Jose Gonzalez - Teardrop

I am a firm believer that a cover song is rarely ever better than the original version. I can't even think of one off the top of my head. That is, until now.

Jose Gonzalez's cover of Massive Attack's electro-trip-hop hit, Teardrop, comes very close to the brilliance of the original. It is truly amazing what Gonzalez can do with just an acoustic guitar. His new album, In Our Nature was released this week and it is the perfect example of great music stripped down to its bare essentials. Listen to 'Cycling Trivialities' and you'll know what I mean.

Download [mp3]: Jose Gonzalez -Teardrop
MySpace: Jose Gonzalez
Jose Gonzalez: Official Webpage

Buy In Our Nature

Milburn - These Are The Facts

Milburn released their follow-up to 2006's Well Well Well last week. Their first album was a luke warm success and the band have often been rejected as an Arctic Monkeys knock-off. It doesn't help that both bands are from Sheffield. Don't dismiss them because of this coincidence. Milburn can hold their own and have put together an album that will hopefully help them make a name for themselves and dispel those comparisons.

The new album, called These Are The Facts, contains power-pumping bass lines and sleek guitars. The first single is 'What Will You Do (When the Money Goes)' and it is, in my opinion, the strongest track on the album. Other songs that you should not miss include 'Lucy Lovemenot' and 'Count to 10.' And you will not be able to get 'Being a Rogue' out of your head, it is insanely catchy.

I have no information on a North American release date. I don't even think there was an official release of their first album on this side of the pond. Keep your fingers crossed or order it online. Globalization at its finest!

Milburn play shows across the UK this fall. Check their MySpace page for dates.

Download [mp3]: Milburn - Being A Rogue

Myspace: Milburn

Milburn: Official Webpage

More New Music From Babyshambles

Art and drugs. Drugs and art. I guess the two just go hand in hand. At least they do for Pete Doherty. That's because I got a chance to listen to the new Babyshambles album, Shotter's Nation today. I am happy to say that it is a pretty solid collection of songs. Fans will not be disappointed.

I'm going to post two new songs from the album. I was trying to choose my favourite ones but there really is a lot to good tracks to choose from. Anyways, I'll give it a shot. Shotter's Nation is released next week on October 1st in the UK and October 23rd in North America.

As a side note, I was just joking kids, stay off the drugs.

Download [mp3]: Babyshambles - Unstookie Titled
Download [mp3]: Babyshambles - Deft Left Hand
MySpace: Babyshambles
Babyshambles: Official Website

Buy Shotter's Nation

You Should Be Listening To: ADELE - HOMETOWN GLORY

Fantastic song by London singer/songwriter Adele. It's called 'Hometown Glory' and it contains a piano loop that is dark, haunting and atmospheric. The single is drawing a lot of attention and critical acclaim. In fact, 'Hometown Glory' was Jo Whiley's Pet Sound just last week.

Adele is currently signed to XL Recording, which is also home to Devendra Banhart, M.I.A., Basement Jaxx and The White Stripes. So, she is in very good company. The single will be released on October 22 as a limited edition 7" vinyl. There is no information on the release of a full length album but if this song is any indication, we should be hearing more from this promising singer/songwriter in the very near future.

Myspace: Adele

CD Releases: Week of 25/09/07

There is a lot of good new music to choose from this week. Here is just a sampling.

Athlete - Beyond The Neighbourhood (Astralwerks)
Download [mp3]: Athlete - Airport Disco
Buy Beyond The Neighbourhood



Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL)
Download [mp3]: Devendra Banhart - Seahorse
Buy Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon


Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience And Grace (RCA)

Download [mp3]: Foo Fighters - The Pretender

Buy Echoes, Silence, Patience And Grace

Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature (Mute)

Buy In Our Nature

PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island)
Buy White Chalk

Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War (Arts & Crafts)

Download [mp3]: Stars - Take Me To The Riot

Buy In Our Bedroom After The War

So, go out and buy some music on Tuesday!

Idlewild and Edwin Morgan - The Weight of Years

You know those times when you first hear a song and instantly fall in love with it. For me, it is one of the greatest feelings that I can experience in life. There is nothing like it.

'The Weight of Years' by Idlewild and Edwin Morgan was one of those songs for me. The track is pretty hard to find. It took me forever. It appears on a compilation entitled Ballads of the Book. The album is based on an idea of Idlewild's Roddy Woomble, in which, the Scottish writing community would write words/lyrics for artists from around Scotland to interpret musically. It's a pretty great idea. And since this song was one of the results, I think it should be done more often.

