Ted Leo Releases ‘Brutalist Bricks’, Announces U.S. Tour (MP3)
Photo credit: Matias Corral
Ted Leo’s The Brutalist Bricks — released last week on Matador — differs substantially from its predecessor, 2007’s Living With the Living, and that’s a good thing. Continue reading.
RIP: Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse
Mark Linkous, the frontman of Sparklehorse, has committed suicide. Sparklehorse’s albums—particularly 2001’s It’s A Wonderful Life—are some of the saddest and most beautiful music you’ll ever have the pleasure of hearing. A reader named Alex from the Rolling Stone article sums up Linkous’ contributions wonderfully: (more…)
LCD Soundsystem Announce New Album
After a few months holed up in a Los Angeles mansion aptly called “The Manshun”, LCD Soundsytem’s James Murphy has emerged with a 65-minute, as yet untitled new album and a slew of tour dates to support it. The nine-track album is set to be released May 18th on DFA/Virgin. (more…)
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Plays Birch North Park Tonight
Photo credit: Getty Images
As part of its mission to celebrate the “art form of New Orleans Jazz,” the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will perform at The Birch North Park Theatre tonight.
In my mind, there are really only two ways to see them — either at the real Preservation Hall in New Orleans, where jazz was born — or at a place like Birch, a restored theater originally built in 1928, when “America’s only art form” was young. (more…)
Akron/Family Offer Admission for a Song (MP3)
Photo credit: Sebastian Mlynarski
At their recent shows, Akron/Family have been playing a song called “Woody Guthrie’s America” (MP3).
The song often becomes a sing-along that continues after the band has left the stage, and as a result of its anthemic nature, Akron/Family have collected over 20 versions sung and stomped by friends like Megafaun, Charlyne Yi, and Phonograph.
They’re now looking to hear your version — and as a way to encourage contributions, they’re offering free admission to anyone who submits their own interpretation. You can get started by visiting the Woody Project site, where you can download, stream, and sample the entire 25-song first volume.
If you’d like to contribute, send your own version to akronfamilywoodyproject@gmail.com, along with a photo and bio, and they’ll “post it as soon as we can.” More information about the project and Akron/Family tour dates are after the jump.
From the Archives: Beach House Interview
Since Teen Dream, the new record from Baltimore-based Beach House recently received a 9.0 rating and coveted Best New Music badge on Pitchfork, I thought I’d resurrect this 2009 interview with Alex Scally. (more…)
The Langley Sisters Make Sweet Honey
The Langley Sisters are three lovely ladies from London who specialize in Prohibition-era pop.
Gita, Rosie, and Edie — with a little help from Mr. Ed Harcourt — just released Queen Bee, a sweet seven-inch single that features the singing sisters and a variety of instruments, including guitar, cello, violin, and even the mystical banjolele.
They cite the Shangri-Las and Shirelles as influences, and after a listen, it’s easy to see the connection. However, Queen Bee is also a unique work that warrants repeated listens. As the precursor to their first full-length, it’s also a nice taste of what’s to come. Queen Bee is a limited edition white vinyl 7″ (only 400 copies pressed, each record is number stamped). Each one also contains a download code.
You can pick it up over at Velvet Blue Music’s website or stream it here. Highly recommended.
Exit Stencil Records Announces ‘Free February’ (MP3s)
Exit Stencil Recordings, Owl and Bear’s favorite Cleveland-based indie label, has a special Valentine’s Day gift for you.
No, it’s not chocolate or flowers, or even chocolate flowers. It’s better: the label has made twenty of their past releases available for free download for the entire month of February, and they’re apparently doing it solely out of the kindness of their hearts. They say:
Exit Stencil is happy to announce our Free February month, where nearly our entire catalog will be available for free digital download! This includes almost all full-length, 7″, EP, and split releases, totaling around 20 records! No gimmicks, no asking for donations, no limit to the number of releases available to each person — just a free chance to check out a bunch of bands that we’ve been happy to have had the chance to work with over the past couple of years.
Exit Stencil bands that we’ve liked in the past include Blake Miller (MP3s), The Dreadful Yawns (MP3s), Hot Cha Cha (MP3s), and, well, all the other ones. This is a great chance to check out some new music, so download away!
Thrill Jockey Plans Jack Rose Memorial, Posthumous ‘Luck in the Valley’ (MP3)
Thrill Jockey Records calls Jack Rose “the most profound exponent of acoustic guitar playing of his generation.” (more…)
Tortoise ‘Prepare’ Winter Tour (MP3)
Our favorite Chicago post rockers are back with a new video and news of a winter tour. (more…)
Pale White Moon Lures Wolf (MP3)
If you’ve watched Showtime’s Emmy award-winning documentary series This American Life, you’ve probably heard the music of Pale White Moon. (more…)
Balmorhea Sail on ‘Bowspirit’ (MP3)
Since 2007, existential folksters Balmorhea have released three critically praised albums and an EP, so they’ve been around the block a few (or four) times. Their signature combination of classical elements and American folk strips the listener naked and bathes him in atmosphere, exposing him to the emotional elements of life. Their music is both patient and sprawling, meditative and mysterious, and it speaks to the world we live in (and beyond).
