go see Ryan Adams before he plays a Whiskeytown song? Heh.

MLGF Presents...

So, um, hell yeah, St. Vincent's going to be in Santa Barbara in February! Phosphorescent and Bon Iver in March! And dear Frank Turner, too! Not to mention fabulous Oxnard indiepop sensations Maria!

And that kid said there was absolutely no music scene in Santa Barbara... Not that it's L.A. or anything, but that kid's obviously never been to Biko, or to Muddy Waters. Spending too much time on DP listening to "Rebelution" every night will do crazy things to a person, I guess.

I have been somewhat disappointed by UCSB's actual concert series, because last year they got Busdriver, Man Man, Starlight Mints, Aqueduct and others to come play shows on campus. This year, a lot more time seems to be devoted to screamo... not that, uh, there's anything wrong with that, of course...

Feb. 1 - The Coral Sea, Springtime is Wartime (@ Biko)
Feb. 2 - Jesca Hoop (@ SoHO)
Feb. 16 - St. Vincent (!!!) (@ Velvet Jones)
Feb. 22 - Frank Turner, the Donner Party (@ Muddy Waters)
Feb. 23 - Maria, Clitorectomy and the Mutilators, Foot Foot (@ Biko)
Feb. 24 - Red Pony Clock, Harry Lowton (@ Biko)
Mar. 2 - Philip Glass (@ UCSB's Campbell Hall)
Mar. 13 - Roseanne Cash (@ UCSB's Campbell Hall)
Mar. 21 - Phosphorescent, Bon Iver (@ Muddy Waters)
Apr. 16 - Arlo Guthrie (@ UCSB's Campbell Hall)
Apr. 18 - The Mutineers, Drunken Prayer, Power of Country (@ Muddy Waters)
May 29 - The Cure (@ the SB Bowl)

Coachella Lineup Announced In Full :(

I got back from the Ryan Adams show (more on that tomorrow!) at the Arlington this evening to eagerly view the Coachella lineup I'd been hearing so much about. I was already prepared for the let-down that the trifecta of My Bloody Valentine, David Bowie and Radiohead wouldn't be headlining, but the biggest surprise seems to be that, well -- the headliners just aren't very exciting.

I've always been under the impression that Coachella is supposed to have the best lineup of all the big outdoor music fests, but Austin City Limits' lineup this year was way bigger and better (White Stripes, Bjork, Bob Dylan, Arcade Fire, MMJ, Andrew Bird, Spoon, M.I.A., Muse...). Ah well, maybe I'd think better of this all if a) I hadn't gotten so excited about the possibility of finally seeing MBV live and b) if I was more familiar with Pink Floyd's work. Oh, and c) if I knew who Love and Rockets were (from what I've read so far about them, I'm interested to hear their music).

VIEW THE COMPLETE WEST COAST LINEUP HERE.
COMPARE THAT WITH LAST YEAR'S LINEUP HERE.

I'll probably still make it down there for a day or something, but this is strange and dis(concert)ing.

I've been back in class for two whole weeks now, and I've already seen more films than I can keep track of. Avant-garde, early sound films, Hungarian films, films outside of class, films on TV... I take extreme pride in the fact that I haven't fallen asleep -- yet. My eyes are bloodshot, my hands are shaking and I'm kind of afraid I'm going to have to re-start my love-hate relationship with my drug of choice... caffeine.

Don't we have a right to be bitter? We take a whole lot of crap from everyone who tells us we picked an easy major. People who don't know a syuzhet from a fabula; philosophy majors who berate us for not "getting" The Butterfly Effect (heh, just kidding, philosophy majors, you probably hate that film just as much as we do); people who don't have to read page after page after page of film theory. People ask how you can spend 6+ months filming a 15-minute film. Yes, it sometimes feels like a masochistic major, but at the end of the day, I love it and don't mind having to watch an average of two or three films a day. I don't even mind reading what Alan and Gomery have to say about slapstick comedy.

