Poetic Memory: Cougar (List)
Cougar, Madison Wisconsin’s all-foxy-grandma-instrumental-post-rock band, just released their sophomore effort, Patriot. Along with it came two starkly different—yet excellent—singles,”Stay Famous” (MP3) and “Foil Épée Sabre” (MP3, EP only). “Stay Famous” plays with old-school indie dynamics, while “Sabre”, a meandering folky piece, may or may not have something to do with fencing. You can check out their catalog at iTunes, as well as other places.
We recently got together with Cougar to talk Poetic Memory, and after listening to the two songs above, it should be no surprise that their influences range from Timbalada’s “boobs” album (whose cover is NSFW, by the way), to Bach, Hendrix, and Tortoise’s TNT. If you are surprised, it’s all explained below.
They have one gig in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin before they embark on a European tour. Tourdates are at the bottom of the post. (more…)
Boy Without God Has “Soul” (MP3)
Within seconds of hearing Gabriel Birnbaum’s deep, syrupy vocals, several names spring to mind. Evoking Magnetic Fields singer Stephen Merrit, but with the folksy croon of Handsome Family vocalist Brett Sparks and the slurred swagger of Elvis Costello, Birnbaum draws from a plethora of influences for his solo project, Boy Without God.
Though a mere 23 years old, Boston native Birnbaum has already paid his dues in bands like Catholic Skin, The Abraham Lincoln Brigade, Drug Rug, Eli Reed, and The Tiny Tornadoes. He opted for the solo artist route in 2006, and has since released six home-recorded EPs and two full-length albums under the Boy Without God moniker. His newest album, Your Body Is Your Soul, finds Birnbaum pairing low vocals with high fidelity, spinning his acoustic tales of love and inadequacy into buoyant, witty, and touching meditations.
For your downloading pleasure, we’ve got the endlessly catchy and charming ditty “If You” and the Xiu Xiu-esque, slightly batshit “Holy Holy Little Fist“. You can also read CMJ’s interview with Birnbaum here.
Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
Is there no limit to Jenny Lewis’ charm?
As front woman of indie-rock stalwarts Rilo Kiley, Lewis infused album after album with her distinctive persona, and in 2006 she and the Watson Twins released Rabbit Fur Coat, a terrific collection of songs that favored Americana-tinged fairy tales over the takeoffs and landings of her usual rock and roll. Now, we finally have Acid Tongue, the first officially solo album from Ms. Lewis, and it’s one of her greatest achievements to date.
Review: Bob Dylan & Elvis Costello; Saturday, October 20, 2007; Bloomington, IL
Cross item number fourteen of my list of things to do before I die: I have seen Bob Dylan (number fifteen, touch Dylan, is still unaccomplished).
