general

The New Pornographers

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It’s funny, these blogs. Although I’m fairly new to this, I’ve noticed one pattern: a leaked track causes such a buzz a few months before an album’s release date that by the time the album is actually released, it seems like old news. I suppose that’s the nature of the cycle. Regardless, lest we forget, Twin Cinema, the new long player from The New Pornographers comes out next week.

The store at Matador Records is offering a pretty sweet deal: $10 for a preorder, which includes a limited edition (aren’t they all?) 7″ with an unreleased song. (While you’re there, preorder the “special edition” of Interpol’s Antics, which includes a bonus disc with five tracks. Only $10.) Or you can buy Twin Cinema at Amazon here and get instant access to an audio stream of the entire album. Really, you can’t go wrong either way.

Anyway, I’m a sucker for anything with Neko Case. So here’s to rekindling the buzz:

The New Pornographers | Use It (courtesy Matador)
The New Pornographers | Twin Cinema (courtesy Matador)
The New Pornographers | The Bones of an Idol (courtesy … um, me)

general

The Greenhornes

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The Greenhornes will be in Phoenix this week, opening for the White Stripes. I’ve only recently heard of the Greenhornes, but I’m really enjoying their new EP East Grand Blues (produced and recorded by Brendan Benson). For background: The Greenhornes, from Cincinnati, were the backing band on Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose album, and bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler will serve as the rhythm section for the Raconteurs, the on-the-side collaboration of Jack White and Benson.

The music — with its brooding low-end melodies — is eerily reminiscent of ’60s bands like the Animals and the Byrds; that’s not to say the Greenhornes are copycats. The influence is obvious, but there’s a bit of a modern garage rock update to it. For comparison’s sake, I’ve digitzed the Byrds’ Turn! Turn! Turn! and the Animals’ Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood from vinyl 45s. (I think if you listen to I’m Going Away and Turn! Turn! Turn! back to back, you’ll hear the influence.)

The Greenhornes | I’m Going Away
The Greenhornes | Shelter of Your Arms
The Byrds | Turn! Turn! Turn!
The Animals | Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

sports

Mark Grace and the F-bomb

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The Cubs and Cardinals are on ESPN right now, so I’m in a baseball mood. For those of you that didn’t hear the news last week, Mark Grace, a Diamondbacks color analyst and one of my favorite former Cubs players, let the F-bomb slip on-air about four times during what he thought was a private conversation with a producer during a D-Backs/Marlins game. A faulty “talk-back” button was blamed for the, uh, malfunction.

Gracie basically takes a few shots at D-Backs catcher Chris Snyder, unknowingly airing it to regional Fox viewers. Can’t Stop the Bleeding, a fine sports blog, has an MP3, including play-by-play man Thom Brennaman’s apology. Hilarious. (So far, I’ve seen no comments from Snyder.)

Also, baseball fans should make Yard Work a daily read. I won’t do it justice trying to explain its contents. Just read it.

Uncategorized

Indie ringers on your cellphone

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… Have you checked out Bliptones? For $1.99 apiece, you can download a whole slew of indie songs for your cell phone: The Decemberists, Death Cab (“ba, baaaaa, this is the sound of settling”), Sleater-Kinney, My Morning Jacket and a bunch more. I went with a DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist ringer.

… Does anyone have thoughts/opinions on the Andy Milonakis Show on MTV? I’m ashamed to say I laughed when I sat down and watched it last week.

… Upcoming local shows:

And, oh yeah, 41 days until Austin.

Just a little weekend treat:

Jurassic 5 | Concrete Schoolyard (Funky Precedent edit)

general, radio rips

Brendan Benson on Sirius Left of Sessions

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OK, so I flaked on Flashback Friday. But South of Mainstream has you covered there.

Instead, I spent the morning recording and meticulously trimming (via Audio Hijack Pro and Audacity) Brendan Benson’s set on the Sirius satellite radio show Left of Sessions: Seven tracks, including a Gram Parsons cover of Strong Boy.

With Audio Hijack, I think the sound turned out decent; the Internet stream tends to sound a little tinny from Sirius. Any feedback on the sound is appreciated. (Songs are listed alphabetically, not in the order he played them.)

