![[MP3] Evan Voytas: "I Run With You, Spirit Animal"](http://cache.elbo.ws/posts/2323150_lg.jpg)
It seems like spaced-out dreamy synth musicians are piling up higher than the snowfall in D.C. (terrifyingly untrue zing!). Evan Voytas seems to have quite a history already. According to his Myspace : "He grew a beard, moved to the desert, moved back, shaved the beard, played lead guitar for a few pop acts, toured the world, moved to a farmhouse on a dirt road in Pennsylvania, started recording music, and finally ended up in Los Angeles." Intense! His single, "I Run With You, Spirit Animal" is just wonderful and it has a just wonderful video to accompany [...]
While I was letting my iPod shuffle through its contents the other day, a song popped up that I hadn't listened to before. That doesn't happen very often, but every once in a while I'll come across something that's new. I suppose it's part of consuming music in volume; there's not enough time in the [...]
Midlake is a lot like a musical chimera. But not in a bad way; it's more of a badass chimera , like one you'd fight in Final Fantasy X (shut up). I say that because the base of the music is generally acoustic, and a lot of "folk" generalizations can be made about the band. But they are, of course, so much more than that. At its sparest The Courage of Others still features two acoustics bouncing off and wiggling through each other, and the arrangements, at times, can become pretty huge. Listening to [...]
Here's a look at the shows announced for Toronto this week: United Steel Workers of Montreal, Horseshoe Tavern, Mar 5 Winter Gloves, El Mocambo, Mar 12 The Wooden Sky, Horseshoe Tavern, Mar 13 Dillinger Escape Plan, Opera House, Mar 14 The John Henrys, Hugh's Room, Apr 6 Matt Groopie & the Bandits w. Bats Pajamas, Bovine, Apr 6 Drive-By Truckers w. Langhorne Slim, Lee's Palace, Apr 6 Drive-By
The best time for contemplation is on late winter nights, a friend said to me. Sometimes he holes up in his bedroom and while the world sleeps, he thinks. The cold harnesses the mind and hones the senses. We see divisions more clearly: the geometry of a bedside table, the sharp difference of darkness and light, the separation of communal identity and the lone self. In winter, the watercolor smear of summer is gone and the world has suddenly come into focus. Winter keeps us indoors for long spans, which is hell for restless people. But [...]
![This Week in the Big D [Dallas Events - January 25th-31st, 2010]](http://cache.elbo.ws/posts/2284486_lg.jpg)
Monday, January 25th, 2010 - Van Morrison at Myerson Symphony Center - [Tickets] - Van Morrison's Fort Worth and Dallas shows have been postponed and canceled due to exhaustion, I will repost the new shows once they get rescheduled Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 - Anvil at House of Blues - [ Tickets ] Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 - Fiery Furnaces at Lounge on Elm Street - [ Tickets ] Friday, January 29th, 2010 [...]
Canadian trio Winter Gloves ' new track, "Party People" rules, and the video for it rules even more.
Full of harsh air and hurrying and itchy sweaters and elastic sweatshirts and missing gloves and the walls buckle in the frigid cold and all that's left is a small shack where your tongue sticks to the tin wall and you must share a mattress with mice (see #2). Winter sucks. Here's five (I mean, six) albums that get us through it. Bjork Vespertine There's just something about walking [...]
A band that I saw on Jan 13, 2010 when they opened up for Clues . The band I am talking about is called Les Mammographes . They consist of three members and hail from Quebec City. Seeing them live was very interesting to see. A fairly young and new band. This album is very high and vibrant indie rock with a touch of Quebec sound. With the keyboard, also adds some new wave sound. Its like a mix of Wolf Parade , Winter Gloves , Clues [...]
Story by Michael McGregor Photography by John Francis Peters It's mid-December in Northern New Jersey and the members of Real Estate, known for songs like "Beach Comber" and "Let's Rock the Beach," are bundled in scarves, flannel and woolens. The pool is long since covered. Smoking cigarettes on the back patio, drummer Etienne Duguay and guitarist Matt Mondanile are taking bets on whether frontman Martin Courtney, on the phone meandering through his backyard, can walk across the covered, unfilled pool without falling in. Walking backwards, Courtney's foot hits the [...]
