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perfect for today

Block o' new music

Psych-pop group, Black Moth Super Rainbow are giving their fans a taste of their album, Eating Us, which is due to be released on April 26th.
Born On a Day the Sun Didn't Rise by Black Moth Super Rainbow from Eating Us

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Singer-songwriter Donald Barjas aka Your Very Own...supposed to have an EP released on April 20th. Where's it at, man?

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Canadian singer-songwriter Tom Howie is planning to release his EP sometime next month.
My Voice Is Gone (demo) by Tom Howie

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For more singer-songwriter tuneage, you can check out Stuart Newman from the UK.
51st State by Stuart Newman from Single But Defective

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Toronto indie rock band, Still Life Still, signed to Arts & Crafts, are set to release their debut EP, Pastel, on June 16th.

The warmth is coming

Supposed to be in the low 80's this weekend! Finally.
And with that another semester is coming to an end for me. One more exam to take and one more paper to write. Lucky for me, the topic is a good one.

The influence of a type of music, of a particular song, or of a particular musician on your life.

I get to write about my first love.
So this will be how I'm spending my next couple nights - writing about why I love this thing we call indie.
And with that, there were some notable releases this past week.
Depeche Mode released their 12th studio album. While Sounds of the Universe certainly doesn't have the nostalgia of the classic that is Violator, I'd give a solid 3.5


In Chains by Depeche Mode from Sounds of the Universe [deleted mp3]




I wanted to love this EP. I really did. But the latest release from The Breeders, Fate To Fatal, just didn't quite cut it for me. Of the 4 songs, the title track was the strongest, and more of what I was hoping for.


Fate to Fatal by The Breeders from Fate To Fatal EP [deleted mp3]




With Okkervil River's lastest EP, I would have to say it's for the truly devoted fans. The title track is already on The Stand Ins and features a new track as well as the "one man band" version of "Pop Lie".


Pop Lie (album version) by Okkervil River from Pop Lie EP [deleted mp3]




I thoroughly enjoyed My Maudlin Career, the newest release from Scottish indie pop band, Camera Obscura. A good 4.5 in my book.


French Navy by Camera Obscura from My Maudlin Career [deleted mp3]




It's no secret I'm a huge Manchester Orchestra fan. I had such high hopes for Mean Everything to Nothing after the track "I've Got Friends" was released. Andy Hull's voice is like gold, IMO. As I sit here, writing this and listening to the album again, I'm asking myself, "What's missing?" There are definitely some strong tracks on this album, but it's just not grabbing me as a whole album like I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child did. Then again, maybe my hopes were a bit too high. As of now, I give it a 4 out of 5.


The Only One by Manchester Orchestra from Mean Everything to Nothing[deleted mp3]

Books: A Pint of Plain

"The Workman's Friend"
When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A pint of plain is your only man.

When money's tight and hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A pint of plain is your only man.

When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say you need a change,
A pint of plain is your only man.

When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A pint of plain is your only man.

In time of trouble and lousey strife,
You have still got a darlint plan
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A pint of plain is your only man.
by Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan)
The poem above was the inspiration for the title of the book, A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub by Bill Barich. It's basically raises questions regarding the commercialization and mass-marketing of Irish culture and about one man's quest to find a traditional Irish pub in and around Dublin. You know the kind, like the one as seen in the John Wayne classic, The Quiet Man - rolling green hills, ancient castles, traditional Irish music, where the whiskey and stout poured, and the craic was plentiful, what Barich often refers to as 'Fairytale Ireland'.
I initially bought this for my love of Guinness. And I do mean love. Of the 2 or 3 times a year I'll have a drink, more often than not it's a pint or two of the good stuff. It was an interesting read and a good beginner's look into a "blow-in's" pub travels, and just one of many books about the perfect pint. What can I say? Guinness lovers are passionate about their pints, the world over.

