May 13, 2006
Inspiring Tunes
The other day I blogged about the grassroots organization The Invisible Children which is trying to bring attention to children in Uganda who are the victims of rebel fighting.
Not only is Invisible Children a cool charity, but they've got a great soundtrack. While watching their various videos and commercials I found three great tracks, two of which I downloaded immediately (the third one I already owned):
- "Always Love" by Nada Surf
- "For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti" by Sufjan Stevens
- "Rescue is Coming" by David Crowder Band
Posted by kevin at 5:47 PM | TrackBack
November 29, 2005
It's a CCM Christmas
It must be Christmas in Nashville as the Christian Music crowd is cranking out Christmas singles:
- "Feliz Navidad" - David Crowder Band
- "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" - Bethany Dillon
- "What Child Is This" - ZOEgirl
It's all from the requisite Wow Christmas 2-CD set. For a little more edge to your Christmas dance party you can turn to Tooth & Nail's Happy Christmas Vol. 4, which includes Switchfoot (again), Relient K, Eisley, Mae, Hawk Nelson and more.
Posted by kevin at 8:27 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 25, 2005
"Lights and Sounds" from Yellowcard
You can get an early taste of the new Yellowcard album, Lights and Sounds, which comes out in January, with the first single, "Lights and Sounds". The new album is supposed to be a departure from their Ocean Avenue sound, supposedly more rock and roll.
"We kind of got grouped into a certain thing with the last record, and whether it's good or bad, who knows?" Pete Mosley told MTV in August. "But we don't want to walk around and go, 'Hey, I'm in this pop-punk band called Yellowcard' for the rest of our lives. So we made a record that's not like Ocean Avenue. It's not bouncy — it's rock and roll."
Posted by kevin at 9:02 AM | TrackBack
October 20, 2005
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
The indie band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has sold 17,000 copies of their self-released debut album. They make $8 per copy mailing the CDs to customers themselves (a lot better than the $1 per copy most record companies offer), which amounts to $136,000. Granted they have bills to pay and have to divide up the earnings, but that's not too shabby for a band, considering they also have merchandising and concert income.
You can download a few tracks from their site (check the sidebar) and they're now available on iTunes. They have an odd sound that I have a hard time describing, but I'll say that it's catchy enough that I like it, though the vocals are odd enough that my wife can't stand it. It's kind of like musical noise.
Posted by kevin at 9:49 AM | TrackBack
October 17, 2005
Elizabethtown Soundtrack
If you're looking for some soulful Americana music, the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown is worth checking out. The soundtrack itself is packed with folks like Tom Petty, Elton John, Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin and more, but the real treat is the original score by Nancy Wilson. The instrumental strumming is so atmospheric and Kentucky-ish. Head over to the Elizabethtown web site for a sample. The music player cycles through samples from both soundtracks, with lengthier bits from the original score. Even if you're not interested in buying it, the web site is a great way to take in the sounds while you work.
Posted by kevin at 8:30 PM | TrackBack
September 17, 2005
Arcade Fire on Sounds Eclectic
You can also check out next week's (?) Sounds Eclectic for a live performance from Arcade Fire. Their five-song set starts about 30 minutes into the show and looks to include two new songs.
I highly recommend checking out Arcade Fire and their debut disc, Funeral. If I had to pick a few Arcade Fire must-have songs, it'd be "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" and "Crown of Love".
Posted by kevin at 8:18 PM | TrackBack
Sufjan Stevens on Sounds Eclectic
Check out this week's Sounds Eclectic for a live performance from Sufjan Stevens, the guy who seems to be tackling the monumental task of writing an entire album about all 50 states. So far he's got Michigan and Illinois.
Posted by kevin at 8:10 PM | TrackBack
September 13, 2005
New on iTunes
- The long awaited new album from Switchfoot is finally out: Nothing is Sound. If you buy the album from iTunes you get the digital booklet and an extra track, an acoustic version of "Stars". You'll also want to check out "Happy is a Yuppie Word".
- Calexico and Iron & Wine release their In the Reins EP, packed full of melodic folky goodness. "History of Lovers" sounds like the best track.
