Newsom, Banhart and Antony in New Documentary

Newsom, Banhart and Antony in New Documentary

No New Newsom is Now Growing Oldsome
If you are like me, you have been hitting your head over anything close enough to hit your head over wondering when Joanna Newsom was going to come out with new material. The Joanna Newsom and the Y's Street Band Ep came out two years ago, and though interesting, it has not been enough to satiate my hunger for warbly voiced labyrinthine, baroquely orchestral folk gems of near perfection. That being said, the excruciating wait continues as Newsom does whatever she does in complete reclusion. Maybe she hangs out with Thomas Pynchon?

So naturally, in order to capitalize on mindless followers like me, Currituck Co. frontman Kevin Barker is releasing a documentary that consists of 2004 tour footage from Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Antony and the Johnsons and others. The film is called The Family Jams (which, as it turns out, is a terrible choice for the title as it is shared by an album made by Charles Manson). It is set to premier at The Sarasota Film Festival on April 2 and 3 (via P4k). According to the synopsis, the film is "brimming with beautiful footage of intimate live shows," and "is more than just a revealing portal into a very special moment in time. It reflects the engaging spirit of a special group of artists connected by their passion for music and care for one another." Touching.

Actually this trailer looks fantastic. Anything set to Joanna's music will have a difficult time being bad.

Still no word on whether or not this film will be playing at SIFF, but I sure hope so. For more "freak folk" documentary goodness, check out Eternal Children.

Download Joanna Newsom "Bridges and Balloons" - Milk Eyed Mender (2004)

Download Decemberists "Bridges and Balloons (Joanna Newsom Cover)" - Picaresqueties (2005)

Joanna Newsom Track List, Album Art, 2 New songs

Joanna Newsom Track List, Album Art, 2 New songs

Joanna Newsom's highly anticipated new (triple) album Have One On Me is set to come out 2/23. For now, enjoy the tracklist and two new songs.


Disc One:
1 - Easy 06:04
2 - Have One On Me 11:02
3 - '81 03:51
4 - Good Intentions Paving Company 07:02
5 - No Provenance 06:25
6 - Baby Birch 09:30
Total: 43:54

Disc Two:
1 - On A Good Day 01:48
2 - You And Me, Bess 07:12
3 - In California 08:41
4 - Jackrabbits 04:23
5 - Go Long 08:02
6 - Occident 05:31
Total: 35:37

Disc Three:
1 - Soft As Chalk 06:29
2 - Esme 07:56
3 - Autumn 08:01
4 - Ribbon Bows 06:10
5 - Kingfisher 09:11
6 - Does Not Suffice 06:44
Total: 42:31

Joanna Newsom - '81 - Have One On Me

Joanna Newsom - Good Intentions Paving Company - Have One On Me

Black Box 4/3/09

Black Box 4/3/09

Friday's Black Box


Friday is a day to crash. Crash meaning "to kick back and relax." And also, for me, meaning to violently burn to the ground in a heap of broken pieces because of all of the things that I have neglected to write about during the week. Since this happens pretty much every friday, I've resolved to go the way of the airplane and record everything in a tiny black box. Also, for your convenience I have decided to forgo the inevitable casualties usually associated with plane crashes. Cheers.

...................................................................................................................................
New Joanna Newsom!

Ok, so here is what happened. On monday, I post about how I am frustrated that Joanna Newsom hasn't made any music for a long time. Then on tuesday, she plays a secret show debuting two and a half hours of music. So obviously, the only thing I can conclude from that is Joanna Newsom reads this blog! Right? Please...? Ok fine. But still, this is awesome news. Via Naturalismo Newsom, playing under the pseudonym "The Beatles's" played through her forthcoming 3rd LP which "combines the strong melodic presence of songs on The Milk-Eyed Mender with her continued instrumentational prowess and maturation beyond Ys." Apparently there are some "Only Skin"-esque songs over the 12 minute mark and a bit more of a focus on piano. Be sure I will keep you updated on everything I know about this.
...................................................................................................................................
Phoenix on SNL

French popsters, Phoenix, will grace the Seth Rogen hosted SNL on the morrow promoting their forthcoming album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which is out on May 26. Definitely sound promising.