The Ladybug Transistor: "Splendor in the Grass" [MP3]

My Morning Jacket: "Butch Cassidy" [MP3]

The Postal Service: "Clark Gable" [MP3]

Yo La Tengo: "Deeper Into Movies" [MP3]

Art Brut: "Moving to LA" [MP3]
What else are you gonna do before/after grad school?

New Pornographers:"Twin Cinema" [MP3]

Cat Power: "Mr. Gallo" [MP3]
I can't say I'm the biggest fan of this auteur, myself. But some people, Ms. Marshall included, seem to love Buffalo 66.

The Besties: "Western Song" [MP3]
You like John Ford, doncha?

Casper and the Cookies: "Duchamp's Camera" [MP3]
This one's perfect for me, this quarter, as I'm currently taking a course in experimental film.

Bob Dylan: "Motorpsycho Nightmare" [MP3]
This made so much more sense after finally watching Psycho.

Belle & Sebastian: "Like Dylan in the Movies" [MP3]
Kind of perfect, in light of the recent Todd Haynes film.

Math and Physics Club: "Movie Ending Romance" [MP3]

Radiohead: "Exit Music (For a Film)" [MP3]

The Wailing Wall Announces Album, Tour

Imagine Michael Nau singing Jeff Mangum-penned lyrics while being accompanied with an 8-piece band, if you can, and that's what the Wailing Wall reminds me of. Jesse Rifkin's song, "Hospital Blossom," evokes the same sort of gorgeously poetic, sometimes macabre nature imagery and religious allusions both of the aforementioned artists are known for, with a chorus that repeats something like, "My spine will soar and split-up skin / My bones will break into birth / And your hands will dig a pit to find me // In that eager, eager Earth."

Good news for anybody who's been enjoying the Wailing Wall's songs as much as I have lately: the New York-based band has finished recording its album, Hospital Blossoms, and it's due to be released next month! Following that, the folk band will be hitting the road with Soul St. Marie.

TRACKLIST:
"Morning"
"Sister, I"
"Drums"
"Nails and Wood"
"Hospital Blossom"
"No Wind"
"Dear Mother"
"Floral Park"
"Drums"
"Morning 2"

TOURDATES:
03-14: The Rugroom (New Paltz, NY)
03-15: TBA (Providence, RI)
03-16: P.A.'s Lounge (Somerville, MA)
03-17: TBA (TBA)
03-18: TBA (TBA)
03-20: The Monkey Room (Winooski, VT)
03-21: Bennington College (Bennington, VT)
03-22: The Q (Worcester, MA)
03-23: TBA (TBA, NH)
03-25: Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT)
03-26: TBA (York, PA)
03-27: Goucher College (Baltimore/Towson, MD)
03-29: TBA (Brooklyn, NY)

LISTEN:
"Hospital Blossom" [MP3]
"Where Has My Heart Gone?" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
The Wailing Wall on MySpace

My Morning Jackets Sets Album Release Date

You might've heard by now, but MMJ has set a release date for its upcoming album: June 10. I'm massively excited about this; I had been a fan of MMJ for years before finally seeing the band live at Austin City Limits, and that show itself (the MMJ island-themed, Andrew Bird-attended beach party) turned me into a true fanatic.

ON THE WEB:
My Morning Jacket's website

Nose Bleed Island & the Blood Island Society

What would you get if you combined an Elephant 6 band with the depraved brain of a 9-year-old boy? I'd imagine it would be something like Nose Bleed Island's experimental, irreverent and thoroughly harmonious indiepop record, More Tales From Blood Island, which opens with a song ("Nazi Tears") about kicking Nazi ass "all the way back to Naziland." The ridiculous rhyming never stops, and either does the party ("Party at My Mom's"), but both of these things are wedded to some truly beautiful pop melodies (listen to "Lazy Dreams With Susie Sue"). Hands down, the most fun I've had listening to an album in quite some time. Joey Pizza Slice, Z Bear (age 11!), Miss Marbles, Dracula and the robot have a good thing going here!

Like what you hear? You can download the band's debut album, Silly Sad Cicuit's Dead Baby in a Jar for free, or more tracks from this album on the band's MySpace.