Brendan Benson | Alternative to Love
Brendan Benson | Between Us
Brendan Benson | Cold Hands (Warm Heart)
Brendan Benson | Get It Together
Brendan Benson | Spit It Out
Brendan Benson | Strong Boy (Gram Parsons cover)
Brendan Benson | What I’m Looking For

general

Radar Bros.

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So, I’m wholly convinced now that I will like just about anything put out on Merge Records. If one of my favorite artists, Richard Buckner, moving to that label wasn’t enough, I’ve fallen for the new album by the Radar Bros., The Fallen Leaf Pages.

I picked it up on whim — having not listened to any of their previous albums — and can’t stop playing it. It’s moody, open-ended, unassuming and always seems to creep close to these sonic crescendos before fading into this lilting guitar-piano-drum amazement. I like how the songs take their time — as if there’s no rush to find the end.

Buy it here.


Radar Bros. | Is That Blood (personal favorite)
Radar Bros. | The River Shade
Radar Bros. | Papillon

Uncategorized

Da Ali G Show — Booyakasha!

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Thought I’d take a break from music and change it up a little. Da Ali G Show could be one of the funniest shows on TV, in my opinion. Sasha Baron Cohen plays three roles in the show: Ali G, a wannabe British gangsta born “in da heart off da Staines ghetto”; Borat, a confused TV reporter from Kazakhstan; and Bruno, an Austrian fashion reporter.

This Slate article talks about how Cohen is able to dupe some pretty prominent Americans (Newt Gingrich, Buzz Aldrin, Sam Donaldson) into appearing on the show for “interviews” with Ali G. My favorite, though, is Borat, who attempts to explore American culture while practically offending everyone in his path.

Here’s a couple of clips from the first season. (Sound clips were transferred to MP3 using Audio Hijack Pro.)

Ali G asks Buzz Aldrin if man will ever walk on the sun.
Borat interviews at a dating agency.

hip-hop

Boom Bap Project

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OK, I just purchased Boom Bap Project’s full-length debut Reprogram last night and had to share. A member of the absurdly cool Rhymesayers roster (hello, Atmosphere anybody?), this Seattle-based trio is on tour with Hieroglyphics right now, which is validation enough in my mind. And Reprogram is exactly the kind of hip-hop I love: fresh beats and energetic emcees on the positive tip. Guest spots include Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) and Rakaa Iriscience (Dilated Peoples).


Boom Bap Project: Welcome to Seattle
Boom Bap Project: Rock the Spot (recommended … highly)

BONUS:
Boom Bap live on KEXP (performance + interview)

hip-hop

Pete Miser

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“Emo” isn’t the sole property of indie rock. B-boys have feelings, too. Check Pete Miser for proof. The New York emcee, via Portland, Ore., wears his feelings on his mic on his newest release Camouflage is Relative.

Narrative prose — a la Slick Rick — is Miser’s strength. He embodies the hip-hop culture but eschews the machismo posturing that is so transparent in commercial rap. He’s an emo emcee, but he can flip a phrase with the best. On I See You, Miser raps to the object of his affection: “I’m so grimy in comparison it’s embarrassin’ / You got me weak in the knees like Nancy Kerrigan.” Final is like a diary entry about his ex in which Miser tries to excuse his emotions: “I bet this is going to seem a surprise / but I still catch them feelings when I look in her eyes.”

But no track jumps like the opener, So Sensitive, even if — or maybe because — the stuttering guitar loops recall N.W.A.’s If It Ain’t Ruff. This is where Miser flaunts his verbal prowess but bares his soul, too: “Weigh a buck fifty with a backpack / still dumb enough to slap Shaq and tell him he raps wack.” But on the chorus, he opines: “It ain’t easy being me / with all these insecurities / I’m such a sensitive emcee.”

Topped by tight production, Miser is an underground hip-hop gem.

So Sensitive (mp3)
Scent of a Robot (mp3)
Table Scraps (mp3)
Final (mp3)

covers, vinyl

45: Come Together/Soundgarden cover

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Another trip to the record store this weekend, another vinyl 45 score: The Beatles Come Together for 99 cents (B-side is Something). It even had (what I think is) the original Apple Records sleeve. The collection for the jukebox gets sweeter by the day.

So I thought I’d share, along with a Soundgarden cover from Loudest Love, a seven-song Japanese import from 1990. I’ve always had an affinity for Soundgarden, and I won’t apologize for that.


The Beatles: Come Together
Soundgarden: Come Together