The New Year | Album Teaser

Warning: The US Surgeon General warns that this teaser for The New Year's new album may cause seizures and fits. It's best to watch it with your fingers over your face like this.

Seriously, I was fortunate enough to get to listen to the new album twice recently. And as I've posted elsewhere, it's a hell of an album. In fact, the first four songs are the strongest opening to an album I've heard since The National dropped Boxer on us a year ago. There's more piano on the album and it doesn't get as loud as often as their earlier albums did but they still exhibit that classic Bedhead/New Year ability to slowly build a song such that you're rocking back and forth and hanging on each new beat and note. Plus, they do still get really loud on a few tracks including the closer which I fully plan on blowing out my car speakers on this September.

But we have to wait until September 8 for the goodness and loveliness of it all.

In the meantime though, Matt and Bubba Kadane of The New Year and Bedhead fame will be touring this summer with Bottomless Pit. Excellent double-bill. The tour will hit Boston on Saturday, July 12 and Montreal on Sunday, July 13. I'm not sure which I'm going to hit but it's easily my most anticipated show of the summer at this point.

The New Year | Age of Conceit | Buy

Bedhead | Liferaft | Buy

Bottomless Pit | Dogtag | Buy

The Deli burlington | Launch Party

A few weeks ago, I posted about the new Burlington music site The Deli burlington. Well, this Friday, they are having their launch party at Monkey House in Winooski with Silent Mind, Dirtwar, Cherry Cassette, The Parts and Villanelles all playing. I can just imagine all of the equipment piling up in the back room now.

The smörgåsbord of bands kicks off at 8pm and keeps going until the launching is complete. Then it's off to an undisclosed after-party...so Brooklyn hipster. It should be a good night of music and scenstering.

One of these days, we need to get around to having a F45 launch party.

Overheard at Epcot

I recently had to go to Epcot for the first time and, while wandering around the dizzying array of faux crap, I got to overhear these choice snippets of conversations.

1st Conversation

Mom: "Hey kids! Look! There's our Canada!"

Son: [after staring at "Canada" for a few seconds] "Dad, why are there totem poles there?"

Dad: "Uhhhhh, I don't know. I guess Walt Disney thinks there are totem poles in Canada."

2nd Conversation

Young Daughter: "Come on, Mom. Let's run!"

Mom: "No. You know I can't run without my iPod."

3rd Conversation

Wife, with foreign accent, to her husband: "Honey, quick! Get your camera! It's another one of those squirrels."

Contrast Podcast | Cities

The latest Contrast Podcast has the theme of cities. So, I submitted the song "Every Fucking City" by Paul Kelly. Why limit yourself to just one city?

You can listen to the entire podcast here and subscribe to Contrast Podcast via iTunes here.

Paul Kelly | Every Fucking City | Buy

Frightened Rabbit

Sometimes I annoy myself when I fall for a band like Frightened Rabbit. Come on. Does the world need another folk-based indie pop band? Is the art form being progressed in any measurable manner? Am I challenging myself in any way when I listen to them?

Nope.
No.
Nada.

So, what is it that draws me to Frightened Rabbit? Well, it's like chocolate chip cookies. I've eaten a million of them in my lifetime but when they are done well, I'll pick them over a fancy chef-designed desert any day. Frightened Rabbit is that kick-ass chocolate chip cookie that's warm and gooey on the inside but slightly crisp on the outside. So good.

Lead singer Scott Hutchison's nasal Scottish vocals fall right into my wheelhouse of singers who can't sing but still deliver the necessary passion while the music is driven by an undercurrent of a jangly acoustic guitar and propulsive beat. Their song "The Modern Leper" off their new album The Midnight Organ Fight is one of the catchiest songs of the year. And "Old Fashioned" isn't far behind. In fact, the whole album is an easy-to-enjoy romp through your ear drums. I'll probably hate it by the end of the summer but for right now, it's a good cookie.

By the way, they'll be playing at Great Scott in Boston on Memorial Day.

Frightened Rabbit | The Modern Leper | Buy

Frightened Rabbit | Old Old Fashioned | Buy

Four Tet | The Ringer Mini Album

Four Tet | Wing Body Wing | Buy

Ram Jam - Black Betty

This is by far the best version of the classic Black Betty, popularized by Lead Belly. Sorry Tom Jones and Spiderbait, nothing touches this 1977 masterpiece.

Very Funny | UPDATED

Watch it before Bill O'Reilly's lawyers get it pulled.

UPDATE: The original got pulled so I replaced the video above with the crazy remix.

