Members of Radiohead and Wilco teaming up on new charity project

In 2001 Crowded House frontman, Neil Finn put together his 7 Worlds Collide project which featured Ed O'Brien and Philip Selway of Radiohead, as well as Eddie Vedder and Johnny Marr to name a few. The super group performed a series of shows in New Zealand which eventually led to a live album and DVD. Finn has just announced that a second installment of the project will be taking place, not only with repeat members such as Radiohead, Marr and Lisa Germano, but this time around with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Pat Sansone, John Stirrat and Glenn Kotche joining in.
The mega-group will record a complete album of new material that will be recorded over the next few months in Auckland and is due for release in 2009. Plans also include a series of concerts featuring many of the artists in the line up to take place in Auckland early in the New Year. Proceeds will support Oxfam in fighting poverty and injustice.

Jason Isbell: releasing new LP

Former guitarist for the Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell will be coming out with a new album this coming February 17th. The disc sees Isbell working with his new band, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, which includes members, Derry deBorja (keyboards), Browan Lollar (guitar), Jimbo Hart (bass) and Matt Pence of (South San Gabriel, Centro-Matic) working as co-producer, engineer, and part-time drummer. You can currently hear the the song, "Seven-Mile Island," off the new work playing on the bands myspace page.

The self-titled full-length will be released via Nashville-based label Lightning Rod Records, and follows up Isbell's 2007 solo release Sirens of the Ditch, which came out on the Truckers old label New West.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit tracklist:

1. Seven-Mile Island
2. Sunstroke
3. Good
4. Cigarettes and Wine
5. However Long
6. Coda
7. The Blue
8. No Choice in the Matter
9. Soldiers Get Strange
10. Streetlights
11. The Last Song I Will Write

The War On Drugs- year end tour dates

One of this year's best and most solid debut albums came from Philadelphia band, The War On Drugs. Their debut effort Wagonwheel Blues, (for our review click here)was releases this past Spring on Secretly Canadian, and has gone largely overlooked and under appreciated. The bands use of classic rock elements gets a fresh spin with their psychedelic guitar driven attack, that mixes everything from My Bloody Valentine to Bob Dylan.
The group who built up a considerable following on the east coast based on their frantic live sets, have just announced a handful of new dates to close out the year. Things get started on Dec. 9th in Michigan and round out with a hometown show in Philadelphia on the 18th.



Upcoming The War On Drugs Tour Dates:

12/09/08 Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room at The Crofoot
12/10/08 Rock Island, IL - Huckleberry's Pizza Parlor
12/11/08 Chicago, IL - Schuba's
12/12/08 Bloomington, IN - Bear's Place
12/13/08 Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox
12/14/08 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
12/15/08 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
12/18/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's

The War On Drugs myspace.

Some 'Best Of' year end lists to ponder:

It's that time of the year again to let the arguments begin, and no were not talking about getting together with the relatives over the holidays. Nothing sparks greater debate than the infamous 'best of' year end lists. With the big music magazine's starting to roll out their lists, the arguments are sure to begin about what got excluded and how some made it on.

Here's some of what's come out so far....

Paste Magazine's Top 50
50. TV On The Radio- Dear Science
49. Sandra McCracken- Red Balloon
48. REM- Accelerate
47. Laura Marling- Alas, I Cannot Swim
46. Lykke Li- Youth Novels
45. M83- Saturdays=Youth
...
10- Deerhunter-Microcastle
... to see the complete list click here.

Filter Magazine's Top 10
10. The Dears- Missiles
9. Cut Copy- In Ghost Colors
8. M83- Saturdays=Youth
7. She & Him- Volume One
6. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
... for the complete list go here.

Blender Magazine's Top 33
33. Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind
32. Taylor Swift - Fearless
31. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
...
19. Katy Perry - One Of The Boys
...
12 My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
11 Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
10 Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux
09 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
... to see the rest click here.

Tell us what you think, and state your case for your favorites.

new video: Ra Ra Riot perform "Can You Tell" live

Syracuse buzz band, Ra Ra Riot recently stopped by FLY TV while on tour in the UK. The band performed for Fly's 'In The Courtyard' series, where they performed their track 'Can You Tell' off of their latest disc, The Rhumb Line. The band is currently out on tour across the US till mid December.

Ra Ra Riot-"Can You Tell":


Ra Ra Riot on myspace.

The Gaslight Anthem: add new dates

New Jersey's new favorite son's, The Gaslight Anthem, have added some more dates to their already busy overseas schedule in 2009. Just next week the group will be kicking off another leg of their tour that sees them criss-cross the Atlantic, before making a return appearance in February for some UK and European shows. The newest additions to the schedule has the band squeezing in some new shows in the UK & Ireland in the beginning of Feb. and early March. The band released their raw and energetic new disc The '59 Sound this past summer to critical acclaim, which featured the standout track, "Great Expectations".

