Dallas Show Dates and Jessica Alba

you're welcome

Well, it's about time. The oppressive Dallas summer is almost over, which means the indie kids can come back to town and play music for us. The number of quality shows in Dallas usually has an inverse relationship w/ the temperature, and this fall looks amazing so far.

I will be attending as many of these as humanly possible, so make your travel plans accordingly, and if you don't give a shit about Dallas show dates, just look at that Jessica Alba montage some more:

Brian Jonestown Massacre Aug. 13, Good Records Instore/Trees
Common, De la Soul Aug. 15, Gypsy
The Killers Aug. 18, Nokia Live
Wrens Aug. 27, Hailey's
Interpol Sept. 9, Nokia Live
The Polyphonic Spree Sept. 10 & 11, Granada Theater
Almost Every Band I Like Sept. 23-25, Austin City Limits Festival
The Arcade Fire, The Black Keys Sept. 23, Stubbs
The Bravery, Maximo Park Sept. 23, Trees
M83 Sept. 23, Hailey's
Built To Spill, The Decemberists Sept. 24, La Zona Rosa
Mates Of State Sept. 25, Hailey's
Built To Spill, The Walkmen Sept. 26, Gypsy
Four Tet Oct. 7, Hailey's
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Oct. 12, Gypsy
Gang of Four Oct. 13, Gypsy
The Go! Team Oct. 15, Trees
Iron & Wine, Calexico Oct. 29, Ridglea Theater
Metric Nov. 11, Gypsy

mp3

Iron & Wine Waitin' For A Superman (Flaming Lips cover)

2 New Artists You Should Know

I'm going to be honest with you guys (is that cool?) It took me a while to get into the dance/no-wave stuff (is that even what you call it?) that the NYC kids have been loving for the last couple years. Yeah, I know it's a shock, but I was really behind the curve on this one (Hell, Matt even beat me to posting on these guys). I've always been more of an indie-pop/hiphop/lo-fi guy, as you guys may have noticed (remember when I posted on Sufjan everyday for like 2 weeks straight?), only occasionally delving into dance-disco-punk bands (like the Rapture or Moving Units) when I was in a rare mood.

However, I recently discovered Proton Proton, from Brooklyn, and they've been rocking the shit out of my iPod as of late. They're young, loud (hard to believe it's only 3 people making all that noise), and I have a feeling their brand of dance-punk sounds even better live, in a sweaty-ass club, than on an mp3. Check them out:

Lock Picker
Chinese Dancer
Zygote

*************************

Let's change gears, shall we?



While I was checking out Proton Proton on MySpace, I discovered Jenda Wight. She is also out of Brooklyn, has yet to officially release anything, she doesn't have a website yet, and it was only one year ago that she moved from the midwest to NYC with 200 bucks in her pocket in hopes of starting a music career (now that is indie). And you can hear it in her songs: this is a talented young artist trying to find her sound, and she's on the right track.

She's got the right influences (she lists Patty Griffin, Fiona Apple, and Pinback(!), among others), she's got the talent (that innocently beautiful, instantly familiar voice), and she seems to be a really sweet girl.

Now, before you even say it, I know this isn't the type of music you expect to hear on gorilla vs. bear. I also realize it can be next to impossible for young female singer-songwriters with Jenda's talent level and beauty to stay focused on taking chances and developing into relevant artists, when the easy route would be to just cash in on her good looks and pretty voice. And, honestly, at this point she could choose to go in either direction. But I have a feeling this girl will be all right.

mp3s

Wishing Well mp3
Searching For You mp3
Talk Slow mp3

for more Jenda Wight, check out her MySpace page

Okay

Every once in a while, Pitchfork will drop an exclusive bit of news that reminds me why I still read Pitchfork:


Wu Tang

Pitchfork reports that Babygrande and the Think Differently Music Group will release material from "an unprecedented pairing of Wu-Tang artists, producers, and affiliates with some of independent hip-hop's East and West Coast elite".


MF Doom

Apparently, the "elite" includes "the RZA, MF Doom, GZA, Aesop Rock, Del the Funky Homosapien, and many more artists, producers, and even award winning filmmaker Jim Jarmusch", who have all "come together for what will be a historic moment in hip-hop." Holy shit.


Del

According to Pitchfork, Think Differently Music: Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture will "be in stores on October 18, and the first single, "Biochemical Equation" featuring the RZA and MF Doom, will make its premiere on iTunes in August." Not much hip hop gets me excited these days, but I can't wait for this.



aesop rock

If you don't know:

mp3s

(I'm back to using Savefile for now, I know it's a pain in the ass, but if you don't have these, trust me, it's worth it)

Aesop Rock Cook It Up
Gza Shadowboxin'(ft. Method Man)
Madvillain (MF Doom) All Caps
Deltron 3030 Mastermind
Wu Tang Triumph
Gza 4th Chamber (ft. Meth, Raekwon, Ghostface, etc.)

SubPop Is So Hot Right Now

The Fruit Bats new album, "Spelled In Bones" was released on SubPop Tuesday (July 26). I haven't made it to the record store yet, but I'm getting it this weekend, and I suggest you do too, if you like bands like the Shins, or the lo-fi folk pop of Iron & Wine. Fruit Bats will also be touring the U.S. in the fall w/ label-mates Rogue Wave and Chad VanGaalen.

Here's a track from the new album:

Lives of Crime

And a couple older tracks:

A Bit of Wind
Slipping Through The Sensors

Some Bonus Subpop goodness:

Iron & Wine Jesus The Mexican Boy
Low California
Rogue Wave Every Moment

Check Out This Band

I really like what I've heard so far from Silversun Pickups, an LA-based band whose debut EP, Pikul, was released on Tuesday (July 26).

