Preview Lou Barlow's Goodnight Unknown

In less than two weeks, Merge Records will release Lou Barlow's new solo album Goodnight Unknown. A few songs from the album have been floating around the internet for a few weeks now, and these fulfill every expectation I have based on Barlow's previous work with Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr., Folk Implosion, and the numerous other side projects over the last 20 years. And now, as of last Tuesday, we can see if my first impression holds true to the whole album. Thanks to Merge and NPR, you can preview the album in it's entirety here.

Also, for the last 7 weeks before Goodnight Unknown comes out, Lou is making a video for a different song and posting them on what Merge is calling "Lootube." Check out the videos thus far.

Preview Goodnight Unknown at NPR.
Pre-order here.

Promo: Rainbow Bridge - "Big Wave Rider"

A new song from a new band. I know nothing about Rainbow Bridge other than they have an ironic sense of humor. Put another way, I don't trust anything they say on their myspace, since none of it makes any sense. Rainbow Bridge does write good music though, as evidenced by their 7" on True Panther called "Big Wave Rider." This song is super chill, with a great crescendo and climax about half way through. Not exactly energetic, but it's bound to get you surfer's stoked just like it does me. You can order 7" here, plus the label is giving away the A-side on the same page. Unfortunately, I've had some trouble with .mp3 files from some of True Panther's other artists, so I'm not going to link the .mp3 itself. Instead, glance down their catalog page, which is kind of cluttered, to find the entry for Rainbow Bridge's 7". Right now, it is 4th from the top, and you can download the .mp3 there.

Why? - Eskimo Snow

Why? released Eskimo Snow today on Anticon Records. The new album is somewhat more mellow and slower paced than last years Alopecia, but the important essence of the band is still present. What critical bit is this, you ask? In this case one you'll be surprised for me to note: the lyrics. While I hardly ever pay attention to the meaning of sung words, Why?'s lyrics are so infectious and clever that I'm constantly distracted by them and chuckling at the irony and wit in which they steep. In one of my favorites is from "Into the Shadows of My Embrace." While reflecting on contradictory claims that sex keeps you young and ages you, frontman Yoni Wolf quips "So I guess it's sorta like smoking and walking at the same time...in that it will have left you aged normally." This brilliant bit of wit has its like in nearly every track, making the album worthy of your attention even if you only listen through one time for the lyrical genius. But by the end of that listen, it is likely the music will have infected you. Buy it here.

Why? will also be visiting SB soon. At 9pm, on Sunday, October 18, Why? plays an 18+ show at the Velvet Jones. They bring with them two guests: Au and Serengeti & Polyphonic. I'm a casual fan of Au as well, so this bill is a no brainer. Tickets are $13.50 here or at the door.

The Hidden Cameras - Origin: Orphan

The Hidden Cameras released their new album Origin: Orphan yesterday on Arts & Crafts records. The music is very orchestrated and controlled, which I get the feeling is typical of the band despite my relative lack of familiarity with their back-catalogue. The instrumentation is very diverse, more often than not omitting the standard indie rock instruments (i.e.-guitar), and the synth sounds are prominent. Also, you have to enjoy the multiplicity of vocal lines, and the Hidden Cameras employ both polyphony and homophony. Overall, the album has a somber, melancholy tone with mostly slow tempo-ed tracks, with only a couple of exceptions. For me it is these tracks, "In the NA" and "Underage" are the stand outs. I lose interest in most of the others, but if your a stanch fan of theirs, or of virtually everything that the Magnetic Fields have ever written, you'll probably love the whole album. If you want to preview a couple tracks, check out my previous post. You can buy the album here.

Radio Recap - 22 September 2009

19:58:Black Lips “Drugs” from 200 Million Thousand
20:00 Vivian Girls “Can't Get Over You” from Everything Goes Wrong
20:03 The Twilight Sad “I Became a Prostitute” from Forget the Night Ahead
20:12 Islands “No You Don't” from Vapours (read more)
20:16 Washed Out “Hold Out” from Life of Leisure
20:20 Fanfarlo “I'm A Pilot” from Reservoir
20:24 Thao With the Get Down Stay Down “Know Better Learn Faster” from Know Better Learn Faster (read more)
20:28 Amusement Parks On Fire “In Our Eyes” from Young Fight
08:36 Bonus Eventus “Rough Housing” from Cañaceros!
20:38 The Cave Singers “Beach House” from Welcome Joy (read more)
20:42 Times New Viking “These Days” from Born Again Revisited
20:46 The Hidden Cameras “In The NA” from Origin: Orphan (read more)
20:51 Bridezilla “Brown Paper Bag” from EP
20:55 The Sweet Serenades “Mona Lee” from Balcony Cigarettes
20:59 Army Navy “Saints” from Army Navy
21:03 Hello Seahorse! “No Encontre Nada” from Hoy A Las Ocho
21:07 I Was a King “Norman Bleik” from I Was a King
21:10 Au Revoir Simone “Only You Can Make Me Happy” from Still Night, Still Light
21:18 White Rabbits “Rudie Fails” from It's Frightening (read more)
21:21 Rhume “Home Tonight” from Kelp 15
21:24 Mason Proper “Lock and Key” from Olly Oxen Free
21:28 The Seedy Seeds “Winter 04” from Demo
21:31 M. Ward “Rave On (feat. Zooey Deschanel)” from Hold Time
21:35 Superchunk “Without Blinking” from Foolish
21:41 Tokyo Police Club “In a Cave” from Elephant Shell
21:43 The Jesus and Mary Chain “Taste of Cindy” from Psychocandy
21:45 Wolfmother “Back Round” from Back Round
21:49 Casper & the Cookies “Little King” from Modern Silence
21:56 Art Brut “Wierd Science” from Alcoholics Unanimous Single