Upcoming tour dates:

Dec 3 The Garage Glasgow, Scotland
Dec 4 Academy 2 Manchester, UK
Dec 5 London Astoria 2 London, UK
Dec 9 Late Night w/Conan O’Brien NYC, NY
Dec 10 KRBZ Xmas show Midland Theatre KC, Miss
Dec 12 91X WreX the Halls show San Diego, Ca
Dec 14 ROCK TO ROLL Benefit, The Key Club Hollywood,Ca
Dec 17 Q101 Twisted Xmas show House of Blues Chicago, Ill
Dec 19 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
Dec 28 The Stone Pony Asbury Park, New Jersey
Feb 2 Wedgewood Rooms Southsea (Portsmouth)
Feb 3 Academy Birmingham
Feb 4 Academy 2 Manchester
Feb 5 Academy 2 Bristol
Feb 6 Concorde 2 Brighton
Feb 8 Shepherds Bush London
Feb 10 Underground Köln, Germany
Feb 11 Kato Berlin, Germany
Feb 12 KB Malmö, Sweden
Feb 13 Sticky Fingers Göteborg, Sweden
Feb 15 Tavastia Helsinki, Finland
Feb 17 Debaser Slussen Stockholm, Sweden
Feb 18 Lille Vega Copenhagen, Denmark
Feb 19 Knust Hamburg, Germany
Feb 20 Schlacthof Wiesbaden, Germany
Feb 21 59:1 Munich, Germany
Feb 22 Flex Vienna, Austria
Feb 24 Zoe Club Milan, Italy
Feb 25 Mascotte Zurich, Switzerland
Feb 27 Botanique Brussels, Belgium
Feb 28 Vera Groningen, Netherlands
Mar 1 Melkweg Amsterdam, Netherlands
Mar 2 Waterfront Norwich
Mar 3 Rock City Nottingham
Mar 4 The Academy Dublin, Ireland

The Gaslight Anthem on myspace.

Kate York- new album out now

Singer/songwriter Kate York first came to our attention back in '06 when she did a duet w/longtime BTB favorite Matthew Ryan on the track "Wished For Song" off of her debut disc, Sadlylove. Having recently re-located from the Nashville music scene to up north in Fairfield, Connecticut, the sweet voiced York has released her sophomore disc, For You which features more of her hushed acoustic melodies. The new LP is currently only available for purchase through her myspace page, with a digital release scheduled for sometime in December.

Blur to reunite in '09?

Frontman Damon Albarn of the 90's Brit-rock group Blur, recently told the BBC, that all four members of Blur will officially reunite in 2009, including guitarist Graham Coxon. The rumors have been swirling about for the past several years only to never come to fruition, but this time Albarn leaked the info just before a performance of his opera, Monkey: Journey To the West at the BBC Radio Theatre in London. Host Janice Long asked Albarn whether or not the rumors were true about a possible Blur reunion, and Albarn replied... "Blur are certainly going to rehearse and see if we're into it."

The band's last album together was 2003's 'Think Tank', though guitarist Graham Coxon only appeared on one track, having left the group the previous year.

This weeks New Releases: WK 11/25

A lot of big names on this weeks list as the year winds down, some of which you might have got excited about if it was 10-15 years ago. The weekk sees new releases that range from the new Killers disc and Coldplay EP, to Guns N Roses and the new solo work from Rivers Cuomo.

New Releases: WK 11/25:

Coldplay- Prospekt's March EP
Goldfrapp- Seventh Tree
Guns N Roses- Chinese Democracy
Illinois- The Adventures of Kid Catasrophe(Chpt2) EP
Juno- Soundtrack (Delux edit.)
Kanye West- 808s & Heartbreak
Killers- Day & Age
Linkin Park- Live at Milton Keynes
Moby- Last Night Remixed
Port O'Brien- All We Could Do Was Sing
The Rapture- Tapes
Rivers Cuomo- Alone II
Scott Weiland- Happy in Galoshes
Stephen Colbert- A Colbert Christmas
Ween- At The Cat's Cradle 1992

The Twilight Sad: releasing new Ltd. Edit. LP

The Twilight Sad will be coming out with a new limited edition release, The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents And Hit The Road, on the 8th of December. The new LP, which will be availabe on cd and Mp3 form, is a collection of covers, instrumentals, previously unreleased material and live tracks recorded at the ABC, Glasgow. Covers by the band include reworkings of The Smiths, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Joy Division. The release was made to help fund their recent tour in support of fellow Scottish mates, Mogwai.



track listing:

1. Walking For Two Hours
2. That Summer, At Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy
3. Untitled 28
4. Cold Days From The Birdhouse
5. And She Would Darken The Memory
6. Twenty Four Hours (Joy Division cover)
7. The Weath-er Is Bad(from the short film Brilliant Noise)
8. Half A Person (The Smiths cover)
9. Untitled 27
10. Modern Romance (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)
11. I Was Hoping Winter Was Over

The Twilight Sad myspace.

'Video & Song of the week': Dijf Sanders "Sugar Frosted Milk"

Belgian artist Dijf Sanders started out back in 2003, when released his first 12" maxi single. What was originally meant to be a solo project has expanded over the years, along with Dijf's electronic based jams. This September he released his latest disc, Homesick, which features the new single "Sugar Frosted Milk". A new video is now out for the track, directed by Vincent Schroeven.

Dijf Sanders- "Sugar Frosted Milk":



Dijf Sanders on myspace.

Radiohead: 3 new videos coming

Radiohead has announced that it will premier three new videos starting November 21 via Myspace music. "Weird Fishes" kicked things off first and is airing now, with videos for "15 Step" and "Videotape" to be premiered on November 25th and November 28th respectively. The videos were all created by the winners of the Aniboom animated video competition that the band developed earlier this year. The winners were selected by the members of Radiohead themselves, and the band had such a hard time choosing, that they eventually decided to select four winners instead of one. "The aniBoom video competition, totally blown me away it has," said Thom Yorke, ..."We are proud that In Rainbows songs were the source of inspiration for so many amazing creations."
The fourth song, "Reckoner" had already premiered on Myspace Music in October, and is the official music video for the song.

