THREE NEW BATTLES SONGS!

ZACH THAT:

Today I woke up with an amazing surprise in my inbox from my buddy John: three live videos featuring Battles playing three mind blowing new songs. The videos only have a few hits, which is shocking since this is nothing short of a treasure. Enjoy:

"Sanford and Son"



"Sweetie and Shag"



"SDICT"

A New Amazing Dirty Projectors Song! (Live Video)

ZACH THAT:

If they can do this live, imagine how the studio version will sound.

The Subjects

ZACH THAT:

A wonderful band is coming to Louisville this Sunday (Sept 27th) to play some live sounds at The Hideaway. The band is on tour prepping the release of their new EP, "New Soft Shoe EP" which boasts some amazingly beautiful tracks. If you're in the area, this show will be the place to be. Enjoy a sample of things to come:

Kings Of Convenience - "Boat Behind"

ZACH THAT:

Candy For the Eyes - Asthmatic Kitty

ZACH THAT:

Castanets – “My Heart”


Sufjan Stevens – “Interlude I—Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation”


Shannon Stephens- “In Summer in the Heat”


DM Stith – “BMB”


Helado Negro – “Time Aparts”

Box Of Tracks (September 22nd, 2009)

ZACH THAT:

Hatcham Social – “Crocodile”

The Fresh and Onlys – “Dude’s Got A Tender Heart”

Magnolia Electric Company – “Little Sad Eyes”

The Music Tapes – “For The Planet Pluto”

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – “Meet Me In The Garden”

Codes In The Clouds – “Don’t Go Awash In This Digital Landscape”

Castanets – “Worn From The Fight”

DM Stith – “Pigs”

Shannon Stephens – “In Summer In The Heat”

Built to Spill - "Things Fall Apart"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Slowly, but surely, this Built to Spill record (There is No Enemy, due 10/6 on Warner Bros.) is unfolding itself to the internet. Like a new bride, the boys from Idaho's latest track "Things Fall Apart" begins slowly and begins to pick up speed. The resulting track is more "The Weather" than the amped up lines of the last record, You In Reverse. Martsch and boys will still, probably, have their riff machine plugged in for the other tracks. But with both "Hindsight" and "Things Fall Apart" we're getting treated to the lovely melodic side of Built to Spill. Dude must have some tears in that beard.

Stereogum has it.

REVIEW: Islands - Vapours

Islands – Vapours

Release Date: September 22, 2009
Label: Anti


7.8






Lyndsay Hieneman:

You know the story of Nick Diamonds, right? Boy puts together the adored and now defunct Unicorns, boy goes on to form Islands, Reefer, and Human Highway. Perhaps Islands’ third full length album, Vapours, will give Diamonds an incentive to sit down and do the one thing most men shy away from: commit. Islands is becoming a mainstay in today’s indie music scene, and Diamonds ought to be realizing that he has something good going on with this band. He better not break up this beautiful relationship.

What’s so great about Vapours that gives Diamonds a reason to stop playing the field? Well, to keep it simple, nearly everything. Vapours packs the punch without hitting you right in the face. Rather than blowing you away with pure power, a bombastic orchestra, and everything and the kitchen sink (as we heard on Islands’ 2008 album Arms Way), Islands blows you away with understated genius. They know they’re good. They’re so good that every song is a slice of concise, indie pop mastery.

You also can’t help but to wonder why such a pop-friendly band hasn’t gained a bit more recognition. There’s a track for everyone on Vapours. Want something to play while relaxing? The psychedelic “Everything Is Under Control” feels like the height of summer, complete with waves rushing under spacey synth blasts. Want something to dance to? Try 1-2 beat of the disco infused “Devout”. Oh, and of course, the subtle sexiness of “The Drums” will fill any other musical requirements you might need out of this album.

