VIDEO: Paramore - "Decoy" (Live)

Paramore just released a live video for their unreleased hit, "Decoy." Their "Final Riot" DVD is now out too.

(Ian Anderson)

NEW: Shugo Tokumaru - "Rum Hee"

*MP3: Shugo Tokumaru - "Rum Hee"

Shugo Tokumaru has been on my radar since he went on tour with the Magnetic Fields in 2008, but now, I am a full-fledged fan. Tokumaru just released a new single, "Rum Hee," which hopefully means a new LP is on the way.



MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Saddle Creek Signs Rural Alberta Advantage

*MP3: Rural Alberta Advantage - "Don't Haunt This Place"

Toronto's Rural Alberta Advantage have announced that they have signed with Saddle Creek Records.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

VIDEO: M. Ward - "Rave On"

M. Ward just released his video for "Rave On," my favorite track off of his latest album.

(Ian Anderson)

NEW: Dinosaur Jr. - "I Want You To Know"

*MP3: Dinosaur Jr. - "I Want You To Know"

New Dinosaur Jr. is here and boy am I happy about it. "I Want You To Know" shows off a bit more energy than I was expecting, and that may be due to the fact that the original lineup is kicking it together again. Their new album, "Farm," comes out on June 23 via Jagjaguwar.

(Ian Anderson)

NEW: John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"

*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Too Much Time"

John Vanderlice's new album, Romanian Names, will be out on May 19 via Dead Oeans. Here is "Too Much Time," the latest from this soon to be my favorite of 2009.

I love John Vanderslice.

Buy all of his records here.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

MPR Interviews Tom Robbins

Tom Robbins (author of "Jitterbug Perfume," "Still Life with Woodpecker," "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues") gave a reading at the Downtown Minneapolis Public Library last night and MPR had the chance to interview him.

Listen to more here.

(Ian Anderson)

Best Buy To Start Carrying Vinyl

No joke. According to the New York Post, Best Buy (BBY) will be devoting eight square feet to vinyl in every location in the U.S. That means around 200 titles in 1,020 stores.

(Ian Anderson)

On the Road Mix No. 8

*MP3: Now, Now Every Children - "Sleep Through Summer"

For the next ten days, I'll be on the road with Now, Now Every Children. We left Minneapolis this morning bright and early and are en route to Chicago, we are playing at the Abbey Pub tonight. If you are a frequent MFR reader and find what I do interesting, don't be shy and feel free to come to one of these shows and say hey.

Here are the tour dates:

04/29/09: Chicago, IL - The Abbey Pub (18+) - 8pm
04/30/09: Buffalo, NY - Soundlab - 8pm
05/01/09: Boston, MA - TT The Bears (Bradley’s Almanac Presents) - 7pm
05/02/09: Danbury, CT - Heirloom Arts Theatre - 7pm
05/03/09: East Rutherford, NJ - The Bamboozle - 5:30pm
05/04/09: New York, NY - The Mercury Lounge - 7pm
05/05/09: Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox - 8pm
05/06/09: Rochester, MI - The Factory - 6pm

And so, comes my 8th Edition of the "On The Road" series:

*MP3: Passion Pit - "Moth's Wings"
*MP3: The Lonely Island - "Boombox"
*MP3: Phoenix - "Playground Love" (Air Cover)
*MP3: Blake Miller - "Tomorrow Sorrow"
*MP3: Radiohead - "Everything In Its Right Place"
*MP3: Coconut Records - "West Coast"
*MP3: Conor Oberst - "Nikorette"
*MP3: Death Cab For Cutie - "My Mirror Speaks"
*MP3: Japandroids - "Heart Sweats"
*MP3: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll"
*MP3: Blink-182 - "I'm Feeling This"
*MP3: Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
*MP3: The Love Language - "Lalita"

(Ian Anderson)

NEW: Akron/Family: - "River"

*MP3: Akron/Family - "River"

The new Akron/Family record, "Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free," comes out on May 5 via Dead Oceans. Here is the latest from them, "River." I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

(Ian Anderson)

VIDEO: Metric - "Help I'm Alive"

(Ian Anderson)

Best New Releases for April 28, 2009

A Camp - "Colonia" (Nettwerk)

*MP3: A Camp - "Stronger Than Jesus"
Buy it on iTunes.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Nikorette" [Single] (Merge)

*MP3: Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Nikorette"
Buy it on iTunes.

