School of Seven Bells ...keep em' ringing

I really like this band. I really like this album. I have no clue how I missed it when it first came out, but if you don't have it, I suggest you add it to your collection. So yeah, anyway the School of Seven Bells is what some people would call an indie supergroup... if there is such a thing. It's the brainchild of Benjamin Curtis formerly of the Secret Machines (Curtis is originially form dallas). He's joined by Deheza Twins formerly of On! Air! Library!. The musical vision of Curtis, and the fabulous voices of the twins makes for some great music... The band itself is named after a mythical South American pickpocketing academy, and if possible, that's kind of what the album sounds like... its poppy with a bit of a tribal/latin feel, but it has a bit of a dreamy surrealness to it... like the music that you would hear in the background while dreaming of the lost cities of gold. BTW, totally off topic.. do you remember that cartoon?... The Mysterious Cities of Gold... about the kid named Esteban and the Mayans and such?

Anyways... here's a sample... of the album, not the random cartoon

Mp3:

School of Seven Bells - Iamundernodisguise



oh and for good measure... here's the intro to that cartoon I was telling you about...

The Weeks music to pass the day with

Wow, I totally spaced on posting this week... luckily I had this this little band in my back pocket... The Weeks are out of Jackson, Mississippi... props to the dirty south... and they released their debut album Comeback Cadilliac back in July... Anyways, they have a nice little sound, even if it dangerously close to the Kings of Leon. Actually in all reality it is s a mix between Kings of Leon, The Hold Steady, and Everclear of all things. Listen.. you will be able to hear an Everclear song hidden in buttons.

I thought the songs were catchy though...so here we go.

Mp3

The Weeks - Buttons

The Weeks - Altar Girl

Covers Friday - Lets do it for the Kids edition

Yeah, I didn't really have a theme for this week, but then I heard the over the rainbow song for the 4th time in two weeks, and I figured it wanted to be posted. That together with the fact that I recently had an hour long discussion about Saved by the Bell and took about a billion Saturday morning cartoon quizes on Facebook... yes I am a child of the 80s... I started to feel a bit nostalgic. So I put together a little homage to what could be construed as children's covers... its bob tested, and probably not mother approved though.




We'll start off with the song that started it all... a 300+ lb Hawaiian singing pretty songs...

Mp3:

Iseael Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow, What a Wonderful World

Then we got The Corn Sisters, who are Neko Case and Carolyn Mark, reminding me of Black Snake Moan and Christina Ricci for some reason.

Mp3:

The Corn Sisters - This Little Light of Mine

Before Pebbles and Bam Bam started their singing group as teenagers on their own show, they had their first concert together on an episode of the Flinstones.. this is the song they did, sung by Frente!

Mp3:

Frente! - Open up Your Heart and Let the Sun Shine In

Reel Big fish have a new cover album out.. with mostly hair band covers, but there was this gem of a cover of Toots and the Maytals' "Monkey Man" that totally sounds like a kid song.

Mp3:

Reel Big Fish - Monkey Man

Speaking of Monkeys, this could not be complete without a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Cover of "I wanna be like you" from the Jungle Book... originally sung by a monkey. BTW, this is actually a slightly different version from the one on the Swingers Soundtrack.

Mp3:

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - I Wanna Be like You

Then there is the Hank Williams classic "Kaw Liga", a song about a Wooden Indian that I know I heard a lot as a kid... sung by Big Sandy

Mp3:

Big Sandy & his Fly Rite Boys - Kaw Liga

Tom Waits covers the seven dwarfs as only he can do...

Mp3:

Tom Waits - Heigh Ho

and finally, because Schoolhouse Rocks! rocks... we got a lil Blind Melon talking about the virtues of threesomes...

Mp3:

Blind Melon - 3 is the Magic Number



That's all folks. I have the strangest urge to watch Robot Chicken after all this pop culture.

Clem Snide - Hungry Bird Review

The reports of Clem Snide's death has been greatly exaggerated... It's no irony that a brilliant lyricist such as Eef Barzelay has pulled a Mark Twain... the band supposedly broke up when making this album, and Eef went on to to some great solo albums and some movie scores... but according to their website, the band is back, albeit in a slightly different incarnation. Of course this is commonplace, because I don't believe any Clem Snide album had all the same band members... it was mostly just an outlet for Eef. Regardless, the band is back, and actually touring in support of the new album, Hungry Bird.

