We Listen For You

Track of the Day: Beach Fossils - "Shallow"

2012-02-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Let's start today out with a good one. Fresh off their appearance as owner of WLFY's Best EP of 2011, Beach Fossils seem to be growing that gorgeous 80s sound that they've been cultivating. "Shallow"'s spare but surprising instrumentation is just more proof that the best stuff from this band is still to come. The hooky piano and moaning vocals make this best way to start your day.

Cheyenne Marie Mize - "It Lingers" (Live Video)

2012-02-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

Over at Paste, they've got a delightful live video of Cheyenne Marie Mize's demanding "It Lingers" from the We Don't Need EP (review) recorded at the Butchertown Pub. Mize's sparse instrumentation makes this version sound like a hard hit leftover from the 90s: earthy and bass-heavy. Mize's voice arrives as growl buoyed by the phenomenal three-piece.

Track of the Day: Lilacs & Champagne - "Sensations"

2012-02-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

Wandering in from a psyched-out trip through a Spaghetti Western, Madlib wasn't sure what to do. He limped around. Sample some local delicacies: a walnut in the shape of a raven and just as big, a fish which sang a lullaby, chilies cooked over a roasting heart. If it's all just in your mind, then why are you stressing, the fish sang. Madlib ate on.

Lilacs & Champagne = 1/2 of Grails + Emil Amos of Om/Holy Sons and Alex Hall.

Lia Ices - "Little Marriage" (Music Video) and "Wish You Were Here" (Pink Floyd Cover)

2012-02-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

If there's one record that I had to choose for not getting its due last year, it would probably be Lia Ices Grown Unknown. Perhaps its because the Brooklyn-based chanteuse creates languid songs that take a while unravel themselves. As on "Little Marriage" the spareness is deceiving and often disjointed.

Lia Ices Official "Little Marriage" Video from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

On "Wish You Were Here," Ices's voice seems to whip around (stereo is a necessity here) transforming Pink Floyd's classic plaintive ballad into a siren song.

M. Ward - "The First Time I Ran Away" (Music Video)

2012-02-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Is there anything more soothing than an M Ward song? The lassie-faire strumming makes each note hover above the rhythm. When A Wasteland Companion comes out (4/10), I hope we can expect more of this. It's the kind of shimmering elegance that makes M Ward as a solo project stronger than She & Him and Monsters of Folk -- while they seem to want to dip back into the bombast, Ward dips back to the quiet moments, to the AM Gold -- those times when melody really meant something. Preorder A Wasteland Companion here.

Win Tickets To See Eleanor Friedberger In LA

2012-01-31T16:07:00.000-08:00

This Friday (2/3) Eleanor Friedberger is playing live at the Troubadour in Los Angeles and we have a pair of tickets to give away. Last Summer was WLFY's official soundtrack to the summer of 2011 with its laid back, yet catchy songwriting highlighted by wonderful stories expanded on from personal memories. Win or lose, I highly recommend coming out Friday and seeing one of the best singer/songwriters we have going right now.

Now to contest: In the comment section below tell us why you should win these tickets. Wait a second, it's not that easy, come on. In your explanation, you must use at least one word from each song title on Last Summer. They don't have to be in order, but one word from all eleven tracks must be used to win. Because the album came out in 2011...you can only use eleven additional words not counting the song title words to build your reason. Get crazy and creative...and good luck. (Please include your @ name on twitter or e-mail address so we can contact you if your comment is selected.)

1. My Mistakes

2. Inn of the Seventh Ray

3. Heaven

4. Scenes from Bensonhurst

5. Roosevelt Island

6. Glitter Gold Year

7. One-Month Marathon

8. I Won’t Fall Apart on You Tonight

9. Owl’s Head Park

10. Early Earthquake

Buy Last Summer

Stream Last Summer

Tour Dates/Tickets

Track of the Day - Bowerbirds - "In the Yard"

2012-01-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

Bowerbirds walk the line. If it were any more out of tune it would be "experimental;" any more melodic it would be "pop;" more somber, less luminous. When the keyboard kicks in you leave it all behind and the singalong sounds sad, which is what all singalongs are.

The Clearing arrives March 6 on Dead Oceans. Preorder here.

Track of the (Sun)Day - Flaming Lips - "Now I Understand"

2012-01-29T19:13:00.000-08:00

Look it doesn't matter that it's Sunday, anytime the Lips put out a track, it's a reason to post. This one features Erykah Badu, Biz Markie (backwards, evidently) and that annoying voice on your phone that some people seem to think will help you out, but I just think it's leading you on. Available for one week only, so listen as much as you can, "Now I Understand."

Eleanor Friedberger - "Heaven" (Music Video)

2012-01-28T03:07:00.001-08:00

This record was way, way, way underrated. Except by Zach. Dude gets everything right.

Watch it here.

WLFY SXSW 2012: ?

2012-01-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

SXSW is a dream week for music fans as thousands of bands and music fans invade Austin, Texas. This will be my fourth year attending the festival and something I noticed two years ago is that a lot of the showcases are exactly the same. Last year we put on a an acoustic show by the lake, early in the morning, that featured Mother Mother, Ben Sollee, Joey from The Henry Clay People, Candy Claws, and Lohio. We had complications locking down an actual location to send out and its attendance was pretty low. The people who took the chance were treated to what I consider one of the better string of bands and moments of SXSW 2011.

This year we've put in over six months of work to find an actual location and curate a five band showcase that I believe is top notch. The reason none of the bands will be revealed is we want to foster a sense of adventure for the extreme music fan...the reward will be given to those who take a chance on a show devoid of buzz or sponsors. The showcase is called ? and here are the only details I can share:

The show will be EARLY. It will run 11:00AM-2:00PM. You will be hungover or tired. If you don't think you can get out at the proper time, do not RSVP please.

The show will be all acoustic.

Five Bands. (Love the list).

Secret Location. Could be inside, could be outside.

Only 100 RSVPers will be accepted. The first 100 e-mailers are in. Everyone else is wait listed in order.

You will receive an e-mail asking to re-confirm with more details a few weeks before the show. Those who confirm will receive the address of the location the week before SXSW. The bands will only be revealed as they play at the show.

We've worked very hard on this showcase and look forward to sharing a unique music experience with you.

We will tweet hints leading up to SXSW starting with...

Hint #1, our poster above is a blurry photo of one of the bands playing.

RSVP: WLFYSXSW@GMAIL.COM

From The Cedar Box: Allysen Callery

2012-01-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

From The Cedar Box

Janurary 2012

Allysen Callery - Winter Island

Written by Marissa Nadler

In the spirit of winter, I’d like to write about one of most unique songwriters that I know, and her new album Winter Island. It’s a coincidence that both musicians showcased thus far in From The Cedar Box have been from Rhode Island. Next month, we will be leaving the Ocean State, but Winter Island is a record that must be heard before the crocuses poke their heads up for the springtime.

Winter Island is a record that could proudly sit tall next to Sibylle Baier’s Colour Green and Leonard Cohen’s Songs From A Room. It's impossibly delicate, gorgeously written, and emanates a timeless quality. Callery’s nylon string guitar playing is beautiful, and her voice is indelibly in service of telling each song's particular story. It’s refreshing to hear such an unpretentious vocal delivery and such carefully honed lyrics.

I sat down next to Allysen to conduct my first proper interview about the content and impetus for her songs. I learned, in this interview, that “to die” meant to “orgasm” in Victorian times, according to Allysen. (see further research in interview section).This gives my first three records an entirely different meaning, and now I am looking for codes in all of her songs.

M- In the last song on Winter Island, the wonderfully titled song "Muse Me,"

you wrote that it is "your take on Perseus and Medusa as told by the dutiful daughter Andromeda." What is it in this myth that appeals to you? Do you see people in your life as fitting into these archetypes? You are Andromeda in this song, right? I ask because you sing these words in a way that hits very close to home and I wonder what the inspiration was behind it.

A- One of the things we did as a child was to visit the RISD museum a lot.

There was a fantastic painting of Andromeda on the rocks. It fascinated & repulsed me. I was Andromeda in my 1st (14 year) marriage. At 23 I'd dutifully married someone who later I felt chained me, but instead of freeing myself, I waited for someone to rescue me. That of course, doesn't work in the real world. I did eventually rescue myself~ & I am now happily married to my second husband. My joke was that Andromeda doesn't outright complain about her predicament- naked & chained to a rock to be eaten by a monster- she just says she's "all right" but her eyes burn from searching the horizon for her savior.

M- You make no secret of the fact that you have some serious life experience under your belt. You are a beautiful woman, with a full grown daughter. I really respect that fact that you are able to not only be a great mother but also continue to set a good example for her by following your dreams as a musician. You even toured Europe for the first time last year. I find your story really inspiring, because it breaks down a lot of the misconceptions and stereotypes about being a musician.

In the song "One Eyed Cat," It seems you are talking about growing older. The lyrics are simple and there is a certain amount of acceptance. Do you think that, over the years, you have achieved the "power of now.” I know that songwriting can be a meditation. Do you see this song as a statement on contentment and acceptance?

A- In many ways I am very content. I love my life, & I was so proud of myself last year for achieving my dream of working with a little label, & touring Europe- it was incredible! My only child is now 17 & about to leave home for college- so this is an interesting, bittersweet time for me. That song is about putting dreams on hold because someone has got to stay home & feed the cats, you know? Someone has to comfort an old friend. Pay the mortgage. These things will always be more important to me than touring, though I dream of touring, & long for it.

M- Are you being literal in "Favorite Son" when you write, "I watched you die, all night long." What inspired this song? Is this a love song?

A-It is in part a love song, inspired by my blond husband's tan hands ~ though in the song I made the character into a kind of stalker. To 'die', in the Victorian sense, was to orgasm...the little death. Sex with someone who wouldn't acknowledge her in the daytime.

M- I did a little research and sure enough, the concept that orgasms could cause death was prevalent in Victorian times. This explanation is from the Oxford Companion To The Body. “The nineteenth century saw much bile spilled over the concern that people were excessively spending their energies on sexual gratification. Many Victorian physicians, enamored of a conservation-of-energy approach to physiology, warned that frequent orgasms would only drain the life from the body and leave the other systems wanting. (A far less happy sex-and-death link.) This essentially constituted a new version of the old bodily-economy trope. Inventors designed devices to discourage erections (these tended to involve sharply-barbed clamps), and many physicians recommended clitorectomies for ‘hysterical’ women, particularly those who enjoyed too much sex or sex with other women. Even well into this century, versions of this dire belief — that one's bodily supply of energy could be squandered by sexual emissions — hung on. Most male athletes are familiar with the aphorism which prohibits ‘spending’ oneself before a match.”

M- What would you like to tell the readers of WLFY about Steeleye Span?

A- I grew up listening to the albums my pretty cool parents had ~ we didn't get new records very often. Steeleye Span's "Now We Are Six" & "Parcel of Rogues" were on heavy rotation. I loved Maddie Pryor's amazing strength & range. I am a huge fan, & got to see them two years ago for my birthday~ one of my top concerts, ever.

M- I think you may remember this. When I first heard you named your song "Snow Pony" I couldn't help but envision a coked out horse. Anyway, that was before I heard how gorgeous this song was.

We have both lived in the icy winters of New England all of lives. I chose to write about your record, Winter Island, now rather than in a few months. I think it is a quintessential winter album. “Snow Pony” is a winter song, if a song could ever be specific to one season. What inspired this song?

A- I love the books by the author Tove Jansson, especially her Moomin series. The Snow Pony is taken from a story in Moominland Midwinter, when the “Lady of the Cold” comes. I am pretty much just singing my take on what happened. These books are written for children, but I love fairy tales & all ages can enjoy these books. I highly recommend them to anyone, especially people in the US who may not be familiar with her amazing work. ( Hobgoblin's Hat was another song taken from her stories.)

M- "Winter Island" is my favorite track on this record. I find your guitar playing, throughout the entire album, to be stunning. The amount of restraint, taste, and delicacy you use in your music creates stunning and refined works of art. Your playing reminds me of Nick Drake sometimes. Do you ever find it frustrating that the guitar playing of women is not often touched upon unless it is of the “in your face shredding” variety?

A- Thank you so much! I kind of feel like a voice is something that you are gifted with, I didn't work hard for this voice~ my mother gave it to me.

But in the guitar playing, I did work hard to develop a style that I feel is all my own. I don't think anyone else uses my picking patterns, most of that came from being so completely isolated for a very long time.

