Archive | October, 2010

Band of the Day (10.28.10) The Duke And The King

28 Oct

BOD: (10.28.10) The Duke and The King

I love 60’s and 70’s classic Americana rock. I’m a kid of the 80’s and my parents loved music. Sitting in the back of my mom’s Vega listening to America, The Band, Bread and even a little CSN are memories that will live on forever. When a band comes along and recaptures that sound, not in a carbon copy way, but in a modern upgrade of that classic Americana driven folk, you need to acknowledge it. It might not be your thing, but for any child of a baby boomer, it’s part of your DNA. I can say that the Pet Sound is a modernization of the sound, but it misses the harmonies of two or even three lead singers. Fleet Foxes and Panda Bear do the old Boston, Black Sabbath self-harmonizing. Ozzy did it best in Sabbath, singing with himself. That’s some good music, but it’s the CSN, multiple leads harmonizing about love, loss, drugs, the road, that do it for me.

When you combine the mastery of soul folk from the Felice Brothers and one of George Clinton’s P. Funk All-Stars, you get The Duke and The King. This new elixir of the classic CSN/70’s soul rock sound come from the Catskills and are driven by SIMONE FELICE, BOBBY BIRD, SIMI STONE and NOWELL HASKINS. The Duke and The King have serious fame ahead of them. The tracks are a combination of The Band’s spirit with a layer of soul vibe. It’s a great album and one that will last a lifetime on my shelf. It’s worth a physical LP purchase.

The year is shaping up quite nicely. Let us know who you think should be the New.Band of the Year! I think The Duke and The King deserve some accolades. Comments start now!

Hear: Three very Diverse tracks from the bands new LP Long Live The Duke and The King
“Children of the Sun” – Classic re-invention of late 60’s folk

download —> The Duke & The King – “Children Of The Sun”

“Have You Seen It” – A little Magic Numbersish and a little America/Bread….LOVE THIS TRACK!!!!

download —-> The Duke & The King – “Have You Seen It”

“No Easy Way Out” – You’ll love her after you hear this track

The Duke & The King – “No Easy Way Out”

Follow:
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Official band site
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Band of Day (10.27.10) Foals

27 Oct

Band of the Day (10.27.10) Foals

I don’t care, I know they’re not a new band and I know that every blog in the world is talking about Foals, but my level of care is at 0. I love Total Life Forever and I hope that A). you already do or B). you will after this post. Frankly, I’ve been listening since 2008 and to the current album non-stop on BART and I’m feeling like this album could be the Best Album of 2010.

We here at New.Band.Day have been in the music industry for a long, long time and when one of the your colleagues is taken away from this Earth at an early age, you can’t help but embrace life a little harder. It makes us even more grateful that we can listen to great music…all because of those hard working people. Foals is a SubPop band and when I heard the news that our good friend Andy Kotowicz, a staple at the label, was killed, I was devastated. It was only because of Andy that Foals has been a passion of mine.

So today’s post is a tribute to our good friend and lost soldier of great music…Andy. For more information on how to help Andy’s family, please go here.

If you don’t know Foals, here is the DNA….
Band: Yannis Philippakis (Vocals, Guitar, Live Drums), Jack Bevan (Drums), Jimmy Smith (Guitar), Edwin Congreave (Keyboard, Backing Vocals), Walter Gervers (Bass, Backing Vocals)
From: Oxford, England
Albums: 2010 Total Life Forever // 2008 Antidotes Mercury Prize nominated
Origins: 2004 Oxford, The Edmund Fitzgerald // Youthmovies
Sound-like: A fusion of Fleet Foxes and Bloc Party but add a little Catherine Wheel and Battles.

