Random

Here are a few random odds and ends that I thought you guys would enjoy:



José González: Live in Sydney: Forget for one second about the poor quality of this cell-phone video, and just enjoy the man's voice and the perfection of the song for about 40 seconds.

José González Heartbeats (live) .mov

(thanks to shanna and craig for the video)

Song of the Afternoon:

Oh No! Oh My! Walk in the Park mp3
(via Music for Robots)

(Buy Oh No! Oh My!'s cd for only $1.50. I'm serious.)


Rabbit Fur Coat (click for larger image)

Thanks to Ryan for hooking us up with the above image, the cover art for Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins' upcoming Rabbit Fur Coat LP.

Also:

Head over to Dodge, Matt, and Shannon's blogs for unreleased Neutral Milk Hotel demos. Very rough, but still cool.

Finally, go checkout the The Rock Insider and read my hump-day picks with everyone's favorite DJ, Jax. Thanks for asking me to take part, Jaxxy.

Brought to you by the letter Blood

"They say I'm no good for you, that I'm in it for the blood...but they're just player hatin'"
--Elliott the Letter Ostrich



I believe it was Matt who compared Elliott the Letter Ostrich to the Unicorns, and that makes a lot of sense, but EtLO's songs possess a more endearing quality that I always felt the Unicorns lacked. These songs are spooky, cute, and awesome all at the same time. I especially like this song, the album opener. They threaten to suck our blood and take our first born children, and that's all before the real greatness kicks in at about the 3 minute mark:

Elliott the Letter Ostrich Pink Dracula mp3

buy Elliott the Letter Ostrich's Blood Cape for only $5. Best 5 bucks you'll spend all day.

be Elliott the Letter Ostrich's friend. or they will kill you.

Birdwire

When I left for work this morning, I could see my breath in the air, signaling an end to our unseasonably warm fall here in Dallas. And seeing as how Birdwire's music deals with "the indelible grief of ending, and the determined optimism about renewal amidst grief", I thought this song would be perfect for the last morning of November. Such a pretty song:

Birdwire The Day the Sun Disappeared mp3

buy Birdwire's EP, I'll Take It With Me, from CD Baby

be Birdwire's friend

New Belle & Sebastian

From the upcoming The Life Pursuit LP (via Dreams of Horses):

Another Sunny Day mp3

Sara Culler

I have to thank one of my readers (Kina) for introducing me to Sara Culler. I don't know much about her, but from what I can gather, Sara is a Dallas girl living in Sweden. I don't know why she moved to Sweden, but based on these songs she has confirmed my theory that all music from Sweden is awesome. She has also contributed to works by David Fridlund, and his band, David & the Citizens.

Sara Culler Lies of 'Justice House' mp3
Sara Culler Blackbird Duet mp3

If you like these songs, support Sara by buying her demos from her website

bonus:

David Fridlund me against you mp3

Elsewhere:


SOUND team's Bill Baird

Check out NashvilleZine's entertaining interview with Bill Baird from SOUND team, in which he discusses signing to Capitol, his favorite albums of 2005, and garbage-filled recording studios. And if you find yourself in Nashville this evening, go see SOUND team at the Basement. It's free, so go tell them I said hi.

Like "Sigur Rós locked in an underground cavern with Slowdive"

"Paavoharju presents a more curious mixture...Sigur Rós locked in an underground cavern with Slowdive"
--Pitchfork



Okay, all of you that insisted it was too early for a year-end "Best of" list were right. Had I waited only another week or so, Paavoharju's Yhä hämärää would have surely made the list.

I just discovered Finland's Paavoharju while reading Moka's Best of 2005 list, and I was immediately smitten. Pitchfork says Paavoharju's album, Yhä hämärää, "possesses the magical giddiness of an unknown radio station tapped into momentarily while traveling unfamiliar back roads" and that's actually a perfect description of how I felt while listening to these two tracks (way to go, Pitchfork).

This band just sounds like Finland to me. Of course, I've never been there, but I imagine it to be icy, mysterious, beautiful, and somewhat dark, just like these songs:

Paavoharju puhuri mp3
Paavoharju aamuauringon tuntuinen mp3

The Art Conspiracy: 100 Artists | 5 Bands | 1 Night

The Art Conspiracy takes place this Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Texas Theater here in Dallas, and here's how it works:



At 7 a.m. December 2nd, 2005, hundreds of empty canvases will be placed throughout the lobby of the Texas Theater. Dallas' most noted artists will take shifts and fill in as many of the canvases as possible in a 24 hour period.

At 7 p.m. December 3rd, 2005, Doors will open to the public of Dallas' most historic and infamous theater. The many canvases filling the lobby walls will be available to anyone and everyone. You, the audience, will determine the price of the piece you take, and money will be collected using the honor system only

I am seriously excited about this event, and here's why:

• I'm moving into a new house on Saturday, so this will be a chance for me to buy some real art to adorn my bare walls.
• This will be the first event in over 10 years to be held at the Texas Theater, which is where Lee Harvey Oswald was caught after he shot JFK (allegedly).
• The Happy Bullets, Salim Nourallah, and Pleasant Grove will be performing, and I love them all. Plus I've heard great things about the Theater Fire and I Love Math and they're performing too.
• And most importantly, all proceeds will benefit children affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

So if you're in Dallas (or anywhere close), you should definitely come out and support this very worth cause. Admission is only 10 bucks.

mp3 (both highly recommended):

The Happy Bullets The Vice and Virtue Ministry mp3
Salim Nourallah 1978 mp3

The Rosebuds: Live in Dallas

The Rosebuds

My latest obsession is The Rosebuds' new album, Birds Make Good Neighbors. When it comes to husband/wife fronted indie rock bands, you can pretty much count me in (the Arcade Fire, Mates of State), and The Rosebuds are no different. Frontman Ivan Howard's voice has been compared to Morrissey, but live, they sounded more like a '60's southern rock band crossed with the Arcade Fire, which was just fine with me. Plus, Ivan is a super nice guy. (Torr was also at the show, read his take on it here)

Check out these songs, and buy the album, I'm pretty sure you'll like it:

The Rosebuds Boxcar mp3
The Rosebuds Leaves Do Fall mp3
The Rosebuds Bluebird mp3

And be sure to check out the band's website for more mp3s from previous releases, and also check out the band's blog.

