GvsB Presents John Vanderslice at The Loft

flier by Garrison

If you've been keeping an eye on the ever-growing column of show flyers on the site's sidebar, then by no means do we have to explain that this next month and a half are totally nuts with amazing shows: Black Lips, !!!, Bonde Do Role, Devendra Banhart with Jana Hunter and now, John Vanderslice.

Since we last spoke with him at Denton's Dan's Silverleaf, JV has released one of the better records of the year, presented the HD-filmed studio sessions of the band performing each track from the record and rocked out at the LA River Basin. And that's just since May.

He's known as "the nicest guy in indie rock" and it's totally true. His participation with blogs (including a full tour sponsored by one) is a genius gesture to all his fans. The September 14 show will be at the new Dallas venue The Loft. Raleigh's Bowerbirds are set to open.

mp3:
John Vanderslice White Dove
Bowerbirds My Oldest Memory

best of august

This is that time when I post all of my favorite songs and videos from the past month, so you guys aren't actually forced to read all my words and stuff everyday. August was a slow and kind of lazy month around here, but there were still a number of gems to be had:


victoria bergsman

As I mentioned a few times this month, I listened to a lot of The Tough Alliance in August. The Swedish duo somehow managed to take a lovely song by fellow Swede Victoria Bergsman's new Taken By Trees and make it even better. The best song of the month, hands down:

mp3:
The Tough Alliance vs. Taken By Trees Taken Too Young

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This is an old one (1966) that we only recently discovered, and it's been in constant rotation ever since. The song was also masterfully utilized by Diplo in his better-than-the-original remix of Spank Rock's "Put That Pussy on Me." Also be sure to check out the "live" video here.

mp3:
The Seeds Can't Seem to Make You Mine

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I probably post on Italians Do It Better label-mates Glass Candy and Chromatics waaay too much, but dude. As long as they keep releasing consistently amazing demos for free download on their respective myspace pages, I'll keep talking about them:

mp3:
Glass Candy Candy Castle
Chromatics Running Up That Hill

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After countless spins over the last couple weeks, I'm still convinced Celebration's new, David Sitek-produced The Modern Tribe LP is a huge step forward for the band, and could end up as one of the best albums of 2007. So many outstanding songs, including "Heartbreak," "Hands Off My Gold," "Comets," and this, the record's first single:

mp3:
Celebration Evergreen

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Plenty has been said about Caribou's brilliant new album, Andorra, and for good reason. If you've somehow managed to avoid blogs and Pitchforks and the internet all summer long, here is the best song from the Best New Music-endowed LP:

mp3:
Caribou Melody Day

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RZA was so happy to see us

Also, if you missed them the first time around, make sure to check out our Cat Power and Wu Tang Polaroids™, as well as Animal Collective's new "Peacebone" video, their live video for post-Strawberry jam "Brother Sport," and Devendra's "Seahorse" promo video. See you guys next month.

hot freaks! Austin

We've been waiting to announce this unofficial after-party for weeks, and now that it's all confirmed...



Dell Lounge presents the the Hot Freaks! after-party -- which we've affectionately dubbed "Hot Freaks 2: Electric Blog-aloo" -- at the Mohawk and Club Deville, starring:

Grizzly Bear
Art Brut
The Rosebuds
St. Vincent

The party is totally free (you'll be able to RSVP starting next Tuesday), and will also feature some of Austin's finest, including Sparrow House, Yellow Fever, Brazos, and the debut of the amazing Crazy Sexy Rainbow. We're super excited to be involved with this, along with our friends Brooklyn Vegan, La Blogotheque, Aquarium Drunkard, MOKB, Chromewaves, and YANP. Befriend Hot Freaks! on myspace for updates, and check set times here...

mp3:
The Rosebuds Blue Bird
Grizzly Bear Easier (live at Good Records)
Sparrow House When I Am Gone
Yellow Fever Culver City

Chromatics cover Kate Bush

Fuck yes. Chromatics have already released two of my favorite singles of 2007 (see "In the City" and "Night Drive"), but this might be the best of the bunch. Disclaimer: this could have something to do with the fact that I've always worshipped Kate Bush's version of this song, and Johnny Jewel's flawless production combined with Ruth Radelet's dark and distant (yet always stunning) vocals definitely do justice to Bush's original. The band also posted a new demo called "Mask," another great song featuring more of their signature cryptic lyrics.

mp3:
Chromatics Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush cover)
Chromatics Mask (demo)

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bonus:

Chromatics' "In the City" video:

what she does to you baby is all your fault

yellow fever's the culver city ep

Austin's cutest band, Yellow Fever, is set to release the extremely limited new The Culver City EP 7" on hugpatch records. Hugpatch calls the band "a perfect mixture of Stereolab and the Young Marble Giants - confident, forward-thrusting, yet minimal and patient." Here's the A-side, and stay tuned for an exciting Yellow Fever-related announcement right here in about an hour:

mp3:
Yellow Fever Culver City

The Culver City EP is limited to 500 copies. Get one here soon.

tonight: Flosstradamus + Kid Sister

Quick reminder: Chicago's Flosstradamus and Kid Sister are in Dallas tonight at Suite. Never been to this venue, but this should kick ass. Bring your copy of the URB Next 1000, maybe they'll sign it for you. The Party opens.

mp3:
Kid Sister Damn Girl (Flosstradamus remix)

new Band of Horses mp3: "Is There a Ghost"

Thanks to Pitchfork for alerting us to the first mp3 to surface from Band of Horses' upcoming full-length, Cease To Begin. "Is There a Ghost" (the LP's opening track) showcases the band's main strength, which would be Ben Bridwell's unmistakable soaring voice. It's safe to say that fans of Everything All The Time will be all over this, because it's more of the same:

mp3:
Band of Horses Is There a Ghost

(via Band of Horses' myspace page)

the modern lovers

Sanctuary Group has reissued a remastered version of The Modern Lovers' absolutely genius and hugely influential John Cale-produced 1976 debut, which has been out of print domestically since '89. The reissue, which was released in the UK a few years back and comes out today in the U.S., features 8 bonus tracks(!), including alternate versions of "Someone I Care About," "Modern World," and this bonafide classic roadtrip anthem:

mp3:
The Modern Lovers Roadrunner (alternate version)

Fun fact: M.I.A. totally lifted part of "Roadrunner" for "Bamboo Banger," Kala's opening track. I highly recommend picking up the The Modern Lovers reissue here.

come on over baby, there's a party going on.