From the band's website:

"The six-song EP Pikul – its title is a tribute to a dear friend who died – covers a range of emotional territory, though that terrain is not always clearly mapped. Asked about “Kissing Families,” the record’s lead track, Aubert says, “It communicates a certain emotional tone more than anything else.” He points out a “positive melancholy,” then reiterates, “Even though the lyrics are abstract, people tend to get the tone right."

I love this song, you should probably download it right now:

Kissing Families

Buy the EP

Today's Guilty Pleasure (and other stuff)

Avenue D shakes that ass

My ex-girlfriend (hi Jenny) introduced me to Avenue D, an electroclash-hiphop duo from Miami, last summer. Not my usual thing, but these girls (Daphne D. and Debbie D.) make fun music you can shake your ass to, and as you can tell from these photos, they know how to rock a party. Their bio compares them to everyone from 2 Live Crew to Cyndi Lauper to Jem and The Holograms, and that's pretty spot on. I love their song "Do I Look Like A Slut" (for obvious reasons), and I recently found a new(?) track called "You Love This Ass", and it is hilariously danceable, if that makes any sense. How can you not love these girls w/ song titles like that and lyrics like this:

Do I look like a slut?
Is it the way I move my butt?
Is it how my clothes are cut?
I don't give a fu**, AND what!


"Do I look like a slut?" Umm, honestly? Yeah, kinda.

Anyway, here are a couple tracks:

Do I Look Like A Slut?
Too Drunk To Fu**
(links dead)

You can get Avenue D's "You Love This Ass" over at Fluxblog (scroll down to July 21st post...highly recommended)

Buy the CD, or a t-shirt

******************

Other stuff:

Check out Dodge's Lollapalooza recap (Day 1/Day 2) It's much bigger and better than mine, that guy covered everything. Great stuff. Man I need a new camera.

Kevin over at So Much Silence hooks us up w/ some vinyl-only Digable Planets remixes he converted to mp3. He's the only one I know that's doing this, and so far he's hooked us up w/ some amazing stuff (Bloc Party remixes, the Digable stuff, and the motherfu**ing Super Bowl Shuffle), so check it out.

If you don't already, make sure you check out Prefixblog every day. It's run by Dave over at Prefixmag, and he does an awesome job covering everything from indie rock to hip hop, entertainment and blog news, and downloads from all over the blogosphere. He's really doing a great job over there.

Welcome To the Midwest has another Death Cab song from the new album, Plans. The song is called "Marching Bands Of Manhattan", and I think it's better than "Soul Meets Body".

You have to go to Lemon Red to get the newest leaked track from Dangerdoom's (MF Doom and Dangermouse) upcoming album, "The Mouse and the Mask". This track is called "The Mask", and it features one of the best mc's ever, Ghostface. I can not wait for this album for real.

Update: Go to Scenestars immediately for tracks from the new Wolf Parade album, The New Pornographers new one, and another Dangerdoom song, this one featuring Cee-Lo.

Also, Matt has some really great mp3s of indie bands (Rilo Kiley, Sufjan, etc.) covering top 40 hits. This was a great idea on his part, check it out.

mp3

completely unrelated bonus mp3 for making it to the end of this post...this song just came up on shuffle on my iPod and I was reminded how good it is:

Menomena E is Stable

Huge Lollapalooza Recap: Part II (w/ pics)

As I mentioned before, this weekend was amazing...here are some pics of the weekend and some random observations and highlights from Lollapalooza...Dodge got a lot more pics than me, and they're a lot better, so be sure to check for his:

When I arrived at O'Hare, as I was waiting for my ride into the city, I got to meet this Austin band you might've heard of, and they even put on an impromptu pre-Lollapalooza show right there at the airport:


...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

This is our ghetto fabulous hotel...and not all of the sheets were bloody, only mine. But Dee hooked me up w/ a clean sheet. Thanks Dee! Plus it was great to be right across the street from Grant Park.



One of the highlights of the weekend was the B-Boy battle royale breakdown thing they had, where crews of break dancers battled each other, "You Got Served" style...here's one of the dancers warming up, the guy w/ the mohawk on the right actually opened up for Digable Planets.



This duo from Akron, OH, was awesome. It was the first time I had seen them live, and they were amazing.


The Black Keys

Here's Kazu from Blonde Redhead walking her dog after their set. I only caught a couple songs, but they were good.



Okay, now for me, the two biggest highlights of the weekend were the Digable Planets performance, and the Arcade Fire's unbelievable set. Dodge and I were up close for both, and trust me, both acts made TONS of new fans. And if you watched the bands that were playing opposite these two (Weezer or G. Love), I feel sorry for you.


Ladybug Mecca, looking as hot as ever


Regine and Will sound-checking


Regine and Will show the crowd their better sides


the band absolutely kills "Laika"

Other highlights:

The Dead 60s, who I had never heard, were great and if you get the chance to see them live, do it.

Watching this guy dance...I swear he was on the stage for every single performance we saw all weekend...we met him and Dodge's wife MJ got a picture w/ him.

During Tegan & Sara's abbreviated set, the heat almost knocked out Sara, who had to sit down. Tegan said, "All my dreams have come true, Sara has left the band". Pretty funny, but they had to cut the set short, when after a couple of valiant efforts, Sara couldn't continue. The heat was pretty brutal.

Listening to Anton Newcombe from Brian Jonestown Massacre absolutely rip Dashboard Confessional, who were playing opposite them. He said something along the lines of "I wish Bon Jovi over there would shut the fu** up", and something about how a Dashboard poster above your bed would be the most effective form of birth control.

Listening to The Walkmen's set while watching the Digable Planets soundcheck, and finding out Butterfly is a fan of the band...he sang along and knew every word.

Watching ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's drummer trash not one, but two drum sets at the end of their set. Most enthusiastic and destructful instrument thrashing I've ever seen.

Cracking up at what a douchebag The Bravery's lead singer is. This guy is way less important/talented than he thinks he is. I watched one song and I couldn't take anymore.