M - When I put on the album Winter Island I feel like reality drifts away from me. I feel like I am free and floating in a haze of nylon strings and whispered lyrics. Do you intentionally set out to make healing music, or does it heal you to write it?

A- It heals me, most definitely. I think I am a gentle person, but my insides are often roiled up & troubled, music helps me to clarify my feelings & distill them into poetic words. I need to write, sometimes it's like a pressure cooker. If I can help heal or soothe others, that would make me incredibly happy.

Bio: "Allysen Callery (September 25, 1967) is a musician from Bristol, Rhode Island. After years of obscure & solitary music pursuits, she was helped by many friends to self- release two cds, Hopey (2007) & Hobgoblin’s Hat (2010). In May 2011 she released "Winter Island", on the tiny Berlin based label Woodland Recordings, http://www.woodlandrecordings.com, touring Germany & Switzerland in it's support."

Purchase Links:

http://allysencallery.bandcamp.com/album/winter-island

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Allysen-Callery/378158710012

REVIEW: Cheyenne Marie Mize - "We Don't Need"

2012-01-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Cheyenne Marie Mize

We Don't Need

Release Date: January 24, 2012

Record Label: Yep Rock

When Cheyenne Marie Mize appeared at the Zanzabar last summer, I was surprised to see her take to the drums right off the bat. Mize had made her first imprint with the elegant Among the Gold, an EP of Civil War era folk songs sung with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. While her last LP Before Lately followed the introspective tone of many singer-songwriters, Mize's latest EP, We Don't Need, is far less hermetic and subdued.

Appropriately, Mize returns to the drums as she did at Zanzabar with opener "Wishing Well" -- an infectious and spare bit of songwriting where rhythms coalesce under Mize's soulful vocals. Skillfully merging that ellipse where the Venn diagram between soul, folk, and blues meet, "Wishing Well" heralds Mize's new sound -- expansive, robust, moving from self to the world through song. The difference is mostly clearly heard in "Going Under" a blue-eyed soul track with a rambunctious piano line and clap track. As in Among the Gold, Mize shows off her ability of adaptation. On We Don't Need she takes this ability to the next level transfiguring her persona from a shy nostalgic into a throaty chanteuse.

Even the most quiet moments on the album as on "Call Me Beautiful" bristle. The slow tolling of bells rolls in as uneasy instrumentation underscores this act of self-declamation. As the off-kilter rhythm rolls forward, Mize's voice reemerges from static as melody and harmony work against one another. It's a brutal, slow-burner. "Keep It" and "It Lingers" are more straight-ahead rock tracks. The prior rolls around a fuzzy rhythm lick while a keyboard keeps time until the drums bash in. While "It Lingers" rollicks around in its laid back wa, Mize's voice takes on new qualities, drawling out from the back with a visceral disdain. When she demands "Let it go / Oh, let it go," you can tell that no matter what you do, she never will.

No matter how far ranging this EP moves, it's consistently grounded. Mize is clearly experimenting here. The record begins with the subtle simplicity of "Wishing Well" and by the time we've moved the hazy instrumental track "Back Around," you seem to have a clearer picture of Mize -- moving effortlessly and breathlessly from style to style, she emerges as the headmistress of adaptation making every form and style her own.

Sparklehorse Reissuing "It's A Wonderful Life"

2012-01-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

If you're a fan of both Sparklehorse and vinyl, you know how hard it is to land a copy of what some would argue is their best album (including me) , It's A Wonderful Life. On Ebay, an original and only pressing of the record goes from $99-$199 depending on condition. Fans can get excited as It's A Wonderful Life and Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of The Mountain will get the 180 gram deluxe gatefold reissue treatment. I haven't seen any news for this because an official statement hasn't been released or details like the company reissuing revealed. It is, however, up for pre-order on several sites like Sound Stage Direct and on Ebay, noting a release date of March 21st, 2012. Be on the lookout and we'll update this post when more details roll in. Until then, get ready to finally own this rare record on wax.

REVIEW: Bro. Stephen - "Baptist Girls"

2012-01-24T11:28:00.001-08:00

Bro. Stephen

Baptist Girls

Release Date: January 24th, 2012

Label: Crossroads Of America

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For the last three years, Bro. Stephen (Scott Kirkpatrick)has been crisscrossing the country in his car, playing his music incoffeehouses, strangers’ homes, or anyplace else where he could pull out hisacoustic guitar and have a few ears listen to his songs. After two months or so of journeying,Stephen would settle in and spend a few months working in order to raise enoughfunds to be able to hit the unknown back roads once again. It’s this blue-collar work ethic thatmakes Bro. Stephen the image of a hungry artist dead set on following hisambitions no matter the cost, no matter how much hard work it takes. It’s the travels and the experiences,however, which inform his songwriting and make his debut LP Baptist Girls atender exploration of life disconnected from the securities of home and theknown.

Baptist Girls was minimally recorded at a converted chickencoop in Indiana. Throughout thealbum, the listener is treated with moments of creaking wood or soft rainfallaudible in the depths of the mix, the unconventional atmosphere peaking intothe recording process unplanned. The vocals are bare. Occasionally a guitar is plucked out of tune. But the songs have a sharp sense of honesty, a closeness notfelt in too many albums these days. The listener might as well be sitting in that chicken coop, tucked inclose to him, as most of his small crowds would be if they saw him live on histravels. On the first spin, it’sthis intimacy that immediately stands out.

Bro. Stephen’s voice will undoubtedly be a polarizing issuewith those who give the record a chance. His vocals have great warmth andpersonality, but there are moments where his vocals wobble a bit in the highestmoments of emotional output. It’sreminiscent of Phil Elvrum (The Microphones / Mount Eerie) or early ConnorOberst. His voice might be unique to some and a bit jarring to others, but Bro.Stephen never once questions his vocal choices. The result is a complete albumthat is clearly his own audible imprint as a unique songwriter.

The imagery that Bro. Stephen presents through his lyrics iswhat makes Baptist Girls breathe life into song. On “Bare Wood” Stephen sings, “It was on the bare wood floorin the upper apartment, you laid your body down…to soak up all of its coolness.” Later he matches thisline with, “It was when I bared my arms, like I wanted to fight you. You laid your body down, to soak up allmy bruises.” The album is filledwith these kinds of introspective turns, as Bro. Stephen examines hisrelationships in a way that feels both honest and haunting. The other half of the record speaks tohis long travels through strange lands, and the emotions of being intransition. On “Jacob”, Stephensings "In this gray-day winter, I know…I’m so far from home.” The song drops off, and he almost talksthe line “I’m so far from home.” It’s a confession, a stripping of defense mechanisms. Where most of us would romanticize suchlong journeys, Stephen highlights the pain, fear, and loneliness. His record is better because of it.

One ofmy favorite writers, Pat Conroy, said: “Once you have traveled, the voyagenever ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. Themind can never break off from the journey.” While this may be true for some, Bro. Stephen searched hismind and synthesized his experience through song, in the not-so-quiet chambersof song. The result is thelistener being allowed to live vicariously through Stephen, his moments andthoughts as vivid in the listener’s ears as in his own mind.

REVIEW: Cloud Nothings - "Attack on Memory"

2012-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

Cloud Nothings

Attack on Memory

Release Date: January 24, 2012

Record Label: Carpark Records

In the past three years Cloud Nothings have released as many albums. While the first two Turning On and Cloud Nothings twinkled with an adolescent sheen, Attack on Memory -- with it's brooding title in place -- is obviously an attempt (in one way or another) to grow up. Accordingly, the Cleveland-based group travelled to Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studios in Chicago to work with the famed producer and Big Black frontman. And while Albini's expertise isn't as the sort of guru producer made famous by Rick Rubin, his sonic footprints are clearly evident on Attack on Memory where Cloud Nothings, appear desperate to rip the pop out and settle on the "post-punk."

Opener (with the typical anti-sentimental title) "No Future No Past" does its best to cast off Cloud Nothings' other albums. The tinkling piano throbs into a undulating bass riff reminiscent (not surprisingly) of Surfer Rosa. But we're without the electric rage here, and the song spends most of its droning, apathetic 4 and a half minutes working up to the screamed (a la Frank Black) "No Future / No Past!" Listening back to the opener off Turning On, "Can't Stay Awake," it's clear how much Cloud Nothings seem desperate to shed their older image. "Can't Stay Awake" is indicative of most of the band's early work -- tinny, lo-fi, musicianship sacrificed for sound -- the infectious melodies as saccharine as they are frivolous and catchy. Contrast this with track two off Attack on Memory which begins with a giant blaze before going on for almost NINE MINUTES (almost a third of the whole album), not to mention a pretty big bass solo. Cloud Nothings' brainchild Dylan Baldi spawned the band out of the lo-fi craze that created groups like Wavves. But, as Baldi explains it, Attack on Memory is an attempt to do something different. Baldi's pop acumen is still on display with tracks like "Fall In" where Albini's production grounds the power-pop sentimentality to render the best track on the album. It's in this fusion that the album really soars as well as on "Stay Useless," a ballad about not doing fuckall.

In the hurry to define this lo-fi movement that Cloud Nothings and Wavves (among others) have begun, people have slapped the label "post-punk" onto the groups, for what reason I can't seem to fathom. Most of the classic "punk" bands from the United States -- Fugazi, Minutemen, etc. -- are in fact, "post-punk." Bands that we are now at least two if not three steps away from. Lumping Cloud Nothings in there seems haphazard and ridiculous. In fact, the most "post-punk" thing on this album is Albini's production, which is hardly noteworthy given that the man defined the sound of post-punk in the 90s. Though I love Albini, I'm not sure if his presence here is entirely worth it. Too often, Attack on Memory feels like a forced throwback -- the way you wear your brothers shirts to school appear cool. At it's weakest, this album sounds like a recreation of the post-punk sound rather than growing from it. While this record may be something new for Baldi, it runs the risk of being rather old for the rest of us. Really, how many times have we been subjected to this sort of light-nihilistic apathy? A lot. Attack on Memory feels like a belabored rehash of most of it. I'm not sure if Baldi & co. did themselves any favors by enlisting Albini, even though his production does add layers that Cloud Nothings hadn't even approached on their earlier records. Certainly when a synchronistic middle ground appears like on "Fall In" or "Stay Useless" the record appears to be embarking on new ground musically, not just for the band.

The joyous and quirky aire of previous records becomes angst in Attack on Memory, and this, for me is probably the most damnable aspect of the album. Baldi's pop sensibilities may be strong, but his angst is just that -- angst and overwrought. Perhaps I'm getting old, but men in their early 20s groaning about a futureless present just don't do it for me. Why not tackle something else, not just for you, but for us?

Oscar Nominee: "Man or Muppet" (Music Video)

2012-01-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Proof that no one is better than Flight of the Conchords (and in this case Bret McKenzie) at parodying genre from the inside, the incredibly hum-able, endlessly catchy, utterly hilarious and gorgeous "Man or Muppet" has been nominated for an Oscar. If this doesn't win, I'll be slightly less pissed than when Elliott Smith lost. (By the way, this is the ONLY reason to watch the Oscars)

My Morning Jacket to Headline/Curate 10th Forecastle Music Festival

2012-01-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

Huge news for Louisville music fans today as Forecastle Festival announced that for their special 10th anniversary show, hometown heroes My Morning Jacket will not only headline the festival, they will also have a hand in curating the lineup.

The official statement:

January 24, 2012
Dear Forecastle Travelers ~

The Forecastle Festival is thrilled to announce that My Morning Jacket will headline and assist in curating the festival’s 10th Anniversary. The 3-day event will take place July 13 – 15, 2012, at Louisville’s scenic, award-winning Waterfront Park.

My Morning Jacket, whose original members hail from Louisville and currently reside in the city, will headline Saturday night, and will collaborate with producers on festival sights, sounds and experiences, as well as charitable aspects of the event. Celebrating its tenth year, the festival will pay homage to its past, present, and future, highlighting Forecastle’s maritime theme while celebrating the very best of Louisville and Kentucky.

Over 75 additional artists will be announced in the upcoming weeks, including the Friday and Sunday night headliners. Separately ticketed late-night events will take place aboard The Ship (Belle of Louisville) as well as at the newly renovated Ice House.

Tickets will go on-sale January 27 at 12pm (EST), including a limited quantity of specially-priced, $100 weekend passes. They can be purchased online at forecastlefest.com. Once this quantity is sold out, tickets will continue to be available at the next level ticket price. Travel packages will also be available, including accommodations at The Galt House – the festival’s official, waterfront hotel. For those who wish to dock up for the weekend, VIP “Captain’s Club” boat slips will also be available.

