New Jennifer O'Connor

The good folks at Matador have taken it upon themselves to sneak a couple of tracks from Jennifer O'Connor new release Here With Me (release date: August 19th). I could go on for hours gushing about Jennifer but you're better off just listening for yourself.

Here With Me
Valley Road '86'

Bonus MP3
Exeter, Rhode Island

Charm City Roller Girls

So I took the kids, the Mrs., my brother and his lady to the roller derby Saturday night at Du Burns Arena in the scenic and lovely Canton neighborhood in Baltimore. It did not disappoint. The Mobdown Mods squared off again the Night Terrors and Speed Regime did battle with the Junkyard Dolls. From top to bottom the packed house was treated to high quality entertainment - Pabst Blue Ribbon was the only beer available and the head referee's name was Justice Feelgood Marshall - how's that treating you. So in celebration of the Charm City Roller Girls, here's a little Baltimore mix. Enjoy

Beach House - Gila

The Death Set - Negative Thinking

Matt & Kim - Yea Yeah

Pontiak - Shell Skull

Pontiak - The Brush Burned Fast

Arbouretum - I Am A Somnabulist

Dan Deacon - The Crystal Cat

The Gang

So I realize it has been forever since my last post. Work has been nuts and the younger kid is teething so sleep has been a little on the inadequate side. Through it all, I've been able to find some new stuff to get excited about. Which brings us to The Gang.

Thanks to the good folks at 3Hive, I was turned on to this New Jersey fourpiece (most famous for the fact that Ted Leo's little brother, Danny, plays drums) a few months back. Relatives of Ted aside, these guys ROCK. Fans of Les Savy Fav, We Are Scientists and The Go! Team take note - there is a new kid on the block. If you want a kick ass anthem in the spirit of the aforementioned outfits, check out The Gang's first single, "Sea So", which is currently holding the spot of My Favorite Song of 2008. Check out their full length Zero Hits on Absolutely Kosher Records when it hits June 3.

Sea So (mp3)

Weekend in Baltimore Mix - Vol. 5

Southeast Engine

Well, it has been a long time between posts as I've been working a ton. Looking forward to my first day off in a couple of weeks - play with the kids, hang with the wife and listen to some good music...among other things. Enjoy the weekend.

Southeast Engine Quit While You Are Ahead

Centro-matic Triggers and Trashheaps

Hallelujah the Hills Hallelujah the Hills

Sleeping States Rivers

Palomar Our Haunt

Weekend in Baltimore Mix - Vol. 4

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Aloha - Body Buzz - from the album Light Works

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Think I Wanna Die - from the album Pershing

Metal Hearts - Foothills - from the album Socialize

Minus the Bear - Dr. L'Ling - from the album Planet of Ice

Chin Up Chin Up - This Harness Can't Ride Anything - from the album This Harness Can't Ride Anything

764-HERO - Sunburnt - from the album We're Solids

Weekend in Baltimore Mix - Vol. 3

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros

Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You - from the album Cease To Begin


Elliot Smith - Memory Lane - from the album From A Basement On A Hill

Refused - New Noise - from the album The Shape Of Punk To Come

The Weakerthans - Pleas From A Cat Named Virtue - from the album Reconstruction Site

Youth Group - Sorry - from the album Casino Twilight Dogs

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Coma Girl - from the album Street Core

Radio Flyer - (312) - from the album In Their Strange White Armor

Slumberland Mix

Sarandon

The time: 1991-1997
The place: Washington, DC

So many competing forces came together during this time period to make this period the most vital musically (in a rocknroll sense) in DC's history (all apologies to 1981-85). A quick sampling of the bands and artists at work in DC during that time - Fugazi, Jawbox, Tsunami, Velocity Girl, Lois, Bratmobile, Nation of Ulysses, Chisel, Hoover, The Impossible Five, Girls Against Boys, Shudder To Think, Make Up, Unrest, Lucy Brown, Bluetip, The Dismemberment Plan, Slant 6, Smart Went Crazy, Warmers, Frodus, Edsel, Eggs, Air Miami, The Ropers... - one can see the great diversity as well as the profound influence cast upon all things post-punk, alternative and indie.

