A music and video mp3 blog - BL

New Music: Cold War Kids

2008-07-24T14:04:00.003-05:00

Listen: Cold War Kids-Something Is Not Right With Me.mp3

New album is out September 23rd.

New Music: Lykke Li

2008-07-23T23:00:00.003-05:00

Listen: Lykke Li-Breaking It Up mp3
Lykke Li comes from Stockholm, Sweden and will be hitting up a few spots in the US this fall. Unfortunately, she won't be 'round these parts...

Check out the free download of the Black Kids remix of "I'm Good, I'm Gone" on her myspace.

Upcoming Event: Cut Copy and the Presets at the Record Bar

2008-07-21T12:31:00.002-05:00

Cut Copy & The Presets will join forces to storm across North America for a co-headline tour this September and October.

SAT 9/13 - Monolith Festival - Denver, CO
MON 9/15 – The Record Bar - Kansas City, MO -Buy Tickets
TUES 9/16 - Fine Line Music Cafe- Minneaplis, MN
WED 9/17 - Metro - Chicago, IL
FRI 9/19 Sound Academy - Toronto, Ontario
SAT 9/20 - Club Soda - Montreal, Quebec
SUN 9/21 - Webster Hall - New York City, NY
MON 9/22 - Webster Hall - New York City, NY
TUE 9/23 - Paradise - Boston, MA
THURS 9/25 – The Trocadero Theater - Philadelphia, PA
FRI 9/26 9:30 Club - Washington D.C.
SAT 9/27 Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
MON 9/29 - Emo's Alternative Lounge - Austin, TX
TUES 9/30 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
FRI 10/3 – The Glass House - Pomona, CA
SUN 10/5 - Mezzanine - San Francisco, CA
TUES 10/7 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
WED 10/8 - Showbox At The Market - Seattle, WA
THURS 10/9 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, B.C.

New Music: The Dutchess and the Duke

2008-07-18T11:20:00.004-05:00

Listen: The Dutchess and the Duke-Reservoir Park mp3

Bringing the 60s folky-blues vibe is Seattle's own the Dutchess and the Duke. As a matter of fact, the track "Reservoir Park" sounds like it could be off an album from Van Morrison's old band, Them.

Download the Dutchess and The Duke from Amazon.com (DMR Free)

New Music: PNAU

2008-07-17T13:22:00.004-05:00

Listen: PNAU-Baby (Breakbot Remix) mp3

Pnau is an Australian electronic music band that will be tearing up the dancefloor at the Lovebox music festival in London this weekend. Remember that game Bust-a-Move? They have a similar version on their website: PNAUPNAU.com

Download PNAU's 2006 album from Amazon.com (DMR Free)

Radiohead-House of Cards Video

2008-07-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

Listen: Radiohead-House Of Cards mp3

In case you have yet to check out the new Radiohead video made with lasers (that's right no camera just lasers, data visualization, and other wacky math-y stuff) I've posted it below for your viewing pleasure!

Upcoming Event: The New Frontiers at the Bottleneck

2008-07-14T09:49:00.003-05:00

Listen-The New Frontiers-Black Lungs mp3

On July 27th the New Frontiers will be in town along with the Honorary Title and Paper Rival. They're signed with High Road Touring (Wilco, Drive By Truckers, Yo La Tengo, Old 97s)and recently made Amazon's MP3 Downloads Bestsellers, debuting at #4, where they shared the list with Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, The Magnetic Fields, and the Juno movie soundtrack.

Download the New Frontiers' latest album Mending from Amazon.com (DRM Free)

New Music: Dr. Dog

2008-07-07T10:19:00.003-05:00

LISTEN: Dr. Dog - The Old Days mp3

Dr. Dog began receiving buzz on the indie music scene when they went on tour with My Morning Jacket a few years ago. It is being speculated that their latest album Fate due out on July 22nd, will break them into the mainstream alternative scene.

They'll be hitting up KC on September 30th at the Record Bar.

Upcoming Event: Girl Talk at the Granada 11/01/2008

2008-07-03T12:37:00.003-05:00

Girl Talk will be coming back to the Granada on Saturday, November 1, 2008! You can purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com

Girl Talk-Hands In The Air mp3

KaiserCartel CD and ticket giveaway to the show at the Jackpot!

2008-07-01T16:07:00.002-05:00

We're offering our local readers a chance to catch KaiserCartel at the Jackpot next Monday, July 7th. To win two tickets to the show and their latest CD March Forth, leave a comment or email us at beatlawrence[at]gmail.com

myspace.com/kaisercartel
kaisercartel.com

Be sure to check out their latest video, Oh No:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ks0T9cu30Yk

Listen to Albert Hammond Jr.'s upcoming album Como Te Llamas

2008-07-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

Albert Hammond, Jr., of the Strokes, is streaming his sophomore album over at his Myspace page: www.myspace.com/alberthammondjr

The album comes out on July 8th.