Hear:
“This Orient”

“Spanish Sahara” -The build-up pays off @ 4:15

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook
Official Foals
Twitter

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Band of the Day (10.26.10) Now, Now (Now, Now Every Children)

26 Oct

Band of the Day (10.26.10) Now, Now (Now, Now Every Children)

Pleasant female voices over eerie synth/guitar noises make for great music. See Emily Haines, xx, Best Coast, etc. etc. etc. I even like when the guitar player, here it’s Brad Hale, decides to rip into some nice electronic riff. Now, Now formerly Now, Now Every Children (NNEC) is a trio of midwestern lads who have an affection for music a little bit more north of Minneapolis. When I first heard them, I would have placed them in Toronto with the Arts & Crafts label, maybe between Stars and The Dears. Cacie Dalager’s lead vocals enthrall me, she sounds like a meeker, more helpless version of Emily Haines. I want to see her live with an acoustic guitar, no effects at a tiny bar in Tennessee. I think she’d shine without the noise, which to me, makes a great singer. With three EPs, one LP and a whole host of tracks, the band has refined its sound since 2003. The new self-titled EP is nice, it may attempt to be too much, see the appropriately named track “Giants” to hear their attempt at expansiveness. I like them when they’re less expansive and they stick to the trio of sound. Have a listen and be sure to follow them, they will be big.

Band:
Cacie Dalager (vocals, guitar, keyboard); Bradley Hale (drums, backing vocals); Jess Abbott (guitar, vocals); Britty Hale (keyboard) and Christine Sako (bass)

Hear:
“Jesus Camp” – Shows where their headed, now where they’ve been. Stick with this sound and they’ll be HUGER THAN HUGE

Download — Now, Now – “Jesus Camp”

“Roommates” – Stars like play on words lyrics

Download — Now, Now -“Roommates”

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Band of the Day (10.25.10) Bad Books

25 Oct

Band of the Day (10.25.10) Bad Books

I heard Bad Books this weekend. Their self-titled album Bad Books is raucous, fun, inventive but familiar at the same time. I hear a little Grandaddy with a bit of folk Alt-Country. I like to call it Electro-Folk. The band is an amalgamation of several others. As quoted from their Facebook: “Bad Books was never an intended nor calculated side project of Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull. Though the two musicians have collaborated and performed together on tour and within the Favorite Gentlemen community of artists for years now, the genesis of Bad Books came from a simple idea to fill space and time off the road by collaborating on a small batch of songs together at the top of the year.” Their keep ourselves busy project brings great songwriting that is both fluid and cerebral, with tracks named “The Easy & The Old Maid.” Their hometowns of Atlanta, Brooklyn and Fort Myers are all felt in their music. The Southern folk, the Park Slope shoe-gaze and the Fort Myers Florida retiree chill. I feel the Grandaddy, love the Gomez vibe and definitely sense someone in the band is as obsessed with My Morning Jacket as we are.

Band:
Kevin Devine, Andy Hull, Robert McDowell, Chris Freeman, Jonathan Corley, and Ben Homola

Hear:
“You Wouldn’t Have To Ask”

Download —> Bad Books “You Wouldn’t Have To Ask”

“How This All Ends”

Follow Bad Books:
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MySpace

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Band of the Day (10.22.10) Raindeer

22 Oct

Band of the Day (10.22.10) Raindeer

Arizona Turk destroyed my laptop hard drive with 8GBs of brand spanking new music. I spent four hours listening, dissecting and processing, when I discovered the eerie synth drowned Raindeer of Baltimore, MD. I think Edgar Allen Poe died in Baltimore. Hence, the name of the Baltimore Ravens. Raindeer may have been trapped in the basement as kids of the 80’s with only a tape deck and a copy of some horrific paperbacks. Their music is synth heavy, are both sad and energetic, coupled with acoustic picking and Bowieesque arrangements. I think the Mr. Bowie would be happy that Raindeer explored the troubled side of their brains. So Charlie, Jake and Devin get an A for arrangement, an A for cleverness, a B for sounding a little too much like MGMT, a B for bringing the alien ray gun sound to every track and an A for potential. Now they to need to get a band together and get on the road. They have some great tracks and I think you’ll love them. If you’re from the band send me a picture, using the EP cover is not the coolest.

Hear:
“This is My Last Transmission” – By far the best track, but if you’ve heard “Texico Bitches” by Broken Social Scene, you’ll hear the same guitar riff.

