After a wait of nearly four years since their breakthrough full-length, "The Trials of Van Occupanther", Midlake returned with last Tuesday's arrival of their third album, "The Courage of Others". Criticism has been wide-ranging, from unqualified raves (see the AVClub) to flat-out dismissals (from you know who), and while I fall somewhere in the middle, I'm definitely heading in the direction of 'rave'.

Though I was immediately impressed upon Van Occupanther's release, it did take awhile for its magic to truly charm me, so I'm hesitant to judge this new one too quickly. It has the disadvantage of increased expectations, and if you come looking for the catchier, more upbeat side of the band (a la signature song, "Roscoe"), you'll have to look elsewhere. The hooks here are subtler, more drawn out... sometimes hard to find at all. "The Courage Of Others" is a drastically moodier affair - the band takes a fair amount of risk within the sonic box they've placed themselves in.

During the long wait for the album I wondered, given that every review of their previous one mentioned the same 70's touchstones (Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention, etc), if the band took so long in an over-thought effort to reinvent themselves. Well, the answer is very simply no, but they've definitely gone darker and deeper, and are taking hits for it. For every band that tries too hard to change up their formula and fails hard, there are those that work within what they know (and what many love them for) to craft a worthy follow-up. I think that's where Midlake is at, coming up with a collection of songs that is just different enough from its predecessor to avoid redundancy, yet still rub a few followers the wrong way.


Thanks to the folks at Filter, I've got a couple copies of Midlake's "The Courage of Others" on CD to hand out to 'Nac readers. If you reside in the continental U.S., drop an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com entitled "MIDLAKE" before this coming Friday, February 12th at 9am. I'll fire up the randomizer and pick two winners that day, then get in touch for mailing addresses.


As the ceaseless (and increasingly rapid) consume/judge/move-on cycle that is today's internet-music-review-machine chews new albums up and spits 'em out, I look forward to spending the rest of the winter letting this one sink in, and to Midlake's April 9th stop in Boston near the end up their upcoming U.S. tour. I remember very distinctly their visit to TT the Bears back in 2006, playing first of three bands, and how enamored I was of their live set. They headlined both the Middle East Upstairs and then the Paradise the following year, but haven't been back since. (and thanks to Kevin in the comments for setting me straight on those headlining gigs, both of which I missed. The 'Nac intern responsible for fact-checking has been sacked)


Stream "The Courage Of Others" over at NPR, and if you're in the Boston area, stop by Newbury Comics, where I picked up the CD for a measly $7.99 (with a sticker on the front that ironically included previous praise from P4K). A nice surprise? Finding an insert inside with a download code for bonus track "Rose Of Dawn" (which easily measures up to the rest of the album) and a hi-res quicktime file of the Jason-Lee-directed teaser film above. Which could be looked at as an attempt to culturally balance out his work in the Chipmunk films.

Labels: giveaways

posted by brad at 3:16 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

As far as my ears are concerned, yesterday was the first major multi-album new music release day of 2010, so it's past time for my annual list of what I'm looking forward to in the months ahead. I've included albums with solid dates, some with ballpark estimates, a few that are mere whispers on the wind. Oh, and a couple of pure fantasies. A boy can dream, can't he?

Keep in mind, this is not even close to a comprehensive rundown of what's supposed to be coming out - just the stuff I have high hopes for. If it's not on here, I'm either apathetic at best or totally unaware. That said, go ahead and let me know what you're looking forward to this year, and any guesses you have at surprises that might show up down the road...

(note: Labels and release dates are U.S.-centric. And when available, label name links will send you to pre-order info for each album. So, y'know, go ahead and do that. I've also made all the MP3s linked here available in one handy .zip file, linked at the bottom.)

JANUARY 2010

Major Stars - "Return To Form" [Jan. 26th on Drag City]
            [MP3] "The Space You Know"

The Magnetic Fields - "Realism" [Jan. 26th on Nonesuch]
            [Stream] the entire album at Drowned In Sound

Retribution Gospel Choir - "2" [Jan. 26th on Sub Pop]
            [MP3] "Hide It Away"
            [Stream] the entire album

Boy Genius - "Staggering" [Jan. 26th on Greenpop Recordings]
            [MP3] "Blame Love"

Beach House -"Teen Dream" [Jan. 26th on Sub Pop]
            [MP3] "Norway"

Los Campesinos! - "Romance Is Boring" [Jan. 26th on Arts & Crafts]
            [MP3] "Romance Is Boring"

FEBRUARY 2010

Midlake - "The Courage of Others" [Feb. 2nd on Bella Union]
            [MP3] "Rulers, Ruling All Things"
            [Stream] The album at NPR
            [Watch] album teaser trailer

The Album Leaf - "A Chorus of Storytellers" [Feb. 2nd on Sub Pop]
            [MP3] "Falling From The Sun"

Chris Page (The Stand GT/Camp Radio) - "A Date With A Smoke Machine"
         [Feb. 16th on Kelp Records]
            [MP3] "Two Twenty Twos"

Robert Pollard - "We All Got Out of the Army" [Feb. 23rd on GVB Inc]

Field Music - "Measure" [Feb. 16th on Memphis Industries]
            [MP3] "Measure"

Quasi - "American Gong" [Feb. 23rd on Kill Rock Stars]
            [MP3] "Repulsion"