Loney Dear touring w/ Andrew Bird

Swedish indie-folk artist Loney Dear (a.k.a. Emil Svanangen) will be teaming up with Andrew Bird on an upcoming tour in the new year. The tour w/ Bird kicks off Jan. 30th in Boston and runs till the end of February, with solo dates scattered in between. Besides sharing the bill on tour, the pair will be sharing a release date for their new albums, this Jan. 27th. Loney Dear just recently signed on with Polyvinyl Records for his new release Dear John, ending his previous relationship with Sub Pop.

Upcoming Loney Dear tour dates:

Nov 23 Maschinenhaus Berlin
Nov 24 Objekt 5 Halle
Dec 8 Old Blue Last London, London and South East
Dec 10 Mercury Lounge New York, New York
Dec 12 The Bellhouse Brooklyn, New York
Jan 28 St Giles Church (headline show) London
Jan 29 Iron Horse Northhampton, Massachusetts
Jan 30 The Orpheum Theatre (w/Andrew Bird) Boston, Mass
Feb 3 9:30 Club (w/ Andrew Bird) Washington DC, Wash DC
Feb 4 The Variety Playhouse (w/ Andrew Bird) Atlanta, Geo
Feb 6 The Plaza Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Orlando, Fl
Feb 7 The House of Blues (w/ Andrew Bird) New Orleans, Lou
Feb 9 Spanish Moon (Headline show) Baton Rouge, Lou
Feb 10 Rudyards Brittish Pub (Headline show) Houston, Tx
Feb 11 Hailey’s (Headline show) Denton, Tx
Feb 12 The Paramount Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Austin, Tx
Feb 13 The El Rey Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Albuquerque, NM
Feb 14 The Rialto Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Tuscon, Az
Feb 17 Howie and Sons (Headline show) Visalia, Ca
Feb 18 The Orpheum THEATRE (w/Andrew Bird) Los Angeles, Ca
Feb 19 The Fillmore (w/ Andrew Bird) San Francisco, Ca
Feb 20 The Fillmore (w/ Andrew Bird) San Francisco, Ca
Feb 21 The Roseland Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Portland, Or
Feb 23 The Moore Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Seattle, Wa
Feb 24 The Knitting Factory (w/ Andrew Bird) Boise, Id
Feb 25 The Murray Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Murray, Ut
Feb 26 The Ogden Theater (w/ Andrew Bird) Denver, Co
Feb 27 Slowdown (w/ Andrew Bird) Omaha, Neb
Mar 1 Schuba’s Tavern (Headline show) Chicago, Ill

Loney Dear on myspace.

The Kindness Kind: new music

The Kindness Kind were tabbed as one of Seattle's best new bands back in 2007, when their debut disc A Novel came out to strong reviews and charted on the CMJ college music rankings. The band released their latest self-titled sophomore LP just this week, which saw them working again with producer Lucas Carlyle (The Gossip, The Album Leaf). The new disc is a powerful mix of indie pop/rock infused songs that are crafted around frontwoman Alessandra Rose’s powerful vocals. Where the last album may have been more shoegaze and ambient sounding, the new disc sees the group more aggressive and guitar driven with heavy sonic walls of sound.
The group, who have toured in the past with bands such as The Most Serene Republic and Darker My Love, plan to finish out 2008 on a bief Northwest tour, with a larger jaunt on the West Coast scheduled for early 2009.



The Kindness Kind on myspace.

Devotchka- adds tour dates

When you think of ecclectic Eastern European sounds, a band hailing from Denver, Colorado might not fit the profile. The Denver 4 piece manages to fuse a myriad of styles together, while still keeping their Americana folk roots to produce their unique sound. The band most recently released their new LP, A Mad and Faithful Telling, which has had them on tour for the majority of the year. The band have added a handful of shows at the end of December and January, which includes a New Years Eve show in Seattle and appearances in Philly and NYC.
The group first garnered attention back in '06 when they scored the soundtrack to the unexpected break-out success, Little Miss Sunshine .



Devotchka Tour dates:

Nov 28 River Run Village Ski Resort Keystone, Colorado
Dec 27 Crystal Ballroom Portland, Oregon
Dec 31 Showbox at the Market Seattle, Washington
Jan 23 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jan 24 Webster Hall New York, New York
Jan 27 Belly Up Aspen, Colorado

Devotchka on myspace.

new video: Damien Jurado-"Caskets"

We've been on a bit of a Damien Jurado kick lately, ever since seeing him perform in concert a few weeks ago. In fact we featured his song "Sheets" as our 'Video & Song of the Week' shortly thereafter. Helping us feed our latest fix of Jurado is the brand new video for the track "Caskets", which is another great song off of his Sept. release Caught In The Trees.

Also, be sure to stay tuned for our sit down 'Liner Notes' interview with Damien, that should be posted within the next few days.

Damien Jurado - New Music - More Music Videos

video courtesy of Subterranean.

Guilt By Association: covers your guilty pleasures

I think everyone has at least a few songs on their mp3 players that they would be ashamed to tell their friends about. Instead of being ashamed of those guilty pleasures, the artsists taking part in the latest edition of Guilt By Association Vol.2 are choosing to celebrate them. The new compilation from Engine Room Recordings features some of today's hot indie acts like Frightened Rabbit, Takka Takka, My Brightest Diamond, Kaki King, and Matt Pond PA, tackling classic 'guilty' tracks by artists that range from Phil Collins and Ace of Base to Toto, N-Trance and INXS.

Guilt by Association Vol. 2 doesn't come out physically until February 17th, but is digitally available now via iTunes.

