Blog: TwentyFourBit

Caldo Verde Records revealed details about Mark Kozelek's next record as Sun Kil Moon today, in which he'll follow up 20102s Admiral Fell Promises with another nylon string guitar-based set: Among the Leaves , 17 original tracks he began recording "impulsively, without second guessing" last fall/winter and completed in January. The most intriguing bit described in the announcement (via BPM ), however, is that the LP is said to display "a more raw and humorous side" of Kozelek's notoriously melancholic style. One scan through the tracklist and a few song titles should give you [...]

This tune off Damien Jurado's new album, Maraqopa , contains perhaps my favorite lyrics in the set. Collected within a simple folk structure, wordless hummed hook, and a deceptively upbeat feel are verses capped off with a number of cutting couplets. It's unclear who the poor sap is that let Jurado down despite being formerly "more like a hero," but let's hope they can handle hearing Elliott Smith-worthy bites like this: "So fed up still you're starving on paper / You are no him, but he's you, only better." Then again, as Smith used to [...]

Sir Tom Jones returns with perhaps his most entertaining turn in the spotlight since that Carlton Banks duet on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . Here's the official stream , thanks to Third Man Records.

In which another indie band shares their impressive tribute to the über-influential New York outfit.

It's hard not to feel a bit of nostalgia when it comes to James Iha's solo debut, Let It Come Down . Put to tape toward the end of the Smashing Pumpkins' 1990s heyday, the decidedly un-SP set and intimate change of pace on Adore five months later seemed to foreshadow Iha's imminent departure. So, for those of us raised on grunge and steeped in an angsty high school rock obsession, the end of an era felt nigh. Given that I'll always have a soft spot for this unflinchingly saccharine collection of folk-pop, it comes as a [...]

We weren't quite sure what to expect from the Shins last fall, now that frontman James Mercer is the only remaining original member, but now that there's a radio-ready single , its tender B-side , and that promising live preview in the mix, I must say things are shaping up nicely for a triumphant return from the beloved Portland outfit. This week, Mercer wore the mantle of Last Shin Standing with class for a string of solo acoustic performances on the radio, reminding us just how well his better known compositions have endured before [...]

Back in December, Bowerbirds picked up some long-overdue attention when they dropped the lead single off their forthcoming The Clearing LP. While some of the hype was perhaps mere drooling over the fact that the set was recorded at Bon Iver's Wisconsin studio, the strength of the tune itself, "Tuck The Darkness In," made all the praise well-deserved regardless. Now, with last year's Justin Vernon endorsement fully digested, comes a second taste from their third full-length: "In The Yard," in which Beth Tacular steps forward on lead vocals before more beautiful harmonies and nuanced progressive folk [...]

While Little Scream's sprawling "Boatman" certainly stood out on their debut LP , The Golden Record , I'd yet to find a version to share online that does justice to live takes witnessed at our own SXSW day party and others last year. Now Laurel Sprengelmeyer has gotten the full troupe together for an excellent kitchen-sink attempt in a bare space big enough to capture the energy of this epic piece. What's more, the album's producer, Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire, joined in as the guest drummer along with a full choir. There's a melting pot of [...]

Photo Credit: Autumn De Wilde The meteoric rise of last summer's most promising unsigned act reached new heights tonight: Alabama Shakes made their television debut on Conan , unleashing Boys & Girls lead single "Hold On" along with a web-only take of "I Ain't The Same" for the masses. Given that O'Brien and the Shakes have a mutual collaborator in the form of Jack White, the pairing seems particularly appropriate, but what stands out most around here is Conan's enthusiastic live reaction to the aired cut. As [...]

Woody Guthrie wasn't the only prolific songwriter to leave behind a treasure trove of half-written material and a host of notable artists inspired to honor his legacy by completing the work: Jeffrey Lee Pierce, founding member of influential Los Angeles punk group the Gun Club, is set to have two more volumes of works-in-progress posthumously finished by the likes of Nick Cave, Mark Lanegan, Debbie Harry, Lydia Lunch, Mick Harvey, Warren Ellis, Isabel Campbell, and more. Following 20092s unveiling of the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions , titled We Are Only Riders , Glitterhouse Records [...]

Appropriately scheduled for a Valentine's Day release date, James Mercer's fine new love song, "September," can be previewed along with a quote from the man himself thataway .