Eluvium - "Similes" [February 23rd on Temporary Residence]
            [MP3] "The Motion Makes Me Laugh"

Shearwater - "The Golden Archipelago" [Feb. 23rd on Matador]
            [MP3] "Black Eyes"

Various Artists - "Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox" (physical release) [Feb. 23rd on Merge]
            [Stream] the album at Merge

MARCH 2010

Rogue Wave - "Permalight" [March 2nd on Brushfire]
            [MP3] "Good Morning"

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "The Brutalist Bricks" [March 9th on Matador]
            [MP3] "Even Heroes Have To Die"

The Morning Benders - "Big Echo" [March 9th on Rough Trade/Beggars]
            [MP3] "Promises"

Love Is All - "Two Thousand And Ten Injuries" [March 16th on Polyvinyl]
            [MP3] "Kungen"

Bettie Serveert - "Pharmacy of Love" [March 23rd on Second Motion]
            [Video] "Deny All"

Jonsi Birgisson (of Sigur Ros) - "Go" [March 23rd on XL Recordings]
            [Stream ] "Boy Lilikoi" on his site

Radar Bros. - "The Illustrated Garden" [March 23rd on Merge]
            [MP3] "Horse Warriors"

Serena Maneesh - "S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor" [March 23rd on 4AD]
            [MP3] "Ayisa Abyss"

Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 - "Propellor Time" [March 23rd on Sartorial Records]
            The V3 are Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, & Bill Reiflin, and album guests include
            Johnny Marr, Nick Lowe, Egyptian/Soft Boy Morris Windsor & John Paul Jones

Let's Wrestle - "In the Court of the Wrestling Let's" [March 23rd on Merge]
            [MP3] "We Are the Men You'll Grow to Love Soon"
            [Video] "We Are the Men You'll Grow to Love Soon"

APRIL 2010

Elliott Smith - "Roman Candle" and "From a Basement on a Hill"
         (vinyl resissues/remastered) [April 6th on Kill Rock Stars]

Red Sparowes - "The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer"
         [April 6th on Sargent House]
            [Video] album teaser

The Tallest Man on Earth - "The Wild Hunt" [April 13th on Dead Oceans]
            [MP3] "King of Spain"

The Break [ex-Midnight Oil/Violent Femmes] - "Church of the Open Sky"
         [April 16 on Bombora/MGM]
            [Stream] "Cylinders" on their site

Caribou - "Swim" [April 20th on Merge]
            [Download] New song "Odessa" in exchange for your email addy

The Radio Dept. - "Clinging To A Scheme" [April 21st on Labrador]
            [MP3] "Heaven's On Fire"

Walter Schreifels - "An Open Letter To The Scene" [April on Big Scary Monsters]

MAY 2010

The New Pornographers - "Together" [May 4th on Matador]

Paul Weller - "Wake Up the Nation" [May 4th on Yep Roc]

The National - title tba [May on 4AD]

Elsewhen in twenty-ten...

Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam - "Life Stream" - March/April
            [MP3] Download a demo

Tiny Pupils - sophomore album in early 2010

Kristin Hersh - "Crooked" [CASH music / Early 2010]
            [Stream] full album with a Strange Angels membership
            [MP3s] Download demos at CASH Music

Sennen - "Age Of Denial" [March 8th on Hungry Audio]
            [Video] For title track "Age Of Denial"
            [Stream] New songs on MySpace

Versus - in the studio
            [Stream] rough mix of new song "Neither Nor" on Myspace

Boston Spaceships - [EP in April/Album in June]

Bottomless Pit - "Blood Under The Bridge" ("...expect a summer release.")

WALLcreeper - Boston-based band's debut album (mems. of Karate/Blanketeer)

Soft Power (Mary Timony's new band) - in the studio last Fall

Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody - "I Could Sleep For A Thousand Years"

Crowded House

Buffalo Tom

School of Seven Bells - "Disconnect From Desire" [Spring on Vagrant]

British Sea Power - "...recording is 95% finished"

Tokyo Police Club [early 2010 on Mom+Pop]

Clean Equations - debut full-length

The Twilight Singers - "...upcoming album and tour"

Tara Jane O'Neil & Lori Goldston - Soundtrack selections from the films
         "Bass Ackwards" and "Great Speeches From A Dying World"

The Joy Formidable - first full-lengther
            [Download] new song "Greyhounds in the Slips" in exchange for your email addy

Optimistically on the way...

Arcade Fire

Autolux - "Transit Transit"

Broken Social Scene

The Cure's supposedly darker companion to "4:13 Dream" is "... slowly taking shape".

Interpol

The Long Winters

Now Now Every Children

Rival Schools

You Can Be A Wesley

And in my dreams...

The long-awaited new Idaho album? ("...shooting for late spring")

Some new Arcwelder songs? (if only)

Harriet Wheeler's voice on something... anything
            (hey, we got Liz Fraser's return recently, so why not?)

[DOWNLOAD]: A 135MB .zip file of all the MP3s linked above.

Ok, so sound off in the comments with what I missed, what you care about, and what you're hoping for in 2010...

posted by brad at 12:25 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Well, here it is, now pulling into the station... the caboose at the very end of the too-long train of "best of 2009" music blogger posts, three weeks into the new year. And, as ever, it most certainly is not a "best of", but simply a "my favorites" - the albums that soundtracked my own personal year. But you knew that.

