I just got back from Mates of State's show at CMJ. They are more adorable than kittens and rainbows. Additionally Kori Gardner is very, very pregnant, although she reassured the audience that she wouldn't give birth on stage. I guess the Mates have mated. 
Look for more CMJ posts throughout the week.
I still remember the first Jens Lekman song I ever heard. "Black Cab," track 13 on a very awesome mix made for me by fellow VKer Jess (who once managed to get a marriage proposal passed on to Mr. Lekman). If I didn't already owe her innumerable thanks for all the other awesome music she has hooked me up with, I would owe her innumerable thanks for that.
So what do I think of Jens Lekmans sophomore album, Night Falls Over Kortedala? I wish I could tell you, I really do. But I have this problem. See, when I first got the album, I played it through. I know that it was good. I remember it as being good. Like a fading dream, I remember it was very good. But I can't listen to it again. Because every time I go to I skip straight to track three, "Opposite of Hallelujah." And when it ends I start it again. Sometimes, if I'm distracted, I'll hear the start of "Postcards to Nina" before I click back. The start of "Postcards to Nina" is very cool, it has a nostalgic 70's kinda feel to it. (So does "Opposite of Hallelujah," for that matter). Actually, if my dimming memory serves the whole album toes the nostalgia line, although the lyrics are rooted firmly in the today.
I couldn't say for sure though, because like I said, this has become something of a one song album for me. But what a song! Handclaps! Handclaps, and a glockenspiel! Handclaps, glockenspiel and self-depreciating wit!
Black Cab (from '05's "Oh You're So Silent Jens.")
Oh no, God damn, I missed the last tram!
Opposite Of Hallelujah
I took my sister down to the ocean...
Buy
So there's this thing I do. I guess, well, I guess you'd call it a bad habit. A bad habit that I can't afford, but that I indulge in way too often.
I see CDs with cool covers and I buy them. Because they have cool covers. Have I heard of them before? Does the tracklisting look cool? Is it cheap? These things don't matter! I will put CDs that I have been wanting for ages back on the shelf and gleefully skip to the counter clutching the nicely artworked album close, because the cover looks cool.
More often than not the music is OK in a mediocre kind of way. Sometimes it's downright awful. And sometimes, just sometimes, the music is amazing. It doesn't happen often, but when it does... The feeling makes all the rubbish (like that Panic! At The Disco album I bought just before the awful awful (just awful) "I chime in with haven't you people ever heard of..." song hit the radio because I was tickled by the people having mis-matched legs and torsos) that I buy seem worth it.
So let's rewind, shall we, to a few years ago. 2005, to be more exact. I was wandering around 78s, thinking maybe I would get the latest White Stripes album, when I paused by the 'Local Music!' display. An album caught my eye. The cover had this really cute hand drawn feel to it, there were all these green palm tree-y looking plants, and a big red heart and a dude that was maybe sticking a cane into a leaky hole, or maybe conducting an invisable orchestra with a hose, and there was a random porthole and a stained glass window. My brain declared it very cool, and my hands and feet worked together to get it to the checkout.
It wasn't until after I paid for it that I even looked at the album name and artist. "In Case We Die," by Architecture in Helsinki. ('Huh,' I thought, 'that's an odd name. Maybe it was put in the local music section by accident then?')
I listened to it. And I hated it. I really, really did. I just wasn't ready for the kind of music AiH had to offer me! But time passed, and I gave the album another try, and I realised what a fool I had been. How could I not have appreciated the way the creepy opening of the first song, Nevereverdid, melds beautifully into a happy boppy little tune? How could I have thought the harmonising vocals childish and annoying? I look back at old Megan, and I shake my head at her!
As an album, to me, 'In Case We Die' has a certain innocence to it. It has sinister moments, to be sure, but, ok, I'm going to get a little weird here but bear with me, it's like some of the moments are dark and forbidding, but the other moments are unaware of it. Like a little kid happily getting into a car with a stranger. 'Oh hey, you have candy! Awesome! I love candy! Do you love candy? Once, I had some candy, but my brother took it from me, so I hid his guinea pig, and then my mum got mad, and then...' So I guess what I'm trying to say it, 'In Case We Die' is like a hyperactive little kid, blissfully unaware of all the danger the future holds.