Here's the vaguely Hitchcockian new video for El Perro Del Mar's "Party," via the Swedish chanteuse's myspace page. The beautifully shot Emily DeGroot-directed clip is so dark and creepy that it has Ms. Assbring reconsidering the original meaning of her own song:

"The filmmaker Emily de Groot made this beautiful yet oddly disturbing film to my song Party. It adds a whole new dimension to the song and almost makes me feel like this is what the song is about rather than the initial meaning. It's a perfect gem and I hope to have the chance to do something together with Emily in the near future."



El Perro Del Mar's new album, From the Valley to the Stars, will be out in January '08. She'll be documenting the progress of the record on her new blog.

blitzen trapper vs. best fwends

The latest in a long line of club remixes for Blitzen Trapper's "Sci-Fi Kid" comes from TX's own dance-punk nerds and recent recipient of Vice Magazine's "Worst Album of the Month" award, Best Fwends. The duo describes their sound as "retarded anti-pop music made by two musical idiot savants from Texas with a cheap computer," and that's basically what you get on this remix. Except it's kind of awesome:

mp3:
Blitzen Trapper Sci-Fi Kid (Best Fwends remix)

Speaking of Best Fwends, I hope you guys can come to this, it's gonna be fun:


(flyer by David)

hands up little gun

Brazos is one of Austin's best new bands. We've long been fans of Martin Crane, but the new stuff he's doing with this band is really special. Brazos will release their new EP, A City Just as Tall, on October 16 on Autobus Records. This brand new track won't appear on said EP, but that's beside the point, because it's still great:

mp3:
Brazos Hands Up Little Gun

song of the night

I originally checked out this song from Swedish duo Studio only because someone likened it to a slow-motion version of the Cure's "A Forest" (or something along those lines, anyway). I couldn't find much info about the duo other than that mildly accurate little comparison, but I do know they released West Coast last year in their native Sweden, and the record will apparently see release soon in the U.S. (prompting Stylus to call the album "one of the best of both 2006 and 2007"). This particular track -- one of the shorter numbers on the album at 7+ minutes -- is a dreamy, danceable beach jam that is reason enough to check out the rest of the LP:

mp3:
Studio West Side

Get Studio's West Coast LP here.

finale

French producer Para One has scored a new film, entitled Naissance des Pieuvres. I'm not really sure what this film is about, seeing as how all available press material is in French, but it's highly likely that is has something to do with swimming though. Moving on, the real focus here is that Para One proves he's capable of creating more than throbbing blog-house/new-rave/whatever-the-fuck jams (see "Dudun Dun"), as his score is made up of gorgeous and moving ambient cinematic soundscapes.

mp3:
Para One Finale

Get Para One's Naissance des Pieuvres soundtrack here. Here's the official trailer for the film; mildly NSFW I guess, depending on where you work:



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20 Jazz Funk Greats has an excellent post on my favorite TV show of 2007, the brilliant (but unfortunately short-lived) John From Cincinnati.

can't seem to make you mine

In reading up on the Black Lips, I came across multiple references to The Seeds, one of the Black Lips' biggest influences, and one of the originators of the psychedelic brand of garage/surf rock that has since been coined "flower punk." My only previous exposure to the Seeds was the appearance of their hit "Mr. Farmer" on the Almost Famous soundtrack, but I checked out the band's 1966 self-titled debut LP on the recommendation of a friend, and it's pretty awesome. Here's the opening track from that album, which was later sampled by Diplo on his amazing remix of Spank Rock's "Put That Pussy on Me"

mp3:
The Seeds Can't Seem To Make You Mine
Spank Rock Put That Pussy on Me (Diplo Tonite remix)



Check another gassy Seeds video here, and get The Seeds debut LP on eMusic with your 25-download trial. Highly recommended.

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Speaking of Diplo, he opens for the Polyphonic Spree tonight in FL.

Sigur Ros: Heima trailer

Thanks to Fader blog for alerting us to the trailer for Sigur Ros' Heima, the band's first-ever film, due later this fall. The DVD will come with a companion album, entitled Hvarf-Heim, which will feature a few unreleased songs. The entire film was shot at various locations around the band's native Iceland, and if the trailer is any indication, this thing is going to be stunning. Download the higher-res version of the trailer here.



mp3:
Sigur Ros Staralfur

under the waves

Pseudosix is a sweet Portland band made up of members of other sweet Portland bands (like Joggers). Our friend Paige at Flux=Rad has declared herself a fan, calling the songs on the band's upcoming sophomore LP "sparkling and well-crafted pop gems with a darker, more complicated underbelly." Like Paige, we kind of put off listening to the album for no real reason, but it turns out she's absolutely right. Case in point: "Under the Waves," a rolling, extremely catchy (yet slightly seedy and menacing) '70s-inspired pop tune that we've had on blast all night. Also, GvsB contributor David would like to add that this song reminds him of "an outro to a '70s movie about a sort of raggedy LA cop." Nobody ever escapes the ugly undertow:

mp3:
Pseudosix Under the Waves

Pseudosix's self-titled LP comes out on August 28. Stream the whole album here, and if you like what you hear, buy it here.