Here are some photos from the show (click for larger image):





The Sun, from Columbus, Ohio, opened the show, and they were also pretty impressive. The band's frontman was charismatic in a Buddy Holly/Napoleon Dynamite sort of way (only much, much louder), and they were surprisingly tight for such a young band.






The headliners, Sweden's the Shout Out Louds, were fun, but nothing spectacular. Although I'm not really qualified to comment on them because we left after a couple songs.



Also:

If you're really, really bored, go check out Muzzle of Bees' new feature, "Get To Know Your Blogger". The first installment in this new series over at MoB features some dumbass (me), so check it out.

New Voxtrot Song

Very exciting news: Voxtrot have posted a new song on Myspace, entitled "Mothers Sisters Daughters and Wives", from their upcoming EP (due out Spring '06). Can't wait to see these guys on Dec. 2 at the Cavern (w/ the Castanets and Phosphorescent).

Also, a huge thanks to Chris from Australia who sent me some pics from José González's show in Sydney (i think) the other night:

(click image to enlarge)

New Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

Thanks to whoever e-mailed me this. From Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins upcoming LP, Rabbit Fur Coat:

mp3:
Handle With Care (feat. Ben Gibbard, Conor Oberst, M. Ward)

Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

gorilla vs. bear's Top 50 Albums of 2005

Well, it's that time of year again (okay not quite, but almost), so here's my list of the Top 50 Albums of the year. Now, despite my near flawless taste in music, I'm no expert, and there's tons of stuff I probably didn't give enough attention to this year. So, I'm not claiming these are the best 50 albums of the year, but merely my 50 favorite. I've broken it up into the top 25 (in order) and the next 25 (alphabetical by artist).



Please feel free to comment/make fun all you want. And thanks for reading my blog this year, I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions.

(support the blog by clicking here)

The Top 25:

25. Anniemal--Annie



24. One State Two State--The Light Footwork



I have to thank Matt for introducing me to these guys, and if I'd heard the full album sooner, it might be even higher on the list.

23. Life Embarrasses Me on Planet Earth--Seventeen Evergreen
key track: Lunar One mp3



22. Nice and Nicely Done--The Spinto Band
key track: Oh Mandy mp3



21. Birds Make Good Neighbors--The Rosebuds
key track: Blue Bird mp3



20. Gimme Fiction--Spoon
key track: I Turn My Camera On mp3



19. Infiniheart--Chad VanGaalen
key track: Clinically Dead mp3



I got this one early in the year and it was in heavy rotation for a while, then I forgot about it until Sub Pop re-released it this summer. He's been called a "bedroom genius", and don't be surprised if his next album is even better.

18. Black Sheep Boy--Okkervil River
key track: Black mp3



Another one that sort of snuck up on me. I saw these guys live early this year when they opened for the Decemberists, and they were very impressive. But for some reason I put off giving this album the listen it deserved until near the end of the summer. I'm glad I finally gave in.

17. Akron/Family--Akron/Family
key track: Running, Returning mp3



16. The Vice and Virtue Ministry--The Happy Bullets
key track: The Vice and Virtue Ministry mp3



15. The Loon--Tapes 'n Tapes
key track: Insistor mp3



As far as I'm concerned, if you have Wolf Parade on your list, you can't leave off Tapes 'n Tapes' new album. I'm not sure how I made that correlation, but it makes sense to me. Such a good record.

14. Twin Cinema--The New Pornographers
key track: Twin Cinema mp3



13. Arular--M.I.A.



This album started strong for me, then faded a little after a couple months. Then I saw her live, and it worked its way right back onto the list.

12. Picaresque--The Decemberists
key track: Engine Driver mp3



11. Veneer--Jose Gonzalez
key track: Crosses mp3



I know this one came out a couple years ago over in Sweden, but I never heard of the guy until the U.S. release. This album would have made the list based on the strength of "Crosses" and his cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats" alone.

10. Cripple Crow--Devendra Banhart
key track: Quedate Luna mp3



If you would have asked me the first few times I heard this if it would end up on my year end list, I would've said no way. But after seeing him live, I definitely felt a deeper appreciation and connection with more of his recorded material. Not the creepy little boy stuff though. Also gets my vote for album cover of the year.

9. Broken Social Scene--Broken Social Scene



While this album didn't blow me away at first like You Forgot It In People, it's steadily lodged itself into my brain the more I listen. "Ibi Dreams of Pavement" is not only one of BSS's best songs, it's one of the best songs of this year.

8. The Alternative to Love--Brendan Benson
key track: The Pledge mp3



This one probably won't wind up on many critics "best of" lists, but that doesn't change the fact that I love everything Mr. Benson does. One of the best power-pop songwriters of this generation. I'm willing to bet that the upcoming Raconteurs album (Benson's collaboration with Jack White) will wind up near the top of next year's list.

7. Woman King/In The Reins--Iron & Wine
key track: Woman King mp3




Yeah I know I'm cheating by including both of these as one album, when neither is really an LP (one's an EP, while the other is considered a mini-LP, i think). But I couldn't let the fact that Sam Beam didn't release a full-length this year keep him off my list. Despite their lengths (or lack there of), these are two of the best releases of the year.

6. Feels--Animal Collective



Although I could appreciate it's artistic merits, I wasn't a huge fan of Sung Tongs. A little too chaotic for me. But this album is pure pop bliss. "Grass" and "Did You See The Words" are two of my favorite songs of the year.

5. Silent Alarm--Bloc Party
key track: Banquet mp3



I saw these guys live 3 times this year, and every time they improved on the previous performance. And this reaffirmed the strength of this album to me. Nothing groundbreaking, but really exceptional for what it is.

4. Descended Like Vultures--Rogue Wave
key track: Publish My Love mp3



This album is less immediately loveable and accessible than their debut, Out of the Shadow. It's also more nuanced, fuller, and better. Having a full band suits Zach Rogue well.

3. Apologies To The Queen Mary--Wolf Parade
key track: You Are a Runner mp3



I was almost tired of this band before I even heard their music. I don't usually mind hype (see Sufjan Stevens), but something about all the hoopla rubbed me the wrong way. You know, "the next Arcade Fire" and all that. All I can say is this album rewards repeat listens. I read somewhere that the band described their music as sounding "like burnt toast, or like two pinball machines in a slow motion bareback horserace." Not sure what that means but it fits. The "indie rock" (the genre) album of the year.

