Manchester Orchestra

I'm kinda busy, so I'm gonna keep this short and sweet. Boon's pick for wednesday is Manchester Orchestra, a band out of Hotlanta... they released their second album, Mean Everything To Nothing, on April 21st of this year. They are what I would consider a mall rock band, with quite the 90s alternative sound, definitely catchy stuff. And there is a kick ass beard involved. here's a taste.

Manchester Orchestra - I've got Friends

Forest Fire

Straight out of Brooklyn, Forest Fire released their album Survival last year, yet I somehow missed it till now... which is weird because Catbird Records was basically giving it away... they were doing the whole Radiohead pay what you want business model. It's a really cool sound... very hippie if that is still is a viable term... Folkish in a Southern rock/Blitzen Trapper/Grateful Dead kind of way.

Forest Fire - I make Windows

I really like this one in particular...

Forest Fire - Slow Motion

RTB2

not to be confused with R2D2... This duo is from Denton Texas, this being local Thursday and all. they are tagged as experimental, although they have a neo-bluesy feel to them. The band's namesake is it's mastermind... Ryan Thomas Becker... they have a new EP out called In the Fleshed, and they have a sound that could take them places fast. I really dig them... More White Stripes than Black Keys, but still good stuff.


RtB2 - When Hammer Hits Stone


RtB2 - Yer Fool's Suite II

Company of Thieves

Boon's pick for today is Company of Thieves, out of the windy city Chicago, Illinois. Genevieve Schatz provides some hot vocals for what I would consider Lounge-blues-indie Pop. Their album Ordinary Riches dropped in Feb, and they have already been nabbed by Josh Schwartz and company for a shot on the Gossip Girl soundtrack, and although I'm sure they like the exposure, they seem to be a rather political band on the outside than just fluff, in a John Lennon, Fiona Apple kind of way.

Here we go.

Company of Thieves - Oscar Wilde

Company of Thieves - In Passing

Dead Weather/Discovery - Side Projects Galore

You gotta love the side project. Seems like its hard to stay in just one band these days. Everybody has these little projects now... I personally like it... it removes the whole "we broke up for creative differences" bullshit. They can work their shit out, and then get back to the original band. It's kind of like being "on a break". Anyways, I have a couple of side projects for you.




The First will be Jack White's newest side project from his last side project. That is The Dead Weather. (Troy Mclure Voice)Now you might know him from such bands as The White Stripes and the Racounters(/Troy McClure Voice). But wait there is more... White Trades vocals on each song, with Allison Mosshart who also fronts The Kills. That not enough? One of Jack's Racounter's bandmember Jack Lawrence is in the Band... he also plays with Blanche. Then of course there is Dean Fertita who plays with Queens of the Stone Age, which is lots of people's side project. There is no need to describe the sound. its very Jack White.

Dead Weather - Hang You From The Heavens
Dead Weather - Are You Electric





That was pretty intense right? well then we have Discovery. They are the side project of Vampire Weekend keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij and Wes Miles, the singer from Ra Ra Riot...
It also features some guest vocals from the Vampire Weekend Ezra Koenig, and Angel Deradoorian... from her self titled solo project and The Dirty Projectors. BTW, this album is very odd... in a good way... its called LP. Its electro pop at its best. Everything is really kinda catchy after the second or third listen.... it definitely has that Vampire Weekend sound.

Discovery - Orange Shirt
Discovery - I Wanna Be your Boyfriend

Salim Nourallah

Local Thursday gives us Salim Nourallah, the Dallas super-producer who at some point or another has been involved with anything big to come out of Dallas Lately... The Black Tie Dynasty, Sorta, I Love Math, Kristy Kruger, Macon Greyson.... you name it. But he doesn't only produce, he creates his own music, and they are veritable indie pop masterpieces. He has a sound like Eels and Beck... have a listen. This is from the New album Constellation

Salim Nourallah - It's not Enough

Lil Cap'n Travis

Since I forgot to bring CDs to the wedding this weekend, I figured I'd post a li'l Li'l Cap'n Travis, some fine indie-cana music from Austin Texas. I ain't got much to say about these guys... they are pretty damn awesome, and their sound changes from song to song. If I had to make a comparison, I'd have to say it was Son Volt meets My Morning Jacket.