something special

the tough alliance

Since becoming obsessed with The Tough Alliance's remix of Taken By Trees' "Too Young" last week, I've been listening to an exorbitant amount of the Swedish baseball bat-wielding duo's New Chance LP, which was released in Europe on Sincerely Yours earlier this year. The record is an inimitable blend of '80s synth-pop, tropical island flavor, and children's jump-roping jams, and for me, it deftly walks the fine line between guilty pleasure and album of the summer (along with Kala). Here's the joyous album opener:

mp3:
The Tough Alliance Something Special

Not sure if a U.S. release for this one is planned, but you can get the import here, or get some of their older material on eMusic.

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elsewhere:

This post would feel naked without another Animal Collective video, so here's the latest from the guys at the MIDI Festival. Here, the band performs a new live favorite called "Brother Sport":

out of the blue

I originally posted about my love for "Blue" Gene Tyranny's lost 1977 LP, Out of the Blue, back in February. "Next Time Might Be Your Time" remains my favorite "new"/old discovery of 2007, and Unseen Worlds has generously made the 8+ minute long avant-pop epic (featuring vocals from the lovely Patrice Manget) available for free download. Here's what Pitchfork had to say about the song earlier this year:

"...a sweet, country-pop song that reminds me a little of the McGarrigle Sisters French folk-pop records from the mid-70s, but Tyranny's array of synthesizers give it a feel that I can only describe as nostalgic-futuristic. It's like the kind of country music they should have been playing (in) A Clockwork Orange, except with no irony or dark edge..."

mp3:
"Blue" Gene Tyranny Next Time Might Be Your Time

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Fun fact: "Blue" Gene Tyranny was once a member of the Stooges. Unseen Worlds released a re-mastered reissue of his Out Of The Blue (complete with new artwork and a 24-page booklet) for the first time on CD in early '07. Buy it here or on iTunes.

little dragon

It's been a slow week around the internet, so how about another video? Here's the dark Johannes Nyholm-directed puppet show for "Twice," the new single from Gothenburg's Little Dragon (Nyholm also directed the Knife's "Heartbeats" video). The band is friends with fellow Swedes Jose Gonzalez and Love is All, and Little Dragon frontwoman Yukimi Nagano's otherworldly vocals have drawn early comparisons to Kate Bush and Bjork. Not sure what's going on here between the bird, the little girl, and the skeleton, but it's all pretty captivating and hypnotic:



Little Dragon's self-titled debut LP comes out September 3 on Peacefrog. Here's an mp3 for "Test," a more soulful electro-pop number that'll appear on the record:

mp3:
Little Dragon Test

New Animal Collective video: "Peacebone"

Yet another Animal Collective video, but this time it's official: the Timothy Saccenti-directed monster movie for Strawberry Jam's first single, "Peacebone." This one is awesome, and totally bizarre even by AC standards, but it fits the "freeform electronic-horror-gospel-hip-hop-soul-pop-madness" (Domino's description) of the song. Boneface!

Update: Download the glorious high-res version of the video here.



Buy the "Peacebone" single here, in 10", 12", and CD formats, if only for b-side "Safer," which is without question one of the best songs of 2007.

i want to walk around with you

As long as the good folks from the MIDI Festival keep posting these, we'll keep them coming. Here's Animal Collective performing another new song, tenatively titled "Walk Around":

new Sparrow House

I've been patiently awaiting Sparrow House's Television Snow EP, Jared Van Fleet's (of Voxtrot fame) follow-up to Falls, my favorite EP of 2006. We finally have a preview of the new material, courtesy of a recent live in-studio performance at Austin's KVRX. We also have a very exciting Sparrow House (and other bands)-related announcement coming in the next few days.

mp3:
Sparrow House Unknown title (live on KVRX)

Television Snow will (hopefully) see release at some point on Autobus Records.

ghosthustler + the party: Austin, TX

Ghosthustler and The Party play in Austin tonight at the Mohawk. 2 dollars for the best Tuesday night dance party Austin's seen in years. From 9:30 PM until Austin shuts that bitch down.

mp3:
Ghosthustler Busy Busy Busy

violator

We found this dude White Williams over at the Fader this afternoon, and were immediately drawn in by this joint's funky bassline and vaguely Odelay-era Beck-ish feel. Oh, and that hideously awesome cover art was a major factor as well.

mp3:
White Williams Violator

White Williams goes on tour with Girl Talk and Dan Deacon this fall, and his Smoke LP is due October 30 on Tigerbeat6.

Spike Jonze interviews M.I.A.

In part I of this Spike Jonze-conducted interview, we learn that M.I.A. is signing Afrikan Boy to her new label (Zig Zag) and that her shady, horse tranquilizer-abusing Polish hairdresser turned her hair orange. In other M.I.A. news, Kala comes out tomorrow.