Guilt by Association Vol. 2 tracklisting:

01 My Brightest Diamond: "Tainted Love" [Gloria Jones/Soft Cell]
02 The Bloodsugars: "Self-Control" [Laura Branigan]
03 Robbers on High Street: "Cool It Now" [New Edition]
04 Frightened Rabbit: "Set You Free" [N-Trance]
05 Matt Pond PA: "I'm Not Okay" [My Chemical Romance]
06 Takka Takka: "In the Air Tonight" [Phil Collins]
07 Kaki King: "I Think She Knows" [Justin Timberlake]
08 Francis and the Lights: "Can't Tell Me Nothing" [Kanye West]
09 Lowry: "Africa" [Toto]
10 The Forms: "We Didn't Start the Fire" [Billy Joel]
11 Rafter: "If You Leave" [OMD]
12 Cassettes Won't Listen: "Need You Tonight" [INXS]
13 Jukebox the Ghost: "It's a Beautiful Life" [Ace of Base]
14 Max Vernon: "I Kissed a Girl" [Katy Perry]

new video: Little Joy-"Unattainable"

With The Strokes on hiatus, drummer Fabrizio Moretti is the latest member of the group to branch out with a side project. The release of the self titled debut album from Little Joy, his side project with Binki Shapiro and Los Hermanos singer/guitarist Rodrigo Amarante, came out November 4 via Rough Trade records. The group recorded some live tracks in Los Angeles back in October called the DUMBO Sessions that produced this version of the song "Unattainable", which is the second installment of the series.

Little Joy-"Unattainable":

Video & Song of the Week: Dark Captain Light Captain-"Jealous Enemies"

This weeks selection comes from the UK group, Dark Captain Light Captain. The band who's whispy vocals and atmospheric, acoustic sounds have been compared to the likes of Elliot Smith, released their debut disc, Miracle Kicker at the end of October. Included on the new disc is the moody, laid back track "Jealous Enemies." The track is actually featured this week on the the US iTunes store as their 'free single of the week' if you wanted to grab yourself a copy. Other strong tracks to check out on the new disc include, "Circles", "Speak", "Spontaneous Combustion" and the title track, "Miracle Kicker."
The band are said to be confirming some upcoming US dates which will coincide with their appearance at SXSW in March.

Dark Captain Light Captain- "Jealous Enemies":

new video: Horse Feathers- "Curs In The Weeds"

We featured this track not too long ago as our 'Video & Song Of The Week', in which the band played in a setting that took the song title quite literally. The Portland group have now gone ahead and released an official video for "Curs In The Weeds", from their killer new disc House With No Home.

Horse Feathers- "Curs In The Weeds":

This Weeks new releases:(WK 11/18)

This week sees a wide range of albums, singles and EP's, that includes the latest from Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Belle & Sebastian, and Hellogoodbye.

New Releases WK 11/18:

Alaska In Winter- Holiday
Anathallo- Canopy Glow
Asobi Seksu- Me & Mary/Breathe Into Glass (single)
Belle & Sebastian- The BBC Sessions
Constantines- Our Age (single)
Daedelus- For Withered Friends/Touchtone
Dido- Safe Trip Home
The Doors- Live at the Matrix
French Miami- self titled
Hellogoodbye- Ukelele Recordings EP
Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan- Sunday at Devil Dirt
Johanna Billing- This is How We Walk On The Moon(soundtrack)
Johnny Cash- 14 Favorite Gospel Songs
Ladyhawke- self titled
Little Boots- Arecibo EP
Max Tundra- Parallax Error Bedheads You
Peter & the Wolf- Mellow Owl
Rosi Golan- The Drifter & the Gypsy
Stereophonics- Decade In The Sun (Best of)
Steve Earle & the Del McCoury Band- The Mountain

New Ben Nichols track- "The Last Pale Light In The West"

We told you a few weeks back about Lucero frontman, Ben Nichols new solo album The Last Pale Light In The West. The new 7 track "mini-LP", which features songs inspired from the Cormac McCarthy book Blood Meridian doesn't come out until sometime in January 2009, but the title track to the album has just been posted on RCRD LBL, and is available to stream.
Nichols recorded the album this past August with Rick Steff (Cat Power, Lucero) and Todd Beene (Glossary). The mini-LP is said to showcase Nichols' gravelly voice accompanied by some simple acoustic guitar work, with Steff providing piano and accordion parts and Beene on pedal steel guitar.

Paper Route hitting the road w/ Passion Pit

Nashville indie-electronic group Paper Route , have just announced new dates supporting one of 2008's biggest buzz bands Passion Pit, beginning in January of the new year. The band is out on tour now with Low vs Diamond and Barcelona, which will be followed by a short solo stint in the UK, before linking up with Passion Pit on Jan. 22nd in Quebec. Paper Route released their 5 song EP, Are We All Forgotten in July of this year, which featured the song, "Carousel".



