MP3s Archives

Damn you Britt Daniel. Here I am trying to move on with my musical life and go about listening to someone, anyone other than your band and you go and release a single/E.P. for "Don't You Evah" and I go and get the damn song stuck in my head. For days. Mostly because Ted Leo's "I Want It Hotter Remix" totally lives up to its name. I downloaded it a few weeks ago from here but I just got around to listening to it on Thursday. Big mistake. Been humming the melody ever since.

[mp3] Spoon | Don't You Evah (Ted Leo's I Want It Hotter Remix)

Also, in my travels to find that remix again (had it on the work computer, but not the home one) I came across this Triple J radio broadcast from Australia. You're welcome.

[mp3] Spoon | Don't You Evah (live on Triple J)
[mp3] Spoon | You Got Yr Cherry Bomb (live on Triple J)

The Don't You Evah single is out now and if you live on the West Coast you have a few chances to see the band in the coming months. Ted Leo, of course, is opening for Pearl Jam this summer.

Echo & the Bunnymen will perform their classic album "Ocean Rain" in its entirety at Radio City Music Hall on October 1st.

This is my favorite version of the album's title track.

[mp3] Echo & the Bunnymen | Ocean Rain (Peel Session)

Woah.

[mp3] Spoon | Cherry Bomb (demo)

[via Frank]

In advance of Thursday's show at the Rock and Roll Hotel with openers The City Veins (doors at 8 p.m., buy tickets here!), I spoke with Robbers on High Street lead singer/guitarist/keyboardist Ben Trokan about the group's latest album, Grand Animals, and the band's penchant for, among other things, choosing cover songs.

I wanted to start off talking about Grand Animals, which came out last year. It seems more varid than your debut record. I felt like your first record had this hurried feeling to it, while this one is more laid back.

Well, that one was recorded a lot more live than this record. I don't know, with that one we just tried to make the best power pop record we could do with the songs we had. That was the plan. But with this one, we had talked about making this one have a mixed tape sort of feel.

Peter Katis produced your first record, but for this record you imported an Italian, Daniele Luppi, to man the boards.

Yeah, he did the cool string part on (Gnarls Barkley's) "Crazy," and all the bass arrangements.

How did you find him?

He had put out his own record, this really cool instrumental record he did with these 60 year old Roman guys that recorded all of the spaghetti westerns, they were like the house band. It's a pretty interesting record actually. Well, we heard that record and then through a mutual contact, his name came up. It's an unorthodox choice I guess, because he'd never recorded a rock band before. Peter's sort of like, you let him deal with the sonics and you tell him if you like it or not. He stays out of your way in terms of the songs. This was more of a producer in a traditional role.

So if this was his first time recording a rock band, was it a learning curve for him as well?

It was. There were some grueling moments during tracking. He's pretty thorough. And, of course, he's Italian! So he sticks to his fucking guns. And we have some really strong ideas as well, so...

With their SXSW performance tomorrow (you can listen to the webcast on NPR) and the news that Accelerate will debut on iLike/Facebook on March 24th, the hype for R.E.M.'s new album is everywhere. I sure as hell hope it lives up to expectations. Editors lead singer Tom Smith liked what he heard from the album when I talked to him in January.

Here's the first video from the album, for the track "Supernatural Superserious," a decent song but not a classic by any means.

If you want a classic, try this on for size:

[mp3] R.E.M. | So. Central Rain (live in Cologne, 2001)

You can get the entire show (2 CD's worth) here.

I'm still excited about seeing Stipe & Co. this summer with Modest Mouse and The National. I haven't seen R.E.M. since the Up tour. I just couldn't bear to pay the $75 for tickets to DAR last time they toured.

You know how certain songs always make your day a little bit better no matter when you hear them?

This is one of those songs.

It just came on my iPod and made me very happy.

[mp3] Rolling Stones | Moonlight Mile

Hat tip to So Well Remembered and the Hype Machine.

At work but still sick. Hence my brevity.

Things I'm loving right about now

• Leap Day!


• Tissues with lotion in them.


• Ted Leo emailing me to tell me he likes the new design of the leafblower. Best.


• PJ Brown.


• The prospective Allen - Alien backcourt.


• Last night's LOST episode. Holy Fuck.


• The High Places LP 03/07 - 09/07. Saw them and loved them last year at Whartscape.


• Panda Bear's Person Pitch. Gruff played me the first song off this album on the tour bus in D.C. It's amazing, like a Beach Boys side project produced by DJ Shadow.

Things I am rather "meh" about right now

• SXSW. I do not care what artists you have playing there.


• Traveling again this weekend.


• Citibank canceling my debit card to "protect my checking account" from identity theft. That's great, but how about telling me before you do it next time, okay?


• Coughing up green stuff.


• Still being sick after three days.

Here are some of the links that have been clogging up my inbox during my work-imposed blogging hiatus.

[mp3] The Mountain Goats | Sax Rohmer #1
New record HERETIC PRIDE out now.

[mp3] The Whigs | Right Hand on My Heart
Heard nothing but good things about this band, mostly from this guy. They start a short tour with the Spinto Band in the next few days.