They’re currently preparing to release Constellations through Western Vinyl, due out February 23. In addition, the band will soon embark on a North American tour, which culminates at SWSW in March.
We’re lucky enough to have for your ears the first single from Constellations, entitled “Bowspirit” (MP3).
Complete list of tour dates after the jump. (more…)
Blood Red Shoes Get Fired Up (Video)
Rock and roll has seen its share of great duos in recent years—The White Stripes and The Kills being among the best—but no other band attacks the senses with as much raw power as Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter, better known as Blood Red Shoes. The Brighton, England group’s 2008 debut, Box of Secrets, was a cherry bomb of a record that dripped with raw, dangerous sexuality. The fast and furious album’s bloody hooks and visceral appeal landed it a spot on Owl&Bear’s world-renowned Best of 2008 list, and we’ve been waiting anxiously for its follow-up.
But now the wait is over. Out on March 10 through V2 Records, Fire Like This contains ten highly combustible tracks from the band. Those eager for a sampling of the album can go to the band’s official website, where they’re streaming a new track every week until its release. “Light It Up”, “Colours Fade”, and live favorite “Keeping It Close” had previously been posted to the site, and the band just today added the red-hot “Heartsink”, which the group describes as “a pop song that we tried to destroy from the inside out”. Those inclined to join the band’s newsletter will be rewarded with a free download of “Colours Fade”. (more…)
Drew Andrews Celebrates His ‘Birthday’
Let it never be said that Drew Andrews can’t multitask. The multi-instruentalist’s best-known gig, San Diego flagship electronic act The Album Leaf, are set to release their fifth full-length album, A Chorus of Storytellers, on February 2nd through Sub Pop records. Andrews also plays in the side project Via Satellite with fellow Album Leaf member Tim Reece. He’s even written two novellas, The Shepherd’s Journals and Lella, both of which are available as free downloads from Feedbooks. But when Drew Andrews isn’t dividing his time between those worthy endeavors, he devotes his energies to his best project yet: Drew Andrews. (more…)
Daylight Shines on The Besnard Lakes (MP3)
We loved The Besnard Lakes‘ 2007 release Are The Dark Horse; the album mixed Beach Boys vocals and haunting atmospherics with periodic sonic bludgeonings thrown in for good measure. Now, after three years away from the spotlight, the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas (and their crew) will unleash Are The Roaring Night, which is sure to be another ethereal kick in the teeth.
Recorded at Lasek’s Breakglass Studio on a vintage 1968 Neve germanium mixing console, Are The Roaring Night is sure to further push the envelope of the group’s eerie and epic sound. It will be released on Jagjaguwar March 9 U.S., and March 8 in the U.K. For a taste of their previous effort, check out the excellent track “And You Lied to Me” (MP3). Are The Roaring Night’s track list is after the jump. (more…)
Vic Chesnutt 1964 – 2009
Vic Chesnutt died today.
Holes in his sweater, fluid in his lungs; the experts say
there are things he should have done better, but instead he is just dying young.
Jason Lytle Gets into the X-Mas Spirit
When Grandaddy broke up in 2006, it could have spelled the end for front man Jason Lytle’s career. Fraught with tension and years past their prime, the group had already parted ways by the time their final album, Just Like The Fambly Cat, was released to faint fanfare. Lytle disappeared from the public eye, abandoning his hometown of Modesto, CA for the quietude of Montana.
But, in 2008, he quietly reemerged to sign a solo deal with ANTI- Records. The resulting album, Yours Truly, the Commuter, finally answered the question of exactly what Lytle had been doing with his time since the band split; he had been getting his groove back.
Yours Truly is an outstanding record, every bit as good as classic Grandaddy works Sumday and The Sophtware Slump. It maintains the moody longing fans have come to expect, but marries it with exquisite production and a transcendent atmosphere of hope. The album is easily one of this year’s best, and marks the first chapter in a creative renaissance for the songwriter. So, to celebrate his comeback year in style, Lytle has just released a surprise EP as a Christmas gift to his fans. (more…)
Lay Low – ‘By And By’ (Video)
Welcome to Iceland Appreciation Day at Owl&Bear—or “Owl och Björn” in Swedish, which we assume sounds pretty close to Icelandic—where we spotlight up-and-coming musicians from the subpolar island country. Incidentally, Iceland boasts a population of 320,000 and its popular dishes include liver sausage and cured ram scrotum. You heard me.
Okay, it’s not actually Iceland Appreciation Day, but we did just run a story on Seabear, so I figured I’d roll with it. Our next artist to be featured from the land of the great Strokkur geyser is Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir, better known as Lay Low.