Daughters of the Sun - "Rings" (Modern Radio)

*MP3: Daughters of the Sun - "Gong The Divider"
Buy it on iTunes.

(Ian Anderson)

Tours: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

*MP3: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Hysteric"

04-29 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
04-30 Paris, France - Bataclan
05-02 Hasselt, Belgium - Polsslag Festival
05-03 Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall
05-04 Milan, Italy - Magazzini Generale
05-06 Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle
05-08 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis
05-10 Tel Aviv, Israel - Ramat Gan Football Stadium
05-23 Quincy, WA - Sasquatch Festival
05-26 Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
05-27 Detroit, MI - Clutch Cargos
05-28 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
05-30 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
05-31 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club
06-02 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
06-03 Kansas City, MO - MO - The Beaumont
06-06 Mountain View, CA - Live 105 BFD
06-12 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06-26 St. Gallen, Switzerland - Open Air St. Gallen
06-27 Evreux, France - Le Rock dans tous Ses Etats
06-30 Vienna, Austria - Open Air
07-01 Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy
07-03 Belfort, France - Eurokeenes Festival
07-04 Werchter, Belgium - Werchter Festival
07-05 Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival
07-07 Hamburg, Germany - Docks
07-10 Balado, Scotland - T In The Park Festival
07-11 Dublin, Ireland - Oxegen Festival
07-31 Jersey City, NJ - All Points West
08-29 Leeds, England - Leeds Festival
08-30 Reading, England - Reading Festival

The neo-new-wave trio hits First Avenue on May 30th to promote their excellent It's Blitz! On an entirely random note, I saw YYYs at First Ave. some time ago, on the exact date of Karen O's birthday. Staff brought on cake and everything, and the band even got some of the audience in on the celebration action. Needless to say, it was a memorable show at a memorable venue. Hopefully, the band will give an equally captivating performance.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

NEW: Passion Pit - "Moth's Wings"

*MP3: Passion Pit - "Moth's Wings"

Passion Pit have released a new single, "Moth's Wings." A bit different, a bit awesome. "Manners" is out on May 19 via Frenchkiss Records.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Japandroids Score 'Best New Music' on P4K, Play Here

*MP3: Japandroids - "Young Hearts Spark Fire"

Our beloved Japandroids scored an 8.3 and the title of "Best New Music" on Pitchfork today, which is awesome. But the best part, is that we will be presenting their show along with Afternoon Records in St. Paul at the Turf Club on May 13 with Gospel Gossip.

MFR and Afternoon Records Present:
Japandroids
Gospel Gossip
at the Turf Club on May 13

You simply have to go.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Appreciation Post: Avey Tare of Animal Collective

*MP3: Animal Collective - "Purple Bottle"
*MP3: Animal Collective - "Water Curses"

In August 2005, Avey Tare of Animal Collective and his girlfriend recorded a handfull of songs live and on video, called the Planet Claire Sessions. I've been a fan of these videos for some time, however, I re-discovered them this weekend to much delight. "I've Got Mine" is my particular favorite, but this version of "Purple Bottle" is pretty awesome as well.

(Ian Anderson)

Advice for Bands: A Social Media Guide

Dear bands:

Try your best to take advantage of all of the helpful facets that social media networks provide. Ensure that all that you do funnels your traffic back to your official website or to a site that contains content that you completely control (not MySpace, but rather, a yourband.com sort of thing).

Without them, you could get big. But with them, your odds get better.

Chart via Hypebot.

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: The Thermals at the Triple Rock

*MP3: The Thermals - "Now We Can See"
*MP3: The Thermals - "I Called Out Your Name"

The Thermals are playing at the Triple Rock Social Club tonight. Doors to this 18+ show open at 9pm and admission is $12. I recommend getting their early, I bet this will sell out.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Neko Case at the State Theatre

*MP3: Neko Case - "This Tornado Loves You"
*MP3: Neko Case - "People Got A Lotta Nerve"

Neko Case is playing tonight at the State Theatre. The show is sold out and doors open at 7:30pm. It will be fantastic.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: M. Ward at First Avenue

*MP3: M. Ward - "Rave On"
*MP3: M. Ward - "Right In The Head"

M. Ward is playing at the First Avenue Mainroom tonight. Door to this 18+ show open at 6pm and admission is $18 at the door. It will be a great show.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Daughters of the Sun - Rings

Daughters of the Sun
Rings (Modern Radio, 2009)
Grade: B+

Download: Daughters of the Sun - "Gong the Divider"

Short Take: If can buy only one album this year with fifteen minutes of field recordings from India, make it this one.