Paper Route tour schedule:

November 18 - The Basement - Columbus, OH #
November 19 - Magic Stick - Detroit, MI #
November 20 - Subterranean - Chicago, IL #
November 21 - The Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI #
December 14 - Barfly - London, UK
December 16 - Ruby Lounge - Manchester, UK
December 17 - Barfly - Glasgow, UK
December 18 - Barfly - Cardiff, UK
January 22 - Le Divan Orange - Montreal, QUE *
January 23 - Zaphod Beeblebrox - Ottawa, ONT *
January 24 - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, ONT *
January 26 - The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI *
January 27 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL *
January 28 - The Spot - Cleveland, OH *
January 29 - Northside Tavern - Cincinnati, OH *
January 30 - The Summit - Columbus, OH *
February 2 - The Ottobar - Baltimore, MD *
February 3 - Black Cat Backstage - Washington, DC *
February 4 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY *
February 7 - Iron Horse - Northampton, MA *

# w/ Low vs Diamond, Barcelona
* w/ Passion Pit

new Bon Iver EP on the way

Bon Iver's debut LP, For Emma, Forever Ago has almost taken on a life of it's own ever since it's original release in 2007. With near flawless reviews and a swelling legion of fans, it's almost impossible to not be anxiously awaiting frontman Justin Vernon of Bon Iver's next move. The wait is almost over, as the group have announced plans for a new 4 song EP, entitled Blood Bank. The EP will be released in the US on Jan. 20th and in the UK on Jan. 19th. If your a diehard and can't wait until then, you'll have to catch one of the bands upcoming December dates where they will be selling the vinyl version at the merch tables. 'Blood Bank' features both the title track and "Babys", which Bon Iver have been showcasing on tour this past year.

In addition to the new EP, Bon Iver will be taping an appearance for the Late Show w/David Letterman program on December 11th, which will be aired on or close to that date.

Blood Bank tracklisting:
01 Blood Bank
02 Beach Baby
03 Babys
04 Woods

Here's a version of "Blood Bank" from one of Bon Iver's recent dates. The video quality isn't the greatest but it had the best audio of the bunch we could find.

Anya Marina- takes it slow & steady

Singer/songwriter Anya Marina's new sophomore album, Slow & Steady Seduction, Phase II, is due out on December 9th on Chop Shop Records. Marina has been building a steady amount of hype all her own, with her seductive vocals and pop sensibilities. Recent appearances at NYC's CMJ music showcase as well as touring as part of this year’s all-female Hotel Café tour have generated attention for her upcoming new disc. The first single to be released is for the track "Move You".



Slow & Steady Seduction, Phase II tracklisting:
1. All The Same To Me
2. Cut It Out
3. Move You
4. Afterparty At Jimmy's
5. Drop Dead Blues
6. Vertigo
7. Lullaby For A Realist
8. Two Left Feet
9. Waters Of March
10. Not A Through Street
11. Cowboy
12. High On The Ceiling

Anya Marina on myspace

new video: Tim Fite-"Big Mistake"

Tim Fite's 2007 LP Over The Counter Culture not only was released for free, but earned him rave reviews across the board by mixing styles of hip-hop and folk. On his latest effort, Fair Ain't Fair Fite has lost the rapping but still relied heavily on folk based songs that blend in a wide range of samples. Many have compared his latest LP to Beck in his early days. Fite has just come out with a video for one of the albums finer tracks, "Big Mistake".


Tim Fite-"Big Mistake":

Tim Fite - New Music - More Music Videos

video courtesy of Subterranean

Gutter Twins: getting stripped for next round of tour dates

The sinister collaborative effort of Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan, better known as The Gutter Twins , will be bringing fans a very different and special live show beginning this January. The pair will be playing sixteen special intimate performances, stripped back with just the duo being joined by guitarist Dave Rosser. 'An Evening With Greg Dulli & Mark Lanegan' as of now is just hitting European cities, kicking off Jan. 15th in Glasgow. Dulli says of the upcoming shows ..."Since our instrumentation for this tour is going to be radically different, the shows will include many songs neither of us have performed in quite sometime or ever." The modern day nomads released their debut album Saturnalia early this year on Sub Pop records.

For fans of their other work, also mentioned in the release is that at the conclusion of the upcoming tour, Dulli will begin work on a new Twilight Singers album; while Lanegan has an upcoming project with Soulsavers and will also begin work on his first solo album in five years.

'An Evening With Greg Dulli & Mark Lanegan' upcoming dates:

1/15 UK Glasgow Oran Mor
1/16 IRELAND Dublin Academy
1/17 IRELAND Galway Roisin Dubh
1/19 UK London Union Chapel
1/20 BELGIUM Hasselt Muziekodroom
1/21 BELGIUM Brussels Ancienne Belgique
1/22 HOLLAND Haarlem Patronaat
1/24 GERMANY Berlin Babylon
1/25 AUSTRIA Vienna WuK
1/26 ITALY Milan La Salumeria Della Musica
1/27 ITALY Rome Auditorium Parco Della Musica
1/28 ITALY Florence Auditorium Flog
1/30 SPAIN Barcelona Apolo
1/31 SPAIN Bilbao Kafe Antzokia
2/2 SPAIN Madrid Joy Eslava
2/4 GREECE Athens Gagarin 205



Gutter Twins myspace.

new video: Apache Beat- "Tropics"

Already tapped as one of the bands to watch for 2009, you better get ready to hear a lot more of Brooklyn's Apache Beat. The pop/punk outfit are led by commanding frontwoman & Australian native, Ilirjana Alushaj, who has been wowing audiences with recent live shows opening for Deerhunter and Crystal Castles. The band has just signed on to Summer Lovers Unlimited, and there are plans to release their debut LP as early as this coming March. Included on the new LP will be the single "Tropics”, which the band just released a new video for.


Apache Beat- "Tropics":


Apache Beat myspace.

Asobi Seksu: new album details

Asobi Seksu have revealed details of their third full-length album, and follow-up to 2006's 'Citrus'. The new album, which features 12 new tracks is called Hush and is due out in the US on February 17th, with the first single 'Me & Mary' set to be released on November 18th. After losing their bass player and drummer following their last record, Asobi Seksu guitarist James Hanna said he and keyboardist/front woman Yuki Chikudate wrote their highly anticipated third album Hush when they “felt destroyed”, adding ..."The entire record has a phoenix rising vibe to it... We knew we didn't want to do 7,000 reverb guitars this time, so we stripped the sound down and built it back up from there.
The band can currently be seen out on tour across Europe & the UK supporting Ladytron, with some select dates with The Dears.