Other bands I saw and really enjoyed: Death Cab For Cutie, Spoon, The Killers, Ben Kweller, and a bunch more I can't remember right now. I'm pretty sure Dodge got a bunch of pics of all of these so be sure to check them out as soon as he gets around to posting them.

Lollapalooza Photos: Part I

Well, this weekend was pretty much f-ing amazing. Dodge, his wife, and all of their friends were the coolest people, the bands at Lollapalooza didn't disappoint (holy shit the Arcade Fire gets better every time I see them), and we all had a great time.

However, I didn't get a chance to prepare a full post w/ all the pictures I took (hopefully later today or tomorrow), because I ended up spending all day yesterday at the O'Hare Airport thanks to a cancelled flight. But it turns out even that was awesome: I wasn't the only one having airline issues. I saw these guys, and I was like, "Hey guys, my fu**ing flight got cancelled", and they were like, "Yeah, ours too, this sucks, we just want to get back to Seattle."


Death Cab For Cutie Says Hi

Then as I was waiting endlessly to try to get on a standby flight, I ran into this guy, who happens to be one of my favorite rappers and part of one of the best hip hop groups of all time (check my previous post), not to mention one of the highlights of Lollapalooza:


me w/ Ish aka Butterfly

Anyway, he was probably the nicest musician I've ever met. We talked for about 15 minutes while we waited for our flight (we were on the same fu**ing flight!) about the group, Lollapalooza, the new Digable Planets album, and he even asked to see the pictures I had on my camera...he saw the Death Cab airport photo, and was like "Yo, is that Def Cab?? Where they at?". Then he looked at a few of the pics Dodge and I took of Digable's Lollapalooza performance, and he claims he remembers posing for this one for us:



I got some more pretty great pics that I'll hopefully post later today, and Dodge got some even better ones, so make sure to hit up his blog (like you don't already). And a huge thanks has to go out to Dodge and his crew (MJ, J-Bo, Annie, Dee, Tara, Melinda, and Dirk) for making my trip so great. You guys are the shit.

Check back later for a more complete weekend wrap-up and more pics: in the meantime, here's a couple joints for you:

Death Cab Love Song (cure cover)
Digable Planets Nickel Bags

See You Next Week

Where Dodge will be spending most of his time

I'm about to get on a plane headed to Chicago for the "not-as-cool-as-Intonation Festival" festival, Lollapalooza. But for my money, I'm glad I'm going to this one. First, I get to hang out w/ Dodge and a bunch of hot girls. Second, there are some kickass bands playing that I can not wait to see: the reunited Digable Planets, the Arcade Fire (for the 3rd time), The Walkmen, The Black Keys, Pixies, etc. So I won't be posting until at least Monday night, when I'll hopefully have some decent pics to share. Have a good weekend...I'll leave you w/ a few (sort of) Chi-town related hip hop tracks (i don't feature nearly enough hip hop on here, do I?):


Common w/ Erykah Badu

Hieroglyphics Chicago
Common Chi-City
Black Star (feat. Common) Respiration

...and one decidedly un-hip-hop Chi-town related song:

Sufjan Stevens Chicago (Live on KCRW) courtesy of Aaron

Oh--also head over to So Much Silence where you'll find some mp3s of Bloc Party remixes by Pretty Girls Make Graves, Blood Brothers, and others that Kevin converted from vinyl...I haven't seen these remixes anywhere else, so check them out.

Yet Another Reason Detroit Totally Kicks Ass

If you live in Detroit, PLEASE go to this tonight and tell me how it was, so I can live vicariously through you. It's Free! Take pictures. Please?

Via whatevs:



Hosted by the super-hot Betty Marie Best, of Saturday Looks Good To Me (who I love), and members of PAS/CAL (who is also really cool).

mp3



Saturday Looks Good To Me:

Meet Me By The Water (highly recommended!)
Lift Me Up
Underwater Heartbeat

PAS/CAL:

The Bronze Beached Boys
Oh Honey, We're Ridiculous
What Happened To The Sands

Bonus: Betty Marie Best and PAS/CAL cover Blondie!

Call Me

New Franz Ferdinand

Two new unreleased Franz Ferdinand tracks from their upcoming album:

Do You Want It (first single--live)
I'm Your Villain (demo)

Bonus:

Scissor Sisters Take Me Out (Franz Ferdinand cover)

Jon Brion--Stairway To Heaven

photo from Blunt Review

You probably know uber-producer Jon Brion from his work on movie soundtracks (Eternal Sunshine, Punch Drunk Love, I Heart Huckabees, etc.) and his production work on albums from Fiona Apple and Kanye West. But he also does his own solo thing, and this 14 minute long cover of Stairway To Heaven is from a set he did at Tonic in NYC on April 27. (i found this over at the prefix.com message board--always lots of good stuff over there).

mp3 (follow link to download)

Jon Brion Stairway To Heaven (live)

"Bedroom Genius"

It's an absolute (indie-rock) travesty that more people haven't heard of Chad VanGaalen. His debut LP, Infiniheart, was one of the best albums of 2004, yet it wasn't formally released in the U.S. (I happened to get a copy because I live by one of the best record stores ever and it was playing one day when I went in, so I immediately bought it) But hopefully that's all going to change, because he recently signed to SubPop, and I assume Infiniheart will see a wider release soon.

"Infiniheart finds melody in complex selections of notes and sounds, a la Sufjan Stevens's Greetings From Michigan, and the experimentation is undoubtedly a success, as VanGaalen proves that we haven't yet exhausted the chord combinations that will yield an enjoyable tune...this is a heartbreaking work of staggering genius."

-- from Prefixmag's Review

mp3:
(recommended for fans of Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens, Modest Mouse, or just good music in general)

1000 Pound Eyelids
Clinically Dead
Kill Me In My Sleep

Get a couple more tracks from the Flemish Eye website.
Check out Chad VanGaalen's SubPop site.