Long Take: And therein lies both the problem and the . After 2007's masterful, sorely underrated confection of pop-psychedelia Visions of the Ocean Head, the MPLS-based quartet have done what any reasonably forward-thinking would do: experiment further with their sound, and with more open-ended song structures. At first, the lack of another "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board" or "4am Astral Projector" seems disappointing.

But at its best, Rings is the kind of adventurous second album whose pleasures slowly reveal themselves over multiple listens, especially the ethereal soundscapes of "Right On" and "Meditations." Of course, some artistic diversions are better than others (have I mentioned the 15 minute field recordings yet?). Still, by the time that the closing title track reaches its rousing climax, Daughters of the Sun have more than proven themselves to worth successors to the psychedelic throne.

The record release party for Rings is tonight at the Hexagon Bar. Opening are Vampire Hands and Leisure Birds.

Daughters of the Sun MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Video: Why Radio & Music Industry Sucks Nowadays

This is a great compilation of interviews from artists voicing their opinions on modern radio and the music industry - and how it sucks. Via Hypebot.

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Rift Magazine 5th Anniversary Magazine

Hat tip to Rift Magazine for making it to five years. Help them celebrate tonight by heading over to the Hexagon tonight for a free 21+ show. Details are above. Added treat: Mighty Fairly's "My America" video, which was the winner of the second most-recent 36 hour songwriting competition.


(Mighty Fairly - "My America")

Rift Magazine website

(Jon Graef)

Film Girl Mix #1: A Mix For The Kids

Our resident film-square-girl, Alyssa Kleven (see our live footage), was recently asked to suggest a few kid-safe tunes for a friend that had grown weary of listening endlessly to Hannah Montana overhead while she worked at her day job, teaching art to four-to-eight year olds.

Just a few songs? Well, she might have gone a little overboard. Grab a swirly straw and a juice box and enjoy over the weekend.

*MP3: The Go! Team - "Junior Kickstart"
*MP3: Alphabeat - "Fascination"
*MP3: Yo La Tengo - "Mr. Tough"
*MP3: The Beatles - "Octopus's Garden"
*MP3: Belle And Sebastian - "The Blues Are Still Blue"
*MP3: Tegan and Sara - "Hop A Plane"
*MP3: Röyksopp - "Happy Up Here"
*MP3: The Flaming Lips - "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song"
*MP3: Georgie James - "Henry and Hanzy"
*MP3: The Morning Benders - "Patient Patient"
*MP3: The Shins - "Young Pilgrims"
*MP3: I'm From Barcelona - "Jenny"
*MP3: Mates Of State - "Ha Ha"
*MP3: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltisn - "Oregon Girl"
*MP3: Weezer - "Island In The Sun"
*MP3: Smoosh - "Find a Way"
*MP3: One for the Team - "Best Supporting Actress"
*MP3: Voxtrot - "Raised By Wolves"
*MP3: Badly Drawn Boy - "Around the Block"
*MP3: Simon and Garfunkel - "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)"
*MP3: Brian Wilson - "Song For Children"
*MP3: Panda Bear - "Ponytail"
*MP3: The Owls - "Peppermint Patty"
*MP3: Coconut Records - "Summer Day"
*MP3: Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"

(Mix by Alyssa Kleven/Words by Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Anni Rossi at the 7th St. Entry

*MP3: Anni Rossi - "Machine"

Anni Rossi will be performing at the 7th St. Entry with Noah and the Whale. Doors to this all ages show open at 6 p.m. and admission is $10. Recommended.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

The Radiohead Model, Chapter 4: Everything In Its Right Place

*MP3: Radiohead - "Everything In Its Right Place"
*MP3: Radiohead - "The National Anthem"

A well-known trope in the history of popular music is that no one artist has been able to fully duplicate the exponentially adventurous and innovative catalog arc which The Beatles produced in the 1960s. Certainly, the example lingers like a ghost in the closet of every British band which has come after, and following the ridiculous critical and commercial success of OK Computer, the specter of Sgt. Pepper loomed near Radiohead's own arc. But The Beatles were successful because they had George Martin, Abbey Road, and the brass balls to make the White Album. Radiohead had Nigel Godrich, Oxford, and the audacity to make Kid A.

