Daytrotter Session: Cold War Kids

*MP3: Cold War Kids - "Something is Not Right With Me" (Daytrotter)

The Cold War Kids' Daytrotter Session was just posted. Check it out HERE.

sBach Daytrotter Session

*MP3: sBach - "Track 1" (Daytrotter Session)

Daytrotter posted their session with sBach today, read it HERE.

The Best of Daytrotter 2008

Daytrotter is one of the most innovative blogs currently in operation. I've been a fan since, well, forever. I eagerly check Daytrotter daily in hopes that a new session is up; one could say that I am a "Daytrotter Session Junky" and I wouldn't disagree with them. In fact, I'd just hand them this mix: a mix of MFR's Favorite Daytrotter Sessions of 2008.

To hear the full sessions and to dig deeper into the complex ethos that is the mind of Daytrotter, click HERE.

Download: Blitzen Trapper - "Furr" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Bon Iver - "Flume" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Broken West - "House of Lies" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Death Cab For Cutie - "A Movie Script Ending" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Dosh - "Fireball" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Enon - "Colette" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Fleet Foxes - "Sun It Rises" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: French Kicks - "Over The World" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Frightened Rabbit - "My Backwards Walk" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Gentleman Auction House - "The Book Of Matches" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Headlights - "Cherry Tulips" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Islands - "Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: John Vanderslice - "Parade" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Minus the Bear - "Knights" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: New Frontiers - "Standing On A Line" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Phantom Planet - "Raise the Dead" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Ra Ra Riot - "Ghost Under Rocks" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Glue Girls" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Tapes 'n Tapes - "Hang Them All" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: The Thermals - "Returning to the Fold" (Daytrotter Session)

Ponytail Do Transcendent Daytrotter Session

Balitmore's Ponytail take the unique majesty of sonic squalor and use it to create epic, spacious jams. So what happens when you strip all of that down and give a loud, raucous band acoustic instruments? What does it sound like? The answer is Zepplin. Go to Daytrotter and listen to the group re-arrange four songs from its surely Best-Of contender Ice Cream Spiritual. The most striking example is "Celebrate The Body Electric (It Came From An Angel)", the intro of which sounds like Led Zepplin's "The Battle of Evermore". It's pretty impressive, actually.

Listen to the original, then head over here for the acoustic one.

Ponytail MySpace Page

Cross-published on CIMI

Retribution Gospel Choir Do Daytrotter Session

Following up the release of their debut album, Alan Sparhawk’s other, other, other band, Retribution Gospel Choir, laid down a Daytrotter session last week. Meshing the pounding percussion of ‘70s rock with the downcast fuzz of ‘90s alternative, RGC cuts an aggressive sound very different from Low. But, in both band's melodies in their songs, as well as their vocal harmonies, Sparhawk never quite escapes that Duluth sound (not that that’s a bad thing!).

Check out the session over at the Daytrotter website. RGC’s self-titled debut is available on
Caldo Verde Records. While you’re surfing the ‘Trotter, why not check out the session Minus the Bear did
this week?

Retribution Gospel Choir MySpace Page

(April Wright)

Dosh Plays University of Minnesota's "Radio K"

Download: Dosh - "Capture The Flag" (Live on Radio K)

On the heels of some excellent Radio K sessions, including Gospel Gossip and M83, comes Minneapolis-based multi-instrumentalist Dosh's set at the college radio institution. The master of sonic collage performed 5 tracks in total, three of which are from his superb Wolves and Wishes album. Tracks from that effort include "Capture The Flag" and a medley of "First Impossible/If You Want To, You Have To". The songs from past records include Naoise EP's "Steve The Cat" and The Lost Take's "A Ghost's Business".

Listen to more here. In other Dosh studio performance news, the Anticon artist recently performed for Daytrotter. Check out that session here.

Dosh MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

The 1900s Do Daytrotter Session, Open For British Sea Power

Download: The 1900s - "When I Say Go"

One of MFR's favorite bands, The 1900s, recorded some tunes for Daytrottera while back and now you can hear the results of that by heading over to the Daytrotter website, where The 1900s session has been posted today. All four of the songs are from last year's stellar Cold And Kind, but the group has ingeniously re-arranged the tracks so that they are different from their recorded counterparts, making this session wholly unique. And awesome. Did we say awesome? Now we have. The best track of the bunch is the re-worked version of "When I Say Go". Originally, it's an upbeat, relentless poppy number, but Daytrotter version that The Hundos recorded makes it sound like a great, lost Leonard Cohen track. That's not to diss the likes of the completely barebones version of "Georgia" or the sturdier, more rhythmic rendition of "City Water" (self-described as a "70’s Paul Simon folk rock vibe").

