I just ordered my copy of the new Summerbirds In The Cellar CD: Druids. You should do the same. I haven’t been this excited for a new release in a LONG time. I had the pleasure of seeing these guys live at SXSW and they put on a show that rivaled that of Muse and sounded flawless. Chances are you can only catch them live if you live in Florida or Georgia, but let’s hope they go on tour.

I’m usually not one to say this but Druids is one of the most important records of the last 5 years. I’m also not usually one of the types to use the “for fans of” but I’m going to do it anyway: I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness, Blur (Think Tank), Muse, New London Fire (huh??).

ELBOW - 4/26/2008 @ Webster Hall, NYC:

HOLY SHIT

Do yourself a favor and stream the new Elbow record, The Seldom Seen Kid, on IMEEM.com. The fine UK gents were responsible for making one of the finest records ever made (Cast Of Thousands), so anything they now do needs to be taken SERIOUSLY. Serious. After a few listens of The Seldom Seen Kid, I’ve noticed that Elbow has tipped their hat even harder to the likes of Talk Talk and Peter Gabriel… this is a good thing. Anyway, go listen to it. Also, I decided that the uglier the band is, the better they are. These guys are way ugly and their shit RULES.

ELBOW - THE SELDOM SEEN KID - BUY IT ON iTUNES

It’s about time. Constantines have been in heavy rotation in my CD player/iPod for years now ever since their Sub Pop debut… Now, with the release of their new album Kensington Heights on the Canadian label Arts & Crafts, they seem to be getting the proper push they deserve.

You can stream Kensington Heights in full on Constantines’ MySpace page before it hits stores in the US on April 29th. STREAM IT NOW. I’m not sure if there is a song that lives up to that of “Soon Enough” off of Tournament of Hearts, but with each listen this record grows on me more and more. Give it a whirl.

CONSTANTINES - KENSINGTON HEIGHTS - BUY IT ON iTUNES

It seems like yesterday that Cloud Cult’s last album, The Meaning of 8, found me so unexpectedly - so I was a little surprised when I saw a bulletin by them on MySpace saying that their new record, Feel Good Ghosts, was available for download. Exciting! Well, let’s just say I downloaded the shit out of it.

I hate to say this but I am not as impressed I was with The Meaning of 8, but this new album shines through enough times for me to want everyone and their handsome grandmother to pick it up. I will be seeing them at least twice this year at SXSW, see you there as well? Contact me!

The band was nice enough to offer a digital download with the option of getting the physical copy in the mail. This way not only can you listen to it you can also smell & feel it. Creepy! In my opinion, I feel everyone should sell music this way.

CLOUD CULT - FEEL GOOD GHOSTS - BUY IT ON iTUNES

They may be hard to find in today’s over-saturated music market, but there is one place you’ll not find the band Lost Ocean: at home twiddling their thumbs, waiting for success. These Bakersfield CA natives have been touring non-stop since I last saw them almost 2 years ago while on tour in Oklahoma. In front of 15 people, they played their hearts out, filling the room with noises that the walls weren’t used to. You could see the paint peeling and turning into freshly grown flowers. It was weird. Once again they will be on the road throughout March. Go see them play and check out their MySpace, especially the song “Just Glide”. Speaking of Lost. I missed yesterday’s season premier and I want to die.

I’m off to a late start on this one. The last time I had heard of/seen Les Savy Fav was in Mahwah, NJ at Ramapo College in 2003 with Sleep Station. I was standing in the back of the crowd, nodding my head as I usually do when Tim Harrington (vocals) of Les Savy Fav jumped off stage, ran towards me, jumped on my back and demanded I give him a “piggy-back” around the room…in which I reluctantly agreed. After that, I hadn’t heard a peep from the band until recently a friend of mine sent me a promo copy of their latest effort in 4 years - Let’s Stay Friends (French Kiss Records). This CD was everything I loved about Go Forth, but there is something much more raw and exciting about it. Let’s just say this CD literally jumped on my back and demanded I give it a ride around the room.

STREAM IT IN FULL ON VIRB.COM

Ya know how some people have a “sweet tooth“? Well I have a “pop tooth“. It is rare when something can really satisfy my pop tooth, though. Fortunately, I have the boys of Scissors For Lefty in my life who can successfully fill this gaping void each and every time I put on their CD or when I can see them live (last year at SxSW…incredible). Now… I don’t get up and dance when I hear it. That would be awkward and not very necessary. But it humbles me that I can if I wanted to and wouldn’t feel bad about it. For those of you who have seen them live, front man Bryan Garza puts on quite the show, getting even the most meager of crowds enthused and shaking their little fannies. Their sophomore record Underhanded Romance eventually found its way onto Eenie Meenie Records in 2007 after hitting shelves in the UK for almost a year prior and you need to pick it up. My mom also cooked them dinner once. She rules. Check out the remix for their track “Ghetto Ways” off of their latest album.

Scissors For Lefty - Ghetto Ways (remix)

“Oh that Jason. He’s keeps posting these things on his blog about bands I’ve never heard of!” Hey fuck you, man! That’s not fair! I didn’t ask you to read my blog! Wanna fightsies?? It doesn’t matter… nothing does… I’ve been behind on posts because I totaled my car and have been battling the car insurance system like you wouldn’t believe. It has consumed me and I’m stuck at home, car-less and building mashed potato mountains in hopes that the aliens will find me. What gives me hope? Not much. But the fact that these small, hard working bands exist out there that are totally overlooked by the common MySpacer, the average music listener just pisses me off and makes it worse. March Of The Saints is a perfect example of this. Go listen to their stuff on MySpace. Especially the song “Rejoice”. Have hope that there are people out there doing what they love.

