Tune In Saturdays: Shibboleth

November 30, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

For whatever reason, I don't often get too suckered in by the instrumental band. But the mixture of jazz, funk, soul, big band and porno makes Dallas' Shibboleth absolutely irresistible.

From Pegasus News:

"If soundtracks for Spaghetti Westerns and '60s sex comedies were free from cinematic distractions, or the Stax recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee hadn't been torn down and replaced by a museum, their resulting music might compare to Experiment in Error, the second full-length recording from Dallas' Shibboleth. This instrumental trio features three of Dallas' hardest-working and most critically-acclaimed musicians: Rich Martin on keys, James Driscoll on bass, and Don Cento on guitar. Their new release features a full band sound augmented by drums, percussion, horns, and — on "The 1912 Horsey Rebellion" — vocals! Still no lyrics though — the aforementioned track (which is #1 on the disc) instead offers super-catchy "ooo"s."

Home.MySpace.YouTube.

Bobby Patterson (w/Shibboleth) - Digging Up Bones (mp3)

Shibboleth - Bill Cosby (mp3)

Shibboleth - Collapse of the Boney Horseman (video)

The Return of Tune In Saturdays: Little Joy

November 22, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

For a band including a member of the Strokes, there are only rare moments that would actually make you consider the connection. A mish mash of quiet melodies and utter randomness (in the best of ways), Little Joy's self-titled debut is a trip between folksy reggae and goog 'ol' indie rockin'. Lots of gems in there though. I only wish we'd hear more from the fantastic female vox unfortunately named Binki.

From the LA Times:

"Little Joy's charmingly lazy songwriting makes no gesture at becoming anything beyond an excellent dinner-party soundtrack. But in these trying times for art and political life, such warm-hearted mood music will at least make your headaches go away."

On MySpace.

Little Joy - Unattainable (Dumbo Session) (video)

Little Joy - Don't Watch Me Dancing (mp3)

Tune In Saturdays: Department of Eagles

October 05, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

For fans of Grizzly Bear, I'm pretty sure you'll also love Department of Eagles. Mostly because Grizzly Bear is the Department of Eagles. Sort of, anyway. Add a member, and subtract another, and give member Daniel Rossen along with Fred Nicolaus the bulk of the songwriting duties. It's got all the earthiness you'd expect in the record, but with a somewhat more light-hearted mood, which is somewhat unexpected considering the dedication of the album to Rossen's late father who passed in 2007. Ear Park is the nickname of a park in LA where he and his father visited.

From the line of best fit:

"At its best points, of which there are a fair few, this album (and this band) produces a sound that is quite magical. Backing vocals and effects produce a sound close to that of an angel choir on opener ‘In Ear Park’, a moving tribute to Rossen’s deceased father. Lush shimmering choral sounds build to dramatic crescendos with a sense of wonder that reminded me, bizarrely, of the backing music found on some of the earlier Walt Disney cartoons (Sleeping Beauty, say) - see in particular ‘No One Does It’, ‘Phantom Other’ and ‘Waves of Rye’. Similarly, the gorgeous, full sounding “oohs” on ‘Floating on the Lehigh’ lend the song a soaring quality a bit like a singularly rich croon-y 1950s show tune. The 1960s can also be heard (in a kind of Motown-esque way) in the intro to ‘No One Does It’. Add into the mix some echoes of 10cc’s ‘I’m Not In Love’, to be heard in ‘In Ear Park’ and that overused reviewer’s description - eclectic - would seem to be justified."

Home.MySpace.

Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You (mp3)

Department of Eagles - In Ear Park (mp3)

Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You (Live on Conan)

http://www.hulu.com/embed/jBPD2drK2-trg9GcujXQFA

Department of Eagles - La Blogotheque (video)

Tune In Saturdays: Passion Pit

September 21, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

Boston's Passion Pit is an absolutely fanastic electro-pop ride, full of ups and downs, falsettos and sing-alongs. Interesting story, too. Apparently Passion Pit began as a Valentine's Day gift for a girlfriend that morphed into a full-time project. I'd write more, but this Tune In Saturday is happening on Sunday night, so there you go. Enjoy!

From the label site:

"Boston’s Passion Pit is the brainchild of Michael Angelakos with live band consisting of ian hultquist(synths), ayad al adhamy(synths, samplers), jeff apruzzese(bass, synths), nate donmoyer (drums). Michael is a songwriter’s songwriter drawing from a variety of influences, from the classic pop of Randy Newman to the synth work of Giorgio Moroder.

The Chunk of Change EP was originally put together as a (belated) Valentine’s Day present to Angelakos’ girlfriend which then prompted him to give it out to friends and fellow students at Emerson College. Angelakos wrote and recorded the entire record by himself and it only hints at what is to come from this extremely talented perfectionist. The production of the recording - brief, sporadic, and explosive - worked towards the development of Angelakos’ signature euphoric and blissfully melancholic sound. Frenchkiss Records will reissue the ep this fall with the addition of two bonus tracks “Better Things” and “Sleepyhead” that are already catching the online world on fire. All of this is in preparation for Passion Pit’s debut full length coming out in early 2009."

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (fan video)

Passion Put - I've Got Your Number (mp3) via IndieMuse

Tune In Saturdays: Slider Pines

September 06, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

Further proof that Texas may actually be the rock promise land prophesied by Lift to Experience, with one of my newest favorites, Dallas' Slider Pines. With a sound somewhat Americana, a little bit Deathcab and the Shins and at times reminiscent of early Foo Fighters, they've released their newest EP. I've got no idea what it's called, but it's damn good and free. So eat that.

