La Sera - Break My Heart

Sic Alps - Glyphs

This is Pop Download-o-rama

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Best New Music - New Lali Puna On the Way

Good news for people who like good great music The first album in over five years from Munich experimental pop group, Lali Puna is at last on the way. Our Inventions will be released April 6th on Morr Music, and along with the lovely Valerie Trebeljahr and members of The Notwist and Tied & Tickled Trio, there's a special appearance by the legendary Yellow Magic Orchestra's - Yukihiro Takahashi!

You can download the first (and only) track available from the album below. The song is called "Remember". This one is very much worth your listening time and iPod storage.

Artist: Lali Puna


Album: Our Inventions
Release Date: April 6
Label: Morr

Tracklist:

01 Rest Your Head
02 Remember
03 Everything Is Always
04 Our Inventions
05 Move On
06 Safe Tomorrow
07 Future Tense
08 Hostile to Me
09 That Day
10 Out There [ft. Yukihiro Takahashi]

Monday, January 25, 2010

The National Announces New Album and Spring Tour


News today that The National will return this May with the yet-to-be-titled follow-up to 2007’s acclaimed Boxer. The icing on the proverbial cupcake might just be the Brooklyn outfit has also announced dates for the U.S., U.K., and Europe. (A Toronto date has also been confirmed for Massey Hall in June.)

Details regarding the band’s fifth studio album remain guarded; however, we do know it will be released worldwide in May on 4AD. The tour dates, which begin with an appearance at Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival in March, will see the band on the road throughout much of May and June. Included will be a single date in Canada, the rest in the U.S., U.K., and Europe, highlighted by a performance with Pavement in Paris on May 7th and a headlining spot at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on June 16th.

PSSSST …. TORONTO PRESALE DETAILS HERE

Ticket pre-sales begin at 10am EST on Tuesday, Jan. 26th and run through 10pm Thursday, Jan. 28th. The London & Berlin pre-sales start at 10 am local time on Wednesday Jan. 27th and run through 10 pm Thursday, Jan. 28th. More dates will be announced in the weeks ahead. The password for all of the pre-sales is BloodBuzz. General onsale begins Friday; tickets can be had via Ticketmaster.com or for the Canucks at Ticketmaster.ca.


The National - 2010 Tour Dates


26-28 MARCH: KNOXVILLE, TN - BIG EARS FESTIVAL 2010 / TENNESSEE THEATRE
22 APRIL: RICHMOND, VA @ THE NATIONAL
23 APRIL: RICHMOND, VA @ THE NATIONAL
06 MAY: LONDON, UK @ ROYAL ALBERT HALL
07 MAY: PARIS, FRANCE @ LE ZENITH w/ PAVEMENT
09 MAY: BERLIN, GERMANY @ ASTRA
22 MAY: LOS ANGELES, CA @ THE WILTERN
23 MAY: SAN DIEGO, CA @ SPRECKELS THEATRE
27 MAY: OAKLAND, CA @ FOX THEATRE
02 JUNE: BOSTON, MA @ HOUSE OF BLUES
05 JUNE: PHILADELPHIA, PA @ ELECTRIC FACTORY
06 JUNE: WASHINGTON, DC @ DAR CONSTITUTION HALL
08 JUNE: TORONTO, CANADA @ MASSEY HALL
16 JUNE: NEW YORK, NY @ RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

WILCO - CAUSES | Free Downloads to Support Haiti

With an extended trip north of the 49th parallel just around the corner the timeliness of this news may be of interest to those clutching tickets to any of those shows. More important though, your keen fandom can benefit the people of Haiti. Wilco have just posted two shows for free download on Wilcoworld. The band have asked in exchange for the free music downloaders make a minimum donation of $15 to one of the organizations listed below if you are able .

OXFAM - http://www.oxfam.org/en/haitidonate

Doctors Without Borders - http://doctorswithoutborders.org/

Both organizations ask that you donate to their Emergency Relief Funds which allows them to spend the money on situations such as Haiti, but, not expressly limited to Haiti.