Photo Credit: Sofia Stolpe Last week, The Tallest Man on Earth took a break from recording his next LP by stepping out under his given name of Kristian Matsson to perform a pair of cover songs on Swedish game show På Spåret . Now his musical partner (and perhaps wife, considering her hyphenated last name in the introduction), Amanda Bergman , has also made an appearance on the show to promote the duo's forthcoming soundtrack for the film Once A Year . In keeping [...]

Photo Credit: Autumn De Wilde Breakout Athens, Alabama quartet Alabama Shakes may be most noted in the press for being the freshest dose of retro-soul around, but - as they've made an effort to point out in a first round of interviews - influences from a range of genres, namely rock, are either beneath the surface on their debut or in store for future releases. There's no need to tiptoe around the label adjustment, however, as frontwoman Brittany Howard and Co. just kicked the door open by taking on classic-rock royalty: Performing [...]

M. Ward: "The First Time I Ran Away" M. Ward returns to familiar hushed territory this morning with our first taste of his 7th solo record, A Wasteland Companion . "The First Time I Ran Away" arrives steeped in calm, nuanced instrumentation that picks up where 2009's Hold Time left off well, complete with an animated music video by "Chinese Translation" director Joel Trussell. Enjoy the clip above, and stick around as Ward draws out his vocal on the word "storm" until it dissolves with a chilling [...]

Video: Bonnie "Prince" Billy Black Cab Session Will Oldham, Cairo Gang's Emmett Kelly, Angel Olsen, and Ben Boye packed into a London taxi for the 100th episode of Black Cab Sessions, taking on a pair of somewhat diametrically opposed tunes: children's song "My Nurse Smells Like Coconuts" and a more world-weary cut off their new album, Wolfroy Goes To Town. Given the intimate feel of that LP, the close-knit harmonies and patient pace of "Black Captain" fit this setting like a glove. Check it out above (Bonnie's jumpy reaction to the siren [...]

Video: Aaron Embry - "Your Heart And Mine" It looks like Aaron Embry has been floating just beneath my radar for years: producing Avi Buffalo's debut , performing in the evolving lineup of Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and — in the most unforgivably overlooked collaboration — playing keyboard on Elliott Smith's "Pretty (Ugly Before)" single. That song, as any fellow Smith obsessive might point out, was one of the last tracks he put the finishing touches on and approved for release in his life. Regardless, it's a gorgeously heartbreaking tune and [...]

Jack White unveiled big news about his long-awaited debut solo LP this morning: Blunderbuss arrives on April 24th via Third Man Records/Columbia, preceded by lead single "Love Interruption," available for pre-order now and to stream below. As the announcement notes, guest performers include the likes of Seasick Steve, Chris Thile, and Ruby Amanfu, among others. Meanwhile, Jack described his decision to finally go solo: I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented [...]

Video: SoKo - "First Love Never Die" From forlorn teaser track "No More Home, No More Love" to its Spike Jonze-directed title track clip , SoKo's first proper LP, I Thought I Was an Alien , has been looking like a breakthrough for the French songwriter/actress. Now we have another taste, and yeah, a fine full-length set of charming folk-pop tunes feels inevitable. Watch above as SoKo acting pal Matthew Gray Gubler co-directs the endearing video for new single "First Love Never Die."

Video: Conor Oberst (Live in Omaha) With Bright Eyes now a marquee act at high-capacity theaters the world over, opportunities to catch Conor Oberst performing an intimate set — like, say, this Halloween 2003 tribute to Elliott Smith in a bookshop — have become increasingly rare. Enter Krug Park , a new Omaha bar owned by an Oberst buddy who recruited his famous friend to anoint the small space last week. Thanks to videographer Jonathan Tvrdik (via NJ Underground ), we have a fine multi-camera peek at two songs from the show. Watch [...]

Kristian Matsson Covers Thin Lizzy, Previews Soundtrack The Tallest Man On Earth has been branching out from his solo-acoustic roots of late, contributing songs with partner Amanda Bergman to a film , debuting new material with a backing band, and — tonight — leading a group through Thin Lizzy's late-'70s rock anthem "Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)" on Swedish television. Watch Matsson perform the latter for På Spåret above (he also does Swedish folk tune "En Fattig Trubadur" [...]