Evangelicals

I finally got to see the Evangelicals earlier this month at the Middle East Upstairs… There were literally around 30 people at this show, and that’s counting the band members of two other bands that opened for them. That is absolutely tragic because the Evangelicals are amazing.  They have that Oklahoma City (read: Flaming Lips) sound and charm to their music and their lyrics, and their sound is perfect for Halloween. Here’s a great video for their song “Midnight Vignette”

My current obsession – Mirah, C’mon Miracle

Everybody should listen to this album.

Radiohead – House of Cards

This is probably the best video ever made

Sigur Rós, “Vaka”

This is from ( ), which is probably their best album. Amazing, no? Their new one album is really good too, it’s way happier than anything they’ve ever released and sometimes it sounds like their version of Animal Collective. And you cannot go wrong with that right now. It has a long Icelandic name I don’t want to look up, but you should. Saw them at the Bank of America Pavillion here in Boston last Friday, didn’t have Amina with them so they couldn’t play this song nor Staralfur… what can I say, i’m a spoiled fan, I want my hits.  Was cool seeing them as a ‘normal’ band though. Jonsi is looking like Billy Corgan on stage, with his elaborate dresses and bow-guitar solos.

Hope they tour again with the strings… Get ( ) if you don’t already have it.

TV on the Radio – Dear Science

The new TV on the Radio album, Dear Science, is out (on the internets) and I declare it a winner. It’s very different from their previous two… which is undoutedbly a huge dissapointment at first. The guitars don’t take center stage on this one, a lot of synths, drum machines, the guitars (where they exist) sound like they belong in an Elvis Costello or David Bowie album. The vocals don’t dissapoint and remain their strongest point. This is their big ideas, big budget album and it shows. It sounds impeccable, but it’s not like they’ve ever had dirty production. Once you get through the initial shock of something different, it starts to grow and by the fourth listen you’re more than ready to drop some $40 to catch their live show (which is quite amazing). At least I am

some good songs

When was the last time I didn’t mention.. uh the Republican presidential nominee.. in a post. It’s like this blog is about him. But in addition to thinking almost exclusively about the Republicans and their ways, I also obsess over particular songs for months at a time. So here are some good songs I can’t stop listening to lately. Some of these are unofficial videos and probably pretty crappy because of that but the interest here is the songs and avoiding lawsuits (google can handle those).

Modest Mouse – Gravity rides everything [from their most kick-ass album, The Moon and Antarctica]

Portishead – The Rip [from the best album of the year so far, Third]

(this is the official vid but the song is edited and cuts probably the best part of the song. bummer. listen to this one instead)

Radiohead – Everything in its right place (off the best album evah, Kid A)

No comment on that video. And now for the best of both worlds..

Radiohead – The Rip (Radiohead cover Portishead! Without drums or keys!)

lalala…

Music listening

I’ve been going thru Pitchfork, the worst music website ever!!!1 according to the haters, and bookmarking their recommendations. It’s been a while since i listened to anything besides animal collective, portishead’s third, or the unicorns, so bear with me…

Times New Viking – This could be good. But it sounds like absolute shit. Ever listen to your ipod while on an old American subway system? Next to someone using a jackhammer drill? That’s what this sounds like. There are real good songs in here… hidden beneath all the deafening noise. but hey, it’s cool to have your music sound like this, right? Proper music production is for posers and sellouts… this is cooL!@!!!

This is their song “We got rocket”

Fleet Foxes – Wow, these guys are the total opposite of times new viking. perfect production. It’s almost annoying how everything sounds so polished. the beach boys were never this careful… there is a happy medium in between these two bands, that’s where most of the good bands reside… anyway, this gets pretty catchy at times, and it’s pretty and shit. But then sometimes it sounds like Band of Horses. It’s only alright. Probably won’t listen to this much at all, but that first song from the Sun Giant EP is a keeper.

This is not that song. This is called “mykonos”

Feu Therese – This is former fly pan am/former gybe! members, that whole Constellation/Montreal scene. Sounds like something those people would make. I hear a lot of keyboards here, which is great, it’s about time that crew discovered and accepted the wonderful keyboard as a legit musical instrument. A lot of life in this album. This is pretty good, but at the end of the day it just makes you wish Godspeed were still together.

This is Feu Therese performing live with Damo Suzuki, of the legendary kickass krautrock group Can.

More to come some other time.

Third

a fucking masterpiece.