New Nada Surf

Poster by The Small Stakes

From the upcoming album "the weight is a gift" out Sept. 13 on Barsuk:

Nada Surf Do It Again mp3

This Weekend

So I'm flying to Chicago on Friday morning to meet up w/ Dodge and his harem crew of hot girls for Lollapalooza, and I'm really excited. Even despite the fact that Dodge booked us in this hotel. Haha. Check out this glowing review of the place we'll be staying:

"There was even blood stains on the sheets which I did not see until I woke up in the morning. I couldn't get out fast enough. Then I had to climb up 8 flights of stairs after waiting 20 minutes for an elevator. Water was shut off to our room. People were passed out in the hallways. Glass was breaking from all areas of the hotel. Mayor Daley should stay here like Mayor Jane Byrne did with Cabrini Green [public housing projects]. I believe he would not like it, and would not like people coming to sightsee in Chicago to sleep in a place of such quality. Chicago is wonderful city with lots of beautiful places to see. UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE CONGRESS HOTEL."

Karen Brownlow
Chicago, IL
1/01/04

Blood on the sheets? People passed out in the hallways? Broken glass everywhere? Kick Ass! Sounds like my kinda place. Oh well, as Dodge's girl Dee reminded me, we won't be spending much time there anyway.

Anyway, if you're going, you should holler at us and maybe hang out for a while. This is my tentative itinerary, I know I'm leaving something out, but I'll probably just be running around Grant Park trying to catch as much of as many bands as possible:



Saturday
M83
Ambulance Ltd.
Kaiser Chiefs Every Day I Love You Less and Less mp3
Brian Jonestown Massacre
Blonde Redhead
The Black Keys
Z-Trip
The Walkmen or The Pixies (or both)
Digable Planets
Weezer

Sunday
OK Go
The Ponys
Dinosaur, Jr.
Tegan & Sara
Ben Kweller
The Arcade Fire
Spoon
The Killers Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself (Morrissey cover)
Death Cab

Vashti Bunyan

Most of you that listen to "New Weird America" or "freak-folk" artists like Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective, and Joanna Newsom have probably at least heard the name, if not the music, of Vashti Bunyan. She is a legendary British psych-folk artist that all of the previously mentioned artists have named as not only an influence, but an inspiration. If you've never heard her, think of a female Nick Drake, and you're getting close. I know what you're thinking...yeah, sounds good, but what does Pitchfork have to say about her?

Just Another Diamond Day is, in its own humble way, nearly a thing of perfection...it's unlikely that you'll encounter another album as charming or transporting. . .any time soon.

Vashti Bunyan recently signed w/ FatCat Records (home of Sigur Ros & Animal Collective, among others) and will likely release an album of new material in late 2005.



Listen:

Vashti Bunyan Diamond Day
Vashti Bunyan Winter Is Blue
Devendra Banhart w/ Vashti Bunyan Rejoicing in the Hands
Animal Collective w/ Vashti Bunyan Prospect Hummer (i know i posted this song recently, but here it is again in case you missed it)

Buy "Just Another Diamond Day"

A Thousand Times Yes to Rachel McAdams

So South of Mainstream is once again a step ahead of me. They introduced me to this band:


A Thousand Times Yes

A Thousand Times Yes hail from my original hometown of Detroit, MI. They play upbeat, melodic pop-rock (rock-pop?) with the kind of energetic boy/girl vocals that I absolutely love. Real Detroit has this to say about the band:

"If Mates of State were keyboard-free and less annoying, they might achieve something close to this."

Umm, yeah, count me in. Check them out:

Love Song For Me
Yes, Michigan
Body Of My Own

***********

On an unrelated note, I saw "Wedding Crashers" this weekend...I have a new celebrity crush, and her name is Rachel McAdams:





I didn't even realize that she was the same girl who played the head "Plastic" in Mean Girls:



Anyway, she was so hot in Wedding Crashers I'm almost tempted to rent The Notebook just to see more of her. I said almost.

Cover Song Monday

Hopefully this will make your Monday a little more bearable...



A well done cover song is one of my favorite things, and today I chose some covers that are absolutely NOT direct rehashes of the originals. But direct rehashes never make great covers anyway. These covers are all, umm, interesting takes on classic songs, in which the artist appears to make an attempt to claim the song as their own, or at least put their unique spin on it. Some work really well, in my opinion, while others I'm not so sure of. Let's start w/ two kickass covers by one of my favorite new(ish) bands, TV on the Radio:

TV On The Radio Mr. Grieves (Pixies cover-- acapella doo wop style)
TV On The Radio Modern Romance (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)

More covers:



Cat Power Wonderwall (Oasis cover)
Ada Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hyperballad (Bjork cover)
Vitaminsforyou No Cars Go (Arcade Fire cover)
M Ward Let's Dance (Bowie cover)
Sonic Youth Superstar (Carpenters cover)
Built To Spill Linus And Lucy (Vince Guaraldi cover)
(this song probably deserves it's own post)

Elsewhere...

Speaking of TV on The Radio, they have a blog (w/ cool candid shots of the band). On it, they unveiled the tracklist for their upcoming LP. I think. Here it is:

Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb

I've got a huge treat for you guys today...if you've never heard this album you have no idea how lucky you are that today will be your first time. In all seriousness, I feel that Tripping Daisy's 1998 album, "Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb" is one of the most underrated albums of, well, ever.

Pitchfork gave the album an 8.3, and Cokemachine Glow called it "an indie-rock masterpiece and one of the finest records of the '90s". I think of this record as Tim Delaughter exploring his vision of what would later become The Polyphonic Spree. It's epic, and it's beautiful.

From Pitchfork:

"Tripping Daisy crosses the road at the intersection of Built To Spill and Brian Wilson, with lyrics straight off of Robert Pollard's Guided By Voices lyricpad. From the kickass "Field Day Jitters"...to the downright classic "Sonic Bloom," Tripping Daisy prove they've gotten over their weaknesses and are ready to make something of themselves."