Hush Tracklisting:
01. Layers

02. Familiar Light

03. Sing Tomorrow's Praise

04. Gliss

05. Transparence
06. Risky and Pretty
07. In The Sky

08. Meh No Mae

09. Glacially

10. I Can't See

11. Me & Mary

12. Blind Little Rain



Listen to Asobi Seksu on myspace.

Our new video intvw w/ Martha Wainwright

With musical genes that run in the family, with her Mom, Dad and Brother all being in the business, Martha Wainwright has an abundance of wisdom to draw on. Wainwright released her latest LP, I Know Your Married But I've Got Feeling Too earlier in the year, which has been hailed by the critics as a more mature & confident sounding Martha. We had the chance to sit down with her on a recent tour stop, where we discussed topics ranging from the new album and using sex in her music, to getting together w/ family.

This weeks new releases: WK 11/11

With the holidays just around the corner, it can mean just one thing. It's almost time to start pondering the infamous year end lists. With only a handful of weeks left, will any of this weeks entries make their way onto your list???

here's this weeks new releases: WK 11/11

Au Revoir Simone- Reverse Migration remixes
The Battle Of Land & Sea- self titled
Blue Sky Black Death- Slow Burning Lights
Coldplay- Lost EP
Danielson- Trying Hartz
Deer Tick- War Elephant
Gnarls Barkley- Who's Gonna Save Your Soul EP
Helios- Caesura
Hello Seahorse!- Hoy a Las Ocho
Longwave- Secrets Are Sinister
Love Is All- A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night
The Morning Benders- iTunes Live Session
Oh Captain My Captain- Recklessly She Split The Sea
The Postmarks- By The Numbers
Stars- Sad Robots EP
Angus & Julia Stone- Hollywood EP
Vetiver- More Of The Past EP
Wintersleep- Welcome To The Night Sky

City and Colour: announce new headlining tour

Canadian singer/songwriter Dallas Green originally started out in the platinum selling post hardcore group Alexisonfire. Deciding to switch gears in between tours w/ Alexisonfire, Green put together some solo acoustic tunes that he had been working on and take them out on the road. The feedback Green received was all around positive and he decided to begin releasing the material. Green's latest release is his sophomore disc, Bring Me Your Love, which came out in the beginning of 08'. Having already toured the US earlier this year in the opening slot for fellow Canadians Tegan & Sara, Green has just announced his very first headling tour of the States. The tour kicks off Jan. 10th in upstate NY, and rounds out on the west coast in LA on Jan 28th.



Upcoming tour schedule:

Jan 10 The Town Ballroom Buffalo, New York
Jan 11 Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts
Jan 12 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
Jan 14 Black Cat Washington, Washington DC
Jan 15 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jan 22 Lakeshore Theatre Chicago, Illinois
Jan 23 Varsity Theatre Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jan 24 The Waiting Room Omaha, Nebraska
Jan 25 Bluebird Theatre Denver, Colorado
Jan 27 Slim’s San Francisco, California
Jan 28 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California

City and Colour on myspace.

'Video & Song of the week': Damien Jurado-"Sheets"

While relative newcomers such as Bon Iver gobble up all the press attention and buzz, longtime Seattle musician Damien Jurado continues to quietly go about his business with little fanfare. Jurado, who is equally as gifted a songwriter as any of his peers recently came out with his latest and possibly finest work, Caught In The Trees this past September. The new album sees Jurado craft an intensely personal journey, which is rare for him, as he is known for his gift of fictional story-telling in his music. One of the many standouts off the LP is the haunting track "Sheets", which ever since seeing Jurado perform in concert recently, just won't seem to get out of my head. Stay tuned for a new video interview w/ Jurado possibly sometime next week.

Damien Jurado-"Sheets"




Damien Jurado on myspace.

Gregory & the Hawk: launching new tour

DIY success story Gregory & the Hawk, led by singer Meredith Godreau has quickly grown from handing out homemade CDRs at shows back in 05' to having just recently signed on with Fat Cat Records(Animal Collective, Twilight Sad). The band became an underground hit in 2006 with their self released The Boats & Birds EP, which saw a groundswell of support without any type of management or label representation. Fast forward to 2008 and GATH have come out with their their new sophomore effort, and first for Fat Cat, Moenie and Kitchi. The band will be heading out on tour in support of the new LP kicking things off this Thursday in Massachusetts, with dates to follow across the States into the end of Nov. before heading over to the UK and Europe for a handful of shows.



Nov 13 TT the Bears (18+) Cambridge, Massachusetts
Nov 14 People’s Center (all ages) New Haven, Connecticut
Nov 15 Glasslands (21+) Brooklyn, New York
Nov 16 First Unitarian Church (all ages) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nov 17 Jammin’ Java (all ages) Vienna, Virginia
Nov 18 The Milestone (18+) Charlotte, North Carolina
Nov 20 Southgate House - Parlour (18+) Newport, Kentucky
Nov 21 Shubas Tavern (all ages) Chicago, Illinois
Nov 22 Cafe Bourbon Street Columbus, Ohio
Nov 29 Art Depot London
Nov 30 Sancuary Café Brighton
Dec 1 Chateau Neuf Oslo
Dec 2 Robotbutikken Bergen
Dec 3 Burkbar Trondheim
Dec 4 Camenten Stavanger
Dec 7 iBar (16+) Bournemouth
Dec 8 Big Chill House London

Gregory an the Hawk on myspace.