I've said it before, and I'll say it one last time for emphasis: My 2009, particularly the latter half, sucked. And blew. And whatever degrees of inhaling and exhaling of badness you can come up with. Yup, it was the very definition of "not good". In fact, it would be tough to fathom a more difficult 6-month stretch (and no, that is not a challenge, oh make-believe chess player in the sky. Ease off!). But without the albums listed below, these artists, it would have been a whole lot worse.

It should be noted that, because there were so many, I've separated out my favorite albums by Boston-based bands and will post that list sometime soon, and hope to throw together a list of my favorite live shows of the year as well. At some point. Ideally before we hit 2011. Sigh.

For now, though, listed alphabetically (no silly numerical ranking for me), here are the full-lengthers (and a few EPs) that defined my Oh-Nine music-listening. I tried, and failed, to limit myself to twenty records, which goes to show what a strong musical year it was. There are even plenty of albums I didn't get a chance to spend time with that I fully intended to. And still hope to.

I commented on many of these artists and albums in my favorite songs of the year post, so head there for some commentary, and a bit more at the bottom here. Not that I'm expecting you to make it all the way through, but hey, a couple of you might. I've shared an MP3 for each entry if one was made freely available by the artist, and if not, I've included a link to where you can take a listen. And if you click on the label names below each release, you'll be taken to a page where you can buy the album directly. I've also, for the first time, made a big honkin' zip file of all the songs shared here at the end, including a few bonus tracks not linked below. Off we go then...


In the "Released in 2009 overseas but here in the U.S. in 2010" category (meaning it will also fall on my 'faves of 2010' list), we have...


In the rare "Various Artists" category, which I'm not sure I've ever had show up a previous yearly faves list...


And finally, a few 2009 EPs I adored...



Whenever I post one of these, I like to take a look at my "looking forward to in 2009" post to see which albums missed the mark, which ones surprised me, and which ones never showed. For a look back at my faves of years passed, here you go: 2008, 2007, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 2001. Yes, I missed a couple years in there thanks to overall internet-list-burnout. Won't happen again, sir.

Next up: My favorite boston-area releases, live shows, and a look ahead at 2010...

posted by brad at 9:25 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

With the emotional sh*tstorm that enveloped me late last year, a few things had to fall aside, and sadly one of them was my regularly-scheduled DJ night at River Gods in Cambridge. I haven't been up in the booth since August, and while December's Bazaar Bizarre set went a long way towards satisfying my DJ jones, the five-month break from RGs was too damn long.

Last night, that break ended as I once again joined my pal Chris Marstall (of peerless live concert scheduling site Tourfilter) to split a Thursday song-sharing slot at one of my favorite bars. I put together two hours worth of tracks by bands who are coming to town within the next couple months, and it went a little something like this...

Bradley's Almanac
Tourfilter DJ Night playlist
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
@ River Gods, Cambridge, MA

01. Kings of Convenience - "Renegade"
       playing @ the Paradise on Friday, February 12th
02. Jonathan Richman - "Because Her Beauty Is Raw And Wild"
       playing @ the Middle East Upstairs on February 16th, 17th, & 18th
03. Taken By Trees - "Greyest Love Of All"
       playing @ the Cambridge YMCA theatre on Friday, February 19th
04. The Clientele - "Bonfires On The Heath"
       playing @ Great Scott on Sunday, March 21st
05. Midlake - "Rulers Ruling All Things"
       playing @ the Paradise on Friday, April 9th
06. The Novel Ideas - "Julian Carax"
       playing @ Church on Friday, January 29th
07. Ryan Lee Crosby - "Nicoline"
       playing @ TT the Bears on Monday, February 5th with Elio Deluca
       and then as a quartet on Feb. 22nd
08. Shearwater - "Black Eyes"
       playing @ TT the Bears on Tuesday, March 30th
09. Field Music - "Measure"
       playing @ Great Scott on Sunday, March 21st
10. Beach House - "Norway"
       playing @ the Paradise on Sunday, March 28th
11. The XX - "Islands"
       playing @ the Paradise on Friday, April 2nd
12. Asobi Seksu - "Familiar Light"
       playing @ Cafe 939 on Saturday, January 30th
13. The Antlers - "Two"
       playing @ House of Blues on Thursday, February 18th
14. Wye Oak - "Siamese"
       playing @ TT the Bears on Tuesday, March 30th
15. One Happy Island - "Temporary Tattoo"
       playing @ Great Scott on Monday, March 15th
16. Standard Fare - "A Night With A Friend"
       playing @ Great Scott on Monday, March 15th
17. Deerhunter - "Never Stops"
       playing @ the House of Blues on Saturday, March 27th with Spoon
18. Rogue Wave - "Good Morning"
       playing @ the Paradise on Monday, March 1st
19. Editors - "Munich"
       playing @ House of Blues on Thursday, February 18th
20. Love Is All - "Kungen"
       playing @ the Middle East Downstairs on Wednesday, March 31st
21. Obits - "Pine On"
       playing @ the Paradise on Saturday, April 10th
22. Quasi - "Repulsion"
       playing @ the Middle East Downstairs on Tuesday, April 20th
23. Mean Creek - "The Patient"
       playing @ TT the Bears on Wednesday, February 3rd
24. Dear Leader - "The Blue Print"
       playing @ the House of Blues on Saturday, January 30th
25. Girlfriends - "I Was Here But I Disappear"
       playing @ the Middle East Downstairs on Wednesday, March 31st
26. The Morning Benders - "Promises"
       playing @ TT the Bears on Saturday, April 17th
27. The Crushing Low - "Dead Man's Hands"
       playing @ Great Scott on Tuesday, February 2nd
28. Nada Surf - "Treading Water"
       playing @ the Paradise on Saturday, April 3rd
29. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - "Even Heroes Have To Die"
       playing @ the Paradise on Saturday, April 10th
30. Adam Franklin & The Bolts of Melody - "Surge"
       playing @ Great Scott on Tuesday, February 2nd
31. The Wedding Present - "What Have I Said Now"
       play their entire 1989 sophomore LP 'Bizarro'
       @ the Middle East Downstairs on Monday, April 12th
32. Retribution Gospel Choir - "Poor Man's Daughter"
       playing @ Great Scott on Thursday, January 28th

