tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75595321528241896512009-12-24T15:22:09.776-05:00Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.comBlogger403125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-85035970568437429702009-12-22T13:20:00.006-05:002009-12-22T13:42:02.883-05:00

Ok, couldn't quit just yet. Stereogum just posted this scuzzy surf-goth holiday jam from the cutest hipster couple (Crocodiles' Brandon Welchez and Dum Dum Girls' Dee Dee are happily married). It's a mega-catchy tune about smilin', singin' and smoochin' under the mistletoe. Oh, and sometimes, the simplest sentiments ("I like you alive") are the best.Download MP3: "Merry Christmas, Baby (Please

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-18107716125082330042009-12-22T11:20:00.007-05:002009-12-22T13:19:31.554-05:00

Before I check out for the holidays, I thought this would be an apt note to depart on. It's not exactly "O Tannenbaum", but it's close enough. I accidentally stumbled upon Ms. Miranda about a week ago and I've been pretty smitten with this song ever since. Hot off of tours with some of my favorite bands (The xx, Wild Beasts and The Antlers), Holly Miranda is preparing to release her debut LP,

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-12403062670030427742009-12-21T00:48:00.017-05:002009-12-21T13:40:10.344-05:00

Broken Bells is a new musical venture of The Shins' head honcho, James Mercer, and Danger Mouse. Their debut's first single, "The High Road", is available as a free download for a very limited time (like the next 24 hours) over at their website. It pretty much sounds exactly like you'd expect a collaboration between the two men to sound, and I mean that in the least pejorative sense possible.

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-47890211188095715142009-12-17T16:18:00.043-05:002009-12-17T23:21:18.231-05:00

Here they are: the 20 albums that made me thank Zeus for working ears this year. Also, I realized that some of my favorite music in 2009 was from EP's and wanted to spotlight it as well. So, as a bonus, I've included my top 5 EP's after my albums list. See you in 2010!20) The Antlers - Hospice19) Telepathe - Dance Mother18) Real Estate - Real Estate17) Alela Diane - To Be Still16) Smith

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-82397545937111225402009-12-17T14:51:00.008-05:002009-12-17T19:27:44.558-05:00

If your tastes run anything like mine, then Spencer Krug is something of a minor deity. Or, in less hyperbolic terms, an endlessly fascinating musician who just does IT for me. That "it" that can't be articulated; it simply happens. Krug's latest musical moniker is Moonface - the handle for his entirely solo ventures. Earlier this year, Sunset Rubdown released a 7" entitled Introducing

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-23961777506814854602009-12-14T21:12:00.008-05:002009-12-14T22:50:42.993-05:00

Welsh trio The Joy Formidable haven't been getting enough press here in the states, but I've been trying to do my part. Although, I was very happy to see New York magazine give them some love in their most recent issue. To make themselves even more lovable, they're giving away a new song for the holidays and it's my kind of Christmas jingle. Let's be honest - there's a little Scrooge in all of

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-48012532716864561382009-12-13T23:49:00.004-05:002009-12-14T02:03:20.643-05:00

Ok, I've got another fabulous list to shill: PopMatters' best albums of 2009. I handled the write-up for Sunset Rubdown's Dragonslayer.

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-1200093010908341052009-12-10T16:29:00.017-05:002009-12-11T12:04:30.785-05:00

This is my first time posting a favorite songs of the year list, and I'll keep it simple: all list, no blurb. Besides, what else is there left to say about Panda Bear's euphoric ode to his wife and daughter? My top 20 albums list will be posted next Friday. So, stay tuned for that.1) Animal Collective - "My Girls"2) Dirty Projectors - “Stillness Is The Move”3) Girls - “Hellhole Ratrace”4)

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-82863442564676075802009-12-09T17:11:00.013-05:002009-12-10T09:47:51.170-05:00

As I recently stated, the Liars' forthcoming fifth album, Sisterworld, delves into “alternate spaces people create in order to maintain identity in a city like LA ... where outcasts and loners celebrate a skewered relationship to society.” The band just posted the album's opening track, "Scissor", as a free download on the album's seemingly Lost-inspired website. "Scissor" is unpredictable,

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-3530371583773774412009-12-07T20:53:00.008-05:002009-12-08T01:32:10.199-05:00

Normally, I'm not very envious of Floridians. However, now that the temperature in New York has dipped down to nipple-hardening levels, I'm feeling a serious twinge of envy. To add insult to injury, West Palm Beach natives Surfer Blood churn out tunes that make Florida sound like the promised land. None of these guys actually surf, but their music is overwhelmingly informed by lives lived

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-85624220590805182992009-12-07T02:07:00.005-05:002009-12-07T11:04:36.567-05:00

Ok, I know you all love lists as much as I do, so please take the time to check out PopMatters' best singles of 2009 list here. I handled the write-ups on The Flaming Lips' "Convinced of the Hex" and The Japandroids' "Young Hearts Spark Fire".

