Awesome music out Oct. 6 (Noah and the Whale, Mayer Hawthorne, Jemina Pearl, etc.)

October 3, 2009 2 Comments

There are way too many records coming out this Tuesday (Oct. 6) to go unmentioned, especially because I’m not actually reviewing any of them. Check these out:

Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement (Stones Throw)

A DJ from Ann Arbor (he’s from Michigan!! And he’s Jewish!) realizes he can sing; makes a funky, badass soul/Motown record with a little bit of hip-hop; blows up. This album is phenomenal, even though it sounds like half the tracks could have been recorded 40-some years ago. Oh, and he released his first single on red, heart-shaped vinyl. (Mayer Hawthorne’s MySpace)

Best tracks: “Maybe So, Maybe No,” “The Ills”

Watch: “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out”

Noah and the Whale – The First Days of Spring (Cherry Tree)

Noah and the Whale’s debut LP, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, was one of my favorite records of last year, so I was super excited for this to come out. The First Days of Spring is quite a breakup album, supposedly about frontman Charlie Fink’s relationship with another favorite artist of mine, Laura Marling. Knowing that, it’s not surprising that it isn’t the same sunny sound on the band’s first record, and that’s OK. There’s also a film that goes with the record, which I haven’t seen yet…hopefully that will happen soon. Oh shit, I also just read that their trailer—with ALL their equipment—was stolen a few days ago! Ugh, that’s so sad. (Noah and the Whale’s MySpace)

Best tracks: “Blue Skies,” “Love Of An Orchestra”
Watch: Trailer for The First Days Of Spring here.

Fanfarlo – Reservoir (Atlantic)

I really hate saying bands sound like other bands, but it’s impossible to avoid it on this one… Arcade Fire, Beirut, Noah and the Whale. They’re essentially a bunch of kids from the UK who play orchestral pop with lots of literary/historical references (“I’m A Pilot” is about the aviator Howard Hughes) and a bazillion instruments. (Fanfarlo’s MySpace)

Best tracks: “Luna” [MP3], “I’m A Pilot” [MP3]

Port O’Brien – Threadbare (TBD)

I don’t know much about this band, but I loved their album The Wind And The Swell, which is pretty hazy lo-fi with lots of acoustic guitars and shouted, multi-voiced choruses. Threadbare seems pretty similar and, like the other record, it’s a little rough-sounding, but I think that’s part of what I like about it.

Best tracks: “Oslo Campfire,” “Sour Milk / Salt Water”
Listen: “My Will Is Good” [MP3]

Jemina Pearl – Break It Up (Ecstatic Peace/Universal)

First solo release from the former Be Your Own Pet frontlady Jemina Pearl. She’s bratty and made a record that mixes punk, pop, ’60s girl group–type stuff. I don’t love all the songs (“After Hours,” not so much) but overall it’s a lot of fun and worth listening to if you listened to BYOP.

Best tracks: “Ecstatic Appeal,” “I Hate People (feat. Iggy Pop)” [MP3]

Other notable records out this week that I haven’t had a chance to really check out yet: Kid Sister – Ultraviolet (Downtown), The Very Best – Warm Heart Of Africa (Green Owl), the xx – s/t (Matador)

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Quick life update

July 2, 2009 Leave a comment

Lots of stuff going on right now:

- As of yesterday I’m officially done with school forever. Hello, B.A. in journalism from Michigan State University!
- About a month ago I stepped down from my position as concert reviews editor for venuszine.com. I held down the live reviews section of the site for a year and a half (during which time I edited almost 300 concert reviews), and while it was an invaluable learning experience, I needed more time to focus on some other projects.
- For now I’m a full-time freelancer—or unemployed, but I think the former sounds a little bit better. I’m writing a lot for Billboard (most recently have done stories on Regina Spektor and Those Darlins), and have at least one other outlet in the works.
- I also started transcribing interviews for a couple of writers, which I hope will lead to more work in the future (from them or anyone else). If you need a transcription service, get in touch.
- I’m moving to Brooklyn in September! My wonderful friend/future roommate Grace and I are going to look at apartments July 31 to Aug. 5 and want to sign a year lease for Sept. 1. Any tips on apartment-hunting in New York?
- The obvious question after this is: Do you have a job lined up? The answer is no—at least not yet. More than likely, I’ll be freelancing and working part-time for a while (and I’m absolutely OK with that idea), but nothing is for sure.

So, the next two months will consist of lots of cleaning, packing, planning, Craigslist-ing, writing, spending time with family, and having perhaps way too much fun with my best friends while I can. Happy summer!

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Happy 2009! Music to look forward to this year

January 11, 2009 1 Comment

Whoops, it’s been about a month since my last post. I have a pretty good excuse though: I was in New York for a weekend, then spent 10 days in Israel on a Taglit/Birthright trip, which was absolutely amazing! Since then I’ve been relaxing and getting ready for my last full semester at MSU. Six college classes away from freedom!

Anyway, here are a few albums I’m looking forward to this year, aside from the obvious Decemberists, Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Neko Case (that I haven’t heard yet):

- Joker’s Daughter – The Last Laugh, out Feb. 3 on Team Love
Joker’s Daughter is folk-pop singer-songwriter-instrumentalist Helena Costas. The album is produced by Danger Mouse and also has some help from Sparklehorse.

- Anni Rossi – Rockwell, out in March on 4AD
I saw Anni Rossi open for the Ting Tings in NYC this summer and she was awesome — she plays violin (or maybe viola?), is on to the looping pedal trend, and aside from that and singing she stomped on top of a suitcase and made other sound effects. She released an EP called Afton in October, also on 4AD, but this is her first full-length.

- Bishop Allen – Grrr…, out March 10 on Dead Oceans
These guys have been around for a while and hopefully will get a little bigger than they are now. They’re super-happy pop rock, and on a great label.

A few more: Alela Diane (Feb. 3), Marissa Nadler (March 3), Julie Doiron (March 10), Harlem Shakes (March 24), Lady Sovereign (April 7), Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek (April 7), Immaculate Machine (feat. Kathryn Caulder of the New Pornographers, April 21), Architecture in Helsinki (??)

Some albums YOU should look forward to this year:

- Matt & Kim – Grand, out Jan. 20 on Fader
This is the couple/band’s second full-length and the whole album rocks, but the first single, “Daylight,” is AMAZING:

- A.C. Newman (of the New Pornographers) – Get Guilty, out Jan. 20 on Matador
I love the New Pornographers and all of the band members’ other projects. Since Carl “A.C.” Newman uses some of them, and other guests like Mates of State, on his second solo record, it sounds a lot like the Pornos’ stuff, just a lot lighter on the female backing vocals.

- The Bird and the Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future, out Jan. 27 on Blue Note
Inara George and Greg Kurstin make wonderful dancey music with really quirky lyrics that don’t totally match up with Inara’s really sweet voice. You might’ve heard the song “Fucking Boyfriend” from their self-titled LP that came out in 2007.
Hilarious video for “Polite Dance Song,” which was on an EP but also is on the new record:

- An Horse – Rearrange Beds, out Feb. 10 on mom & pop music co.
Ignore the incorrect grammar — they got their break from Tegan Quin of Tegan & Sara, and if you like them you will like this Aussie guy-girl duo too.

- Angus & Julia Stone -A Book Like This, out March 3 on Nettwerk
They’re another Aussie guy-girl duo, who apparently are huge Down Under, but they’re brother and sister and a lot more acoustic/laid back than An Horse.

- Mirah – (a)spera, out March 10 on K Records
Mirah is one of my favorite singer-songwriters (and she’s Jewish!). The new album, although I have no clue what its title means, has more orchestration but other than that isn’t insanely different from her other stuff, which is just fine with me.

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Ticketmaster fail

November 18, 2008 Leave a comment

Sucks to be the intern (presumably) who screwed this up:


(click for full size)

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Oh, Amanda Palmer …

November 17, 2008 Leave a comment

… I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little creeped out by the slightly disturbing marketing campaign for your (awesome) album.

unmarked envelope:

dead (and other) photos — click for full size:

“missing” article:

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Save our magazines!

November 17, 2008 Leave a comment

Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows that magazines are in trouble. Too many of them have folded in the past couple of years, and many are on their last leg, or at least struggling. One way you can help them out is to buy magazine subscriptions for friends and family as holiday gifts.

My good friend Carlye made a little Web site about this, subscriptionsforchristmas.tumblr.com, which has an extensive list of magazines and links to their subscription pages.

So please, for the sake of my future career (ha), buy at least one subscription as a gift this year.

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My 15-year-old self is flipping out

November 16, 2008 Leave a comment

The Get Up Kids are playing a reunion show in Kansas City tonight, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the album Something to Write Home About. I went through lots of (mostly embarrassing) favorite bands in high school, but the Get Up Kids were at the top of my list from freshman year through graduation, during which time I went to four of their shows, including their last Detroit stop in June 2005. And recently I’ve been on a Get Up Kids listening spree, so this news is especially exciting!