The shows are:

07-13-09 - Keyspan Park - Brooklyn, NY
11-04-09 - HMV Forum - London, UK


A reminder that Wilco will be playing Centennial Hall in London with the amazing Califone on February 24th.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Font Size is Everything


Coachella 2010 Lineup Announced

Take a look at the lineup for the 2010 Coachella Festival, which was revealed Tuesday to much fanfare and general interweb acclaim. Thankfully organizers have once again created a poster that lists the act by day and relative popularity/font size- Meaning the bigger the font size the more important your band may be. And see there on Sunday too, where Thom Yorke is listed with a bunch of question marks next to his name? That's not a typo, nor is it questioning his appearance dear readers. According to the festicle publicity contingent it is specifically how Yorke wanted to be billed — with four question marks following his name. (I thought the New Yorkers sounded a little bit cheesy. ed)

Those is in the know will recall this is how he was also billed when he played a spate of solo shows last year in Los Angeles, either because he never got around to deciding on a name for his backing band (which included Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, producer Nigel Godrich, and seasoned session hands Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco), or because he simply did not want to. According to his publicist, "that's also the case with Coachella — Yorke will once again play with a band and, once again, they will not have a name. Or, more specifically, they will be called "????" "



So here you go folks. Question marks and all… Start getting the microbus tuned up now!

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, better known as "Coachella", is a three-day annual music and arts festival organized by Goldenvoice. It is held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

You’re (Not) Gonna Miss Me


It’s been nearly a decade and a half since any new, original material from psych-rock legend Roky Erickson was on the shelves. Word today that the legendary 13th Floor Elevators frontman is readying a brand new record called True Love Cast Out All Evil. Fellow Austin, Texas rockers Okkervil River back Erickson on the whole album and Okkervil head honcho Will Sheff produces. (Erickson played previously with Okkervil River at SXSW in 2008 and 2009.)

Talking about the record in a press release, Sheff said, "When we started out, I was given sixty unreleased songs to choose from. There were songs written during business setbacks including the Elevators' painful breakup, songs written by Roky while he was incarcerated at Rusk, and a great deal of songs that reminded me of the sense of optimism and romanticism that I think sustained Roky through his worst years and ultimately reunited him, a few years ago, with his son Jegar and his first wife Dana."



Though his music has appeared in several anthologies over the last two decades, Erickson has not released new material since 1995's All That May Do My Rhyme, and it is half a century since the Texas songwriter's most celebrated work, with psychedelic rockers 13th Floor Elevators. Erickson was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1968, leading to time in hospital, while minor brushes with the law and resulted in further hospitalisation. In 2005 the singer was profiled in a documentary, You're Gonna Miss Me, which helped a healthier Erickson to launch a small comeback, touring the US and parts of Europe. The new album features songs written by Erickson throughout his life, as well as "found-sound and archival recordings culled from Erickson's home videos and recordings made in the Rusk State Hospital.



True Love Cast Out All Evil, is out April 20th via Anti-.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Mmmmmm, New Canadian Music


Ah 2010, you've barely just begun and and the announcements of new music are coming fast and furious.  This partial list will focus on notable upcoming Canadian new music releases.

Courtesy of CBC Radio 3.

