Saturday 31 January 2009

More Walkmen...

A great idea... Acoustic sessions recorded in the back of a van... Blogotheque extends its cool run...

New mp3s...

Some great releases coming up, and with mp3s being the new radio play, some great free downloads for your iPod...

Wednesday 28 January 2009

J Tillman

I gave J Tillman 9/10 at ACE, recently... Here's the review:
How many men with guitars does the world need? Well, the world seems to want more and more of them, if the success of albums by Bon Iver and James Morrison, among others, are anything to go by. J Tillman tends towards the former, in that lovely space occupied by artists such as Chris Bathgate, Will Johnson, Damien Jurado, Nick Drake, and maybe even Ryan Adams, where gently beautifully sad portraiture is the order of the day. Vacilando Territory Blues is a rather gorgeous take from someone attempting something more modern than rehash old blues forms - the stories come from the same place they always did, but Tillman gives them space to breathe and a non-pastiche treatment. His warm, affecting voice is like one of the acoustic instruments, with a lovely catch and gentle burr. Songs like Firstborn would fit happily on any of Ryan Adams' better albums - in an ideal world, J. Tillman would be held in the same reverence that the more variable Adams is today. If you need more reason, Tillman joined Fleet Foxes to help out just as they broke through in 2008...
And here are a couple of mp3s from the record...
He's playing Bush Hall, London on 5th March... Hoping to be there...

Friday 23 January 2009

Royal Bangs on Daytrotter

Four free songs from one of the most energetic, and exciting new bands (on The Black Keys' Pat Carney's label) at Daytrotter...
royal bangs by johnnie

Tuesday 20 January 2009

New Springsteen album

There's a pre-release audit stream of Bruce Springsteen's new album, Working On a Dream at NPR. Can't say I'm impressed yet (which pains me to say...) - let's hope that Brendan O'Brien ends his run with Bruce soon...

Friday 16 January 2009

Will Johnson and Christian Kiefer release Obama supplement to 43 Presidents project

An interesting project just got a whole load more interesting... Christian Kiefer is the songwriter behind a project, Of Great and Mortal Men, which had brought together guest musicians (including These United States).
Before the election of Barack Obama, a group of musicians recorded and released a collection of 43 original songs, one for each of the U.S. presidencies. Titled Of Great and Mortal Men, the three-CD set ended with George W. Bush. Now, just in time for the inauguration, the creators have completed their 44th song.
Rather delightfully, Kiefer chose Will Johnson, of Centro-matic, to head up this one... It is also available for free download from NPR...

New Southeast Engine song

There's a new Southeast Engine song for download, from the new album From the Forest to the Sea: Black Gold

Tuesday 13 January 2009

New Bon Iver EP

Bon Iver's new EP, Blood Bank is out next week. Here is the title track...

Sunday 11 January 2009

Don't Be A Stranger

Found this wonderful Swedish band by accident on emusic... This isn't the best song on their oddly-titled Frutti Di Mare, but it is the one that has a video...

Saturday 10 January 2009

The Walkmen

So, so good... From Juan's Basement:


THE WALKMEN NEW SINGLE AND UK TOUR

‘IN THE NEW YEAR’ RELEASED 23rd FEBRUARY

 (Fierce Panda Records)

www.myspace.com/thewalkmen | www.fiercepanda.co.uk

 

 

The Walkmen are from New York City. They consist of Hamilton Leithauser (vocals/guitar), Paul Maroon (guitar/piano), Walter Martin (organ/bass), Matt Barrick (drums) and Peter Bauer (bass/organ).

 

In September 2008 they released the frankly terrific 'You & Me' album on Fierce Panda which featured 51 minutes of fearsomely inventive classic alt.rock noises, scowled at the dark end of the street and garnered hearty plaudits across the board including four stars in Q and a whopping five stars from The Guardian.

 

Indeed, many other sage listeners joined drownedinsound.com in believing it to be "the best thing they've ever done". And as if proffering more evidence that they were a band reborn since parting company with Warner Brothers, to follow up the launch of 'You & Me' The Walkmen played a splendid sold out show at ULU on a beautifully snowy winter’s eve in London Town. Unsurprisingly they have unveiled plans to make a swift return to these shores

 

'In The New Year' is the second single to be lifted from 'You & Me', following the smouldering success of 'The Blue Route' and will be available on limited edition 7” and download on February 23rd. Like much of the rest of the album 'In The New Year' is a meticulously constructed whirl of The Walkmen's trademark clanging guitars and otherworldly keyboards which sounds like nothing else out there, and sounds all the better for it.

 

To celebrate the single's release The Walkmen will be back on UK shores for a 3-date tour in mid-February – including a London date headlining Fierce Panda’s 15th birthday show at The Scala.

 

The Walkmen on Tour:

 

February

 

18th Birmingham Barfly

19th Brighton Concorde 2

20th London Kings Cross Scala (Fierce Panda's fifteenth birthday party w/Hatcham Social + The Molotovs)

The New Year - The New Year

Somewhat appropriately, a new video for the New Year, by growers The New Year...