- Last week the Cary Brothers released their Waiting for Your Letter EP. The Cary Brothers are perhaps best known for their track "Blue Eyes" from the Garden State soundtrack.
- And if you need a reason to cry, last week Carman released Carman: Live & Reloaded.
Posted by kevin at 8:26 AM | TrackBack
August 31, 2005
New Music on iTunes
This week on iTunes new stuff includes:
- Kanye West's new album Late Registration, which includes the #1 single on iTunes, "Gold Digger".
- Death Cab for Cutie's Plans, which I hyped more than a month ago.
- The 10:1 EP by Rogue Wave. "Interruptions" is the big song, but I love "10:1"—it has a nice, high-speed vibe. "Wait for It" has a nice creepy vibe, too. I originally checked out Rogue Wave because they did a fun cover of U2's "Seconds".
- You can also finally get the new Audio Adrenaline: Until My Heart Caves In. Lead singer Mark Stuart's voice is showing some serious signs of aging, but a few songs really stand out (mainly the ones that prominently feature guitarist Tyler Burkum on vocals), including "Starting Over," "King" and the title track.
Posted by kevin at 1:15 PM | TrackBack
August 23, 2005
New Music on iTunes
If you haven't noticed the pattern, new music is generally released on Tuesdays. This week iTunes has a couple interesting tracks worth checking out:
"Here is Our King" - David Crowder Band
"Do You Want To" - Franz Ferdinand
"King" - Audio Adrenaline - This one actually came out a month or so ago, but who's counting? You can also pre-order the new Audio Adrenaline album, Until My Heart Caves In, which comes out next week. Pre-ordering on iTunes will give you two extra songs ("Last Star Shining" and a live version of "Leaving 99") and a behind the scenes video.
Posted by kevin at 3:05 PM | TrackBack
August 9, 2005
Kirk Franklin is Looking For You
Gospel front man extraordinaire Kirk Franklin has a new single out, "Looking For You." It's got a heavy dance vibe and will be part of his upcoming Hero album, due out October 4.
You can also check out his new blog, which features a whopping one entry per month. It's a part of his new web site, where you can listen to the new single in its entirety (though it's interrupted by an annoying computerized voice announcing that it's a "KirkFranklin.us exclusive").
And you have to wonder if Toby Mac paid him to wear that shirt.
Posted by kevin at 7:54 AM | TrackBack
July 27, 2005
New Music from Nickel Creek
Folkish-bluegrass group Nickel Creek release their third album on August 9, Why Should the Fire Die?
But you can get an early taste with their four-song iTunes Live Sessions release, which includes the single "When in Rome," a live version of the "Smoothie Song" and the country waltz "Jealous of the Moon."
Posted by kevin at 1:45 PM | TrackBack
July 19, 2005
Death Cab For Cutie's "Soul Meets Body"
You can hear the first single, "Soul Meets Body," from the upcoming Death Cab For Cutie album on their Myspace site. The new album, Plans, comes out August 30.
Update: And now you can snag "Soul Meets Body" on iTunes.
Posted by kevin at 6:50 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 9, 2005
Audio Adrenaline's Tyler Burkum Solo
Fans of the Christian rock band Audio Adrenaline will want to check out the solo work of guitarist Tyler Burkum. His Myspace site features three songs you can listen to online. All three are slower than typical Audio Adrenaline fare, reminiscent of their recent radio hits "Leaving the 99" and "Ocean Floor".
More:
Interview with Tyler Burkum
New Audio Adrenaline Single "King"
(link via Knightopia)
Posted by kevin at 12:48 PM | TrackBack
July 5, 2005
Switchfoot's "Stars" from Nothing is Sound
While Switchfoot's new album, Nothing is Sound, doesn't come out until Sept. 13, you can score the first single early. "Stars" is now available on iTunes.
Read more about Nothing is Sound.
Posted by kevin at 10:21 PM | TrackBack
New Audio Adrenaline Single: King
You can get a sneak peek of the new Audio Adrenaline album, Until My Heart Caves In, with the pre-release single, "King".
For more on Audio Adrenaline and Until My Heart Caves In, which comes out August 30, check out our interview with guitarist Tyler Burkum.