New Music: KaiserCartel

2008-06-30T09:58:00.002-05:00

KaiserCartel is made up of Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel. The couple recorded March Forth over 8 days in Los Angeles with producer Matt Hales (aka aqualung) and mixed by Hales and Ken Thomas (Sigur Ros).

KaiserCartel-Oh No mp3

Cold War Kids Second Album Teaser

2008-06-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

New album out September 23

Here's to hoping it's as awesome as the first

New Music: Girl Talk mp3

2008-06-23T12:37:00.003-05:00

Girl Talk is back with his fourth full-length album Feed The Animals. You can download it for any price at Illegal-art.net

Download Girl Talk's 2006 Unstoppable album

Girl Talk-What Its All About mp3

New Music: Tilly and the Wall

2008-06-16T09:29:00.002-05:00

Tilly and the Wall will release their third album, O, on June 17th. The band recently performed in a music video acquired by Sesame Street to use in their upcoming 39th season set to air in the fall of 2008. The band recorded their own version of the "ABC Song."

Check out their first single off the album. Good stuff!

Tilly and the Wall-Pot Kettle Black mp3

New Music: Sam Sparro

2008-06-11T10:00:00.002-05:00

He's already a household name in the UK with his smash hit "Black & Gold," and if you happened to be at Coachella this year, you might've seen him kickin' it onstage with Mark Ronson. Sam Sparro has been causing quite the buzz in the UK with his Top 5 Album Debut and heavy BBC Radio 1 airplay.

Sam Sparro - Black and Gold mp3

Black and Gold comes out June 24, 2008.

Praise:
"Like Marvin Gaye hangin' with LCD Soundsystem " - The Observer

"Welcome Sam Sparro, 21st century boy with the world at his feet" - The Sun

"Black & Gold already sounds like the song of the year" - Mixmag

Win Elvis Costello Prize Pack

2008-06-09T11:24:00.005-05:00

Win a Momofuku CD + Momofuku vinyl + Momofuku stencil + Elvis poster

To enter to win, leave a comment or send us an email (beatlawrence[@]gmail.com)

You have to live in the US to be a winner and we'll randomly select someone a week from today!

Elvis Costello and the Imposters-Flutter and Wow mp3

"That this is as striking as he's been in 20 years, when he's hardly been slouching - that tells you he's peaking in a whole new way." - POPMATTERS

"With each repeat spin, Momofuku gets better and each song sticks with you giving the album a timeless appeal that most certainly will sound just as great ten years from now." - THE FIRE NOTE

As you can see, Elvis Costello And The Imposters are garnering rave reviews across the board with their new record, Momofuku, out now on Lost Highway Records. Now they're gearing up to take the tunes on the road this summer with The Police.

iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=279367718&s=143441

official site: www.elviscostello.com
myspace: www.myspace.com/elviscostello

Elvis Costello Tour Dates
July
11 - Ridgefield, WA - Clark County Amphitheater *
12 - Quincy, WA - The Gorge *
14 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheater *
16 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheater *
17 - Marysville, CA - Arco Arena *
19 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheater *
21 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks *
22 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks *
25 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater *
26 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Center *
28 - Burgettstown, PA - Post Gazette Pavillion *
29 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center *
31 - Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center *
August
1 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Performing Arts Center *
3 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Banks Arts Center *
4 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon @ Jones Beach *

* w/ The Police

Interview with Priscilla Ahn

2008-06-06T11:24:00.001-05:00

Grey's Anatomy fans are probably familiar with her after this season's finale. For everyone else, here is Priscilla Ahn. Her album A Good Day hits stores on June 10th. Be sure to check it out!

How are you feeling about the release of your debut album, A Good Day? I imagine it's a bit nerve wrecking.

It's not as nerve wrecking as it just is exciting. I can't wait to get it out there. I just got a few advanced copies of the album in all it's artwork glory, and now I'm even more excited. it feels like a real thing now. something that's actually gonna happen.

What can we expect from the album? What messages or emotions were you trying to get across?

I hope that people get something fun, and beautiful, and meaningful in some way. and in whatever way. maybe it's not thru the song at all. maybe they don't get it, but it gives them something to think about. any kind of stimulation, or connection is all i'd ever want people to walk away with after hearing it. i really hope they just like it too! hehe. Emotions in the album: love, home, waking up, sass, fun, nostalgia, sadness, silliness...

Who have been your biggest influences in your journey as a musician?