The event will mark the second partnership between The Forecastle Festival and AC Entertainment, producers of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Moogfest and more than 750 concerts and events throughout the country.

The Zookeepers - "Radicle Majesty Pt. 1" (Music Video)

2012-01-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

Legos were so much cooler when they weren't all Star Wars and stuff but were regular and you had to make shit out of them with your imagination. Sometimes I worry that the kids aren't thinking for themselves enough, but then I go back to what I'm doing.

The Real Problem With Lana Del Rey

2012-01-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

As I said back in September on the WLFY Soundcast (Episode #10),the biggest problem with Lana Del Rey has nothing to do with the singerherself. The debate has beenfurious and SNL only poured more gasoline on the fire, but while others talkabout authenticity, plastic surgery, and talent (all valid conversations) thereal problem in my mind is clear and simple...yet, it's never part of thediscussion.

Lana Del Rey has received more coverage from independentmusic websites than any other artist in recent memory, all before evenreleasing an album. This isnot a think-piece – we've all done them. This is a simple matter of statistics.

Let’slook at Pitchfork and Stereogum, two of the largest sources for"independent" music readers:

PITCHFORK

LANA DEL REY

Posts before album release (one week to go)

24 posts with Lana Del Rey in the title (more with her mentioned).

2 tracks / 5 remixes / 2 music videos / 1 Rising Post - Interview / 1 Think-piece /

What artists should we compare these stats to? How about Bon Iver who created Pitchfork's #1 album of 2011.

BON IVER

Six months leading to his 9.5 BNM Album of Year record release

10 posts (being generous, counted a few on day of release).

2 tracks / 3 live videos / 2 music videos / 1 interview

STEREOGUM

LANA DEL REY

Posts before album release (one week to go)

32 Posts with Lana Del Rey in the title. 66 posts where she is mentioned.

Using the same idea, Stereogum's favorite album of 2011 came from the band Girls.

Girls

8 Posts before record release with Girls in title. 15 mentioned.

These numbers are insane. I can't even begin to hypothesize why these two giants ofindependent media would dedicate more coverage to Lana Del Rey than theirfavorite acts of 2011. One mightargue that Lana Del Rey had more pre-album output then Bon Iver or Girls, but considerthis: Lana Del Rey has two official singles and two music videos. Let's say you throw in the SNLperformance and one of the European live videos... that's six reasons to post –if you like her. Now, throw in tworemixes and an interview. You knowwhat, I'm feeling generous, throw in a think-piece. With all that, our total of reasons to do Lana Del Rey postspeaks at ten. Ten. The amount Pitchfork dedicated to BonIver and two more than Stereogum gave to Girls. It's embarrassing.

These websites are reading more like fansites, posting anything and everything related to Lana Del Rey. Give any artist close to eighty mentions on two sites that pull in millions of readers and I guarantee you success will follow. Pitchfork and Stereogum were used as examples and are not the only sites guilty of these absurd numbers. Yes, Lana Del Rey has a team behind her, had plastic surgery to improve her looks, and her ability as a live talent is questionable. Those have all been debated to death. The real question is why did these "independent" music websites dedicate almost double (Stereogum quadruple) the coverage to Lana Del Rey than they did for the artists that created their favorite albums of the year?

"Pickin' & Trimmin'" a Documentary about Bluegrass and Hair Cuttin'

2012-01-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

A real barbershop seems about as rare these days as a genuine bluegrass hootenanny made up of locals by locals and for locals. Drexel, NC has both as this short documentary Pickin' & Trimmin' shows. Directed by Matt Morris, it's a kind reminder of what music should be -- community making, community defining, singular to one place and time. This old locality is at once quaint and refreshing.

Pickin' & Trimmin' from Matt Morris Films on Vimeo.

Andrew Bird - "Eyeoneye" (Track)

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Andrew Bird likes to put words together about as much as he likes to put sounds together. This one seems akin to "Anoanimal" as we begin with something that sounds totally out of place before the xylophone, the whistling, and the steady upbeat bring you back to Bird.

Eyeoneye by Andrew Bird

Break It Yourself is out March 6 on Mom + Pop.

STREAM: Leonard Cohen - "Old Ideas"

2012-01-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

Seven years of waiting are over. The man with the golden voice is back and his new album, Old Ideas, is streaming over at NPR. Thanks to COS for the heads up.

Vanaprasta - "Nineequalsnine" (Live Video)

2012-01-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

When we threw a day party for CMJ last year, we had a band drop out last second and asked if Vanaprasta could fill in at the opening spot. They played very early set on a rainy day, for about ten people. Nobody seemed to tell them that this wasn't Madison Square Garden, as Vanaprasta blew the lid off Pianos and put on one of the best shows of the entire festival. Their professionalism and talent blew me away and made me a fan for life. They recently shot four live videos for the Look Sessions and like the band, each one is charming and perfect glimpse into a band that has a very bright future.

"Nineequalsnine" by Vanaprasta from Look Sessions on Vimeo.

Order Healthy Geometry the new album from Vanaprasta

REVIEW: Anthony Green - "Beautiful Things"

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Anthony Green

Beautiful Things

Release Date: January 17, 2012

Record Label: Photo Finish

The Flaming Lips once famously declared that all the punk rockers were taking acid. Perhaps the psych-rock outfit had supplied it back in the 90s. These days, though, it seems that all the punks are smoking dope, down on the farm, getting more in touch with their roots.

That's the case anyway for Anthony Green, frontman of radio-friendly punk outfit Circa Survive (whose name is about as bad as the album artwork). Green's second album Beautiful Things is a hodge podge of folky riffs and om-pa-pa rhythm with a touch of distortion thrown in for good measure. The eclectic mix is lead by the free form opener "If I Don't Sing," where Green's clear vocals are enclosed with bombastic instrumentation a screeching choir and a jumble of hard edged guitars. The lassie faire approach places Green within the continuum somewhere between early Blitzen Trapper, Akon/Family, and Ariel Pink. The semi-druggy jubilance of "Do It Right" is balanced by the reggae beat of "When I'm on Pills," whose chorus creeks with staccato keyboard lines. Meanwhile, "Get Yours While You Can" rehashes a Pixies riff to great effect.

This more is more approach fits Green's songs more than when he lets the tracks slip down to simplicity as on the saccharine "Lullaby." This is undoubtedly due to the strength of Green's vocals whose clairvoyance cuts with ease. "Big Mistake" soars with Green's vocals over a slide guitar riff before lapsing into a steady rhythm of self-disgust. Similarly "James' Song" -- a loving ode from father to son -- works through the intensely personal perspective.

Indeed, the title of the album seems to refer to Green's fascination here. There are many beautiful things on this record. Perhaps the problem is that with all these beautiful things there seems to be a loss of elegance. The sweetness of "Love You No Matter What," for example gets undercut by an annoying rhythm track. It may be the point (as Green makes reference to the woman "shitting spiders"), but the irony gets lost. There's no doubt that Green has a plentiful musical palate, but the record works best as on "James' Song" when the personal is intensely tied to the music. Or when on "Blood Song" Green intones "she was only 20 but she fucked like 33" the punkish lyrics become transposed through the instrumentation. Green's album seems to fit within the new album paradigm -- losing the necessary ties of story or concept, as Green shows here, what you love is who you are. And the closer he is, the more it works.

TRACK OF THE DAY: Shearwater - "You As You Were"

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

By the time the track starts you already know it's Shearwater -- that pulsing piano which will build to crescendo, the dramatic falsetto, the glee of leaving. If there's something that Shearwater does better than most, it's the steady accumulation of instruments, one seeming to break upon each other driving us forward, forward, forward.

Shearwater - You As You Were by subpop

Sharon Van Etten - "Leonard" (Live Video)

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sharon Van Etten's Tramps out 2/7 on Jagjaguwar is easily the most anticipated album of the first two months of 2012. This live recording of "Leonard" from i-D magazine shows why.

Stand Up for Sharing! Stop SOPA & PIPA

2012-01-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

While we don't often take political stands here on WLFY, we hope that you'll do your part as the web goes on strike to write your Congressman/woman and urge them to stop the internet censorship laws pending in the House and Senate SOPA & PIPA.

Go here for more information and to write your representatives.

Go here to sign the petition.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Thought Ballune" (Music Video)

2012-01-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

The Continuity of Parks

by Julio Cortázar

HE HAD BEGUN TO READ THE NOVEL a few days before. He had put it aside because of some urgent business, opened it again on his way back to the estate by train; he allowed himself a slowly growing interest in the plot, in the drawing of characters. That afternoon, after writing a letter to his agent and discussing with the manager of his estate a matter of joint ownership, he returned to the book in the tranquility of his study which looked out upon the park with its oaks. Sprawled in his favorite armchair, with his back to the door, which would otherwise have bothered him as an irritating possibility for intrusions, he let his left hand caress once and again the green velvet upholstery and set to reading the final chapters. Without effort his memory retained the names and images of the protagonists; the illusion took hold of him almost at once. He tasted the almost perverse pleasure of disengaging himself line by line from all that surrounded him, and feeling at the same time that his head was relaxing comfortably against the green velvet of the armchair with its high back, that the cigarettes were still within reach of his hand, that beyond the great windows the afternoon air danced under the oak trees in the park. Word by word, immersed in the sordid dilemma of the hero and heroine, letting himself go toward where the images came together and took on color and movement, he was witness to the final encounter in the mountain cabin. The woman arrived first, apprehensive; now the lover came in, his face cut by the backlash of a branch. Admirably she stanched the blood with her kisses, but he rebuffed her caresses, he had not come to repeat the ceremonies of a secret passion, protected by a world of dry leaves and furtive paths through the forest. The dagger warmed itself against his chest, and underneath pounded liberty, ready to spring. A lustful, yearning dialogue raced down the pages like a rivulet of snakes, and one felt it had all been decided from eternity. Even those caresses which writhed about the lover's body, as though wishing to keep him there, to dissuade him from it, sketched abominably the figure of that other body it was necessary to destroy. Nothing had been forgotten: alibis, unforeseen hazards, possible mistakes. From this hour on, each instant had its use minutely assigned. The cold-blooded, double re-examination of the details was barely interrupted for a hand to caress a cheek. It was beginning to get dark.

Without looking at each other now, rigidly fixed upon the task which awaited them, they separated at the cabin door. She was to follow the trail that led north. On the path leading in the opposite direction, he turned for a moment to watch her running with her hair let loose. He ran in turn, crouching among the trees and hedges until he could distinguish in the yellowish fog of dusk the avenue of trees leading up to the house. The dogs were not supposed to bark, and they did not bark. The estate manager would not be there at this hour, and he was not. He went up the three porch steps and entered. Through the blood galloping in his ears came the woman's words: first a blue parlor, then a gallery, then a carpeted stairway. At the top, two doors. No one in the first bedroom, no one in the second. The door of the salon, and then the knife in his hand, the light from the great windows, the high back of an armchair covered in green velvet, the head of the man in the chair reading a novel.

Translation: David Page

UMO - Thought Ballune from Jordan Blady on Vimeo.

Beirut Summer Canadian Tour Dates

2012-01-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

The only way that I can convince myself that this is somehow fair that Beirut will be touring Canada only in the summer is by reminding myself how bleeding cold it is in Canada right now how geese fall from the sky, rivers freeze, and spit turns in to ice cubes before they hit the ground. Still sucks tho, obligatory eh?

Tour Dates (w/ links to purchase):

July 17 Montreal @ Metroplois Theatre
July 19 Toronto @ The Sound Academy
July 23 Winnipeg @ The Burton Cummings Theatre
July 25 Edmonton @ Starlite Room
July 28 Vancouver @ Orpheum Theatre

Lambchop - "Gone Tomorrow" (Track)

2012-01-17T12:09:00.000-08:00

When Lambchop's LP Oh(Ohio) came out a few years ago, the record seemed to emerge from some sort of perverse lounge act which set off Kurt's poetic stylings. "Gone Tomorrow" the newest track from the forthcoming Mr. M begins as much of OH(Ohio) did, before taking a turn for a sitar, experimental droning jam session. Somehow Lambchop are managing to find the sonic equivalent for their front man's lyrical peccadilloes.

Lambchop - Gone Tomorrow by MergeRecords

You can pre-order Mr. M here.