2. Takk--Sigur Ros



Ever since I heard the genius that is Ágætis Byrjun, I've been in love with these guys. Slightly less dark and moody than ( ), but equally beautiful.

1. Illinoise--Sufjan Stevens
key track: Chicago mp3



Yeah, I proclaimed this my album of the year quite some time ago, and despite valiant efforts by Sigur Ros, Wolf Parade, and Rogue Wave, that proclamation still stands. An instant classic.

Honorable Mentions and Disclaimer:

I left off some albums that otherwise would have made the list only because even though they were released in the U.S. in '05, they were released in '04 in other countries (namely Stars' Set Yourself On Fire, Dungen's Ta Det Lugnt, and The Go! Team's Thunder, Lightning, Strike).

The next 25 (alphabetical):

13 & God--13 & God
Architecture In Helsinki--In Case We Die
Beck--Guero
Andrew Bird--...& the Mysterious Production of Eggs
Bright Eyes--Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
Vashti Bunyan--Lookaftering
Castanets--First Light's Freeze
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah--Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Jason Collett--Idols of Exile
DangerDoom--The Mouse & The Mask
Deathray Davies--The Kick and the Snare
dios (malos)--dios (malos)
Diplo--Fabric Live 24
Final Fantasy--Has a Good Home
Fruit Bats--Spelled in Bones
Ghosty--Grow Up or Sleep In
Husky Rescue--Country Falls
M83--Before The Dawn Heals Us
Metric--Live It Out
The National--Alligator
Pilotdrift--Water Sphere
The Tah-Dahs--Le Fun
Thee More Shallows--More Deep Cuts
Tim Delaughter--Thumbsucker Original Soundtrack
The White Stripes--Get Behind Me Satan

Good News for Dallas

From goodrecords.com:

*******************
MOVING SALE
*******************
"Have you heard? Good Records is moving to a new location in Lower Greenville at the first of the year!

Run don't walk. EVERYTHING in the store is 30% off unless already on sale. This does not include tickets or gift certificates. It's like this if--you buy it, we don't have to move it. Shop now for the holidays and before we change our minds."

I'm pretty excited that Good Records is finally moving into a new, and much larger, space. I'm going to buy this album tonight, I think:

Castanets A Song is Not the Song of the World mp3

Also:

I'm going to be posting my rather large Albums of the Year list tomorrow morning. I realize it's a little early, but I figured it's a good time since I won't have much time to post over the Thanksgiving holiday. Check it out if you want.

Send For Help

"Known for being innovative and fun, they fuse melodic guitars, angular drums and quiet melodies with compelling lyrics perfect for that finely tuned sound which chaperones teenagers during kisses and love. Their sound is armored by energetic rhythm and a distinct taste for sweet choruses...add a touch of Pinback flavor and a dab of Built To Spill and you get Send For Help."
--Zero Magazine


Send For Help

San Francisco is a veritable hotbed right now for bands making pretty, intelligent pop music that, as far as I'm concerned, should be ruling the radio waves. Send For Help is one of these bands. They just recently released their debut EP, but they've already been tapped to open shows in San Francisco for bands like We Are Scientists, Pinback, and Bishop Allen.

This song has been rocking my iPod all morning (and all day yesterday):

Send For Help Burmese Tiger Pit mp3

Buy Send For Help's debut EP from CD Baby for only $5.99

music from the swedish woods

Junip

I've been meaning to post on Junip for quite some time now, and I realize Dodge and Ryan already beat me to it, but I'm becoming such a huge fan of all things José González that I couldn't resist any more. Ryan from Muzzle of Bees posted the band's haunting cover of Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad", and in case you missed it, here it is again. Let's just say it beats the crap out of Rage Against the Machine's version:

Junip The Ghost of Tom Joad mp3

Bonus:

Junip The Black Refuge mp3

What Are You Waiting For?

John Dufilho

"How in the hell Dufilho continues to come up with such consistently catchy melodies boggles the mind. musical genius? Definitely."
--the tripwire

A lot of you guys probably know a band from Dallas, TX, called the Deathray Davies. Well, a lot of you probably don't know that the Davies frontman, John Dufilho, recently released a solo album on Glurp Records called John Dufilho. And it's awesome. If you like the Deathray Davies, I promise you will like it. Because it's exactly the same, but it's totally different. Man, I should write for Pitchfork.

John Dufilho What are You Waiting For? mp3

buy John Dufilho's solo debut here

Bonus:

Deathray Davies Plan to Stay Awake mp3

Also:

a few people have asked me to repost this song, so here it is:

The Knife + Jose Gonzalez Heartbeats Remix mp3

Sufjan on Vinyl

I found Sufjan's Illinoise on vinyl at Tower Records last night (it isn't officially supposed to be released until Wednesday), and I highly recommend it, no matter how many formats of the record you already own. This record was clearly intended to be enjoyed in all its analog warmth, and listening last night reaffirmed my choice of Illinoise as the best album of the year.

Plus you get a nice full size version of this pic of Katrina Kerns, which alone is worth more than the price of the LP.

buy it from Asthmatic Kitty

Mellowdrone

mellowdrone

I got an advance copy of Mellowdrone's upcoming LP, Box (due out Jan. 24), in the mail over the weekend and I was pretty excited, because I've heard great things. Well, I hurriedly put Box into my car cd player, only to have it rejected due to "no audio data". Damn copywrite protection (understandable though, since it is an advance copy). Despite the urge to throw the thing out my window, I gave it another chance in my home cd player, and I'm glad I did.

These songs are beautiful and catchy, and the album has been growing on me all weekend. Here are a couple standout tracks from Box, as well as an excellent Faith Evans cover (yeah, that Faith Evans):

Mellowdrone Fashionably Uninvited mp3
Mellowdrone Bone Marrow mp3
Mellowdrone Again (Faith Evans cover) mp3

Walk the Line

We went to see Walk the Line this weekend, and while I'm not a fan of biopics in general, I have to admit I was fairly impressed. I'm not going to review the film, but I will highly recommend it. Joaquin Phoenix clearly did his homework, and Reese Witherspoon was more tolerable than usual.

