
With the Olympics going on, I've been watching way more live TV than normal, which has given me plenty of opportunity to see which of the latest hip, indie tracks are being harvested for mass consumption via car, beer and cell phone commercials. So that brings us to another edition of my long-running Commercial Watch series, where I watch the ads so you can keep skipping them with your fancy DVR-machines. There's twenty commercials embedded below with MP3s / streams of the songs included. Make sure to click the continue reading link to see them all! [...]
Ejemplos de mujeres de palabras fuertes y actitudes igualmente decididas hemos tenido bastantes en el mundo de la música. Algunas, quizá, un poco más sobrias en sus palabras como PJ Harvey , otras más extravagantes como Amanda Palmer , pero todas con el deseo de hablar abierto y claro de sus deseos y preocupaciones. En la ruta sonora de esta última podríamos de hecho poner la música y estilo de April Smith and the Great Picture Show , agrupación comandada precisamente por la cantante del mismo nombre que hoy hemos hecho nuestra banda Under de la semana. [...]
![[Ones To Watch] – Introducing – The Coasts](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3629838_lg.jpg)
Tweet I often struggle to find the words to describe the music of the last two decades (mostly in the U.S. that is). The 902s were defined by Nirvana and Pearl Jam, enter grunge. The 802s, regrettably, were the nation's awkward years of bad hair bands, though a few hidden punk gems. The 702s, of what people can remember if they weren't all high on something, were maybe the psychedelic rock days - Doc Ellis, anyone? The 602s - Hippies. The 502s came to [...]
![[Introducing] – April Smith And The Great Picture Show](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/3553144_lg.jpg)
Tweet Photography by Eric Ryan Anderson "I was a surprise," says April Smith of the April Smith and The Great Picture Show. Her bio reads that she was a "bonus baby" to her parents, and when I first heard "Wow and Flutter," it was a surprise to me. Her sultry and bold voice commands attention while the Great Picture Show band - Stevens, Marty O’Kane, Ray Malo, Nick D’Agostino - puts a whole new spin on the big band/swing genre. [...]

So the big race is in less than 48 hours and the nerves are starting to kick in. I'm having a last minute dilemma of what tunes to listen to during the run...I guess it's better than worrying about the actual race. I previously made a mix of some training music that have helped me through the last few months but the other day I put on a mellow playlist and I felt great...zoned out but in the zone. Here are a few of those tracks. [...]

Tally Hall at Bowery Ballroom (03/04/10) Photo : Jon Klemm Listen : "You & Me" - Tally Hall It's been a while since we've heard from one of I Rock, I Roll 's favorite bands, Michigan's Tally Hall . It turns out that they haven't broken up, (except with Atlantic Records that is), but in fact, have been busy working on their new album entitled Good & Evil . Their long awaited second LP will drop on Jun 21 [...]

The talented singer and her band played a high-energy in Mission Hills. Follow Owl and Bear on Facebook and Twitter for contests, MP3s, and links that don't make it onto the blog.

April Smith and the Great Picture show will perform at M-Theory Records on April 25. Follow Owl and Bear on Facebook and Twitter for contests, MP3s, and links that don't make it onto the blog.
It's time for another edition of Commercial Watch , where I again highlight some of the hippest, indiest songs that are out there soundtracking commercials for cars, mobile phones, chewing gums and national football leagues. Since I know all of you are the Hulu / DVR / next-day-on-youtube type, here’s a few of the best tunes that the modern day Don Drapers and Peggy Olsons have been digging up. The commercials are embedded below with MP3s included. Make sure to click the continue reading link to double the pleasure, double the fun, and uh... see the full post. [...]

Filed under: Concerts and Tours , Free MP3 Download of the Day Getty Images From March 11-20, thousands will gather for the South by Southwest Music and Film Interactive in Austin, Texas, where music, film and technology meet to promote creative and professional growth. Antendees will engage in panel discussions, networking opportunities, film screenings and live musical performances on over 80 stages. This year, the SXSW Music and Media Conference celebrates its 25th anniversary, but if [...]
Of the 14 gazillion acts that will end up playing South by Southwest 2011 , here are some more to consider: Widespread Panic, Emmylou Harris, Black Lips, and Okkervil River head the latest batch additions to this year's lineup. Other newly confirmed notables include Diplo, Kylesa, Wavves, Times New Viking, Cold War Kids, Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam, Greenhornes, The Raveonettes, Friendly Fires, The Chain Gang of 1974, OFF!, Boys Noize, Richie Hawtin, Esben and the Witch, The Chapin Sisters, Cults, Tennis, and Tech N9ne. Still going: Raphael [...]
Of the 14 gazillion acts that will end up playing South by Southwest 2011 , here are some more to consider: Widespread Panic, Emmylou Harris, Black Lips, and Okkervil River head the latest batch additions to this year's lineup. Other newly confirmed notables include Diplo, Kylesa, Wavves, Times New Viking, Cold War Kids, Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam, Greenhornes, The Raveonettes, Friendly Fires, The Chain Gang of 1974, OFF!, Boys Noize, Richie Hawtin, Esben and the Witch, The Chapin Sisters, Cults, and Tech N9ne. Still going: The Moondoggies, [...]
Watch 'Terrible Things' below. Be certain to visit 'em at their official site. Click here to view the embedded video. Click here to view the embedded video. MP3: April Smith & The Great Picture Show - Colors
April Smith and The Great Picture Show and Tunng warmed the Bootleg Theatre on a drizzly Friday night. More like it: LIVE REVIEW: Stone Temple Pilots @ Nokia Theatre 10/29 LIVE REVIEW: Foals @ El Rey Theatre 10-18-10 LIVE REVIEW: Owen Pallett, The National @ Pomona Fox Theatre 10/16/10
An indie music sampler from WFUV.

Today marks the beginning of the National Novel Writing Month . I’ll be once again trying to knock out a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. Which means, I may miss a day here and there on The Late Greats and/or limit my words on this music blog. I know I shouldn’t say this: but April Smith & The Great Picture Show’s album is probably my favorite album for 2010. Love it start to finish and over and over again. Listen: April [...]
Colors It's not necessarily hard to define April Smith & the Great Picture Show's sound, classy, cabaret styled pop music. The music has a nostalgia sound to it, April Smith's voice is utterly fantastic. Catching her set in Newport at the Folk Festival this summer, I was completely surprised at just how fantastic she was live, her voice was so perfect, the crowd ate up the music and I've been dying to see her again. I've been particularly enamored of the video (above) for her song 'terrible things,' as it is zombie season (halloween.) [...]
Each year, bands produce a plethora of Halloween material hoping that its holiday sparkle with spur some interest. Seeing as Halloween is one of our favorite holidays of the year, we're a sucker for it all and love all the creepy videos and gloomy music we receive into our inbox during October. Here's some of [...]
You couldn't have imagined a better video right before Halloween than this one from April Smith and the Great Picture Show. Have a good weekend and a fun - and safe - Halloween, kids! Click here to view the embedded video.