And so what of this years follow up album, "Places Like This?" (Which also has a very kick ass cover. But in pure Megan fashion I did not buy it for ages because all these albums with cool covers that I knew nothing about needed to be bought first...) From the opening notes it is very clear that that candy-loving ditz of a kid has grown up. The contrast between dark and light is not as well defined on this album. Instead, the two are combined. The melodies are still there, but no longer do they seem as crazy and little-kid-spinning-in-circles-until-they-vomit-from-the-dizziness-ish. They seem more cohesive, more planned. The whole album just has a much more mature sound. The falsetto's are almost completely gone, the lyrics seem to actually make sense. You pull up to this album and offer it some candy, it would probably just flip you off and keep cartwheeling down the street.
The cover of 'In Case We Die' is a building filled with random and magical things, surrounded by a wild jungle. On the cover of 'Places Like This,' the jungle has been suppressed, a crazy but at the same time orderly city constructed on top of it. What does this mean? I don't know, I just buy 'em cause they look cool. (But there's no physically impossible portholes to be found on 'Places Like This.' I'm just saying...)
from "In Case We Die:"
Nevereverdid.mp3
I was walking on the moon with your stalker
The Cemetery.mp3
There's a shadow on the wall and it's nine feet tall
from "Places Like This:"
Like It Or Not.mp3 (Oh man, I love this song. Ask me what my favourite AiH song is, this is my answer.)
Let me tell you something about christmas time when it's hot (i love that line. there needs to be more songs about christmas in the summertime).
Underwater.mp3
the wrath of millions of thieves lies disguised
Buy
(I've not actually heard their debut album, in case you were wondering why I ignored it. The album cover is kind of boring, if I recall correctly...)
2007 has been a pretty good year for music. Scratch that, it's been an amazing year for music! It has seemed that our favourite bands could do no wrong, with fantastic album after fantastic album falling into our laps. And the year is not even over! Who knows what else it could bring? Well, I for one do not care what the rest of this year will have. I want to be over. I want it to be early '08. Because in early '08?
The new Mountain Goats album.
Oh Yeah.
Reliable sources say it will be called 'Heretic Pride,' and will be about monsters. (Lonely monsters, maybe). And, the Bright Mountain Choir, not seen since the Zopilote Machine days, will make an appearance! Oh man, if you don't get how awesome that is, you'll just have to take my word for it. It's awesome.
We have some confirmed song names:
New Zion
How to Embrace a Swamp Creature
Marduk T-Shirt Men's Room Incident
Craters In The Moon
I've been lucky enough to actually hear 'Craters In The Moon,' (many thanks must go to Christopher for that one, the coolest man in all of sunny California) and oh, it is very good. Very good indeed. Creepy and low with the coolest bass and then this amazing and sudden burst of energy. (No one, and I mean no one, does sudden bursts of energy like John Darnielle).
"In the declining years of a long war..."
John Darnielle has, however, made it clear that he would prefer bootleg recordings of songs from upcoming releases not be shared, and so out of respect for him I won't upload it here. As I peace offering I shall share "Cut Off Their Thumbs #1," an older unreleased tMG track that this new song reminds me off in some ways:
Cut Off Their Thumbs #1
"I'm gonna kill everyone in this room...."
In Rainbows will be out October 10th
Hmm, so no label is behind the release (at least according to the trippy website).
We shall see, we shall see...
Ievan Polkka, aka Leekspin, is a Finnish folk song performed by the a capella group Loituma. The song is partly sung in traditional Finnish, but the most popular :27 second clip, looped in the meme Leekspin, is freestyle scat-like gibberish singing, which varied at each performance. Here's a video of it:
Ya gotta admit, it's damn catchy! Perhaps too much so. After watching the video repeatedly in a 24-hour period I noticed myself humming it to myself in public places. (I recommend it especially for long lines at the DOL.)
Loituma - Ievan Polkka.mp3
Ievan Polkka Techno Remix.mp3 (one of many, I am sure, and one of the more ridiculous one. probably not what the creators had in mind when they wrote it.)
For the curious, here's a link to the lyrics--in both Finnish and English!