LISTEN:
"Nazi Tears" [MP3]
"Lazy Dreams With Susie Sue" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Nosebleed Island's MySpace
Nosebleed Island's website

Cutting-Edge Cassettes: Dramarama's Stuck in Wonderamaland

I know, I know, vinyl's in vogue at the moment, and I can't and won't try to say I don't love the sound and look of vinyl. I do. I adore it. I fully embrace mp3s as a less-nice-sounding but quite convenient form of listening, and I'm just about the only person left on the planet still defending CDs, for some stubborn nostalgic reason I can't really explain. But when I tell people I buy cassette tapes, I get a blank stare or an incredulous gasp. Sue me, my car's old, I don't have an iPod adapter and I certainly don't have a CD player. Tapes really are the most convenient form for me, especially since I love listening as I drive, and the things are so darn cheap since nobody else wants 'em! I've snapped up a bunch of them for $1 each, mostly from bands I've never heard of or am not exceedingly familiar with, and I'm going to be chronicling my adventures on tape here every week!

ARTIST: Dramarama
ALBUM: Stuck in Wonderamaland
RELEASE DATE: April 1989
LABEL: Chamelon
TRACKS: 1) "Wonderamaland," 2) "No Regrets," 3) "Fireplace, Pool and Air-Conditioning," 4) "Lullabye," 5) "It's Hardly Enough," 6) "Last Cigarette," 7) "70s TV," 8) "Try," 9) "Would You Like," 10) "I Wish I Was Your Mother," 11) "Pumps on a Hill," 12) "Stuck in Wonderamaland"

First up is an album from Dramarama, an awfully named 80s band that somebody in the Replacements Facebook group had recommended, you know, one of those RIYL sort of deals. Originally based in Jersey but later transplanted to LA, the band enjoyed a bit of notoriety in its time but today is fairly obscure, making the band an ideal candidate for this feature. When I saw it in the bin of tapes at my local thrift store, I happily snapped it up. I would not be disappointed... The album, Stuck in Wonderamaland, is one of those albums that you find to be immediately comforting, mixing comedic wit, a little bit of melancholy and singalong choruses just like your best friends. My favorite tracks on the tape include "Last Cigarette" and the band's wonderful cover of the androgynous "I Wish I Was Your Mother." The band's got less of a punk anything-goes sort of edge than the 'Mats do, but the feeling produced is similar: both bands perfectly capture the discontentment, boredom, cultural experience and euphoria of being an American young adult in the suburbs in the 80s. And, of course, both are criminally under-appreciated.

After enjoying this album, I did a little research and found that the band is still performing. Original members John Easdale, Mark Englert and Peter Wood are all still contributing members, and they put out an album of new material (Everybody Dies) in 2005. Reviews look quite good, though I doubt I could find it on cassette.

Check back next week when I listen to Kate Bush's The Dreaming.

LISTEN:
"Last Cigarette" [MP3]
"I Wish I Was Your Mother" [MP3]

FIND OUT MORE:
John Easdale & Dramarama's official website
Check out the album on Amazon

Tournaments Announce Debut 7" Single

I posted about Tournaments last September as it was about to embark on a tour with Lucero, and now the band has finally put together an official debut release: an double a-side single featuring "Boldest of Colors" and "Message Deleted." Get it on iTunes or pick it up on 7" vinyl on Feb. 16. The four-piece group from the UK plays deliciously catchy, (literally) colorful pop songs that are worth checking out. I expect to hear more from this band soon!

LISTEN:
"Boldest of Colors" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Tournaments on MySpace

New/Old Phantom Planet: "Do the Panic"

I was listening to NPR on my drive back to college sometime last week when the host announced they'd be playing a track from the forthcoming, as of yet untitled Phantom Planet album... I was expecting to hear "Leader," the only song I'd heard so far would be on the album, but instead, they played a new recording of an old Phantom Planet cut, "Do the Panic" (which had previously been released on the limited edition Negatives compilations of PP b-sides and rarities), which will apparently be appearing on the next one (we're still waiting on an exact release date, but it should be within the first half of the year).