Syd Matters- Live in Brussels

One of our favorite artists at BTB, is the under looked French group Syd Matters. The band are largely unknown outside of France and the rest of Europe, but have still managed to draw some weighty comparisons that range from Radiohead to Nick Drake. Seeing the band live is always a treat, as they bring a completely different dynamic to their live performances. Where on the albums, SM's melancholy songs can be finely understated, live the band tend to hold nothing back, launching songs in new and bold directions with extra nuances and layers. The other night in Brussels was no exception, as the group brought everything to the table. Opening the set with a simple acoustic version of "Heartbeat Detector" from the soundtrack of the same name, the band then segued flawlessly into "Everything Else" from their most recent Ghost Days. From there on out it was a perfect mix of new and old, which saw the group play personal favorite, "Cloudflakes", which received an addition of drums and more electrified ending, to "End & Start Again", which is as close as the band gets to resembling Radiohead. Newer track "Anytime Now" was rollicking straight ahead rock n' roll, while crowd favorite, "Obstacles" was a steady building wall of guitars.
Three of the best moments of the show might have been saved for last though, starting with the epic "Me and My Horses" closing out the main set. This track is the perfect example of SM showing restraint on the LP and turning it up a notch in concert. The song swells into a crescendo of crashing cymbals and a feverish guitar solo that left the crowd buzzing. The encore then included the dreamy "To All Of You", which sees singer Jonathan Morali's longing for an American girlfriend, and "Bones" from 2004's A Whisper and A Sigh. Bones closed out the set and took the audience on a roller coaster of emotion, with explosive flourishes that finally led into an extended full on 4-5 minute powerful outro.

To see all the photo's from the show click here and to check out our interview w/ Syd Matters frontman Jonathan Morali from this past May, click below.

The Wooden Sky- Making US debut

It seems like once or twice a week maybe more, that were talking about another great band hailing from Canada. Toronto's, The Wooden Sky are no exception, and have been on our radar since back in 07' when they released their standout alt/country blended debut LP, When Lost At Sea. Ever since we've been telling anyone within earshot to check out the group. Now fans in the States will get their first chance to see the band perform live, as the guys have just announced their first dates ever in the US. Mixed in between dates around their homeland, the band will make stops in Boston & NYC in late November. To get more familiar with the band, you can also take a look at an interview lead singer Gavin Gardiner was nice enough to give us a few months back, to read the interview click here.

new US dates:

Nov 23 TT the Bear Boston, Massachusetts
Nov 24 Arlene’s Grocery New York City, New York

From 2007's When Lost At Sea- "North Dakota" live:



The Wooden Sky on myspace.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- ready new album for 09'

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have announced via a recent myspace blog, that they are close to finishing their new album, which will indeed be released next year. In addition the band are claiming that the new work will sound "very different" from their previous efforts. The album will be the NYC groups third and will be their first full LP since 2006's Show Your Bones.
Here's some of what was posted on the blog:
...."New record is getting closer to being done done done!".... "You still won't be hearing it until 2009 but damn, are we close to finishing it, and only after a year of writing and recording! ... "Will it sound kind of like 'Show Your Bones'? No, been there done that. What about [2007 EP] 'Is Is'? Is that more of the direction it's going in? Absolutely not, it sounds VERY different." .... "... we miss all of you and we've been working extra hard on this one with the intention to make you as happy as possible. Just wanted to drop a line to let you in on how quickly we're approaching the finishing line and to GET PSYYYYYYYYYYYYCHED."

Here's an acoustic version of "Maps" from back in 2003.

What Made Milwaukee Famous- download FREE EP

The Austin Tx. indie rock quintet What Made Milwaukee Famous, have made their EP, Sugarhill Sessions available as a free download via two sites, eMusic and barsuk.com. The free download will be available only until November 17th. The SugarHill Sessions are taken from tracks that the band performed in Texas' SugarHill studios, which has played host to the likes of Lightnin' Hopkins, Johnny Bush, and Willie Nelson. All the songs from the session were recorded in one take with no overdubbing.

Earlier in the year, the band released their sophomore Barsuk release, What Doesn't Kill Us, and they can currently be seen out on tour across the Western US w/ The Little One's.

new video- Ten Kens-"Spanish Fly":

Ten Kens came out with their debut disc on Fat Cat records just this past September. Back when we reviewed the disc(click here), we told you about the bands clear nod to 90's infused grunge, which is evident on their latest single, the Nirvana-esque track, "Spanish Fly". The group just came out with a new video for the the song, which was directed by Kareem Thompson, w/ animation done by Peter Auld & Louis Norris.
The band is currently on tour across the UK in support of A Place To Bury Strangers.

Spanish Fly


Ten Kens myspace.

Black Rebel Motorcyle Club- unveil self released new LP

The California trio, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have taken matters into their own hands on their latest release, The Effects of 333. Choosing to go the route of self-releasing their new effort without any label support, the band instead dropped the new LP on their start-up endeavor, Abstract Dragon. The LP is said to be a collection of instrumental-ambient style tracks taken from the last several years, which differs vastly from last year's crunchy, guitar heavy Baby 81 . It is currently being offered as a digital-only release, and is available now via the BRMC website.