Some interesting Cash facts I learned (possible spoilers if you haven't seen the film): "Ring of Fire" was actually written by June Carter, not Johnny. Also, Johnny wrote "Folsom Prison Blues" when stationed overseas in the Air Force, and it ended up being the song that convinced Sam Phillips to give Cash a record deal:

Johnny Cash Folsom Prison Blues mp3

Another great scene in the movie depicts Cash's performance of this song at Folsom Prison, which the convicts loved, much to the warden's dismay:

Johnny Cash Cocaine Blues (live at Folsom Prison) mp3

Life in the D

Big Ben throws one down on Yao

It's been quite some time since I posted on my Detroit Pistons, but since the NBA season is now in full swing, let's do this. My boys are off to an 8-1 start, and despite getting worked last night by my other squad (the Dallas Mavs), they hold down the number 1 spot in Sports Illustrated's Power Rankings.

Looks like my guarantee of a Pistons-Mavs Finals matchup is a good possibility this year. Of course, I've guaranteed a Pistons-Mavs final every year since I was like 12. But now that the Mavs have this bad boy playing up to his potential, they may finally have the intimidating inside presence it takes to get to the next level. We'll see.



Some Detroit Music:

Brendan Benson Life in the D mp3
The White Stripes Folk Singer (Brendan Benson cover) mp3

List Backlash

Devendra gets his freak-folk on in Dallas

Hopefully by now, you've gone over to Information Leafblower to check out his compiled list of The Top 40 Bands in America Today. He asked bloggers to contribute their top 10 American bands (thus no Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, etc.), based on who we were "using our bandwidth to talk about."

He made it clear (despite some of the comments he's received) that this is based on 2005 alone, not career longevity (thus no White Stripes, Modest Mouse, etc. in the Top 40). Another thing that people don't seem to understand is that his list of the Top 40 was culled from everyone's Top 10, not everyone else's Top 40 (in which case bands like The White Stripes surely would have made the list).

Well, the list has received some serious backlash, and not only in the comments section. Check out this douchebag, who felt compelled to write an entire article about it for EconoCulture. He even calls us "masturbatory". Hate to break it to the dude, but the entire process of blogging at all could probably be considered masturbatory, and his column "Blog Roundup" is the peak of all things masturbatorial (not sure if that's really a word, but you know bloggers, we make up words all the time).

Okay enough with the over-explaining, I thought it was a cool idea and here's my Top 10* that I contributed to the list. A common thread on my list would be bands I saw live that blew me away, or bands that released records I loved:

1. Sufjan Stevens
2. Animal Collective
3. Iron & Wine
4. Rogue Wave
5. Devendra Banhart
6. TV on the Radio
7. The Black Keys
8. The Polyphonic Spree
9. Diplo
10. Cat Power

*For the record, 6 out of my Top 10 made the Top 40, but only 1 of my Top 10 made the Top 10.

And now, here's an mp3 from a band I cannot stop listening too since I discovered them a few weeks back. They received at least one nomination for this year's Top 40 (not from me), and don't be surprised if they're on next year's list.

Tapes 'n Tapes Cowbell mp3

Also:

Thanks for the input on the ads. I took down a good portion of them, leaving up only a select few (the ones that actually make some money) and the ones with hot girls on them. Hope it makes the site a little quicker to load (and better looking).

SOUND team in SI

image by Bob B.

As I was perusing SportsIllustrated.com as I do every day, I came across this SOUND team reference in Luke Winn's Inside College Basketball column. I always thought Luke was cool, but who knew he was down with Austin's indie rock scene?

Maybe when SOUND team releases their major label debut in '06 (which is being mixed by Alan Moulder, who has worked with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Bloody Valentine, Secret Machines, Raveonettes, Jesus and Mary Chain) they'll make the cover.

The Greatest 7"

The first thing you do this morning should be to head over to Indie Interviews to download Rogue Wave's cover of Nirvana's "On A Plain", performed live at KTSW. Really cool song.


The Greatest 7"

Matador Records is releasing the first single from Cat Power's upcoming LP, The Greatest, on 7" vinyl on December 6. The 7" also includes "Hate", one of my favorite tracks from the album. Pre-order it here, and you've got no excuse not to because it's only 99 cents.

In further Cat Power news (according to fearful syzygy), she played "a lovely medley of 'All I Need to Do Is Dream' and 'Blue Moon'" at her recent show at NYC's Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

Well, we happen to have an mp3 of a similar medley, performed on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic. Sooo pretty (thanks Patrick!) :

Cat Power Dream/Blue Moon medley (live on KCRW) mp3

Bonus:

Cat Power Wonderwall (Peel Session) mp3
(pretty much the only version of this song I like)

Ads and other stuff you may or may not care about

First, on a somewhat tedious administrative note, I need to ask you for your honest opinion...what do you guys think about these ads? I ask because I've been experimenting with various advertisers and affiliate programs, and I'm considering removing some of these ads from the site, based on the fact the minimal monetary gain may not be worth compromising the general content/aesthetic of the site. Let me know either way, or if you don't give a shit, let me know that too.

Now onto the music:


LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy

Be sure to head over to Indie Interviews and listen to Garrison's interview with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. Whether you're a fan of LCD or not, James Murphy seems like a really cool guy and this interview was fascinating to me. He's got some great views on what it means to be "indie".

Also, I'd like to thank Hunter Hauk for the shoutout in the Dallas Morning News and QuickDFW this morning. Hunter consistently does an awesome job of promoting local bands in the paper, so it's an honor to be mentioned in one of his columns.


Smoosh

Finally, I love this song almost as much as my 2 year-old niece does. Smoosh is awesome, I don't care what anyone says. Apparently the band has finished recording their new cd with Death Cab's Jason McGerr. Plus, they hate homework and tests, and I used to hate homework and tests too. Enjoy this track from the band's debut, She Like Electric:

Smoosh Rad mp3

Dallas Goes Pop

So where is the loyal psychedelic pop lover to find his or her next catchy goodness? Try Dallas, Texas.
--Pop Matters


The Happy Bullets are from Dallas, TX

The Happy Bullets and The Tah-Dahs are two inextricably linked Dallas bands. Both make impossibly catchy pop songs, both bands released their latest albums on March 29 on local label Undeniable Records, and most importantly, both releases are among my favorite records of the year.

I love so much that these two bands are starting to get national recognition (both have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, for chrissakes), and we here in Dallas feel incredibly proud to call them locals.