Put your headphones on, turn the volume up, close your eyes, and listen.

Download[mp3]: Idlewild and Edwin Morgan - The Weight of Years

Buy Ballads of the Book

Band of Horses Tour Dates

Band of Horses are touring in support of their forthcoming album Cease To Begin. If you have been to this site before, you will probably know that after The Pipettes (whose album 'We Are the Pipettes' is released on October 2 in North America, just thought I'd throw that in there), Band of Horses' Cease to Begin is the album that I am most excited about this fall. It's really good, so you should definitely check it out. It is out a week after The Pipettes, on October 9th.

Hear are their tour dates and another song of their new album called 'Lamb of the Lam (In the City)'.

10/30 Charlottesville, VA @ Satellite Ballroom

11/1 Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre

11/2 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

11/3 Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel

11/4 New York, NY @ Terminal 5

11/6 New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place

11/7 Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street

11/8 Montreal, QC @ La Tulipe

11/9 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

11/10 Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom

11/12 Chicago, IL @ Metro

11/14 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

11/15 Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium/Dempsey's Upstairs

11/17 Bozeman, MT @ The Filling Station

11/18 Boise, ID @ Neurolux

11/19 Seattle, WA @ Showbox

11/20 Seattle, WA @ Showbox

11/21 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom

11/23 San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine

11/24 Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon LA

11/26 Pomona, CA @ Glass House

Download[mp3]: Band of Horses - Lamb of the Lam (In the City)

MySpace: Band of Horses

Band of Horses: Official Webpage

Buy Cease To Begin

Beirut

Beirut

Bei-rut - [bay-root]

noun
1. Capital and largest city of Lebanon.
2. Band from Santa Fe, New Mexico, fronted by Zach Condon, who mix pop, folk and world to create a sound that is quite unique in indie music.

And they have a new album called The Flying Club Cup. And it has a song that I like. And here it is.

Download[mp3]: Beirut - Guyamas Sonora
MySpace: Beirut
Beirut: Official Webpage

Buy The Flying Club Cup

Feist; The Canadian Chanteuse

Ok, so I think I've waited long enough to post some Canadian talent. I have no idea what has taken so long. The amount of talent in Canada right now is limitless. We all know about The Arcade Fire by now, so I can think of no better Canadian talent to discuss than Feist. And even though she no longer calls Canada home, we can still consider her ours.

If I had to sum up Feist's music in one word it would be 'brilliant.' Honestly, her soft raspy vocals are as good as it comes. It is perfection. And Feist has a strong musical background. She played in several bands including Placebo and By Divine Right. Not to mention, and another indication of the Great White North's strong music scene, Canadian super group Broken Social Scene. In 1999, Feist began recording her solo albums, the first of which (called Monarch) is no longer being pressed. Her second album, Let It Die, is the one that shot her into the mainstream. If you don't have this album or have never listened to Feist before, this is the one that I would pick up first. It is a great collection of work. This year she released her third solo album called The Reminder. In it, Feist picks up just where she left off. The songs are a little more poppy but again vocally, no one compares.

And Canada knows it because 'The Reminder' is on the shortlist for 2007's Polaris Music Prize. This is Canada's equivalent to the Mercury Music Prize in the UK. Feist is up against such artists as The Dears, The Arcade Fire, Junior Boys and Joel Plaskett Emergency.

Interesting tidbit: She once shared an apartment in Toronto with electro-punk artist, Peaches. Seriously. I can't make this stuff up.

Download[mp3]: Feist - My Moon, My Man
MySpace: Feist
Feist: Official Webpage

Buy The Reminder

The Horrors

The Horrors are indie goth rock at its finest. I don't know what it is about this band but I think their pretty great. Perhaps its the power-driven organs. Maybe its the crashy guitars. Or maybe its just their hair. No, it's definitely not the hair. Actually, that's the only bit of criticism I have for them today because their music and sense of fashion just go hand in hand. Not that it matters at all but can you really listen to The Horrors and imagine them looking any different than they do.

Anyways, enough of that. The Horrors are definitely the most unique export coming from the UK right now. Their debut album, Strange House, was released in March 2007 with 'Sheena is a Parasite' as the first single. As with all songs by The Horrors, 'Sheena Is a Parasite' contains a dominant organ sound partnered with some distorted-scratchy guitars. Other highlights are 'She Is the New Thing,''Count in Fives' and 'Thunderclaps.'

The Horrors are my guilty pleasure right now. You'll either love them or hate them. But fall is quickly approaching. So, if anything, The Horrors will get you in the mood for Halloween.

