New Phoenix Video, "1901"

By now I'm sure you're hooked on Phoenix's "1901," the track we put up here over a month ago to get the hype machine going for their upcoming album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.  If that's not the case however, or if you believe you're over it, prepare to be dragged in all over again.  Just today, the band has released the video for the track, exclusively commissioned by Dazed Digital.  It's a cool video with the usual lights and sounds.  Sadly, there's no embed feature on it, but you can still head over to the Dazed Digital website here to check it.  Enjoy, and don't worry, we'll be talking about Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix eventually.  For those interested, it's out May 26th via V2 Records, and is already available to download on Itunes and Amazon.

New Modest Mouse, "Satellite Skin" (Studio Version)

A couple of months back, we briefly discussed Modest Mouse's "Satellite Skin".  Now, the band has finally unveiled the studio version of the song, which will appear on both a 7" single out later this month, and their forthcoming b-side EP in August, No One's First and You're Next.  What surprises me most about "Satellite Skin" is how different it is from almost all of Modest Mouse's material to-date.  It's extremely accessible, very relaxed, and I might even call it rock and roll.  Still, it's a great track, and can't wait to hear it along with the other songs on the EP later this summer.  If you'd like to here the song- check out the band's Myspace page.  "Satellite Skin," along with "Guilty Cocker Spaniels" will be released on an orange vinyl (as well as on Itunes) on May 26th.  The other songs will supposedly be released on similar 7" records throughout the summer leading up to the full EP release.

Wilco (The Album) Now Streaming

For those anxiously, and curiously, anticipating Wilco's forthcoming effort, Wilco (The Album), your wait is over. After the album's unfortunate leak last night, the band is now streaming the entire record from their website. My initial evaluation of it is a solid piece of work- mixing elements of their past albums, while still moving forward as a band. But more on that when the time comes. Check out Wilco (The Album) at the Wilco site, here. The record is out June 30th, via Nonesuch. Also, check out the track listing below.

1. "Wilco (The Song)"

2. "Deeper Down"

3. "One Wing"

4. "Bull Black Nova"

5. "You and I"

6. "You Never Know"

7. "Country Disappeared"

8. "Solitaire"

9. "I'll Fight"

10. "Sonny Feeling"

11. "Everlasting Everything"

John's Track of the Week: "Dance Tonight"

Song: Dance Tonight

Artist: Paul McCartney

Album: Memory Almost Full

Year: 2007

This week's Track of the Week is a pretty fun song, in my opinion.  Though an unabashedly radio-friendly hit, Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight" seems to capture the essence of a career that has spanned almost 50 years.  As possibly the most successful artist in music history, McCartney has seen everything- from being a pop culture trend to watching other trends form around him and then pass him by with age.  Though he has released another album since Memory Almost Full, I do feel as if this song in particular sums up what his life has come down to, with the days of The Beatles and Wings far behind him.

Oddly enough, "Dance Tonight" was not even supposed to be on Memory Almost Full.  One day while playing the mandolin, McCartney noticed that his three year-old daughter, Beatrice, would always get up to dance.  This prompted the concept of the song, and as he claims, it "wrote itself".  The song was recorded at the very last minute, and then included on the album.  It ended up being the most notable hit off of the record, after being released as a digital single on McCartney's birthday, it charted well in both the US and UK, and was also used for an Itunes commercial.  Many have probably heard this one, but just in case you haven't, check it out below.

New Animal Collective, "Bleed"

Animal Collective, just months removed from releasing the critically-acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavillion, has already debuted at least two new songs during the live shows this year.  The more recent of the two is "Bleed," which they introduced to the crowd in Washington D.C. last night.  It's dark- a stark contrast from MPP, but still a fairly enjoyable track.  However, if we do see it on the next Animal Collective record (probably out sometime next year, knowing them), I'm fairly certain it will not resemble what you hear in the mp3 below, courtesy of Stereogum.

Animal Collective- "Bleed" (Live) 

Also, though we usually don't discuss live shows that we don't personally attend, just figured I'd also post up the streaming link from the band's show at the 9:30 Club in D.C., which Stereogum put up earlier in the day.  Check it out here, at NPR.