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-53591696635158948562009-12-06T18:17:00.012-05:002009-12-06T22:38:53.608-05:00

Don't be fooled by the band's name - this ain't Christmas music. In fact, it's rather difficult assigning Sleigh Bells to any particular genre. One thing is for certain: they want you to feel the weight of their bombast. It's the first thing you notice and may be an aesthetic dealbreaker for some, but Sleigh Bells are LOUD. Like, loud in the sense that the distortion levels are pushed into

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-62944763484717734262009-12-04T16:22:00.011-05:002009-12-04T21:30:24.981-05:00

Ok, I've got something else to add to my list of anticipated albums: Sigur Rós frontman, Jónsi Birgisson, is releasing his debut solo album, Go, next year. Unlike every Sigur Rós album, Go will be sung entirely in English. The album features string arrangements from composer Nico Muhly (Grizzly Bear, Antony & The Johnsons) and was produced by Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Frightened

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-8381908807336766552009-12-01T18:27:00.018-05:002009-12-02T16:28:38.351-05:00

Since new music is slow coming this time of the year, I thought I'd post a list of the albums that I'm most looking forward to next year. Some of the albums do not have titles or concrete release dates yet, but I've posted all the information I've gathered so far.Arcade Fire - TBA - May (?)The band recently became active on their twitter and facebook accounts and teased us with this tidbit: "

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-3583977750140677462009-12-01T11:30:00.004-05:002009-12-01T11:57:14.153-05:00

The always awesome Ray Concepcion shot this haunting video at Marissa Nadler's recent show in Brooklyn. "Dying Breed" is my very favorite song of hers so this is a treat for me.Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands: Marissa Nadler [Part 2 of 2] from Ray Concepcioñ on Vimeo.

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-43040876861667608602009-11-29T16:28:00.013-05:002009-11-29T22:05:18.337-05:00

I just stumbled across this holy grail of duets: a never-officially-released collaboration between the late Jeff Buckley and Cocteau Twins siren Elizabeth Fraser. It's existence only came to my attention from reading this interview with the reclusive Fraser. From what I can gather, the two of them were quite close in the mid-'90s and recorded this song at that point in time - before the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-79955809778017630582009-11-25T01:05:00.003-05:002009-11-25T11:16:16.291-05:00

The video for Odd Blood's first single is an '80s sci-fi freak-out. You may also notice some similarities between this and the Flaming Lips video for "Watching The Planets" (a.k.a it's NSFW).

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-1236614258449166102009-11-23T15:48:00.020-05:002009-11-23T20:01:10.873-05:00

Frightened Rabbit's third album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks (awesome title, guys!), isn't out until March, but these lovely Glaswegians have already released the first single, "Swim Until You Can't See Land", and were nice enough to record a 3-song session for BBC6 today. They performed "Swim" and two other new songs, "Living With Colour" and "Nothing Like You". Since this is the BBC, the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-8286321497737366722009-11-20T09:46:00.010-05:002009-11-29T18:56:09.813-05:00

The best coast is apparently the west coast. At least, it is according to Bethany Cosentino a.k.a. Best Coast. The impetus for this musical endeavor was explained thusly: "Inspired by Bethany’s longing for Los Angeles while spending her days in NY attending Eugene Lang College, Best Coast sprung forth during her first days back in California." Not that you needed to be told this. Listening to

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-75041344469289429022009-11-17T12:27:00.016-05:002009-11-17T17:07:24.716-05:00

If "Norway" is any indication (hint: it is), Beach House have decided to step out of the ether a bit. As lovely as their first two albums are, they definitely suffer a bit from the feeling that songs are kinda running together. Basically, they needed a greater variation of tempo/melody/etc. at times. On their forthcoming third album, Teen Dream, the hooks are sharper and the rhythms have

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-83640949046247631562009-11-15T13:46:00.013-05:002009-11-15T23:00:16.464-05:00

I was a late adopter with The Antlers, but I'll try to make up for that with a little evangelism on their behalf. It's certainly easy when the band's leader, Peter Silberman, possesses a haunting falsetto that recalls Jeff Buckley to a seriously eerie degree. Like the late, great Mr. Buckley, Silberman's vocals can go from whisper to wail - often in the course of one song. On this marvelous

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-84284722966649231592009-11-11T14:04:00.020-05:002009-11-13T21:06:22.812-05:00

Last week, I was lucky enough to catch Real Estate open for Girls with a surprisingly engrossing performance. Most of all, I was impressed with how their live show differed from their recordings. On their self-titled debut, the Jersey quartet sticks to a winning formula of languid, hazy guitar rock that splits the difference between Neil Young's On The Beach and Animal Collective's Feels.

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-76543717589590638482009-11-10T18:42:00.012-05:002009-11-10T20:44:36.933-05:00

To cap off their excellent 2009, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart have released the Higher Than The Stars EP which features four brand-spanking-new songs. The EP finds the band going in a decidedly more hi-fi direction and reveals a new influence for them: New Order. For the most part, the band still sounds like "Belle & Sebastian gone fuzzy" (as my friend astutely labeled them), but "Higher

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-29082863824950176762009-11-05T18:31:00.010-05:002009-11-06T02:17:01.782-05:00

My review of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' spellbinding show at Radio City Music Hall is up now for your reading pleasure at PopMatters. If you weren't there, here's a little taste of what you missed:

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7559532152824189651.post-23743115531638447922009-11-03T21:35:00.028-05:002009-11-14T17:30:24.867-05:00

Full disclosure: I've never been a serious Flaming Lips fan. I mean, I dig The Soft Bulletin and "Do You Realize??" as much as the next guy (ok, maybe not THAT guy), but I've never been tempted to drop the "L word" when it comes to the Flaming Lips. That said, the band's new album, Embryonic, has put me in full-on evangelical mode. I fucking LOVE this album. Embryonic is dark, bracing music.

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06829196516861460622homesickalien67@hotmail.com2