![[mp3] Strand of Oaks - "Two Kids"](http://cache.elbo.ws/posts/2309433_lg.jpg)
It was about a year ago that I first shared Strand of Oaks ' "End In Flames" on one of my monthly mixes. Well, songwriter Timothy Showalter is hitting the road to continue support of last year's Leave Ruin , and has released a second free download from the album - "Two Kids" - which is another dose of gorgeous, hushed indie-folk. MP3 :: Two Kids MP3 :: End In Flames (from Leave Ruin . [...]
Strand Of Oaks (Tim Showalter) put out Leave Ruin in 2009 and it has become a favorite album of mine. We're pleased to share the news that he's about to hit the road and has offered a second track for free to the fans. "Two Kids" is my favorite song from the album and it's now available to download. Support this fine musician if he passes through your town. Strand Of Oaks - Two Kids Other tracks: Strand Of Oaks - End [...]
Several more details have surfaced since CoS originally reported on the upcoming benefit album for Kiwi punk-legend Chris Knox . To begin, the music world experienced the untimely passing of up and comer Jay Reatard , whom kicks off Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox with a cover of "Pull Down the Shades". You can check out a one-minute sample via the Stroke official website . The recording may be the last non-live release by Reatard, and choosing to cover "Pull Down the Shades" seems eerily ironic [...]
When I was a teenager I was deeply into hardcore and then SST-related bands, noise, and anything I could find that was slightly off-kilter in those old Ajax catalogs (Sun City Girls, Thinking Fellers, early Pavement, etc). I think Ajax is how I got into the overlapping New Zealand experimental and home-recorded pop scenes: Dead C, Terminals, Wreck Small Speakers On Expensive Stereos, Alastair Galbraith, Cakekitchen (and This Kind Of Punishment), the Peter Jefferies solo albums, etc. I tended toward the darker and moodier material, but as far as pop goes, I really loved (and love) Flying Nun mainstays Tall [...]
ein weihnachtsmuffel bin ich nicht. da sind die kids vor. aber ich bin gewiss keiner, der das ganze unternehmen auch noch unterstützt und fördert. und auch muss mein blog nicht zu jedem fest- und feiertag mit antreten. das ist eine seuche, dass selbst zu halloween und ostern passende songs gesucht werden müssen, um sie dem gelangweilten leser vors ohr zu brettern. aber - und dies wird sicher keine tradition, obgleich wir auch im letzten jahr dabei waren - ein paar weihnachtshit gilt es zu präsentieren. vorab eine staffel älterer und später, mit vermerkt, die neuen. ois dann, ein frohes [...]
Here we are at Day 12 (the last day) of the annual "Best of Blogger Crew" series and what a great year it was - 12 blogs in total including Slowcoustic participated and all came with game. I can't thank everyone enough who participated, so everyone please click on the sidebar widget to visit these fine folks at their fine music blogs. Now that I am choosing my official version of "best of", I have thought that this year seemed like it had a good share of EPs that were great. Hell, some were frickin' great. Hence I [...]
This 'star studded' tribute album for musician and recent stroke victim Chris Knox features a new song from Jeff Mangum (indie rock's JD Salinger). As of now the Mangum track is up on the youtubes but I'm not sure how long that will last. I've listened to the Mangum jam and the Callahan jam and they're both really solid. So nice to hear Mangum again. Tracklist. Disc 1: 1. Jay Reatard – Pull Down The Shades 2. The Checks – Rebel 3. The Bleeding Allstars – Ain't It Nice 4. [...]
Photography by geishaballs I have a love/hate thing for tribute albums. In one hand, they are fucking awesome because I love a good & proper cover and tribute albums offer a chance for some of my favourite artists to do just that! BUT, the hate comes from how I invariably feel like a total loser for not being familiar with the artists they are covering! Back to the plus side though, it then gives me an opportunity to learn about a brand-spanking-new-to-me artist, and well, that's ALWAYS [...]
Former Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Mangum is the indie rock world's J.D. Salinger: a recluse whose limited musical production following the demise of that one perfect record prompts JUBILATION whenever he shows his face or shares some music. Even if that's in Bulgaria. Fans of the man will be excited to learn that Mangum's cover of the Tall Dwarfs "Sign the Dotted Line" will appear on the US release of Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox . The album is currently available as a digital download via Merge , with physical copies [...]
Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox is awesome for a variety of reasons. First, as the title conveys, it's a benefit album for New Zealand punk legend Chris Knox, who suffered a stroke back in June . Knox is said to be improving , which is great considering he can now enjoy the inanely stellar list of contributors making up his personal soundtrack. The two disc covers album is of course highlighted by a track from Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Magnum. It's a rendition of "Sign the Dotted Line" and will basically mark the former frontman's [...]
The reclusive Jeff Mangum hasn't released anything since the Neutral Milk Hotel masterpiece In the Aeroplane over the Sea , in 1998. Well there was the "field recordings of musicians in Bulgaria" album -- but I wouldn't think that counts for NMH fans like me who have waited, anticipated, hoped, through his seclusion, re-emergence, and then retreat into the wilderness of his life that he would somehow find a way to release music again. Well my friends, that day is here. Available, right now, right this second, at the Merge Records store is [...]
New Zealand cult hero Chris Knox made indie-rock history in his homeland and beyond with his bands Toy Love and The Tall Dwarfs and later as a solo artist, spreading the lo-fi, DIY gospel and influencing scads of similarly inclined artists all over the globe. It's a tribute to the looming legacy Knox has created that a stellar batch of friends and admirers have turned out to assist him in his current time of need. Knox suffered a debilitating stroke on June 11th of this year, and last month saw the New Zealand release of the frankly titled [...]