Following the lead of Dischord and TeenBeat records, other DC-based labels sprung up during this period, most notably DeSoto (created by members of Jawbox), Simple Machines (created by members of Tsunami) and Slumberland (created by members of Velocity Girl and Big Jesus Trash Can). So much has been written about the DC sound - namely the post-punk sound of the late 80's/early 90's Dischord bands (Fugazi, Jawbox, Hoover, Capitol City Dusters, etc) - but a careful examination of the sound coming out of DC at that time demonstrates that a number of bands owed a lot more to the Jesus and Mary Chain and Ride than they did Bad Brains and Minor Threat.

Slumberland Records started operations in 1989 in nearby Silver Spring, MD as a means to release efforts by Brit-Pop/Shoegaze inspired bands like Velocity Girl and Black Tambourine. Like the pop influenced TeenBeat Records, Slumberland looked beyond the Beltway for its roster releasing efforts by Stereolab (UK), Small Factory (RI), The Swirlies (Boston), The Softies (Pacific NW) in addition to locals like The Lilys, Velocity Girl and The Ropers.

Having moved the operation to the left coast, Slumberland has weened its roster significantly now with a predominance of British bands - bringing it back to the source, I guess. 2007 saw releases from London's Sarandon and The Lodger from Leeds - both bands clearly read the label's formula for creating tight brilliant pop songs. Enjoy the new with the old.

Sarandon - The Linguist (2007) - London, UK
The Lodger - The Story's Over (2007) - Leeds, UK
The Lodger - Let Her Go (2007) - Leeds, UK
The Lilys - February Fourteenth (1991) - Washington, DC
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (1992) - Silver Spring, MD
Small Factory - Giant Merry Go Round (1992) - Newport, RI
The Ropers - Waiting (1993) - Washington, DC
The Ropers - I Don't Mind (1994) - Washington, DC
Boyracer - Passionflower (1994) - Leeds, UK
The Aislers Set - California (1998) - San Francisco, CA
The Saturday People - Slipping Through Your Fingertips (2001) - Washington, DC

and plenty more music to sample at the Slumberland website.

Weekend in Baltimore vol. 2

Steve Malkmus and The Jicks
A nice collection of both new and old songs to chew on this fine winter weekend.

Nada Surf - See These Bones - from Lucky

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Beat (Health, Life and Fire) - from We Brave Bee Stings and All

Chris Walla - Sing Again - from Field Manual

Steve Malkmus and the Jicks - Baltimore - from Real Emotional Trash

Smoosh - Find a Way - from Free to Stay

The Soviettes - Multiply and Divide - from LP III

Paul Westerberg - We May Be The Ones - from Stereo

Braid - Killing A Camera - from Frames & Canvases

Get Up Kids - Holiday - from Something to Write Home About

Rainer Maria - Tinfoil - from Past Worn Searching

Saves the Day - At Your Funeral - from Stay What You Are

Preview Cat Power's Jukebox

A Few Songs for the Weekend

Wye Oak

Wye Oak "Warning" - Baltimore indie-folk-shoegaze outfit recently signed to Merge. Think Rainer Maria meets Ida meet My Bloody Valentine.

Fiery Furnaces "Ex-Guru" - From the brother/sister indie-folk duo's 2007 release Widow City.

Andrew Bird "Fiery Crash" - Live version of track one from his 2007 release Armchair Apocrypha.

Ida "Lovers Prayers" - The first single from the aforementioned Ida's new album of the same name due out on Polyvinyl on January 29th.

New Mountain Goats single

I finally came around to the Mountain Goats sometime in the last year or so. In the end, it was their 2006 album Get Lonely and specifically the single, "Woke Up New" that did it for me. Quirky lyrics and simple song structures augmented with just the right amount of percussion and strings.

Now, John Darnielle and Peter Hughes will be releasing their new album, Heretic Pride, on February 19th. Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, who gives Davey Grohl a run for his money in the funniest man in rock category, continues his work with the band. The first single, "Sax Rohmer #1", clearly benefits from Wurster's drum work. They will be hitting the East Coast this March so check them out.

listen to Sax Rohmer #1

and check out the video for Woke Up New from the album Get Lonely.

2007 Wrap Up

The Gossip vs.

Elastica

Best Mash-Up The Gossip vs. Elastica "Standing in the Way of Connection"


Best Albums
These are my top long players of the year in no particular order (other than reverse alphabetical).