Posted by kevin at 8:10 AM | TrackBack
June 17, 2005
Ted Leo Live & Talks About "Since U Been Gone"
Ted Leo of Ted Leo & The Pharmacists recently performed live (sans Pharmacists) on 89.3 FM The Current in the Twin Cities. You can listen to him play "Me and Mia," "Counting Down the Hours" (my personal favorite) and "Heart Problems," as well as chat with DJ Mary Lucia.
She broaches the subject of cover tunes, and they discuss the Kelly Clarkson hit, "Since U Been Gone," that Leo has covered. His response: "A good song is a good song, and that's a good song." (Jason Kottke called the song an "earworm" and linked to a download of the cover version.)
If you like what you hear of Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, you can grab their latest release, Shake the Sheets or nab a free MP3 of "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?" from their web site.
Posted by kevin at 5:24 PM | TrackBack
June 16, 2005
The Rocket Summer: Hello, Good Friend
I admit I balked when Hello, Good Friend, the new CD from The Rocket Summer showed up in the mail. Just who is that 16-year-old kid? Turns out that "16-year-old" is 22-year-old Bryce Avary, the one-man band that is The Rocket Summer (have I confessed my inability to guess the age of anyone between 14 and 28?).
That's right, he's behind every emotion-fueled plink of the piano, whine of the guitar strings, crash of the symbols and just about anything else you can think of. And he's pretty darn good. It's achingly positive emo music, which sounds like a bit of a contradiction. This is full-on bubble gum pop, so hold on for the ride. A couple reviews can probably sum it up better than I. But I will say that the jittery "Story" is hands down the best song on the CD. When the chorus hits it's an all out fun-fest.
As an interesting twist, Avary's album is being released to the Christian market later this summer. His JPM count (Jesus per minute) is a little low for Christian radio, but the kids are going to love it.
Posted by kevin at 10:40 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 9, 2005
Hear New Switchfoot
You can hear a clip of a new Switchfoot song over at their web site. The guitar-heavy "Stars" is the first taste of Switchfoot's fifth album, Nothing is Sound, which comes out in August.
Read more about Nothing is Sound
Posted by kevin at 7:36 AM | TrackBack
June 6, 2005
Punk Goes 80s
Despite the horror of some, punk rock is going 80s with a new compilation of cover songs, Punk Goes 80s. You can hear Relient K covering "Manic Monday," Halifax covering "Straight Up," Amber Pacific covering "Video Killed the Radio Star," and more. It comes out June 7 but you can hear samples on the Punk Goes 80s Music Player.
Posted by kevin at 1:46 PM | TrackBack
June 3, 2005
Astronaut Pushers The Super Group
The Astronaut Pushers appear to be a new super-group of sorts, combining John Davis (Superdrag), Lindsay Jameison (Ben Folds/Departure Lounge), Matt Slocum (Sixpence None the Richer) and Sam Ashworth (his solo album is the debut of Charlie Peacock's Runway Network). The band is finishing up their EP, but you can check out a few rough songs on their otherwise defunct web site.
And if you like Sam Ashworth, you can hear songs from his new solo album on MySpace.
Posted by kevin at 5:14 PM | TrackBack
June 1, 2005
Olympic Hopefuls Back on iTunes
After an inexplicable departure, the local Twin Cities band the Olympic Hopefuls have reappeared on iTunes. You can also download three free songs from purevolume.
Posted by kevin at 9:04 AM | TrackBack
May 24, 2005
MxPx Panics
The newest from the pop-punk outfit MxPx, Panic, will be out June 7. You can listen to two songs at their MySpace site, "Heard That Sound" and "The Darkest Places."
"We're more ready to take on the world than we've been in our whole career," says front man Mike Herrera. "We can follow our own instincts now. All those years, it was like we were chasing a ghost. But back then, I didn't have the knowledge or understanding to realize what was going on. And I didn't have the strength to fight it. I was always second-guessing myself. Above all else, I've learned not to doubt myself. To figure out what I want before it's too late. And once you do figure it out, you just have to go for it."