Phoenix "1901" - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [2009]
...................................................................................................................................
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" Covered A Cappella

...................................................................................................................................
New Bob Dylan Track, Lp

Bobby D has made a track from his forthcoming 46th LP, Together Through Life, via this website. The track is entitled "Beyond Here Lies Nothin" and is free. Album's out 4/28 on Columbia.

...................................................................................................................................
Cryptacize Have Video for "Blue Tears"

Sufjan loves this band. We love this band. Maybe you love this band? Check the vid.

If you do love this band, then buy their forthcoming (how many times can I say forthcoming in this post?) album Mythomania on April 21st via Asthmatic Kitty.

Cryptacize "Blue Tears" - Mythomania [2009]
...................................................................................................................................
Bat For Lashes Album on Myspace

You can now Stream her forth-------- album for free. I am still on the fence about this one. Let me know what you think. It seems like it is trying to be really big and grand but I'm just not sure that it has enough content to fill all that space. Not to mention it employs the now ubiquitous synths.

...................................................................................................................................
Yeasayer Video from Dark Was the Night

In addition to writing their follow album to the excellent All Hour Cymbals, Brooklyn's Yeasayer made this video of their also excellent contribution to the charitable Dark Was the Night compilation. It's a lot more intimate than the recorded version, which offers a new angle to the song that I think is really interesting.

...................................................................................................................................
Stuart Murdoch Offers Song from his Musical

Belle and Sebastianite, Stuart Murdoch has written a musical. He calls this musical God Help the Girl. The music itself is mostly new material with a few old B&S songs. The album is due June 23 on Matador and the first single "Come Monday Night" is out May 11, but you can hear it right now on the God Help the Girl MySpace.
...................................................................................................................................

Sigur Rós performed an acoustic version of the title track to last years beautiful 'Með suð í eyrum' for the French blog La Blogotheque. They bang on a bucket, which I think is rad.

BCB's Favorites of 2010 Thus Far

BCB's Favorites of 2010 Thus Far

Well its about 2010.5 (actually, its 2009.5 to be technical) and its time for more lists! Brandon and I recently composed our lists of favorite albums and EP's and lo and behold they were quite similar. Instead of just listing out our hierarchical impulses, we are just going to lay out the albums we agreed upon.

Top two albums:
Beach House: Teen Dream
Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me

I (Scott) had Teen Dream atop my list and Brandon had Newsom's triple LP, but we both agree that these are the best albums of the year thus far. I would say future '10 releases from Panda Bear, Radiohead, and Fleet Foxes are the only chances of supplanting this pair.

[mp3] Beach House :: Silver Soul

[mp3] Joanna Newsom :: '81

Other agreements (in no particular order):

The Tallest Man On Earth: The Wild Hunt

[mp3] King Of Spain

Morning Benders: Big Echo 

[mp3] Excuses

Owen Pallett: Heartland

[mp3] Lewis Takes Action

Mountain Man: Made the Harbor

[mp3] Soft Skin

Tame Impala: Innerspeaker

[mp3] Runway, Houses, City, Clouds

MGMT: Congratulations

[mp3] Flash Delirium 

ceo: White Magic

[mp3] Come With Me

Best EP's thus far:

Twin Sister: Color Your Life

Memoryhouse: The Years

Oberhofer: oO0OooOo

Active Child: Curtis Lane

Grouper: Grouper/Roy Montgomery Split 

Joanna Newsom and Robin Pecknold Duet

Joanna Newsom and Robin Pecknold Duet

Joanna Newsom and Fleet Foxes cover Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow's duet "Picture," which seems like a wierd choice, but it works.