Even though the band has reigned in their sound, that doesn’t mean they’ve lost that quirky kick that exemplifies the Island sound. Don’t worry. Vapours is endearingly weird. The kitschy synthesizers that embellish the album are a retro novelty. The funky “No You Don’t” sounds like a track that should’ve been on the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s cheap, cheesy, but so good. Vapours takes another step into electro-weirdness on “Heartbeat”. The marching drums sound pretty normal, likewise for the lazy acoustic guitars. When the auto tuned vocals come in over the normalcy, you can’t help but to think Lil Wayne is smiling somewhere.

That venture into hip-hop territory might seem off the wall enough, but Vapours doesn’t stop there. Diamonds’ lyrics stray far from the safe zone that such a sunshiny sounding album should have. He warns “don’t buy dope from the man you don’t know” on “No You Don’t”. He humorously sings about what seems to be a hostage situation in “Disarm The Car Bomb”. The album reaches its weirdest point on the dark, feedback distorted “Shining. Diamonds sinisterly sings about poisoning food, back alleys, stabbings, and finally, getting girls into his room. Yeah, he goes there. It makes for a damn good track and quite possibly the best on Vapours.

Have the ever-changing Islands finally found a good place to settle down at? Yes. This album has the hooky choruses, the breezy, lilting melodies, and the propelling beats to keep you contently listening until the closing track. It’s the perfect melding of past Islands attempts with a fresh, more unified sound. But will Islands ever settle into this newfound cohesiveness? Probably not. It’s nothing to be concerned over. They will continue to do what they do best, and that is writing smart indie pop with a large dash of peculiarity. Let’s just hope that Diamonds sticks around long enough to conceive a few more Islands hits.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox (Soundtrack Listing)

ZACH THAT:

Looks like Wes Anderson is moving on from The Zombies to The Beach Boys. Very excited to see this film and watch how Anderson marries these songs to stunning images.


1. “American Empirical Pictures”*
2. “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” – The Wellingtons
3. “Mr. Fox in the Fields”*
4. “Heroes and Villains” – The Beach Boys
5. “Fooba Wooba John” – Burl Ives
6. “Boggis, Bunce, and Bean”*
7. “Jimmy Squirrel and Co.”*
8. “Love” – Nancy Adams
9. “Buckeye Jim” – Burl Ives
10. “High-Speed French Train”*
11. “Whack-Bat Majorette”*
12. “The Grey Goose” – Burl Ives
13. “Bean’s Secret Cider Cellar”*
14. “Une Petite Île” – Georges Delerue
15. “Street Fighting Man” – The Rolling Stones
16. “Fantastic Mr. Fox AKA Petey’s Song” – Jarvis Cocker
17. “Night and Day” – Art Tatum
18. “Kristofferson’s Theme”*
19. “Just Another Dead Rat in a Garbage Pail (behind a Chinese Restaurant)”*
20. “Le Grand Choral” – Georges Delerue
21. “Great Harrowsford Square”*
22. “Stunt Expo 2004″*
23. “Canis Lupus”*
24. “Ol’ Man River” – The Beach Boys
25. “Let Her Dance” – Bobby Fuller Four

BUY AT AMAZON

Best Tracks of 2009 (so far) In Live Video Form

ZACH THAT:

Author note: could not find a live video of Neon Indian's "Should Have Taken Acid With You". Enjoy:

Dirty Projectors – “No Intentions”

Nurses – “Technicolor”

Woods – “The Dark”

Clues – “Remember Severed Head”
(Couldn't find RSH so I posted "Cave Mouth" since it shares a lyric and similar melody)

Sunset Rubdown – “Apollo and the Buffalo/Anna Anna Oh!”

Neko Case – “This Tornado Loves You”

Yacht - "Psychic City"

Sufjan Stevens - "Movement VI—Isorhythmic Night Dance With Interchanges" (from BQE)

HANK ALTOGETHER:

It's times like this when I miss my (now deceased) computer. My computer would have loved downloading, all nice and legal, this new part of Sufjan Stevens' BQE. So here we have it for you, in all it's bombastic patriotic and massive fare "Movement VI—Isorhythmic Night Dance With Interchanges." It's fragmentary, but you're supposed to get the whole thing, smart guy. Like what we're familar with from Sufjan's recent stuff, it's packed with trilling horns and hearty strings. Just the kind of thing that you need to hear stuck in that traffic.