Watch Part II here.

crank dat pogo

Just when you think you've mastered this summer's most ridiculous dance move, ABX from the Hood Internet goes and turns it into a blog-house anthem, with the help of Digitalism's "Pogo":

mp3:
Soulja Boy vs. Digitalism Crank that Pogo

(via The Hood Internet)

material things

Last week, we posted a couple of high-quality videos of Animal Collective performing some older material at last month's MIDI Festival. Yesterday, this video surfaced, featuring some impressive audio of a couple post-Strawberry jams from the same set. Not sure what the first song is (anyone?), but the working title for the second song is "Material Things." And yes, I realize how ridiculous it is that I'm already looking forward to the band's Strawberry Jam follow-up, likely due sometime in 2009:

Cat Power and the Dirty Delta Blues:Live at the Granada

Cat Power and her Dirty Delta Blues band blessed Dallas with a nearly 3-hour long marathon set last night at the Granada Theater. With her rad French bulldog Mona watching from backstage, Chan was typically affable and sweet, and seemed to be having a lovely time interacting with the sold-out crowd, and the band was spot on accompanying the chanteuse as they ran through two sets worth of indelibly soulful covers. As it happens, the show was being recorded, so we were treated to a full second set which featured multiple takes on a number of the first set's songs, including their incredible cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Tracks of My Tears," and Mona's favorite, "Silver Stallions." The band might have thought otherwise, but this was a truly remarkable, unforgettable show. In a rare instance, an adoring (and lucky) audience was generously allowed to witness a special band work through new material/covers as if we were right there in their living room.

(Photos by David)


Chan


Jim White


Gregg Foreman


Judah Bauer


Erik Paparazzi


Chan

View a bunch of live shots, and the original, highly inaccurate setlist after the jump...


Cat Power and the Dirty Delta Blues








chan proved to be an unreal drummer



Cat Power and the Dirty Delta Blues: Live at the Granada in Dallas, TX

The Greatest
Woman Left Lonely
Don't Explain
Silver Stallions
I Lost Someone
New York, New York (Sinatra cover)
Naked
Making Believe
Hey Aretha
I've Been Loving You Too Long
Life of
Could We
Satisfaction
Dark End of the Street
Song for Bobby
Willie
The Moon
Crazy

irene

We're not totally sure if this is the official video for Caribou's song "Irene" or some awesome and totally successful YouTube mash-up using excerpts from Planet Earth. Either way, it's calming and beautiful. And with the new Caribou dropping next Tuesday, hopefully this video -- and all our other hyping of this record -- explains why the record is getting some serious and Sirius GvsB airplay.

cat power in dallas

Just a quick reminder: Cat Power and her Dirty Delta Blues band will play their only 2007 TX show this evening at the Granada Theater. I'm assuming this will sell out, so get your tickets here before they're gone.

car stereo (wars)

If you're in or around Austin this weekend, you should probably hit up Saturday night's Car Stereo (Wars) CD release party at Beauty Bar. Five bucks gets you into what promises to be one of the most fun parties of the summer, featuring two of the best bands in TX (White Denim and Single Frame), and the price of admission includes a free copy of CS(W)'s Burt Reynolds-themed debut LP, The Bandit. We've long been fans of their mashups and mixtapes, and this one is off the hook as well. The obvious reference point here is Girl Talk, but the boys in Car Stereo (Wars) tend to show a little much-appreciated restraint, making The Bandit an enjoyable and only slightly exhausting (in a good way) listen. Name them tunes:

mp3:
Car Stereo (Wars) Hey Hey Stick Stickley

If you can't make it down to Austin, you'll be able to cop The Bandit here at some point in the near future. Check the flyer for Saturday night's show here.

bodies of water: live in L.A.

It's no secret that I adore Bodies of Water and their glorious, William Bowers-approved new album, Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink. I'm also dying to see them live, but slightly bummed that they have no tour dates planned outside of their home state of California at this point. But luckily for me, Cameraphonic was in attendance at their recent Los Angeles CD release party, camera in hand, and captured some great footage of the band. The Arcade Fire comparison that keeps popping up is proven valid on this, the clip for "Doves Circled the Sky." Not quite as cute as this, but still pretty great:



Check a few more Cameraphonic-shot videos from the show here. You can see the band on September 6 in L.A. with John Vanderslice. Here's the mp3 for "Doves Circled the Sky," one of the best tracks from the record:

mp3:
Bodies of Water Doves Circled the Sky

real fun

As you might've noticed, we're quite fond of old-school instant Polaroids around here. So naturally, we became fast fans of Ashod Simonian's absolutely gorgeous new book, Real Fun: Polaroids from the Independent Music Landscape. The book is loaded with dreamy and vibrant images of artists such as Cat Power, Broken Social Scene, the Polyphonic Spree, Pavement, Elliott Smith, and the list goes on. Real Fun also comes with an 18-song CD featuring exclusive songs from some of the bands featured in the book: Califone, Radar Bros., Jason Lytle (ex-Grandaddy), Sleeping States, and more, including this song from Norfolk & Western, featuring M. Ward on guitar:

mp3:
Norfolk & Western My Funny Valentine

I can't recommend this thing enough; the images on your screen don't do the hard copy any justice. Purchase Real Fun: Polaroids from the Independent Music Landscape here.

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elsewhere:

Thanks to The Sound of Marching Feet for pointing us in the direction of this interesting BBC mini-documentary on the making of Caribou's great new album, Andorra:

new Polyphonic Spree mp3: "H-O-O-P-S Yes!"

photo by Hal Samples

The Polyphonic Spree has penned the new theme song for our (well, Frisco's) MLS squad, FC Dallas. I was a little confused as to why it's called "Hoops" (apparently that's FC Dallas' nickname?), but it turns out the Spree is well-suited for making stadium jams. Not sure what "There's no hiding from this Dallas, TX fame" means though:

mp3:
The Polyphonic Spree H-O-O-P-S Yes!