Promo: Thao Nguyen - Know Better Learn Faster

I have a treat for all you fans of indie folk out there. Not only has Kill Rock Stars made available the title track from Thao Nguyen's upcoming album, Know Better Learn Faster, but if you pre-order it ($13), you can also get discounted concert tickets. "So?" you ask. "I hate driving to LA to see shows and next to nobody comes to Santa Barbara." Well, you're in luck, because Thao is actually kicking off here Fall tour in SB on October 15 @ Soho. Tickets are $12 regular, or $8 with pre-order. Know Better Learn Faster is scheduled for release October 15.

Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down - "Know Better Learn Faster" .mp3

Islands - Vapours

Today marks the release of Islands' new album, Vapours. Why do I introduce it with a more dramatic tone than most album reviews, you ask? Because this album is amazing! Vapours is certainly one of the best albums of the year, thanks to a perfect balance between eclecticism and standard rock/pop songwriting. Almost every song has a guitar, bass, and drums, but none are without some element from some other sound world. "Devout," for instance, features a drum track that belongs to some downtempo DJ, but after the first 30 seconds your ear will be pleasantly pondering the song's true genre. Even the most typical rock song, the title track "Vapours," brings in a prominant horn section for the bridge which alters the sound world despite flawless integration.

Tonight, I'll play my favorite track "No You Don't" on PUR.

Buy Islands' Vapours here.

Limited Time Only: preview new Flaming Lips - Embryonic

Last night on The Colbert Report, the Flaming lips played "Convinced of the Hex," a track from their upcoming album (watch it below). It's a little dark, and slightly below par for the Lips, but they're in no danger of losing my support.

Although Embryonic isn't released until October 13, the Flaming Lips have provided the entire album for streaming preview on the Colbert Nation homepage. However, this opportunity to check it out early reportedly ends next Monday, Sept. 21, so don't dawdle. It's not obvious where it is, but just look just below the upper-left-hand corner.

There are pre-order links for Embryonic on Colbert Nation, but if you need no more convincing you can do so here. Also, there is a limited edition 2CD/1DVD, which comes with an opportunity to get two free tickets to the Lips' New Years Eve show (in Oklahoma City; my hometown!) if you pre-order it here.

Check it out before Sept. 21!

Hidden Camera Promos! Promos! Promos!

Next Tuesday, The Hidden Cameras release their new album Origin: Orphan, and boy are there some promo tracks out there for this album. Most recently, the band Records has authorized Seattle's KEXP to include "In the NA" on the Song of the Day Podcast. The sound of this song can only be described as silly, guaranteed to put a smile on your face. A somewhat older promo is for "Walk On", available for the cost of joining the mailing list (for the band, label or both). I'll play one of these next Tuesday, with an album review to follow.

Hidden Cameras - "In the NA" (follow link)
Hidden Cameras - "Walk On" (follow link)

Radio Recap - 15 September 2009

Due to some goings on at the station last night, there was more music than anticipated. Be sure to check out Autolux's "Audience No. 2" post.