Sufjan Stevens - "Movement VI—Isorhythmic Night Dance With Interchanges"

The Better Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks" Music Video

ZACH THAT:

Sure, I enjoy people sitting around and making weird slow motion faces, but the video you're about to view is utterly stunning, probably the best video of the year...and guess what, it's a FAN VIDEO! Congrats to Gabe Askew, very well done.

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear from Gabe Askew on Vimeo.

Dent May Announces Tour with Fiery Furnaces!

ZACH THAT:

Dent May has added a lot of North American dates for his end of the year tour. Oh, yeah, he also added The Fiery Furnaces for the last few. Check out a show:

Sep 26 2009 10:00P
Red Star Bar @ The Lyric (special solo set!) Oxford, Mississippi
Oct 18 2009 8:00P
The Bottletree Birmingham, Alabama
Oct 19 2009 8:00P
Caledonia Lounge Athens, Georgia
Oct 20 2009 8:00P
Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Oct 21 2009 8:00P
DC9 Washington DC, Washington DC
Oct 22 2009 8:00P
Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 23 2009 8:00P
Paw Tracks CMJ show @ CAMEO GALLERY (w/ Drawlings, Tickley Feather, Excepter, & Kria Brekkan) Brooklyn, New York
Oct 24 2009 8:00P
CMJ (details TBA) New York, New York
Oct 26 2009 8:00P
The End Nashville, Tennessee
Oct 27 2009 8:00P
Hi-Tone Cafe Memphis, Tennessee
Oct 31 2009 8:00P
Proud Larry’s (w/ Colour Revolt) Oxford, Mississippi
Nov 4 2009 8:00P
Maxwell’s (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Hoboken, New Jersey
Nov 5 2009 8:00P
Pearl Street Nightclub (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Northampton, Massachusetts
Nov 6 2009 8:00P
Revolution Hall (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Troy, New York
Nov 7 2009 8:00P
El Mocambo (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Toronto, Ontario
Nov 10 2009 8:00P
Schuba’s Chicago, Illinois
Nov 11 2009 8:00P
The Magic Bag (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Ferndale, Michigan
Nov 12 2009 8:00P
Turner Hall (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nov 13 2009 8:00P
The Majestic Theater (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Madison, Wisconsin
Nov 14 2009 8:00P
The Turf Club (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) St. Paul, Minnesota
Nov 17 2009 8:00P
The Red Room (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Vancouver, BC
Nov 18 2009 8:00P
Chop Suey (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Seattle, Washington
Nov 20 2009 8:00P
Slim’s (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) San Francisco, California
Nov 21 2009 8:00P
El Rey Theatre (w/ Fiery Furnaces + Cryptacize) Los Angeles, Californi

Box Of Tracks (September 14th, 2009)

ZACH THAT:

Max Tundra - "Which Song"

Arms - "Kids Aflame

Or, The Whale - "Rusty Gold"

Tim Williams - "I Hit Another Wall"

Stricken City - "Pull The House Down"

The Good Graces - "Pretty New Song"

Midnight Masses - "Preacher's Son"

Thao w. the Get Down Stay Down - "Know Better Learn Faster"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Yep, that's the album art. And a bit down the screen is your first taste of Thao's latest. It's a fuller sound, violins swirling around the melody, proving that her time with those stringies in the Portland Cello Project was a good thing. Not to mention a healthy dose of Andrew Bird's signature virtuosic whistling. Pure Thao, there's that deep deep urge to have someone better than she is. What a lovely sound.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - "Know Better Learn Faster"

Au Revoir Simone - "Another Likely Story" (LehtMoJoe Remix)

HANK ALTOGETHER:

While we're on the subject of remixes, some nice folks at a PR firm contacted us to shill for another remix of Au Revoir Simone's "Another Likely Story." This one was done by an entity named LehtMoJoe. Far be it from us to discriminate, and after all, another picture of Au Revoir Simone is, well, another picture of Au Revoir Simone (That's French for "Get the fuck outta here, Simone" by the way). We hope you enjoy. Look they're waiting on a train. I hope it comes in.