If that song is any indication of what to expect from the new (fourth!) album, it's going to be a hell of a lot cheerier and more pop-oriented and fun than 2003's self-titled release (which, for the record, I think probably their best, so I don't mean that, urm, negatively at all). It'll be interesting to see if they chose any other older tracks and how they choose to re-work them. They've certainly got a lot of material to work with.

In any case, I'm glad they're back. This is one of the first bands I ever loved, and one of the few bands I listened to when I was growing up whose music still (mostly) holds up. And I admire them for their range, too: I have an equal appreciation for both their more-polished studio releases and their d-i-y recordings, and they pull off sunshiney retro pop from their earliest days as well as they pull off darker, gruffer stuff they wrote for their last album. And they always look like they're having fun.

LISTEN:
"Do the Panic" [MP3] (from Negatives)

ON THE WEB:
Phantom Planet's Fueled by Ramen page
Phantom Planet on MySpace

Basia Bulat: Tour Dates & US Release Info

Basia Bulat's Oh, My Darling made quite the impression on the U.S. in 2007... and her album still hasn't been released here. If you still haven't managed to the ridiculously adorable, infectious, hand-clap-filled, sad yet jangly Oh, My Darling fear not! February 5th will bring the stateside release of the album by Rough Trade, finally, and she'll be embarking on a North American tour in celebration!

TOUR DATES:
01-10 New York, NY - Joe's Pub
01-16 Hamilton, Ontario - Westside Theatre
01-18 Ottawa, Ontario - First Baptist Church
01-19 Ottawa, Ontario - First Baptist Church
01-20 Montreal, Quebec - Le National
01-22 Peterborough, Ontario - Market Hall
01-25 Kitchener, Ontario - Gig Theatre
01-26 London, Ontario - Aeolian Hall
01-27 London, Ontario - Aeolian Hall
02-07 Chicago, IL - Schubas
02-08 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
02-13 Seattle, WA - Triple Door
02-14 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
02-15 Eugene, OR - Sam Bond's Garage
02-16 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
02-19 Los Angeles, CA - Hotel Café
02-23 Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
02-27 Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java
02-28 Philadelphia, PA - Tin Angel
02-29 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-01 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Underground

LISTEN:
"I Was A Daughter" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Basia Bulat's MySpace

NEW Hello, Blue Roses: "Sunny Skies"

The latest mp3 preview of Hello, Blue Roses' album, The Portrait is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty, is "Sunny Skies," which couldn't be more opposite of the dreary rainy California winter that's just begin to set in. It's a pretty little track, featuring vocals by Sydney Vermont, additional vocals from Dan Bejar and sparse piano accompaniment that's beautiful if not exactly sunshiney. The album is a joint venture by the super-prolific Canadian duo of Bejar (Destroyer, New Pornographers, Swan Lake, duh) and Vermont, and it'll be released on Jan. 22 from Locust Music.

LISTEN:
"Sunny Skies" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Hello, Blue Roses' website

TOUR DATES: Mary Gauthier & Mark Olson

Two of alt-country's biggest talents are hitting the road this winter: Lost Highways labelmates Mark Olson (formerly of the Jayhawks) and Mary Gauthier will be playing a string of dates on the West Coast that comprise the first leg of Olson's winter/spring 2008 tour (supporting last year's beautiful Salvation Blues)! I can hardly think of a better way to spend an evening.

TOUR DATES:
1-30: Acoustic Music San Diego (San Diego, CA)
1-31: The Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
2-01: The Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA)
2-04: The Palms (Winters, CA)
1-06: Lola's Room (Portland, MA)
1-07: The Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA)
2-02: Kuumbwa Jazz Center (Santa Cruz, CA)
2-15: Mick’s Music & Bar (Omaha, NE)
2-16: Davey’s Uptown Ramblers Club (Kansas City)
2-20: Stubb’s Bar-B-Q (Austin, TX)
2-23: Chelsea’s Café (Baton Rouge, LA)

Alvin Band: Cause You Miss Miss Panda Bear Already?