I’m praying that this one-off gig means a full tour, and hopefully a stop in Michigan (or Chicago or Ohio or pretty much anywhere within, say, five hours of East Lansing). Who’s with me?

Check out “Ten Minutes” from Something to Write Home About, performed at their last show ever (until tonight):

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Apple Genius playlist of the week! (first song: No Doubt – ‘Just A Girl’)

October 27, 2008 Leave a comment

I’m going to start doing this, since I haven’t had a whole ton of other stuff to post lately.

In case you haven’t yet experienced the awesomeness that is Apple Genius, how it works is you choose a song and out pops a 25-song playlist based on what will probably go well with the chosen song.

I was driving home to my dad’s house on Friday and got a random urge to listen to No Doubt, which made me think, “Hmmm, I bet ‘Just A Girl’ will make an awesome playlist.” Here’s what my iPod came up with:

1. No Doubt – Just a Girl
2. Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know
3. Green Day – Basket Case
4. Weezer – Buddy Holly
5. The Cardigans – Love Fool
6. U2 – Mysterious Ways
7. Stone Temple Pilots – Creep
8. Hole – Celebrity Skin
9. The Spin Doctors – Two Princes
10. Goo Goo Dolls – Name
11. Barenaked Ladies – One Week
12. Eve6 – Inside Out
13. No Doubt – Don’t Speak
14. Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy
15. Alanis Morissette – Ironic
16. Weezer – Hash Pipe
17. Matchbox20 – 3 a.m.
18. Fiona Apple – Criminal
19. Cake – The Distance
20. Stone Temple Pilots – Plush
21. Beck – Loser
22. The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
23. Nirvana – Lithium
24. Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
25. The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)

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Another reason why Mates of State are adorable

August 31, 2008 1 Comment


(Mates of State at NYC’s Highline Ballroom on Aug. 7)

I’ve been on a huge Mates of State kick lately, mostly because I was supposed to have their new album sent to me in late April-ish (it was released May 20), sometime before I left for New York. It must have gotten lost in the mail or sent out late, but when I got back to East Lansing a week and a half ago I had a pile of about 20 CDs in bubble mailer packages waiting for me at my co-op house (sorry to the people who lived here in the summer! They were probably confused), and one of them had their album, Re-Arrange Us, in it. I felt like I already knew half the songs because I saw MoS twice in the summer (three if you count their DJ set at Venus Zine’s pre-Lollapalooza party) and they played a lot of stuff from the album.

Anyway, it’s an amazing record, quite different from their older stuff. I think it’s less screamy (not that they scream much, but I’m not sure how else to describe it), more melodic, not as many distorted synths, and it’s still super happy and lovely and just great.

So while I was poking around online I came across Band on the Diaper Run, the blog singer/keyboardist Kori Gardner keeps about her and husband/drummer/singer Jason Hammel’s lives on the road with their two daughters, Magnolia and June, who are, respectively, 4 years and a few months old (the blog is part of Babble, a parenting magazine).

Among the many fun/funny/awesome things I learned from the blog:
- Kori left dirty underwear at Ben Gibbard’s house
- June loves A.C. Newman’s beard, and MoS are doing some backup-vocals on A.C’s upcoming solo album
- Magnolia was dancing onstage at Lollapalooza, and I was there and totally didn’t notice (but there’s a freaking adorable video of it)

There also are tons and tons of super adorable photos of Kori and Jason and their kids. I’m done gushing (for now), but go check it out! And check out their new-ish album, Re-Arrange Us. I’m going to see them again next month in Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo and am now even more excited.

Clip of Kori and Jason before their DJ set at the Venus Zine pre-Lolla party
Mates of State’s MySpace
Mates of State’s Web site

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I promise I’m still alive …

August 25, 2008 Leave a comment

… but life as of late has consisted mostly of packing, unpacking, and packing again, and I haven’t really had anything to post. I left New York, moved home to my dad’s house for a few days, and then moved back to good ol’ East Lansing, Mich., for my last two and a half semesters at MSU.

On a scale from one to New York, Michigan is about a -47 so most posts will probably be about new stories and such, but I’ll try to keep this somewhat interesting. At the moment, I’m freaking out because all of a sudden I have this thing called free time. It’s a pretty new concept for me and I’m not quite sure what to do with it. Any ideas?

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