Dude, if Pitchfork is spewing superlatives like that about a band that most of the world probably knows only for "I've Got A Girl", you know this shit has to be good. But don't take my word for it, have a listen:



Tripping Daisy Sonic Bloom
Tripping Daisy Waited A Light Year
Tripping Daisy Tiny Men

Recently, ex-Tripping Daisy members announced that the band will be releasing an anthology box set, with songs from throughout the band's 9-year career, including several never before-released tracks.

Check out the (former) band's awesome new website

Greatest Motion Picture Of All Time

Okay, I have no idea what this movie is about (i think it takes place in an ocean), no clue who's in it (except Jessica Alba), hell, i barely even know the title of the movie ("blue" something). But based on these promotional photos alone, I think it's safe to say it will be the greatest movie ever. (man it's good no one reads this shit on the weekends, or else i might lose that last shred of credibility i'm clinging to)









mp3: Spiritualized I Think I'm In Love

New Animal Collective Cover Art

Animal Collective--"Feels"

This gets my early vote for album cover of the year, w/ the new Devendra Banhart coming in a close second. The "Cripple Crow" cover is so awesome, yet it really fu**ing creeps me out for some reason (what is up w/ those ghostly images in the trees?). I'm convinced Devendra is either absolutely insane, fu**ing brilliant, or both. What do you guys think?


Devendra Banhart--"Cripple Crow"

mp3:

Animal Collective & Vashti Bunyan Prospect Hummer

"Feels" comes out Oct. 18.
"Cripple Crow" comes out Sept. 13.

Slicker This Year

You've probably checked out Funtime OK's Intonation Previews, and Dreams of Horses is promising a series of ACL previews, but I'm too lazy to profile the bands from the festival I'm going to next weekend: Lollapalooza. Plus the good bands playing at Lollapalooza (the Arcade Fire, The Pixies, Spoon, Death Cab, etc.) probably don't really need any more profiling. But I figured I'd feature at least one, and it's the one i'm most excited to see: the Digable Planets.


Ish

Now this makes me feel really old, but I haven't seen these guys perform in over 10 years (since I was 16...I'm 27 now), and as far as I'm concerned (despite having only released two LPs), Butterfly (Ish), Ladybug Mecca, and Doodglebug rank right up there w/ my favorite hip hop acts of all time along w/ A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, etc. Plus I had a huge crush on Ladybug Mecca:


ladybug

The group broke up after releasing only two full-lengths, the jazzy, upbeat, grammy-award winning "Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time and Space", and the more militant, blacker (?), and therefore not as widely embraced "Blowout Comb" (which is just as good as, if not better than, "Reachin").


Digable Planets 2005

But the group has reunited in 2005 (check out Brooklyn Vegan's photos, NPR's story on the reunion, or Kevin's show review for the Arizona Republic), and hopefully they'll be around a little longer this time. I can't wait for a new release, but in the meantime, have a listen:

MP3s

Digable Planets May 4th Movement
Digable Planets Where I'm From (Aural G Ride 12" Version)
Digable Planets 9th Wonder (Live from LA 2005)
Digable Planets Califlower (Spiddyocks Go West) (courtesy of Kevin from So Much Silence)

I Guess I Can Sleep When I'm Dead

Well I'm battling a little insomnia this evening, which really sucks because I'm exhausted and I have to wake up at 6:30 tomorrow for work. But on the bright side, I was able to download a bunch of new music tonight, and I have to say, not sleeping is the only way to keep up w/ Mallie over at South of Mainstream.

This is fast becoming one of my favorite blogs, and I don't know how she does it, but she is constantly posting about bands I've (and i'm pretty sure you've) never heard of. Here are a few of South of Mainstream's highlights from the past couple days:

Dawn Landes Kissing Song
The Graze Rely
Summer At Shatter Creek Worlds Away
Karen Ires Suburban

If you like these, head over to South of Mainstream to download more from these artists. If you don't like these, head over there anyway and I guarantee you'll find something else you will like.

Random Stuff

Katrina Kerns (and Sufjan)

Sufjan is on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic today at 11:15 PST. Listen/watch here. When he's done, head over to Welcome To The Midwest to get some mp3s of the performance.

The Go! Team, most likely on the strength of my blog post about them yesterday, have signed to a major label and a new version of Thunder, Lightning, Strike will see a U.S. release in October.

Be sure to check out the final installment of Funtime OK's Intonation previews. They saved the best for last: Broken Social Scene.

MP3s

Enjoy some of the highlights from Bliss Pop's newest playlist...there's some more really good stuff at their site:

Okkervil River The Latest Toughs
Shout Out Louds The Comeback (Big Slippa remix by Ratatat)
The Dix Here Comes The Dix
PAS/CAL What Happened To the Sands
The Cribs Hey Scenesters

The Shins--Rarities & B-Sides

Poster by Print Mafia

These two b-sides represent a slightly less accessible style that I wish the band would explore a little more. Both beautiful songs that wouldn't have fit (at all) on either LP:

Sphagnum Esplanade mp3 ("Know Your Onion" b-side)
Mild Child mp3 ("So Says I" b-side)

We now resume our ultra-catchy, "Garden State" Shins fan-approved songs:



We Will Become Silhouettes mp3 (Postal Service cover)
When I Goosestep mp3 (Wicker Park Soundtrack)

New Devendra Banhart

Here are a couple tracks from the new Devendra Banhart album, "Cripple Crow". I've listened to most of the album, and it marks a slight departure from his previous work, and it's all over the place stylistically. Devendra is one weird dude, and I'm really digging it so far.

Little Boys mp3

This song is catchy as hell, but the lyrical content is, shall we say, questionable?:

I see so many
little boys I want to marry
I see plenty
little kids i've yet to have

umm, wtf?