posted by brad at 12:41 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

In preamble, let's examine David Bazan's 2009: Play dozens of intimate, solo acoustic, and very sold-out house shows in living rooms across the country. After wrestling with it for a few years, finish up and release "Curse Your Branches", a genuinely revealing diary of his struggles with faith and alcohol - and the first full-length bearing his own name. While promoting said album through even-more-revealing interviews and acoustic performances, pull together and prepare a top-notch crew of talented friends for his first full-band tour since his days fronting Pedro the Lion. With funds provided from his loyal fanbase, buy a van so they can head out on the road. Embark on that tour and knock 'em dead. Head home to Seattle and his family for some much-deserved rest. Whew.

We here in the Boston area were fortunate to have David visit last year in both forms: An August solo acoustic house show in Beverly, MA (shared here), and just two months later, a club gig with his bandmates: Casey Foubert, Eric Elbogen, Andy Fitts, and Blake Wescott.

With the kind support of both his label and management, here is the sound of those five gentlemen knocking us dead on an October Tuesday night at Cambridge's TT the Bears. See below for even more DB tourdates, including more solo shows and another long U.S. tour that starts in March...


Some David Bazan links...

His official site, MySpace page, Wikipedia entry, Barsuk label page, and Undertow Music page. And if you're more than a casual DB fan, spend some time on the PTL.org forum and marvel at the minutia and occasional attempts at 'humor'.

Buy: Pick up "Curse Your Branches" direct from either Undertow or Barsuk. I highly recommend getting the vinyl version, which was mastered specifically for wax, and sounds phenomenal. Visit the Undertow store for a whole bunch more Bazan-related merch.

Additional Audio: Barsuk offers up an MP3 for "Bless This Mess" here on their CYB page. Download "Cold Beer and Cigarettes" from his first solo EP right here. David provided us with a ton of excellent audio while promoting the latest album, including live solo sessions for Daytrotter, The Current, and WNYC's Soundcheck.

Video: Hoo-boy. If you're ready to dive into live DB video, you need to set aside some time. Despite the relative lack of official videos (the best of which is the "Alone At The Microphone" DVD), there are live clips galore. And by "galore", I mean, "all over YouTube". When you play in dozens of strangers' living rooms over the course of a year, and play a couple months of excellent gigs, that shit is going to end up on the u-tubes, so start watching. Especially great is this very new video of David and Blake doing PTL classic "Bad Diary Days" at a house show just a few days back.

And have a look at the ABC News Amplified feature on Dave, which also had them sharing a couple clips from one of the first full-band shows at Pianos in NYC. Here are direct links to their performances of "Hard To Be" and "Bless This Mess".

Photos: All of my Flickr-hosted DB snaps are here. And here's a full DB Flickr tag search.

Upcoming tourdates: Lots! 2010 sees David emerging from his holiday break with more acoustic living room sets and full band shows. Sadly, none are in the Boston area, but we're a patient bunch, and we were spoiled last year. His solo appearances are on the West Coast, then all over Europe, and the full-band U.S. tour ends up hitting many of the spots he missed last year. Because he cares. See the entire itinerary here.

As always, you can easily stream every 'Nac-hosted MP3 through the Hype Machine.

the fine print... If anyone has an issue with these Mp3s being made available, just let me know (my contact info in the 'nac faq). Live sets recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then edited to 192kbps Mp3s. Files are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.

And while I'm at it, Happy Birthday to my mom. Who, at the very least, was responsible for me. And so much more. Thanks, Mom.

Labels: livemp3s

posted by brad at 10:47 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

And just as 2009 ends on the Almanac, so does 2010 begin... with a giveaway. Hey, I'm just trying to kill time while I work on my "faves of '09" post. And you're the beneficiary. Maybe.

So 2009 was a pretty damn good year for the men of Mission of Burma: They started with an amazing January live set at the Somerville Theatre (a benefit for the Arts at the Armory), spent much of the Spring in the studio laying down their their third post-reunion album, then released "The Sound The Speed The Light" to raves in early October. Throw in a dozen or so live dates around the country throughout the year, and that sounds like a relatively normal cycle for most successful bands. But there are a couple things that set these gents apart: Other so-called successful bands don't take a 20-year break and return just as prolific (yes, the release of this album means they've officially put out more music since their rebirth than they did during their first phase), and most bands don't have their hometown naming a freakin' day after them. Top that, young upstarts.