After the hullabaloo of trying to tour behind OK Computer, Radiohead disappeared for a while. The band was exhausted, and Thom Yorke, disillusioned and depressed, began suffering from writer's block. The good news was that after OK Computer, EMI would never touch the band again, which suited the band just fine. Fed up with obligations, dogged tours, and the publicity machine in general, Radiohead did what few ascending rock bands have been able to do successfully: they stepped back, rebooted, and shifted direction.

After the initial recording sessions proved fruitless, the band hunkered down in their newly-built studio in Oxford, put down their guitars, and picked up just about everything else. Recorded at the end of the '90s and released in October of 2000, Kid A, much like the White Album, was a convergence of vision, a cut-and-paste molding of the musical ideas of our time. Often cited as an entry point for novices into the underground of electronic music, it is also a conduit for jazz elements, electronic sampling, and orchestral arrangement. Jonny Greenwood's beloved Ondes Martenot makes its first appearance. Drummer Phil Selway is conspicuously absent for most of the album. And the tenor, the vibrato, the timbre of Thom Yorke's voice is seemingly dead, its bifurcated ashes scattered across layers of electronic programming.

With its simultaneously intimate and expansive sound, Kid A is an isolating record that sounds like the environment in which it was created: Kid A is Oxford.

It's well-thought-out ideas and brainy application. In Oxford, the place where the former members of On A Friday still rehearse and record much of their music in the same way they always have, Radiohead could isolate themselves and shut out every influence but those they needed to create Kid A. Kid A needed to be created in vacuum. You can hear it on opening track “Everything in its Right Place”– a shock to the ears after everything that has come before – in the way Nigel Godrich pushes the keyboard riff and Yorke's distorted vocals to the front, pressing against your ears. Everything is in its wrong place, but somehow right.

Radiohead recorded 30 songs in this manner, but decided against a double album, taking a left turn even from The Beatles and stripping away egotistical excess. Kid A was released to the world as a lean, 10-song fuck off, and became the weirdest record to ever reach number one on the Billboard charts. With EMI's blessing, Radiohead became the first band to use the Internet, then still a primordial thing, as a full-on marketing tool. Though it leaked to Napster, Radiohead made their own presence felt with downloaders, releasing promotional videos using the new iBlip widget for album preorders and advanced streaming audio, an unheard of tool in the ignorant and newly litigious music industry.

Radiohead did very little else to promote the album. Their tour schedule was now shorter and more manageable. They could choose when and to what to degree to talk to the press. They appeared on Saturday Night Live in the U.S. in a deliberately terrifying but enthralling performance that sold even more records. Critics were divided but largely ecstatic about the album and the sea change it harbored. Radiohead wasn't just a very good rock band. They were experimental epoch makers who were successful. “We were The Beatles for a week,” said Thom Yorke.



*MP3: Radiohead - "Pyramid Song"
*MP3: Radiohead - "Morning Bell/Amnesiac"

In a year, the band would release Amnesiac, a collection of leftover songs from the Kid A sessions. Hardly tossed off, the album was an affirmation of experimental intention and, unlike Kid A, produced singles. Some would come to regard it as remnants off an eaten plate, but most would acknowledge it as a victory lap for a band that had disappeared completely, reappeared as something much less accessible, and somehow had more success than before.

Radiohead had become the amnesiac, forgetting its past and ricocheting headlong into the 21st century. Turning inward, it had grown outward and become the leader of the popular music world. But the crown weighs heavy, especially for those would rather not be the Bony King of Nowhere.

Further Reading:
The Radiohead Model, Chapter 3: An Interstellar Burst
The Radiohead Model, Chapter 2: If I Could Be Who You Wanted
The Radiohead Model, Chapter 1: Anyone Can Play Guitar

(Erik Martz/Ian Anderson)

Video: Nobot and Beeple - "Subprime"

subprime from beeple on Vimeo.

So I'm a few days behind on this one, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth posting about. "Subprime" is the collaboration between visual artist Beeple and digi-pop duo Nobot, who did the music for the short film. If you dig the music from "Subprime," the head on over to the band's MySpace, where you can stream the music from it.

Nobot MySpace Page
Beeple website

(Jon Graef)

Passion Pit - "Little Secrets"

*MP3: Passion Pit - "Little Secrets"

The new Passion Pit album will be out on May 19 via Frenchkiss Records. This new single is great.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Live Video: Peter, Bjorn and John in Minneapolis

Here is live footage we shot of Peter, Bjorn and John at their show on April 21, 2009 at the Fineline.

