I will freely admit that when I heard a single track from Freelance Whales I audibly groaned "oh no, not another derivative, sappy, knock off no talent hack like Owl City." Thankfully I was wrong in assuming that this band was going to become as simple pop attention whore with a laptop. Their debut album, Weathervanes (which is out already as a download) ( amazon ) ( itunes ) is a solid trip through musical adventures akin to mashing together Postal Service and Sufjan Stevens. That really is the best way to describe their sound. Listen for yourself. [...]
Another weekend fast approaches (and for those of you in the UK and east you're already there) and who better than Cudi to ease you into your Friday night. This song falls under the "it's been stuck in my head for more than a day so I thought I should post it and pass the obsession along" variety. And let's be honest, Cudi is rapidly becoming one of the most consistent rappers of his generation. Enjoy. mp3 : Kid Cudi - CuDi Zone For the completionists out there; this track hails from Cudi's [...]
Normally I don't watch music videos. They just don't do it for me (and I can't watch music videos while I work or play games). For some reason I actually clicked through to watch the latest video for I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers the other day and I haven't been able to dump it from my brain since. youtube mp3 : The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You For the curious folks out there this song appears on The Avett Brother's 2009 [...]
The previous two years were filled with amazing albums by amazing bands. Picking the ten best of2007 was hard. Picking the top albums of 2008 was almost impossible. In contrast, 2009 was rather easy. There just weren't that many brilliant albums this year. In fact there weren't even that many great albums. Fret not, though, there is still more than enough music to enjoy. 01 : Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion ( amazon ) ( itunes ) I don't like a single other album that Animal Collective [...]
I was listening through my TWF archives the other day (I've posted about 1000 tracks now) and one song kept playing through my head and I realized that I simply didn't have a copy on any of my drives. Thankfully the internet still exists and I was able to find another version of this track which has become one of my all time favorite songs by one of my all time favorite bands. mp3 : Radiohead - Fog (Again) (Live) In my original post, way back in April of 2006 , I [...]
I'm so done caring about this band that I don't even care that you don't care either. At all. I do however find this fresh remix by Miike Snow to be perfection. I would care if their next album was going to sound more like this and less like them. mp3 : Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand a Chance (Miike Snow Remix) Sorry for the brevity, and the snark, I'm working on my Best of 2009 list as well as compiling a massive dance party mix list that needs to last [...]
This is what happens when you get Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, and Julian Casablancas all on one stage at the same time. Really. Click over and watch the video . If this doesn't make your heart ready for Christmas I don't know what will. And apparently Jules has gone one better and recorded the perennial SNL favorite sketch as a bonafide single. Enjoy and Merry Christmas. mp3 : Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today + Julian Casablancas @ twf hype [...]
It has been a full year since the BOTR series graced this humble page. And I do apologize. I apologize. But it is far better to apologize than to eulogize. And in the end it is far better to actually post music than to take months off (sorry mates, but deadlines at work and real life adventures are simply dominating my time). I started this series, and the BOTM series, because in my previous life I had much more free time than anyone else on the face of the planet. Literally. Well since then I landed a fairly [...]
I receive literally loads of email on a daily basis from artists and publicists alike looking for a quick mention or a short review here on TWF. Often wading through this morass is more tiring than reward but it all feels fine when you stumble upon a gem like Andrew Belle. First of all let me congratulate him on cutting his hair. Your publicist/manager/assistant/wh omever should be thanked mightily for cleaning you up a bit. Secondly let me say that I hope his upcoming album, The Ladder, is as solid as the first preview track I was sent. (Album is out [...]
I actually stumbled upon this lone track by Underworld as I was watching video game montages the other day. Yes, you read that correctly, I'm a big enough video game nerd that occasionally I watch footage of other video game players that has been cleverly edited and then set to music. Yes. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. While I'm being a giant nerd, scouring the internet for technology deals, or working I sometimes have a bit of freedom to listen to music. And then, at other times, all of those activities collide and [...]
I can't seem to help myself when it comes to The Boss. There's just something magnetic about him. Maybe it's because I don't really like modern day Cougar and Billy Joel is pretty terrible now and John Denver and died. But maybe it's because Springsteen is still good. He's still good in a way that actually matters. His music is gripping and tragic and heart wrenchingly real. Sometimes, yes, he leans a bit too heavily on patriotism and rhetoric, but in the end his songs feel like they are honest, rough and tumble, struggling working man instant classics. And I [...]