Thanks to cj for the tip.

Thee Silver Mt. Zion | First Unitarian Church | May 16

I couldn't make it to the show last night since I was flying back from Florida but Sam Dixon of ego, ego, ego was there. Thankfully, he was kind enough to send over these shots today.

Thee Silver Mt. Zion | Coming to Burlington | May 16

From Tick Tick's site:

Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band
with OAK and GREG DAVIS
@
first unitarian church
152 pearl street
burlington, vt
doors @ 730p
Advance Tickets: $13 Will Call
or $12 at local outlets after April 1
$15 day of show
all ages

Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band have gained an international reputation for their blend of chamber music and avant rock, uncompromising politics, and dynamic live shows. Featuring members on drums, bass, cello, two guitars, and two violins; the group articulates their many influences in free jazz, American folk music, minimalism, and punk rock, anchored by Efrim Menuck's incisive, politically-charged lyrics. Live, they are known for their expertly crafted, orchestral crescendos, and dire power. Formed in 1998 in Montreal, CA, by three members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, they have released six expansive and experimental albums on Constellation Records to critical acclaim. This spring, they tour North America after the March 2008 release of their latest album, 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons, hailed as a "devastating and original protest record."

Thee Silver Mount Zion | The Triumph of Our Tired Eyes | Buy

The Sixth Great Lake | Border Crossing Festival | Oct 27 2001

Michael Barrett, of Guppyboy/The Sixth Great Lake/Essex Green fame, has posted the mp3 files from a show that The Sixth Great Lake did in Amsterdam in 2001. The tracks are on Barrett's blog, Tup Keewah Recordings.

The lineup for this show was:

Zach Ward
Chris Ziter
Mike Barrett
Neil Cleary
Brendan Skwire

According to Barrett's post, Chris was under-the-weather during the show and you can hear it in some of his vocals but the general sound quality of the recording is very good.

By the way, the show was in support of their album Up the Country which is available via emusic and iTunes. A nice pick-up for any fan of the E6 scene and Vermont music.

Montpelier Naked Bike Ride | June 7

I'm way too much of a prude to participate in this but, it's for a good cause. So, for the folks that are willing to ride around town naked for a while, circle June 7 on your calendar.

The Montpelier Naked Bike Ride will roll around town "an oil-consumption protest and a body-positive event". According to their site, being naked in town isn't illegal; only the act of disrobing in public is illegal. Plus, it looks like they worked with the police department to layout the bike route. Therefore, I'm guessing the police department is on-board with it.

Here's a good tip from their website:

If you elect to ride completely naked, keep in mind that there might be some articles of clothing or equipment that you do need to wear (e.g., shoes, a helmet, etc.). The weather is still unpredictable in June, so be prepared for anything. It is also a good idea to carry on your person or on your bike some light articles of clothing that you can jump right into if you need to. Accidents, flat tires, and thrown chains do happen, and it's never fun to have to remedy these problems in the nude.

Here's another one:

It is very difficult to prevent people who watch this event from snapping photos and taking video. These people may be members of the press or they may not. They may be people known to you, or they may not. Images of you could end up anywhere, from the newspaper, to television, to the Internet (including this Web site and others), to someone's "private collection." If you have any concerns about this, please carefully consider your participation in the WNBR.

Like having your ass hanging out on False 45th.

Bon Iver | La Blogotheque

Back On Stages #2 Bon Iver - Skinny Love
Uploaded by lablogotheque

Here's the La Blogotheque video the False 45th recent love Bon Iver did for his tune "Skinny Love".

The New Year | End's Not Near

Judging from the movement of the sun in this video, it took less than fifteen minutes to shoot this video. However, it then took about another two years to finish the video for unknown reasons. Regardless, it's sweet to have a new video from The New Year.

Due to the local residence of the band's bass player, Mike Donofrio, Vermont has at least a partial claim to The New Year. Hey, VT isn't Brooklyn. We'll take partial claims to top shelf bands.

The New Year has a new self-titled album due in September with long tours of the US and Europe to follow. It has a bit more piano on it but still has their classic progressive building tunes and gets really friggin' loud at parts. New Year fans will love it.

The New Year | End's Not Near | Buy

Empire State Troopers @ Radio Bean Recap

The Empire State Troopers blew the wee Radio Bean away. So loud, so engaging (sounded surprisingly well in the brick, glass, and tin room). In addition to the dozen or so inside, 30 plus people congregated on the sidewalk, cheering and clapping at the end of the songs. This is truly an exciting live band.