Little Scream: “The Heron and The Fox” (live) from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

We can talk a lot about the impact that the Take-Away Shows have had on music videos — how they, and the prevalence of affordable, video-ready DSLRs have led to dozens of imitators and far more indie rock bands playing live music in strange locations than anyone could ever hope to watch. For the most part, the movement’s been a great, artful one, often proving the videographers to be more creative than the bands they’ve documented. The best of both sides is on display in this, a stunning Little Scream performance of previously blogged “The Heron and the Fox.”

It’s both a master class on how much can be accomplished with three chords (you write a song this gorgeous with mostly C and D) and an education on the power of cinematic simplicity. The Golden Record is due on Secretly Canadian on April 12; I saw Ms. Scream solo at Canada’s Grammy party (really!) last night and she was excellent. More on that shortly. (Via Gorilla Vs. Bear)

Little Scream – “The Heron and the Fox”: mp3

Photo by David Greenwald

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the Middle East, one of SXSW 2010′s stand-out acts. “Jesus Came to My Birthday Party,” available on (barf) MySpace, captures the group in gritty, ramshackle mode — heavier stuff than the elaborate, lovely folk of songs such as “Blood.” A direction for their long-awaited next record? I hope they stick with the pretty stuff, but this is a tasty enough appetizer.

The Middle East – “Jesus Came To My Birthday Party”: stream

Previously: Live: The Middle East at SXSW 2010

High Heels (live at Pianos) by ARMS from Big Ugly Yellow Couch on Vimeo.

I’m taking an NYC vacation next month, exactly one week too late to catch Best of ’10 chart-toppers ARMS finish off their Wednesday residency at Pianos. (Which is to say: New Yorkers! Go see ARMS at Pianos.) Here’s the band doing a typically emotion-obliterating take on “High Heels” from the Big Ugly Yellow Couch videographers.

Photo by David Greenwald

The U.K. twee-pop group, one of my favorite new acts of last year, will be make a return trip to the Echo on May 28. Full dates after the jump and more L.A. dates on the Rawkblog show calendar. Read the rest of this entry »

Pals, it’s time to add Chloe Makes Music’s “The Duel” to your ongoing 2011 female-fronted folk playlist. (You have one of those, right?) The San Francisco singer’s latest single is a collaboration with the Morning Benders’ Chris Chu, who produced her upcoming album, The Puppeteer. (Chu, apparently staking out a second career, also produced excellent L.A. indie-pop kids So Many Wizards recently.) He plays it cool vocally on “The Duel,” leaving Chloe the showier role as acoustic guitars and cello dance around her. Her voice is damaged but hopeful, a teenager finding love again after a first heartbreak. Hearing this, you might, too.

Chloe Makes Music – “The Duel”: mp3

Buy/stream the album in full after the jump. (Update: The Bandcamp player is down, hopefully it comes back shortly.) Read the rest of this entry »

You’re Always from Sally Seltmann on Vimeo.

“You’re Always” is the latest single from Australian singer-songwriter-life-changer Sally Seltmann, and it’s along the lines of last year’s Heart That’s Pounding: sincere, full-bodied piano pop with just enough edge. I’m a bit baffled by the video: it’s beautifully lensed, but I can’t decide if it’s paying an ultra-serious homage to early ’90s Cranberries reels or if it’s supposed to be kind of a goof. (Seltmann keeps looking like she’s about to throw a Zooey Deschanel wink at the camera but never does.) Anyway, more importantly: jam. If you’ve lost the plot, too, don’t miss the sunnier, Jens Lekman-starring “Harmony to My Heartbeat” video.

The recent practitioners of lo-fi/garage have often used the style as a crutch for sloppy songs instead of a face-melting delivery system. Not so with the Marked Men’s Mark Ryan’s new project, Mind Spiders, whose “No Romance” smacks reverb in the face with its big, meaty distortion. Punk drums, hooks like Ahab and guitars carved from raw treble at the top of Mount Olympus — welcome to the best 1:40 of your day.

Mind Spiders – “No Romance”: mp3

(Mind Spiders is out now on Dirtnap Records; photo credit 2:30 Publicity)

Previously: First Look: The Marked Men – Ghosts

Mighty Clouds’ 2010 self-titled debut, which one again teamed Saturday Looks Good To Me’s Fred Thomas and Betty Marie Barnes, continues to rise unbidden to the top of my iPod. It’s an utterly lovable collection of mid-fi pop crafted by one of the genre’s most underrated teams. If you missed it last year, the band will be repressing the vinyl for Record Store Day on April 16 — and in even better news, a number of rare/out-of-print Thomas-related albums have just been made available digitally. I suggest starting with Thomas’ solo set Everything is Pretty Much Totally Fucked, which has, hands-down, the best cover of the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby” ever. Well worth your $5.

Mighty Clouds – “Stay Single”: mp3

Previously: First Look: Mighty Clouds – S/T