Don't take my word for it: Pop Matters says of the Happy Bullets, "Texans the Happy Bullets churn out excellent pop music worthy of Elephant Six (hell, it's better than anything that group has released recently) or the British Invasion."

Coke Machine Glow says about The Tah-Dahs' Le Fun: "On the surface, it’s all about fun, but underneath the carefree veneer, its sterling songwriting makes Le Fun one of Le Best Pop Albums of Le Year."

If you don't know, now you know:

The Happy Bullets The Vice and Virtue Ministry mp3
The Tah-Dahs The Cute Band mp3

buy them both from Undeniable records and save $$!!

Still don't have New Year's Eve plans?? Go see The Happy Bullets and The Tah-Dahs at The Cavern. Only $5!

Song of the Night

Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark

Don't know too much about this L.A. band, but neumu says "Lavender Diamond make pure childlike sounds that, hipster irony or not, crawl under your skin like a sweet, old-fashioned crush", and even Pitchfork has spoken kindly of them. Plus, her voice has a really endearing quality. Check it:

Lavender Diamond you broke my heart mp3

bonus: Also from Lavender Diamond's The Cavalry of Light EP:

Lavender Diamond Rise in the Springtime mp3

Last Christmas

More Christmas music, way too early (add this to my holiday mixtape if you'd like):



Detroit's Pas/Cal rescues Wham's "Last Christmas" from '80's cheese-pop crappiness on this cover version. Now how about a full length already, huh Pas/Cal?

Pas/Cal Last Christmas mp3

buy the 12" from Insound

(thanks to Barry for the mp3)

Top 40 Bands In America Today

Sufjan wins again

Information Leafblower has compiled this year's list of the Top 40 Band's In America Today. Go check it out.

Contributing blogs include MOKB, Music for Robots, Largehearted Boy, Chromewaves, Brooklyn Vegan, and yours truly (and more).

Oil in the Fields

Today's post is about Brooklyn's (by way of East Texas) Paul Duncan. Dusted Magazine says that Paul Duncan's new record, Be Careful What You Call Home "will appeal to those who like their singer songwriters nicely contained (a la Jose Gonzalez and Iron and Wine), as well as those who like to be surprised (a la Feathers and Smog)". He's also been compared to Sufjan Stevens, and that's pretty much all I need to hear before giving this guy a chance.

Needless to say, I'm glad I did. At first listen, these songs are simple, beautiful, and strangely familiar, but repeated headphone listens reveal more layers and a deeper sonic complexity. Highly recommended.

Paul Duncan Oil in the Fields mp3
Paul Duncan In a Way mp3

buy Paul Duncan's Be Careful What You Call Home, released on Home Tapes, here

Paul also contributes to Claudia Deheza's new band, Daylight's for the Birds.

Bonus:

Browse around Home Tapes media page for more mp3s

Polyphonic-onica

It's time for Polyphonic-onica tonight at the Gypsy Tea Room, featuring bands whose members also play in the Polyphonic Spree. Here's a preview of two of those acts, Tacks the Boy Disaster and Annie Clark:

This song, by Tacks the Boy Disaster, is so perfect. Such a great song, and I highly recommend checking out the other tracks streaming at their myspace page. I can't find any other info on this band, because they don't have a website, but based on this song alone I'm excited to check them out:

Tacks the Boy Disaster Paris 1031 mp3


Annie Clark

My current favorite member of the Spree is Annie Clark. I can only vouch for Annie's amazing stage presence and adorable-ness as a member of the Spree, having never heard seen her live as part of her solo project, I Love St. Vincent. But she has been described as "an ethereal marriage of Jeff Buckley and Bjork", and it wouldn't surprise me if she was the best thing ever. Plus, Annie has good taste in music: I saw her at the Metric show but I was too shy to say hi.

Tonight at 8 at the Gypsy Tearoom. 4 bands, only 7 bucks.

SOUND team: Live at Trees

SOUND team

Despite a late arrival due to van issues (coincidentally, it was SOUND team who came to the Arcade Fire's rescue when van issues left them stranded at some fried catfish joint on the way to Dallas from Austin back in January*), SOUND team played an amazing set at Trees on Sunday night. Here are the pics (click for larger image):

*irrelevant story which may or may not have actually happened










Download: SOUND team Don't Turn Away mp3

Buy SOUND team's incredible Work EP here

Summertime Cowboy

Husky Rescue

I had almost forgotten all about this video from Husky Rescue (featuring the strikingly beautiful Reeta-Leena Korhola) until I just saw it on inDemand. Such a great video, and one of my favorite songs of the year:

Husky Rescue Summertime Cowboy (video)

Husky Rescue Summertime Cowboy mp3

Bonus:

Husky Rescue New Light of Tomorrow mp3

José González covers Kylie Minogue

I've been listening to a lot of José González lately, and I found this little gem (on the Stay in the Shade EP) in the import section of my local record store. And, luckily for those of you who don't want to pay over 10 bucks for a couple non-album tracks, the EP will see a U.S. release in Jan. 2006 and "will be serviced to press, retail and radio, and will lead up to Jose's first ever U.S. tour schedule to coincide with SXSW in March 2006." Can't wait to see this guy live, check him out today if you haven't already:

José González Hand on my Heart (Kylie cover) mp3

check out José's new site design (woodgrain, bitches)

Headlights

Polyvinyl says about their newest signee, Headlights:

"Exhibiting an uncanny ability to merge electronics with the barest of pop elements, Headlights carve a unique niche for themselves that falls nicely between My Bloody Valentine and The Postal Service"

I was unfamiliar with this band, but based on this track, they may be worth checking out. Any opinions?

Headlights Tokyo mp3

buy the EP here (only $4.95)

all the lights in the city tonight

It's Texas Music Week here on gorilla vs. bear. With so many Texas bands blowing up right now in the indie rock world (Dallas' The Happy Bullets and the Tah-Dahs, Austin's SOUND team and Voxtrot, to name just a few), right now's a good time to be a music fan living in Dallas. So, I thought I'd feature at least one Texas band/artist every day this week that deserves to be heard by you guys. First up, Dallas' own Travis Hopper:



On his debut LP, all the lights in the city tonight, Travis Hopper enlists help from some of Dallas' best musicians (members of gorilla vs. bear favorites the Deathray Davies, Radiant*, Sorta, and Salim Nourallah all make contributions), and the result is a collection of well-crafted, country-tinged pop gems that brings to mind a younger, less jaded Ryan Adams. Here are a couple tracks from the LP (due out later this year) that showcase Travis' earnest, heartfelt lyrics and knack for creating an instantly hummable melody.

