Hey, it’s your birthday. Celebrate with some of your favorite
MP3: Andrew Bird – The Happy Birthday Song
MP3: Sufjan Stevens – Happy Birthday
Make sure to wish the founder of Indie Muse a very happy birthday.
Eagles of Death Metal are the product of Jessie Hughes and childhood friend Josh Homme (who also happens to helm Queens of the Stone age). The band formed after Hughes went through a divorce, and Homme came to his rescue. “I was married square going into an ugly divorce, when Josh says ‘Here’s a song I wrote,’ drives me across Hollywood in my mom’s car and now here I am talking to you,” he said in an interview with FHM. Pretty goddamn rock and roll. I wish I was friends with Josh Homme.
Regardless of their name, which speaks to something slightly more malevolent, they play throwback, 70s garage rock, amalgamating everything good the other side of ’83; bombastic, Stonesish riffs over fuzzy bass and a 70s sleaze fit for a velor suit and a vintage Camero. The riffs in “I used to couldn’t dance (tight pants)” pop between the speakers, channeling Keith Richards while Jessie Hughes croons soul over Motown harmonies: “It used to be a massacre/I never got a second glance/now I’m kinda lethal on the dance floor/check it, tight pants huh!” The lyrics jump from tongue-in-cheek fun of “I used to couldn’t dance…”to the straight, delicious sleaze of “High Voltage” (You want to hit it don’t lie/you want to come in from the west side/I want to be the showcase of her nasty boy collection.)
But midway through the album, they drop a truth bomb with “Now I’m a Fool.” It’s instantly infectious, a massive rock and roll ballad. Hughes uses falsetto in all the right places, the bassline is elegant and reserved, moving the song along, but not being too pushy, and the guitars shimmer over everything, a sparkling cloud nearly obscured by rain. Considering the content of the six previous songs, it’s hard to judge Hughe’s sincerity when he sings “Not to say you’re the one/but I put down my guns/and then you went Hollywood on me,” but it sounds like he just might have endured a devastating enough heartbreak to mean it.
From Heart On:
I Used to Couldn’t Dance So Good (Tight Pants)
And this video…Jack Black, Josh Homme, David Grohl! See if you can spot any more cameos:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=xe6p-5tUh3M[/youtube]
For all those Radiohead fans out there, I recommend keeping a very close eye on Mike Fish, also known as Dakotafish. Though his music is a more instrumental based than Radiohead, a little folkier, I won’t be the first person, and definitely not the last, to acknowledge how similar his vocals are to Thom Yorke. It’s eerie.
I am extremely impressed with the four tracks on his self-titled EP, and if Fish’s debut is as memorizing as this EP, I could easily see him becoming a leading musician in the indie scene. His blend of beats and guitar rifts, mixed with various electronic and orchestral arrangements makes for a unique sound that fits perfectly with his vocals.
In the summer of 2007, Mike Fish formed the Dakotafish project in San Diego (they are based in Encinitas, California). He plays many of the instruments heard on the EP, but Jennifer Argenti and Manuel Rhueda help with the strings and drums, respectfully (Aaron Sterling played drums on the EP.) Fish seems like a really cool guy, which can easily be seen in the FAQ’s he coincidentally wrote and answered. He is also a talented photographer, and you can see some of his pictures here. The EP packaging was beautifully done, and the aesthetics on their own make this worth physically owning.
Fish said after taking his EP to the Amoeba CD store in Los Angeles, “As a friendly rocker behind the counter took it away, I felt a little like I was looking at the last scene from ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ You know, with the guy wheeling the ark into that huge government warehouse amongst thousands and thousands of other buried and lost artifacts?” Don’t allow that to be the fate of this EP. Check it out.
Self-Titled EP (2008):
(mp3) Dakotafish – Landlocked
(mp3) Dakotafish – Teenage Years
This is a neat 30 second Obama ad with Fish’s music in the background.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waLGpu3qLls[/youtube]
Site | Paypal (direct EP purchase, with limited edition print) | iTunes | Myspace
As of late, I’ve been really digging the music of Michigan based band Mason Proper. Their album Olly Oxen Free came out in September and is one of the best releases of the year. Their music has a chill, lo-fi experimental feel to it, and songs like “Safe For the Time Being” bring to mind a more mellow Born Ruffians.
This album as a whole is really solid. Pretty much every song has a catchy hook, and the band does a great job of keeping things simple, while keeping a unique sound that’s not quite like anything I’ve heard before. My favorite tracks include “Fog,””Lock and Key,””Out Dragging The River,””In The Mirror,” and “Safe For The Time Being.”