Peter, Bjorn and John - "It Don't Move Me" (Live in Minneapolis 4/21/09)

*MP3: Peter, Bjorn and John - "It Don't Move Me"

Peter, Bjorn and John - "Nothing To Worry About" (Live in Minneapolis 4/21/09)

*MP3: Peter, Bjorn and John - "Nothing To Worry About"

Watch these videos in HD here.

(Ian Anderson/Alyssa Kleven)

Wilco and Conor Oberst to Tour Together

*MP3: Wilco - "Impossible Germany"
*MP3: Conor Oberst - "Nikorette"

Wilco has announced that Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will be opening for them on their upcoming July tour. That's awesome. Both have new records coming out (Oberst May 5 and Wilco in June). I'll let you know when the dates are announced.

(Ian Anderson)

Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart"

*MP3: Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart"

Sunset Rubdown's new album, Dragonslayer, will be released by Jagjaguwar on June 23rd. Here is their first single "Idiot Heart." They've also released a string of tour dates, including a Minneapolis stop on July 6th at the 7th St. Entry.

6/11/09 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs
6/12/09 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B
6/13/09 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
6/14/09 Washington, DC - Black Cat
6/15/09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
6/16/09 Atlanta, GA - The Drunken Unicorn
6/20/09 Austin, TX - Mohawk
6/22/09 Tucson, AZ - Plush
6/23/09 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
6/24/09 San Francisco, CA - The Rickshaw Stop
6/26/09 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
6/27/09 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
6/28/09 Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclub
7/02/09 Calgary, AB - The Marquee Room
7/06/09 Mpls, MN - 7th St. Entry
7/07/09 Chicago, IL - Epiphany
7/08/09 Bloomington, IN - Jake's Nightclub
7/10/09 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
7/11/09 Montreal, QC - Il Motore

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Great Lake Swimmers at the 7th St. Entry

*MP3: Great Lake Swimmers - "Pulling On A Line"

Great Lake Swimmers are playing at the 7th St. Entry tonight. Doors to this 18+ show open at 8pm and admission is $10. The Wars of 1812 are opening, which makes this show a definite recommend.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

The Killers - "I Got Soul" (Chris Tall Remix)

*MP3: The Killers - "I Got Soul" (Chris Tall Remix)

The Chris Tall remix of The Killer's "I Got Soul" just came into my inbox. Pretty tasty.

(Ian Anderson)

Muja Messiah Wins City Pages' Best Hip-Hop Artist

City Pages recently announced its Best-Of for the Twin Cities. First off, congrats to Culture Bully for winning Best Local Blog. Second, another big congratulations to Muja Messiah for winning Best Hip-Hop Artist. Here's a sample of the City Pages write-up:

The Twin Cities' reputation as fertile grounds for underground hip hop is well-deserved and hard-earned, and it has resulted in a number of classic albums. But we could always use more hip hop that hits the streets and clubs as hard as it hits the headphones, and Muja Messiah spent most of 2008 emphatically claiming that sprawling turf. After dropping the buzzed-about MPLS Massacre mixtape last March—where his collaboration with M.anifest resulted in one of the best tracks to rock the "Paper Planes" beat—Muja Messiah kept his momentum going strong with Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy...

To read more, go here.

Muja Messiah MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Show Announcement: Maria Isa CD Release Party

Any one who wants to sample a smattering of the Twin Cities' hottest hip-hop talent would best show up to the CD release party of one Maria Isa. The show, set to take place on June 5th at First Avenue, features openers like Kill The Vultures, I Self Divine, Mayda, St. Paul Slim, Dance Band, and, to top it all off, the evening is hosted by star emcee Muja Messiah. Not too shabs, eh?

Check out Maria Isa on MySpace by going here

(Jon Graef)

Video: Homeless - "An Open Letter To Asher Roth"

(via)

Download: Homeless - "An Open Letter To Asher Roth"
*MP3: Asher Roth - "I Love College"

I've had an essay kicking around in my head called "Why Atmosphere Must Destroy Asher Roth" for quite some time. I never got past the conceptual stage of it though, which would revolve contrasting the blue-collar anthems of When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, with collegiate-themed rapper Asher Roth's huge breakthrough hit "I Love College." (Discussed earlier here)

For those of you who don't know who Asher Roth is, he is a suburban-based rapper from Pennsylvania. He recently released his debut record, Asleep in the Bread Aisle (haha, white bread, get it?), which contains his aforementioned hit, which is basically all about how college is totally rad and filled with parties. Which, at times, it is. (Incidentally, I bet Asher Roth would totally hit on the overworked, overwhelmed waitress in Atmosphere's "You." Whether or not she'd dig it is a less clear proposition).