20:00:00 Crocodiles “I Wanna Kill” from "Summer of Hate"
20:04:36 Ambulance LTD “New English” from New English
20:07:09 Weed Hounds “Save Me From My Lethargy” from Demo
20:10:36 Royal Bangs “My Car is Haunted” from Let It Beep
20:17:21 Real Estate “Fake Blues” from Fake Blues
20:20:21 The Fruit Bats “The Blessed Breeze” from The Ruminant Band
20:25:06 Vivian Girls “The Desert” from Everythin Goes Wrong
20:27:49 Autolux “Audience No. 2” from Audience No. 2 Single (read more)
20:32:30 The Feelies “Crazy Rhythms” from Crazy Rhythms
20:38:41 Sleepy Sun “Sleepy Son” from Embrace
20:46:05 The Swirlies “Pancake” from Blonder Tongue Audio Baton
20:49:21 Wild Beasts “All the Kings Men” from Two Dancers
20:53:21 The Bird and the Bee “Man” from Please Clap Your Hands
20:56:24 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin “Glue Girls” from Pershing
20:59:50 The New Pornographers “Mass Romantic” from Mass Romantic
21:03:54 Matt & Kim “5K” from Matt & Kim
21:06:04 The Promise Ring “Nothing Feels Good” from Nothing Feels Good
21:08:07 Tokyo Police Club “Graves” from Elephant Shell
21:10:43 Pomegranates “The Bellhop” from Everything is Alive
21:16:17 Gentleman Auction House “The Book of Matches” from The Book of Matches EP
21:20:16 Wye Oak “Please Concrete” from If Children
21:23:29 Les Savy Fav “The Equestrian” from Let's Stay Friends
21:26:57 Lync “Two Feet in Front” from Remembering the Fireballs
21:33:59 Sunny Day Real Estate “Sometimes” from Diary
21:39:42 Lemon Jelly “Elements” from Lost Horizons
21:48:24 The Whigs “Like a Vibration” from Mission Control
21:50:59 Oh No! Oh My! “Be a Star” from Dmitrij Dmitrij
21:56:09 The Magic Numbers “Keep It In the Pocket” from Those the Brokes

Promo .mp3: Autolux - Audience No. 2

Los Angeles' Autolux has made available their new single, Audience No. 2, under a name your own price scheme. Apparently, there was internet trouble with people paying, so they just sidestepped the whole process. It's a solid track and about what you might expect from them: crunchy, strong drum beat, softly sung lyrics...octaves made to sound dissonant. Get it here.

Radio Recap - 8 September 2009

08:00PM Fergus & Geronimo “Powerful Lovin” from Fergus & Geronimo
08:02PM Destroyer “Dark Leaves From a Thread” from Trouble in Dreams
08:05PM Polvo “The Pedlar” from In Prism (read more)
08:17PM Vivian Girls “The End” from Everythin Goes Wrong
08:20PM Palomar “The Planeiac” from Palomar 3
08:24PM Wavves “Cool Jumper” from Wavves
08:34PM Cotton Jones “Where You Stop for a Minute” from Rio Ranger EP (read more)
08:37PM Free Energy “Dream City” from Free Energy
08:41PM Bottle Up and Go “Wayward Son” from These Bones
08:44PM Jonna Lee “My High” from This is Jonna Lee
08:47PM Why? “Into the Shadows of My Embrace” from Eskimo Snow
08:56PM The Big Pink “Dominos” from Dominos
09:00PM The Decemberists “Tangerine” from Bridging the Distance- Portland, OR
09:02PM Treepeople “Liquid Boy” from Something Vicious for Tomorrow
09:06PM The Dandy Warhols “Godless” from Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
09:12PM The American Analog Set “Promice of Love” from Promice of Love
09:21PM Ambulance LTD “Yoga Means Union” from LP
09:26PM Blonde Redhead “23” from 23
09:27PM Cymbals Eat Guitars “Wind Phoenix (Proper Name)” from Why There Are Mountains
09:32PM Grandaddy “Gentle Spike Resort” from Broken Down Comforter Collection
09:36PM Neutral Milk Hotel “Ghost” from In an Aeroplane Over The Sea
09:40PM The Decemberists “Thank About Me” from Bridging the Distance- Portland, OR
09:42PM The Joggers “Long Distance Run Around” from Bridging the Distance- Portland, OR
09:56PM Elliot Smith “Southern Bell” from Elliot Smith

New Album: Polvo - In Prisms

One of the 90s greatest experimental bands has reunited to give us a new album, out last Tuesday. Polvo has always had a unique take on harmony and a superb use of dissonance, but In Prisms shows a great deal of the maturity and sophistication they gained during their nearly 12 year hiatus. As such, this album is less weird than anything the band's done before, especially in relation to Today's Active Lifestyles (1993; my favorate of theirs). Yet they haven't abandoned those completely out-of-tune notes that are the hallmark of their sound. To me, this dissonance sounds something akin to the "blue notes" oft mentioned in jazz, but for Polvo they are more than blue. Perhaps "dirty notes" would better describe the utter degree of misplacement that these effect. On Tuesday, I played "The Pedlar" and previously "Beggar's Bowl" (available free here) which are definitely the stand out tracks.

Buy In Prisms from Merge Records, here.

Free mp3 from a new EP by Cotton Jones

After a nearly two week hiatus from posting, I return to you with goodies. Not only has Cotton Jones, perhaps more famously known as Michael Nau from the band Page France, released the new Rio Rangers EP today, but one of the five tracks on the album is free for download from Quite Scientific Records. If you haven't checked out this side project (I hadn't), it's a bit more folky than Page France, but it retains the psychadelic aspects of the full bands. Listen for the free track "Where You Stop for a Minute" on Parallel University Radio tonight, and buy the EP here.

Cotton Jones - "Where You Stop for a Minute" .mp3