2010 Upcoming Canadian Album Releases


JANUARY

Jan 12 - Owen Pallett - Heartland (Domino/For Great Justice)
Jan 12 - Kate Maki - Two Song Wedding (Confusion Unlimited)
Jan 12 - Woodpigeon - Die Stadt Musikanten (Boompa)
Jan 12 - The Paperbacks - Lit From Within (Parliament Of Trees)
Jan 19 - Hawksley Workman - Meat (Six Shooter)
Jan 19 - The Sojourners - Self-Titled (Black Hen)
Jan 19 - Leif Vollebekk - Inland (Nevado Records)
Jan 19 - We Are The City - In A Quiet World (Independent)
Jan 19 - The Pinecones (Brent Randall) - Sage (Just Friends)
Jan 19 - Ben Gunning - Mal De Mer (Zunior)
Jan 26 - Gigi (Nick Krgovich & Rose Melberg) - Maintenant (Tomlab)
Jan 26 - Moonface (Spencer Krug) - Dreamland EP: Marimaba and Shit-Drums(Jagjaguwar)
Jan 26 - Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own (Secret City)
Jan 26 - Hollerado - Record In A Bag (Arts&Crafts Distro)
Jan 26 - Woodhands - Remorsecapade (Paper Bag)
Jan 26 - Fucked Up - Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2008 (Matador)
Jan 26 - Gislain Poirier - Low Ceiling (Ninja Tune)
Jan 26 - Postdata (Wintersleep's Paul Murphy) - Self-Titled (Sonic)
Jan 26 - Sleepless Nights - The Phone Booth Outside the Video Store EP (Forward Music Group)

FEBRUARY

Feb 2 - Martha And The Muffins - Delicate (Muffin Music)
Feb 2 - Meaghan Smith - The Cricket's Orchestra (Warner Music Canada)
Feb 9 - Yukon Blonde - Self-Titled (Nevado Records)
Feb 9 - Fanshaw - Dark Eyes (Mint)
Feb 9 - Babe Rainbow - Shaved EP (Warp)
Feb 16 - Kestrels - Covers EP (Noyes Records)
Feb 16 - Chris Page - A Date With A Smoke Machine (Kelp)
Feb 16 - A Silver Mt. Zion - Kollaps Tradixionales (Constellation)
Feb 23 - Matthew Barber  -True Believer (Outside Music)
Feb 23 – Blocks Records Compilation - Building Blocks (Blocks Recording Club)
Feb 23 - Fan Death - A Coin for the Well EP (Last Gang)
Feb 23 - Jay Malinowski (Bedouin Soundclash) - Bright Lights & Bruises (Pirates Blend Records)
Feb 23 - Jenny Whiteley -  "TBA" (Black Hen) *Killbeat
Feb 23 - Woodhands - Remorsecapade (Paper Bag) - digital release
Feb 23 - Zeus - Say Us (Arts & Crafts)
Feb 27 - Innes Wilson and his Opposition - Cardigan Summer (Out of Sound Records)
Feb TBC - Tiga - What You Need - Remix EP (Last Gang)

MARCH

Mar 2 - Radio Radio - Belmundo Regal (Bonsound)
Mar 2 - Camaromance - The Parade (Lazy At Work)
Mar 2 - Aidan Knight - Versicolour (independent)
Mar 9 - Ghostkeeper - TBA (Flemish Eye)
Mar 9 - Jason Collett - Rat-a-tat (Arts & Crafts)
Mar 9 - The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night (Outside)
Mar 16 - Lioness - Omens, Oracles and Signs - Vol. 2 (Sonic Unyon)
Mar 23 - Holy Fuck - Latin (XL Recordings)
Mar 23 - Fugitives - (Independent)
Mar 23 - The Weakerthans - Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre - CD/DVD (Epitaph)
Mar 30 - Greg MacPherson - Mr. Invitation (Smallman Records)
Mar 30 - Old Man Luedecke - TBA (Black Hen)
Mar TBC - Brasstronaut - TBA - LP (Unfamiliar)
Mar TBC - Heavy Blinkers - Health - double album (Pigeon Row)
Mar TBC - Makeout Videotape - Heat Wave EP (Unfamiliar)
Mar TBC - Kinnie Starr - A Different Day (Last Gang)

APRIL

April 6 - Rich Aucoin - Public Publication (Independent)
April 13 - Ghost Bees - TBA (Independent)
April 13 - Lily Frost - TBA (Aporia)
April 13 - Steven McKay - TBA (fuzzy logic)
April 13 - Jon McKiel - TBA (Independent)
April 20 - David Myles - Produced By Joel Plaskett (Independent)
April 27 – Kestrels – TBA – (Noyes Records)
April 27 - The Pack AD - We Kill Computers (Mint Records)
April TBC - Fan Death - Womb Of Dreams (Last Gang)
April TBC - Hannah Georgas - This Is Good (Hidden Pony)
April TBC - Sleepless Nights - The Communication EP (Forward Music Group)