Recommended for fans of early Wilco, the Jayhawks, and pre-meltdown Ryan Adams:

mp3
Travis Hopper I'd Like To Have You Here (If You Want To Stay)
Travis Hopper Tietze Park

Be Travis' friend on Myspace

Beauty

Song of the night:

Don't know much about this band, but this song is perfect for tonight. (thanks Jared.)

The Shivers Beauty mp3

buy The Shivers' album here

SOUND team Tonight in Dallas

SOUND team

If you're in/around Dallas, head over to Trees tonight to see Mazarin and Austin's SOUND team. This show will be awesome, you have my gorilla vs. bear guarantee. I mean, I'm not giving you your money back or anything, but it will be good. Here's some aural incentive:

SOUND team Don't Turn Away mp3
Mazarin Another One Goes By mp3

And if this show ends in time, we will be heading over to The Cavern to see dios (malos), who take the stage around 11 PM.

Metric: Live in Dallas

First things first: Head over to YANP to download a song from one of my favorite bands, Voxtrot. Glad to see the blogging powerhouse that is YANP finally taking notice of these guys. Awesome band, great guys, and they're from Texas.


Metric's Emily Haines

I've got a busy day, so this won't be much of a review, but I will give you a couple observations from last night. The Lovely Feathers will probably be huge one day, The Death of a Party, while not really my style, had tons of infectious energy, Metric is awesome live, and Emily Haines couldn't be any hotter or more photogenic. The pics (click for larger image):

The Lovely Feathers:




Death of a Party:


Metric:

The Lovely Feathers

Thanks to Jesse for the heads up on The Lovely Feathers, yet another awesome indie band from Montreal. Going to see these guys tonight here in Dallas (they're opening for Metric) so hopefully I'll have a review and some pics for you tomorrow. For now, a song:

The Lovely Feathers Lion Eats the Wildebeest mp3

Also:

If you like your bands to be of the more art-rock variety, and don't mind the drive out to Denton, go see Deerhoof tonight. I've heard they're pretty great live, I'm just not up for the drive all the way out there and back. Man, I'm getting old. Oh well, Metric will have to do.

Iron & Wine/Calexico Cover the Rolling Stones

This post is dedicated to the dude we met who was recording the Iron & Wine/Calexico show we saw recently in Fort Worth. We were blown away by the show, so we ask the guy, "Hey man, do you think you could email us a copy of that recording after you convert it to mp3?". Without hesitation, the guy says, "No, I don't think so." Thanks a lot, dude. Luckily, Big O Magazine is nicer than you. A**hole.

Courtesy of Big O Magazine (via Prefix):

Iron & Wine/Calexico Wild Horses (Rolling Stones cover) mp3
Iron & Wine/Calexico All Tomorrow's Parties (Velvet Underground cover) mp3

Also:

Head over to MOKB to get My Morning Jacket's KCRW mp3s. Good stuff, thanks Dodge and Kevin.

gorilla vs. bear's holiday mixtape

Sufjan Santa image jacked from Chromewaves

Do you guys get tired of hearing the same crappy holiday music every year? Okay, me neither. But still, it's almost that time of year, so download these, put them on a cd, and make everyone listen to your music this year. I know Solace posted a similar mix last year, but hopefully some of these tracks will be new to you guys. Seriously, there's only so much of this you can take.

1. Sufjan Stevens Come On! Let's Boogie to the Elf Dance! mp3

2. The Polyphonic Spree Happy X-Mas (War is Over) mp3
(John Lennon cover)

3. The Arcade Fire and friends Jinglebell Rock mp3

4. Sufjan Stevens Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming mp3

5. The Walkmen Christmas Party (feat. Nicole Sheahan) mp3

6. Death Cab For Cutie Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) mp3

7. The Waitresses Christmas Wrapping mp3

8. The Polyphonic Spree Little Drummer Boy (live) mp3

9. Sufjan Stevens That was the Worst Christmas Ever mp3

10. Feist Lo, How A Rose E're Blooming mp3

Song of the Night

Nick Drake

Listening to some Nick Drake this evening, I was reminded how perfect this song is, so I thought I'd share:

Nick Drake Pink Moon mp3

Rademacher

Not sure how I haven't heard of Rademacher before now, seeing as how two blogs which I read religiously (as in every day) have already featured them. Hmm, I must've been out sick those two days. But did those other blogs mention that Malcom from Rademacher had PE class with Kevin Federline? Yeah, I don't think so. That's why you read this blog, for the exclusive info.

Moving on, Rademacher is "heavily influenced by local heroes Earlimart and Grandaddy", which is evident on some tracks, while others are reminiscent of one of my favorite Texas bands, Pilotdrift. Clever lyrics coupled with what Sixeyes called "an acoustic carnival" (perfect description) that is just as catchy as it is dark and sinister (to borrow a term from Dodge). These two tracks, from Rademacher's Ice Age EP, have been in heavy rotation on my iPod for the last few days. Highly recommended:

Rademacher Careful With That mp3
Rademacher Playing for Fun mp3

Buy Rademacher's Ice Age EP for only 4 bucks!
Holler at Rademacher on Myspace

nth Degree

I know nothing about the band Morningwood, but my new friend Jax from Rock Insider told me about this video and I've been playing it nonstop. She recently posted on it, but I'm posting on it anyway, because: a. the song is catchy as hell, 2. it's freaking hilarious, and c. just look at that picture above...classic. Thanks jaxxy!

Morningwood nth degree (video)

Unmarked Grave

"Remarkable, like a timeless classic or an obscure LP you discovered in a dusty second hand shop...8 out of 10"
--Angry Ape on The Complete Guide To Insufficiency

"basically, he could be unstoppable. If anybody ever hears this record"
--Cokemachineglow on David Thomas Broughton

I recently received David Thomas Broughton's new album, The Complete Guide To Insufficiency, and the first thing that struck me was that voice. Broughton has one of those voices (you know, like Jeff Mangum, Antony, or Joanna Newsom) that you immediately either love or can't stand. But with further listens, I was able to appreciate this collection of songs for what they are: eerie, hypnotic, beautiful (and at times macabre) love songs, set amidst a world of public executions and live sex shows.

