It’s been forever and a day since Fiona Apple released any new material, much less a song with helping hands from Largo partner in crime Jon Brion (1999′s When The Pawn, to be exact, minus the bootleg version of this decade’s Extraordinary Machine) — but to benefit kids’ literacy charity 826LA, she and Jon will be covering a track written by the kids themselves during a songwriting project. Joining the pair on the benefit album, Chickens In Love, are She & Him, the Happy Hollows and a number of local acts. Pre-order it from 826LA.
As if we could collectively be more excited for two hours and three discs of Joanna Newsom glory, the latest streaming track from Have One On Me is another gorgeous effort. Stream “Kingfisher” on Drag City, which has confirmed the tracklist I posted the other day. More: breathless Joanna Newsom coverage.
The cynical part of me thinks White Hinterland’s rebirth as a dubstep-tinged neo-Kate Bush is the result of the inexplicable success of acts like Bat For Lashes and the ongoing Cute British Keyboardists movement. That, and the Casey Dienel-fronted band’s debut was a rare thing – gentle but biting jazz-folk far too fresh and wild for Starbucks-swilling Feist listeners. (Myself, um, excluded.)
But what we’ve lost in the coffee shop department, we’ve gained in everything else: “Icarus,” the first single from White Hinterland’s March-due Kairos, is a serious songwriter’s answer to the dark electro evocations of acts such as Bat for Lashes and Fever Ray, acts I’ve always disliked. Dienel’s voice is as gorgeous and vulnerable as ever, but it’s her ear for arrangements that makes the song a promising shape of albums to come. (Via Gorilla vs. Bear; photo byDavid Greenwald)
White Hinterland – “Icarus”: mp3
The Trials of Van Occupanther, Midlake’s 2006 masterpiece, was an album of intimate concerns. Its protagonist yearned for simpler times and separation from the trappings of modern man — even as he sought a romantic connection to the outside world. These musings were buoyed and brightened by exuberant folk-rock as anthemic and open-armed as its words were introspective. By contrast, the band’s long-awaited, laboriously crafted follow-up, The Courage of Others, plays like an inverse of its predecessor. Read the rest of this entry »
(Also: in the sidebar at right, you’ll notice a Grooveshark playlist titled “Ongoing 2010 Jams.” I’ll be updating it throughout the year as said jams make themselves known. Click, stream, enjoy.)
News: Rose Melberg’s Go Sailor is reuniting for Los Angeles and San Francisco shows, my take on the 2010 Grammy Awards, Joanna Newsom’s Have One On Me cover art revealed, Broken Social Scene’s next album due in May and some answers to the rumors circling around about Radiohead’s next album.
Deeper Into Movies: Best Picture hopeful A Serious Man (pictured).
In anticipation of The Who’s incendiary half-time glory at the Super Bowl today, Grooveshark and I present, for your listening pleasure, the greatest live album of all time — the 2001 deluxe edition release of The Who’s Live At Leeds, featuring a full performance of Tommy. Stream it after the jump and buy it on Amazon. Read the rest of this entry »
With former Beulah frontman Miles Kurosky’s extremely rad solo debut and an accompanying tour imminent, now’s the time to catch up on his old gig. A Good Band Is Easy To Kill is a good, if not quite I Am Trying To Break Your Heart-level look at Beulah’s final tour and eventual split. The performances, including one at L.A.’s Troubadour, are excellent, but #kidstoday may be surprised to see what life was like for a touring band 10 years into a career on the eve of the Great Indie Rock Paradigm Shift Of 2004. (Buy it on Amazon)
It’s been forever and a day since Fiona Apple released any new material, much less a song with helping hands from Largo partner in crime Jon Brion (1999′s When The Pawn, to be exact, minus the bootleg version of this decade’s Extraordinary Machine) — but to benefit kids’ literacy charity 826LA, she and Jon will be covering a track written by the kids themselves during a songwriting project. Joining the pair on the benefit album, Chickens In Love, are She & Him, the Happy Hollows and a number of local acts. Pre-order it from 826LA.
The cynical part of me thinks White Hinterland’s rebirth as a dubstep-tinged neo-Kate Bush is the result of the inexplicable success of acts like Bat For Lashes and the ongoing Cute British Keyboardists movement. That, and the Casey Dienel-fronted band’s debut was a rare thing – gentle but biting jazz-folk far too fresh and wild for Starbucks-swilling Feist listeners. (Myself, um, excluded.)
The Trials of Van Occupanther, Midlake’s 2006 masterpiece, was an album of intimate concerns. Its protagonist yearned for simpler times and separation from the trappings of modern man — even as he sought a romantic connection to the outside world. These musings were buoyed and brightened by exuberant folk-rock as anthemic and open-armed as its words were introspective. By contrast, the band’s long-awaited, laboriously crafted follow-up, The Courage of Others, plays like an inverse of its predecessor. 
Jams: A First Look at Beach House’s sublime 
In anticipation of The Who’s incendiary half-time glory at the Super Bowl today, Grooveshark and I present, for your listening pleasure, the greatest live album of all time — the 2001 deluxe edition release of The Who’s Live At Leeds, featuring a full performance of Tommy. Stream it after the jump and buy it on 
