Yeasayer -- "Henrietta"
16 May
2012
"Henrietta" is the latest song from indie psych band Yeasayer. It's the first song released since they put out their second LP, 2009's Odd Blood. Members of their mailing list had the CD of the track sent to them. You can stream it below.
11 May
2012
Indie rock legends Guided by Voices are set to release Class Clown Spots a UFO, their 17th full-length LP (and second of 2012) on June 12th.
Guided by Voices -- "Class Clown Spots a UFO"
Two singles have been previously released, the beautiful "Keep it in Motion" and snarling "Jon the Croc". Today, GBV released it's latest single -- the album's title track for free through Rolling Stone. "Clown" has gone through many renditions in the band catalogue over the years - at one point titled "Crocker's Favorite Song" and appearing as a demo on one of the band's Suitcase compilations. You can stream and download the new version below.
(download)
3 Apr
2012
Japandroids -- "The House That Heaven Built"
Canadian garage-rockers Japandroids will make their triumphant return on June 5th with their second LP Celebration Rock. Rock is the follow-up to the band's 2009 debut Post Nothing and follows a set of singles and the 2010 compilation No Singles.
In anticipation of the album, the band have posted a stream for their single "The House That Heaven Built" The 7" vinyl is set for release on May 15th, but you can download it on iTunes. The b-side is a cover of Nick Cave's "Jack the Ripper".
9 Aug
2011
I sort of remember the first time I listened to Neutral Milk Hotel. It was either 2002 or 2003, in the midst of my junior or senior year of high school. While I found it, like most people, to be a bit weird, the band grew on me. I liked to think I was ahead of the curve when it came to "new" music to me, and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea qualified as new to me. Thanks to the Internet, I was discovering great new and unique music at a furious pace. Goodbye nu-metal, hello Pitchfork.
Jeff Mangum (Live at First Unitarian Church, Burlington VT)
Flash-forward to 2011 and it seems like the Internet is THE only way to find out about new music. What radio? Why not check the fifty billion music blogs, including this one, that have every cough, sneeze and hiccup coming from the latest discardable indie darlings? (How else can you explain the "popularity" of Odd Future?)
In these times you can kind of see how Jeff Mangum is a bit of a recluse musician. After releasing their landmark second album in 1998, Mangum disbanded Neutral Milk Hotel and all but retired from music. Aside from the occasional random live appearance and laborious field recording, Mangum has kept a fairly quiet lifestyle in an emerging indie community that's heading in the opposite direction. Perhaps this is why his recent live concert seemed like a breath of fresh air.
His stop last night at Burligton, Vermont's First Unitarian Church is the first on his latest tour, taking him throughout the upper East Coast and the UK. Even in my most NMH-obsessed moments did I ever believed he'd becoming to Burlington. But alas, he did. And he was wonderful.
The evening started off with the smooth grooves of openers Tall Firs and "Andrew, Scott and Laura". The second band consisting of two members of Elephant 6 band Elf Power and Neutral Milk Hotel collaborator Scott Spillane. (!) Both were pretty good, especially the trio who kept their eclectic set full of various numbers including a Leonard Cohen cover. Always nice.
After two hours of opening music and the heat inside the church getting to people, Mangum took the stage. If anyone has ever listened to his live album Live at Jittery Joe's, they should know what to expect. (Well, there wasn't a crying child. So thank goodness for that.) Mangum kept the banter to a minimum, including short "thank you"'s following applause and a "no bullshit" dedication of his love for Vermont. He professed his respect for the state's care-free living, especially in his Southern upbringing.
The set list included a fair dose of tracks from the first two Neutral Milk Hotel albums, plus a Daniel Johnston cover and a few rarities. There was an encore that consisted of one song -- "Engine", and he stayed afterwards to meet fans and even give autographs.
Following his performance of "Gardenhead", the mic cut out on him. Rather than cut the set short or wait forever to get it fixed, he took a chair and his guitar down right in front of the first pew and played an unplugged version of "Two Headed Boy Part 2". He even invited fans to sit around him as long as they could sing along. This impromptu campfire sing-along went for only one song though, as during the unplugged performance his mic was fixed and the show continued as before.
No photos or audio/video were allowed to be taken at this concert, but I've posted a video of the soundcheck someone took whilst outside the church that day. Also you can check out his performance of "Naomi" from Live at Jittery Joe's.
Set list:
Oh Comely
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
A Baby for Pree / Where You'll Find Me Now
Gardenhead
Two Headed Boy Part 2
Two Headed Boy
True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston Cover)
Song Against Sex
Naomi
Ferris Wheel on Fire
King of Carrot Flowers (Parts 1-3)
Holland, 1945
Engine
24 May
2011
This Week in Music Streams (Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket)
Welcome to another edition of This Week in Music Streams, where we highlight the latest and greatest full-album streams that are legally available on the Internet. Remember, these streams are temporary so get them while they are hot.
- Serene indie rock mainstays Death Cab for Cutie have posted their seventh studio album Codes and Keys for listening on NPR Radio.
- Also on NPR, check out the latest upcoming album from My Morning Jacket entitled Circuital.
25 Apr
2011
This Week in Music Streams (Beastie Boys, Fleet Foxes, The Antlers)
Welcome to another edition of This Week in Music Streams, where we highlight the latest and greatest full-album streams that are legally available on the Internet. Remember, these streams are temporary so get them while they are hot.
- The seemingly-ageless Beastie Boys have made their eighth album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two available for streaming on their website. You can also stream it with the widget below. The stream is mostly in response to the clean copy of the album being leaked.
- Bearded folk-rockers Fleet Foxes have made their highly-anticipated follow-up Helplessness Blues ready for listening on NPR Radio.
- Also on NPR Radio, you can listen to the third full-length effort from The Antlers entitled Burst Apart.
23 Apr
2011
I always get a bit hesitant when I decide to go to a show on a college campus, especially if it's a campus I've rarely visited and if it's been a long time since I've attended college.
Free Energy and Das Racist (Live at Middlebury College)
12 Apr
2011
Osheaga 2011 Preview
Last night at midnight Eastern time, the lineup for Montreal's Osheaga festival was posted on Facebook. The popular music festival, which is held in Parc Jean Drapeau each summer, is heading into its sixth year.
Last year, we at Music is My Radar attended and provided a full preview and wrapup of the festivities. While we are a few months away from returning to Osheaga, we still thought it'd be a good idea to take a look at what they are offering this year.
6 Apr
2011
Last night, indie rock stars Death Cab for Cutie released the video to their latest single entitled "You Are A Tourist". The special thing about this video's release is that it was being recorded live and shown on the Internet on UStream.
VIDEO: Death Cab for Cutie -- "You Are A Tourist"
You can view the results of the performance below.
Stream the song only:
1 Apr
2011
This Week in Music Streams: Radiohead, Broken Bells, Foo Fighters
Welcome to another edition of This Week in Music Streams, where we highlight the latest and greatest full-album streams that are legally available on the Internet. Remember, these streams are temporary so get them while they are hot.
- Radiohead has formally released their latest LP, The King of Limbs, on physical media. You can also stream it at Spinner for a limited time.
- Last year, buzz-worthy producer Danger Mouse and Shins frontman James Mercer released an album under the name of Broken Bells. They've now released an EP of various other songs entitled Meyrin Fields. Stream it at Spinner too.
- Venerable alt-rockers Foo Fighters are prepping their seventh LP, Wasting Light, which will drop on April 12th. You can stream it on their web site or through the widget below:
