David Vandervelde - "I Will Be Fine"

Download: David Vandervelde - "I Will Be Fine"

Over at the forums on music blog aggregator Elbo.ws (a site we may or may not mention), at least twice every 30 days, there's been a discussion of what are 2008's most overlooked records, inspired by Pitchfork's post-festival attempt to do the same. My contenders for this year include Dosh's Wolves and Wishes (mp3); Head of Femur's Great Plains (mp3; and, agreeing with the 'fork, Ponytail's Ice Cream Spiritual (mp3).

In addition to this year's records, I thought about last years. One of those albums was David Vandervelde's The Moonstation House Band (mp3; mp3). It's an album that clearly wears its glam-rock influences on its sleeve. The most obvious reference points are David Bowie's Ziggy-period work and T. Rex. While the sound may not be original, the amount of craft that went into the songs (particularly on "Nothin' No", where fuzzed-out, multi-tracked guitars and sitars made for an irresistibly easy going track) was more than apparent. Moonstation was a taut, ten-track set that earned solid reviews for the most part, but seemed to be forgotten come best-year time.

His second album, Waiting For The Sunrise, could be another candidate for overlooked record. "I Will Be Fine" , the first single from Waiting for the Sunrise, is a similarly-minded song that, while emulating soft-rock more than glam (which is a mistake, I think), contains enough glorious harmonization that would make Fleet Foxes fans wonder if they've gotten on the wrong ship. However, unlike Foxes' mammoth popularity, Vandervelde is nowhere to be found on Elbo.ws.

I don't think there's a conspiracy of any kind. Just that people have gotten caught up with hype surrounding other acts; happens all the time. But, if you find yourself just waking up with the sun, you can do no better than to have "I Will Be Fine" as your background music. Listen to the track at the top of the post.

Waiting For The Sunrise is out now.

(Jonathan Graef)

New Cold War Kids - "Something is Not Right With Me" (Plus: Ginormous Tour Announcement)

Download: Cold War Kids - "Something is Not Right With Me"t

In addition to announcing a mammoth tour in support of it, Tom Waits-loving indie-rock group Cold War Kids have announced the details of their second LP. Titled Loyalty to Loyalty (how po-mo!), the 13-track set is due to drop on September 23rd. Loyalty's first single, "Something Is Not Right With Me", was recently leaked via the band's website. I have an answer for you. It might be because your grating singing sound like someone was doing the grab-twist-pull self-defense mechanism on the ones-and-twos in your pantaloons while you were laying down your vocal track. But at least the brief breakdown is cool.

Here be the tour dates:

08-02 Byron Bay, Australia - Splendour in the Grass
08-03 Brisbane, Australia - Tivoli
08-04 Sydney, Australia - Enmore
08-06 Melbourne, Australia - Palace
08-09 Inverness, Scotland - Belladrum Festival
08-10 Leicester, England - Summer Sundae
08-11 London, England - Bloomsbury Ballroom
08-12 Brighton, England - Concorde 2
08-14 St. Malo, France - La Route du Rock
08-15 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop
08-22 San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Festival
08-23 Los Angeles, CA - Sunset Junction Festival
08-24 Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater *
09-20 San Diego, CA - Street Scene
09-27 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
09-28 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
09-29 Seattle, WA - The Showbox at the Market
10-01 Boise, ID - Neurolux
10-02 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
10-03 Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
10-10 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café
10-11 Chicago, IL - Vic Theater
10-14 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
10-15 New York, NY - Webster Hall
10-16 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
10-17 Philadelphia, PA - Theater of Living Arts
10-18 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10-20 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
10-21 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
10-23 Ft. Worth, TX - Lola's
10-24 Austin, TX - Emo's
10-25 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
10-26 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Experience
11-03 Birmingham, England - Irish Centre
11-04 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
11-05 Dublin, Ireland - Academy
11-06 Manchester, England - Ritz
11-07 London, England - Astoria
11-09 Brussels, Belgium - AB
11-10 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
11-12 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
11-13 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
11-15 Berlin, Germany - Lido
11-16 Prague, Czech Republic - Lucerna Music Bar
11-17 Vienna, Austria - Vienna Arena
11-18 Munich, Germany - Atomic Cafe
11-19 Zurich, Switzerland - Abart
11-21 Rome, Italy - Circolo degli Artisti
11-22 Turin, Italy - Spazio 211
11-23 Montpellier, France - Rockstore
11-24 Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
11-25 Madrid, Spain - Moby Dick
11-27 Bordeaux, France - Le Vigean
11-28 Toulouse, France - Le Phare
11-29 Paris, France - Bataclan

Once again, Loyalty To Loyalty is out September 23rd.

Cold War Kids MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

New Muja Messiah - "At All Cost (My Economics)"

Download: Muja Messiah - "At All Cost"

Like his previously leaked single, "Growing Pains", Muja Messiah's new track from his upcoming Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy, titled "At All Cost (My Economics)", features the Minneapolis rapper reflecting upon the urban chaos that had been his life with the utmost sincerity, but also with humor and perspective. Over a sampled string section, slight piano twinkling, and a beat made for hand-claps, Messiah describes his upbringing in North Minneapolis, where people "drop like flies/and although small/big city rules apply". It's this background that Muja is determined to transcend.

While a chorus like "Ima never be broke again" might come off as materialistic and shallow in the wrong hands, Muja sets up the context properly, delivering the lyric in as low-voiced and matter-of-fact as possible. As a result, the lyrics come across as someone motivated to make his life better because it makes the lives of his loved ones better, not because he wants to buy a hot European car (although Mu, like the rest of us, probably wouldn't turn one down if the opportunity arose). "At All Cost (My Economics)", like "Growing Pains", does a great service in humanizing someone who, because of his Kanye-like knack for self-promotion, may come across to some as a boor.

Listen to "At All Cost (My Economics)" at the top of the post.

Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy is out on July 27th.

Muja Messiah MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Top Ten Tracks on Elbo.Ws Reviewed in 50 Words or Less: Parade of Wolves Edition

1. Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual"

Download: Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual"

Well, that was quick. After only being released a day ago, Wolf Parade's first new song in almost three years shot to the top of the Elbo.ws charts. And deservedly so, to a degree. While the track adds no radical changes to the group's sound, this jaunty, piano-driven hopscotch of an indie song pleases to a great degree.

Grade: B+

2. This Is Ivy League - "London Bridges"

Download: This Is Ivy League - "London Bridges"

This brisk bit of Belle & Sebastian-esque pop clips along at a nice pace, with jazzy minor-seventh chords, acoustic rhythm guitar, and a punchy bass line helping to make up for what is otherwise a fey tale of unrequited love. The guitar solo at the end, similar in style to Television, helps the track go out on a high note.

Grade: B

3. Annuals - "Sore"

Download: Annuals - "Sore"

This gentle lullaby leaps tall genres in a single bound. Which, granted, is Annuals's forte, but when the results are as grandly melodic as this (even the end-of-song key change--a pop cliche if there ever was one--sounds fresh), I see no reason for the North Carolina sextet to change course.
.
Grade: A

4. El Perro Del Mar - "Glory To The World"

Download: El Perro Del Mar - "Glory To The World"

El Perro Del Mar, who, vocally, sounds like a mousy Neil Young, mines a more synthesized territory for her new song, "Glory To The World", than her last, more folk-driven record. Both sounds have a profound, aching sense of loneliness behind them. Unfortunately, there's not much else to recommend.

Grade: C+

5. Islands - "Creeper"

Download: Islands - "Creeper"

Electronic beats nudge off what turns out to be a pretty standard rocker with some dance touches. Lyrically, there's darker territory about all things creepy and broken hearts. I'm all for bands changing direction, but, usually, the idea is to go somewhere interesting.

Grade: C

6. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Think I Wanna Die"

Download: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Think I Wanna Die"

As straightforward as new-wave influenced pop can be, the second single from SSLYBY's second record Pershing is short, sweet, and utterly lighthearted, with the Missouri quartet finding common ground between The Police and Elvis Costello. Totally listenable, but also inconsequential. Still, don't you want that in your pop songs?

Grade: B

7. Colin Meloy - "We Both Go Down Together"

Download: Colin Meloy - "We Both Go Down Together"

A live rendition of a track from Picaresque that's nearly identical--though its performed solely by Meloy--to the recorded version. Even though this version may be slightly unnecessary, the tale of a love affair between a plebe and an aristocrat still charms.

Grade: B

8. Foals - "Balloons"

Download: Foals - "Balloons"

Foals may be, in essence, commercialized dance-punk (I mean, more than it has been), but the Oxford quartet does write propulsive, cymbol-heavy catchy songs that should get most people out the dance floor. That said, this is music that holds up best upon first listen, and not necessarily subsequent ones.

Grade: B-

9. The Lovely Sparrows - "Department of Foreseeable Outcomes"

Download: The Lovely Sparrows - "Department of Foreseeable Outcomes"

The Lovely Sparrows are an Austin, TX-based folk-pop group who will release their first album soon. A group that sounds like an amalgam of Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and Destroyer, should probably blow my mind, but the band fails to distinguish itself from its influences with this plaintive folk number.

Grade: C+

10. The Breeders - "Bang On"

Download: The Breeders - "Bang On"

This Mountain Battles song still plays like a groove in search of a song skeletal. As with last time: what a waste of a perfectly good white girl's idea of funk.

Grade: C

(Jonathan Graef)

Daughters Of The Sun - "4am Astral Projector"

Download: Daughters Of The Sun - "4am Astral Projector"
Download: Daughters Of The Sun - "Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board"

Going on three weeks ago, Minneapolis-based psychedelic folk-rock band Daughters Of The Sun had the release party for their debut album, Visions Of The Ocean Head. You may have read about said show on More Cowbell. However, if you couldn't make it out to the show on that night, whether you were underage or live 400 miles away, fret not. Of the four songs posted on the band's MySpace Page, two are available for download.

Of those two songs, the serene "4am Astral Projector" may be the more appropriate for when the weather starts getting more and more picturesque. (I don't know about MPLS, but Chicago is a veritable winter wonderland right now). The gentle strum of an acoustic guitar and the barest of counterpoint melodies, also on acoustic guitar, deliberately lull the listener to a state of blissful calm.

After an extended intro of some peaceful, tranquil jamming, the vocals and drums hit their cues in a way that wouldn't disturb the most quietly sleeping babies. Indeed, what is remarkable about "4 am Astral Projector" is that, for all intents and purposes, the song is a lullaby. The melody which comprises the song is the same quality of soothing reassurance that most small children would hear right before they drifted to sleep (that's where they're vikings, no doubt).

Granted, most lullabies sung don't have a sense of hypnotic patience that "4 am" does. But then, most lullabies aren't this excellently psychedelic, or sound like a demo that Air would lay down right before getting its damn, dirty electronic paws all over it. It's to the Daughter Of The Sun's immense credit that they are able to create that kind of atmosphere normally heard in bands like Serena Maneesh or My Bloody Valentine using the most basic of instrumentation.

Visions Of The Ocean Head is out now.

Stream and download more songs at the band's MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Glorious Monster – Upcoming EP Release & Christmas Tune

Download: Glorious Monster - "In The Movies"

Glorious Monster has recently put up their version of "O Holy Night", a song which will be included on their upcoming remix EP, on their MySpace page. I’m not a huge fan of Christmas tunes in general, simply because of their ubiquitousness this time of year; not only are holiday songs played from Thanksgiving to New Years, but the same, recycled songs plague every retail store, every grocery store, and just about every commercial on television. However, Glorious Monster’s version of this song is definitely unique; it’s not screaming with yuletide overkill.

The tune begins with a somber yet sweet vocal courtesy of Brian Casey with only the slightest single humming tone hanging demurely in the background. Then, in grand Glorious Monster fashion, the song picks up slowly, but surely, with a crescendo of light electronic sound that makes the traditional seem new, fresh, and modern. The main elements of the song sound the same, it stays quiet and dreamlike, with the slightest touch of electronic rhythm that brings the song to life. It’s a melancholy twist on the original that’s a refreshing change of pace from the ridiculously chipper tunes to which we’re all so accustomed at Christmastime.

Although not yet available for download, you can still listen to "O Holy Night" here.

Glorious Monster will be holding a release party for their In the Movies remix EP this Saturday, December 8 at Nomad with NOBOT and Estate. Show starts at 9pm, $5 cover, 21+.


Myspace Page

(Tara Rogan)

The Top Ten Tracks On Elbo.WS Reviewed In 50 Words Or Less

Back when this blog was ye olde Sliver Magazine, we had a feature called 50 Words Or Less in which we reviewed the latest songs and albums with--you guessed it!--long, rapturous discussion that had 1,000 word ledes at least. Were Sliver not only read by friends and immediate family, it may have been our calling card feature. After all, the whole thing recalls Robert Christgau for the ADD generation, no?

But I got to thinkin' (which is always dangerous): How could this feature be brought back? And this is what I came up with: On a bi-monthly basis, because of the fact that the chart ranks the songs by measuring two weeks worth of data, we'd review each of the top ten tracks on Elbo.Ws in 50 words or less. And so the feature was brought back to life! It's Alive! It's Alive! Dear God, It's Alive.

One note before we begin. The songs below comprised the Elbo.ws top ten as of this morning (11/30/07) at 7 a.m. Central Standard Time, when I last checked the Elbo.ws chart. Things could be radically different, or they could be not different at all. At any rate, here's the first of what hopefully will be a long-going feature. Enjoy!

The Raveonettes


The Raveonettes – Aly, Walk With Me

This song should be heavily protested by more prudish folk, as it sounds like sex personified: breathy vocals, pseudo trip-hop beat, pulsating bass line and noisy guitar textures make this track sound like Sonic Youth doing Nancy Sinatra. And this song does nothing if not walk all over you.
Grade: A-

Download: The Raveonettes - "Aly, Walk With Me"

The Raveonettes on MySpace


Black Mountain



Black Mountain – Tyrants

There’s much appreciation on this reviewer's part for the wide array of influences here (Sabbath, Pink Floyd, ELO, Fleetwood Mac, in addition to any number of bands who existed from 1968 to 1975). But, ultimately, “Tyrants” sounds like LARPers cramming in every prog-rock cliché they could into one song. Seriously, where are the unicorns?
Grade: C+

Download: Black Mountain - "Tyrants"

Black Mountain on MySpace


The Whitsundays


The Whitsundays – “Sorry James”

It’s not so much James who needs the apology, so much as The Kinks, the strengths of whom The Whitsundays blandly copy. Imagine what wonderfully kaleidoscopic direction Jennifer Gentle could take this song, then compare that to the actual product. “Sorry James” isn’t a bad song, per se; it’s just unremarkable.
Grade: C

Download: The Whitsundays - "Sorry James"

The Whitsundays on MySpace

The Magnetic Fields

The Magnetic Fields - "Three-Way"

"Three-Way" is an odd choice for a first single, but then Stephen Merritt is nothing if not odd. On the whole, the psych-garage-rock track feels like a musical palette cleanser, in that it could follow a more serious-minded track. The band sounds like it's having good-natured fun and that vibe definitely rubs off on the listener.
Grade: B

Download: The Magnetic Fields - "Three-Way"

Official Magnetic Fields Website

Bodies Of Water


Bodies Of Water - "I Guess We'll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess"

Initially, his song belongs in the Department of Redundancy Department, both titularly and musically. But Bodies Of Water stay afloat by throwing enough sonic curveballs in their garage-folk sound to keep the music engaging, and then add epic vocal harmonies. The end result is a soul-stirring conclusion to what was at first an unremarkable track.
Grade: B+

Download: Bodies Of Water - "I Guess We'll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess"

Bodies Of Water on MySpace

Sally Shapiro


Sally Shapiro – "Anorak Christmas (Piano Mix)"

Download: Sally Shapiro - "Anorak Christmas (Piano Mix)"

Piano intro recalls “Come Sail Away”, but there’s no rocking as Ms. Shapiro sings the love unrequited. “Anorak Christmas” is one remix away (one more aggressive than the club mix from which this song is derived) from being the inescapable club hit that you all know and hate, but nod your head to anyway.
Grade: B

Sally Shapiro on MySpace

Oh Astro


Oh Astro – “Snow Queen”

The sound of a stuttering hard drive doesn't seem immensely appealing, but Oh Astro have pleasantly proved otherwise. Should Oh Astro collaborate with Timbaland, the result would something that only Ken from A Fish Called Wanda could understand. To call "Snow Queen" danceable would definitely not be an insult to dancing, though.
Grade: B+

Download: Oh Astro - "Snow Queen"

MySpace Page

Bright Eyes


Bright Eyes – "Coat Check Dream Song" (Exclusive live version)

Grading this song objectively seems irrelevant, considering that the cause it benefits is arguably the greatest test of mankind's moral fortitude. So I'll say this: buy this album. If some angst-filled warbling from a pretentious troubadour is the worst of your problems, then you, my friend, have got it made.
Grade: N/A

Download: Bright Eyes - "Coat Check Dream Song" (Exclusive Live Version)

Bright Eyes on MySpace

The Vandelles


The Vandelles - "Lovely Weather"

The vocals on "Lovely Weather" make it sound like they're thieves breathing down your neck. When you want to listen to fuzzed out neo-psychedelia, you shouldn't have to think about tuberculosis. Also, Serena Maneesh could do this song in a much more interesting way. This might sound cool in a Tarantino film, but it simply doesn't work on it's own.
Grade: C-

Download: The Vandelles - "Lovely Weather"

The Vandelles on MySpace

The Raveonettes

(that's right, we ran the same photo twice, because we're lazy)

The Raveonettes - "Dead Sound"

If The Raveonettes' upcoming Lust Lust Lust is filled with nothing but "Dead Sound"'s and "Aly, Walk With Me"'s, then it looks like they will release the first great record of 2008. We'll have to wait until Jan. 2008 to see what dreamy, harmonious tricks The Raveonettes have up their sleeves.
Grade: A-

Download: The Raveonettes - "Dead Sound"

The Raveonettes on MySpace

(Jonathan Graef)

Band To Know: Tentacle Boy - "Western Lullaby"

Download: Tentacle Boy - "Western Lullaby"


Recently featured on More Cowbell, Minneapolis-based duo Tentacle Boy is making waves with their two tracks featured on their MySpace page.

Adam To and Chris Sexton are reviving beats that sound like they’ve been neglected for years, left to rot in a 1980s time capsule. There’s something about their synth-sounds that echo the infectious "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer, (the theme to Beverly Hills Cop). New-fashioned little melodies meshed with pop-friendly techno: it’s familiar but far from boring. Tentacle Boy is a smidge reminiscent of popular indie-tronic bands like Octopus Project (weird similarity with their names, no?), but instead of having solid drumbeats and guitar riffs synching with Casio tones, Tentacle Boy sticks to the basics of slinky keyboard rhythms and likeable choruses. It’s simple, and it works.

"Western Lullaby" is like a funkier Postal Service tune, with To and Sexton’s vocals blending aesthetically together like a digital jigsaw puzzle, giving you the strange impression while listening that they may have recorded this underwater. It’s a really fun pairing of soft, lulling lyrics and hypnotizing little sonic blips.

Their page also features song and video for "Nobody,” the video bearing a slight resemblance to the Beastie Boys’ "Sabotage" video. Instead of cops running around raiding hotel rooms, these boys are criminals wielding kitchen knives and hurdling living room furniture. The song itself is a trippy mix of lyrical loops and digital percussion. Tentacle Boy is resurrecting sounds and images that feel like they’ve been long forgotten in a sea of acoustic indie-rock. They’re all about concocting danceable computer sounds. These guys are on to something, and I’m thinking a live show would be pretty damn fun.

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming dates. Listen to "Western Lullaby" at the top of the post, then head on over to the band's MySpace page to download "Nobody".

(Tara Rogan)

Band To Know: Kat Flint - "Go Faster Stripes"

Download: Katflint - "Joseph"
Download: Katflint - "Go Faster Stripes"

Oh, Kat Flint, you are one of my favorite new finds. Judging from the airy, windswept sound of her voice, I swear, Flint must have blown all the way across the sea to us from her UK home.

"Go Faster Stripes," a track from her forthcoming debut album Dirty Birds, drapes layers of vocals over a simple piano frame, but then adds little percussive details into the mix. The result is a track that has weight, but still moves and has buoyancy.

The best thing about Flint is that she doesn't fall into the trappings of lonesome female performer. Her sound is full and clean, which allows Flint to stand out in her understated beauty.

Listen to "Go Faster Stripes" and "Joseph" at the top of the post, then stroll on over to her MySpace to listen to some more mp3s.


(April Wright)

New Mogwai - "Gouge Away" (Pixies Cover)

Download: Mogwai - "Gouge Away"
Download: Mogwai - "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong"
Download: Clint Mansell (performed by Mogwai and Kronos Quartet) - "Death is the Road to Awe"
Download: Mogwai- "Tracy"
Download: Pixies - "Gouge Away"

Mogwai's cover of the Pixies' "Gouge Away" from the as-yet-unreleased Dig For Fire – A Tribute to the Pixies hit Stereogum today.

I've never been huge into Mogwai, but, after hearing this cover, their CDs will definitely be getting a fresh hearing. I really love the crunch and the weight of this track. The Pixies do it better of course, but that's like putting a pile of kittens next to a hairless Sphynx cat and determining the kittens are cuter. It's a no-brainer.

British Sea Power and They Might Be Giants will also be featured on the collection, which comes out Nov. 27th. I'm really excited to hear what the Johns do with "Havalina."

Listen to Mogwai's cover, as well as the original (in addition to some other Mogwai tracks) at the top of the post.

(April Wright)
Mogwai MySpace Page

(April Wright)

New Jason Collett (Broken Social Scene) - "Out Of Time" and "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington"

Download: Jason Collett - "Out Of Time"
Download: Jason Collett - "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington"

Jayber Crow wasn't the only folk band releasing new tracks this past week. Jason Collett, who is gearing up for the release of Here's To Being Here, which will be out on Arts & Crafts on February 5.

The first of the new tracks is "Out Of Time," a Dylan-esque (just you try to not read Dylan into his vox) folk popper that incorporates "ooh-ooh"s that come off just a little Feist-y in their sudden, radical pitch modulation. It's a good song, but not a phenomenal one. "Charlyn, Angel of Kensington," the other release, is an interesting track with a very deep groove. It's got a sexy, pseudo-lounge-circa-"Mushaboom" beat backing up funky guitars and a vocal line that hits a bit of Andrew Bird and definitely channels Dylan. I hate to compare him so often to fellow Broken Social Scenester Feist, but he's been on a couple tours with her. It seems to me that these songs have more of her influence than past albums.

I think these two songs hit on the best and worst aspects of Collett's career. His previous albums have always contained strong, but not terribly original showings. I don't like it when the primary way I can describe someone's music is by name checking other groups. I think that should be a tool to augment a description, rather than the description itself. Likewise with these two tracks: they're strong, and I love to spin his records, but they're a little too derivative.

Collett, however, is a great performer. I bought Idols of Exile after totally developing a crush on him when he opened for Feist a couple years back. He's doing a little bit of touring with her again this month. Dates are below.

11.14.07 Denver – Ogden Theatre
11.16.07 Madison – Orpheum Theatre
11.17.07 Chicago – Riviera Theatre
11.18.07 Columbus – Wexner Center
11.20.07 Louisville – W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre
11.21.07 Nashville – Ryman Auditorium

MySpace Page

(April Wright)