Just as MoB kick-started our musical 2009 with a Boston-area live show, so they will again this year, this time with a two-night stand at the Paradise on Friday and Saturday, January 15th and 16th. Courtesy of LiveNation, I've got a pair of guest list spots for the Saturday night show (with openers Bunnies) to hand out to a 'Nac reader. The all-too-familiar drill: Send an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, title it "MOB", and get it to me before, oh, let's say Wednesday the 13th at 12 noon. I'll pick one random winner and let them know shortly thereafter that they'll be on the following Saturday night's list with a +1. Sho' nuff.

Burma has a half dozen East Coast U.S. shows booked during the first couple months of the year, plus a few more in the mid-West later on, and will be playing at the first night of the Pavement-curated (and very sold-out) edition of All Tomorrow's Parties over in Minehead, UK this May. Check the full list of scheduled MoB dates right here, grab tickets to either of the Paradise shows (or a discounted 2-day pass) over here, and pick up your own copy of the excellent "The Sound The Speed The Light" from Matador. In case you haven't already heard it, here's something from the album...

[MP3] Mission of Burma - "1,2,3,Partyy!"
[VIDEO] Mission of Burma - "1,2,3,Partyy!"

Labels: giveaways

posted by brad at 8:05 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Let's send off the year with an Almanac giveaway, shall we?

As 2009 fades into the sunset, so does the year-long celebration that marked the Merge Records' 20th Anniversary. The beloved North Carolina-based label, which has helped soundtrack nearly the entire second half of my life, commemorated in a variety of ways: with some special releases, a 5-day live music blowout in July, and the massive, subscription-only SCORE! CD service. That insane undertaking finished up last week with the shipment of the final volumes (#13 and #14, for those keeping, um, score), along with a sturdy box to gather them all together. The collected discs are a thing of beauty, indeed...


If you look closely, you'll see 17 CDs and a book: 14 lovingly-curated Merge mix discs, 3 special compilations (Merge remixes, Merge cover songs, and a Scharpling & Wurster comedy album), and the Merge Records Companion book, which pulls together the cover art for every release they've had so far. Impressive is an understatement, especially when you look at the list of those who were invited to create those mix discs: Peter Buck, Phil Morrison, David Chang, Georgia Hubley, Jonathan Lethem, Alex Ross, Zach Galifianakis, Marcel Dzama, David Byrne, Miranda July, Kara Walker, Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, and Andrea Zitel. Something new showed up in my mailbox every month this year, like clockwork, and gave subscribers a close look at the Merge-related musical tastes of that varied list of celebrity fans. How the label is going to top this for their 25th anniversary is a true mystery. Sure do hope they try, though.


While I won't be sad to see 2009 in my review mirror (in summary - it sucked), there was one standout highlight: That five-day fest, aka XXMerge, down in Carrboro, NC, where I traveled all the way from my Boston home. Not just the musical high-watermark of my '09, but maybe my life, no foolin'. I spent too much time enjoying myself to properly document it here on the Almanac, but I did twitter a fair amount, and took a whole mess of photos. Can't look at them without wishing I was back inside the Cat's Cradle, hanging out at the OCSC, or on the kickball field. So much freakin' fun.

Alright, enough with making you envious... on to the point of this here post, which was not just to mark the end of SCORE! and Merge's wonderful 20th year, but to pass on a little anniversary present to an Almanac reader: A whole pile of Merge-related merch that I've gathered together with help from the label, and from Algonquin Books. Have a look...


Yes, one lucky sucker will be gifted with the following...

The book: A copy of "Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small", from Algonquin Books. It's a fantastic read, written by John Cook and label heads/Superchunk bandmates Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance, with a load of great photos from throughout their 20 year history. I've read a lot of music-related books, and this measures up to the best of 'em, as far as insight into how a label can be run the right way (as well as how so many majors do it wrong).

The music: Two short-players that Merge released this year: Superchunk's "Leaves In The Gutter" EP and Spoon's "Got Nuffin" single.

The art: Five posters, including one from Merge's 10th Anniversary, its 15th Anniversary, and a couple from July's XXMerge (the official XXMerge poster had a limited, numbered print run of 500, one of which will be yours).

The schwag: A handful of buttons from the label and their artists (including a couple of XXMerge ones) along with some Merge stickers, and an "Our Noise" bookmark.

The newspaper: The special Merge-centric edition of the Independent Weekly, the North Carolina-based paper who blew me away with their extensive coverage of the anniversary and the XXMerge bash.

So there you go, probably the best giveaway I've ever thrown down. I'll say this in my best Rod Roddy voice: All this can be yours for the low, low price of sending me an email titled "Merge Merch!" to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com before 12 Noon on Monday, January 11th. Two conditions: Tell me what your absolute favorite Merge-released album is, (note - this condition was added on the morning of January 1st, for my own amusement, no worries if you've already entered without naming one), and also be sure you live in the continental US or Canada, as the postage is already going to set me back a bit (remember, the Almanac runs on love, not pesky ads). I'll pick one random winner that very afternoon.