When Culture Bully asked the band in an interview if they were cautious writing new music in fear of sounding too much like stuff that’s already out there, Visger responded “Oh, absolutely. We’ve got a very developed personal palette of signature tricks at this point, so I don’t think we have to worry about it consciously very much, but if something sets off our pastiche alarm we don’t do it.”
Mason Proper formed in Alpena, Michigan in 2004, originally under the name Patterns in Paris, and is made up of singer Jonathan Visger, Zac Fineberg (bassist), Garrett Jones (drummer), Brian Konicek (guitarist), Matt Thomson (keyboards). In 2006, after releasing their debut album the The Early Years and Moth, they signed to New York based label Dovecote.
Olly Oxen Free (2008):
Mason Proper – Out Dragging The River
(video) Mason Proper performing “Fog” live on Lansing’s Impact89FM
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcfiXNRc_aA&e[/youtube]
Lately, I’ve been jamming Caribou’s 2007 album Andorra. Caribou is the stage name for Daniel V. Snaith, who produces and composes all of the music on Andorra. Snaith started out in 2000 recording under the name Manitoba, but legal troubles forced the adaptation of the name Caribou. Snaith has released two albums under the new name, 2005’s The Milk Of Human Kindness and 2007’s Andorra. I can’t offer any insight to his first LP, as I have never heard it, but Andorra is an impressively eclectic collection of music. The album’s first track, “Melody Day,†is full of echoing piano plunks, frantic drum rolls, and Snaith’s ethereal vocals that sound almost identical to the late Elliott Smith. “After Hours†starts off with swirling guitar before breaking into a psychedelic mix of wah, loud drum cymbals and Snaith’s once again stunning vocal performance. Snaith’s musical prowess shows continuously throughout the album as he masterfully blends pop melodies over a mix of folk, electronica and psychedelia. If your are a fan of Beach House, Atlas Sound or Grizzly Bear, look no further than Caribou’s Andorra (forgot to mention, the album was the winner of the 2008 Polaris Music Prize) and here’s to hoping Snaith returns in 2008.
mp3: “Sandyâ€
mp3: “Irene”
 
I haven’t pinpointed exactly why yet, but this story about a working piano being found in the woods of Harwich, Massachusetts made me really, really happy. That’s all. (via boing boing).
P.S. Who else thinks that “policeman” looks a whole lot like Sufjan Stevens? Busted. Indie Muse does it again!
 
I have a confession: The Fruit Bats are one of my very favorite bands, and each year they go without releasing a new album, I grow more depressed. We are at three years now, and let’s just say that a fourth year would make life unbearable. Eric Johnson, the main fruit bat, became a member of The Shins a few years ago, and I thought they were going to kidnap him for good. Well, it turns out that Johnson longs for The Fruit Bats just as much as me, maybe even more, and has decided to come back and release an album next year! He says in his first post on his brand new blog:
After three years or so, Fruit Bats are back in the saddle. I spent the last couple of years playing in The Shins (a fine day job if there ever was one), but I’m back in full force with the first love of my musical life. Songs have been written. Recording dates have been written in permanent ink. To prove that I’m serious about this, Fruit Bats will be touring the west coast of the United States of America. How ‘bout it? Other parts of the country, as well as other nations, will be visited later in the year.
The Fruit Bats don’t have nearly the recognition they deserve. Johnson is incredibly talented, and whether he is making catchy, upbeat melodies (“When U Love Somebody”), folk tunes (“Rainbow Sign”), or compositions, he blows it out of the water nearly every single time. I really hope someone asks him to score a movie some day–just take a listen to “Track Rabbits” below.
In 1999, Eric Johnson formed The Fruit Bats in Chicago. There has been a rotation of over 25 different band members, believe it or not, but currently members backing Johnson include Graeme Gibson, Chris Sherman, and Sam Wagster. They are signed to Sub Pop and are now based out of Seattle. I had to go back into the archives to find this, but a few years ago Johnson wrote a funny post entitled, “My Other Career Options If This Whole Music Thing Doesn’t Eventually Pan Out.”