The Effects of 333 tracklisting:

01 The Effects of 333
02 Still No Answer
03 I Know You're in There
04 And With This Comes
05 A Sad State
06 A Twisted State
07 Sedated With Sterilized Tongues
08 We're Not Welcome Alone
09 Or Needed
10 And When Was Better

Margot and the Nuclear So & So's- imagine what Bush's last day in office will be like on (new video)

With the election results finally in, many are looking ahead to what George W. Bush's last days as President might look like. Indiana's Margot and the Nuclear So and So's didn't waste any time coming up with their hypothetical scenario for Jan. 19th (Bush's last day in office), as the band teamed up with a quasi-passable George W. Bush impersonator for the new video for "As Tall As Cliffs". Check it out.

new video: Kings Of Leon-"Use Somebody":

With popularity usually comes a backlash of negativity. Kings of Leon have been the recent target of a great deal of slagging since their new album Only By The Night hit stores this September. While it's not what i do on here, i will just add that having lived both in the US and in Europe, I find it interesting the contrast in poularity of the group in both places. The group has enjoyed mega-success in Europe and the UK, while in the States the band can certainly fill an arena or two, but they have yet to achieve the super star staus they receive overseas.

One of the best new songs to come from the new LP is the group's soaring track, "Use Somebody", which they just released a new video for.

Kings Of Leon-"Use Somebody":

Longwave: New LP next week

It's been three years since we last heard from NYC's Longwave. The group had a brilliant debut back in 2003 w/ the LP The Strangest Things, a disc that seemed like the beginning of bigger things for the band. However, their sophomore effort in 05' There's A Fire was disappointing to some critics and fans, and eventually cost the group their record deal. Now three years removed, the band are set to release their new LP, Secrets Are Sinister on Nov. 11th on Original Signal Recordings. The group have brought on board well known producer Peter Katis , who has worked with (The National, Frightened Rabbit, Interpol) . Katis is said to have helped the band capture a more mature and polished sound while still recapturing some of the Britpop, 90's alternative leanings that brought them their initial success.

new track from Secrets Are Sinister


From 2003's The Strangest Things


Longwave on myspace.

Get 'Clues' as to who could be the next big thing from Montreal

Montreal has been a massive breeding ground for indie music the last several years. While many try and guess who will be the next big thing from our neighbors to the north, all 'Clues' indicate that the answer might already be out there. The new collaborative project, Clues list several members that were influential to Montreal's indie sound, namely Brendan Reed of (Arcade Fire) and Alden Penner of (Unicorns). The group who are joined by Ben Borden, Lisa Gamble, and Nick Scribnerband, have managed to create a major buzz without even having put up a Myspace or Facebook site. The band have garnered attention mainly from their frantically paced shows, which include multiple drummers and lot's of instruments being traded off. The band are said to be releasing their debut LP on their hometown label, Constellation sometime in Spring 2009. You can catch a preview of the track "Perfect Fit" below.

This Weeks new releases: WK 11/04

I gotta say after digging thru what's new this week, it's pretty slim pickins out there. Maybe not too much to get excited about initially, but here's what we managed to round up that you might find interesting. You be the judge.

New Releases Wk 11/04:

Au Revoir Simone- Reverse Migration
Black Moth Super Rainbow- Drippers EP
CSS- Move
Dancer vs. Politician- A City Half-Lost
Eulogies- Tempted To Do Nothing
Frederick- Na Na Ni
Gamma Ray- Hell Yeah! The Awesome Foursome Live
Kanye West- Heartless (single)
Little Joy- self titled
No Age- Teen Creeps (single)
Past Lives- Strange Symmetry EP
Sara Bareilles- Between The Lines live
Smashing Pumpkins- G.L.O.W. (single)
The End Of The World- French Exit
Travis- Ode to J. Smith
Wilderness- (k)no(w)here

Video & Song of the week: Horse Feathers-"Curs In The Weeds"

This weeks 'Video & Song of the week' is one that ever since we received the LP a few weeks back, we just can't help but keep coming back to. It comes from Portland's indie/folk group, Horse Feathers and the track "Curs In The Weeds". The group while out on the road this past summer took things quite literally for this particular video, as the band wandered into the woods amongst weeds and all for an impromptu performance.

Horse Feathers-"Curs In The Weeds":



Horsefeathers on myspace.

Our 'Liner Notes' interview w/ Johnny Berlin

The Belgian band Johnny Berlin came out w/ their debut LP Find What You Love And Let It Kill You this past May. The group immediately saw success with their first single "Four", which climbed up the alternative music charts in their home country. The band currently have a new single out, "Bender Parts" which has seen the group achieve even bigger success.

We sat down recently with brothers Paul & Laurens Renner from Johnny Berlin to discuss the Belgian music scene, their early influences and more.



Johnny Berlin myspace.

Cut Off Your Hands: new album in '09

Two years removed from their first EP, New Zealand pop-punk band Cut Off Your Hands will finally be releasing their debut full-length. The new LP, You And I, which is out in their native NZ & Australia, will hit American shores on January 20th, 2009 via Frenchkiss Records. You And I sees the group working with ex-Suede guitarist and producer Bernard Butler. In the meantime, if you can't wait for the new LP, the band has put out the Happy As Can Be EP just a few weeks ago, that features two tracks from the upcoming full length, the title track from the EP, "Happy As Can Be" & also "Expectations".



You And I Tracklist :
01. Happy As Can Be
02. Expectations
03. Oh Girl
04. Turn Cold
05. It Doesn't Matter
06. Heartbreak
07. In The Name Of Jesus Christ
08. Lets Get Out Of Here
09. Still Fond
10. Closed Eyes
11. Nostalgia
12. Someone Like Daniel

Cut Off Your Hands myspace.