From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

"Slider Pines sets the bar awfully high on the group’s masterful debut, Road Avenue Railroad. The Dallas trio, led by the garrulous, gritty vocalist/guitarist Joey Shanks, has a rootsy, engaging sound, bridging the gap between the straight-ahead Americana of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (glimpsed on The Memphis Hack) and the incisive indie navel-gazing of the Shins (evident on the album’s best song, The Missing Street Sign). This is the album you want blaring from your car’s stereo as you roar down the open highway into a world of unknown possibilities. One of the year’s finest local offerings."

Home.MySpace.

Slider Pines - The Pinch (mp3)

Slider Pines - Pulling Teeth (mp3)

Free Download of the Entire EP

Tune In Saturdays: First Aid Kit

August 30, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

Ahh, you've got to love those wonderful, wonderful Swedes. This time it's from a bit of an unlikely source with First Aid Kit, a folksy duo of sisters Klara and Johanna, the former 15 and the latter 17. It has all the maturity and worldliness you'd expect from much more weathered musicians, but retains the freshness and playful nature that really make it sing. And it's not difficult to win me over with an absolutely fantastic cover of the Fleet Foxes.

Home.MySpace.

First Aid Kit - You're Not Coming Home Tonight (mp3)

http://mediaplayer.yahoo.com/js

First Aid Kit - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (video)

(via)

Tune In Saturdays: Peter Salett

August 16, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

Not sure how it took me so long to get around to the fantastic Peter Salett. Long timer in the New York scene (now LA), and composer to the stars, Salett contributed a few songs to the Forgetting Sarah Marshall soundtrack, as well as to his former guitar string changer Edward Norton's Keeping the Faith. With In the Ocean of the Stars, he manages to be both quiet and colorful, touching, but still catchy. Another fantastic Sunday afternoon record, for sure.

From PopMatters:

Reflected in the construction of each tune is Salett’s apparent appreciation for love and the simple things in life. There is something beautiful and universal. Salett tinges his timeless pop sound with hints of country, folk and jazz that accentuate the sweetness of each melody.In the Ocean of the Stars begs to be absorbed with undivided attention; turn up the volume and listen carefully lest you miss the simple splendor of a single note.

Home.MySpace.IMDB

Peter Salett - In the Ocean of Stars (mp3)
Peter Salett - Between the Dark and Light (mp3)
Peter Salett - Miss You (Thought You Should Know) (video)

Tune In Saturdays: David Vandervelde

August 10, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

Image via Wikipedia

Not sure how someone so new to the south can sound so southern, but Nashville's (by way of Michigan) David Vandervelde has the southern, 70's roots feel down pat. Generally slow building, but usually big when he needs to be, the new record Waiting for Sunrise will make fans of Conor Oberst, Fleetwood Mac or even Midlake, get a little crazy.

From Obscure Sound:

After all, the songs themselves on Waiting for the Sunrise display some of Vandervelde’s best songwriting to date. Considering that he has not taken any dramatically dissimilar approaches to his vocal delivery or any other aspects of instrumentation, fans of The Moonstation House Band should still continue to enjoy Vandervelde’s craft. The consistent style itself is more centered on guitar-led tracks that are uplifted by lively acoustics and shimmering keys, led by production that is significantly sharper than its predecessor. The Moonstation House Band featured tracks that were often led by reverbed vocals and revolving arrangements with an emphasis on glam-rock and spacey ballads. The production on Waiting for the Sunrise remains in the vibe of ‘70s pop, but the songs are more subdued when compared to the vigorous string arrangements of “Wisdom From a Tree” and the distorted energy of ”Nothin’ No”. That is not to say that Vandervelde has gone soft though, as some electric tracks like “Lyin’ in Bed” and “Old Turns” serve as a few of the finest moments on the album.

Label.MySpace.Wikipedia
David Vandervelde - I Will be Fine (mp3)
David Vandervelde - Jacket (video - from The Moonstation House Band)

Tune In Saturdays: Pomplamoose

July 26, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

One of my favorite recent finds is the fantastically interesting duo called Pomplamoose. A collaboration of a couple YouTubers, Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, Pomplamoose doesn't really just make songs or just make videos, and it's not even really music videos either. They are videosongs, which are videos created within two rules, what you see is what you hear and if you hear it, at some point you see it. Anyway, check these out. Absolutely incredible stuff.

YouTube.MySpace.

I'd also check out some of Jack's personal stuff as well. He's made a couple swings through the YouTube front page, particularly with the very cool Radiohead/Chopin mashup below as well as with the more traditional (but still badass) video for the original song Yeah, Yeah, Yeah below that.

YouTube.Jack's MySpace. Nataly's MySpace.

Tune In Saturdays: Marching Band

July 05, 2008 by Paul McEnany in Music

Image via Wikipedia

Not far from a Sub Pop sound, Sweden's Marching Band is a little bit Rogue Wave, a little Matt Pond PA and a little Deathcab back when they were still cool (meaning less popular). At just five songs, their newest EP, Spark Large, goes by much too fast, but it's got all the harmonies, poppy guitars and synth eccentricities of the aforementioned. Definitely a good summer pickup for anybody that actually pays any attention to the tune ins.

From Pitchfork:

This duo of Erik Sunbring and Jacob Lind play low-key, folk-touched indie pop on "Feel Good About It", from their forthcoming album produced by Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Yo La Tengo, Lilys). Sunbring and Lind trade high, close harmonies and reassuring words over a warm, slightly ramshackle backing of acoustic guitar, piano, drums, and light electronic effects, like the Shins sliding down better-fitting chutes. Is Linköping more than Marching Band's town? Dear Ryan Schreiber, I would love to go find out.

Marching Band - Feel Good About It (mp3)
Marching Band - Don't Go (mp3)

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