MAY

May 4 - D-Sisive - Vaudeville (Urbnet)
May 4 - Delhi 2 Dublin - TBA (Independent)
May 4 - The Mohawk Lodge - Crimes (White Whale Records)
May 11 - Shearing Pinx - Night Danger (DIVORCE)
May 11 - Friendly Rich and the Lollipop People - The Sacred Prune of Remembrance(Pumpkin Pie Corp)
May 18 - Drew Smith (The Bicycles) - TBA (fuzzy logic)
May 18 - The Wheat Pool - Simple Bits EP (Shameless Records)
May 18 - Women - TBA (Flemish Eye)
May 26 - DL Incognito - Someday is Less Than a Second Away (Urbnet)
May TBC - Broken Social Scene - TBA (Arts & Crafts)

Unscheduled for spring/summer/fall: The Arcade Fire, Stars, the New Pornographers, Wintersleep, Plants and Animals, Jim Bryson w/ The Weakerthans.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Your Weekly Download Lowdown – Best of 2009 Edition


I have to admit, I have a real soft spot for a great mash-up and this one is nothing short of amazing. Combining Neon Indian and the Pixies, U2 and Taylor Swift- who would have thought? Australian-based producer Neil Mason, aka team9 did and the results can be downloaded for free for your listening pleasure. Featuring some of the best music of 2009 with a host of classic recordings this one is bound to defrost your earbuds. Must be the plunderphone in me that finds this stuff so compelling and completely inspiring.

From the always awesome Stereogum.com. Download here.

Preview below.


Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Vampire Weekend Just Around the Corner


With list-making and seasonal festivities behind us now it’s time to look ahead to new music releases for 2010. First one up, the always brilliant Vampire Weekend whose upcoming sophomore album Contra is out next Tuesday (Jan. 12th) via XL. But the icing on the cake is news that the Brooklyn quartet is touring in support of the album. Vampire Weekend will play a few shows in the US before heading to Europe in February. They'll return to North America to tour in March and April. (I’m looking at you Calgary March 15th!)

If you would like to preview Contra, you can do so right now right here - or on Vampire Weekend's MySpace page, where they're streaming the entire thing for free.



Vampire Weekend Tour Dates Below

Jan. 12 Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater
Jan. 17 New York, NY @ United Palace Theatre
Jan. 18 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Jan. 19 New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom
Feb. 5 Bexhill, England @ The De La Warr Pavilion
Feb. 7 Cambridge, England @ The Cambridge Corn Exchange
Feb. 8 Manchester, England @ Manchester Apollo
Feb. 9 Leeds, England @ O2 Academy Leeds
Feb. 10 Birmingham, England @ O2 Academy Birmingham
Feb. 12 Newcastle Upon Tyne, England @ O2 Academy Newcastle
Feb. 13 Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowland Ballroom
Feb. 14 Edinburgh, Scotland @ The HMV Picture House
Feb. 16-17 London, England @ O2 Academy Brixton
Feb. 19 Berlin, Germany @ Astra Berlin
Feb. 20 Cologne, Germany @ Gloria-Theater Koln
Feb. 21 Hamburg, Germany @ Ubel Und Gefahrlich
Feb. 22 Brussels, Belgium @ L'Ancienne Belgique
Feb. 24 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
Feb. 25 Paris, France @ L'Olympia
Feb. 26 Toulouse, France @ Le Bikini
Feb. 27 Barcelona, Spain @ Penelope
Feb. 28 Madrid, Spain @ Teatro Circo Price
March 14 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Event Centre
March 15 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall at University Of Calgary
March 16 Missoula, MT @ The Wilma Theatre
March 18 Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
March 19 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
March 20 Aspen, CO @ Spring Jam Core Party
March 22 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
March 23 Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater
March 25 Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre
March 27 Knoxville, TN @ Tennessee Theatre
March 29 Columbus, OH @ Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
March 30 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
April 1 Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
April 2 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
April 3 Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
April 5 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
April 6 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
April 8 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle Atlanta
April 9 New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues New Orleans
April 10 Austin, TX @ Stubb's Bar-B-Q
April 11 Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues Dallas
April 13 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
April 14 Pomona, CA @ The Fox Theater
April 19 Oakland, CA @ The Fox Theater
June 12 Newport, England @ Seaclose Park (Isle Of Wight Festival)