With an ass-ton of touring now under their belt, their music featured in the likes of Madden ‘08 and a tremendously catchy record now out on Ryko, I am once again baffled as to how a band like Jupiter One can go under the radar. Their song “Countdown” spent 2 years in my head. TWO YEARS. That’s a long time. I actually lost my mind because of it and shaved off all of my body hair. Visit their website to hear a bunch of tunes, check out their tour dates and even buy their record.

Check these guys out at The Bowery Ballroom in NYC on January 24th. I cannot make the show, but I expect a full review and photo gallery from each and every one of you.

 

According to The Boy Genius (and other reliable sources) it looks like Jay-Z and Apple will be teaming up on some sort of yet to be announced record label. Jay-Z previously was the man behind the desk at Def-Jam until last month when he decided to step down and pursue other interests…. hmmm… How will this deal be structured? Will Jay-Z simply be ON the label or running it? Why is Apple making this type of jump into music?  We saw Starbucks do something similar earlier this year… I guess if you build a strong enough brand you can sell shit to pretty much anyone. Our goal with Air & Sea Battle is to build a strong enough following to sell little gadgets that play MP3 files! Don’t steal our idea… I’m curious to see if these rumors are true and would love to see how this pans out. It could be an incredible thing or it could be Apple’s way of jumping the shark.

CARRIGAN. I had the pleasure of seeing Zack Martin and his crew play in a shit-hole house in a shit-hole town in the Mid-West on my way to SxSW last year. After moving the mattress aside and setting up shop in a disease infested hippie’s bedroom, Carrigan then turned out the lights and painted a beautiful landscape for us that simply made everyone forget where exactly they were… It helped me also forget the team of bearded girls who were jumping on tables and chanting anti-male rhetoric 10 minutes prior. Carrigan’s latest effort Young Men Never Die will surely take you to a place that is better than where ever you are. Promise.

“Valladolid” - Carrigan (mp3)

This is just a message to those who aren’t familiar with Sleep Station and it’s mastermind David Debiak: You’re an asshole.

You really need to work on that. The first thing you can do is go and get his latest record The Pride Of Chester James on iTunes. Then, once Debiak sets the mood for you that leaves you speechless, you then go and pick up his last 6 records that you probably haven’t heard (After The War, Ahedonia, Runaway Elba-1, Hang In There Charlie, Von Cosel, I Sing The Body Holographic, A Wave Form).

Once you are done with those in a few years, take a glimpse into the mind of Debiak by reading his newly formed blog.

“Hell Has Come With Me” - Sleep Station (mp3)

Nothing is stopping Search/Rescue from being the biggest band in 2008. Though formed by ex-members of Acceptance and Gastby’s American Dream, Search/Rescue is an amalgam of the likes of Keane, Longwave and Coldplay but with drums sounds that will digest your food for you. Their new record, which has yet to find a home here in the US but will still be on iTunes in the Spring, will hit shelves in Japan in 2008 and was produced by a bald genius named D. James Goodwin (New London Fire, Baumer, Murder By Death). That’s exciting! Just go check out their songs.

TOP 10 RECORDS OF 2007:

01. Cloud Cult - The Meaning Of 8
02. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
03. Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
04. Dear And The Headlights - Small Steps Heavy Hooves
05. The Gay Blades - Ghosts
06. Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir
07. Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
08. Scissors For Lefty - Underhanded Romance
09. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
10. Kiss Kiss - Reality Vs. The Optimist

Some of you might say “Enough of the ‘wolf’ bands already!” Rightfully so. But what if you heard a “wolf”-band you actually really liked? I bet that tickled your no-no spot, didn’t it? Well I am proud to say that I might have found that artist and his name is Wolftron.

I tried my best to come up with some clever words to describe the music but after 3 drinks at my desk and a 12 hour work day the best I can do is “Pretty”. I also wrestled with using “Luscious”. “Pretty” won. It was quite the battle. Take what you love about Sufjan Stevens, The Postal Service and Stars, then mash that shit up like Silly Putty, make an imprint with it of the Home & Garden section of a newspaper from 1975 and you have yourself Wolftron. Anyone recognize that voice? Yes, it’s Kenny Choi.

Wolftron - “Sugar Skulls” (mp3)

Consider this your early Christmas gift from Air & Sea Battle. Illinois based Snowsera has been lighting up venues across the Midwest since their inception in 2006 and they have now found their way to Air & Sea Battle with an exclusive download of their song “So Subtle” off of their self-titled EP for the next 4 days. Like what you hear? Probably. Purchase a copy of their EP at their web-store and help an unsigned band possibly pay some bills.

Looking for that download? Well the feature has run it’s course. Please visit their MySpace!

The Gay Blades are your favorite band in 2008. Seeing them live is a treat… and by “treat” I mean you will probably get made fun of by the guy on stage or forced to stand up there with them and awkwardly shake a tambourine while getting attacked by beards of fury. The music is filthy and it compels you to hear more. It’s like a woman being nightmarishly attracted to a man who doesn’t wash his balls. Pick up their latest record Ghosts and download the remix of “O’Shot” on their MySpace page featuring Ant Stone or the album version below:

“O’ Shot” - The Gay Blades

I stumbled upon the band Loney, Dear on accident. I was looking for music video directors across the world wide web and randomly saw their video for “Saturday Waits”. It kicked the crap out of my love for things moving, sweet, and (somehow) borderline depressing. Their release on Subpop, Loney Noir, found a staple place in my CD player on long car rides and on my iPod while taking a hot piss on a cold winter’s night. The tracks below are also available on their website.

“Saturday Waits” - Loney, Dear (mp3)
“The City, The Airport” - Loney, Dear (mp3)