Ahhh what Austin City Limits brings it takes away. Sweet Tea debuted back in June of 2009 on ACL and it’s been over a year since we’ve heard from them. Friends Alex Maas (Black Angels) and Erika Wennerstrom (Heartless Bastards recorded their amazing takes on classic country. A single released earlier this year from Fat Possum included the first single, the studio version of “If I Were A Carpenter,” and the Ray Price classic “Crazy Arms.” Oh Heartless Bastards, please hand Erika back to our good man Alex so we can get an album from these two….PLEASE….listen to the single below and download “If I Were A Carpenter”
Band:
Alex Maas – Vocals, Guitar, Percussion
Erika Wennerstrom – Vocals, Guitar, Piano
Jesse Ebaugh – Bass, Pedal Steel
Dave Colvin – Drums
Hear:
“If I Were a Carpenter” – In their best classic June and Johnny Cash duet form…
Grizzly Bear sonic twins, Gamble House, hail from the heart of Silverlake, CA. Yeah it took Ben Becker’s stint at NYU to create this masterpiece, but the move to LA solidified them as true rock stars. They are rockers at heart, with clean guitars, classic vocals that rival Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear. I am fan, because they are classically California and they maintain their own sound. Yeah they have The Pet Sound, but they pull at your heartstring in a way you don’t get from the other PSers. Ben Becker, Keith Karman, Ben Cassorla and Brian Mclaughlin make up the sound of Gamble House. They deserve to be signed and they deserve the accolades. Listen to “Bonny Doon” only because the song is beautiful and I love that part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s up there by Boulder Creek and if you have time see a show at The Brookdale. It’s very memorable. See them on tour with Rogue Wave and get these dudes a label deal, they deserve it!!!
I first stumbled on Keep Shelly in Athens (KSIA) from another BOD Danniel Radall. He shares the same love that I have for the downtempo, electronic mastery that RΠЯ and Sarah P. deliver. They are a XX/XY mystery Grecian duo and they truly call Athens home. Their sound is a blend of hardcore downtempo maestros like Kruder and Dorfmeister and modern day pack leaders like Air. I think you’ll enjoy these unusually warm Fall nights with a little KSIA. Here are two tracks for you to enjoy:
I love José González…bottom-line, he’s inventive, his voice is soft, elusive but pure. He’s made me cry before and his music has been there with me through some pretty amazing moments. I think his music has made those moments amazing. So when I heard that that Junip, his original trio of very talented folksters prior to his Zero 7 fame, were releasing a new single, I couldn’t wait. “Rope and Summit” is exactly what you would expect from José González and his trio of all-stars. It has the perfect blend of acoustic guitars, synth and drums to perfectly set the undertone for José’s voice. JUNIP are amazing in that you can’t help but wonder who provides the music. In most José González tracks you get lost in his voice and the sounds comes second. But in JUNIP you don’t get that. Elias Araya is on drums and Tobias Winterkorn plays keyboards.
Ahhh Canada is back and this time it’s in the form of a Fucked Up band member and a smash your face in rock sound. I never get sick of good rock music. Yeah Ben Cook’s vocals sound a little like Alex Turner or even more Britt Daniel of Spoon. It’s good shit and I think it’s time Ben Cook stop with the projects and stick with Young Governor. Love this shit.
Hear:
“Virginia Creeper”
Here is the GUVLUVMixtapeVol.1 – Dude I grabbed my skateboard, slipped on the Chukka boots and destroyed the streets with this on my walkman. This is good good stuff.
Manchester, London has given us great music over the years, Lonelady is the latest to hit the scene. Lonelady is Julie Campbell. She’s a mix of Annie Lennox, Kate Bush and Niko. She belongs in 1982, but she’s not a retro 80’s New Wave chick. She’s got soul, she’s a folk singer and she’s classic. Nerve Up was released earlier this year and she’s destroying the UK press. The US has yet to discover her sound, or if they have those people are keeping it a secret. Spread the word, enjoy her music and take a listen to two new tracks.
Hear:
“Marble” – You’ll notice the similarities here…she’s got a little Siouxsie Sioux in her.
“Intuition” – This is her single and it’s darn good.
These boys have a knack for acoustic, folky indie rock. Their simple songs are emotional and classic. I know they’re not new, but they also deserve to be the Band of the Day. Anything to spread great music. The boys are from Crouch End, London and they are heavily influenced by that Fleet Foxes type sound, and the shimmering voice of Jack Steadman is amazing. There are harmonies that rival those of CSN and there are those moments that Steadman stands alone and he bares his soul for us. I love these guys and it’s time they get the love they deserve here in the US. Thank you to Arizona Turk for turning us on to this amazing band.
Hear:
“My God”
“Word By Word” – Quite possibly a candidate for song of the year. Steadman’s voice rivals Nick Drake and Conor Oberst
Band:
Jack Steadman
vocals, guitars and bass
Jamie MacColl
guitars, bass and vocals
Suren De Saram
drums and chanting
Ed Nash
bass and keys
Holy shat these guys are fantastic. I’m not the biggest garage rock, fuzzed out, dirty guy. But if you’ve been reading NBD long enough, you’ll notice that if the band is great, they’ll get their due. Broken Water is Nirvana meets shoegaze. They’re Olympia’s finest new specimen of whir, fuzz and dirty, amplified guitars coupled with echoed vocals. They’re not some PacNoWest rip-off band. They’re inventive and super cool. Super cool in the way they weave in and out of the heavy. They use the reverb as a way to spray emotion on you, but they pull back to the clean guitars and Abigail’s vocals just in time to prevent a complete overload. It’s a great threesome organization and they are well deserving of the props. Thank you to Arizona Turk for turning me onto these guys.
Band:
They formed in 2008 and seem to be residing in several bands up in the Olympia area. SISTERS, Oly’s Congratualtions, etc.
Hear: “Memory” – It’s Nirvana guitar riffs, Cobain stylings, but I would compare this track most to Dinosaur Jr. F’n love it.
“Dead Light” – It’s dark and haunting, but not droney. It’s got enough grit and grime to make you feel dirty, but Abigail’s vocals clean you up to show to the parents.
Macabre music makes for great Fridays. I love BALAM ACAB because their music takes you to the lowest depths but an angelic airy voice keeps you from sinking down to the bottom. It’s a clever way to play with sounds, and it’s what makes their music so great. Alec Koone is the mastermind from Ithaca, NY. Dude is only 19 and he’s crushing it. Not sure I’ve seen too many artists come from the Gorges, but this one will make a name for himself. I think you’ll love the sounds.
Most of the time, Minneapolis means a chilly trip to visit some buyer at Best Buy. Now I have reason to celebrate, catching a live show from Dark Dark Dark. They’re established with some roots in the self-proclaimed “Chamber Folk/Indie” space. What I gather, is that means loads of instruments, small recording spaces and chillingly awesome vocals. Take a listen to the two tracks below, I love Nona’s vocals and I think you’ll find they’re not another Montreal want-to-be. They’re classic and inventive. Familiar and new. Listen and pre-order the new LP. Nona is a beautiful cross between Zee Avi and Fiona. Thanks again to my Music Muse for this great find.
Band:
Marshall LaCount, Nona Marie Invie, Jonathan Kaiser, Todd Chandler, Walter McClements, Brett Bullion, Mark Trecka
Hear:
“In Your Dreams” – World sounds coupled with Fiona Apple vocals. Tapping pianos turn this track into something special.
Breathe Owl Breathe, the trio of Micah Middaugh, Andrea Moreno-Beals and Trevor Hobbs, hail from Lansing, Michigan, Northern Michigan, where it’s a bit cooler and a bit more woodsy. Their songs, band name and emotion chill you to the bone, but there’s something child-like that surfaces in Middaugh’s lyrics. I sense pain, but I also sense that Middaugh and crew have complete control over the emotion. They’re folk driven, of the likes of Fleet Foxes, with a little Bill Callahan, a sprinkle of Nick Drake and whole mess of Edward Sharpe and The Young Republic. They haven’t had an album in about two years, but the band made it over to Daytrotter in April for a session. If you don’t love Daytrotter than you just don’t know about it. Download a free session of Breathe Owl Breathe now from Daytrotter. Please download and support these guys. I get the sense that a new album is coming this fall. Thank you to my Music Muse for turning me on to BOB.
Hear
“Swimming” – Middaugh converses with us about his desire to take a dip while Andrea provides a Feist like falsetto from the swimming hole.
Band Member Bios:
Micah Middaugh is a marathon runner, printmaker, carpenter, a wildlife; a folk archive of North Michigan’s woodlands. Micah scribbles songs, plays guitar, banjo, thimb piano, and plastic toys.
Colombian-born Andrea Moreno-Beals grew up in Ann Arbor, a gifted classical cellist from the Rudolf Steiner school; part Bach, part Bossa Nova, part Bluegrass. Andrea lends an ethereal voice to her cello and banjo.
Trevor Hobbs is a physical geographer-drummer ( ;D ), currently residing in Lansing, Michigan. His steady beats and brushes add to the band’s repertoire of violins, vibraphones, glockenspiels, and percussions
Paris boys bring heavy loaded dance music with quick guitars, synths and a drum beat to get your arse moving. Since 2004 they’ve matured, think Bloc Party meets Muse. I’d be shocked if these guys are the top of the Must Hear list for 2010. As much as I loved Bloc Party’s first record, it’s about as much I like these dudes. Listen to the attached track and let us know what you think. This will be your new favorite band, it’s my favorite new music of the day!
Garage folk and a little bit of backwoods punk best describes the boys of The Goodnight Loving. GNL have been tackling the basements of Milwaukee and other parts of Wisconsin for almost eight years and with a few LPs, several EPs and a 7″ or two, the band is ready to break. Their new album The Goodnight Loving Supper Club was released in July of this year and it’s splendid. What made the band famous was their Trampled By Turtles live show style, ripping up the floor and bringing the house down. Supper Club shows they’ve matured, it’s not a “keg and a studio” record, it’s well crafted with intelligent lyrics and a giant wall of garage folk sound. Thank you James, Ross, Paul and Jerome for great music.
Hear something from their new album and my favorite classic track
“The Pan” – I think it’s a punk folk version of “This Time” by Inxs, but you be the judge.
“Dead Fish on The Bank” – The Replacements with a banjo.
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