Joanna Newsom in MGMT "Kids" Video

Joanna Newsom in MGMT "Kids" Video

Joanna Newsom is all about the unexpected these days. I watched this video three times and had no idea that was her. If it wasn't for Rolling Stone, I still wouldn't believe it. Seriously, this is blowing my mind. Speaking of which, as for the video itself, I think the number of people who haven't heard this song is only slightly more than the number of people who are Drew Carey. That is just to say, I know that maybe some people are getting sick of this song/band, but this video is completely insane. It is up there in my mind with Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" video for creepiest/awesomest video of the year.

WATCH IT.

My Favorite Albums of 2010

My Favorite Albums of 2010

2010 Was the Best Ever!

As best as this year as been for music, with all the leaks/rumors of albums for next year I am beginning to think that 2k10 might be even bester. Stereogum just posted their 25 most anticipated albums of 2010 and while their list is fantastic and and very blogcore, mine is a little different/personalcore. With few exceptions, all of the bands below hold onto the notion of an album as a cohesive and coherent form and are apt at producing music within the constraint. While some people are all worried about this particular form, I prefer simply to enjoy it and not worry about its sustainability. For this reason and in no particular order, I am looking forward to contributions from:

Review: Anni Rossi - Rockwell (2009)

Review: Anni Rossi - Rockwell (2009)

Anni Rossi

Rockwell [4AD - 2009]
Rating: 7.8/10

Annie Rossi has been plagued by (and praised through) endless comparison. Not a review goes by that doesn't immediately situate her among Final Fantasy, Regina Spektor, and/or especially Joanna Newsom. And while this triumverate is most certainly fantastic company (and would surely make a brilliant album if they ever to collaborated), I tend to think that focusing too heavily on the various parts distracts from the mysterious and piercing beauty of the whole.

The Good: Her debut full length, Rockwell (4AD), is as chilling as it is short. Her instrumentation is extremely sparse which makes the fact that she is consistently praised for her ability to captivate audiences with her nonchalant and intriguing stage presence all the more impressive. To the detriment of each of her previous releases (2007's Scandia and last years Afton) the energy of her live shows was more or less lost in the sterility of the studio. This time, in addition to toning down some of her vocal quirks, she enlisted the help of legendary producer (insert Newsom comparison here) Steve Albini with aim to capture the detailed interplay between her vocals and instrumentation.

Rossi, a Minnesota native who resides in Chicago by way of L.A., is as nomadic musically as she has been physically. For example, the track entitled "Venice" begins sounding like middle eastern folk music until working its way shortly toward the song's chorus of a downcast march with a strikingly beautiful string melody. From there she displays her viola talent by playing music that I could hear Yo-Yo Ma covering on cello and yet simultaneously resists classical formality by makes a noise that sounds like a little kid imitating a motor boat. If you aren't consumed by her quirks at this point, Rossi is probably not for you. Throughout the album her restless vocals rise and fall, punctuated by piercing falsetto jumps and dissonant bends that consistently threaten to fall out of tune in a way that would seem lazy if it wasn't so manically effortless. Unafraid to change tempos when it suits her, she often strums and plucks her viola rather than using a bow, using the instrument as an sonic highlighter to accentuate the subjects of her lyrics. Having begun her musical training at the ripe old age of three, she is able to manipulate her viola and voice for so many different and unexpected sounds that it can seem like milking a cow and getting a bicycle.

The Bad: Interestingly, many of her songs that were re-recorded for the Rockwell got a bit of a trim with only two tracks making it over the three minute mark. It seems as if her frantic performance's are like sprints that she can only maintain for a couple minutes. With the intensity of each song, the brevity makes it hard to find an entrance point. By the time I feel like I am finally on the same page as her and can immerse myself in the chilling landscape she has crafted, the song is over. The only other criticism I will offer is that while Rossi tends to ruminate on the same unsettled dissatisfaction that say, Hail to the Thief revels in, it does so without being as emotionally varied or convincingly dark. The album feels to me less like an emotional exploration than a demonstration of obsessive dreariness that seems contrary to Rossi's unpredictability.

The Verdict: Rockwell ultimately reminds me of bones. It is chillingly bare and at once extremely personal. While somewhat emotionally singular and rather short, it is certainly an improvement on her former releases. Rossi shines through her eccentricities, having created a captivating and intriguing album.

See Rossi on tour with Seattle stop details here.

Listen to a few tracks here.

Buy Anni Rossi - Rockwell here.

Watch Rossi cover Radiohead's "Creep" here.

Download "Wheelpusher" - Rockwell here.

Review: Clogs - The Creatures In the Garden of Lady Walton

Review: Clogs - The Creatures In the Garden of Lady Walton

For whatever reason, the music of today's youth (as proclaimed by the blogosphere, at least), is categorically steeped in escapism. The political and social angst that sharpened the edges of independent music for the past four decades has all but disappeared, leaving behind a post-romantic generation much too cynical to believe in the world-changing power of music.

How else can we explain the incoherent impressionistic lyrics that pervade the music scene today? Pastoral scenes are abundant: Animal Collective's adobe slats; Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest island; any Joanna Newsom song, ever.

The independent music of the past half decade has been consistently drawing itself away from the political world and finding comfort in simple, natural landscapes. This movement may in itself be a protest against the seemingly ineffective quagmire of today's politics.

In many ways this new musical escapism has been captured in the work of Clogs, a quartet of classically trained indie-rockers (including two members of The National) that compose a complex hybrid of folk and classical music that is drawn from improvised jam sessions. The band's last album, Lantern (2006), introduced a dimension of accessibility that was absent from their earlier albums. They continue this movement with The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, a sprawling yet compact album that introduces vocal structures to the band's instrumental landscapes.

From the very first track this realignment becomes obvious. A round of choral vocals introduces the "creatures" of the album; the listener is transported to a medieval realm at the sound of these minstrel harmonies and one could argue we never leave.

The strongest song on the record is "On the Edge" sung by My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden. Her vibrant melodies are complimented with a delicate arrangement of guitar, strings, bassoon, and percussion that elevate the song, along with her celtic-classical vocal style, beyond indie-folk into the previously mentioned pastoral scenery.

With The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, Clogs has successfully drawn a structural boundary around their wandering style that utilizes strong vocal performances from a variety of indie musicians (Sufjan Stevens, Matt Berninger, Shara Worden). The end product is an otherworldly work of paradox that is strange and vast yet is consistent and contained within its own predetermined space. 


8.4 / 10


The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton is released today, March 2 on Brassland 
Purchase the album


mp3: Clogs - On the Edge 

Boxer/Briefs #10

Boxer/Briefs #10

Photo by Annabel Mehran.

- The Minnesota Daily asks artists who played P4Kfest about Pitchfork.

- Bombsite interviews Joanna Newsom.

- P4k asks Marissa Nadler about here favorites.

- The Awl ranks Bill Callahan songs.

Robin Pecknold covers Joanna Newsom

Robin Pecknold covers Joanna Newsom

Diamonds!

Diamonds!

I know I haven't posted for a while. Im sorry, Ive just been really busy. I mean its not you! its me. really. I brought you some diamonds to try to make up for it...

Headlights Look Like Diamonds - The Arcade Fire - Arcade Fire EP

Ddiamondd - Battles - Mirrored

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (YouTube) - The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band

Diamond Dave - The Bird and the Bee - Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future

My Diamond Star Car - Deerhoof - Apple O'

Sawdust and Diamonds - Joanna Newsom - Ys

Diamonds from Sierra Leon - Kanye West - Late Registration 

Diamond Day - Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day

Cuddle Buddies: Alela Diane

Cuddle Buddies: Alela Diane

Alela Diane Promotes Tranquility

In order to support artists from the Great Northwest, we here at BCB present Cuddle Buddies. A biweekly article about regional artists we think you should check out.