Sometimes I think maybe this blog should just be re-named "Brian Wilson-esque." Because one of my most over-used adjectives for describing new artists I write about on this site is just that. I can't help it, it's what I like listening to, and it's what I enjoy pushing off on my few readers. Alvin Band (comprised of one Rick Alvin Schaier), too, is in the business of perpetuating my favorite variety of crazy, loopy, noodling, harmonious music. The album's called Lady Portrait (2007), and you can download a ton of the songs off the guy's MySpace page. It's nice to feel a little bit of hallucinogenic sunshine amidst these freezing, rainy winter days.

LISTEN:
"Tijuana" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Alvin Band's MySpace

My Little Ghost's Favorite Albums, Pt. II

Continued from Part I of My Little Ghost Friend's Favorite Albums of 2007, which listed numbers 1-10 (so much for suspense, right?), I give you numbers 11-20. Enjoy, bash, etc. And just remember - I've still got another 30 albums to get through, in addition to a list of albums I haven't listened to/haven't listened to enough to rank (gaah, how did I not listen to 2007's White Stripes, Son Volt, Tullycraft, Radiohead, Twilight Sad, Low, etc. albums in time?!?). How's that for pre-emptive defensiveness?


#11) Pants Yell! - Alison Statton
This album is so endearing... This latest Pants Yell! album is more than just cute, though.
"Tried To Be Good" [MP3]


#12) Band of Horses - Cease To Begin
Not quite sure why so many people complained so much about this album this year... I have to say, I honestly love every track on the record.
"Is There A Ghost?" [MP3]


#13) Club 8 - The Boy Who Fell From Heaven
Swedish indiepop... Hard to go wrong, especially when it's an album as pretty as Club 8's latest. Gorgeous and immediately enchanting.
"Jesus, Walk With Me" [MP3]

#14) Bishop Allen - The Broken String
So it wasn't that surprising, since we'd heard most of the tracks on EPs last year... I have to say, that doesn't bother me all that much. Aside from the strangely piano-devoid recording of "Corazon," the songs, to me, seem to have all improved a lot from their already wonderful EP forms. Besides, the EPs prepared us BA fans for the change in the band's sound from its first album, 2003's Charm School.
"The Monitor" [MP3]

#15) Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird on the Water
Any description I could write would probably make her music sound really conventional and boring... But please, please, please, just listen. She's worth it.
"Diamond Heart" [MP3]

#16) Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
The Apples have still got it! And I'm especially fond of the fuzzy beauty that is "Sunndal Song," featuring vocals by Hilarie, who departed from the band after they made this record.
"Sunndal Song" [MP3]

#17) Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
I didn't think I liked this album much when I first heard it. I was wrong. And it's just not fair one man can whistle like that. I cannot whistle at all.
"The Fiery Crash" [MP3]

#18) Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
I had more trouble getting into this one than I did Person Pitch, but it still ranks pretty high. Sounds different each time I listen to it.
"Peacebone" [MP3]

#19) The Crayon Fields - Animal Bells
So it's not cheating is this 2006 Australian pop masterpiece was released here in '07, is it? No? Didn't think so.
"Living So Well" [MP3]

#20) Albert Hammond, Jr. - Yours To Keep
Something this simplistic shouldn't be so good. All the tracks are meant to be sung along with. Mr. Casablancas, watch out.
"Call an Ambulance" [MP3]

Donny Hue and the Colors: More Jangle For Your Jingle Bells

Corny title, you say? I'm getting back into this whole blogging thing again after a period of absolute scholastic craziness. I'm allowed to be corny. This week. C'mon, Christmas is around the corner. Be nice to me. Brooklyn's Donny Hue and the Colors are releasing one of the craziest, jangliest Christmas EPs -- Mr. Red Blues -- you could ever hope to have under your tree this Christmas (only you can't physically have it under your tree, since it's going to be a digital release only). There are some spacey vocals, a surfeit of poppy energy, strange instruments swirling around in the mix, and the EP's four full-length songs are nestled in between several psychedelic, crazy little instrumental interludes.

LISTEN:
"Mr. Red Blues" [MP3]

ON THE WEB:
Donny Hue's website
Donny Hue's MySpace