Download [mp3]: The Horrors - Sheena Is a Parasite

MySpace: The Horrors

The Horrors: Official Webpage

Buy Strange House

New Babyshambles Tune

Here's a new song off of Babyshambles' forthcoming album, Shotter's Nation. It seems like quite a few songs from this album are slowly being leaked. Anyways, this one's called 'The Lost Art of Murder' and it is the closing track off Shotter's Nation. It has a folk-acoustic sound to it, which shouldn't be surprising since it features Bert Jansch. It's raw. It's Babyshambles. It's good.

What do you think of the cover art? Kinda weird, right?

Download (mp3): Babyshambles - The Lost Art of Murder

Buy Shotter's Nation

August 2007: Listen Now!

Milburn - What Will You Do (When the Money Goes)
This is a great song. That's all I'm going to say about it. Listen now!
Download (mp3): Milburn - What Will You Do (When the Money Goes)
Buy These Are The Facts

Kate Nash - Foundations
Kate Nash is a promising singer-songwriter, who has garnered a lot of buzz and developed quite a following in the UK over recent months. Actually, that's a bit of an understatement. Her debut album, Made of Bricks went to #1 the first week it was released and Nash has been making her way around many of the summer festivals. 'Foundations' is her biggest hit thus far and is definitely worth a listen. So, listen now!

Download (mp3): Kate Nash - Foundations

Buy Made of Bricks

Jose Gonzalez - Down the Line

Surprisingly, this is the first song I have ever heard by Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez. 'Down the Line' is the first single off Gonzalez's second album In Our Nature. The guitars in this song are soft and melodic. These elements, together with Gonzalez's vocals, creates a dreamy mood which is great for the end of summer/fall weather. Listen now!
Download (mp3): Jose Gonzalez - Down the Line

Buy In Our Nature

Band of Horses - Marry Song

This song is off Band of Horses' new album, Cease To Begin, which is released on October 9, 2007. I've heard a number of other songs off this upcoming release and if all is right in the world, it will be a big hit for them. 'Marry Song' is sinfully catchy. so prepare to sing along. Listen now!
Download (mp3) - Band of Horses - Marry Song

Buy Cease To Begin

The Perisher - My Own

I hate to pick one song off of The Perishers' album Victorious. This is because the entire album is really, really good. Honestly, the only reason why I picked 'My Own' over the others is because, at the moment, I'm in the middle of listening to album and the song just finished playing. Pick this album up. You will not regret it. Listen now!

Download (mp3): The Perishers - My Own

Buy Victorious

The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever

Keep it in the family. That seems to be the philosophy of West Yorkshire's, The Cribs. The band, which consists of three brothers, released their third album this year entitled 'Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever.' I have been listening to the single 'Our Bovine Public' for a while now but I just recently got a hold of the entire album. I'm not sure why it took so long but I am really glad that I finally took the time to listen to this record. And now that I have, I feel obligated to add that they are probably one of the most underrated bands coming out of the UK.

Their songs are fantastic but if blazing guitars, authoritative drumbeats and catchy melodies aren't incentives enough, you should know that the album was produced by Franz Ferdinand's own. Alex Kapranos. The Cribs actually toured North America with Franz in 2006 (as well as Death Cab for Cutie). 'Our Bovine Public' is definitely the stand out track but 'Men's Needs' and 'Moving Pictures' are also right up there.

The Cribs are touring all across Europe this fall and even make their way to Japan in October. Check out their MySpace page for a list of dates.

Download (mp3): The Cribs - Our Bovine Public
MySpace: The Cribs
The Cribs: Official Webpage

Buy Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever

Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong - The Next Big Thing?

Well the NME seem to think so and why not? The songs that I've heard, so far, have been pretty good. And they have a memorable name. Try saying it three times really quickly.

I don't know too much about this group yet, but I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot about them in the near future. There are also some obvious comparisons. But I'm not going to make them here. It's good music and that's all that matters.

FYI - 'Joe Lean' (which I'm pretty sure is a stage name) was the drummer for The Pipettes. I love the Pipettes. So should you! By the way, The Pipettes are releasing their debut album in Canada on October 2, 2007. I will take every opportunity to remind you of this in the weeks to come. Shamelessly. But I don't care.

Download (mp3): Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong - Lucio Starts Fires
MySpace: Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong

The Pigeon Detectives

I have to admit, I have yet to listen to The Pigeon Detectives' debut album Wait For Me in its entirety. However, I have loved every song that I've heard from it so far. This is usually a clear indication that I will, at least, like most songs from an album. So, I feel pretty safe recommending their music to you.