...aaaaand I'm Finnished. ::rim shot::
Kanye West sure has been getting his indie on lately. First he samples Sweden's favorite "Young Folks" Peter, Bjorn and John and now he's taking on iPod cover-girl Feist. The dreamy songstress' "Gatekeeper" is mashed-up into a million little pieces as Twista drops a few rhymes over the melody. Mr. West is of course behind the bizarre production. Check it out here:
And for the five of you haven't yet heard Kanye's take on the ubiquitous PB&J tune here it is:
Young Folks - Kanye West
A most adorable/heart-breaking duet:
Iron and Rust - Pinto
Here Comes the Love (Can You Show Me A Way Out?) - Pinto
Of course the physical setlist (see photo below) itself was barely of relevance, as JD himself expressed out-right disdain for it. Several songs listed were impromptu-ly swapped for others -"Up the Wolves", "Jenny" and "Southwood Plantation Road" among them. (When you have to decide from a body of work that encompasses 15 years and 500 songs, can you really blame the guy?) In typical tMG fashion, there were the sing-along classics such as "This Year" and "Cubs in Five". Of course they rocked, but they also served a greater purpose which is to say they highlight the quieter numbers' haunting and hypnotic nature when schizophrenically juxtaposed with them. The arresting "Shadow Song" nearly had John speaking in tongues. The crowd was united in awe and reverence. Based on the experiences of June and myself, I am essentially convinced tMG fans are the antithesis of Bright Eyes fans. And that is indeed a very good thing. 
On both a musical and personal note, the entire evening worked out just right. Being the second person on line to enter the venue (My friend Tom was first), staking out and defending front row center spots and even getting to chat beforehand with a pre-suited up Peter Hughes in the bar. As corny as it may sound, it is also very true: tMG are not only great musicians, but great people. All of which made the three hours of commuting to Philly beyond worth it. The only sad part is I have to wait until next Monday, an entire week, to see it all over again. 
John Darnielle just officially released "From T & G" in the Mountain Goat forums. However, before listening JD insists you accept the following disclaimer:
"DEAR JOHN D.,
I want a copy of the version of "From TG&Y" (which you have also called "For TG&Y" at various points, omg which one is correct) that you and Peter recorded at Electrical with John Congleton last fall. I understand that by accepting this file, I agree not to be El Gran Señor Intenet Douchebag, saying on various forums or LJ comments threads how this song ought to have been on the next album instead of whatever other song I have blindfoldedly singled out, it being quite clear that this song's theme is rather more in line with the Sunset Tree.
I understand that you would not be the guy to just shove a Sunset Tree style song onto another album, since that would be so lame. I agree that the terms of this agreement are reasonable and awesome, and that they apply to me whether I grabbed the song directly from these forums or from some other source, and hereby state that I agree to them whether I have read them or not.
Yours most sincerely,
[signature of recipient]"
Leave it to June to come up with a lyrical rebus to Deerhoof's should-be-classic tune "Panda Panda Panda." The angular guitars, the girly vocals, the kindergarten lyrics, what's not to love?
We like!
Panda Panda Panda - Deerhoof
The quirky, panda-loving trio is offering up an album's worth of previously unreleased material on their website for free, legal download. Get it while it's hot!
100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Tell Me - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
It's always fascinating to hear your favorite songwriters discuss the writing process, especially when that writer writes gritty stories of druggy adolescent angst with impeccable narrative structure and novelistic detail. Last Thursday I had the pleasure of watching an interview with the The Hold Steady's Craig Finn at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square, New York, alongside Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. While at first glance an African novelist and an American rocker might not seem to have that much in common, however, it soon became apparent that both writers had to leave home in order to write more clearly about it. It's also worth noting that puberty's a bitch regardless of geographic location.
During the chat, Finn explained how writing a song is like completing a crossword puzzle. Once you get the long answer down the middle, all the shorter, peripheral answers easily fall into place. He also recalled how he taped that now infamous Kerouac line to his wall ("boys and girls in America have such a sad time together") and how he referred to it every time he suffered writer's block. He followed the conversation up with acoustic renditions of "Certain Songs" and "Arms and Hearts", an outtake that never made the final version of last year's fantastic Boys and Girls in America.
Certain Songs - The Hold Steady
"Mannequin" is fine example of this genre hybrid. It's features angular, post-punk riffage, a driving rhythm section and vocals reminiscent of a sweeter Karen O or Sleater-Kinney. Yet it's also one big blast of accessible power-pop with a memorable chorus and infectious beat. And the best news is most of their self-titled 5 song EP follows in much the same vein.
Mannequin - the Good Grief
Check out their myspace page
Sure, Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love" has been covered one too many times. However, Patrick Wolf's rendition is just so lovely. It might not be as transformative/heart-attack inducing as the Futureheads version, but it's pretty damn good.
Take the standout track "Novel". It's is one hell of a song. Simultaneously crisp and sparkling, yet urgent and yearning in its pounding acoustic intensity. I hate to use cliche adjectives like "haunting" and "passionate" to describe Tim's music, except in his case's there's really nothing cliche about it.
Mark your calendar's for October 2nd. That's when his debut album When Work Is Done drops.
Novel - Tim Williams
The Magnetic Fields know what we went through - although Stephin Merritt didn't have to stop at a hospital to ask for directions.