Download more MLS theme songs from the likes of the Rapture, RJD2, Mike Jones, and Bad Brains here. Seriously. (via P4k)

sometimes you're just too young

victoria bergsman

I found this undeniably blissful TTA remix of Taken By Trees' "Too Young" over at Discobelle this evening, and after about 20 listens, I feel comfortable announcing how smitten I am. I couldn't dream of a more ideal union than Victoria Bergsman's fragile vocals and the Tough Alliance's lush tropical soundscapes, and the execution somehow outshines the premise. TTA's label offers this bit of wisdom, along with a free download of the song...

"Sometimes the aim for reality feels too unrealistic. Sometimes you have to indulge in sweet distractions, gentle escapes and beautiful illusions to be able to stand this excuse for an existance. Sometimes you're just too young."

Totally. Without a doubt the Swedish indie-pop collaboration of the year. Highly recommended, best new music, etc.

mp3:
The Tough Alliance vs. Taken by Trees Taken Too Young

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bonus:

mp3:
The Tough Alliance Silly Crimes

get random with M.I.A.

Time for today's M.I.A. update (via Stereogum). Little kids getting random is pretty much the best thing:

new Spoon video: "Don't You Evah"

Thanks to Texas Monthly for the tip on this new Spoon video for "Don't You Evah," featuring a dancing Keepon. Pretty sure this is the official video, though I suppose it's entirely possible that the dancing Keepon just randomly bumped into Britt Daniel on a Tokyo escalator:

Animal Collective: Live at the MIDI Festival

Here's some great footage of Animal Collective playing "Loch Raven" at the MIDI Festival, which took place a couple of weeks ago on the French Riviera. You can check another video from the fest ("Leaf House") here.

black lips: live in israel

If it seems like I've been talking about the Black Lips a lot lately, it's because they've been on fire for about the past six months. Their live album from earlier this year is currently sitting in my top 5 for 2007, their new studio record Good Bad Not Evil (out September 11) is growing on me with each listen, and we're beyond psyched about presenting their first-ever Dallas show in early October. Next week, Vice is going to offer footage of "the boys tearing it up in Israel," and they hooked us up with this preview mp3 of "Cold Hands," live from "a party at a Kibbutz":

mp3:
Black Lips Cold Hands (live in Israel)
Black Lips Cold Hands

teardrop

in our nature

Jose Gonzalez's much-blogged-about cover of "Teardrop" has long been a highlight of his live show, and his haunting acoustic version will appear on his upcoming LP In Our Nature (see art work above). In the meantime, the label has hooked us up with this high-quality live recording of Jose covering the Massive Attack classic:

mp3:
Jose Gonzalez Teardrop (live)

In Our Nature comes out September 24. Check out the artwork for the upcoming "Down the Line" single here.

stream Kala on myspace

Just noticed (via myspace bulletin) that M.I.A. is now streaming Kala in its entirety on her myspace page, so the two of you who haven't downloaded it yet can go listen to the whole thing. The real news here, obviously, is that you can now add "Paper Planes" to your myspace profile.

new Ola Podrida video: "photo booth"

Here's the new video for Ola Podrida's "Photo Booth." According to frontman David Wingo, the band will be releasing one video per month, each directed by a current indie filmmaker or animator. This is August's installment, directed by Michael Tully:



If you haven't heard Ola Podrida's outstanding self-titled debut LP, I recommend checking it out here. The band has a few notable shows in the near future, including one with Beach House and Papercuts in NYC, and the band will also play the Said the Gramophone showcase at Pop Montreal.

the besnard lakes: live radio session

The Besnard Lakes dropped by Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions last Friday for an interview and short live session, highlighted by this performance of one of the best songs of 2007, the Brian Wilson-esque "Disaster":

mp3:
The Besnard Lakes Disaster (live on Sound Opinions)

Download the full show in mp3 format here. And in case you missed it the first time around, here's the video for "For Agent 13":

she's such a strong animal

I've been enjoying this bass-heavy (one might even call it "banging") remix of new Castanets' song "Strong Animal" for much of the evening, and Asthmatic Kitty was generous enough to allow me to share it with you. The original will appear on the band's upcoming full-length, In the Vines. Here's what Ray Raposa had to say about the remix, via myspace:

"First of a few or more (maybe not) remixes from upcoming 'Nets disc "In the Vines"...West Coaster and Hero to All Rafter Roberts manned boards and faders and clickers for it. Bass up, mids wherever. Here's to big airplanes and weekend agoraphobics,
-RR"

mp3:
Castanets Strong Animal (Rafter remix)

In the Vines comes out October 23 on Asthmatic Kitty.

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loosely related:


golden ghost and a murder hawk

It's been a while since I blindly stumbled upon a true myspace gem, but I found the wonderfully monikered Golden Ghost and a Murder Hawk via Castanets' myspace page, and I think I'm in love with this song:

mp3:
Golden Ghost and a Murder Hawk The Orca and the Eskimo

Download a few more Golden Ghost and a Murder Hawk songs here. I recommend "I Go Out Anyway."

arcade fire to cover gainsbourg

According to Pitchfork, the Arcade Fire will cover one of my favorite songs from the '60s, the 1965 Serge Gainsbourg-penned France Gall classic, "Poupee de Cire, Poupee de Son." The song will appear on a limited split 7" with LCD Soundsystem. Here's a priceless and impossibly cute video of France Gall performing the song for a 1965 Eurovision competition in Luxembourg:



Watch a live performance of the Arcade Fire's Regine-fronted version of "Poupee de Cire" here.

new Rogue Wave mp3: "Lake Michigan"

"The entire record is about the internal joy that we've been feeling at being able to overcome so much in the last year and then looking around at the country we love, which is disintegrating before our eyes..."
--Zach Rogue



