Mates of State – Re-Arrange Us

One of the soundtracks of my summer. So boss.
I love:
-The Re-Arranger
-You Are Free
-Get Better

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Girl Talk – Feed The Animals

Girl Talk Nov. 3 at First Ave.

Get your dance on

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download <- name your own price

any price grants the download of the entire album as high-quality 320kbps mp3s
$5 or more adds the options of FLAC files, plus a one-file seamless mix of the album
$10 or more includes all of the above + a packaged CD

Lykke Li – Youth Novels

Li Lykke (stage name Lykke Li) is a singer from Stockholm. This album was released this past February but surfaced in Europe earlier this month & I can’t stop listening to it!

I recommend:
-Dance Dance Dance
-I’m Good, I’m Gone
-Let it Fall
-Little Bit

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Horse Feathers – Words Are Dead

I’m sorry that it took me so long to post this! This cd is a favorite of mine. I first had the pleasure of seeing this ridiculously talented ensemble last September with Caroline Smith & Johanna Kunin. “Hardwood Pews” and “In Our Blood” are two of my favorites!

For more band info & tour dates you can check out their myspace!

Myspace

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Grand Ole Party – Humananimals

You know how usually opening bands are frequently mediocre?

Not Grand Ole Party. I first had the pleasure of hearing them when they opened for Rilo Kiley this past September (Blake Sennet produced this album actually) and they literally rock. Lead singer Kristen Gundred sounds a lot like Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but their overall sound has a slightly more classic rock edge. Download this but try and see them live for the full effect!

Myspace

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Hot Chip – The Warning

Can’t really even begin to tell you how much I love this album. It’s not new but it’s still sheer genius.

Some favorites include: “And I Was a Boy From School”, “The Warning” & “So Glad to See You”. Really though, they’re all marvy.

I wanted to share the video for “And I Was a Boy From School” but apparently I’m not allowed so here’s “So Glad to See You”

P.S. This is dedicated to new blogger Grant! Enjoy!

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Fleming & John – Ugly Girl

Fleming and John are another musical husband/wife duo (like Mates of State) that met at college in Nashville and began making sweet sweet music together!

In the past they’ve opened for friend and fan Ben Folds, who called them the “Carpenters of the 1990s with Led Zeppelin’s rhythm section,” and they continue to perform and record with Folds from time to time.

This is track is from their album “The Way We Are” that was released in 1999 but it’s still a good one to have in the music library!

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Emily Wells – Beautiful Sleepyhead and the Laughing Yaks

Singer/songwriter Emily Wells became part of the Indianapolis music scene in 1998 at the age of 16, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her role model Ani DiFranco.

She’s still rather underground but with the powerful combination of a unique voice & reflective lyrics, she’ll at the very least become a staple of the indie music scene.

Here’s what NPR said about her:

“Multi-instrumentalist Emily Wells says she’s ‘most influenced by the songs and voices of Nina Simone and Bob Dylan.’ You can hear it in Emily’s music. She’s a singer-songwriter with unconventional and often chilling vocals.”
- NPR, June 2oo7

I ordered this album from her website and it took a little longer than expected. To my surprise Emily included a personal apology note for the delay and a copy of some tracks from an upcoming release. Talk about hospitality!

My personal favorites are “Mt. Washington” and “Supermarket”. They’re both hauntingly beautiful.

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Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover

I don’t want to say a lot because the music kind of speaks for itself but Sunset Rubdown was originally started as the solo project of Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug. His baby is now all grown up and full of energy on “Random Spirit Lover”. Check it out!

“The Mending of the Gown”

Was it the mending of the gown, or the running,
and the running and the running it around?
She said my name and my spirit are both corrupt
and if you hold me close, you gotta hold me up.
It was the tender mending of this slender gown that brought me bending to the ground.
Now you’ll wear any old thing, oh you’ll wear any old thing.
So she wrapped herself in swallowing up the fever to the air of the broken wind
It’s an actor thing, she’s just pretending. It’s an actor thing, she’s just pretending.

P.S. The beginning of this song is pretty amazing so all you guitar players can learn how to play it by watching this video by this guy:

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Cloud Cult – Feel Good Ghosts

Cloud Cult, a talented, experimental indie band hails from Minneapolis,MN and started in the mid-nineties as Craig Minowa recruited artists to contribute to his solo recordings. This early work earned Cloud Cult several offers from record labels, but all were rejected in favor of self-publishing.

In 1997, lead singer Craig Minowa created Earthology Records to release his band’s recordings. His nonprofit label uses recycled materials and donates all their profits to environmental charities.The band also tours in a biodiesel van.(See, it’s cool to be green!)

This is Cloud Cult’s most recently released album entitled “Feel Good Ghosts” (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) on April 8, and this might be their last. The good news is that they’re not only playing First Avenue on Saturday, April 26th, but they will also be performing at Rock the Garden with the likes of Andrew Bird, The New Pornographers and Bon Iver in June which I will most definitely be attending!

Here’s more info on the AMAZING “Rock the Garden” show this June:
Rock the Garden

& Here’s a link to Pitchfork’s article on the new album:
Pitchfork Review

& Here’s the album! Enjoy!

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