Ok then, off to your email program with ya. Oh, and Happy New Year and all that best wishes stuff. Oh, and one more thing - Thank you, Merge. For helping me make it through this year, and so many that preceded it. Keep the good stuff coming.

Labels: xxmerge

posted by brad at 1:23 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

A few Sundays back I once again had the honor of DJing the annual Bazaar Bizarre Boston, a massively multi-vendor crafy-fair that I'd attended many times before I was invited to actually show up and share a personal playlist. For me, it only starts feeling like the holiday season after I've spent an early-December afternoon there, and the fact that I get to provide the shopping soundtrack for a little while gives me more than a transient thrill. As long as they keep on inviting me, I'll keep on doing it.

Since the BazBizBos always arrives near the end of the year, I use it as an opportunity to spin some of my favorite songs of the previous 12 months during my too-short-shift. It was far more difficult to whittle it down this year - I had to cut a number of tracks I really wanted to include. The songs I did play give a pretty clear idea of what you'll find on my favorite albums of '09 list, assuming I ever get that finished.

One of the best parts of spinning songs for the browsing masses is when people come up to ask what's playing, or to see if there's a way they can see the whole playlist, and it happened a few times during my slot. I always say "I'll have the them listed on the Almanac very soon", and this time "soon" ended up being "later" than I'd hoped. So here it is, a bit overdue, but with bonus commentary on each song: The songs that comprised my 1-hour set for 2009 Bazaar Bizarre Boston, with links to the MP3s if they're made freely available by the band or their label. At the bottom you'll find a link to a .zip file containing all the shared tracks...

Bradley's Almanac
Bazarre Bizarre Boston 2009 Playlist
(aka "The BazBizBosNac09 Mix")

City Breathing - "A Place To Bury Old Mistakes" [MP3]

I tend to be buried in emails from bands, regardless of geography, and after falling in love with City Breathing this year, I was frustrated to find they'd emailed me a year and a half ago but were lost in the inbox shuffle. Oh, the wasted time I could have spent listening to them. Well, I'm making up for it now. Download all three of this Brooklyn trio's releases (a 2008 full-length, the 2009 EP that includes this song, and a brand new one that is a bit of a Christmas present) at their website.

The Novel Ideas - "The Sky" [MP3]

Naturally, those introductory emails come from a lot of Boston-area bands, and rarely does the music involved strike me as instantly and deeply as The Novel Ideas did a couple months ago. They ended up becoming a major part of my autumn soundtrack. Dynamic, multi-layered production, memorable melodies, male/female vocal interplay used perfectly. The word 'tasteful' comes to mind, but not the boring, stifled side... there's a restraint involved that's remarkable. For example - slide guitar tends to turn me off, as it can be over-used and over-mixed. But this band knows exactly how much (or, rather, how little) to sprinkle into the occasional song. Same with the harmonies, the gorgeous strings, with every other instrument. The song shared here is the opening track from their new full-length, "The Sky is a Field", which you can download or stream for free at their website (along with their 2007 debut). As I type this, I'm listening to the second half of the track "Julian Carax", and swooning.

Now, Now Every Children - "Have You Tried" [MP3]

It was a hectic year for this Minnepolis duo (who play live as a five-piece), with multiple tours and a proper re-release of their excellent debut, "Cars", on Afternoon Records in July. I was lucky to have them as part of my only 2009 "Almanac presents" show at TT's in May, and this is my favorite song from the album (shared exclusively here on the 'Nac with permission from Afternoon).

Telekinesis - "Coast Of Carolina" [MP3]

Another 2009 discovery, Seattle's Michael Lerner, thanks once again to Merge Records. If you go by the official Merge Companion, Telekinesis' self-titled debut is the final Merge release of their wonderful first 20 years. Hard to imagine a label with a better batting average. Can't wait to hear what Lerner has up his sleeve for a follow-up.

The Beatings - "Bury You" [MP3]

How this band, after a decade together, retains the spark of songwriting creativity that resulted in what may be the best Boston-made album of the year is a magical mystery. I'm just damn glad they've still got it. They've always been spoken well of among friends (hell, I was in a band that had a temporarily-titled song called 'The Beatings'), but for unknown reasons they'd mostly avoided my radar. This album finally, thankfully, fixed that. I promised myself I'd dive into their back catalog when I got sick of "Late Season Kids", but it feels like that will be a long time coming.

Hallelujah The Hills - "Blank Passports" [MP3]

A reason I had to put the "what may be one of" qualifier in front of "the best Boston-made albums of the year" is HtH's second full-lengther, "Colonial Drones". I don't like to throw the word epic around, but this one deserves it with a capital E. I adored their debut, but now it feels a little like a warm-up for what was to come - avoiding a sophomore slump with a sophomore soar.

Oh, and my favorite memory from DJing the Bazaar Bizarre this year, aside from Brendan putting on those headphones? Jon 'Jonnie Spaceman' Bernhardt momentarily recreating his dance moves from the "Blank Passports" video in front of me at the DJ table. Kills me just thinking about it.