After a reportedly less-than-amicable split with Sub Pop, Rogue Wave is set to release their new album, Asleep at Heaven's Gate, on Brushfire Records on September 18. The first track to surface from the LP -- the shimmering late-summer anthem "Lake Michigan" -- addresses the "environmental destruction and the greed that perpetuates our inability to make any kind of progress..."

mp3:
Rogue Wave Lake Michigan

Pre-order Asleep at Heaven's Gate here and get a free 7".

oh no

oh no

I've recently become enamored with Oh No's new LP, Dr. Oh No's Oxperiment (thanks to Analog Giant). The record has been called this year's Donuts, and Stones Throw describes it as "an audio tour of Turkish, Lebanese, Greek & Italian psyche funk: chopped, flipped & ripped." I only recently discovered how much I love some of that obscure '70s Anatolian psych-funk stuff (see Selda), so it was a welcome surprise to find that Oh No actually samples a Selda jam on Dr. Oh No's Oxperiment's opening track:

mp3:
Oh No Heavy
Selda Ince Ince

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Dr. Oh No's Oxperiment is out August 14, but you can get it now from eMusic with your 25-download trial. Get Selda's 1976 debut LP here. Stones Throw is also offering up this free "rap version" of Oxperiment cut, "Action":

mp3:
Oh No Action (rap version)

new go! team video: "doing it right"

So I was talking to that dude from Marathonpacks about his contention that the Go! Team is essentially "twee-as-all-holy-hell kiddie rap, it's ESG minus the sexuality and implied danger, it's perfect for roughly 74 percent of mp3 bloggers." I agreed that this was probably all true, but refuse to concede that these are necessarily bad things. This stuff is tailor-made for those of us that grew up on cheesy, over-the-top, early '80s TV music. Do it! Alright.



(video via The Fader)

new Jose Gonzalez video

Subterranean Blog just premiered the brand new, Andreas Nilsson-directed video for Jose Gonzalez' new single, "Down the Line." Nilsson is responsible for all those insane and often disturbing videos for The Knife, but this one might be his darkest and most unsettling work yet:



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Subterranean Blog also premiered the Handsome Furs' new video for "Cannot Get Started." Check it out here.

free Panda Bear tour DVD now available

The Panda Bear Tour DVD that I mentioned last month is now available. The best part? It's FREE. The People Party DVD features the following:

"nearly 2 hours of material including a song by each opener, full Panda Bear set edited from 3 nights, sound checks, other random footage, and an exclusive interview with Panda Bear. The DVD also comes with a fully functional chapter selection mode so you can cruise right to the parts you want to see!"

Awesome! We personally went with (and highly recommend) the version that comes with the extra bonus disc, which contains the full, uncut sets from any 2 nights of your choice from Panda Bear's U.S. Tour. This version requires a small donation ($5-$10) to help cover Mike's costs. So head over there now, drop 10 bucks, and get the DVD.

new Devendra Banhart mp3: "Seahorse"

We talked a little about how great this new Devendra Banhart song is when we posted the promo video last week, and now XL has gone and made the 8-minute epic "Seahorse" (which features a brief guest appearance by the lovely Vashti Bunyan) the official promo mp3 for Devendra's upcoming record, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain. Good move:

mp3:
Devendra Banhart Seahorse

video: "master of none"

Here's Beach House's new video for one of my favorite songs of 2006, "Master of None." A dolled-up Victoria Legrand displays some sweet dance moves, but not quite as risque as the moves she busted during Girl Talk's set at the Pitchfork Festival. Of course, there's probably not as much Jack Daniels involved here:



mp3:
Beach House Master of None

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elsewhere:

Marissa Nadler's Songs III: Bird on the Water was finally released this week on Kemado (buy it here). She's touring now in support of the record, and if you get a chance to catch one of her in-store performances, you might want to do that:



mp3:
Marissa Nadler Diamond Heart

Animal Collective: "Peacebone" video preview

peacebone

Someone has uploaded a few extremely short behind-the-scenes clips of the making of Animal Collective's forthcoming "Peacebone" video. Apparently the video, which was directed by Timothy Saccenti of Battles' "Atlas" fame, centers around an alien monster with a cute girlfriend. Admittedly, this isn't much (it's a slow day), but here's one of the more revealing clips, and you can see the rest here, here, and here. (via Collected Animals)

rock the bells: dallas

the RZA


Ghostface Killah


Raekwon


girl rocking some Jordan IIIs


Nas


Talib Kweli


Pharoahe Monch

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Photos by David. Tons of live shots of Nas, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, and Pharoahe Monch from the Rock the Bells stop in Dallas after the jump...

(click for larger image)

Talib Kweli + Erykah Badu:















Pharoahe Monch









Nas:

new Glass Candy track

Seems like every time I check (which is fairly often), Glass Candy has just uploaded something new for free download on their myspace page. They're not just generously prolific, however; they seem to be getting better with each new jam. On "Candy Castle," Ida No is on some slightly more '80s/Cyndi Lauper shit (specifically the "C'mon C'mon, woo!" bit), as opposed to the duo's typical '70s roller-disco steez. The band has this song categorized as a "studio outtake," so hopefully this abundance of new studio demos means a full-length is imminent...

mp3:
Glass Candy Candy Castle

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Hit up Glass Candy's myspace page for three more mp3s, including this demo titled "Geto Boys" which is essentially a mashup of Glass Candy's version of "Iko Iko" and "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me."

mp3:
Glass Candy Geto Boys demo

new m.i.a. video: "Jimmy"

As Idolator points out, the new video for M.I.A.'s cover of "Jimmy" has surfaced. Update: Here's the Nezar Khamal-directed video, you can download it here.