Voxtrot s/t
listen to Kid Gloves

Ted Leo/Pharmacists Living With The Living
listen to La Costa Brava

Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
listen to Don't Make Me A Target

Radiohead In Rainbows
listen to Down Is The New Up

The New Pornographers Challengers
listen to Myriad Harbour

The National Boxer
listen to Fake Empire

Elliot Smith New Moon
listen to All Cleaned Out

Caribou Andorra
listen to She's The One

Bad Religion New Maps of Hell
listen to Honest Goodbye

Andrew Bird Armchair Apocrypha
listen to Heretics


Best Live Shows


Ted Leo/Pharmacists - Mod Club, Toronto, CA 5/2/07 Fresh off the release of Living With The Living, Ted and the boys were in peak form. The addition of James Canty on second guitar added to the firepower. Sadly, this would be my last Ted show with the always entertaining (not necessarily purposefully) Dave Lerner on bass.

listen to Under The Hedge


The National - 9:30 Club, WDC 6/20/07 More than anything I was just thoroughly impressed how well Boxer translated live. Listen to Murder Me Rachael and get the entire concert from NPR's All Songs Considered here.



The Evens - Capital City Public Charter School, WDC 11/18/07 Playing in the space formerly known as the Wilson Center (site of the first Fugazi show 20 years ago), the Evens created my most age-appropriate live show experience of the year with an 8pm start time and three generations of MacKaye's in attendance. The songs, not surprisingly, translated well to the live format. Ian gave a little insight into the history of the room as he described playing there 25 years ago with Bad Brains, Scream, Minor Threat, G.I., and about five other bands all for $3. The times they are a changin'.

Listen to All These Governors, No Money

Top Songs 2007 - 10 - 1

Les Savy Fav

10. Voxtrot "Firecracker"
My favorite new band of 2007.

9. Bad Religion "Heroes & Martyrs"
One minute and twenty-six seconds of pure anti-war fury. The best punk song of the year from the best punk album of the year, New Maps of Hell.

8. The Magic Numbers "This Is A Song"
Two sets of brother/sister pairs making pop magic.

7. Ted Leo/Pharmacists "Sons Of Cain"
Five years ago, Spin magazine likened Ted to Elvis Costello fronting the Cars singing "The Boys Are Back In Town". I never truly agreed with that description until "Sons of Cain". For me, Living With The Living was one of my favorite albums of the year and songs like "La Costa Brava", "The Lost Brigade" and "The Toro and The Toreador" could have easily made the list but "Sons of Cain" sets the tone for the entire album and thus makes the cut.

6. Peter Bjorn and John "Young Folks"
Everybody talks about the whistling on this track and I say if you want some kick ass whistling check out Andrew Bird (see below). Can I get an "oh yeah" for the bass and egg shaker 'cause that's what makes the song for me. Oh yeah, the congas on the chorus kick ASS!

5. Les Savy Fav "The Equestrian"
The new most dangerous band in America (in a good way). Great video as well. Ordinarily I would consider songs that use horseback riding as sexual innuendo a slight bit ridiculous but goddamit these guys pull it off.

Any one of the top 4 could have been my song of the year, but this is how they sorted out on the day I made the list. Easily could be different tomorrow as each song is amazing in its own way.

4. Caribou "Melody Day"
This song transports the listener to a completely different dimension. I'm floored that it was assembled by one dude. The banshee-like chorus is totally outrageous.

3. Andrew Bird "Plasticities"
The most understated song of the bunch, Andrew is an expert at drawing in the listener in without hitting them over the head with the song. Amazing whistles and strings.

2. The National "Mistaken For Strangers"
Menacing chords, precision drumming and Matt Berninger's baritone set the tone for this examination of the anonymity of the working world.

1. Arcade Fire "Intervention"
If Andrew Bird had the most understated song of the bunch then Arcade Fire had the most grandiose. The pipe organ isn't the only reason why one might think this song would be best played in a church. By the time the third verse comes around you are totally pulled into the song and then all of a sudden the waves of the third chorus crash on your head. A magnificent feat of music making

Top Songs 2007 - 20 - 11

Georgie James

20. Band of Horses "Is There A Ghost"
For everyone nostalgic for the Catherine Wheel, look no further.

19. The Sea and Cake "Coconut"
Yet another example of why Chicago may very well be the music capital of America.

18. Tegan and Sara "Hop A Plane"
Couldn't find a free link to a mp3 of this one. The twins benefit from top notch production courtesy of Chris Walla of DCFC and the result is the best pop song of the year.

17. Dan Deacon "The Crystal Cat"
Yes, he is a complete freakshow but he's our complete freakshow.

16. Feist "1234"
My three year old is in love with Leslie Feist after the incessant playing of her Ipod commercial. You would think that would ruin the song for me. It doesn't.