I first heard about the Pigeon Detectives when they supported the Kaiser Chiefs, who are fans of the group. The Kaisers talked them up pretty well and had nothing but good things to say about them. Shortly after, I heard their single 'Romantic Type' on Zane Lowe's show on BBC Radio 1. I liked what I heard but I couldn't find it anywhere to download. It seemed that most people were just starting to discover the Pigeon Detectives. But the band was just getting started. 'Romantic Type' was released as their next single (after 'I Found Out') and it reached #19 on the UK charts. Their next two singles 'I'm Not Sorry' and 'Take Her Back' have both cracked the top 20 since. Oh yeah, Wait For Me debuted at #3 in the UK . Just goes to show you what hard work and extensive touring can do for a band.

The Pigeon Detectives are pretty much touring the UK for the rest of the year. For a list of dated check out their MySpace page but most shows seem to be sold out.

No word on a North American release of Wait For Me. Although there may be limited imported copies lurking around in stores.

Download (mp3): The Pigeon Detectives - Romantic Type

MySpace: The Pigeon Detectives

The Pigeon Detectives: Official Webpage

Buy Wait For Me

And the Mercury Prize Goes To....

...KLAXONS

I have to admit, I'm incredibly shocked. Not because I think they don't deserve it. On the contrary, I think they are very deserving. Klaxons would be my second choice after Arctic Monkeys. But I, like everyone else, pretty much thought that Amy Winehouse was going to be the obvious winner. While I think that Amy Winehouse would have also been a worthy choice, I am very happy that The Klaxons won.

Their album, Myths of the Near Future, is one of my favourites of the year. Put on this record and Klaxons will make you want to dance. It's psychedelic-electronic-dance pop-guitar-based goodness. All of those elements, along with some great harmonizing, is why Klaxons are this year's Mercury Prize winners. Songs like 'Isle of Her' and 'Two Receivers' should not be missed. And if you haven't heard their first single 'Golden Skans' yet, what are you waiting for?

So put on Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future, turn up the volume, and enjoy!

North American Tour Dates (for more dates check out their MySpace page)

23/09/07 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

24/09/07 New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

26/09/07 Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre

28/09/07 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore

30/09/07 Seattle, WA @ The Showbox

01/10/07 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom

04/10/07 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre

05/10/07 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck

06/10/07 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre

08/10/07 Washington DC @ 9.30 Club

09/10/07 Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore at Theatre of Living Arts

10/10/07 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House

12/10/07 New York, NY @ Webster Hall

Download (mp3): Klaxons - Golden Skans

MySpace: Klaxons

Klaxons: Official Webpage

Buy Myths of the Near Future

Album of the Month: Athlete - Beyond the Neighbourhood

Athlete are releasing their third studio album this month called Beyond the Neighbourhood. It is actually out today in the UK but sadly, we in North America have to wait until September 25th to get our hands on it. Oh well, its only a couple of weeks away.

Anyways, the band's previous album, Tourist, went to #1 in the UK. So, how do a couple of boys from Deptford, London respond to such success. By putting out an 'organically experimental' album, of course! I'm actually not to sure what I mean by that but this album is amazing nonetheless. And it will only take one listen to fall in love with it and also realize that its quite a different sound for Athlete. You won't be able to put your finger on exactly what is different but you will recognize the change. Yet, despite being experimental, the album manages to remain distinctively Athlete.

Beyond the Neighbourhood opens with the stellar instrumental-electronic track entitled 'In Between 2 States,' which acts as a lead-in to their catchy first single 'Hurricane.' Other standout tracks are 'Flying Over Bus Stops,' 'Best Not to Think About It' and 'Airport Disco.' But make sure you don't skip any songs on Beyond the Neighbourhood. All are single-worthy and therefore, there are no filler tracks. Once again, it is time to embrace Athlete.

Tracklisting

1. In Between 2 States – 2:31
2. Hurricane – 3:13
3. Tokyo – 3:32
4. Airport Disco – 4:58
5. It's Not Your Fault – 4:18
6. The Outsiders" – 5:21
7. Flying Over Bus Stops – 4:28
8. Second Hand Stores - 5:13
9. In The Library – 3:04
10. Best Not To Think About It – 4:11
11. This Is What I Sound Like - 4:35

Download (mp3): Athlete - Hurricane
MySpace:Athlete
Athlete: Official Web Site

Buy Beyond the Neighbourhood