Not bad, and M.I.A. is looking rather fly, but I think I like the original better:

melody day

I'm sure you've all seen the gorgeous and trippy video for Caribou's "Melody Day" by now. I realize I'm a little late to the game on this one, but after repeated weekend listens, I'm basically obsessed with this song, which is essentially a flawless piece of blissed-out, sunny psych-pop. Those that have heard the Andorra LP: is the whole thing this amazing?

mp3:
Caribou Melody Day

The Melody Day single includes the almost equally awesome Four Tet remix and an exclusive b-side. Get it here for only 4 bucks. Andorra is out August 21 on Merge.

comfy in nautica remix

panda bear + devlin (devlin photo on flickr)

When we spoke with Panda Bear a few months back about his masterpiece Person Pitch, he explained how he pieced much of the record together in the same manner a DJ would create a good set, and that he ultimately intended the music to be danceable. So it's only natural that Spank Rock DJ Chris Devlin thought Panda Bear's "Comfy in Nautica" was fit for a club remix, which he contributed to this mix on Discobelle. Here's what Devlin told Discobelle about the song, and his remix, which comes complete with extra humpback whale samples:

"I really like this album and this song in particular...its erie and beautiful...I used alot (of) weird underwater bass noises and for this mix i layed a lot of whale noises over the track as well...I know that Noah is a Panda Bear but i (thought) the whales sounded good and kept the ocean summer vibe alive..."--Devlin of Spank Rock

mp3:
Panda Bear Comfy in Nautica (Mr. Devlin's Jamaica Plain Humpbacks Remix)
Panda Bear Comfy in Nautica

Download the full Sink or Swim mix here.

ghosthustler in Austin

Ghosthustler kicks off our August Hot Freaks! Residency with a dance party tomorrow night in Austin at the Mohawk. Austin's Cry Blood Apache opens. Expect this show to be sweaty, loud as hell, and 2 bucks. Doors at 8, show at 9:30. In case you're unfamiliar:

mp3:
Ghosthustler Parking Lot Nights

new Sunset Rubdown mp3

Jagjaguwar has posted the first mp3 from Random Spirit Lover (Sunset Rubdown's highly-anticipated upcoming LP), the rousing and somehow old-timey carnivalesque jam "Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days."

mp3:
Sunset Rubdown Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days

Random Spirit Lover is out October 9th on Jagjaguwar. I haven't spent much time with the record at this point, but I can assure you that the second half of the LP is pretty outstanding.

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elsewhere:

The Hood Internet has teamed up with the Pack to bring us a 10-track mixtape, featuring material from the Pack's Skateboards 2 Scrapers EP, as well as four unreleased songs from the forthcoming Based Boys LP. Download it here.

home schooled

The remarkably consistent Numero Group (home of those insanely good Eccentric Soul compilations we're constantly talking about) is set to release Home Schooled: The ABCs of Kid Soul, on which the label explores what they call the "unknown side of the '70s kid soul revolution" (i.e., not the Jackson 5). I was unaware that a '70s kid soul revolution ever existed, but if it all sounds like "Can't Let You Break My Heart," this comp is going to be great. I couldn't find much information on the Quantrells, other than the fact that they were sisters between the ages of 12-15 when they released this, their only 45:

mp3:
Quantrells Can't Let You Break My Heart

Home Schooled: The ABCs of Kid Soul comes out on August 27. Buy the double-LP here.

some things just stick in your mind

vashti bunyan

As if Devendra Banhart's new song "Seahorse" (the video of which I posted yesterday) wasn't wonderful enough already, it turns out the amazing Vashti Bunyan contributed vocals to the song (I'm guessing she comes in at about 3:56 mark). Anyway, now seems an appropriate time to post this lost gem, which will appear on her soon-to-be-released Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind: Early Singles and Demos, 1964-1967, and has been a favorite of mine since I found the mp3 here a couple years back. Turns out "17 Pink Sugar Elephants" is a rare earlier version (from 1966) of "Train Song," which also appears on the upcoming collection of Vashti's early works.

mp3:
Vashti Bunyan 17 Pink Sugar Elephants

You can listen to Garrison's 2005 interview with Vashti here. Vashti Bunyan's Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind: Early Singles and Demos, 1964-1967 will be released in October on Fat Cat in the UK, and on DiCristina Stair Builders in the U.S. View the full tracklist after the jump...

Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind: Early Singles and Demos, 1964-1967

Disc 1 (Early Singles + Demos):

1. Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind
2. I Want to Be Alone
3. Train Song
4. Love Song
5. Winter Is Blue
6. Coldest Night of the Year
7. I'd Like to Walk Around in Your Mind
8. Winter Is Blue (Demo)
9. Girl's Song in Winter
10. If in Winter (100 Lovers)
11. Wishwanderer (Demo)
12. Don't Believe
13. 17 Pink Sugar Elephants

Disc 2 (1964 Demo):

1. Autumn Leaves
2. Leave Me
3. If in Winter (100 Lovers)
4. How Do I Know
5. Find My Heart Again
6. Go Before the Dawn
7. Girl's Song in Winter
8. I Don't Know What Love Is
9. Don't Believe What They Say
10. Love You Now
11. I Know
12. Someday

seeds of night

"The Cave Singers sound like an updated version of the Anthology of American Folk Music...sparse, melodic, and simultaneously creepy and alluring, like the widow mourning graveside in Johnny Cash's 'Long Black Veil.'"--Seattle Weekly



I've been wearing the hell out of the A-side of the new limited 7" (1000 copies) from Seattle's the Cave Singers. The song is "Seeds of Night," the first single from their forthcoming debut LP, Invitation Song, and Matador is offering the mp3 for free download. Unfortunately, this particular song sort of needs to be heard on vinyl, which you can get (with B-side "After the Baptism") here for only 3 bucks. The band has already garnered comparisons in the Seattle press to Guthrie, Van Zandt, and early Dylan, and if "Seeds of Night" is any indication, those comparisons may not be too far off. I'll also go ahead and make the prediction that this song will end up on an indie film soundtrack at some point in 2008:

mp3:
The Cave Singers Seeds of Night

The Cave Singers' Invitation Song comes out September 25 on Matador.