15. Spoon "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"
So I am ready to admit that Britt Daniel is fast becoming my new Paul Westerberg.

14. Georgie James "Need Your Needs"
You know when I said Tegan and Sara had the best pop song of the year. I lied. Georgie James has the best pop song of the year.

13. Okkervil River "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe"
Will Sheff continues in his quest to contrast really dark lyrics with upbeat music.

12. Shout Out Louds "Tonight I Have To Leave It"
What does a band from Sweden, who has a major infatuation with the Cure sound like? Listen for the answer.

11. Johnny Foreigner "Our Bi-Polar Friends"
So Lou over at Ask Me About My Invisible Friends gets full credit for this one. If you like Pretty Girls Make Graves' Good Health (in my top 5 for the decade) then download this song now and get ready to be blown away.

Top Songs 2007 - 30-21

Thurston Moore

Is there anything more American than a list? I think they are rooted in the same part of the American psyche as presidential polls, American Idol and call-in radio shows. So in a effort to fall into line with my fellow Americans, here is the first installment of my best songs of 2007. Enjoy.

30. Erin McKeown "Rhode Island Is Famous For You"
The Virginia native's retro style is featured on this cover of the 1948 Blossom Dearie song. The link is to a solo version recorded in Somerville, MA. Check out her 2007 album, Sing You Sinners for the amazing full band version.

29. The New Pornographers "My Rights Versus Yours"
My favorite song from one of the best albums of the year.

28. Thurston Moore "Fri/End"
Did you hear Thurston Moore recorded an entire album with an acoustic guitar? What do you suppose it sounds like? Ohh, that's pretty good.

27. Against Me! "Bourne On The FM Waves Of The Heart"
If I were 16 years old, this would be my #1 song of the year. Since, I'm 35, it only makes it into the top 30.

26. Stars "Take Me To The Riot"
This is my sleeper pick of the bunch. Forced to live in the shadows of Leslie Feist this year, Amy Milan and her bandmates produced one of the best anthemic songs of the year.

25. Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse "Valerie"
I hate his remix of the Dylan song, but this remake of the Zutons song is total genius. She may be a trainwreck, but Winehouse can sing.

24. Palomar "Our Haunt"
Palomar's songs have always had a degree of darkness lyrically, but were often covered with a candy-coated shell of indie-pop. With "Our Haunt" they show they weren't afraid to let the music sound a little dark as well and the result is beautiful.

23. Dinosaur Jr. "Been There All The Time"
The best thing they have done since "The Wagon". No joke. I saw them in late November and it was the loudest show I'd seen in over 14 years - since the last time I saw them in 1993.

22. Radiohead "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"
This will be the only crossover between my list and Time magazine's list.

21. Interpol "The Heinrich Maneuver"
Many feel that Interpol peaked with their debut and they are probably correct. But this is one case where top notch production (i.e. big money major label production) brings their sound to the next level. For the love of God, listen to this with your headphones on.

Audio Exposure

A few years back, a buddy of mine Adam started a nonprofit organization with a friend of his call Critical Exposure. The aim of Critical Exposure was to provide cameras and photography instruction to underserved kids in the Baltimore public school system - you don't need to watch an entire season of The Wire to get that this system is broken. Not only do these kids learn a valuable trade in photography but they are encouraged to take photos of the decrepit conditions of their schools which in turn increases awareness and mobilizes public support of the great problems these schools encounter on a daily basis.

Now, some other close friends, Jared & Stacey, have created the music site Audio Exposure to benefit Critical Exposure. For every legal mp3 link posted, one dollar is donated to Critical Exposure. Check out the site to add a song or to download a host of songs ranging from indie to 80's metal. And while you are at it, consider donating to a great cause.

The Sea and Cake

The Sea and Cake

When I was first really getting into music in the late 1980's as a teenager I was always fascinated by the concept of a local scene. Initially, it was the scenes in Athens, GA, Minneapolis and Boston, but by the time college and the early 90's had arrived there were scores of scenes in places like Chapel Hill, Amherst, Louisville, Austin and of course, Seattle. All of this was going on while I was living in the most incestuous scene of all, Washington DC. Nowadays, one thinks of Portland, Brooklyn or Omaha although many of the aforementioned scenes still thrive to this day (yes, yes, yes, I realize I neglected to mention Manchester, Montreal and Glasgow, but for the purposes of this post we are talking about American indie rock).