Long Vermont Roads - The Magnetic Fields
According to Pitchfork according to the onion
Take this choice paragraph: "Schreiber's semi-favorable review, which begins in earnest after a six-paragraph preamble comprising a long list of baroquely rendered, seemingly unrelated anecdotes peppered with obscure references, summarizes music as a 'solid but uninspired effort.'"
VK will return later today with actual music, a medium, which contrary to hipster belief, is actually pretty damn good.
But beyond the obvious stage labeling, PB&J rocked. And I mean rocked. "Objects of My Affection" and "The Chills" became electrified, shoegaze-y anthems. Oh and that song with the whistling, yeah they obligatorily played "Young Folks" too. With Miss Nicole Atkins supplying the coy, female vocals.
Here's an older PB&J song off 2005's Falling Out
Far Away, By My Side - Peter Bjorn and John
Thanks to Tara for the photos.
You've heard the Mountain Goats' cover of "The Sign". But have you SEEN the Mountain Goats cover of "The Sign"? The coordinated hand signals are priceless.
Indie wunderkind Zach Condon, aka Beirut is at it again. His upcoming album The Flying Club Cup is filled with the lush, gypsy-aping orchestrations of his debut Gulag Orkestar, and yet it feels somewhat different, sounding more Parisian than Balkan. But of course it's neither. Just a boy from New Mexico transplanted in Brooklyn dreaming up lovely European melodies that never existed.
Can't wait till October 9th? Here's a sneak leak.
In The Mausoleum - Beirut
The Penalty - Beirut
He caresses his double bass like he's Andrew Bird and it's a violin. He lifts and drops his voice like he's Alec Ounsworth and it's time to record a new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album. He sits back and watches as his songs twist and dance and undulate in directions unexpected like he's Nat Baldwin, and that's probably because he is Nat Baldwin.
Within Walls, from Enter the Winter.
Wake Up It's Time To Rise, from Lights Out.
All to often an album you've anticipating for months does not live up to the lofty expectations you had for it. Less often an album you've been anticipating for months does live up to the lofty expectations you had for it. But do you know what almost never happens, (to me, anyway)? An album you were sure, totoaly, completely certain that you would have turns out, against all odds, to inspire quite the opposite reaction inside of you. I can only think of two albums that have done this to me, and I'm going to tell you about them.
Here at VK we get lots of music recommendations from readers, artists, publicists and the like. Sometimes we like them. Sometimes we don't. And sometimes we're all-together floored (in a jaw-dropping good way). I'm beyond pleased to say that Donny Hue And The Colors fit into the latter category.
The Brooklyn-based band's latest album Folkmote is an awesomely cohesive psych-folk romp. It exists in a universe where "flowerbirds" flit across fragments of mountains, while autoharps and "piano dreams" soundtrack their flight. The band's rootsy, rollicking aesthetic is simultaneously lovely, scrappy and at times transcendent. So few established bands, let alone up-and-coming ones could title a song "-", which features a nearly four minute long instrumental intro and not sound pretentious or meandering.
So these guys have got the "epic" thing down, but that's not to say the album is without snappy three minute pop songs - there are plenty of those, most notably "Real Long Time". In other words think of Donny Hue as a more accessible Neutral Milk Hotel, or a trippier Okkervil River. Except you'd still be off. And that is indeed a good thing.
Mountain Piece - Donny Hue And The Colors
Gone are the days of delusion
Gone are those days so far behind
Would you believe they're not all mine
(Just wait til the 1:34 mark, that's when the song really takes off)
Stream more songs on their myspace page
Ok, so there are literally dozens of songs written about Saturdays. Here are a smattering of our favorites:
Saturday Waits - Loney, Dear
A dreamy track by Sub Pop's latest Swedish signees.
Finch on Saturday - Horse Feathers
A rootsy and folksy, string-laden affair off one of last year's most overlooked albums Words Are Dead
Saturday Night Didn't Happen - Reparta and the Delrons
Classic 60s girl group song, which is way darker and melodramatic than the rest of the pack. Forger about wall of sound, this is sound of a wall of denial.
What I Do On A Saturday - Steve Burns
"I'm just a boring example of everybody else" sings Steve, you know the dude who used to host Blue's Clues. Well he got a some help from his friends, a little group called the Flaming Lips and put out a pretty damn good album.
Saturday - Yo La Tengo
Kinda spooky, atmospheric song from the veteran indie rocksters
(Looking For) The Heart of Saturday Night - Tom Waits
Old-school Waits. Meant for wandering and drinking alone.