New Devendra Banhart: "Seahorse"

"I want to be a little seahorse."--Devendra Banhart



Devendra Banhart has posted a video on his new website featuring "Seahorse," a song from his upcoming Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon LP. The video showcases Devendra doing the kind of bizarre shit you might expect him to do on a daily basis -- you know, like knife-throwing, playing around with shotguns while wearing a mask, hanging out in his underwear, stuff like that -- and is an interesting and ultimately endearing peek into his charmed existence (who knew he was boys with Gael Garcia Bernal?) As for the song itself, at nearly 8 minutes long, it's pretty epic. Starting off with Devendra's fairly obvious proclamation, "I'm high, and I'm happy, and I'm free," "Seahorse" really gets going at around the 2:00-mark, and peaks when Devendra apparently begins to channel Jim Morrison. Awesome. Watch it now. You can also listen to another track, "So Long Old Bean," here.

Update: now with Youtube...

M.I.A. on KCRW

m.i.a.

In keeping with M.I.A. theme week here on gorilla vs. bear, we have a couple of songs from her performance on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic yesterday in convenient mp3 format (thanks to Garrison). With DJ Low Bee in tow, M.I.A. tore through quite a bit of Kala, including Pixies-borrowing slow jam "$20," and "Paper Planes," our favorite track from the record (and one of 2007's best so far). M.I.A. also talked about how she was denied entry into the U.S. earlier this year because she was on "the freaking list."

mp3:
M.I.A. $20 (live on Morning Becomes Eclectic)
M.I.A. Paper Planes (live on Morning Becomes Eclectic)

Check the full track list from M.I.A.'s KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic session after the jump. You can listen/watch it here.

M.I.A. on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic:

Bamboo Banger
$20
Hussel
Nic Harcourt interviews M.I.A.
Bird Flu
Boyz
Galang
Paper Planes

new Celebration: "Evergreen"

celebration

We saw Baltimore's Celebration when they rolled through Dallas with TV on the Radio a little over a year ago, and frontwoman Katrina Ford damn near stole the whole show with her incredible primal energy and commanding stage presence, making me an instant fan. The band recently finished their sophomore David Sitek-produced LP, The Modern Tribe, the title an homage to Celebration-homies TVOTR, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Antibalas, and Dragons of Zynth, all of whom make appearances on the record. Album-opener "Evergreen" is the band's attempt to "coax out the ethereal in latter-day soul," and it's without a doubt the prettiest and most melodic thing Celebration has created to date (uh, until you get to track 3 on The Modern Tribe, "Heartbreak," which could end up being their "Maps").

mp3:
Celebration Evergreen

The Modern Tribe is due out October 9 on 4AD. After a few cursory listens, we are in love with the album, and would like to make the outlandishly premature claim that this thing is Best New Music-worthy.

new black dice

Black Dice will release their 4th album (and Paw Tracks debut), the unfortunately-titled Load Blown, on October 23. Here's the disjointed yet strangely hypnotic and catchy album opener. If you're not already into Black Dice, I'm not sure this one is going to change your mind, but I can guarantee it's better than the Beach Boys/John Stamos collabo of the same name:

mp3:
Black Dice Kokomo

Load Blown will also feature "Roll Up," which we posted about here.

making paper planes

Best song on Kala (via Stereogum):

new black lips single

black lips + a zedonk

Vice has made the first single from the Black Lips' upcoming album, Good Bad Not Evil, available for free download. Not sure if the new album tops their live from Tijuana instant-classic Los Valientes Del Mondo Nuevo, but between this song, "Katrina," and the awesome "Bad Kids," these dudes are rapidly becoming one of my favorite bands.

mp3:
The Black Lips Cold Hands

Good Bad Not Evil is out September 11 on Vice Records.

f*cked up friends

Black Moth Super Rainbow member Tobacco is set to release his solo F*cked Up Friends DVD, featuring "13 new tracks that would have been the next bmsr record had we gone weird hip hop". This video, for DVD track "Hawker Boat," is likely the most bizarre thing you'll see all year. I mean Richard Simmons has always creeped me out a little, but jesus christ. The clip also features some sweet pop 'n locking and a pizza commercial with Bart Simpson reminding kids, "Don't Eat Drugs."



The F*cked Up Friends DVD will be available for purchase on Black Moth Super Rainbow's upcoming tour with the Flaming Lips and Aesop Rock. Check this post to download a few BMSR jams.

tickley feather

I have a feeling we'll be hearing quite a bit about Philadelphia's Tickley Feather in the not-so-distant future. She opened Panda Bear's recent Philly show, and she's been picked to support Animal Collective on the second half of their upcoming fall U.S. tour. She seems like an inspired choice, and I imagine her otherworldly, super lo-fi, underwater carnival folk ballads (see "Natural Natural" and "Sex Face") will go over extremely well with AC fans. No word on a full-length at this point, but you can get Tickley Feather split 7"s here and here.

mp3:
Tickley Feather Natural Natural
Tickley Feather The Python

Check out the charming and only mildly disturbing video for Tickley Feather's "Sex Face":

photos: white denim @ the house of blues

All photos by David. View more shots of White Denim at HOB Dallas after the jump...















More at Flickr...