For me, something that takes a scene to the next level is that previously mentioned incest or cross-pollination that exists between bands within a scene. Take Janet Weiss in Portland - most famous as the drumming force behind Sleater-Kinney, she also plays drum with ex-husband, Sam Coomes, in Quasi and is now behind the kit for Steve Malkmus and the Jicks.

As I spent more and more time thinking about the concept of a scene, I forgot probably the most vital scene of the last ten years - Chicago. Given my east coast bias, I often forget the great midwestern mecca where styles collide and new ones develop. Much like DC or Seattle, there are well respected independent labels like Touch and Go, Thrill Jockey and Quarter Stick that document the scene on vinyl (or at least digitally). Chicago may just be my new DC.

Which brings me to the true subject of my post - The Sea and Cake. In many ways, The Sea and Cake are a Chicago indie pop supergroup with members of Tortoise, Gastr del Sol, and The Coctails in the ranks. Singer/guitarist Sam Prekop and guitarist Archer Prewitt are accomplished solo artists in their own right. This summer saw the release of their first album in four years entitled Everybody out on Thrill Jockey. Although I've had the album since release it was only in the last couple of weeks that I have fully digested it. Gorgeous pop songs that while they don't blow you away, don't disappoint either. To sum it up in one word - it is dreamy.

Check out "Coconut" from Everybody
Coconut (mp3)

Best of Boston Tournament

Buffalo Tom

So my buddy Mike referred me to a contest that the Boston Herald is currently conducting. Designed like the NCAA basketball tournament, they have developed brackets of the best 64 songs to come out of Boston over the last 25 years. The list features the usual suspects like the Pixies, Buffalo Tom, Belly, Throwing Muses, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dinosaur jr., New Kids on the Block and New Edition. Other names on the list are a veritable who's who of bands quickly signed up in the post-Nirvana frenzy of the very early '90's (Juliana Hatfield, Gigolo Aunts, O Positive, Cold Water Flat, The Dambuilders). Some classics from the '80's (The Cars, Del Fuegos, Gang Green, Til Tuesday). And just enough from this century (Dropkick Murphys, Pernice Brothers).

I had a lot of fun setting up my brackets. They set them up so a band like New Edition would go up against New Kids on the Block in the first round (and accordingly, Dropkick Murphys take on Gang Green). There were some interesting match-ups as Tonya Donelly had to take on herself in a Belly vs. Throwing Muses first round bout. Also, I had Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom taking on his brother Paul of Cold Water flat in the third round. In the end in my bracket, I had a final round contest between the Pixies' "Debaser" and Buffalo Tom's "Taillights Fade". This was an unbelievably difficult choice since both songs are in my top 50 of all time. In the end, I went with "Taillights Fade" on gut alone. It really was a pick 'em.

Set up your bracket here and then download some tunes.

Pixies "Gouge Away - live" (mp3)
Pixies "Debaser" (mp3)
Cold Water Flat "Magnetic North Pole" (mp3)

Voxtrot

The last several weeks have seen the release of some of the best albums of the year (Caribou, The Sea and Cake, New Pornographers). But the one album I truly cannot get out of my head is the self titled release by Austin five-piece Voxtrot. Ramesh Srivastava and his mates present 11 distinct compositions rooted in indie rock but are much more adventurous than your typical band of said genre (take for example, The Arctic Monkeys, for whom Voxtrot will be opening this fall).

Check out some songs from the new album
Kid Gloves
Firecracker
Brother in Conflict

And some older stuff as well
Trouble from Your Biggest Fan EP
Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives from Mothers... EP
The Start of Something from Raised By Wolves EP

Weekend in Baltimore Mix

I got my first chance to check out some music since moving to Charm City in June. Between work and a new kid it has been tough to get and check out the scene. Yesterday, I made my way to 36th Street for Hampden Fest drawn mainly by the prospect of seeing The Oranges Band for the first time live. So here's a couple of songs by Baltimore's finest plus a few other tunes I can't stop playing on this beautiful September weekend.

The Oranges Band

Ride the Nuclear Wave (mp3)
OK Apartment (mp3)

Voxtrot
Firecracker (mp3)

Caribou
Melody Day (mp3)

Band of Horses
Is There a Ghost (mp3)

Les Savy Fav
The Equestrian (mp3)

Broken Social Scene
Stars and Sons (mp3)