I suppose who I've listened to. Early on there was Neil Young, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, then Radiohead, Sparklehorse, Ani DiFranco, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, then the Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, Joao Gilberto. Juana Molina and Andrew Bird inspired to buy a looping pedal, which has been a big influence on my sound as well. As what I listen to changes, so does the way I write. What you ingest, affects what you put out, right?

I had read somewhere that your dad encouraged you to play guitar, were your parents musicians as well?

My mom was really the musician. She got me into singing for the first time when I was eight, at church. She also taught me some piano. It was her guitar that I first learned to play on. She was the one with the beautiful voice in the family too. My dad wanted to me to play the guitar i think because all of his favorite musicians played the guitar. I actually didn't want to really play the guitar until I saw a boy I liked in high school playing one. Then I thought it was so cool.

I'm sure the move from a small town in Pennsylvania to LA at a somewhat young age was a growing experience, how has that influenced your music?

Well, I guess I had to learn on my own in my journey to L.A., that just because the surroundings change, doesn't mean the way I write songs has to. When I first writing started writing songs, it was to learn how to play the guitar better. I quickly found it was a great way to express myself as a teenager. Then moving to L.A., you have so many people out here trying to do what you do. And you have so many people urging you to write "hit songs". It took me a few years after living here, that writing "hit songs" is not fun to me, and it's not real. So, I've gone back to why i started writing in the first place. To learn, and to express something real. My songwriting has grown and changed in its own way, but even if I live here for the rest of my life, my songwriting will always change. I allow it to be what it wants to be.

Any plans to tour soon? Any places in particular you want to hit up?

Yes, we're in the process of putting something together for this summer. I know I'm going to Japan in the Fall, which is definitely a place I've always wanted to tour. I'd love to tour Europe as well. And not just the UK, like France, and Portugal, Germany, Italy....all over. Brazil, to. Just because I LOVE their music so much! That would be incredible.

Priscilla Ahn-Rainmp3

Special offer for BL readers: MusicNotes.com

2008-06-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

www.musicnotes.com

Coupon code: JUNETWELVE

Good for 12% off any purchase at Musicnotes.com. Limit one coupon per customer. Coupon expires June 30, 2008.

Wakarusa Music Festival 2008 Preview

2008-06-04T10:07:00.005-05:00

I went to Wakarusa two years ago and was leery of the massive amount of people and the amount of space. However, I never had to wait in a long line and it ended up being a great experience and a ton of fun.

This year's headliners include: The Flaming Lips, Emmylou Harris, Ben Folds, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Cake

Others you should consider seeing:
Alejandro Escovedo
Blackalicious
Arrested Development
Buckethead
Built to Spill
Split Lip Rayfield
Dr. Dog
Old 97's
State Radio
Mates of State
Tilly and the Wall
Ryan Bingham
Jennie Arnau

You can view their profiles at http://www.wakarusa.com/2008/lineup.asp

And the stage schedule here: http://www.jambase.com/festivals/wakarusa/

My Morning Jacket Black Cab Sessions

2008-06-03T09:27:00.002-05:00

Video of MMJ performing Touch Me I'm Going to Scream (part 2)

http://www.blackcabsessions.com/sessions.php?id=1212166715&sort=chronological#

New Music: Ed Harcourt

2008-05-27T14:48:00.002-05:00

Ed Harcourt is poised to release his fifth studio album, The Beautiful Lie, in the US on June 3rd via Dovecote Records. The British Mercury Prize nominee recorded the bulk of the album on an eight-track in his grandmother's house in Sussex - the rest done in East London's Toe Tag studios, where The White Stripes recorded Elephant.

Ed Harcourt-Revolution in the Heart mp3

Upcoming Event: Sigur Rós at the Uptown

2008-05-24T00:54:00.008-05:00

Sigur Rós, whose new album is scheduled to drop sometime late 2008, will be bringing their trademark brand of beautiful, Icelandic melodrama to the Uptown theater on June 12th. For reasons unknown to anyone but the band themselves, their U.S. tour consists of only four stops: New York, Bonnaroo and the unbelievably lucky cities of Omaha and Kansas City.

Fellow Icelanders Amiina will be both opening and providing string support for the band.

Tickets are available now at Ticketmaster; there is absolutely no excuse for missing this monumentous show.

In other Sigur Rós news: be sure to head over to their website on the morning of Tuesday, May 27th for an announcement that has something to do with this very oblique image.

Sigur Rós - Olsen Olsen mp3

Weezer - Pork and Beans Video

2008-05-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

Awesome.

Tribute to Kansas Jayhawks National Champions

2008-05-23T10:11:00.006-05:00

KC's hip hop/rap artist Future has put together a tribute to the Kansas Jayhawks for winning the national championship. Rock Chalk!

Future-Kansas Jayhawks the Champions mp3

LJWorld.com-Self Made Champions: the 2008 season in retrospect