The Patsy Cline-inspired singer/songwriter has already developed an immense following in her homeland, claiming the country’s top-selling original album last year with her debut, Please Don’t Hate Me. Lay Low will be turning her sights on the US with the release of her new album, Farewell Good Night’s Sleep, on March 9th, to be followed by an extensive tour. (more…)
Seabear Tour, Unveil New Tracks (Stream)
In Iceland, Seabear are famous for crafting gorgeously melodic indie-folk, wrestling away the monopoly on lush atmosphere and gentle acoustics normally held by fellow countrymen Sigur Rós and Björk. The band is currently gearing up for the release of their new album, We Built A Fire, available stateside in early March through Morr Music. They’re also set to play a slew of live dates in Europe, followed by a breakneck five-shows-in-five-days stint at this year’s SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. And, lest we forget our small percentage of non-European, non-Texan readers, here are two new tracks from the aforementioned album. Tour dates after the jump. (more…)
Boy Without God Never Sleeps
Boy Without God’s Gabriel Birnbaum isn’t just godless; he’s also restless. The overachieving singer-songwriter released Your Body Is Your Soul earlier this year, a captivating album propelled by Birnbaum’s insightful lyrics and creaking baritone. But while other musicians might be content to rest on their laurels, Birnbaum is already at work recording his follow-up to Soul, entitled God Bless the Hunger.
As if putting out back to back full-lengths weren’t enough, Birnbaum is also releasing two free EPs of material recorded in between those albums. The first EP, Eight Delicate Olives Slowly Chewed at Midnight, is already available as a free download from the Boy Without God blog. The second EP is due for release in a couple of months. Here’s what Birnbaum has to say about Olives: (more…)
Shout Out Louds Get To ‘Work!’ (Video)
Shout Out Louds came storming out of the gate with their 2003 debut, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, one of the finest records in a year rife with great music. Unfortunately, the Swedish band stumbled a bit with their follow-up, 2007’s overly-polished Our Ill Wills. With its high-production sheen and Cure-esque posturing, the sophomore effort was listenable but frustratingly sterile and derivative. Thankfully, the band seems poised to return to their former glory with the upcoming album Work!
Set for release February 23 on Merge Records, the album forgoes ornate strings and percussion in favor of a more stripped down sound. Work! is produced by Phil Ek, who has done right by bands like The Shins, Fleet Foxes, and Band of Horses in the past. The first video from the album, entitled “Walls”, gives further cause to be excited; its driving guitar, inviting vocals, and perfectly placed piano leave no doubt that the band is in fighting form. If you like the song, you can download an MP3 of it here.
The band will be playing a special album-release show on March 1st at the Music Hall of Wlliamsburg in Brooklyn before embarking on a tour for most of 2010.
Vic Chesnutt Talks Life, Death, and ‘At The Cut’ on NPR (MP3)
At age eighteen, Vic Chesnutt went from a reckless young man to a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic. All of his close family died off by the time he hit 25. He’s struggled with substance abuse. He owes $50,000 in medical bills. And yesterday, the 45-year old songwriter confessed to NPR’s Terry Gross (stream) that he’s tried—unsuccessfully—to kill himself at least four times. (more…)
Spoon Schedule Show in La Jolla, Release New Single (Stream)
Britt Daniels and his band Spoon recently released details about their new album, Transference, which is set to be released January 19 on Merge Records. Today, Daniels & Co. unveiled the album’s first single, the vintage-sounding “Written in Reverse”.
The single will be officially released January 5, but if you’d rather not use a fork to scratch the new-Spoon itch, you can stream it at the Merge Records online store. The band will also do a mini tour of the ‘States this December, including a gig at UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena in La Jolla. Then, in February, they’ll head to sunny Europe. Dates are after the jump. (more…)
Get Three Avett Brothers Albums for Five Bucks Each
Okay, so this is the part where I talk about how much we at Owl&Bear love the Avett Brothers and you, unimpressed by the witty and/or articulate manner in which we’ve elected to express our ardor this time around, roll your eyes and think something like, “Oh come on, you guys always write about how much you love the Avett Brothers and not only is it getting old but, quite frankly, I’m starting to question your sexuality.” So, rather than beat you over the proverbial head with declarations about how great the Avetts are, we’ll just cut to the chase. This time.
Starting today, you can download three Avett Brothers albums—Emotionalism, Four Thieves Gone, and Mignonette—on Amazon for the trifling pittance of five dollars apiece. While Four Thieves Gone and Mignonette are no slouches, the crown jewel of the bunch is surely 2007’s Emotionalism, which shines as a terrific introduction to the band and their greatest achievement to date.
The albums are on sale until Friday as part of Amazon’s Black Friday Deals Week, as are works by artists like Andrew Bird, Bon Iver, Matt & Kim, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Radiohead, Califone, Built to Spill, Okkervil River, the Decemberists, Islands, and Neko Case. And if you already own all those albums, then congratulations: you’re almost as cool as us, but still only half as cool as the Avett Brothers.