Introducing: The Vanish and Suturee

NYC duo, The Vanish draw influence from 70s punk bands and the likes of The Clash for their brand of nu wave/electro pop.
Hold On by The Vanish [deleted mp3]
Heartbeat by The Vanish [deleted mp3]

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Originally from Puerto Rico now based in NYC is Suturee. This indie pop band formed in 2007, released their first album in May 2008 and were featured on NPR this past January.
Fail To Feel by Suturee [deleted mp3]
Afraid of Hands by Suturee [deleted mp3]

The Open Door EP

I've never considered myself a die-hard Death Cab for Cutie fan. I say this having all of their officially released songs as well as a few unofficial tracks found along the way. So I ignored the bad reviews of Narrow Stairs last year and downloaded the album without even listening to the samples or streaming it. It was...okay. Some tracks I really liked, some I could've saved my money and done without.
I gave them another shot this past Tuesday when The Open Door EP was released even though, again, I'd read some not-so-raving reviews.
And I think this is why...
It's not the same DCFC that blew me away the first time I really listened to them. So after giving it a good listen to, I found myself going back to the beginning; back to that signature Death Cab sound.
Now, I know we don't want the same bands to keep coming out with repetitive sounding albums, but there was a good formula there. If it ain't broke then don't fix it.

Champagne From a Paper Cup by Death Cab for Cutie from Something About Airplanes [deleted mp3]




For What Reason by Death Cab for Cutie from We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes [deleted mp3]





Wait by Death Cab for Cutie from You Can Play These Songs With Chords [deleted mp3]

Give it a listen

Sunset Rubdown have given us all a little teaser for their June 23rd release, Dragonslayer.
Idiot Heart by Sunset Rubdown from Dragonslayer [deleted mp3]

Keepin' it going

It looks like the warm weather may finally get here this weekend. Finally!
On the drive home today, I was able to put the windows down, sun shining, and blaring We Were Promised Jetpacks' "Quiet Little Voices"..awesome song. (little bonus for you) [deleted mp3]
On with the tuneage...
Is It Any Wonder? by Keane from Under the Iron Sea [deleted mp3]
All the Pretty Faces by The Killers from Sawdust [deleted mp3]
Síðasti bærinn 5 by Kjartan Sveinsson (of Sigur Rós) from the short film Síðasti bærinn (The Last Farm) which can be seen here [deleted mp3]

image from Sigur Rós at Bonnaroo 2008

5 out of 5

The whole album can be streamed at Merge Records.
Stand out tracks:
"Rust"
"Coast of Carolina"
"Tokyo"
"Foreign Room"
Coast of Carolina by Telekinesis from Telekinesis! [deleted mp3]
Look to the East by Telekinesis from Telekinesis! [deleted mp3]

Fire and Ice

image from yours truly taken Sept. 2008 at Geysir, Iceland

Seeing as how the name of this here blog is in Icelandic, I thought it only fair that I do have at least one post dedicated to music coming out of Iceland, that is other than Sigur Rós, Múm or Björk. So without further ado...

I first got to hear of this band on my flight back from Iceland, and was immediately hooked by this song.
Hands Remember by Seabear from The Ghost That Carried Us Away [deleted mp3]



Sindri Mar Sigfusson of Seabear also has a solo project.
Melt Down The Knives by Sin Fang Bous from Clangour [deleted mp3]




This Indie electro group has been gaining a lot of attention since the release of their latest album.
Tropical by FM Belfast from How to Make Friends [deleted mp3]



Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to a band is to get buried with comparisons, such as being compared to Coldplay from the get-go.
We Are Shadows by Leaves from We Are Shadows (due out May 11) [deleted mp3]

Stafrænn Hákon has been putting out some great electro-ambient music since 1999.
Svefn by Stafrænn Hákon from Gummi [deleted mp3]




One of the most beautiful voices I've heard come from Iceland. I can't understand a word on her album, but I love it nonetheless.
Við og Við by Ólöf Arnalds from Við og Við [deleted mp3]




I'm not one for classical, but this isn't your garden variety of it by any stretch. This is simply...wow.
0952 by Ólafur Arnalds from Eulogy for Evolution [deleted mp3]




A few extras...
Worry Til Spring by Sprengjuhöllin from Worry Til Spring [deleted mp3]
Æji, Plís by Reykjavík! from Æji, Plís [deleted mp3]
I'm Going Now by Skakkamanage from All Over the Face [deleted mp3]
Paul Is Dead by Retro Stefson from Montaña [deleted mp3]