Mouthfuls (2003):
Fruit Bats – When U Love Somebody
Spelled In Bones (2005):
Fruit Bats – The Wind That Blew My Heart Away
Echolocation (2001):
Fruit Bats- Glass In Your Feet
Tour dates:
Jan 27 2009    JOHN HENRY’S             EUGENE, Oregon
Jan 29 2009   LUIGI’S FUN GARDEN    SACRAMENTO, California
Jan 30 2009Â Â Â BOTTOM OF THE HILLÂ Â Â SAN FRANCISCO, California
Jan 31 2009 Â Â Â CELLAR DOOR Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â VISALIA, California
Feb 2 2009 Â Â Â Â Â THE CASBAH Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â SAN DIEGO, California
Feb 3 2009 Â Â Â Â Â Â THE ECHOÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â LOS ANGELES, California
Feb 5 2009 Â Â Â Â Â THE IKE BOX Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â SALEM, Oregon
Feb 6 2009 Â Â Â Â Â Â MISSION THEATER Â Â Â Â PORTLAND, Oregon
Feb 7 2009 Â Â Â Â Â Â THE VERA PROJECT Â Â SEATTLE, Washington
I know this album came out a little while ago, but I just heard it for the first time and “In The New Year” might be the quintessential Walkmen song. It takes everything great about their albums – the triumphant hooks, the jangly guitars, the Saturday night swagger – and mashes them all together in one enormous shout from the rooftops moment.
It starts off unassuming, the guitars drowned in reverb and sounding like a soft fall through a layer of buoyant cloud. Singer Hamilton Leithauser floats over the melody seconds into the song, crooning like Dylan but strutting like Sinatra. And the chorus hits: the lilting keyboards are confirmation and celebration of the lyrics – “I’m just like you, I never hear the bad news,” followed by the broken waltz of a sparkling crescendo. It’s a confession, it’s rejoicing.
This album sometimes sounds like observing gangsters disposing of a body on a foggy night, other times like falling in love across a crowded room. It takes several listens for the Walkmen’s progressions to make sense, but on that one listen when the planets align and the chords fit, it’s a revelation.
And from Bows + Arrows: I used to listen to “The Rat” at maximum volume before going out every weekend. Ideal preparation music for a massive night.
From You & Me:
From Bows + Arrows:
And the video for their song “Little House of Horrors,” also from Bows + Arrows:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=DtByHWIzVVA&feature=PlayList&p=F94082CD6B4DB9C6&playnext=1&index=2[/youtube]
The Flaming Lips have a new game that you can play on their Christmas on Mars website right HERE. You get to throw some strange looking things at Wayne’s alien head floating in a bubble. It’s not the most exciting game in the world, but there is some cool footage of the movie spliced in between levels and that’s enough for me to play it. The DVD and soundtrack have already been released. I haven’t seen it yet, but if you have, let us know in the comments. I will watch/listen to anything that the Flaming Lips create, so I’m pretty psyched.
MP3: The Flaming Lips – Once Beyond Hopelessness
MP3: The Flaming Lips – In Excelsior Vaginalistic
Recently, Dave and I got a chance to sit down with Chicago’s Maps And Atlases after their show at the Black Cat with Nurses and Rahim. I started by asking about the noticeable change in sound from their first EP Trees, Swallows, Houses to their new one You And Me And The Mountain, guitarist/vocalist Dave Davison and bassist Shiraz Dada agreed in saying that “doing the first EP had helped [the band] realize which elements [they] wanted to focus on.â€
Although the band has released two EPs since their conception in 2004, they have yet to release a full length. When we asked them about that decision, drummer Chris Hainey told us that the band was happy with their decision, noting heavy touring and their always changing sound as reasons why a full length might have felt rushed and ultimately not as solid as another EP.
The band made their start after meeting at Colombia College in Chicago and grew up in a music scene that Davison described as “intensely local†because of the bonds that certain bands share despite contrasting musical styles. The eclectic mix of music coming from Chicago is certainly represented in the band’s unique combination of highly technical instrumentation and bouncy pop melodies. Dada cited Television as a big influence while Davison named David Bowie and The Talking Heads. The band even tackled some more profound questions, particularly when Dave asked about the internet and its effect on music. Davison found merit in the ability for new bands to have their music accessible to anyone in the world and also mentioning that the band never got their cliché “big break†and that the internet allowed them to gain popularity and made their plans to be a full time band a reality. Dada agreed in saying that, “this show wouldn’t have happened fifteen years ago,†thanks to exposure from things like the internet. The two agreed on the fact that the internet has accelerated the development of new music and made it harder for one single band to “rule for ten years.â€
As for the age-old question “2pac or Biggie?,†the two remained split. In addition to being great musicians, the members of the band were truly a funny, sincere and intelligent bunch of guys and I can’t wait to see them again in D.C. Check out Maps & Atlases new EP You And Me And The Mountain on Sargent House Records and check them out if they ever come to your neck of the woods.
From You And Me And The Mountain:
mp3: “Ted Zancha”
From Trees, Swallows Houses: