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.Actor is out on 4/5 May through 4AD.

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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.

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Photo by danish., licensed under Creative Commons

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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Photo by Charlyn W, licensed under Creative Commons

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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Photo by Esther.Z.Schnickenack

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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Desolation Wilderness

via mp3hugger

Photo by CDR, copyright Polanoid.net

[audio http://www.iol.ie/~pippen33/02-oh-paris.mp3]

Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – Oh, Paris!

I’m partial to this song not just because it’s a whimsical pop tune performed on the ukulele, but because it’s an ode to the city where my heart is… inspired by the effect that the likes of Bastille (pictured) and its multitude of cafes can have on you. Dent May has been signed up to Animal Collective’s  Paw Tracks imprint, who will release his debut album next month not long before he heads off to shake things up at SXSW. Wes Anderson style video below.

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iB36ETTlOSM]

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Photo by Philippe

Ty Segall – Dating

Ty Segall – The Drag

I just have to sing Ty Segall’s praises once more. I know I didn’t compile a Top 10 Albums of 2008 list (partially because I had to give two magazines my Top 5) but if I was to compile an alternative Top 10 of the year, this would be right up near the top. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to Ty Segall’s self-titled album since getting it a month ago; it’s short, infectious and energetically lo-fi. He’ll be playing SXSW in March so I’m expecting his simultaneous guitar crunching and drum pedalling to win everyone over and blow up in 2009. Video below…

Head to his MySpace immediately.

Previous post:  Song of the Day: Ty Segall – Who Are You?

The man behind Rogue Wave is caught just out of bed in his hotel room during SXSW and gives a lovely, albeit slightly sleep rendition of ‘Lake Michigan’

Aquarium Drunkard has not only posted up some video clips of Jim James and M. Ward in action together (and separately) at St. David’s Church in Austin, but the entire sets of both acoustic shows are available for free download. Set list is as follows:

Disk 1 (part 1) – M Ward (solo)

01) Sad, Sad Song
02) Oh Lonesome Me
03) Poison Cup
04) Rollercoaster
05) Duet for Guitars #3

Disk 1 (part 2) – Jim James and M Ward

06) Chinese Translation
07) One Life Away
08) Outta My Head
09) Wonderful (the Way I Feel)
10) Golden
11) Look at You

Disk 2 – Jim James

01) Bermuda Highway
02) It Beats 4 U
03) What A Wonderful Man
04) Sec Walkin’
05) Librarian
06) Smokin From Shootin
07) Thank You Too
08) I Will Be There When You Die
09) Gideon

Listen to Jim James and company performing songs from their forthcoming album, Evil Urges, by checking out the high-quality recording now available on NPR.

Set list:

Evil Urges

Off the Record

Gideon

Highly Suspicious

What a Wonderful Man

I’m Amazed

Thank You Too

Golden

Sec Walkin’

Worldess Chorus

Way He Sings

Aluminum Park

One Big Holiday

Run Thru

Smokin’ From Shootin’

Touch Me Pt. 2

Steam Engine

Lay Low

Mahgeetas

Anytime