Download — Raindeer – “This is My Last Transmission”

“Juanita” – Probably the most inventive track on the EP, listen to the accordian at the end!!!

Download – Raindeer – “Juanita”

Download the whole damn EP for Free from their BandCamp

Band:
Charlie Hughes (Vocals, Synth)
Jake (Bass, Vocals)
Devin Byrnes (Synth)

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Band of the Day (10.21.10) Thieving Irons

21 Oct

BOD (10.21.10) Thieving Irons

Ahh good ol Park Slope and Brooklyn. I’d forgotten about you in all the Swedish, Danish, British and California music we’ve been posting lately. But you can’t forget about Brooklyn. Jay-Z doesn’t so why should we. So here we bring you the rustic southern rock gorgeousness that so belongs in Kentucky or Nashville but it’s in Brooklyn. Thieving Irons or Nate Martinez & Friends, makes one feel as if they just climbed to the peak of an Appalachian mountain, pulled out a leather bladder of whiskey and drained it clean. It’s good ol electric guitar solos, Gomez vocals and a southern piano tap with a flavor of KOL twang that makes for great music. They grab alt-country by the neck and drag it to a new level. They’re damn good and expect to see them on tour or at a festival in 2011. If your racking your brain because you’ve heard of Nate Martinez…riddle solved…he’s the co-founder of Pela. A few tracks posted below and a Daytrotter Session posted for your enjoyment. We can’t wait to see Thieving Irons when they visit Berkeley.

Hear:
“Ashes of the Riverbank”

Download — Thieving Irons – Ashes On The Riverbank

“Tow The Line”

Download — Thieving Irons – Tow The Line

Daytrotter Session Free Here — Daytrotter Rules

Band Members:
Nate Martinez with a rotating cast including Dan Brantigan, Mike Brown, Bryan Devendorf, Brian Kantor, Josh Kaufman, Ray Rizzo, Tom Zovich

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook
Read the KEXP Interview

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Band of the Day (10.20.10) Crystal Fighters

20 Oct

Band of the Day (10.20.10) Crystal Fighters

Congrats to the Arizona Turk, he officially has a baby Turk and we’re so happy for him. To celebrate the birth of his baby girl we’ve chosen one of his favorite bands of this year. They officially put him in a good mood…for the Turk, that’s saying a lot.

Crystal Fighters este de Navarre, Spain. Their Basque blood-line inspires the eerie flavor of traditional Basque folk music with catchy energetic dance tracks with MGMT style vocals, resulting in an uplifting sound unlike any other. There sound is so inventive and unique, we can’t wait to share. They’re MGMT wrapped up with Gogol Bordello and ancient instruments that make their sound worthy of Band of the Day. Give them a listen.

Here is the background from their Facebook:
‘Crystal Fighters’ is the name of an unfinished opera written by singer Laure’s deceased grandfather during his final months of insanity. She came across it while clearing out the reclusive old man’s remote abode in the Basque countryside, and quickly became obsessed with the scrawls contained within it. Captivated by its seemingly prophetic contents, the band took on the name which all, in their way, attempt to expand upon the wild and deranged spirit of the old man’s writings.

Rad right?!?!?! They’re a creative bunch of dudes and I hear their live shows are second to none. So tape up the windows, invite over 1000 of your closest friends, take off your shirts, put on Crystal Fighters and your night is made.

Hear:
“Swallow” – This is the raddest track of all.

Download — Crystal Fighters – “Swallow”

“Xtatic”

Download — Crystal Fighters – “Xtatic Truth”

“Follow” –

Download — Crystal Fighters – “Follow”

Follow:
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Facebook

Band:
Sebastian, Gilbert, Graham, Mimi, Laure

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Updates:NEW EP The Tallest Man on Earth

19 Oct

So you know we love Kristian Matsson and we’ve followed the trajectory of his career. In 2010, he’s taken off and we couldn’t be happier. Us NBDers who’ve been following the Band of the Days since the beginning know the brilliance of The Tallest Man on Earth. We even voted him the #2 band for the first half of 2010. Well a few weeks back, he released his newest EP — Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird on iTunes. A few tracks you already know, but a few brand new ones…they’re posted below for you to hear. Also posted a bonus track for you to enjoy.