Daytrotter asks that bloggers don't re-host tracks, so you're going to have to do a Late Greats-style "Compare And Contrast" on your own, which we highly recommend doing. The original can be found up at the top of the post. Go here to listen to the new versions.

In other 1900s news, the band is opening for British Sea Power - hey, didn't we just do a post about them? - on several dates, including March 24th at Chicago's Empty Bottle. Check out those dates here.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Tonight: Ferraby Lionheart At The 400 Bar

Download: Ferraby Lionheart - "Small Planet"
Download: Ferraby Lionheart - "Man On The Moon"

Moony-eyed folkster Ferraby Lionheart will be stopping by the 400 Bar this evening for an 18+ show. Tickets are $12 and doors are at 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. show.

All across the Web, Ferraby-frenzy has finally hit. His debut album, Catch the Brass Ring, was released this summer to positive reviews, but didn't really hit hard until Lionheart was invited to participate in Stereogum's "Drive XV" R.E.M. tribute album. After gaining a substantial amount of blog buzz for his cover of "Man On The Moon," P4K has finally chimed in on his album. Unfortunately, they weren't as crazy about Brass Ring as I am.

On the other hand, Daytrotter invited Mr. Lionheart in for a session, which appeared on their site this morning. The songs sound great live – if you're looking for something to do this evening, Lionheart's show is the place to be.



(April Wright)

Deerhunter Go On Daytrotter, Hiatus

Download - Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
Download - Deerhunter - "White Ink"
Download - Deerhunter - "Strange Lights"
Download - Deerhunter - "Fluorescent Grey"
Download - Deerhunter - "Wash Off"

Oh, ho ho, dear readers! Oh, ho ho!

The day that Deerhunter announced that they're going to be going on hiatus after they finish up their last few tour dates, is the same day that their Daytrotter session got posted. It's kind of ironic that on the day their Daytrotter, which I think is a symbol that a band has arrived/come back/is blowing the fuck up, the band announces that they need some time away.

So if you're upset that you never got to see Deerhunter live, head on over here to ease your pain a little bit.

MySpace Page

(April Wright)

Okkervil River on Daytrotter

Again, Daytrotter delivers a great interview. This time, it is with Okkervil River, read the full piece here as well as listen to the great performance.

(Ian Anderson)

Office, The 1900s Do Daytrotter Sessions

Office


The 1900s



Download: Office - "Suburban Perfume"
Download: The 1900s - "Georgia"

MFR Favorite Office stopped by the Daytrotter studios to do a session and you can listen to the results (as well as read the interview with the Chicago quintet) here.

In addition, the Daytrotter newsletter revealed that fellow Chicagoans and fellow MFR favorites The 1900s are going to do a session sometime in the near future. No details about when that will happen, but those of you in the Chicagoland area can tune into WGN's Morning Show on the morning of Nov 8th. The band will go on between 7 and 8 a.m., so it won't just be your morning coffee that will make you jump for joy.

Office MySpace Page
The 1900s MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Andrew Bird Daytrotter Session

Sean at Daytrotter just posted a great piece and session with Andrew Bird. Here's how it begins.

"There’s a farmhouse somewhere out amongst the harvested, chewed up and spit out corn and soybean stalks and stems just an hour north of here, near the tri-state area of northwestern Illinois, where Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin meet, with Andrew Bird’s name on it."

Here's where it continues: Daytrotter.

(Ian Anderson)

Maritime Wades In For Daytrotter Session

(Maritime)

Download: Maritime - "Guns Of Navarone"
Download: Maritime - "For Science Ficton"
Download: Maritime - "Calm" (from We, The Vehicles")
Download: Maritime - "Parade Of Punk Rock T-Shirts" (from We, The Vehicles")

Yesterday, Daytrotter posted their session with Maritime, who, in a week, will be releasing their third album, Heresy and the Hotel Choir, on Oct. 16th. via Flameshovel. Maritime is, of course, a band that spawned after the demise of The Promising Ring. If you love the huge choruses of that band, then you should like "Guns Of Navarone," which is one of the more anthemic tracks on Heresy. The band played four songs, including "Guns", from the upcoming record.

Read their feature about the bandhere and listen to the sessions here. At the top of this post, you can find MP3s from Heresy and two MP3s from their second album, We, The Vehicles.

Look for an MFR review of Heresy next week.

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Catfish Haven Session On Daytrotter

Download: Catfish Haven - "Let's Spend The Night Together" (Rolling Stones Cover; Via Daytrotter)
Download: Catfish Haven "Lion In Winter" (Bee Gees Cover; Via Daytrotter)

Catfish Haven recently stopped by the Daytrotter gang to do a session and a feature. The session was particularly special because not only did the Chicago-based indie/neo-soul group play two songs from its 2006 album Tell Me but they also did some tasty, never-before-released covers of songs by The Bee Gees and The Rolling Stones. You can listen to those songs at the top of this post.

Read the feature about Catfish Haven here and download the rest of the songs from their session here

(Jonathan Graef)

Luke Temple Daytrotter Session

Download: Luke Temple - "Thankful Survivor" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Luke Temple - "Medicine" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Luke Temple - "Lucky Part" (Daytrotter Session)
Download: Luke Temple - "The Owl Song" (Daytrotter Session)

These are MP3s of the Luke Temple session at Daytrotter. Short, sweet, beautiful and lo-fi - like if Bill Callahan wrote campfire songs with Jeff Buckley. Close your eyes and listen to the serenity.

(Jonathan Graef)

Low Drums Guns On Daytrotter

Download: Low - "Breaker" (Live Daytrotter Session)
Download: Low - "Violent Past" (Live Daytrotter Session)
Download: Low - "In Silence" (Live Daytrotter Session)
Download: Low - "Sandinista" (Live Daytrotter session)

By which I mean that Duluth-based slowcore band Low stopped by Daytrotter to record a four-song session. Download those songs here or just click above.. They're absolutely stunning. All four songs are taken from this year's Drums and Guns.

(Jonathan Graef)

Voxtrot Session on Daytrotter

It's a party over at Daytrotter and Voxtrot was totally invited. Click here for the details.

Oh, and if you don't own this record yet, we can't be friends.

*200th post!

(Ian Anderson)

Hockey Night Officially Breaks Up

It's official. What the rumor mill has been buzzing about has finally occurred: Hockey Night has broken up. With the strange events leading up to the news, like the mysterious leaving of three members and the signing to DFA, this doesn't really come as a surprise.

But frontman Paul Sprangers released a statment to Daytrotter today, who reported this:

"The bearers of bad news, we hate to be them, but this bad news is laced with sugar and sunshine, we assure you. One year ago this week, the slap-happy, goodtime homies Hockey Night were by. We were rushed and they produced one of the most smashing pieces of fun we've assembled for you. There were burger baskets and chuckles all around. Paul Sprangers informed us Monday night that Hockey Night is no longer a real thing, but now joins the ranks of mythology. He and fellow guitarist Scott Wells are forging on with the blazing guitar shenanigans, but they'll be doing it with a different cast of characters. 'It was a long time coming,' Sprangers said. 'I realized I didn’t want to continue on the way we were going. We were operating under that indie rock idea where it was fun and everybody's buddies. We just want to do it right and we couldn't get things done.' Sprangers said that DFA Records — run by Tim Goldsworthy and James Murphy (the latter of LCD Soundsystem) — has signed the pair to continue on. They’re planning on releasing some 12-inch singles in the fall and being all dope under a new name."

In honor of this sad day, here are a few of my favorite Hockey Night songs throughout the span of time, as well as a Sean NA NA song that I dedicate to the HN.

Keep Guessin':
Download: Hockey Night - "For Guys' Eyes Only"
Download: Hockey Night - "Renegades"
Download: Hockey Night - "Grim Break"

Rad Zapping:
Download: Hockey Night - "Battlestar Scholastica"
Download: Hockey Night - "Princess Starcrystal"
Download: Hockey Night - "Syle Raiders"

Dedication Download: Sean NA NA - "Third Life"

Like a phoenix they'll rise again.

MySpace Page

(Ian Anderson)