The album is one of those that gets better on every subsequent listen. Although not the best that Clem Snide has put out, Hungry Bird has a unique feel, and is special in its own right. The best I can describe it is Cinematic. It's as if, when you listen to the album straignt through, you are really watching a movie. "Me No" is a moving upbeat track, offering the perfect catchy intro segwaying into the character development section with the smoothness of "Rum" . Along the way it celebrates specific plot points, and this is where some of the strongest tracks on the albums are showcased.... The Spoken word of "Encounter at 3am" is like a necessary soliloquy from the main character... "The Endless Endings" is more of a character introspection, and "Beard of Bees" offers the backdrop for a love story. It all crescendos into the climax of "Pray" , and then rolling the credits "With all my heart" . Although musically it sometimes waivers into the realm of easy listening notably on "Born a Man", the lyrics remain strong enough to pull it through and keep the audience entertained, and ultimately Clem Snide earn their title of indie Rock semi-legends.

Mp3:

Clem Snide - The Endless Endings

Steel Panther / Gary Floater ...this is not the greatest song in the world... this is just a tribute

Ah the tribute band... you can find them all over town on a Saturday night, tirelessly playing the songs of their favorite artists, forcing you to sing along. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but sometimes its just boring. However, when you decide to make a band that can make fun of an entire genre of music... That's special. The next two bands take their stabs at the joke that is Hair Bands and Nashville country. The result is pure awesomeness. Thanks to Boon and Gabe for showing me the way.



First off.. we have Steel Panther. This aint your average hair band. They are the longest running heavy metal band on the Sunset Strip. The lead singer not only fronted a Van Halen cover band for a while, he also did a stint singing for LA Guns.... the real LA Guns. Tony Romo and Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell sang "Don't stop Believin'" with them on stage. And along with covering 80's hair metal hits, they are entirely capable of creating originals that are PERFECT parodies of your average hair band songs, including the power ballads. Their new album is currently in the works, but check out this sample.

*EDIT* Boon has informed me that I forgot to mention that Slipknot's Corey Taylor provides the vocals for this particular track. Which makes it even greater. Sorry to omit such an important detail.

Listen: Steel Panther - "Death to all but Metal"







A little bit rock n roll.... now a little bit country. A Hero Never Learns The songs of Gary Floater pays tribute to a nashville music icon who had over 4 decades of hits. He embodies everything that country music today is all about and has inspired country artists the world over. Well, he would have... if he wasn't totally made up... He's actually the brainchild of Owen Temple and Adam Carroll, fantastic Texas singer songwriters making a statement of all that is wrong with Nashville today... Take note Toby Keith... you suck! Sorry, I couldn't help it... Again, Caroll and Temple (who sounds suspiciously like John Anderson) are able to make incredible Parodies of nashville music, and it sounds like they had fun doing it.. I know I have had fun listening to it. I'm gonna give you three samples... although the entire album is awesome. I even got a new song for my Killing Kittens cd.

Mp3:

Gary Floater - That's wne the Eagle Screams

Gary Floater - Holding on so Tight

Gary Floater - Let me Kiss you where it hurts

Matt & Kim - Daylight

So, I've been going through music from bands that are performing at SXSW this year... and I'm pretty sure it's going to take me till freakin' july... especially since I'm not gonna be there this year to see the live shows... but whatever... stupid work... Anyways, Matt & Kim brought the house down last year at the Mess with Texas BBQ show... fans rushed the stage to dance with them. This year, they will be headlining a Thursday March 19th Showcase at Opal Divines. (along with Flossstradamus... a band with a truly great name)

Well this song has been around for a couple of months, but I still get happy when I hear it. And I heard it today, so I'm posting it. Matt & Kim are a cool little dance\new rave duo out of Brooklyn, and although "Daylight" is by far the best track on the album Grand, there are a few more jems on it as well.

MP3:

Matt & Kim - Daylight

Simian Mobile Disco ... the techno twins?

Is Techno an actual genre anymore? is it more like dance... do you have to be named Svlad and Deter to enjoy it as you wave your glow sticks triumphantly?... well Simian Mobile Disco are an group from the UK, that I guess most people would call electronica, but it's kind of the same level as Dust Brothers, Hot Chip, Brighton Port Authority, etc... It's very dancable, but obviously not German. But i think Techno is alive and well in these guys.

Regardless, I like them. I love this song. its from Sample and Hold, the remix album of their 2007 release Attack Decay Sustain Release.

Mp3:

Simian Mobile disco - Hustler(Joakim Remix)


They are currently working on a new album coming out this year... the first track is kinda meh, but you can hear/see for yourself in this video...