When I first began listening to Alela Diane, it was purely because of how much I love singing along to her songs. But, after a while, I realized that I couldn't stay away for more than a few days. I'd be scrolling through my itunes looking for music to listen to and her name's always at the beginning of the alphabet, I would try to skip over her name, but a little voice in my head would say, "ooh! alela!" (not to mention Alela is so much fun to say...) Her voice is captivating. Even mesmerizing, and it kept drawing me back.

Her new album, To Be Still, has been receiving a lot of attention lately. The folks over at poptartssucktoasted labeled her new album "definitely buzzworthy." Similarly, Gorillavs.Bear has a "well-documented love"for Diane and most recently they posted her warm and eerie video, "White As Diamonds." It seems that no one can quite get enough of Alela, newly signed on Rough Trade Records. And with good cause. She's amazing.

Many of the new songs aren't really new at all, they're remakes of her older songs, but every one of the remakes is much fuller and richer. Her music has a great old folk feeling; each of the songs tell a story with such imagery to place you directly in the nature she so seems to love. But don't think you'll just get the same old thing that's already been done either: her voice is her own (with a tiny hint of Joanna Newsom's whimsically warbly warble) and it turns the classic folk into a story out of a different world. Every song is completely wonderful and each time I listen, I am transported to isolated woods of nostalgia.

Also, if you're lucky enough to make it over to Austin, TX by March 20, you can catch Alela Diane at SXSW. And this is a cute video she did with her dad accompanying her on mandolin

Download "White as Diamonds" hizzle

Listen To Be Still at Rhapsody here

Buy Amazon.com here

patrick watson

patrick watson

Patrick Watson
There once was a boy named Patrick Watson
who named his band after himself.

Though pitchfork gave him hell, he has somehow survived (which isn't easy without the big P4k behind you) and has lived to record another record entitled Wooden Arms.
Pitchfork may have been a minority in their dislike for P.W. however. In 2007, his debut album "Close to Paradise" won the Polaris prize (the big Canadian music award), beating out some heavy hitters like Arcade Fire and Feist. I will withhold judgment on whether this was a good choice (I haven't actually listened to his debut shhh), but I know after listening to his new album, there is a lot to love here.

Patrick Watson's sound isn't exactly unique. On first listen one could harvest a handful of obvious influences: Bill Callahan, Antony, Sufjan, DM Stith, Joanna Newsom, (Nat King Cole?), etc. But wearing influences on one's sleeve is not bad (in fact its downright unavoidable), and Watson's songwriting, for the most part, stands above any accusations of plagarism.

I recommend this album, especially through headphones (which we all know can make a huge difference). Here are some trax, yo.

Patrick Watson :: Wooden Arms (from Wooden Arms [2009])
Patrick Watson :: Big Bird in a Small Cage (from Wooden Arms [2009])

Olof Arnalds - "Crazy Car" Video

Olof Arnalds - "Crazy Car" Video

I have liked Olaf Arnalds for a few years now since her 2007 album Vi Og Vi, which featured hushed folk songs in the vain of Vashti Bunyan. Her new album Innundir Skinni continues the lovely and intimate songwriting. Arnalds voice is half the intrigue and like other notable female vocalists, Bjork and Joanna Newsom, this may be a love it or hate it situation. Anyway I love it. Scott posted the video for the title track a bit ago and now there is one for (the rather uplifting) "Crazy Car". The video basically depicts the two vocalists singing with some scattered images thrown in. After all, "what's wrong with vanity?"

Olof Arnalds - Crazy Car

Boxer/Briefs #6

Boxer/Briefs #6

-Black Book interviews Allison Krauss of Sleigh Bells about her musical past and M.I.A.

-Flavorwire lists the sexiest indie-rockers over 40.

-NY Times looks at Arcade Fire

-Independent interviews Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, who is opening for Joanna Newson.

-Newsom had help on her second album from Van Dyke Parks, interviewed here.

-The New Yorker profiles Big Boi