Posted by kevin at 7:12 PM | TrackBack
May 23, 2005
Vodka Lobotomy
I heard a funky song on The Current yesterday, "Vodka Lobotomy" by That's What You Get, a local Twin Cities band. It had a touch of the Ramones, though you can hear for yourself if you have a PC. Their entire album is available for Weedfile download from their web site, which means you can download it for free and listen to it three times. Mac support is supposedly coming soon.
Posted by kevin at 12:07 PM | TrackBack
May 19, 2005
Live In-Studio Performances
89.3 The Current, the new public radio alternative music station in the Twin Cities has been recording tons of live in-studio performances to air, and you can listen to all of them online. It's a grab bag of the "in" musicians from the indie scene, including Rilo Kiley, Thievery Corporation, Aqualung, Arthur Yoria, The Shins, Phoenix, Low, Olympic Hopefuls and more. Most performances are stripped down accoustic numbers, but plenty of the bands crammed a stage full of musicans into the studio for the sessions.
Posted by kevin at 1:11 PM | TrackBack
May 14, 2005
Beta Band's "Dry the Rain"
My latest iTunes purchase was the Beta Band's "Dry the Rain" from their Three EPs album. It starts off slowly, and the preview on iTunes isn't much help, but about halfway through it kicks into a massive groove.
The song is probably best known for its role in High Fidelity when John Cusack's character says he'll sell five copies of the Beta Band's Three EPs. He plays the groove portion of "Dry the Rain." Thanks to Neals for turning me on to the song.
Posted by kevin at 12:15 PM | TrackBack
May 12, 2005
Listen to Laurell Hubick Online
The Canadian singer Laurell Hubick is definitely worth a listen. And you can hear her entire album online. If like what you can hear you can buy the CD or download individual tracks for 99 cents. It's her own personal iTunes (which is a bit odd, since her previous worship album, Into Your Love is available on iTunes).
Her music is soft and sweet, reminding me of Norah Jones and Mindy Smith. That's some good musical company. "A Dream" and "Storybook Song" are two good tracks to check out.
Posted by kevin at 7:56 PM | TrackBack
May 4, 2005
Shaun Groves Joins Blogging World
Pop-rocker and deep thinker Shaun Groves has joined the world of blogs. So far he's waxing eloquent about the slinky. Deep thinking indeed.
In other Shaun Groves news, his new album White Flag comes out July 12. Over at his Myspace site you can listen to four songs from the new album, including the rocking "What's Wrong With This World?" (I love the lyrics where he answers what's wrong is me), the liturgical sounding "Amen" (in lyrics, not guitars) and what's apparently a new requirement in Christian music, a cover of "Bless the Lord."
Personally I just have to give props to my all-time favorite Shaun Groves song, "Satellite," a rocking number from his debut album, Invitation to Eavesdrop. Good stuff. (link via Infuze)
Posted by kevin at 8:37 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 3, 2005
Up and Atom, Fall Out Boy
The emo rockers Fall Out Boy released their major label debut today, From Under the Cork Tree.
A quick trip to purevolume lets you download three older tracks and samples from the new album. I haven't heard the new album yet, but the three downloads have been racking up play counts on my iPod.
"Grand Theft Autumn" has a nice emo attempt at decent singing before it really gets started. "Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner" is an acoustic demo version (the real version is available on From Under the Cork Tree), though for me it's better unplugged. "Dead on Arrival" is just fast, fun—and hey, it's free.
Posted by kevin at 6:55 PM | TrackBack
Free Shawn McDonald Download
The iTunes Discovery Download (brought to you by Carson Daly) for this week is "Don't Walk Away" by Shawn McDonald from his Simply Nothing album. His music is mostly acoustic, though a few songs have a touch of hip-hop reminiscent of Mat Kearney. McDonald has a down and out story of getting messed up in drugs and hitting the bottom before finally coming to God.
Posted by kevin at 9:07 AM | TrackBack
April 28, 2005
House of Heroes is My Hero
This three-piece rock band (formerly known as No Tagbacks) released their self-titled debut album this week—and it's worth a listen. You can hear some lengthy samples online and download the single "Serial Sleepers."
So far I can't get the songs "Make a Face Like You Mean It (Vampires)" and "Friday Night" out of my head.
Posted by kevin at 3:16 PM | TrackBack
