St. Vincent – An Actor Out of Work (Live Rehearsal)
admin on Apr 12th 2009
Personally, this clip of Annie Clark and band rehearsing for her set at SXSW feels a lot more satisfying than the shiny, bells-and-whistles video that officially dropped a day or so ago. What do you think? After the jump is a performance of The Strangers – complete with chattering crowd – at said SXSW show. Continue Reading »
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Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is the Move
admin on Apr 10th 2009
Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is the Move
I’ve seen the Dirty Projectors a few times now but what drew me to their show last week at La Scala was the strength of the new material, as broadcast by NPR from the band’s set at SXSW recently. They have outdone themselves this time (particularly the interplay between Angel and Amber) and Bitte Orca is set to be one of the most impressive albums of 2009. To call it more accessible would be misguided; accessibility doesn’t factor into Longstreth’s musical vision…it’s just genius. Download Stillness Is the Move, the album’s first single, for free here. Continue Reading »
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Starfucker – Iaadeedaa / Girls Just Want to Have Fun
admin on Mar 25th 2009
Starfucker – Iaadeedaa
Fun-fuelled dance-pop from Portland’s Badman label: so catchy it had IBM writing a cheque out for use of “Holly” from their self-titled debut album and so energetic that the group impressed all at SXSW last week. Next month the band will release Jupiter, an EP highlighting their ’80s-inspired live shows, which will contain a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (below).
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Sholi – Sprout and the Bean
admin on Feb 17th 2009
Sholi – Sprout and the Bean (Joanna Newsom cover)
San Francisco trio breathe new life into Newsom’s 2004 classic with a brilliant interpretation so loose that it veers wrecklessy from lounge jazz to psych-rock. It’s an approach that probably owes something to singer Payam Bavafa’s stint as an engineer in an experimental neuroscience lab, spending a year and a half processing brain-waves and analyzing data from studies on sleep and memory while coming up ways to apply his findings to songwriting. Sholi’s debut album is out today on Quarterstick/Touch and Go records and they will also be appearing at the upcoming SXSW festival.
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Song of the Day: Desolation Wilderness – Come Over in Your Silver Car
admin on Feb 10th 2009
Desolation Wilderness – Come Over in Your Silver Car
Inspired by the open planes of the Sierra Nevada, “a place people go to get away,” this Washington trio tug gently on the warm, Spector-inspired pop of half a dozen great bands that never rose above cult status. It’s a daydream in sound, spinning a blissful lull where you wake up wanting to see one person in particular…and you’re not sure why.
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