The album, which was called "easily one of the finest records of 2005" by Cokemachineglow, was recorded in an old English church. This definitely contributes to that eeriness, especially on this track, the centerpiece of the album. Listen towards the end, when the church bells unexpectedly kick in, and become inextricably woven with Broughton's unique vocals:

David Thomas Broughton Unmarked Grave mp3

David Thomas Broughton's The Complete Guide To Insufficiency comes out on Dec. 13 on Plug Research

Read My Old Kentucky Blog's positive write up on the album

Be David's friend on Myspace

Sufjan's "Illinois" To Be Released on Vinyl...

...on Nov. 22. Click the picture of the pretty girl (above) to pre-order.

Hangover Days

Jason Collett

I've been on a bit of a Broken Social Scene binge lately. Since seeing them live last week, I've been listening to their new-ish self-titled LP quite a bit lately, as well as any other spinoffs/side projects I have in my collection (Feist, Metric, Stars, Apostle of Hustle, etc). Well, yet another BSS-er has been getting serious play on the iPod since I discovered him (yesterday, thanks to LHB), and his name is Jason Collett. This guy is really cool, and my girl Feist agrees:

"Another Broken Social Scene member who's putting out a solo album next month is Jason Collett. These songs are very beautiful and I recommend it. You can see in my lack of embellishment that I don't know how to talk about it as well as I know how to listen to it."

Not sure if that's an old comment, or if she's talking about a U.S. release date, but his album, Idols of Exile, was released on June 20 in Canada (buy it).

The first track, "Hangover Days", features backup vocals from the beautiful and talented Emily Haines (of Metric and Broken Social Scene), while "Fire" features another gorilla vs. bear favorite, the amazing Amy Milan (Stars, Broken Social Scene). Enjoy:

Jason Collett Hangover Days mp3
Jason Collett Fire mp3

Listen to the whole album at Jason's Arts & Crafts site

Buy it!

Hell Yeah

Let me start by saying I'm the last damn person I expected to even listen to the new Neil Diamond album, much less actually like it. But I read Ryan's take on the album, and I trust that guy's taste, so I decided to give it a listen. Rick Rubin is a freaking master at taking an artist from a different generation and making their music sound fresh and relevant (see Johnny Cash), and 12 Songs is no exception.

This probably won't be up long, so stop making fun of me now and listen for yourself. Then call your mom and tell her to download this shit too:

Neil Diamond Hell Yeah mp3

break loose

One of the things I love about having a blog is finding cool shit in my mailbox from time to time that I probably would have never heard otherwise. Like this split EP from Vla Hemia and electric iLL, released on the Sounds are Active label:



The accompanying press materials likened Vla Hemia's Cosmelodica EP to my two favorite hip hop albums of all time: Digable Planets' Blowout Comb, and A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders. And while Vla Hemia's MC, Vinch Kashmir, lacks the golden voice and distinctive flow of someone like Q-Tip or Butterfly, I can definitely hear the influence. This is a welcome addition for someone who grew up on early to mid-90's New York hip hop. Recommended, to say the least.

Vla Hemia Break Loose mp3

The rest of the split EP is Kevin Robinson's (of Viva Voce) "trash-hop" side project, Electric iLL. Simply put, this entire EP is worth buying just for the nearly 18-minute long hidden track, which is a turntablist masterpiece. Really cool stuff, put your headphones on for this one, kids.

electric iLL Nurban Gowns mp3

Buy it here...if you've got 8 bucks, you should definitely get this. One of my favorite hip hop releases this year, up there with Cyne's Evolution Fight and Dangerdoom's The Mouse and The Mask.

Band of the Week: Birdmonster

I'm going to preface this post with this: when my girlfriend asked what I was writing about, I told her I was doing a post about a band named Birdmonster. "What a terrible name," she deadpanned. Yeah, I'm sure these guys have never heard that before. Anyway, I explained that, according to the band, the name captures "the cuddliness and the ferociousness of what (they)'re trying to do." Between that and listening to the greatness of their music, she was sold.


"Our main goal is to rock so hard one of us faints"
--David, guitarist for Birdmonster

mp3: Birdmonster Resurrection Song

Birdmonster is awesome, but they are a bit frustrating. After hearing the band's "Resurrection Song", I immediately went to iTunes and downloaded their entire debut EP. The frustrating part: it's only 3 songs long (you will be left wanting to hear more, I promise). And if those 3 songs are a preview of Birdmonster's future output, this could be the next band that takes the indie rock (not to mention the blogger-nerd) world by storm. The band has drawn frequent comparisons to Modest Mouse, but as Delusions of Adequacy puts it, "while the associations may carry some weight, when did Modest Mouse ever rock this hard?" Dude, I don't want to wait until sometime next year to hear more from these guys.

And, the band's recorded material (all 3 songs of it) apparently doesn't even hint at what kind of, umm, monster they are live. Word is, they stole the show from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The National when they opened up for them recently in San Francisco. But to frustrate us even further: if you don't live in the SF Bay-area, you can forget about seeing them anytime soon.

But there is good news: the band will begin recording their debut LP in January, and they do have some shows lined up in the near future (visit the band on myspace to see a complete tour schedule).

Read LAist's interview with the band

If you don't have iTunes (yeah right), click the pretty cover art to buy the EP from CD Baby:

Sigur Rós comes to Texas

Thanks to the cool kids at Us Kids Know for these Sigur Rós tour dates:

Feb. 25, Houston @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Feb. 26, Austin @ the Performing Arts Center
Feb. 27, Fort Worth @ Bass Performance Hall

Sigur Rós starálfur mp3

Broken Social Scene: Live in Dallas

Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew

After last night, I've concluded that Broken Social Scene is one of the few bands out there right now that can give the Arcade Fire a run for their money for the title of best live band in the world. Unreal. Despite a true Anton Newcombe-esque moment by Kevin Drew in which he ripped Brendan Canning for fu**ing up a song, this band was on fire last night. I'm still digesting how awesome it was, but the highlights were "cause=time", "Ibi dreams of Pavement", "shoreline", and "lovers spit". Oh, and Amy Milan showing up as the show was about to end to perform "Anthems for a Seventeen-Year Old Girl" (her other band, Stars, opened for Death Cab in Ft. Worth earlier in the evening). Here are some pics, and while I know they aren't that great, there about as good as your gonna see from my current camera. Hopefully they tell a better story than I can:










the new girl is kinda hot






the lovely Leslie Feist






Amy Milan is awesome






Feist rocking a sparkler


Kevin dances w/ Feist

new cat power!!