Au Revoir Simone - "Another Likely Story" (LehtMoJoe Remix)

Grizzly Bear - "While You Wait for the Others" (Video & Michael McDonald)

HANK ALTOGETHER:

"While You Wait for the Others" now with Michael McDonald.

Grizzly Bear w. Michael McDonald - "While You Wait for the Others"

It's the anthem for your drunk racist uncle's wedding.

Le Loup - "Beach Town"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Everyone's trying to get into your head these days. First it was that wacko beardo Devandra Banhart and his nutty freak-folk scene. But these days it seems like everyone is using your ear canal to wrap their spiraling harmonies around your cerebral cortex. Le Loup, a former bedroom project turned full band, is out to release their second LP Family on Sept. 22. They make some pretty full, mind warping music, these folks do. Listen to "Beach Town" and tickle your grey matter with me.

Le Loup - "Beach Town"

The Best Hidden Songs Of The Decade

ZACH THAT:

It's not a surprise to those around me that The Unicorns "Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone" is at the top of my albums of the decade (tune in at the end of the year to see where in the top). Recently, I stumbled upon two of their tracks that are simply mind blowing and really shows what kind of range this talented twosome had in them. Enjoy:

The Unicorns - "Stop"

The Unicorns - "Hold Your Breath"

Au Revoir Simone - "Another Likely Story" (Neon Indian Remix)

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Any excuse to post a photo of Au Revoir Simone, right? Bonus? Neon Indian's remix turns the girl synth group into a bass-busting acid disco trip. Man, would I like to be those shoes.

Au Revoir Simone - "Another Likely Story" (Neon Indian Remix)

The Official Mother Mother "Hayloft" Video

ZACH THAT:

Not really sure how I feel about this, but Mother Mother has a new video for the wonderful song "Hayloft" streaming HERE. About a year ago We Listen For You and roommates made the band a little fan video for the song and it went on to be posted on their youtube channel and gathered 35,000+ hits with a five star rating (149 votes). I'm not saying our video is better, the other has big production value, but what hurts is they kinda do the same thing with the text on the screen in certain moments.

All complaints aside, this band can never do any wrong in my mind, just not sure why they would spend the money making a video for that song and not another on the album, when we provided one for free that the fans seem to enjoy.

We Listen For You Is Two Years Old

We turned two on September 3rd and forgot our own birthday. Just wanted to thank everyone for reading, we hope in some way we have suggested a track or an album that you eventually liked, if not, please keep reading and maybe one day we'll get you something to make those ears happy.

Just wanted to thank some bands/people that have made these two years great:

SPECIAL SPECIAL THANKS:

Mother Mother
Clues
The Henry Clay People

SPECIAL THANKS:

Art Brut
The Voyeurs
The Joy Formidable
Sophie Madeleine
Of Montreal
Papercuts
Jonquil
Crocodiles
Man Man
Arizona
White Rabbits
Dan Deacon
Bowerbirds
Horse Feathers
Daniel Gill and Force Field PR
Ashley Jex
Everyone at Tell All Your Friends PR
Amanda Pitts and Cobra Camanda PR
Four Paws Media
Ryan Crist (avid proofreader)
Jordan Harris (shot and edited all of the Silverlake Steps)

Anyone who helped that I forgot

AND (of course):

The Seedy Seeds

They were the first band we ever blogged about and we have followed their progression over the two years. Screw cake, to celebrate, we get a great music video from the band that kicked off the site:

Built to Spill - "Hindsight"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Few things get me giddy like a school girl more than new Built to Spill. The newest is "Hindsight" from their album There is No Enemy, which comes out Oct. 6. I know bloggin's a young man's game, but for those of us who were of musical consciousness when BTS was really doing there thing (we're talking 1997 - 2000, y'all), hearing Marsch's slide guitar is like smelling Grandma's cookies--it just brings you home. And all the desperate longing and wonderful guitar play...well that's just icing on the cake. I dare you to listen to this and not bob your head on "What about Canada."