Hear:
“The Dreamer”

“Little River”

“Tangle in This Trampled Wheat”

BONUS!!!

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Band of the Day (10.19.10) VETO

19 Oct

Band of the Day (10.19.10) VETO

So thank God for our kick ass music excavators. Arizona Turk has been on a roll lately, introducing the fans to incredible new music. Our newest family member Bristian, Nordics King, blew up my Inbox with some pretty amazing stuff as well.

Today’s BOD, VETO bring electro-dance, rage rock direct from Copenhagen. The music is aggressive, but the vocals and lyrics have a Kasabian flare. Their breaks set-up the dance floor for Kasabian style choruses. Their music is tightly programmed but not overproduced like Perfect Circle or many many others. Their a cleaner, quicker version of Bloc Party with a mix of Dismemberment Plan. Their down-temp tracks are very Depeche Mode in styling. This perfect combination shows that electronic music is truly the world’s music. If you didn’t know, you would have guessed that the boys of Veto were from Brooklyn. VETO has a gigantic Danish and European following after two consecutive years of touring. They’ve yet to break-through in the US. Again, it’s time for the international NBDers to make VETO big! Take a ride with these tracks and let us know your thoughts.

Hear:
“Blackout” – Grind out track that will get your blood pumping.

“You Say Yes I Say Yes”

“Bring It On”

Band:
Troels Abrahamsen
Vocals, Keys, Programming

David Krogh Andersen
Guitar

Mark Lee
Keys, Programming

Jens Skov Thomsen
Bass, Keys

Mads Hasager
Drums, Programming

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Band of the Day (10.18.10) The Phantom Band

18 Oct

Band of the Day (10.18.10) The Phantom Band

I spent the weekend sifting through mounds and mounds of MP3’s from some of my finer friends and labels. Arizona Turk sent me some good stuff but the best of the bunch is The Phantom Band. The best news is that their LP comes out today in the UK. I have a few tracks for my loyal NBDers to hear. So jump ahead if you can’t wait. A little background on these Glasgow dudes. Together since 2006ish, in other interestingly named bands like Robert Redford, these boys concocted a style that is pure. They’ve released an album, several singles and after 18 months, fans can breathe a sigh of relief, the new album The Wants is here….today! They sound like a nitrous oxide induced Fleet Foxes, with a flare for The National and a whole hell of a lot of the 80’s Ian McCulloch. They will not fall into the bin of failed UK bands in the US. They will succeed. Give them a ride and I guarantee you’ll love the new album.

If you do anything today. PLEASE LISTEN TO “WALLS” IT’S LIKE LISTENING TO YOUR EMOTIONS!

Our 2 Favorite tracks. UPDATE!!! A third track added
“Walls”

“The None of One”

“A Glamour”

Band:
Duncan Marquiss (guitar)
Gerry Hart (bass)
Andy Wake (keyboards)
Rick Anthony (vocals)
Damien Tonner (drums)
Greg Sinclair (née Yale, guitars)

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Band of the Day (10.14.10) Carl Broemel

14 Oct

Band of the Day (10.14.10) Carl Broemel

Do you hate it when your favorite band’s guitar player decides to step out and make a solo record? Most of them make crap, I have no idea why, maybe it’s the comfort of your family band, or the fact they hire less talented musicians to play with them. I’ll use a few examples of crap. James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins recorded a big fat smelly dud with Let it Come Down. Or how about Main Offender by Keith Richards? Slash has tried, but failed, Ace Frehley, bomb? Nine times out of ten, the experiment goes awry. Except with one obvious one….John Lennon. But that doesn’t count. He was the soul of The Beatles and when the soul leaves he can create a masterpiece with or without Paul. Though I will say, there are big piles of steaming crap on some of those records. Maybe it’s just the Gestalt theory that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Each of these parts only works as part of the whole.