Now That I Know mp3

Beautiful song. Devendra redeems himself w/ these lyrics:

I may not know
how to treat or give you what you need
but i am a gentle man who says what he means

sample more songs from "Cripple Crow" here

Other recommended tracks: "Long Haired Child"; "Chinese Children"

If Devendra ain't your thing, head over to Think Tank and dl two tracks from the upcoming Danger Mouse/MF Doom project, appropriately titled Dangerdoom. "Sofa King" is especially ridiculous. Highly recommended.

Drunk vs. Bear

Further proof that a gorilla would destroy a bear

(via immoderation)

A gorilla would never have put up with that crap...it would have torn that guys arms off and beat him with them.

And in a (totally not) related story...

bears are stupid

Elsewhere...

mgoblog has an excellent comparison between Sufjan Stevens and the mighty University of Michigan Wolverines football team. They have more in common than you might think...both completely kick ass.

Apparently Sarcasm Doesn't Translate Well on Blogs

So here we go:



Did I tell ever you guys about the time at SXSW 2005 when the Go! Team were supposed to play the Fader Party? Well it was a private industry party, so I slid the doorman a few ($30) bucks and he let us in. Then, The Go! Team cancelled and we were all mad at them. But then we got all the free Red Stripe we could drink, Elijah Wood was there...

Cut Copy was DJ'ing...


Cut Copy at SXSW '05 drinking free Red Stripe too

and Feist played in the Go! Team's slot (she was awesome) and was nearly killed when a huge thunderstorm almost collapsed the tent, but she was all like "fu** that, i'm still playing"...


Leslie Feist almost getting killed

So anyway, I forgive you, the Go! Team:

The Go! Team Huddle Formation
The Go! Team Bottle Rocket

Bonus:

Cut Copy Saturdays
Feist Nothin' In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' Bout That Girl
(live--The Kinks cover)

By the way, you might've noticed my new ads under my blog links...free penis pills?? you guys should totally take advantage of that. you're welcome.

Rocking the iPod

these tracks have been helping me get through the day at work lately. Regardless of what some people think, it's not all Sufjan all the time. (if you like these, buy the records)


emiliana torrini

Emiliana Torrini Today Has Been Okay (live)
All The Ghosts This Connection (via South of Mainstream)
The Boy Least Likely To Be Gentle With Me (via Dodge)
Brendan Benson What I'm Looking For
Sufjan Stevens The Great God Bird
Spiritualized Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space (one of my favorite songs ever)
Wilco I Am Trying To Break Your Heart (live)
Radiohead Fake Plastic Trees (live)
Sufjan Stevens Casimir Pulaski Day
Wolf Parade You Are A Runner and I Am My Father's Son
The New Pornographers The Bleeding Heart Show

Last Sufjan post until at least Thursday

Okay, this is my last Sufjan post for a few days, I promise. Seriously though, what am I supposed to do when people keep hooking me up w/ awesome new stuff? (Thanks Tik!) Anyway, even if you don't like Sufjan (i'm looking at you, Dodge), you'd have to be a cold-hearted bastard or at least a big fat jerk not to like Christmas, so here are some songs from Sufjan's unreleased (i think??) Christmas album, Hark! Songs For Christmas (you can't NOT love these songs):

Sufjan Stevens That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!
Sufjan Stevens The Friendly Beasts (Featuring Denison Witmer as the Donkey, Laura Myers as the Cow, Shara Worden as the Sheep, Vito & Monique as the Doves, and Sufjan Stevens as Jesus)
Sufjan Stevens Come On! Let's Boogey To The Elf Dance!

Sufjan--"Illinoise" B-Side and Katrina Kerns

So by now I've posted just about all there is to post on Sufjan, save for one thing. His glockenspiel player/backup vocalist/model Katrina Kerns. Wow is she hot. So this post is dedicated to her...thanks to the new Sufjan messageboard "All Good Naysayers, Speak Up!" (which has been around for like, a day, and is already one of the best boards ever) for the photos and info on her.


Katrina is a Ford Model


The Michigan Militia and Joanna Newsom


Photo via Stereogum

Oh yeah, here's that "Illinoise" b-side:

Sufjan Stevens The Avalanche

check out "Illinoise" on metacritic

Update: South Of Mainstream points us in the direction of more pics of Katrina, this time modeling some hot eyewear. Here's a sample: (thanks, SoM Mallie!)

March Of The Penguins

We love animals here at Gorilla vs. Bear, which means we also love movies about animals. We saw this documentary (narrated by Morgan Freeman) today at the Angelika Theater, and it was amazing.

It chronicles the seemingly impossible journey that these incredible animals endure each year. The cinematography is ridiculous, and MSNBC calls the movie "suprisingly moving". As corny as that sounds, you really do start to feel for the little guys. Anyway, go see it. Highly recommended.

Check out the March of The Penguins website, where you can view the trailer.
Read NPR's story on the film

Dios Malos

Dios Malos (formerly just dios) is one of my favorite bands. They have been compared to the Beach Boys, but maybe that's because they are both from Hawthorne, California. You can see Dios Malos at this year's ACL Festival (although they got a pretty crappy time slot: 1:50 p.m. on Friday afternoon).

Dios Malos Asshole (Beck cover)
Dios Malos You Got Me All Wrong

visit Dios Malos
buy the record

Sufjan Post of the Day

Since nobody reads blogs on the weekend anyway, here's a crappy post:



Okay this is getting ridiculous, I know, but it seems like there's new stuff on this guy everyday. Thanks to Ryan over at Muzzle of Bees for making me aware of this interview w/ Sufjan, probably the best one i've seen yet, along w/ Matt's.

By the way Ryan, I went to that site (not safe for work) you keep raving about...and frankly, I was a little disgusted. Oh well, to each his own.

Other stuff:

So I went to that Missy Higgins show, and I agree w/ Plexer, while she's not really my thing, I have to admit she was pretty good. (and shame on you douchebags at Trees that talked (loudly) over her entire set).