[mp3] Ghostland Observatory | Dancin' On My Grave (Let There Be Vinyl remix)
At the 9:30 Club on March 29th.

[mp3] Nik Freitas | Sun Down
My friend (yes I'm a name dropper) Jim Fairchild can't say enough good things about Mr. Freitas. Instrumental Analysis concurs.

[mp3] These United States | First Sight
Local boys finally doing some good away from home. Can't recommend these guys enough, but you can see for yourself in March.

[mp3] Say Hi | Northwestern Girls
[mp3] Say Hi | Toil And Trouble
[mp3] Say Hi | Zero To Love
I am loving Say Hi's new album The Wishes And The Glitch. Droney, dream pop at its best. Playing the Black Cat on March 4th. I'll be there.

[mp3] Dead Meadow | I'm Gone
[mp3] Dead Meadow | What Needs Will Be
Unofficial favorite band of the Super Furry Animals. Bunf never shuts up about them.

[mp3] Bowerbirds | In Our Talon
Played the Black Cat on Sunday.

[mp3] The Big Sleep | Bad Blood
New Record, Sleep Forever, out February 19th.

[mp3] Say Hi | Northwestern Girls
Hitting D.C. on March 4th at the Black Cat. New album The Wishes And The Glitch, in stores February 5th.

[mp3] The Whigs | Right Hand on My Heart
Their album, Mission Control, is out January 22nd.

[mp3] Headlights | Cherry Tulips
New album Some Racing, Some Stopping out on Polyvinyl on Feb. 19th.

[mp3] Del the Funky Homosapien | Bubble Pop
Eleventh Hour to be released on March 11th via Definitive Jux.

[mp3] Bodies of Water | I Guess I'll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess
U.S. tour With Sons & Daughters starts in February.

Also, about that Yeasayer/MGMT show...Yeasayer is totally not my thing. I like music with, you know, actual hooks, which were not exactly in plentiful supply when they were on the stage. MGMT, on the other hand, were fabulous. They're a total anachronism, an indie band from Brooklyn straight out of the 70's mixing Mercury Rev with Spinal Tap (seriously), CSN, Christopher Cross and Hall and Oates. I don't know if I would sit around and listen to their CD, but they were great live. I would definitely go see them again.

Also, big ups to the Black Cat for putting on a great show. Everyone was making this big fuss about getting the show upstairs in the main room, but Yeasayer went so far as to say they like playing small rooms more right now and it was actually a really smart move on their part. Instead of a barely half-filled bigger room, we got an intimate and cozy performance that left people wanting more. And for the record, there were plenty of people there just to see MGMT.

The show was not oversold (which pleasantly surprised me given the ticket demand) and there was plenty of room to move about near the back of the room. The sound in the Backstage has also improved by leaps and bounds. Other than maybe the Beck show from last year, that was the best sounding show I've ever heard in the Backstage. It's easy to tell the club has made some major improvements to that room.

Thankfully I have a pretty slow week coming up as far as shows go. I'll be checking out The Soft Complex tonight at the Cat as well as ex-Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs on Wednesday. I'm debating on checking out Neil Young later in the week but I don't want to go if he's only going to play new stuff. I REALLY want to go see Ghostface and Rakim on Sunday, but it's the late show (Doors at 10) and I figure they won't even go on until well past my bedtime. Shame. That I'm an old man that is. Here are the rest of the week's shows.

Monday:

> VHS or Beta w/ Moving Units & Soft Complex @ Black Cat
- Click here to download The Soft Complex's "Barcelona"
> Bruce Springsteen @ Verizon Center

Tuesday:
> Against Me! w/ Sage Francis @ 9:30 Club

Wednesday:
> Deborah Harry w/ Kristoffer Ragnstam @ 9:30 Club
> Euros Childs @ DC9
[MP3] Euros Childs | The First Time I Saw You
[MP3] Euros Childs | Billy and the SugarLoaf Mountain (live)
[MP3] Euros Childs | Teen Angel

Thursday:

> Enon w/ Love of Diagrams @ RnR Hotel
[MP3] Love of Diagrams | The Pyramid
[MP3] Love of Diagrams | Pace or the Patience
> Neil Young @ DAR Constitution Hall
> The Reverend Horton Heat w/ Hank III & Nashville Pussy @ 9:30 Club

Friday:

> Georgie James w/ Aqueduct @ Black Cat
[MP3] Georgie James | Need Your Needs
[MP3] Georgie James | Cake Parade
> Ani DiFranco w/ Buddy Wakefield @ 9:30 Club
> The Bird and the Bee @ RnR Hotel
> Neil Young @ DAR Constitution Hall

Saturday:

> Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ RnR Hotel
[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood
[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Love Song No. 7
[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Underwater (You and Me)
> Electric Six w/ Willowz @ Black Cat

Sunday:

> Ghostface Killah w/ Rakim & Brother Ali @ 9:30 Club (late)
> Broken Social Scene Plays Kevin Drew's Spirit If @ 9:30 Club (early)
> Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ RnR Hotel