So you’re asking what is your point NewBandDay? Well I have for you Carl Broemel of Nashville, TN. Yes the lead guitarist of My Morning Jacket, that Carl Broemel. His new solo record All Birds Say was released in September and it’s good enough to separate itself from the crap mentioned above. Yeah sure an MMJ record is great and it’s only great because Broemel is lead guitarist. He’s inventive but clings to the roots of Kentucky plucking. He has the bluegrass down, coupled with piano and a good voice. He’s no Yim Yames, but he’s not trying to be. He brings the steel pedal, horns and the like to a quality record. You’ll find a Broemel and Broemel on the liner notes, that’s because Carl got a chance to collaborate with his father who is a former member of the Indianapolis Symphony who provides clarinet, baritone sax, and bassoon. This record has been on my turntable for days and I keep hearing more and more each time I listen. It’s a little Ron Sexsmith, Andrew Bird even a little 60’s Bread. I think you’ll find it pleasant and a record to enjoy in the dampening fall climate indoors.

Hear:
“Carried Away” – My Favorite Track. slide guitars, piano, great vocals, etc. etc.

MP3 – Carl Broemel – “Carried Away”

“Life Leftover”

“In The Garden” – Probably the closest thing to a MMJ track.

Follow:
CarlBroemel Site
Facebook

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Band of the Day (10.13.10) Eluvium

13 Oct

BOD (10.13.10) Eluvium

It’s really late and I’m having one of those dive deep into my head nights. I needed some ambient music, so I scurried through my care package from my good friend Arizona Turk and our newest excavator and noticed the new Eluvium record. Similes is the fifth album from Portland, Oregon ambient musician Matthew Cooper, under the name Eluvium. The record includes, for the first time, vocals from Matthew. It’s an amazing record and it should be THE record that get’s Eluvium to a place of stardom. It’s not just a sound noise experiment, it melodic, death defying and melodic. Matthew’s voice is similar to another haunting late evening favorite Matt Berninger of The National. It’s not often we write about bands that have 5 records, but it is often that we dream of deserving, hard working musicians getting their day in the sun. Matthew deserves much love for his beautiful records and it’s so worth taking a Saturday night and deep diving into his catalog. For now, I have two tracks for you and I know you won’t be disappointed.

Hear: (I uploaded the two best vocal tracks because they are the best tracks. I love them both…spread his love)
“Making Up Minds”

Download — Eluvium – “Making Up Minds”

“The Motion Makes Me Last”

Download — Eluvium – “The Motion Makes Me Last”

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MySpace
Eluvium.Net

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Band of the Day (10.12.10) BIGCOLOUR

12 Oct

BOD: (10.12.10) BIGCOLOUR

I remember the first time I heard The Police. I can’t say I was of the age where I could see them live, but it was a sound that struck me as inventive. The lead singer playing bass, the drum beats I couldn’t tap my toes to and the layered guitars with reggae overtones and a smattering of garage punk. So there’s this guy from Chicago that seems to have some buzz around him. His name is Brian Brissart and he’s cleverly owning his sound. I know comparing him to The Police is a big “No No” but dude has a direction that people are comfortable with and it sounds great. It’s a combination of Toro Y Moi’s spectacular chillwave vibe, The Police’s vibe and Real Estate’s Indie rock feel. He has a couple of EP’s out, his newest is Meshes of the Laughternoon. Listen to a few tracks below.

UPDATE —- Just got an email from the label and BIGCOLOUR just released the fantastic EP Centuries of Summer and you can download it for free from his BandCamp here.

Listen and love it.

Hear:
“Crevasses” – The Police guitar and vocal vibe. My favorite track from the new EP

BIGCOLOUR – “Crevasses”

“Stork” – Probably the most accessible track from Brian. Love it and I wouldn’t be shocked to see it splattered all over the blogs.

Download – BIGCOLOUR – “Stork”

“Power Stranger” – Love this track too.

Download – BIGCOLOUR – “Power Stranger”
His live band includes:
joseph andert
jordan vouga
alex auby

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