Track Of The Day: J. Nolan - "Tonight's The Night"

2012-01-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

We don't write a lot about hip-hop on WLFY even though it's one of Hank's favorite genres and an art form I was obsessed with in the 90's/early 2000's. Maybe I need to see a hip-hop psychologist to outline exactly what it is I look for in a hip-hop track, but whatever those factors are, they've been absent for the last few years aside from Shabazz Palaces. If I'm self-diagnosing, what I look for is a calm/steady flow, beats informed by jazz structures or samples, and a resistance to egotism or pop culture references. The last factor is hard to find due to how hip-hop has evolved and the fact that both mentioned above were present at the creation of hip-hop. I know it's hypocritical to ask an art form to not be something that it was founded upon, and while it exists in a lot of the hip-hop albums I love, it doesn't hit the listener over the head or use those two topics as a crutch for the whole album.

With J. Nolan's five track EP, The Archetypes, I'm immediately transported to one of my favorite records of all time, Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory. Nice jazz hooks are complimented by Nolan's relentless, yet smooth flow. On our track of the day, "Tonight's The Night" the flow goes on and on with little break, doubling over itself every few lines to result in one of the better tracks I've heard this year.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://jnolaniscool.bandcamp.com/track/tonights-the-night"&amp;gt;Tonight's The Night by J.Nolan x Reese Jones&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Ryan Adams - "Chains of Love" (Music Video)

2012-01-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

(via)

Lee Ranaldo - "Off the Wall" (Stream)

2012-01-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

Now that Sonic Youth is no more (?), we've got to live with solo projects, which is kind of like when you break up with someone and take comfort in those few friends that you have in common seeking something like you used to have with everybody. Lee Ranaldo's often been the man behind the mask of Sonic Youth, more mysterious than Kim or Thurston, and a more accomplished painter. There's something of a visual touch in the jangly "Off the Wall" the first hit from Between the Times and Tides out on Matador March 20 (preorder). Of course, it seems that Ranaldo has influenced himself the beats are vintage Sonic Youth, but while the chorus hits, the elegance of the instrumentation belies his tenure as an experimental noisester. It's a new beginning for us all.

Stream it here.

Seeing Evan Dando & SPOTWLFY #008 - Evan Dando and the Lemonheads

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

If we had to classify the 90s alt-rock, college music scene, we might go about it something like this:

Grunge - See Kurt Cobain, Hole, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc.
Nerd-grunge - See Weezer
Country-grunge - See Uncle Tupelo & its remnants Son Volt, Wilco, etc.
REM
British-rock - See Radiohead
etc.

That still leaves us with the problem of The Lemonheads, an on again off-again Boston, MA group fronted and founded by Evan Dando. What separates The Lemonheads and Dando's music in particular from everything around it is its eclectic base. The records swing from tongue in cheek country tunes to aggressive guitar-driven tunes with sublime choruses to self-depreciating pop. The name itself, "The Lemonheads" is a fantastic description of the charm of Dando's tracks -- sweet on the outside and sour in the middle. Case in point is the apathetic love song "It's About Time" which swings from a lazy strum to a syncopated bridge where Dando's voice takes on a totally different tune as he intones: "Enough about us let's talk about me / It's not about you, it's not about sunshine" before Juliana Hatfield's voice soars over the top. Amid the jangling guitars and the shimmering choruses, Dando's voice always seems hiding behind the smile. Even in the most majestic moments, there's melancholy in the air.

Dando is notoriously destructive. When trying to kick out Ben Deily, another co-founder of The Lemonheads, after their first commercial success, Dando repeatedly played the guitar riff for "Sweet Child 'O Mine" over Deily's songs while on tour. Just as precarious was Dando's use of crack which emerges again and again in his lyrics like "My Drug Buddy," a sort of answer to Lou Reed's classic "Waitin' for the Man." But can we count on biography to somehow give us insight into an artist, or does the work speak for itself? Can work speak without acknowledging the past, the mishaps, the mistakes, the problems?

Well, that's neither here nor there. Dando's last album with original tracks (The Lemonheads put out an album of covers entitled Varshons in 2009), Baby I'm Bored (a suitably apathetic title), came out in 2003. Including a number of tracks with Jon Brion, it's the most consistent of Dando's career as he's able to use the slacker frontman aesthetic for something that it's rarely used for -- reflection. Dando has always been one of the most sour and self-critical songwriters (see the amazing "The Outdoor Type"). Even The Lemonheads' mainstream breakout a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson" is slick with sarcasm. The sing-a-long chorus is blazed through and over glossed with heavy drumming. But on Baby he's deftly aware of himself. Opener "Repeat" laments the failings and miseries of a consumate outsider.

We'll hear a lot from Dando & the Lemonheads this year as they put out Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners, a 47 track retrospective, and The Hotel Sessions, recorded in a hotel room in Australia as Dando put down demos of new tracks with commentary and just an acoustic guitar. Then there's the tour beginning on the 11th of January at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. For more info on the tour, go here.

Meanwhile, here's the mix:

SPOTWLFY #008: EVAN DANDO & THE LEMONHEADS

Leonard Cohen - "Going Home" (Stream)

2012-01-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

Via the New Yorker:

"Going Home"

I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard
Living in a suit

But he does say what I tell him
Even though it isn’t welcome
He will never have the freedom
To refuse

He will speak these words of wisdom
Like a sage, a man of vision
Though he knows he’s really nothing
But the brief elaboration of a tube

Going homeWithout my sorrowGoing homeSometime tomorrowTo where it’s betterThan before
Going homeWithout my burdenGoing homeBehind the curtainGoing homeWithout the costumeThat I wore
He wants to write a love song
An anthem of forgiving
A manual for living with defeat

A cry above the suffering
A sacrifice recovering
But that isn’t what I want him to complete

I want to make him certain
That he doesn’t have a burden
That he doesn’t need a vision

That he only has permission
To do my instant bidding
That is to SAY what I have told him
To repeat

Going homeWithout my sorrowGoing homeSometime tomorrowGoing homeTo where it’s betterThan before
Going homeWithout my burdenGoing homeBehind the curtainGoing homeWithout the costumeThat I wore
I love to speak with Leonard
He’s a sportsman and a shepherd
He’s a lazy bastard
Living in a suit

Listen to the track here.

Track Of The Day: Primary Structures - "The Farm"

2012-01-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Do you remember rock bands? Guitar, bass, drums, vocals...nothing else? It often feels that if you didn't start your rock band before 2005 then nobody cares. Most music bloggers don't want to cover new rock music unless you throw in some synths, explore ambient noise, or repeat a gimmick on every track (see Sleigh Bells). Primary Structures are just what we need, a rock band with no frills, focused on creating solid rock music with a vocalist that isn't afraid to sing without heavy effects. On "The Farm" we get a catchy electric guitar riff, a pounding bass line, and percussion that glues it all together. While a lot of bands confuse their sounds on purpose to reach the label of "art", Primary Structures are writing solid songs that makes me yearn for the likes of early Interpol, Bloc Party, and Franz Ferdinand. There is still a place for straightforward rock music, Primary Structures act as great reminder.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://goldrobot.bandcamp.com/track/the-farm"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Farm by Primary Structures&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Order Limited 12" Vinyl

Tinariwen - "Iswegh Attay" (Music Video)

2012-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

In the desert you need plenty of water. There have been tales of Aborigines picking frogs from the sand with wooden sticks only to slake their thirst by squeezing the frog. Or who can forget those white travelers lost for days who imagined great rivers, lakes, and streams where there were none? In the movies a palm tree always appears just before the end. But there is no desert like the one of pain. And as with pain, in the desert you need no map as the sun rises in the east and folds in the west and everything looks the same.

Houndmouth - "Houston Train" & "Krampus"

2012-01-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

At the start of the year we handed out our first Required Listen of 2012 tag to the New Albany, IN folk/Appalachian band Houndmouth. It didn't take long for the group to follow up their glorious track "Penitentiary" with two new songs. On "Houston Train", Katie Toupin takes over lead vocal duties and guides a very southern sound that is complimented by an electric guitar that occasionally shakes up the calm track. "Krampus" is a simplicity at its best with the band singing the same sentence over and over, letting the emotion and talent build until it explodes with full force. Hopefully Houndmouth will have their debut LP ready soon, until then we have three great tracks to keep us full until then.

Krampus from Jared S. Windler on Vimeo.

New Tracks From Leonard Cohen, The Magnetic Fields, and Of Montreal

2012-01-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

That post title felt so great to write, let me do it one more time: "New Tracks From Leonard Cohen, The Magnetic Fields, and Of Montreal."

There is so much to love on this new single from Cohen's upcoming record Old Ideas. The song starts with a little something for die hard Cohen fans...a simple nod to his wonderful track, "The Stranger" with a similar guitar plucking and rolling. The guitar eventually interrupts itself and launches into a nice groove complimented by a dry bass and his famous deeper then deeper vocals. If "Darkness" is the tone and feel of Cohen's Old Ideas, my excitement is reaching new heights. Pre-order Old Idea from Cohen's website.

The announcement that the new Magnetic Fields' album, Love At The Bottom Of The Sea, will be the first since the early 00's that featured synths made this release very promising. The band has always been at their best with bouncy synths off set by the morose vocal stylings of Stephin Merritt. "Andrew In Drag" is catchy, smart, and features everything Magnetic Fields' fans love about the band. A limited to 1,000 7" of this song with a non-album B-Side is now available over at Merge Records.

If you pre-ordered the new Of Montreal offering Paralytic Stalks, then Polyvinyl made the entire record available for download. I plan to review the the record in full, but I will just say this is Of Montreal's best offering in years and it's not an easy record...it demands multiple, start to finish, full spins. The band has made available one of my favorite tracks, "Dour Percentage". It's a track rooted in orchestral beauty, funk slickness, and the manic melody cutting that Of Montreal tinkers with at their best. Limited edition wax of this record is still available at Polyvinyl.

Track Of The Day: The Zookeepers - "Foil"

2012-01-09T12:33:00.000-08:00

We've been fans of The Zookeepers ever since they first sent us their manic music in 2009. The New England band is back with the EP, True To These Times, which continues to deliver everything we expect from The Zookeepers: overflowing energy and a unique perspective on rock music that makes them one of the more interesting bands today. Our highlighted tack of the day, "Foil" plays like a punk version of a later Sparks song with touches of Queen's playfulness. The song is filled with catchy guitar hooks, noise, yelling, chants...it's packed to the brim with ideas without ever fully spinning out of control. The whole EP is highly recommend, specifically "Foil" and "GGG" which reminds me of a Presidents Of The United States of America 90's b-side with a twist of Pavement. Not bad at all. The Zookeepers are a refreshing band that will be overshadowed by the fact that there really isn't a place in the current indie music scene for them. It doesn't seem to bother The Zookeepers as they haven't modified their sound one bit to ride any trends, this is the music they want to make and no apologies will be paid. Unfasten everything and let The Zookeepers insane approach to music engulf your ears.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://thezookeepersband.bandcamp.com/track/foil"&amp;gt;Foil by The Zookeepers&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

REVIEW: The Hidden Words - "Free Thyself From The Fetters Of This World"

2012-01-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Hidden Words

Free Thyself From The Fetters Of This World

Release Date: Dec 3rd, 2011

Label: Self Release

Reviewing a religious record with only a pedestrianunderstanding of the religion at hand is a difficult task. Art can often be analyzed through apersonal understanding of a theme – love, nostalgia, or death, for instance – andeven though it’s almost never an exact representation of the artist’s intention, a sense of connection can still beformed. But what do you do when analbum carries a theme that’s explicitly difficult for you to relate to? Free Thyself From The Fetters Of ThisWorld is that kind of album, and finding that sense of connection will be achallenge for most listeners, myself concluded.

Let’s start by getting the two big pieces of context out ofthe way and then dive into the album itself. First off, The Hidden Words is the first time since TheUnicorns where we have Alden Penner and Jamie Thomas back in the studio makingmusic together. Even if you’re ahuge fan of The Unicorns, like myself, this is merely background and notimportant at all for the listening experience because simply put, The HiddenWords sounds nothing like The Unicorns, save for Penner’s voice. The second piece of context is TheHidden Words’ backbone and focus – the Bahá'í faith. The best thing you can do before listening to this album isto head over to Wikipedia and get a better understanding of the Bahá'í faith (click here)… all right,you’re back, let’s continue. Oh,and one more thing: to add to the difficulty in reviewing this record, Pennerslips in and out of English, Spanish, and French throughout the album. So, I’m backed against a wall, with apractically inaccessible record made by some of the musicians I love most. The only honest way for me to approachreviewing this record is to outline my personal reaction to listening to it,and share my thoughts on how the various sounds over the ten track recordcreate a tapestry of moods that can make even the most anti-religious personfeel something spiritual.