Pitchfork has it.

So does Megaupload (get it before it's gone, we didn't put this up)

Sufjan Stevens - "The BQE"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

At some point we must all have guessed that there was no way Stevens was going to finish the 50 States project. So something was undoubtedly going to catch the prolific songwriter's ear. In this case it's the Brooklyn - Queens Expressway (aka BQE). And in true Sufjan form the piece looks like a gorgeous mesh of melody, harmony, and photography (what? You didn't expect him to stand still did ya?)

Interlude I—Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation from Asthmatic Kitty on Vimeo.

Box Of Tracks (September 8th, 2009)

ZACH THAT:

Devon Williams - "Sufferer"

Roman Candle - "They Say"

Richard Youngs - "Broke Up By Night"

Volcano Choir - "Island, IS"

Why? and Themselves - "Canada"

Gronland and High Wire - "Vamos Companeros"

Mount Eerie - "Stone's Ode"

First Aid Kit - "Hard Believer" (MUSIC VIDEO)

ZACH THAT:

FIRST AID KIT | HARD BELIEVER from RADAR MAKER on Vimeo.

The Mint Chicks - "Don't Sell Your Brain Out, Baby" (MUSIC VIDEO)

ZACH THAT:

Man, I love everything about this band. Go buy this record!

Don't Sell Your Brain Out, Baby (censored version) from Mint Chicks on Vimeo.

Health - "Die Slow" (MUSIC VIDEO)

ZACH THAT:

The Swell Season - "Low Rising"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Breaking up is beautiful to do. The Swell Season's romance between Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova may be over, but this isn't the end of their crafting of gorgeous folk-inspired breakup rock. The newest is "Low Rising" from the forthcoming Strict Joy LP (out 10/27). An homage to Van Morrison isn't too much to overpower the tune, chock-a-block with fevered orchestra and well-placed horns. The beauty of the Swell Season, to begin with, was their paring down of The Frames tunes, using the spine and Hasnard's tenor to drive the songs forward. "Low Rising" is a step back toward fuller instrumentation, but it's far from disappointing.

Listen here.

Dirty Projectors - "Cannibal Resource" (Live on Letterman)

HANK ALTOGETHER:

This one goes out to Chris's crush on Angel Deradoorian.

Watercolor Paintings - "Telephone Wires"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Without sounding too stalker-ish, the minute Watercolor Paintings started doing recording at UCSB, I knew about it. It had more to do with the fact that the Santa Barbara music scene was so small that we all had our hands in each other's proverbial pockets. Or knew who had pockets, or...you get the picture. At first Watercolor Paintings sounded like a goof. A bunch of kids getting together trying to carve melodies out of toy instruments. By the time they were banging around outside the last show at the Hard to Find -- Xiu xiu, The Dirty Projectors, & Grouper -- the group had been thinned down and now it's even thinner. Composed of brother sister combo Hoshwa and Rebecca Redman (Joshua is also the god of the Santa Barbara music scene), Watercolor Paintings have released a 7" on YAY! Records called With the Light on (order here). What's immediately obvious is how much Watercolor Paintings have fallen into their own voice. With simple instrumentation and Rebecca's cadence, you might write them off as a more elementary Joanna Newsom, but if you listen closer, the craft of the melodies comes out. It's undoubtedly positive sounds ala Paul Baribeau. And while that can be somewhat grating, Rebecca and Hoshwa make it work with a strong songwriting core, solid playing, and enough tongue-in-cheek winking back at us that we wanna go along for the ride.

Here's "Telephone Wires" from the forthcoming Open Your Mouth. It was recorded by If You Make It.

Watercolor Paintings - Telephone Wires from If You Make It on Vimeo.

Download "Telephone Wires"