Taxpayer - "Creatures Of Habit"

Now I generally don't agree with much of the nominees list for the Boston Phoenix's Best Music Poll (nothing against those listed, there's just too much missing), but this one they got right. Taxpayer's "Don't Steal My Night Vision" not only deserved to be on that list, but of those nominated, they probably should have taken home the prize. A total triumph of no-frills, hook-filled, guitar-based rawk. Just when you think that's been done to death in this town, Taxpayer comes along and breathes a little new life into it. This song is my fave from the disc, but isn't available as a freebie. Instead, here's the album's opening track, "We Have Arrived" [MP3]

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Higher Than The Stars" [MP3]

This Slumberland combo releases a debut album filled with songs that could have been singles, and then follows it up with an EP that contains possibly their best track yet. Despite the fact that the guitars are dialed down to let the synth shine. Bodes well for their next full-lengther, it does, but don't go gettin' totally keyboardy on me, kids... keep those distorted layers alive.

LoveLikeFire - "Signs" [MP3]

It's been a notable year for bands fronted by strong, confident female voices (Ume, You Could Be A Wesley, Heartless Bastards, Screaming Females, the next band on this list, a bunch more), and San Fran's LoveLikeFire sits high among them. Their latest is "Tear Ourselves Away", which has only seen a UK release so far, but will hit US shores early in the new year. So, yes, that will likely put them on both my '09 and '10 faves lists.

Sky Larkin - "Molten"

And by 'next band on this list', I meant UK trio Sky Larkin. It's pretty hard to find a weak track on their debut, "The Golden Spike", and I was gutted that they weren't able to schedule a Boston-area date during their East coast visit in October. So close, and yet so far away. Next year, promise?

The best way to hear a sample Sky Larkin song is to download the post-album track "Smarts", which was offered up for free (along with an acoustic version of excellent album track "Matador") right here - you'll just have to add your name to their mailing list. And after you hear 'em, you'll probably have no regrets about doing that.

Dylan In The Movies - "Josephine, If You Only Knew" [MP3]

Since the 2006 debut EP was released, waiting for a full-length from Boston's Dylan In The Movies has required no small amount of patience. In fact, it's taken so long that the official domain name has expired. But when I first heard this new song earlier this year, Brian Sullivan earned whatever patience is necessary. It's a stunner, and is also the upcoming album's title track. Keep an eye out for it to be released, at last, in spring 2010 on American Laundromat, and an ear out for guest appearances from Tanya Donelly (who co-wrote a track) and the Watson Twins.

Pants Yell! - "Not Wrong"

Ok, so I'm going to step out on a little limb here and declare this my favorite song released by any Boston-based band this year. Maybe any band anywhere, period. Exclamation point. There, I said it. "Not Wrong" gets me every single time, like it was a puzzle piece made to perfectly fit a space in my head I didn't even know I had. This one isn't available for free online, but you can download the album's also-charming third track "Cold Hands" [MP3].

Neko Case - "This Tornado Loves You"

That voice, that album cover, this song. Another album ending up on a lot of other "best of" lists that I have absolutely no argument with. My favorite track ain't free, but this one is: "People Got A Lotta Nerve" [MP3]

Superchunk - "Crossed Wires"

How great is it that in the year 2009 I can add another solid Superchunk seven-inch to my stacks of wax? And that it measures right up to those that came before it? So, so great. As much as I hope this foretells an eventual album in the works, I might be satisfied with a concentrated dose like this (and the recent "Learned To Surf" EP) every once in awhile. Just never stop. No MP3 for this one (go buy it), but stream that EP over here.

Built To Spill - "Planting Seeds"

Yes, "There Is No Enemy" is their strongest album in years. Yes, it still sounds like Built To Spill, but it's more focused, more confident, catchier than the last couple records. Plus, hey, there's a Bill Hicks mention in "Planting Seeds". And yes, they're still on a major label, so no free MP3 for you.

Pomegranates - "Coriander" [MP3]

Another discovery I can attribute to an unsolicited email, and the linked song was this one, "Coriander". Hooked me right away, and I was glad to discover upon its release that the rest of this Cincinnati band's second album measured up. I was crushed to miss their opening set before Wye Oak at TTs in May, but hopefully they'll return to Boston in the new year so I can make up for that mistake.

Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam - "Stepping Stones"

Yes, the band name is intentionally unwieldy, but their beautiful songs more than make up for it. Mostly instrumental so far, they promise some vocals on their first full-length, which should be out in the new year. For now, they'll send you an MP3 of the wonderful song above (from their debut "Put Your Slippers On" EP) in exchange for your email address right here, and also offer up a holiday present in the form of a home demo over here.

The Hush Now - "Wishing You A Happy Christmas" [MP3]

Wouldn't be a proper Bazaar Bizarre set without a holiday song, now would it? Thankfully, Boston's The Hush Now helped fill that requirement by offering up this new track as a free download just before the BazBizBos. Keep an ear out for their second full-length, "Constellations", early in the new year.

Here's a handy .zip file with all 15 MP3s linked above, and as always, you can easily stream them over at the Hype Machine.

posted by brad at 4:28 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

Unfairly or not, there's that uncontrollable part of me that shies away from listening to or writing about quote/unquote 'buzzbands'. If I hear too much hype before I actually hear any of the music, well, I may not ever hear it. Silly, I know, but hey... there's just so much other stuff to listen to. Does it mean I miss out on things I might love? Sure. Do I feel sheepish if I eventually connect with one of them? Yeah, it happens. But not a whole lot.