In spite of the record’s challenging subject matter, FreeThyself From The Fetters Of This World is an album framed by simplicity andstrong songwriting. Gone are therobust explosions of electronics and shattering percussion featured on Penner’slast two projects. Instead, we have an emphasis on minimalism. Most songs highlight a lightly strummedacoustic guitar, “suitcase” drums (from what I gather, drumming with brushes onan actual suitcase), and vocals that have no large production moments to hidebehind. This structure suitsPenner and The Hidden Words well because his vocals, no matter theaccompaniment, always spill over with emotion and drive the songs from start tofinish.

The standouts on the album are definitely the back-to-backtracks “Belleza” and “Dis”. Likeall great songs, both rise above the simple label of sound and cementthemselves as pieces of music that can affect a listener outside thelisten. They’re wrought withintrospection and as I stated before, have a spiritual grace that transcendswhatever you believe concerning religion or faith. There is something bigger at work in these two songs outsideof simply being pieces of sound strung together.

The album features a great deal ofplayfulness to help lighten up the darker moments. The opening track “Paradise Of The Placeless” is a warminvitation into the album with its quickly strummed guitar, handclaps, andbright vocals. The title trackplays a lot like a circle sing-along, with quick bursts of strings thatinterrupt a Mississippi John Hurt-esque bouncy guitar and large group vocals. Touches like these freshen up an albumthat is mainly rooted in softer, more subtle moments that demand the listenercollapse into sounds that are simplistic, yet rich in depth.

Inhigh school, my best friend and his family were of the Bahá'í faith, and I willalways remember that while I didn’t research the totality of their religion, italways struck me as a faith that emphasized beauty, peacefulness, and thenotion that the world is connected, one being. This might be my own projection, but if those are indeed thetakeaways of the religion, then this album from The Hidden Words does theBahá'í faith spiritual justice. FreeThyself From The Fetters Of This World is a beautiful collection of songswrapped in a state of peacefulness that, with its use of multiple languages andworld melodies, makes every aspect of life around the world feel connected asone. This is one of the toughestreviews I’ve had to write because of a lack of understanding concerning thetheme as I stated before, but the music is extremely well crafted to point thateven if you don’t have an expert understanding of the Bahá'í faith, the albumstill allows you to relate and feel connected to the emotion and spiritualityof The Hidden Words.

Youth Lagoon - July (Music Video)

2012-01-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

Youth Lagoon - July from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.

Required Listen: Houndmouth

2012-01-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

If you're one of those people who puts a lot of stock into band names and thinks Houndmouth is as bad as I think it is...add some extra letters, some $ signs, or whatever you need to do to make it all buzzy and hip like most indie bands today. Alright, now we can move on to the most important topic: Houndmouth has a great sound and has blown me away with their debut track "Penitentiary". The New Albany, IN four piece has a laid back rock/folk sound anchored by americana tones and some of the best male/female harmonies you'll hear. Maybe it's the constant barrage of tracks layered with effects or reverb, but my ears always perk up when vocal talent and strong songwriting are front and center. We don't throw out the Required Listen tag lightly and are shocked to already find a band fitting of the title already one day into 2012. Houndmouth is young and just getting started, but if this track and live video are any indication, we'll be following their career closely as the best is yet to come.

Penitentiary by Houndmouth

Houndmouth - Krampus from Aaron Mikel on Vimeo.

Track Of The Day: Conveyor - "Mukraker"

2012-01-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

Conveyor is the perfect band to ring in our first blog post of 2012. Their 2011 EP, Sun Ray, blew us away with its lush harmonies and sweeping melodies. The Brooklyn band will be releasing their new single "Mukraker" on clear vinyl this year as they ready their debut LP, something we'll wait for impatiently. This track is a beautiful entrance into a new year and displays a smaller band that by the end of the year could easily be (and should be) a name celebrated on many best of lists.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; 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background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;bandcamp&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;.com/album/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;mukraker&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;-single"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mukraker&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; (Single) by Conveyor&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Ten Music Resolutions For 2012

2011-12-31T10:17:00.000-08:00

PR Firms
Quit sending e-mails letting other blogs know that a track is premiering on another site. This does nothing for those other blogs. You're basically saying "go steal this track from the site we just gave the premier to and rehost". A bunch of blogs don't rehost or steal tracks so this e-mail is worthless to us. Just send us an e-mail when we can post legally and cleared. We don't send your PR firm an e-mail letting you know I just posted about an artist you don't represent because why the hell would you care. Don't do the same to us.

Independent Labels
Get creative. It's tough out there for independent labels, but it's also the best time ever for trying something new, something bold, something that makes your label standout in a crowded sea of music releases. The old model isn't gone, it's been blown up, so keep adjusting and don't be afraid to think outside the box.

Music Fans
Make 2012 the year you quit illegally downloading music. I made this pledge a few months ago and haven't missed it once. With Spotify, streaming sites like Bandcamp or Soundcloud, and early album listens on NPR and other sites, the excuse of illegally downloading to determine if you want to buy an album is no longer valid. Illegal downloading has become a habit that only has the purpose of getting art a few weeks before it becomes available everywhere legally. People started downloading because the industry worked on a buy it if you want to listen, but now we're basically stealing ice cream samples at a store that gives it away for free.

Record Store Owners
Keep going. You're better then all of us and vinyl fans are grateful for your dedication. Most are struggling and the ones making money aren't going gangbusters. Remember everyday that you're directly shaping music fans and are one of the last vestiges of physical music consumption. Your resolution is to be proud of what you're doing and keep doing it for as long as you can.

Concert Goers
Camera phone etiquette. I know that you want to get a shot of a band and then post it to instagram, twitter, facebook, etc so that everyone knows that you exist and do cool things, but how many photos do you need to take? The resolution for concert goers is take one photo per set and put your phone away. During the break in between bands, then send it to all your social media networks. Remember why you're at the show and if you're there to take photos with your phone, remember that you are disrupting the experience for others.

Music Festivals
The last few years this ugly trend has spread across the major music festivals: THEY'RE ALL THE SAME! Same headliners, same medium acts, and same up and comers. I respect the Pitchfork music festival because the lineup is a direct reflection of their tastes, this should be adopted by all the other festivals...why is your festival special or unique? With the same lineup being repeated in various locations across America, how can any music fan feel like they're participating in something special? They can't. Have a vision and take chances on variety.

Music Bloggers
Write this down on a post it note and put it next to your computer: "What is the one thing your blog offers that no other site does." Two years ago I put this note on my workspace and while Hank and I are still working to be better each year, it really focused us on trying to create new content rather then reblog the same track as everyone else. Here is the thing, it's not an either or resolution. If you reblog buzz tracks for hits, there is no reason you still can't have a unique section that delivers something fresh to your readers.

Blog Readers
Take the time to comment on a post. Most of us music bloggers do this for free and one of the things we love the most is connecting with our readers. I'm not saying be fake or always post positive comments, just add to the discussion, let us know how you feel about the content and add to it. Most bloggers hit a point where they're not quite sure why they're doing it, a simple comment from a reader can snap them back into understanding the purpose of running a music blog.

Bands
Quit worrying about signing to a label. You're existing in the best time where a band can find a fan base without money or label support. Focus on dominating your local music scene, create an Internet presence, and put the quality of your art as priority number one. If you do these things and realize that overnight success only happens for a few, everything else will fall into place. Work hard and pr firms, booking agents, and labels will come to you when you've put in the work and become the best band you can be outside the worrying about things you can't control.

Everyone
Create something and share it. I have tons of friends who all have creative passions but deny them because of doubt, fear, or a number of excuses. If you have a creative dream, go for it, and realize that it might not reach the level of success you imagined, but at the very least the Internet is positioned for your art to at least be shared properly. Be it making your first album on your laptop, starting a blog, or making something and putting it up on Etsy...just create and be passionate, doubt yourself or ask questions later.

We hope you had a great 2011 and wish you an even better 2012.

-WLFY

SPOTWLFY MIX: NYE 2011

2011-12-30T09:21:00.000-08:00

When making this mix my goal was to create a collection of songs that would act as a great lead up to the parties of New Year's Eve. You will assuredly be bombarded with loud dance music and the clamoring of excited voices ready to bring in a new year filled with possibilities. For me, the turning of a new year has always been about reflection and contemplation, so why not make a ten track mix to aid these moments.

The mix is not all about ball drops, countdowns, or celebration...every track is about time, because for me time is the core of New Year's Eve. I hope you throw on this mix today or tomorrow before you go out. Just spend some time with the songs and yourself, thinking about the year you had, the year to come, and how fortunate we are to have the gift of reflection and this wonderful music to complement the thoughts.

SPOTWLFY: NYE 2011

And if that doesn't do your holiday right...

2011-12-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

...Just Spotify this.

Happy Holidays From WLFY

2011-12-24T20:16:00.000-08:00

Hank's Top 25 Albums of 2011

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

25.
Lia Ices

Grown Unknown

25a.

Josh T. Pearson

Last of the Country Gentlemen

24.
Low

C'mon

23.
ARMS

Summer Skills

22.
Nerves Junior

As Bright as Your Night Light

21.
Shabazz Palaces

Black Up

20.
St. Vincent

Strange Mercy

19.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Mirror Traffic

18.
The Mountain Goats

All Eternals Deck

17.
Jonathan Wilson

Gentle Spirit

16.
Bill Callahan

Apocalypse

15.
Marissa Nadler

Marissa Nadler

14.
Kurt Vile

Smoke Ring for My Halo

13.
The ACBs

Stona Rosa

12.
Radical Dads

Mega Rama

11.
Gillian Welch

The Harrow and the Harvest

10.
Atlas Sound

Parallax

When Bradford Cox put out a series of demos and home recordings last year, what was impressive wasn't only the amount (some 3 discs) but the quality. Cox, on Parallax, takes the remains of last year's impressive Deerhunter album (Atlas Sound's side project or the other way around) Halcyon Digest and crafts exquisite apathetic gems. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy makes great sandwiches out of the ends of the bread.

09.
White Denim

White Denim earns its place this year with a fantastic EP as well as D, which emerges from your speakers like a 1970s gem gone all futuristic. Tight, enveloping instrumentation coupled with down-home rock and a garage rock aftertaste, it was a great year for 70s inspired albums (see Wilson's Gentle Spirit above) -- White Denim's release is the pinnacle.

08.
Beirut

The Rip Tide

REVIEW

07.
Wild Flag

Wild Flag

REVIEW

06.
The Antlers

Burst Apart

You split up the books. You fight over the toaster. You get an area rug. You put it in the new place. You hook up the speakers. You listen to Burst Apart.

05.
Vetusta Morla

Mapas

When you buy Madrid-based Vetusta Morla's Mapas, it comes with a bunch of postcards with arcane lines, lyrics, and places for you to sign your name. It's a genius bit of album artwork that will totally fly under the radar. However, the meaning is implicit -- you can put yourself in these songs. To any of my friends who regret Radiohead moving on from The Bends, the answer is Vetusta Morla. Once you bridge the language barrier, what awaits you is some of the most melodic, crisp, emotive music out there. Unfortunately, when it comes to the USA, we're generally far too xenophobic to listen to Spanish music much less put something like this on a list. So, consider this a political act. Like all great political acts, it comes from a place of personal pride and admiration.

04.
Radiohead

King of Limbs

I'm surprised this is up here, too. When In Rainbows arrived on my best of list a few years ago, I wrote what I considered to be the greatest Radiohead review of all time: "Ho hum, another FANTASTIC Radiohead album." This record was anything but ho hum, and the reception proved it. A lightning rod for fans and critics alike, King of Limbs was totally unlistenable the first time I heard it -- an arhythmic mess that sounded more like a Thom Yorke album than a Radiohead album. Perseverance, friends, pays off. And, yeah, if it wasn't Radiohead, I wouldn't have set it on repeat in the office and finally after the fifth or sixth spin finally heard "Codex." Like any good key, it lead to a different world.

03.
Tom Waits

Bad as Me

REVIEW

02.
Other Lives

Tamer Animals

If you asked me for a winner of the year, it'd be Sufjan Stevens. Though there was no album from the (formerly?) prolific Michigander, his fingerprints can found all over Other Lives' phenomenal Tamer Animals. As Zach points out, this record is as close to landscape painting as music can get. Probably, if you've read us before, you know that this blog's genesis was a way for Zach and I share music over long distances. If I were driving one to see my co-creator, this is the record I would listen to, not only because he recommended it, but because like the great expanse of terrain, it seems to cover everything. Grandiose and lush, each moment seems to defy characterization. A tribute to the strength of this record is how difficult it is to write about. A definition as description limits on an LP that feels euphoric, haunted, and ultimately limitless.

01.

Glen Campbell

Ghost on the Canvas

I'll let you in on a secret: best of lists are meaningless. I mean, they're great for checking off Christmas lists and making you appear smarter to your friends and family, but ultimately -- what do they do? For the past couple years, I've taken my own spin on this top spot, placing what I considered to be my favorite record of the year here. This year, I place what I consider to be the most important. Don't deride us as Grammy voters yet. Ghost on the Canvas's import isn't only in the summation of a career but in tireless personal struggle that created it. An illness and struggle that is remarkably missing from each song. Like those big fat books that you haven't read and those super long movies that look boring but turn out to be anything but, Campbell's work is monumental and exceptionally touching. Memories and harmonies in every track, we revel in another's life through each song. The past doesn't seem to be slipping away, it is painted more and more vividly, making us aware of our own precious mortality and the jubilation.

Zach's Top 25 Albums Of 2011

2011-12-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

25.

Caveman

Coco Beware

24.

Radical Dads

Mega Rama

23.

Wild Flag

Wild Flag

22.
Marissa Nadler

Marissa Nadler

21.

Ty Segall

Goodbye Bread

20.

tUnE-YarDs

w h o k i l l

19.

Deerhoof

Deerhoof vs Evil

18.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

17.

ARMS

Summer Skills

16.

Youth Lagoon

The Year Of Hibernation

15.

Tom Waits

Bad As Me

14.

Glen Campbell

Ghost On The Canvas

13.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

Wolfroy Goes To Town

12.

Eleanor Friedberger

Last Summer

11.

Bill Callahan

Apocalypse

10.

Mother Mother

Eureka

The most fun album of 2011, Mother Mother's Eureka is the closest thing we'll come to recapturing the sound of The Pixies. Utilizing pitch perfect harmonies, huge percussion, spacey synths, and one of the best current frontmen in indie rock, Mother Mother crafted a record that reminds us that indie rock isn't all about ambient expression or trying to fit into whatever current trends marks a band as cool. Eureka is about writing great rock songs that make you want to move without sacrificing the artfulness or unique qualities that makes Mother Mother such a special band.

09.

Kurt Vile

Smoke Ring For My Halo

Kurt Vile proves that singer/songwriter music still has a lot of room to be tampered with. People for decades on top of decades have sat alone in rooms with an acoustic guitar and tried to write great music. That makes it all the more impressive that Smoke Ring For My Halo sounds unlike any record before it with its driving guitar riffs wrapped around hazy backing instrumentation and Vile's cutting vocals that start and stop on a dime. Every word is carefully considered and positioned with such genius that even the simplest expressions from Vile can slice its own meaning in half.

08.

The Deloreans

American Craze

2011 will be known as the reemergence of 90's rock with bands like Yuck or Pains of Being Pure At Heart and 60's pop vocal music with bands like Cults or Tennis. Even though I loved the debut release from Cults, The Deloreans took a crack at 60's pop music nostalgia and did it better than everyone else in 2011. Frontman, songwriter, and producer Jeremy Perry might be the smartest musician on this list with his talent, extensive knowledge of music history, and ability to mimic production moves from greats like Joe Meek. This is a band without a team behind them, no pr, no label (independently released), so a lot of people slept on this record, or never heard it in the first place. If you're reading this, I'm begging you to check out "American Craze" from start to finish, you might be surprised what this band accomplished in a basement and with the talent to make one of the best records of the year.

07.

Other Lives

Tamer Animals

Earthy. That one word says everything you need to know about Other Lives. Every vocal moment or piece of instrumentation feels like thick dirty roots sprawling from the ground, bending, shedding, and eventually creating this beautiful finished product above the surface. Tamer Animals has this natural feel that encases a raw power and emotion that can't be denied. Oh, and there is also so of the most impressive vocal moments of 2011 complimented by a band that has each member exploring the boundaries of their respected instrument. Similar to Fleet Foxes in genre, Tamer Animals embarrasses Helplessness Blues with its creativity and organic feel.

06.

Atlas Sound

Parallax

I can't name another person that is having the kind of run Bradford Cox is currently on from 2007-2011. I will be happy to look back on these years and point out that our generations John Lennon was Bradford Cox. He's crafting music that transcends the listen and dispose of way that we treat music today with streaming services and a constant stream of "now you need to listen to this". On Parallax, Cox fills his tracks with beautiful melodies that contradict that downright evil imagery he focuses on with his lyrics. The album doesn't have a weak moment and once again shows that Cox understands what an album is, a collection of tracks that has to work perfectly from one to another, a notion that seems simple but is being quickly forgotten by many in the current state of music that revolves around singles.

05.

Mountain Goats

All Eternals Deck

Calling All Eternals Deck one of my favorite Mountain Goats albums is a bold statement considering how extensive John Darnielle's discography is. The album has this wild west narrative that is supported by expansive songwriting that compliments the notion of a large land unexplored. Darnielle seems very comfortable in his music, allowing the songs to develop without ever pushing forward or trying to make emotional moment happen. Rather, they just occur, and Darnielle's natural talent shines, making All Eternals Deck a huge achievement for a songwriter who could easily put his career on cruise control.

04.

Shabazz Palaces

Black Up

I've said it a hundred times, but here is goes once more: Black Up is the best hip-hop album I've heard in years. Shabazz Palaces is much more interested in exploring the artistic abilities of the medium of hip-hop, rather than bombastic production and lyrics focused on vanity or self-imposed titles of greatness. I implore any young musicians considering an attempt at making hip-hop music to study Black Up and understand that the medium of hip-hop can be explored, manipulated, and improved by artistic expression just like every other genre of music or art. Shabazz Palaces focus on making a great record and not building a persona or side story that informs the music. That seems incredibly rare today and their mission to create an amazing record that stands alone is an impressive feat in 2011.

For the top three albums of 2011, I point you to my reviews of their records.

03.

Radiohead

King Of The Limbs

REVIEW

02.

Nerves Junior

As Bright As Your Night Light

REVIEW

01.

The Antlers

Burst Apart

REVIEW

WLFY Top Ten EPs Of 2011

2011-12-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

click on album art for website/bandcamp/etc

10.

Mina Tindle

Mina Tindle

09.

Marvelous Toy

Moving

08.

White Denim

Takes Place In Your Work Space

07.

Airlines

Visions

06.

The Henry Clay People

This Is A Desert

05.

Alden Penner

Odes To The House

04.

Kurt Vile

So Outta Reach

03.

Conveyor

Sun Ray

02.

Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes

01.

Beach Fossils

What A Pleasure

WLFY BEST VINYL OF 2011

2011-12-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

all listen buttons jump to Spotify

Rarities / Subscriptions

05.) Stephin Merritt - Obscurities

Compiling rarities from the 1994-1999 Merge Records years, this collection spans tracks from Stephin Merritt, The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, Gothic Archies, and Buffalo Rome...basically all things Magnetic Fields, Merrit's solo work, and band side projects. Instead of spending ridiculous amounts of cash on Ebay for these rare 7"s or out of print cassettes, you get everything your heart desires for under twenty bucks. Even though the track order scatters the various groups/solo works, amazingly, the album works from start to finish and never feels disjointed.

Listen / Purchase

04.) Jean-Claude Vannier - Electro Rapide

My favorite contemporary composer, Jean-Claude Vannier released a fourteen track collection of super rare tracks from his "private vault" to make "Electro Rapide". These works exist before and during his time with creative collaborator Serge Gainsbourg and display some of Vannier's best instrumental works and the rare occasional vocal accompaniment. The collection ranges almost every texture of sound and shows off Vannier as one of the greatest musical minds of our time.

Listen / Purchase

03.) Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Tape Club

A twenty-six song collection curated from ten years of SSLYBY material never released on proper albums. What's shocking is how time has tied these songs together rather than pushing them apart and resulting in one of my favorite SSLYBY albums to date. No longer available, Polyvinyl offered a beautiful marbled maroon 2xLP pressing that might be one of the most visually appealing pieces of wax this year.

Listen / Purchase (ltd 500 is Out Of Print)

02.) Van Dyke Parks - 7" Series

Van Dyke Parks is a legend and is currently doing some of his best work in decades with six 7" records sent out through a subscription service. His first 7" includes the track "Wall Street" which has become one of my top five Parks song of all time. His music is grandiose and feels like a genius composer playing within the rules of a Broadway musical. While the series is expensive, $75 for the six 7"s, it has been one of the better purchases I've made in 2011.

Listen / Listen / Purchase

01.) Matthew Friedberger - Solos

Matthew Friedberger's six solo vinyl only LP subscription (plus two bonus LP's and wooden box) is easily my favorite music related purchase of 2011 and by far the best vinyl release of the year. Every two months a new vinyl would arrive at my door and grace my turntable with the most interesting and ambitious music of 2011. The idea behind the project was for Friedberger to limit himself to one instrument per album including the guitar, piano, harp, percussion, organ, and strings. I like to compare this project to the span in Alfred Hitchcock's film career where he self imposed restrictions to challenge his own art. Be it shooting an entire film in a life boat or doing a feature in ten minute takes, Hitchcock discovered that by complicating the artistic process his final products were a breath of fresh air because of the restrictions. The same is true for "Solos" which can be spun for hours and with each new spin there is something new to discover. This collection has been the ultimate treat for music fans and if it was released as a single album would probably be at the top of WLFY's album of the year list.

Vinyl Only / Out Of Print (can find a few pieces in stores)

Reissues

03.) Mississippi John Hurt - The Immortal

This Record Store Day reissue of one of the best folk/blues album of all time features a far superior sound then the flimsy original vinyl pressing. It's one of those albums I've had forever but never felt the pressing did the music justice, but now the sound on this reissued wax tops all cds, digital, or other pressings. Limited to 1,000.

Listen / Out Of Print

02.) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - S/T

If you didn't start collecting until recently, you may have noticed that most of your favorite indie rock albums from the mid 90's to mid 2000's are out of print and going for ridiculous amounts on eBay. CYHSY's wildly popular self-titled release was one of these hard to find indie gems and the band corrected that by repressing the record and making the reissue pressing much better than the original. A must own for fans of the band, fans of vinyl, or even broader, fans of indie rock.

Listen / Purchase

01.) Magnetic Fields - Holiday

Made in 1999, it's been twelve years waiting for the second best Magnetic Fields record to finally be pressed to vinyl. I actually wrote hand written letters to Merge and the band themselves asking for a vinyl pressing several times over those twelve years and it finally happened. I couldn't be happier with the crystal clear synths and Merritt's low voice radiating from this well pressed piece of wax. It will forever sit in my collection as one of my favorite vinyls.

Listen / Purchase

7"

03.) Oregon Bike Trails - High School Lover

One of the most beautiful vinyl packages of the year. A stunning cover complimented by a crisp snowy white vinyl pressing limited to 500. Oh, and the track is wonderful as well. A nice piece of wax for any collection.

Listen / Purchase

02.) Radical Dads - "Recklessness"

2011 was the year of 90's lo-fi rock pop. Even with bands like Yuck or Pains Of Being Pure At Heart gnawing on the old sounds, nobody did it better than the Radical Dads. The vinyl art is handmade and limited to 100. One more time....LIMITED TO 100. This is the first piece of wax for the band which makes it an extra special piece. Radical Dads are only going to get bigger and bigger...if you their sound as much as me, grab this wax quickly.

Listen / Purchase

01.) The Deloreans - "Buffalo"

Not only the run away best 7" of 2011, this piece of wax is one of my favorites in my collection of all time. Pressed on bright pink vinyl and cased in a painstakingly handcrafted cover (with a gold tin foil buffalo in the center), this 7" houses two of the best songs of the year. "Buffalo" was just named our number five track of the year and the side B track, "Starfish", is an incredible track that won't be found anywhere but on this vinyl. It's also very limited, only 150 pressed, and still not sold out. This is not just the best 7" but wins the WLFY vinyl best in show, a must have.

Listen / Purchase

12" EP/Single

03.) Joanna Newsom - "What We Have Known"

Joanna Newsom fans have been clamoring for this track to find its way onto vinyl after it appeared on a CD b-side for the track "Sprout and the Bean" years ago. Drag City heard the cries and made a beautiful 12" for the rare track.

Listen / Purchase

02.) Conveyor - Sun Ray

I loved this EP from Brooklyn's Conveyor so much that we made it our first ever Record Club pick. Pressed on bright orange vinyl, limited to 500, and individually hand numbered, the pressing does justice to an EP that will definitely find its way onto my top ten EPs of 2011.

Listen / Purchase

01.) Angel Olsen - Strange Cacti

Even though this EP was written in 2010 and released on a very limited cassette run, Angel Olsen is my breakout artist of 2011 with the Strange Cacti EP being pressed to a 12" vinyl, her hypnotizing smoky voice, and work with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy on his new album. Her songs aren't over complicated, but Olsen has a voice that comes around once in a lifetime, every word that is whispered or shouted breathes a life into her songs that melts into the darkest parts of the listeners soul.

Listen / Purchase (This was Out Of Print but a few copies now remain. Hurry.)

12" LP

03.) Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

The best hip-hop album of the year received the perfect pressing treatment from Sub-Pop records. The outer cover is made out of a rubbery/velvet all black cover with a nice red sleeve inside. I mean, just look at that beast above you. I'm not sure what it is, but Sub-Pop always has the best center vinyl labels, they look amazing still or spinning on your turntable. Pressed on thick vinyl, the record sounds amazing and is a near perfect packaging job (has to be single gatefold to get a 10/10 from me).

Listen / Purchase

02.) Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck

Dear Merge Records,

I'm broke because of you.

Love,

WLFY

This is far and away the best vinyl packaging of the year (#2 because, once again, no gatefold) and they made a game out of the pressing by scattering 120 limited blue and 880 clear limited pressings at random. I've bought twelve of these puppies so far and I'm 12/12 black standard pressing. My roommate bought one....clear...bastard. I'll continue to stock pile the largest collection of these vinyls in search of the elusive blue whale pressing because this pressing is the best example of why you should buy vinyl, this album sounds 100% better on wax then on any other format I've heard. It feels like it was made for vinyl. Beautiful insert sleeve and a heavy wax pressing marks this as one of the best vinyls of 2011. Merge, please send me a blue vinyl and make my 2011...or at the very least let me come down to your office and hold one for a few minutes.

Listen / Purchase

01.) Glen Campbell - Ghost On A Canvas

(image by Unboxing Vinyl)

SINGLE GATEFOLD! Not only that, the 24" gatefold inner section contains my favorite music related image of 2011. It's Campbell standing in front of charcoal backdrop and presented in two forms bled into each other to convey his newly diagnosed alzheimer's. It's a perfectly crafted vinyl package for one of the best albums of 2011 and will always be a gem in my collection.

Listen / Purchase

Here is a list of some of my favorite and most trusted independent vinyl labels. Check them out and remember to support these small companies and your local record store.

Analog Edition Records
Bathetic Records

Father/Daughter Records

Forest Family Records

Gold Robot Records

Small Plates Records

Tympanogram Records
and many more...

Hank's Top 10 Tracks of 2011

2011-12-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

10.

GLEN CAMPBELL

"Ghost on the Canvas"

There has got to be one of the most glorious bridges of all time in this track. Campbell's signature track, still, is undoubtedly "Wichita Lineman" -- whose sweeping strings belie a song of tremendous sadness and loneliness. Paul Westerberg pulls a similar trick here -- making one of the most memorable tunes of the year about a man whose mind is slipping away.

09.

BEIRUT

"Santa Fe"

I heard "Santa Fe" for the first time in a rental car somewhere between Madrid and Salamanca. It was an amazingly sunny Spanish day. The Euro highways were messy and I was foolishly trying to live out a dream of traveling by map in an age of GPS. Zach Condon's much smarter than I. He accepted the keyboard and the horn, stuck them side by side and in this track finally seems to have mastered his mixture, pushing us along by something ancient and contemporary all at once.

08.

FLEET FOXES

"Helplessness Blues"

Music, like fiction, is a dream. A sort of disruption onto our everyday consciousness making us forget about the general malaise and hopelessness with which we march forward. See philosophy for more on this. See the second half of "Helplessness Blues" for help with the rest of it. It's gossamer right hand turn around the 3 minute mark explodes the furious strumming and anxiety which propelled us at the beginning turning what seemed to be an average folksong into an existential day dream.

07.

BEACH FOSSILS

"Face It"

Truth be told, probably my album of the year. But its an EP, so stay tuned to see what the album will be. I have a theory about what What a Pleasure means. It's about letting your roots show, about being unashamed to go out there and just take a page out of somebody's book, paste it in your own and revel in the unmitigated joy of it all. Frankly, this whole album sounds like an 80s band covering the Smiths in the most stripped down manner, but, yeah, what a pleasure indeed. Much like "Helplessness Blues," "Face It" is about turning down the accepted track, about dreaming, and about the beauty of letting go.

06.

WHITE DENIM

"Cat City"

Just like the kid that comes late to the party White Denim made a mark. Look, I tried to be all nonchalant about the whole "garage" revival a few years ago, which sounded to me just like a bunch of rich kids who like to listen to the Velvet Underground. White Denim is much more my speed of garage, endlessly repetitive with tracks subsisting on those polar opposites that the VU loved to mine -- harmony and noise. Just when you're lulled all the way, the buzz of the solo comes in and rewakes you all over again.

05.

NERVES JUNIOR

"Kale"

My praise for Nerves Junior hasn't been as effusive as Zach's but its not difficult to see how entrancing this group is just from the seemingly demonic slow-core of "Kale" which seems to sneak up on you every time you listen to it even though you know that it's coming. Maybe it's how the minimal beat recycles itself, how the keys drone a wheeze, or the tendrils of the guitar which seem to weave the voice into a web of apathy until they saw your head off. Slow burn masterpiece.

04.

THE DELOREANS

"Buffalo"

Dear Deloreans,

I was totally wrong about you. I remember that show I went to on Frankfort Ave where you guys were getting ready to switch drummers. I thought that the pop wasn't the way to go. I thought that maybe, forgive me, pop died with Michael Jackson and guitar pop way ahead of that. You got me on this one, damn you. Fuck, "Buffalo" is good. How you managed to throwback and throw forward at the same time is beyond me. So, I'm a big enough man to admit when I was wrong. I want to be a buffalo, too.

Sincerely,

Hank

03.

THURSTON MOORE

"Benediction"

Winner of the year nominee? Beck. He shepherded two fantastic discs this year, Malkmus & the Jicks, as well as Thurston Moore's delightful Demolished Thoughts which now takes on even more meaning with the separation from Kim Gordon. Thurston's terse singing about blessings. The strings saw away. The phrasing fragments. The melodic undercut with a-harmonic vocals which make the end so unflinchingly human.

02.

ST. VINCENT

"Cruel"

That riff! That riff! I've been waking up in the middle of the night with that riff going on and on and on in my head. When Annie Clark's Strange Mercy hit shelves did we have any idea that that riff lay in store for us? A symphonic offering that seems to seep from underneath the floorboards propelled forward by an undaunted beat "Strange Mercy" comes together at the end, throwing all its cruelty at us at once. A strange mercy, indeed to be enveloped by this track in all its angularity and damnable repetition.

01.

WILCO

"Art of Almost"

Wilco went all arty. Well, you knew it was going to happen. They've been throwing concerts at Mass MOMA, running around with Jim O'Rourke. This track is EPIC. The highlight from The Whole Love, a 3 part serenade to failure with an electro underscoring that gives way to a blistering guitar solo that your cousin, the heavy metal prodigy, couldn't dream of. This track stands as not only one of the great tracks of the year but something that looms larger -- a musical statement that defies music and works its way into that quality of high art. A piece worthy of museums, not because of it's inaccessibility, but because it works as all great art should: a renewable source of energy.

LISTEN TO THE LIST ON SPOTIFY

Zach's Top 10 Tracks Of 2011

2011-12-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

10.

KURT VILE

"runner ups"

Steve McQueen might be known as the "essence of cool", but Kurt Vile gave him a run for his money in 2011 with the laid back, word bending and extending track "Runner Ups". Vile hits certain words like a hammer and creates a momentary spark of emotion that gently sinks back into the steady groove that drives the song from start to finish. The track isn't flashy and neither is his wonderful album Smoke Ring For My Halo, but that's a compliment as Vile's music comes off as effortless, but the talent and songwriting displayed proves otherwise.

09.

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH

"adam's plane"

It seems detractors are dead set on comparing every CYHSY release to their stunning self-titled debut. It's a shame because a lot of people are missing out on a great record and some of the best tracks of the year. The standout track is the closing "Adam's Plane". Clocking in at over seven minutes, the song takes its time to develop from a devastating story complimented by frontman Alec Ounsworth's shaking vocals into musical deconstruction. The song takes a brilliant turn around the four and a half minute mark. A ravenous piano and all out vocals act as base while numerous instruments seem to break down and rain over them. I'll never forget the first time I heard this section and it still stands as one of the best moments in music from 2011.

08.

SHABAZZ PALACES

"swerve... the reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding)"

The best hip-hop track of the year from the best hip-hop album of the year...and probably over the last five years. An all out assault on the current state of rap music, "Swerve" makes the proclamation: "If you talking about it...it's for show / if you move about it...it's a go." Heed Shabazz's advice Kanye, Tyler, and all other egotistical rappers: filling your entire record with self-imposed titles and compliments a great rap album does not make...letting the album speak for itself does. And it did for Shabazz Palaces.

07.

ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER

"i won't fall apart on you tonight"

I equate my favorite pop rock song of the year from Friedberger as 2011's answer to Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard." Like the Simon song, "I Won't Fall Apart On You Tonight" is upbeat and makes the hips swing, yet the song feels reflective and much more than just a bright pop rock song. This was my song of the summer and any track that can make this cynical asshole smile with each spin has a power that has to elevate it to one of my favorite tracks of the year.

06.

THE ANTLERS

"putting the dog to sleep"

One of the two songs on this list that actually made me tear up on first listen (#2 as well). One can't help but be drawn in immediately by the first line: "Prove to me....I'm not going to die alone". The line is posing a request that can't possibly be fulfilled truthfully and The Antlers explore this complication throughout the song. The song seems to wobble and at any moment is ready to fly out of the speakers, but it never does. The instability finds stability and while the comfort proposed at the start of the song is never granted, the song makes the listener feel human, alive, and that's all that was wanted in the first place.

05.

THE DELOREANS

"buffalo"

It's kind of sad, but "Buffalo" disproves the notion that if a band creates a hit then success quickly follows. The relatively unknown Deloreans crafted the most infectious rock song of the year but without a PR company or major label, the track found its place on a few music blogs and drifted away. It's a shame because "Buffalo" is a powerhouse of talent, emotion, and a chorus that has you hooked for days without ever becoming shameful like the top 40 hits of today. The guitars are sharp and lead singer J. Perry belts out his vocals with an out of this world energy. The quality of this song can't be ignored...at least by the few who get to hear it.

04.

M83

"midnight city"

Let's be honest, when M83 created that little synth blip that repeats throughout "Midnight City", they had to high five and know they had a hit. I don't have much to say about this track, either you're on your feet moving or you just don't get it. I compare "Midnight City" to the level of a Michael Jackson single, it's one of those songs you just can't understand if someone doesn't like it. It's the most infectious song of 2011 without compromising any of the artistic creativity that we've come to expect from M83. In ten years this song will come on at a party and everyone will be as excited to hear it then as they are today...it's one of those rare songs.

03.

GLEN CAMPBELL

"ghost on a canvas"

You're going to see Campbell's name all over our Best Of lists all week because his newest (and last) album is the most important record made this year. Campbell is slowly giving way to alzheimer's and gathered some of the best songwriters to help him create one last record, an album not only to say goodbye but look back on his fifty two studio album, fifty year career as one of the most important country/folk singers of all time. On the title track, Campbell turned to Paul Westerberg (yeah, The Replacements) to craft a nearly impossible song. The song tackles art and its relationship with immortality, what we leave behind, and the unknown next step. The power of this track and the whole album is that Campbell and his songwriters remain optimistic, much more concerned with showing off the beauty of life rather then dwelling in the future of Campbell's disease. It will be easy for a lot of indie music fans to shrug off this song and album, but if you enter this album with an open mind and care less about what is buzzing, you will find what Hank and I both strongly agree on: Ghost On The Canvas is the most important album of 2011.

02.

RADIOHEAD

"codex"

I'm not on earth when "Codex" is played. I'm somewhere else. Somewhere distant. This has always been the power of Radiohead for me as a listener. They transport me into their songs and to the worlds they create with musical imagery. It's probably the most difficult thing in songwriting, for a band to make a listener see sound and every second of "Codex" has a crystal clear image placed in my head. I could be surrounded by hundreds of people, but when this song comes on, I'm all alone, in the world Radiohead created for me based off my own visual projections of the sound. I can't explain how it works but I know the feeling is rare and something I always want from a song.

01.

VAN DYKE PARKS

"wall street"

Originally written in 2003 and made available for download for a short period, "Wall Street" was Park's examination of greed and brief moments from 9/11. In 2011, Parks re-tinkered with the song, adding lush orchestration and giving the entire song a musical show-tune feeling with Parks' lounge act vocal styling. This song is the ultimate juxtaposition as a casual listener can hear the beautiful arrangements if they want to, or if they dig in they discover the root of the song: greed, anger, the most violent moments from 9/11, and Parks' famous word play that made him one of the great songwriters of our time. The song slowly dissolves into the most heartbreaking moment of 2011 when Parks recounts a real life moment from 9/11 where a couple fall from a building, clutching each other until their death. Parks examines this moment with a poetic touch that marries itself to the music playing behind his vocals in such a way that my own notions of what is possible in music has changed. It will be easy for many to scoff at this choice because the melody is so sugary grandiose and Parks' approach as a singer isn't fashioned off the mainstream idea of a lead singer, but Parks achieves the highest levels of storytelling, composition, and thematic exploration in one song than many bands or artists can in their whole career.

LISTEN TO THE TOP TEN ON SPOTIFY

Mother Mother Sings Christmas Songs (Live Videos)

2011-12-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

WLFY and Canadian favorites Mother Mother (why America ignores this band I will never understand) took to the task of covering some of the best Christmas songs for CBC's Indie Christmas. I want these glorious tracks on album form now. These renditions are mind-blowing and once again cement Mother Mother as one of my favorite current bands.

From The Cedar Box: Alec K. Redfearn

2011-12-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

I met Alec K. Redfearn when I was studying painting at the Rhode Island School Of Design 13 years ago. I'd go out at night to play open mics at the little bars in town, drinking too much and trying to get over my stage fright. A lot of these great bars like the Custom House Tavern and the OLD Met Cafe are now gone, replaced with shiny glass and boutiques showcasing $70 coffee mugs. Thankfully, the West Side of Providence still retains much of it's charm. Many other neighborhoods as well remain untouched by the brushes of commercialism.

I stumbled upon the maniacally creative Alec K Redfearn one night downstairs at the Trinity Brewhouse in 1999, multiple televisions blaring the Red Sox game in the background. He was playing "Bird on the Wire" on his accordion. He was just sitting there on a chair with one microphone on a boom stand. Those ivories sang like a gothic, noir orchestra from outer space. Redfearn's originals are amazing, but because I had at the time been obsessed with Leonard Cohen, his cover song deeply resonated with me. Alec had the chiseled cheek bones of the Picasso Blue period painting "The Old Guitarist." He wasn't old, though. He just cut an equally fragile, sad, and beautiful visage of creative energy. This image is deeply ingrained in my mind. He is one of the most talented musicians I have ever known.

Redfearn's own material is deeply inventive and eclectic. He has played in many different bands over the years in Providence. His most active project is called Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores. I believe he has been, for the past 30 years, working around Providence as a full time musician, artist, and lifer. The project I am most interesting in turning people onto is Alec K Redfearn and the Eyesores. This music is definitely not for everyone. But, If you can appreciate extreme guts, grit, pain, wild imagination, and inventive melodies, then you will like this music. I cannot think of a genre tag to describe this. Genres do nothing but pigeonhole artists anyway.

Providence and surrounding areas have produced a ton of great bands, including Lighting Bolt, Arab On Radar, Les Savy Fav, Thowing Muses (newport), Belly, The Talking Heads (kind of). I have always considered Providence more my hometown than Boston because I spent ten years living there, played my first gigs there, and recorded my first record there. Nevertheless, living in this epicenter of cultural and musical diversity are a lot of musicians that I feel deserve more attention. ( I know one could say that about any town but I'm talking about Providence exclusively at this time). If I had my way, Alec K. Redfearn and The Eyesores would be a household name (at least for those who like eclectic bizarre music). Throughout the many years that I have been on the road, I have seen many bands. I do not intend on ever putting anyone down in a negative way in this column. So, let's just move on by saying that I have had some head scratching moments when seeing certain musicians rise to fame, certain musicians wallow in obscurity, and other die tragic deaths due to the hard living touring seems to go hand in hand with. Everyone knows the music industry is a hard pill to swallow.

During this same time I have watched many of my dearest friends struggling but sticking to their guns, and making music that not enough people here. So, I hope by turning you onto some new music, it will at least help them. And you might enjoy it too.

The reason that I have started my monthly column with Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores is that they are doing a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for their new record. They have very little time left. They are not close to reaching their goal at the moment and need all the help they can get. Every little bit helps. If you are having a hard time like so many of us economically, at least go check out their music. I think this video should also make you laugh. Alec is hilarious, and as dark as fuck. We make a lot of my videos together and it's an artist community, not a corporation, that we have built.

-Marissa Nadler

FROM THE CEDAR BOX is a monthly column featuring independent bands/artists as picked by singer/songwriter Marissa Nadler.

Track Of The Day: Hip Hatchet - "Coward's Luck"

2011-12-08T11:38:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since we've heard from one of our favorite musical discoveries since starting WLFY, Hip Hatchet. He's back with a three track EP to give a glance at what's to come on his next LP, set to be released on Gravitation Records (Tallest Man On Earth) in 2012. "Coward's Luck" like the other two tracks (set to be released tomorrow for free on Bandcamp) is a one take track that displays all the reasons we fell in love with Hip Hatchet in the first place: steady guitars, poetic lyrics, and a mystique that surrounds his personality as a singer/songwriter and elevates him to the heir of Nick Drake. Strong words I know, but one listen to his past LP, Men Who Share My Name, and hyperbole sounds like truth. Follow this guy closely, we think he could have a break out year in 2012...and at the very least another underground LP that displays Hip Hatchet as one of the best folk talents we have right now.

We are very excited to share with everyone the new Hip Hatchet EP entitled Coward’s Luck. After signing with Gravitation Records last spring and recording the full-length follow up to our debut album Men Who Share my Name, we wanted to release some new material while we worked out the logistics of the LP's release.

Coward’s Luck is comprised of three songs written over the course of the past few months. Recorded at the Badlands recording studio under the direction of engineer Tim Shrout, the recordings represent how the live sound has evolved since Hip Hatchet’s relocation to Portland. The songs were recorded in single takes featuring just two acoustic guitars and live vocals. Completed in a single day, Coward's Luck is a snapshot of this unique point in time for the band. The album cover is a reflection of this momentary process - a snapshot taken this fall by an old friend before Hip Hatchet’s first Seattle performance.

The video below features the EP's title track. Directed by Jake Nussbaum, it was filmed during the recording process. The video falls in line with the 'snapshot' theme and cuts between short clips of the studio session and other miscellaneous images from the day.

The EP will be available for free download on Friday December, 9^th via Hip Hatchet’s Bandcamp. Physical copies of Men Who Share My Name are also available for $10. Hip Hatchet is looking towards an exciting 2012 and is currently lining up shows for the winter.

Hip Hatchet Cowards Luck from Hip Hatchet on Vimeo.

Marissa Nadler To Join WLFY In 2012

2011-12-08T07:19:00.000-08:00

We're thrilled to announce that starting in 2012, the exquisite singer/songwriter Marissa Nadler will have a monthly column on WLFY that highlights underground and lesser know bands/artists. We started WLFY with the hope of sharing undiscovered music that we feel needs exposure and Nadler's column will fit right in with our mission statement. We've been big fans of her music for years and look forward to her column. Look out for Nadler's first post in 2012 along with a few new sections we're excited to roll out.

Track Of The Day - Just An Animal - "Kamikaze"

2011-12-07T12:09:00.001-08:00

Around this time of the year I slowly sink away into folk records that match the brutal weather outside. Occasionally a track comes out that feels like both summer and winter and snaps me out of my mood. Los Angeles' Just An Animal has helped shake me out of my folk haze with their upbeat, yet reflective album Lonely Hunter. The standout track is the opener, "Kamikaze" which waltzes around with a sharply plucked guitar, wave crashing synth, and gentle vocals that shake the song into place. Snow or sun, Just An Animal acts as the perfect backdrop to any season.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://justananimal.bandcamp.com/track/kamikaze"&amp;gt;Kamikaze by Just An Animal&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

WLFY MIX: Under Appreciated 2011

2011-12-06T12:08:00.001-08:00

We teamed up with Ex.fm to make their December mix. Hank and I decided with all the year end lists hitting around this time, it would be foolish to do anything but create a mix that displayed what we consider to be the most overlooked/under appreciated tracks of 2011. We hope you enjoy and find something new.

LISTEN HERE

Track Of The Day: Bowerbirds - "Tuck The Darkness In"

2011-12-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

North Carolina's Bowerbirds have not had a misstep over their two LP career. The folk group looks to go a perfect three for three with their newest release The Clearing out March 6th on Dead Oceans. If their new single, "Tuck The Darkness In" is any indication, they're well on their way. The most impressive quality of the Bowerbirds has to be the ease in which they reach moving, sometimes tender, sometimes explosive tracks. On "Tuck The Darkness In", the band slowly stirs emotion until a climax gives way to another climax...like walking over a hill to find a mountain still left to be climbed. The track gently exits with a woman beautifully crooning alongside matching strings that shake to a finish. There are a lot of bands that have one great album inside them, it appears the Bowerbirds have a whole career packed away and waiting to be shared for many years to come.

Bowerbirds - "Tuck The Darkness In"

BOWERBIRDS’ THE CLEARING TRACKLISTING:

01. Tuck the Darkness In

02. In the Yard

03. Walk the Furrows

04. Stitch the Hem

05. This Year

06. Brave World

07. Hush

08. Overcome with Light

09. Sweet Moment

10. Death Wish

11. Now We Hurry On

BOWERBIRDS’ TOUR DATES:
Sat. March 17 -- Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle

Wed. March 21 -- Washington, DC @ Black Cat

Thu. March 22 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's

Fri. March 23 -- New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Sat. March 24 -- Boston, MA @ Paradise

Mon. March 26 -- Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa

Tue. March 27 -- Toronto, ON @ The Garrison

Thu. March 29 -- Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

Sat. March 31 -- Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center

Tue. April 3 -- Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

Wed. April 4 -- Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

Fri. April 6 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Independent

Sat. April 7 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

Sun. April 8 -- San Diego, CA @ Casbah

Wed. April 11 -- Austin, TX @ The Parish

Thu. April 12 -- Dallas, TX @ The Loft

Sat. April 14 -- Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree

Sun. April 15 -- Atlanta, GA @ The Earl

Peaking Lights - "Hey Sparrow" (Music Video)

2011-12-01T21:47:00.001-08:00

I really enjoy the simplicity of this music video from Peaking Lights for their song "Hey Sparrow". Wonderfully shot and smartly colored, the video focuses on the imagination of a child alone. The genius, at least for most of the video, is that we're never shown the imagination and what's going on inside the mind of the child. What results is projection for the viewer, who must sit and watch the innocent acts and remind themselves of how they use to wander and pretend when alone. There is a twist at the end that muddies the video from being perfect for me, but even with that hiccup, this is one of the better videos of 2011.

Track Of The Day: Whistle Peak - "Wings Won't Behave"

2011-12-01T13:25:00.001-08:00

Louisville's Whistle Peak have a crafted a song in "Wings Won't Behave" that I like to image would be the music Tears For Fears could be making today if they were still around. The song opens with a cheery melody filled with strummed strings and wandering percussion that floats around throughout the track. The vocals enter straightforward and then dip occasionally into a sober tone that adds a layer of darkness and depth to the track. The magic of "Wings Won't Behave" is at first listen the song feels focused on one element, but upon further examination there is an underbelly of thoughts and musical tinkering that elevates the song to a new level of importance. Give it a spin and keep your ears peeled for the subtle nuances of "Wings Won't Behave"...you won't be disappointed if you do.

Whistle Peak, "Wings Won't Behave" by karatebody

Half Asleep Upon Echo Falls will be available in late January/early February on digital, CD, teal 12” LP, with first pressing limited to 250 copies on Karate Body Records. Pre-order details will be announced soon.

Album Tracklisting:
1. Big and Bright
2. Hurry, Hurry
3. Wings Won’t Behave
4. Elephants
5. Play the Ghost
6. Us Two Can Play
7. Land to Land
8. Sleepy Pants
9. In a Boat on a Lake
10. Sailor
11. The Laws