At first listen this track, off of their album The Shabby Road Sessions ( CD Baby ) ( itunes ), makes these boys sound like a new version of California centric surfer pop. If you're thinking of early Phantom Planet or the only good Rooney album then you're right on track. Unfortunately if you head over to their myspace page (and I mean come on, you don't have a proper website? It costs, what, about $50 a year for a cheap as site like this?) you'll soon find that this just might be the only gem they'll ever [...]
I'll freely admit that at first, when rhythm oriented video games such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero dropped, I was a openly skeptical. Over the past few years I've changed my tune and occasionally you'll find me at a party rocking out the mic or drums on everything from Weezer to System of a Down (I won't go so far as to actually own the games, but I also won't sit disapprovingly on the sidelines). Well the latest iteration of said rhythm games comes in the form of DJ Hero and [...]
I think I've been dismissing the latest album by The Killers, 2008's Day & Age ( amazon ) ( itunes ), largely because it's not Hot Fuss 2.0. In fact it's not even close to Hot Fuss . Granted there are tracks like Human and Spaceman which seem to align quite well with the oft revered first offering from these glamorous desert dwellers, but the album as a whole strays quite a bit from what many fans were hoping for. I think if you give the album another try you'll appreciate it for what it actually is. [...]
Posting about Julian Casablancas the other day had me jonesing for some good old strokes. I posted this track ages ago (around the time The Strokes offered it as a free download from their myspace page), but since then I have found a way to lose track of it entirely. Fortunately through my clever use of the interwebs I have found a way to release it once again. Enjoy. mp3 : The Strokes - I'll Try Anything Once (You Only Live Once Demo) The song drips with everything I love about these New [...]
Julian Casablancas has succeeded in cultivating a certain persona for himself. Something about him oozes likability and it's hard to define simply why that is so. Maybe it's because he's the front man of The Strokes, maybe it's because his deadpan and washed out vocal delivery inspires everyone to sing along, or maybe there is some other magic behind his charm. Whatever this intangible effect is it simply drips off of the latest track from Julian's solo album Phrazes For The Young ( amazon ) ( itunes ). mp3 : Julian Casablancas - Out of [...]
I stumbled upon this little gem of a cover this morning while I was listening to music at work. A friend sent me the link and I thought I would pay it forward. The track is a fairly straightforward cover of the Fleet Foxes classic Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. If you like what the ladies have done with it (somehow I think they make it even more haunting than the original) make sure you check out their myspace page from some more great songs. mp3 : First Aid Kit - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (Fleet [...]
I think this song is out to get me. I remember vaguely watching this band play late one night on Letterman. And although they seem to be a random collection of hippies and vagabonds there was something about the oft repeated refrain of "home is wherever I'm with you" that held my attention. I mean basically, this track which hails from the 2009 album Up From Below ( amazon ) ( itunes ), is the epitome of the modern indie folk classic. There are two singers, male and female, whom sing in a throwback call and response style [...]
This post is a little off the beaten path today. The track hails from a 2006 EP called Information Chase and it contains no lyrics. Although this isn't the first time I've posted a purely instrumental track this does mark the first time I've posted an instrumental track that's composed entirely of bits/bleeps. Just think Nintendo era soundtracks with serious club credibility and you're on the right track. mp3 : Bit Shifter - Hexadecimal Genome I enjoy this track, I hope you can enjoy it as well. It's not for everyone, but that's [...]
Whether or not you actually like Tiesto (or the copious amount of remixes, mixes, dance tracks, beats, etc., that he's made) we can all agree on one thing. The lead singer of Sigur Ros, oft called Jonsi, is brilliant at almost every single turn. So when Tiesto teams up with Jonsi and asks him to sing over the title track to his new album you just know it's going to be epic. And trust me, epic it is. mp3 : Tiesto - Kaleidoscope (feat Jonsi) Honestly I'm not sure if there is anything [...]
Yeasayer – Odd Blood (Review)
TOUR: The Tallest Man On Earth Announces U.S. Dates
New Releases V2.9
[mp3] Joanna Newsom - "Kingfisher"
Hot Chip: One Life Stand