Have a listen, and buy the CD. Except for you Gabe, because I'm sending you one.
The two tracks I'm posting are a bit more out there than most other tracks.

Lil Cap'n Travis - Fangs in My Mouth

Lil Cap'n Travis - Get Wise To Yourself

News of the Day - Bad Babysitter

yeah so this is normally local thursday, but this was in the news today and had to be commented on musically. Apparently the Babysitter decided that the 14 yr old boy she was sitting was all man baby....

28-year-old Idaho woman Summer Nelson has been charged with having sex with a 14-year-old boy she was baby sitting in 2007.

According to reports, Summer Nelson was a friend of the boy’s mother and regularly baby sit for the family. The abuse only came to light when the boy’s mother grew suspicious when she noticed how much attention Summer Nelson was giving the boy. Nelson is alleged to have told the boys siblings that she was in love with him as well.

Ah, love... exciting and new. come aboard. we are expecting you... actually this story reminded me of two songs... wanna hear em? here they go!

First, the aptly named Morningwood, doing a song that relates far too close to this story.

Morningwood - Babysitter

and then the anthem for babysitters everywhere, Princess Superstar

Princess Superstar ft High and Mighty - Bad Babysitter

Fight Like Apes - Lend Me your Face

This song is infectious... it gets me all riled up. Good Times. Fight Like Apes is a band out of Dublin Ireland. I love their sound... very indie punk-tronica... and MayKay's vocals can go from Shirley Manson to Siouxsie Sioux in a matter of seconds, so you have to be on your toes. An Irish Newspaper called the Limerick said "Fight Like Apes are influenced by, to name but a few interests, B-movies, anger, jealousy, greed, goblins, kung-fu, bad television and wrestling. They describe their unique sound as ‘karate-rock’, hate guitars and often play pots and pans on stage." What's not to like about that? Plus... The lyrics are fantastic and I will give them the award for best album titles ever. Here are the albums they released so far.

How Am I Supposed to Kill You If You Have All the Guns?
David Carradine is a Bounty Hunter Whos Robotic Arm Hates Your Crotch
Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion

Here's a taste.

Fight Like Apes - Lend Me your Face

Broken Records If the News makes you sad don't watch it

Everybody is dying. Unfortunately nobody in my dead pool, but its all over the place. the latest being Oiler turned Titan Steve McNair who apparently got involved with a crazy younger woman. For shame. But the band Broken Records from Edinburg Scotland has some sage like advice.."If The News Makes you sad, don't watch it". These guys have an interesting sound... It's like the Dropkick Murphys meet The Bravery. They are listed as indie folk, but they have a nice use of fiddle, oboe, and horns in the music. The new album Until the earth begins to part came out June 1st.

here ya go.

Broken Records - If the News Makes you sad, don't watch it

The Octopus Project

It's local Thursday, so we are headed southbound 35 to Austin, to talk about the Austin quartet that is The Octopus Project. Their style of music is dubbed indietronica... electronica mixed with real instruments (kinda like MGMT when they are live ) and it sounds pretty damn good. They are releasing their new EP, Golden Beds on July 14th, and this is off of it. Perhaps not the best example of their overall sound, but a damn good song. Here are two songs off the new EP... one to listen to here, and one you can take away with ya.

Octopus Project - Wet Gold


Listen: Octopus Project, "Truck"

Grizzly Bear

So It's Wednesday and Boon has offered up as his pick... Grizzly Bear. This is a fabulous band... very mellow... Straight outa Brooklyn NY, and fronted by the songwriter Daniel Rossen, they've been around since 2004, but I didn't get into them until the 2006 album Yellow House. They are definitely an indie folk sounding band... along the same mellowness line as Iron & Wine, althogh some of the tracks are way happier... like what Boon wanted me to post... "Two Weeks", off the album Veckatimest which was released on May 26th.

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

but, as an added bonus, I've also included a great song off the Dark Was The Night Compilation...

Grizzly Bear - Deep Blue Sea

AND... that's not all. If you act right now, you will recieve, absolutely free 2 covers . That's right, We've gone a few fridays with no covers lately, so to make up for it, I'm giving you this amazing offer... CSS covering Grizzly Bear and Daniel Rossen covering JoJo. Crazy I know! Don't let this offer pass you by. Act now!!!!

CSS - Knife

Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear) - Too Little Too Late

Billy Mays would have been proud.