But, you know, and the risk of being Captain Buzzkill, there's also that whole studying thing, and not pissing away the multiple thousands of dollars spent paying for college, and working for study loans. But hey, why work, when there's a ubiquitous red cup that needs to be filled?

Naturally, given my ambivalence toward Roth, I was really curious when Midwest Broadcast posted a video by Minneapolis emcee Homeless posted a video called "An Open to Asher Roth." It pretty much lays out all the objections one could have to Roth, but does so in a constructive, thought-provoking manner. It's essential viewing for anyone who cares about popular music. Watch it at the top of the post.

Homeless MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Zooey Deschanel - "Fabric of My Life"

*MP3: Zooey Deschanel - "Fabric of My Life" (Via)

HAHAHAHHAHA.

(Ian Anderson)

Bat For Lashes Cover Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody"

*MP3: Kings of Leon - "Use Somebody" (Bat For Lashes Cover)

Bat For Lashes covered "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon in a recent BBC Session. Great song, solid performance.

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Peter, Bjorn and John at the Fine Line

*MP3: Peter, Bjorn and John - "Living Thing"

Peter, Bjorn and John are playing at the Fine Line tonight. Their new record, "Living Thing," has been quite the pleasant surprise.

4/21: Mpls, MN @ the Fine Line
4/22: Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre
4/23: Chicago, IL @ Metro
4/24: Newport, KY @ Southgate House
4/25: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
4/26: Ottawa, ON @ Capital Music Hall
4/27: Montreal, QC @ Le National
4/28: Boston, MA @ Paradise
4/29: NY, NY @ Webster Hall
4/30: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
05/1: Philadelphia, PA @ World Café
05/2: Washington DC @ 9:30 Club

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

St. Vincent on NPR's "First Listen"

Listen to St. Vincent's new album, "Actor," in its entirety at NPR's "First Listen" here.

It's amazing.

(Ian Anderson)

NEW: Sonic Youth - "Sacred Trickster"

*MP3: Sonic Youth - "Sacred Trickster"

Sonic Youth's new album, "The Eternal," will be out on Matador Records on June 9. They're giving away "Sacred Trickster" for free to get the word out, and it's a great taste of what I hope the rest of the record will sound like. Exciting!

Props to We All Want Someone To Shout For for the find.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Tonight: Serena Ryder at the Hard Rock Cafe

*MP3: Serena Ryder - "Little Bit Of Red"

Toronto's Serena Ryder is playing a free show at the Hard Rock Cafe tonight. Recommended for fans of Alela Diane and the folkier side of Feist, Ryder has a hit in "Little Bit of Red."

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Phoenix Covers Air

*MP3: Phoenix - "Playground Love" (Air Cover)

Props to WDPK on the find of this Air cover by Phoenix. Great song, pretty cover.

(Ian Anderson)

42 Songs for 4/20

(Abstraction - "Nuff' Fire")

Download: Jarvis Cocker - "Angela"
Download: Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"
Download: The Vaselines - "Son of a Gun"
Download: Fucked Up - "No Epiphany" (No Age Remix)
Download: St. Vincent - "The Strangers"
Download: Vacations - "Hassle with Real"
Download: Black Blondie - "Dirty Ashes" (feat. Muja Messiah)
Download: Deerhunter - "Rainwater Cassette Exchange"
Download: Abstract Rude - "Rejuvenation"
Download: Big Quarters - "Barter System"
Download: Bon Iver - "Blood Bank"
Download: Antony and the Johnsons - "Another World"
Download: Vampire Hands - "Safe Word"
Download: New Ruins - "Symptoms"
Download: The 1900s - "Age of Metals"
Download: Pontiak - "Honey"
Download: Winter Gloves - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Download: The Evening Rig - "The Hilltop Pines"
Download: Woodhands - "Electric Avenue"
Download: The Present - "Love Melody"
Download: Witch - "Sweet Sue"
Download: Black Math Horsemen - "Origin of Savagery"
Download: Gospel Gossip - "Pre-Med"
Download: Wye Oak - "Take It In"
Download: King Khan and the Shrines - "Land of the Freak"
Download: Coupleskate - "Don't Scare The Horses"
Download: Atmosphere - "The Bass and the Movement"
Download: Pink Mountaintops - "Vampire"
Download: Super Furry Animals - "Inaugural Trams"
Download: Green Pajamas - "Any Way The Wind Blows"
Download: Mannequin Men - "Grapefruit"
Download: Susumu Yokota - "Tree Surgeon"
Download: The Veils - "The Letter"
Download: Walking Bicycles - "Whirlin' Dervish"
Download: Mass Shivers - "Womanizing Metal Studs"
Download: Miracles of Modern Science - "Luminol""
Download: The Dogs - "Useless Me"
Download: Mogwai - "The Sun Smells Too Loud"
Download: Slowdive - "Blue Skied an Clear"
Download: It Hugs Back - "Work Day"
Download: Trama - "If I was Emo"