Wilco (The Update)


As previously reported Wilco (the hardest working band in show business) will be touring extensively in early 2010. New details have now emerged that make this a must-see. Chicago’s finest will hopefully be introducing some new material into their sets as it has been heavily rumoured that they will be recording this month. If that weren’t enough Jeff Tweedy has been also been tapped to produce an album for fellow Chicagoan Mavis Staples.

Do these guys ever take a break? Be sure to watch for them on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on January 28th.


Record Club: Skip Spence "Broken Heart" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Lastly, please note this very, very good news! The amazing Califone (also from Chicago) will travel northward this February, in support of Wilco on the Trans-Canada part of their tour.


califone - funeral singers from Califone on Vimeo.

All tour dates to early May are below.

02.07.10 at Adams Center (Missoula, MT) *
02.09.10 at Arlene Schnitzer Hall (Portland, OR) *
02.10.10 at Paramount Theatre (Seattle, WA) *
02.12.10 at Royal Theatre (Victoria, British Columbia *
02.13.10 at David Lam Park (Vancouver, BC) *
02.15.10 at Northern Jubilee Auditorium (Edmonton, AB) *
02.16.10 at Southern Jubilee Auditorium (Calgary, AB) *
02.17.10 at TCU Place (Saskatoon, SK) *
02.19.10 at DECC Arena (Duluth, MN) *
02.20.10 at Overture Hall (Madison, WI) *
02.21.10 at Wharton Cobb Great Hall (East Lansing, MI) *
02.23.10 at Hamilton Place Theatre (Hamilton, ON) *
02.24.10 at Centennial Hall (London, ON) *
02.26.10 at Imperial de Quebec (Quebec City, QC) ^
02.27.10 at Olympia de Montreal (Montreal, QC) ^
03.01.10 at National Arts Centre (Ottawa, ON) ^
03.03.10 at Halifax Forum Multipurpose Room (Halifax, NS) ^
03.22.10 at Jackie Gleason Theater (Miami, FL)
03.23.10 at Ruch Eckard Hall (Clearwater, FL)
03.25.10 at Johnny Mercer Theatre (Savannah, GA)
03.26.10 at Fox Theatre (Atlanta, GA)
03.27.10 at Durham Performing Arts Center (Durham, NC)
03.29.10 at The National (Richmond, VA)
03.30.10 at Strathmore (Bethesda, MD)
03.31.10 at Scranton Cultural Center (Scranton, PA)
04.02.10 at The Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ)
04.03.10 at The Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ)
04.04.10 at Lupo's (Providence, RI)
04.06.10 at Orpheum Theatre (Boston, MA)
04.07.10 at Capitol Center for Arts (Concord, NH)
04.09.10 at Bushnell Center (Hartford, CT)
04.10.10 at The Electric Factory (Philadelphia, PA)
04.11.10 at Carnegie Music Hall (Pittsburgh, PA)
04.22.10 at Big Cat (Osaka, JP)
04.23.10 at Zepp Tokyo (Tokyo, JP)
04.27.10 at Civic Theatre (Auckland, NZ)
04.28.10 at Wellington Town Hall (Wellington, NZ)
04.30.10 at The Tivoli (Brisbane, AU)
05.01.10 at State Theatre (Sydney, AU)
05.02.10 at Factory Theatre (Marrickville, AU)
05.05.10 at Forum (Melbourne, AU)
05.06.10 at Forum (Melbourne, AU)

* w/ Califone
^ w/ Bahamas