The same could not be said for the opener, Michael Tolcher. Honestly the worst show I've ever seen. I felt like I was at a (bad) karaoke frat party. Was that a 4 Non-Blondes song he played, which he segued into a god-awful cover of "Don't Worry Be Happy"??! Umm, yeah, it was. And it made me want to gouge my own eardrums out. Luckily, I brought the trusty iPod and I blasted The Go! Team record as loud as I could to drown that guy out.

Finally, while we didn't stay for Howie Day's set, we did run into him while we were shopping for vintage clothes a couple hours before the show, and I must say, his girlfriend is one of the hottest girls I've ever seen. I REALLY wanted to talk to him about this, and pose w/ his girlfriend for a pic for the blog, but the girl I was with wouldn't let me. Sorry.

Kickass mp3 of the day:



Thundercats TV Theme Song (courtesy of Lindsey Immoderation)

Requisite Daily Sufjan Stevens Post

photo from WNYC

UPDATE: Welcome To The Midwest has 3 mp3s of Sufjan Stevens' performance on WNYC. Thank you so much for these, Aaron!

Ryan over at Muzzle of Bees has informed me that Sufjan Stevens will be featured on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic on Thursday, July 14. Cancel all previous other plans accordingly.

Meanwhile, Matt points us in the direction of WNYC, where you can listen to an entire radio show featuring Sufjan and his "Illinoisemakers". Matt is also considering changing the name of his site to "You Ain't No Sufjan Stevens". I like it, and if he goes through w/ it, i will change the name of my site to "Sufjan Stevens vs. Bear".

By the way, did you guys know that Dodge watches that ballroom dancing show, and Ryan actually has a man crush on Hugh Grant? It's true.

eisley in-store pics

Well I decided to go the Eisley in-store last night at Virgin Megastore instead of going up to the casino (good thing too, because those Native Americans took all of my friends' money). The good news: I got a bunch of decent pics. But the bad news is they all look exactly the same, so i'm only going to post a couple of 'em. That place was packed w/ teenage girls singing along to every word, so I was relegated to my little spot on the side of the stage. Here you go:







Hot Welsh girl of the day:


Jem


Jem again

Jem They mp3
Jem Just A Ride mp3

Pitchfork Track Reviews--mp3s

Whether you love 'em or hate 'em for their overwrought reviews, hipster posturing, and power to make or break a band's career (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, anyone?), Pitchfork generally has it's finger firmly on the pulse of what is hot in the world of indie rock. Here are a few mp3s of some tracks they've recently reviewed, along w/ a little snippet of what they, and I, had to say about each:

Imogen Heap Hide and Seek

***** (5 stars--Pitchfork's rating)

Pitchfork says: "We're programmed to think that things like teensploitation TV shows and B-list alt-pop divas couldn't possibly be capable of such tremendous beauty. That stuff exists only to sell cars and soft drinks, right? Wrong. This is shock and awe."

I say: I've seen exactly one episode of the O.C. and this song was playing as this hot chick shot some kid. As a result, needless to say, I think the O.C. is the best TV show of all time.

Bonnie Prince Billy & Matt Sweeney Ignition (R Kelly cover)

****

Pitchfork says: "Sanding against the grain, they tarnish the original's just-waxed surface with a foreboding greasy-spoon groove that conjures an unsettling backwoods freakiness."

I Say: R Kelly pees on young girls, so I like Superwolf's version of this song better by default.

Kanye West Gold Digger (ft. Jamie Foxx)

*** 1/2

Pitchfork says: "...this undeniably fun monster jam has a chorus just itching to be awkwardly sung by white people-- "I ain't sayin' she a gold digger, but she ain't messing with no broke niggas"-- which is reminiscent of Ye's early demo work."

I say: Remember when Jamie Foxx was on "In Living Color"? That was funny.

The Flaming Lips Mr. Ambulance Driver

**

Pitchfork says: "genre: indie-yuppie. . .Best Adult Contempo Band EVER? If there is a God (and she's got helicopters), I'll be eating my HTML come new album. Until then, turn on the Lite and hop on the Mercury Rev bus to neopsych Has-Been Land, the long strange trip's fuckin' over."

I say: Ha. "Indie-yuppie". That's so June 2005. Not horrible, but kinda boring. Definitely not "The Soft Bulletin". Sounds like it should be on some crappy movie soundtrack. Oh wait.

The Long Blondes Giddy Stratospheres

*** 1/2

Pitchfork says: "Fortunately England's the Long Blondes aim for Blondie's artsy asymptote, and these Debbie Harry-fashioned vocals sound deliciously CBGB's-tested. . .We either got ourselves a burgeoning femme-Franz Ferdinand or a damn good throwback band."

I say: This song kicks ass, simple as that. The Blondie comparison is dead-on, save for the "artsy asymptote" part. Who says stuff like that?

Sufjan Stevens The Lord God Bird (NPR Exclusive)

****

Pitchfork Says: "...the song's really about everything but that goddamn bird-- about everything and everyone responsible for goddamning it. That sublime wordless chorus midway through second-chances us but expects our pathos."

I Say: I think we all know how I feel about Sufjan, and this song is no different. The production is a little more sparse than the epic tracks on "Illinois", but this song is further proof of his greatness.

Eisley In-Store Tonight in Dallas

Anybody else going to this? (Well it's either this or going up to Okla-fu**ing-homa to play poker at some shady Indian casino for a couple hours)



Eisley
Free Live Show and Signing
Thurs. July 7th 7PM
Virgin Megastore
5307 E. Mockingbird Lane
Suite 90
Dallas, TX 75206

Pics coming tomorrow (if i go).