When Chris Knox ( Tall Dwarfs , Toy Love ) suffered a stroke earlier this year, it was hard to imagine anything good coming of it. However, a tribute album in the works is a rare hint of silver lining resulting from this tragedy. Jay Retard , The Mountain Goats , Yo La Tengo , Bill Callahan , and many more all contribute to the compilation, Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox . It's available now digitally from Merge with a CD release coming on February 23. Check out the full [...]
Last June, musician Chris Knox suffered a life-altering stroke at his home in Grey Lynn, New Zealand. Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox is a celebration of Chris and his music. He was instrumental in bringing New Zealand punk and alternative music to international audiences with Tall Dwarfs, Toy Love, and his solo work. Artists from the U.S. (Jeff Mangum, Yo La Tengo, The Mountain Goats, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lambchop, Stephin Merritt, Portastatic, Bill Callahan, Lou Barlow, Jay Reatard), New Zealand (The Bats, The Verlaines, The Chills), and the world over [...]
It's a shame that it took Chris Knox having a stroke to lead to this, but the new 2-CD tribute to Knox, Stroke , is a fantastic collection of songs from the New Zealand songwriter performed by 34 simpatico artists. The proceeds from the set go to help Knox, who suffered a life-altering stroke on June 11 of this year. Albums like these are usually a bit spotty, but the participating artists all seem to not only understand Knox and his music, but are able to approach it with the same wild and wooly [...]
Chris Knox is een van de centrale figuren in de muziekscene van Nieuw-Zeeland. Samen met Alec Bathgate vormde hij de Tall Dwarves en hun releases op Flying Nun , het toonaangevende Nieuw-Zeelandse label, waren bepalend voor het geluid van eiland. Naast zijn werk met de Tall Dwarves bracht Knox ook nog een flinke hoeveelheid solomateriaal uit. In juni van dit jaar kreeg Chris Knox een beroerte. De laatste berichten zijn dat de beroerte in ieder geval zijn spraakvermogen heeft aangetast. Knox kan dus absoluut wat steun gebruiken. En die steun komt in [...]
Filed under: News Chris Knox , the indie godfather of New Zealand indie music, suffered a debilitating stroke in June at his home in Auckland. His many friends in New Zealand's music scene -- and some from far further afield -- have rallied round by recording a tribute album 'Stroke -- Songs for Chris Knox,' which sees a string of covers of his material and was released in New Zealand on Monday (Nov. 16). Knox, 57, first found notoriety with his punk band the Enemy in [...]
Een weblog als Ketelmuziek levert een bomvolle mailbox op. Elke dag komt er mail binnen van artiesten, labels en distributie-bedrijfjes met de vraag of Ketelmuziek aandacht wil besteden aan een CD, video of optreden. Tussen die verzoekjes zit veel rotzooi, zo ben je bij ons aan het verkeerde adres als het om dance, metal of funk gaat, maar het blijft de moeite waard om de mailbox door te ploegen. Zo heel af en toe levert het namelijk iets moois op. Zoals White Pines. Via de mail ontving ik de EP Face Made of Wood en dat [...]
A rather quick CMJ recap for today - Thursday I hit up Spike Hill in Williamsburg to see some of my fave Michigan peeps. Chris Bathgate was up first, with a good-sized band behind him (including Matt Jones on drums). As usual, the audience was filled with ever-loyal and always-psyched former Michiganders (Michiganites? Michiganians?) showing up to support artists from their native land. Chris
A rather quick CMJ recap for today - Thursday I hit up Spike Hill in Williamsburg to see some of my fave Michigan peeps. Chris Bathgate was up first, with a good-sized band behind him (including Matt Jones on drums). As usual, the audience was filled with ever-loyal and always-psyched former Michiganders (Michiganites? Michiganians?) showing up to support artists from their native land. Chris
Massive Attack’s Heligoland is my top pick for new albums out Tuesday, a big day for strong releases. I’m a little surprised at my own recommendation because I’ve [...]More about Yeasayer
This tuesday we have a mini-event with a slew of great new album releases from the spectrum of alternative/indie rock. Everyone from the legendary Massive Attack, reliable [...]More about Hot Chip
Heligoland is the much anticipated fifth studio album from legendary trip-hop duo Massive Attack and the first new studio [...]More about Massive Attack
A Celestial Affair Vampire Weekend has transformed. With their 2008 self-titled debut, Rostam Batmanglij, Ezra Koenig, Chris Tomson & Chris Baio captured the ideals of young [...]More about Vampire Weekend
French pin-up boys Phoenix,well here just front-man,vocalist Thomas Mars on Bob Dylan's "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" in studio at Tripwire via P4k. Phoenix -"Sad-Eyed Lady [...]More about Phoenix
check it! beach house headed over to daytrotter to record a few tunes from their massive new album “teen dream,” already being hailed by many [...]More about Beach House
I don’t know about you guys, but for me there’s no better time of the year than late January to sit back, contemplate and assess the [...]More about St. Vincent
Spoon's new album Transference comes out next week and this is the b-side to the lead single. It's a pudgy little track with broken glasses and sloppy, [...]More about Spoon
If you can get over Weezy's weird autotune whining, you might enjoy this one. With a lot of hip-hop focusing in on a lavish lifestyle that most [...]More about Lil' Wayne
I believe he’s is too humble and shy to admit it, since it don’t need more attention than it already gets, but it was EMPT’s first [...]More about Kid Cudi
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB | UNDERCOVER MARTYN
The Strange Boys - Be Brave
Phonat - "Love Hits The Fan" music video
Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields - Official Trailer
Die Antwoord - Enter The Ninja (Official)
This Week's Other Releases
Cover That Don't Suck
Reuse Recycle Remix - February 8