Well, technically, 41 songs and a video. But I'm sure that you're not counting. Hope you enjoy this playlist, the 3rd of its kind.

(Jon Graef)

Appreciation Post: The Kills

*MP3: The Kills - "Last Day Of Magic"
*MP3: The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix)

The Kills are so damn cool. The London-based duo has found their way onto the top of my iTunes playlist consistently each week since I first heard "Last Day of Magic" last year. All of their records are dark, sexy and fantastic. If you're new to The Kills, I recommend starting with "Midnight Boom."

Buy all of their records on iTunes here.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Video: Atmosphere - "Shrapnel" (Live at Coachella, with interview at festival)

(Atmosphere - "Shrapnel" - Live at Coachella 2009)

(via)

If you weren't able to attend this weekend's Coachella festival, well, count yourselves as being one of many. The painted gold on that lemon is that videos from the hotter-than-hell (in terms of both popularity and actual temperature) festival have begun surfacing on YouTube. Above you'll see a video of Atmosphere, who played in 2006, performing "Shrapnel," from the recently released record God Loves Ugly.

Below is footage from an interview that Atmosphere emcee Slug did with 91xrocks, a radio station (they still exist?) based out of San Diego.

Apparently, polka is real huge up in the MPLS.



That's news to us. Although, now that you mention it...

Atmosphere MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Tonight: Wye Oak and Pomegranates at the 7th St. Entry

*MP3: Wye Oak - "Take It In"
*MP3: Pomegranates - "Corriander"

Wye Oak and Pomegranates are playing tonight at the 7th St. Entry. I highly recommend this show.

Wye Oak on MySpace
Pomegranates on MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Black Blondie - Do You Remember Who You Wanted To Be

Black Blondie - Do You Remember Who You Wanted To Be
Grade: A-
(Self-Released)

*MP3: Black Blondie - "Candy Cigarettes"

Slug of Atmosphere, during his one-time stint as love advice columnist for The AV Club, advised one reader that some people were addicted to drama in the same way that others were addicted to drugs. Based on some of the lyrical content of Black Blondie’s newest album, Do You Remember Who You Wanted To Be, there was some considerable drama addiction that inspired the musically eclectic collection of 10 tracks (love being compared to hunger and drug addition are but two typical metaphors).

But that relationship's loss is the listeners' gain, as Black Blondie take the pain and use it to transformative effect, effortlessly incorporating divergent styles as gospel, hip-hop, electro-pop and trip-hop into one impressively cohesive whole. The reason for Do You Remember's artistic success is that the band's approach to genre experimentation is constantly energetic, and possibly insouciant, even when the music itself is solemn, like on highlights "Hunger" and "Dirty Ashes" (featuring a verse from Muja Messiah).

The final result is that an invigorating listening experiences from a group with endless creative possibilities.

Black Blondie CD release party is at the Triple Rock tonight:



Black Blondie MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

John Vanderslice Announces Tour Dates

*MP3: John Vanderslice - "Fetal Horses"

John Vanderslice added a whole slew of tour dates to his schedule today, including an MPLS date at the Turf Club.