Some Live Eisley mp3s

Golly Sandra (live)
The Escaping Song (live)

Austin aka the 5-1-2

Photo by Kelly (or Daniel...not sure)

Well the ACL Fest Schedule is finally up (thanks to Janet and Ryan for the heads up) and it is f-ing awesome. Day 3 (sunday) will probably be the best day of my life...think I'm exaggerating? Check it:

12:00 Ambulance Ltd.
12:30 Eisley
1:45 M83 and/or Rachel Yamagata
2:30 Doves and/or Rilo Kiley
3:30 Sleater Kinney
4:30 The Arcade Fire
5:30 The Decemberists
6:30 Wilco and/or Franz Ferdinand (shit! decisions, decisions!)
7:45 The Black Keys and/or Tortoise
8:30 Coldplay

I'm saying though.

Download of the day:

Wilco Jesus, etc. (live)

And in keeping with the "I Love Austin" theme, here are some more photos from our trip this weekend to Austin/Houston:


Daniel representing in front of the large Houston crowd


Daniel watching a bunch of stupid Mexican bats


us


crystal


daniel jumping all high

Random shit:

Here's a downright disturbing video starring George Bush and Brian Peppers.

New Sufjan Stevens Song--"The Lord God Bird"

This post is for Dodge, because he thinks I don't post enough Sufjan Stevens on this blog (i mean, this is only my second post on him today). Anyway, Sufjan wrote this song about the town of Brinkley, Arkansas, and the ivory-billed woodpecker, for NPR.

Sufjan Stevens The Lord God Bird mp3 (via NPR)

support NPR
support Sufjan Stevens

"The Stunning Band You've Been Longing For"

That's what MSNBC.com(!?) calls Austin's Okkervil River, naming "Black Sheep Boy" the best album of 2005.



Who knew MSNBC had a fu**ing clue when it comes to indie rock? Here's what else they had to say about Okkervil River:

"Ten bucks says The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy is relieved to finally drape the mantle of “The Next Neutral Milk Hotel” over Will Sheff’s deserving shoulders. Sheff somehow knits together a more compelling and accessible universe than either Meloy is able to create with his literate songcraft or NMH’s Jeff Mangum can make with his surrealist poetry."

Now I don't know about all that (more compelling than NMH??), but I saw them open for the Decemberists earlier this year (they were amazing live) and the album has been growing on me as of late. Here are a few tracks from "Black Sheep Boy":

Black mp3
For Real mp3

and a few tracks from the band's previous efforts:

A Favor
It Ends With A Fall
The War Criminal Rises and Speaks

Sufjan Stevens--"Chicago" Remix

As mentioned pretty much everywhere by now, the release of Sufjan Stevens' "Illinoise" has been delayed (to Aug. 2) due to a cease and desist order from DC comics because of the image of Superman on the cover. So lame. Anyway, I told you to order it from Asthmatic Kitty a while back so you probably did, and you have nothing to worry about. If not, haha. Anyway, above is a photo of my copy (complete w/ Superman)...apparently this thing is blowing up on eBay.

And to make up for the album being pushed back, here's a pretty cool remix of one of my favorite tracks from the album, "Chicago":

Chicago (To Strings Remix by Jon Galloway--iTunes Exclusive) (link removed)

(head over to the iTunes store to get another exclusive non-album track from Illinoise, "The Avalanche")

Bonus: Sufjan Stevens The 50 States Song (live)

Finally, for all you djs out there, head over to Banana Nutrament to get an mp3 of a loop of the intro to Sufjan's "They Are Night Zombies..." for your sampling needs. Pretty cool.

Sounds Like Playgrounds

Here are my photos from Friday night's Polyphonic Spree show at The Fort Worth Botanic Garden. They were amazing, as usual. I brought my friend Melissa, who had never seen them before, and she had a great time, but that might've had something to do with the case of Tecate we drank. They played some new songs to the crowd of about 3000, and the encore/fireworks display was awesome (Sorry for the lack of a proper review, but i'm still worn out from the weekend...)



















Elsewhere...



Apparently the release date for Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois" has been pushed back to Aug. 2 because of legal issues regarding his use of Superman's image on the cover. Geez, i go out of town for a couple days and this happens? weak. See, I told you to order your copy from Ashtmatic Kitty. Now the thing is worth like, a lot of money. My copy's not for sale.

Jesus Is Magic

Sarah Silverman, pretty much the funniest woman in history, made a movie based on her one-woman stage show, "Jesus Is Magic". Finally, a distributor picked it up and will be releasing it in theaters in November (hopefully).



watch the trailer

Look at some more pictures of Sarah: (recommended!)

America, Fu** Yeah!

photo via Trrill.com

Well, I won't be able to post for the next few days...after work I'm heading down to Ft. Worth for The Polyphonic Spree show, then it's down to beautiful Austin, Texas for the weekend, and then the hell hole that is Houston for the 4th. (sorry if that offended any Houston-ians. and sorry you live in that hell hole)

So anyway, I thought I'd leave you w/ my completely random, all over the place, totally kick ass, completely incohesive weekend iPod playlist, which we will be rocking as we drive all over this f-ing gigantic state. Cause you're going to need something to listen to as you watch fireworks or eat hot dogs or do whatever it is you do when it's 100 degrees outside. Enjoy. (some of these are hosted by savefile.com, so you have to follow the link on those. hopefully that site doesn't go down over the weekend, as it is apt to do)



Smoosh Rad (make fun of this all you want, that's my jam)

The Raveonettes Ode To L.A.

Love As Laughter In Amber

M.I.A. Bingo (Diplo mix)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Over & Over Again (lost and found)

What Made Milwaukee Famous (from Austin, TX) Hellodrama

Silversun Pickups Kissing Families

Team America World Police Soundtrack America, Fu** Yeah!

Rogue Wave Nourishment Nation

Spiritualized Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space (recommended listening during fireworks display)

Tree Wave May Banners

Kanye West Diamonds from Sierra Leone (capski refix)
(not really a Kanye fan, but the beat on this one is ridiculous)

Zombies She's Not There

See you Tuesday, hopefully w/ pics of the Spree show and the weekend in general...here's something to look forward to for next week:

Sufjan Stevens' has recorded a new song for NPR about Brinkley, Arkansas, which will be available on their website on July 6