Story by Michael McGregor Photography by John Francis Peters It's mid-December in Northern New Jersey and the members of Real Estate, known for songs like "Beach Comber" and "Let's Rock the Beach," are bundled in scarves, flannel and woolens. The pool is long since covered. Smoking cigarettes on the back patio, drummer Etienne Duguay and guitarist Matt Mondanile are taking bets on whether frontman Martin Courtney, on the phone meandering through his backyard, can walk across the covered, unfilled pool without falling in. Walking backwards, Courtney's foot hits the [...]
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity collects the first five issues of The Unwritten comic books, and includes the four-part Tommy Taylor series as well as a standalone Rudyard Kipling story. The Unwritten captures the power of the written word vividly and powerfully, and is one of the most unique and creative comics I have read in years. [...]
( Editor's note: The picture above is the view from my bedroom window. Winter has hit Cleveland hard. It is cold. It is snowing. I know that I've written this before, but I like seasons. I like shovelling. I like wearing gloves and boots. If you're somewhere that the sun is shining, where folks are strolling on sandy paths in tanktops and short shorts, where the air never feels the chill of deep winter, I feel pity for your plight. This is the time when man retreats to his cave, gazes upon an apparently dead world and finds life and [...]
Perhaps Jonathan Richman will forever be known first and foremost as the songwriter for the '70s protopunk group The Modern Lovers, but to his credit, he has been releasing solo material since the mid-1970s. He gives plenty of reasons for people to know him on his own terms. The 58 year-old singer-songwriter is still keeping busy, having recently made plans to tour the U.S. from January through February. Most artists tour in light of a recent or upcoming album, and so far, there is no news on new material from Richman. Instead, perhaps he will be playing songs from his [...]
Not an essential purchase for me by any means but I may still pick it up at least for the artwork and of course to hear REMASTERED audio of Pavement classics (ok I'm being sarcastic), but Pavement will be releasing a mid-priced 23-track compilation entitled "Quarantine The Past" on March 9 through Matador Records . Tour dates have already been announced for New Zealand, Australia, Europe and New York City and the buzz around the T.O. Community is perhaps they'll play this year's Olympic Island Festival. Of course that's just speculation but I'm sure some of us [...]
The Toronto indie-rock/electronic duo of Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt, known as Woodhands , are slated to release their highly anticipated follow-up LP this month. "Remorsecapade" will be released via Paper Bag Records in Canada on January 26th and in the US on February 23rd; CP24 will be one of the tracks featured on the new album. "Remorsecapade" follows up the band's acclaimed 2008 LP "Heart Attack" (also released via Paper Bag Records) and the accompanying tour through North America, Europe, China, and Japan. A limited edition vinyl copy of "Remorsecapade" can be pre-ordered right [...]
Hey folks… the interview show is on our holiday season break. But-don't worry! In the coming weeks, we are leaving you with some of our favorite shows from 2009. 12/21/2009 Metric 12/28/2009 Felix Cartal 01/4/2010 Rye Rye 01/11/2010 Propagandhi 01/18/2010 E-603 01/25/2010 [...]
Hey guys! Merry belated Christmas, I hope you're enjoying your holidays. I want to incorporate some of my personal life stories/latest findings/my outfits to this blog to make it more of a personal blog, and not just "the blog that reposts what other blogs post". So, my Christmas day was pretty boring, I woke up at around noon and went to a boring family friend's dinner potluck. Even so, this year I haven't been feeling up to par with the Christmas spirit. Nothing seems that special this year. My cousin from Montreal visited us for a week though, [...]
A medley of traditional Christmas songs with metal undertones makes for one of the best Christmas albums I have ever had the honor of listening to. Halford III: Winter Songs truly displays Rob Halfords vocal abilities combining metal with Christmas and delivering it with such passion that it is truly the must listen to of the season. The Good: Best metal styled Christmas album to date since Twisted Christmas, shows off Halfords amazing vocal range, first solo album in 7 years, combines traditional Christmas songs with metal undertones very well, some [...]
Underwater Peoples gave probably the best Christmas gift of all: a winter compilation! The D.C.-based label's Winter Review features all your favorites like Real Estate, Pill Wonder, Alex Bleeker, Ducktails, etc. AND it's available as a free download over at Chocolate Bobka (for a limited time). Win! If your Christmas is a little bleak (I'm looking at you, Midwest), maybe some rad indie tunes will brighten things. This gift easily trumps all of my others (sorry Mom). While You're Here: [Off [...]
Yeasayer – Odd Blood (Review)
New Releases V2.9
2010 Bonnaroo Artists Unveiled
Massive Attack is inconsistent, but ultimately gratifying, on Heligoland