Block o' new music

Minneappolis natives, Hunting Club, released their six-track EP, Pretty/Ugly in November 2008.
Yours Truly by Hunting Club from Pretty/Ugly EP [deleted mp3]

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For the electro fans...
Chris Price just might be your cup of tea.
And She Was by Chris Price from Post Pop Parade [deleted mp3]
Or perhaps the solo electro-pop project, One In A Googloplex, taking it's name from a line in the movie Back to the Future II.
Foreign Information by One In A Googloplex from Hands [deleted mp3]

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From Leeds, UK comes Wintermute who are preparing to release their debut album, Robot Works, later this month.
Disco Load-Out by Wintermute from Robot Works [deleted mp3]

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From the Garden State of New Jersey comes Eric Sarmiento. I have to admit, out of all the artists I've listened to for this post, this one is my favorite. There's some great songwriting and catchy pop tunes coming from this guy, and hopefully many more to come.
Alejandra Told Me by Eric Sarmiento from Alejandra Told Me/Hypnosis [deleted mp3]
Nothing's Ever Satisfying by Eric Sarmiento from The Declaration of Interdependence [deleted mp3]

Stand out title tracks

Finally got my first listen this morning on the way to work. I love it!
Stand out tracks: "Kingdom of Rust" and "Winter Hill"
This is the first full album from The Thermals I've bought, and I like it.
Stand out tracks: "When I Died" and "Now We Can See"
I read about this band from Minneapolis yesterday called Halloween, Alaska while reading MFR. I was able to listen to some of the tracks streaming on the band's MySpace page, but was unable to find a download version of the album. That is, till about 10 minutes ago. Someone at iTunes maybe had too many cocktails at lunch? You can find it here under the name Alaska & Halloween (?). I can say that the title track is really good. Just a tad of DCFC feel to it.

I have two movies here patiently waiting for me that I've been really wanting to watch, so enjoy the great weather while it's still here.
I'll have plenty of some more good new music and artists for ya'll in the next couple days. You can take a sneak peek here for one of them.

Impatiently waiting

Snow coming and it's April. There's something very wrong with that.
The part of my weekend that wasn't spent working overtime and on a paper that I still haven't finished (ugh) was done on my arse searching the internets for some really great new tunes. Okay, so maybe it wasn't a wholehearted search, but a search nonetheless through eMusic, Amazon, Last.fm, and iTunes hoping they'd find me a winner. (I've yet to find a decent indie music store in the Detroit metro area)
Is it just me or does the market seem to be getting flooded with off-shoots of Fleet Foxes and folkish types? Personally, I need some good rockin' tunes. That's not to say that folk is bad, but really, an over-saturated market of folk just isn't my cup of tea. More times than not, I need that pick-me-up vibe, especially when I'm dragging and exhausted. Then again, being in the state I'm in probably isn't the best time to be searching, now is it?
So I'm waiting. Waiting for Manchester Orchestra, Doves, and Sunset Rubdown to name a few. And waiting for this grogginess and crappy weather to pass.
I Was a Lid by Manchester Orchestra from Let My Pride Be What's Left Behind EP [deleted mp3]
There Goes the Fear by Doves from The Last Broadcast [deleted mp3]
The Taming of the Hand That Came Back To Life by Sunset Rubdown from Random Spirit Lover [deleted mp3]

All jokes aside

...this is what I should be doing right now.

Lover, You Should've Come Over by Jeff Buckley from Grace [deleted mp3]
Sometimes Always by The Jesus and Mary Chain from Stoned & Dethroned [deleted mp3]
Cold Hard Bitch by JET from Get Born [deleted mp3]
Don't You Worry by Jim Noir from Jim Noir [deleted mp3]
I Want To Write a Love Song by Johanna Samuels from A Little Bit of Both [deleted mp3]
Rages of Babylon by Joseph Arthur from Could We Survive [deleted mp3]
She's Lost Control by Joy Division from The Peel Sessions [deleted mp3]

image from LIP_Photography (Karen Ackles) Flickr