Kevin Devine on Daytrotter

Hope everyone's having a good week thus far.  If anyone's interested, Kevin Devine, whose new album we talked about a few weeks back, has a new session up on Daytrotter today.  All of the songs are stripped down versions of songs off of Brother' Blood, from the short session he did for Daytrotter.  If you liked the sounds you heard on the new album, I'd highly recommend checking these out here.  And remember, if you haven't yet gotten a copy of Brother's Blood, it is out now via Favorite Gentlemen Recordings.

Video Monday: "Move Your Feet"

Track: Move Your Feet

Artist: Junior Senior

Album: D-D-Don't Stop the Beat

Year: 2003

Maybe some of you remember when this song came out.  I know I do.  I was taken aback by the fun simplicity of it all, coupled with the infectious dance beat.  At the time, I had never even heard of Junior Senior, and really had no positive feelings toward European pop either, which makes it all the more interesting in hindsight that I'd be attracted to a song like "Move Your Feet".  Still, for some reason, it's been stuck in my head for the past three days, and as anyone else who has heard this song will tell you, it's kind of hard to get it un-stuck.

For anyone who was not paying attention back in '03, a bit of a refresher course for you: Junior Senior is a Danish pop duo, made up of Jesper Mortensen and Jeppe Laursen.  The group started in 1998, and released their first album, D-D-Don't Stop the Beat, in 2003.  This song, "Move Your Feet," has been their biggest hit to-date, reaching #3 on the UK charts that summer.  With its crude pixel art, courtesy of art collective Shynola, via Deluxe Paint, it's easy to see how it caught on so quickly.  Various random scenes of singing, dancing, and a squirrel are continuous, and literally have you up and dancing before the track's end.  Whether you've heard it before or not, you're sure to enjoy it below.

Pre-Screening: Grizzly Bear

Album: Veckatimest

Artist: Grizzly Bear

Label: Warp Records

Due Out: May 26th

A couple of times per year, an album comes out that catches your ear immediately. You're hooked from the first note, and when it's over, you will automatically hit repeat, maybe even more than once. As was the case with Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion, the same is true for Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest. Flowing, active and easy to listen to, Veckatimest is a huge step in the progression of a band that has not always been amazingly accessible, but now seems more so. There's structure here, but it's all for the better, as Grizzly Bear has created a room full of different and eclectic sounds, all working together to build the catchy and enjoyable melodies you hear throughout. I'll just go out on a limb here and say that as of right now, the competition for album of the year is between MPP and this.

"Southern Point" starts us off, quick, yet soft and building, as it eases us into the record. The background noise ebbs and flows before the one-minute mark, teasing you as to when the track finally opens itself up. It's a song very indicative of the album's overall personality- a seemingly muffled joy. This is, like many of this year's albums, a positive experience. Next comes the track that anyone who's followed Grizzly Bear over the past six months knows- "Two Weeks". A catchy and jumpy piano beat introduces us to a haunting chorus of soaring vocals to backup lead singer Daniel Rossen. This song, similar to the intro, effectively utilizes an eclectic group of sounds to support a strong and strident melody to perfection. Following that, "All We Ask" slows it down just slightly in the onset, once again using a slow crescendo to build towards a more engaging middle, before fading itself out into the eery "Fine For Now". As the song creeps along, it picks up other sounds and instrumental portions, until it hits the more active middle. One of the more notable things heard throughout the album is the ever-present falsetto chorus on several tracks. Sometimes out front, and other times dropping back, it adds an emotional element and layer to the songs, and actually provides as an instrument in its own right.

"Cheerleader" brightens up as compared to the previous two songs. Moving at a steady pace, the staggered guitar riff in the back plays well off the percussion elements and effect-laden vocals, dueling each other in the high and low octave range, respectively. Slow to start, next is "Dory". The song is actually about a small boat, however, many have incorrectly (myself included), yet entertainingly identified the name with the character from Finding Nemo. Fictional fish aside, the track's wistful and plodding nature lend to the boat imagery extremely well. Still, I wouldn't get overly comfortable in that mindset, as tribal drum beats kick in immediately to start "Ready, Able". As the track gets going more, that beat recedes quite a bit though, giving way to the haunting vocals and interesting effects countering each other in an interesting seesaw of sound before combining into one, and then giving way to the distortion-heavy guitar part. "About Face" begins similarly to the previous track, possessing a quick percussion part, this time along with an accompanying guitar. For this entire song, you feel as if it's about to open up, yet never does, as you're seemingly roped along by the band for the three-plus minutes, before its abrupt halt (not necessarily a bad thing).