It almost happened with Londoners The XX, but I got lucky. Until a couple months ago I'd heard and read their name all over before I heard single song. Hell, I think I knew more about their lineup change than what they sounded like at some point. But one late-Autumn workday I was streaming some internet radio and heard a song that truly moved me. Not right away - it worked its way into my brain as it played, so I barely had time to check the band name before it faded out - and yes, it was The XX. Over-exposure aversion overcome, and all it took was a single track, their "Basic Space". One album purchase and three full listens later, I knew that song was no fluke. I loved it all, I love this band.

Enough to wait nearly two hours in the early-December Boston cold last Friday to get into their very first area performance, an in-store at the Newbury Street location of Newbury Comics. 200 wrist-banded souls braved the line, and I'd guess maybe 50 of us could actually see the band down the long rows inside the store. But we could all hear it, and that's what mattered. Six songs and 25 minutes later, back out into the cold we went. Worth it? So completely worth it.

The in-store set was a precursor to that night's sold-out show at the Paradise, opening for Friendly Fires. The band's second trip to Boston is already booked at the same venue on April 2nd - another (hopefully warmer) Friday night, and likely another sell-out - when they graduate from openers to headliners. Opening duties will be handled by Sweden's jj (making their first U.S. appearances), and tickets can be had right here or at the Paradise box office to save on fees.

Here's the audio from last Friday's intimate in-store, and some thoughts to follow...


Yes, despite losing a member, the band seems to have picked up two off-duty teen heartthrobs, although it was unclear what their tasks entailed beyond brooding (Pattinson was clearly not hired to help offset the band's collective paleness quotient). And about that transformation from quartet to trio? To my ears, it really doesn't seem to have impacted the band sonically. Yes, there were moments where guitarist Romy or bassist Oliver had to lean over to Jamie's electronics table and push a trigger or two, but if anything it added to the human element of the performance (which also deserves a comment - the fact that Jamie reproduces the beats by hand, rather than relying on loops or backing tracks, really adds a lot to their live experience). What I love about them - the spare, almost fragile webs they hang their songs on - it's still there, and maybe moreso. If they were your typical layered, shoegazey band, losing a member would be worrisome, but the XX? No worries whatsoever.

For the most part, the 6 songs closely resembled their album counterparts, though the joining of "Night Time" to "Infinity" was a real treat (and hey, is it just me, or is there a not-so-subtle homage to Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy" in that transitional guitar-line? And while we're at it, yes, the "VCR" verse = Bowie's "Heroes"), and the live version of "Islands" is made even more sparse by withholding the almost-danceable beat that kicks off the album version until the later half of the song.

For those who like to look as well as listen, YouTube user (& 'Nac reader, heya Jane) JaneInMa recorded the whole set from the front on video.

Links: Their official site, Wikipedia entry, Rough Trade UK label page, and Beggars U.S. label page.

Additional Audio: Stream songs at MySpace and at their own site, where you can enter your email addy to get access to a download of the "Basic Space (Sampha Remix)" Mp3. For more audio action, here's a XX Hype Machine search.

Video: There are official clips for both "Basic Space" and "Crystalised". Check out an excellent live video of "Basic Space" recorded at Monkeytown in Brooklyn back in August, before the four became three. And in addition to Jane's in-store video linked above, try a YouTube search.

Photos: My Flickr-hosted shots from the in-store are here. Check out the full XX tag search.

Upcoming tourdates: After spending the winter in Europe, the band returns to the U.S. in April for some headlining shows with jj, then jumps on as support for Hot Chip. Check P4K for their entire current itinerary.

Stream any and all 'Nac-hosted Mp3s at the Hype Machine.

the fine print... If anyone has an issue with these live Mp3s being made available, just let me know (my contact info is in the 'nac faq). Live sets recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav, edited, and shared as 256kbps Mp3s. Files are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.

Labels: livemp3s

posted by brad at 5:40 PM | direct link | rss (1:2) |

When I pull together my list of favorite albums of Oh-Nine (*spoiler alert!*) Wye Oak's "The Knot" will be on it. Hell, I knew that after just a couple of close listens. The Baltimore duo of Jenn & Andy deftly avoided a sophomore slump by taking the qualities that made their 2008 debut ("If Children") so mesmerizing and adding an extra layer of emotional depth. If their first record was a promise made, the second was a promise kept.

I've been quite lucky to see them a few times this year, not just here in Boston, but once down at the XX Merge label anniversary shindig in July, where their rich sound filled up the massive Memorial Hall at UNC. They looked so small up on that stage, though their songs were anything but. And as good as they are in any setting, I was glad to see them again up here in Cambridge shortly after, where I could get up close and let their waves wash over me.

That chance comes again this weekend when Wye Oak returns to Allston's wonderful Great Scott on the 6th, with openers Hands and Knees and St. Claire. Courtesy of the fine folks at World Music/CRASHarts, I have two pairs of tix to hand out for the Sunday night show, so fire off an email to giveaways [at] bradleysalmanac [dot] com, and make it quick... I'm taking entries for two short days. Title your note "Wye Oak!", and get it to my inbox before Noon on Friday, when I'll randomly pick two winners and email them right away. That'll give 'em the rest of the weekend to tease their friends with the extra guest list spot. The less fortunate ones? Well, they can grab tickets of their own right here, or over at Great Scott.

Labels: giveaways

posted by brad at 5:36 AM | direct link | rss (1:2) |