I've made very clear my feelings about Chan Marshall, despite what everyone says about her notoriously hit or miss live show. She's one of my favorites, and her new album is one of my most anticipated of next year. Well, one of my awesome readers (thanks Deric!) sent me an e-mail to tell me about her recent show in Champaign, IL, and he describes the new material as "stark and heart-wrenching" when performed live. And he backed it up w/ mp3s from the new album, so you can listen for yourself.

cat power empty shell mp3

By the way, am I the only one who REALLY likes this cover art??

Tonight: Broken Social Scene

Tonight @ 8 p.m.
Broken Social Scene
Gypsy Tearoom (in the Ballroom)

Going to see Broken Social Scene and Feist this evening at Gypsy (and possibly Feist's in-store at Good Records at 5:30). Here are a couple live mp3s to help sway you if you're still undecided:

Broken Social Scene Anthems For a 17 Year Old Girl (Live) mp3
Feist Nothing In This World Can Stop Me Worryin' Bout That Girl (Kinks cover) mp3

tapes 'n tapes!!

I read about this kick ass new band in this post over at Music for Robots, and based on the writing alone I gave the band a listen. Now, I wasn't going to post on them, because I steal enough from MfR as it is (just sayin), but then I got an e-mail from the band's manager saying it would be cool if I featured a couple of the new tracks. So if you take anything away from this post, it should be that Tapes 'n Tapes is really, really awesome, and that if Music for Robots says a band is good, they probably are. And if you wanna know how I know it's good: it sounds good on my work computer's speakers, and nothing sounds good on my work computer's speakers.



And, I realize that if you bought every album I told you to buy, you'd go broke (unless you're like super rich), but tapes 'n tapes' The Loon is really cool so if you like these tracks you should buy it from their website because it's easily worth the 10 bucks.

tapes 'n tapes insistor mp3
tapes 'n tapes cowbell mp3
tapes 'n tapes omaha mp3

DJ Kicks

I was going to post on Annie's DJ Kicks album today, but then I saw Brooklyn Vegan already posted on it, so I decided not to. Then I changed my mind again, and decided to post on it anyway, so here it is.

I really enjoy these DJ Kicks albums, because they kind of give you an idea of what the artists are listening to. Annie's DJ kicks tells us that she likes electronic dance music, and that she's hot.

Here's a jam from the album. I don't know why, but I really like this song, which is both addictive and hilarious at the same time:

Mu Paris Hilton mp3

buy it here

Raising the Sparks

Akron/Family have cool beards

The Akron/Family + Angels of Light split LP was released yesterday, and it's been drawing some great reviews from the likes of Pitchfork and PopMatters.

I've professed my love for Akron/Family before, and this song from the LP is awesome. PopMatters says, "we should just blame "Raising the Sparks" for ruining everything you hear after it (for days)".

Pitchfork says ""Raising the Sparks" is a surprising power stroke. Pinned by snare/tom stomp, a glitzy guitar harmony does its best Steely Dan as the song stampedes "na na na"ing into the night."

Akron/Family Raising the Sparks mp3

Buy the Akron/Family and Angels of Light LP

It's Good To Be Here

Last night's Digable Planets show was probably one of the top 2 or 3 hip hop shows I've ever witnessed. Dallas' own Erykah Badu introduced the legendary crew, and the place went nuts and proceeded to go crazy for the entire set (Badu even joined the DP's to sing/rap on few songs). As you can tell by the sheer volume of pics, I got a little trigger-happy with the camera. Anyway, this dude I met last night wrote a detailed review, so check it out.

Enjoy, and click the image to view the larger version:

Everything, Now!

Everything, Now!

Paste Magazine's Band of the Week, Everything Now!, has begun recording the follow-up to their debut album, Sunshine of Doom. In the meantime, the band has made Sunshine of Doom available for free download at their website. Paste Magazine says:

"Surf music, punk, reggae, psychedelic rock, synth-pop, experimental noise—Everything, Now! is influenced by so many vestiges of mid-20th-century musical genres, there’s bound to be something you’ll like."

Download the album here here

jaymay

The Digable Planets show last night was unreal. I'll have a review and probably my biggest and best photo post ever later this afternoon or this evening...I got some good ones of the group and their special guest. In the meantime:


Not sure why it took this long for me to listen to jaymay (the NYC bloggers have been singing her praises for quite some time now), but I'm glad I did. Her voice is pretty much perfect, and I love how it's so upfront on these tracks. If you live in New York, make sure to check her out: her live show is supposed to be pretty great.

jaymay letter mp3
jaymay What Happened mp3
jaymay Tragedy mp3
jaymay color confused mp3

Tonight

The Return of Digable Planets Tour
Gypsy Tearoom (In the Ballroom)
Doors @ 8:00

If you're in/around Dallas, don't miss this. Trust me, these guys (and girl) are legends and they put on a good show.

Digable Planets Pacifics mp3

and if you don't have this (possibly my favorite hip hop album of all time), click to buy it:

In the Reins

Saturday night's Iron & Wine and Calexico show at the Ridglea far exceeded any expectations I had going in. One of the best shows I've seen all year, behind only the Arcade Fire (4 times), the Polyphonic Spree (twice), and the Black Keys (3 times).

Calexico played an inspired set, only to be topped by Sam Beam's amazing turn, in which he reworked much of his catalog (including a rousing version of "Sea and the Rhythm" and a hushed, slower version of "Woman King"). One of the highlights of his set was this song, from the In Good Company soundtrack:

Iron & Wine The Trapeze Swinger mp3

Calexico joined Sam for the final set of the evening, and it was definitely the highlight of the night. They played most of In the Reins, and also performed a stunning rendition of the Stones' "Wild Horses". Just a beautiful set. I only got a few pics (low battery), and they're all of Sam Beam:





Elsewhere:

Check out the new animated video for Devin Davis' "Giant Spiders".

Bonus: Devin Davis Giant Spiders (live) mp3