Switching back to a more mellow and quiet mood, "Hold Still" is a brief and floating track that seems to effortlessly hop through its progressions while bridging the gap from the middle to the end of the record, starting with "While You Wait For Others". For any Department of Eagles (Rossen's other band) fans, you'll probably recognize this one immediately, as it borrows a bit from DoE's "Herring Bone". However, it does use enough its own elements to differentiate the two tracks, adding a more active vocal chorus and more apparent guitar elements than its predecessor. Next, "I Live With You" is the album's last track to fit into the active wall of sound, and the comfortable ebbing and flowing of both volume and tempo. This track may use the full range of instrumentation at the band's disposal better than any other, even incorporating what sounds like a saxophone part into its busy mid-section. Then, there's the closer, "Foreground". As I alluded to, this track is much different from the rest of the record. It's fairly bare-bones, just a piano ballad to close out the album that is most appropriate after the nearly breath-taking previous track, and does a fantastic job of providing closure for the listener. While the last notes ping off of the piano keys, you can feel see your hand moving towards the play button again, I guarantee it.

This isn't the first time I've said this about a band this year, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but here we go- this was their best effort to-date. So many different elements going on here, yet they're all so effective, it's hard to deny that Veckatimest is a complete work, showcasing the band's strengths and giving us a listening experience that is some of the best music this year. Rossen seemed to take into consideration DoE's movement towards a more accessible sound, and adjusted Grizzly Bear accordingly, yet they can still function as two separate entities. What makes this record most interesting to me is that I really feel it can appeal to a wide range of listeners, including those who don't feel they get anything out of this type of music. I'd recommend it to anyone. For similarities, feel free to check out the aforementioned Department of Eagles, Here We Go Magic, and The Dodos.

Rating: 9.0/10

Best Track: "Two Weeks"

John's Track of the Week: "Life On Mars?"

Song: Life On Mars?

Artist: David Bowie

Album: Hunky Dory

Year: 1971

It dawned on me this morning that I hadn't yet spoken about one of my favorite artists, David Bowie, on this site yet, so I'll be discussing him a bit today.  There are so many standout tracks in the rock legend's expansive catalogue, and each fits a distinct mood, and a unique state-of-mind.  However, "Life On Mars?" off of 1971's Hunky Dory, seems, to me, to be one of his best works.  Referenced everywhere, covered time and time again, used in films (Life Aquatic) and even giving a title to a television show (BBC's hit drama by the same name, followed by ABC's failed remake), I feel that if you had to single one of Bowie's songs out, this is probably it.

Strangely enough, "Life On Mars?" is actually a parody of Frank Sinatra's "My Way".  As the story goes, Bowie wrote "Even A Fool Learns to Love" in 1968 to the tune of Claude Francois and Jacques Revaux 's "Comme d'habitude," yet never released it.  Not long after, Sinatra songwriter Paul Anka purchased the tune, and rewrote it as the world-famous Sinatra track, "My Way".  In lue of the success of the rewrite, Bowie once again wrote a song inspired by "Comme d'habitude," but this time it became "Life On Mars?"  Its odd lyrics and jumpy imagery are most likely what gives birth to the name of the song, since "Mars" is usually synonymous with things that are strange or "alien".  You can check it out below in the unlikely chance that you've never heard it before.

New Beastie Boys, "Lee Majors Come Again"

Specially-included in some of packages of the Beastie Boys' Check Your Head four-album collector's set is a surprise 7" of two new tracks by the guys.  One of which, "Lee Majors Come Again," is available for streaming over at Stereogum.  The other, "B Boys In The Cut," is seemingly floating around the interwebs, and being remixed multiple times as we speak.  Check out the Beastie Boys website here for those, which includes one mix with Animal Collective's "Lion In a Coma".  For the main topic of this post, "Lee Majors Come Again," you'll want to head over to Stereogum.