05/17/09 Merced, CA - The Partisan w/ The Morning Benders
05/19/09 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Shop w/ Special Guest
05/21/09 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios w/ Special Guest
05/22/09 Seattle, WA - Easy Street
05/24/09 Quincy, WAS - Sasquatch Music Festival
05/27/09 Provo, UT - Velour w/ The Morning Benders
05/28/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ The Morning Benders
05/29/09 Denver, CO - Hi Dive w/ The Morning Benders
05/30/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr. w/ Special Guest
06/01/09 Mpls, MN - Turf Club
06/03/09 Iowa City, IA - The Mill
06/04/09 Milwaukee, MN - Turner Hall
06/05/09 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
06/06/09 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
06/06/09 Chicago, IL - Metronome Celebration (Early Evening) w/ Here We Go Magic, Apostle of Hustle
06/08/09 Cincinnati, OH - Southgate House
06/09/09 Pittsburgh, PA - The Warhol Museum
06/11/09 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
06/12/09 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/14/09 Boston, MA - Middle East Downstairs
06/16/09 Washington, DC - Black Cat
06/17/09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
06/18/09 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
06/25/09 Dallas, TX - Pontiac Garage @ HOB
06/26/09 Austin, TX - The Parish
06/28/09 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts
06/29/09 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour
06/30/09 San Diego, CA - The Casbah

(Ian Anderson)

New Gospel Gossip - "Pre-Med"

Download: Gospel Gossip - "Pre-Med"

I'm currently at work right now, so I can't listen to this, but any new track from Gospel Gossip is bound to cause excitement here at MFR. The new track is called "Pre-Med," and its the second single released from their recently released Dreamland EP. The band debuted the song at a Radio K session some time ago, but this is the first recorded version, if I'm not mistaken. Listen to it, then leave a comment.

Gospel Gossip MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Trailer: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

YES.

(Ian Anderson)

Video: Alela Diane - "Every Path"

*MP3: Alela Diane - "White As Diamonds"

Alela Diane released her video for "Every Path" today. Very pretty video. She also announced a few tour dates (no Mpls date sadly):

May 5 Triple Door Seatle WA w Iron & Wine
May 7 The Loft San Diego CA w Mariee Sioux
May 8 Masonic Cemetary Los Angeles CA w Iron & Wine
May 9 McCabes Santa Monica CA w Mariee Sioux
May 10 Muddy Waters Santa Barbara CA w Mariee Sioux
May 11 Cafe Du Nord San Francisco CA w Mariee Sioux
May 16 Nelsonville Art & Music Festival w Willie Nelson,

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Ra Ra Riot Live In The Current Studios

Ra Ra Riot performed in-studio at the Current yesterday. They did a great job and it sounds beautiful. Read the full piece here.

MySpace

(Ian Anderson)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

(Ian Anderson)

Neko Case On Late Night With David Letterman

Neko Case is so cool.

(Ian Anderson)

Video: Franz Diego Mixtape Promo (Illuminious 3)

(via)

(Jon Graef)

Solid Gold Announce Headlining First Ave. Mainroom Show

First Avenue and bound for a national breakthrough electro-pop trio Solid Gold have announced a mainroom show which will take place on Friday, May 15th. No doubt the show represents the culmination of a successful year for Solid Gold, as 2008 saw the release of their excellent Bodies of Water, dates at SXSW, and an earlier stop at First Ave. opening up for Tapes N Tapes. But now, Solid Gold be headliners. DJ Real Jaguar will open the 18+ show.

Friday, May 15
Mainroom / 8:00 pm / 18+
SOLID GOLD
with DJ REAL JAGUAR
$8.00 adv | $10.00 door

Solid Gold MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

The Alarmists Announce New Album The Overhead Left

It's been a while since the scene has heard from The Alarmists in record form, though the band has been keeping plenty busy in terms of playing live gigs. But now, in a post on their MySpace blog, the power-popsters have announced that a new album is coming this summer. The record is titled The Overhead Left, and the record will be released sometime in early June. The Alarmists have also lined up a record release show to celebrate Left. That will take place on June 12th at the Varsity Theater. If and when the band debuts new material from The Overhead Left, MFR will let you know.

In the meantime, check out some of their older material here.

The Alarmists MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Tonight: Death Cab For Cutie, Ra Ra Riot, Cold War Kids at Roy Wilkins Auditorium

*MP3: Death Cab For Cutie - "Little Bribes"

Tonight, Death Cab For Cutie, Ra Ra Riot and Cold War Kids are all playing at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Pretty rad bill, I'm voting yes.



*MP3: Ra Ra Riot - "Ghost Under Rocks"



*MP3: Cold War Kids - "Relief"

(Ian Anderson)