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Put It In Your Ears contains immature humor in downloadable form three times a week. The music shows will be posted to Radio Exile on Friday afternoons. It’s hosted by Radio Exile staff member Rob Blatt and Gavin St. Ours from The Gavin Show.
Discussed: Music from White Rabbits, Aeroplane Pageant and The Ginger Envelope. And we hated you before your second practice. …read full article…
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Jason Molina is an old soul. Nearly a decade ago when he released his debut record, Songs: Ohia, it was quite clear that he had been around the block and like John Prine before him, Molina has a voice and songs with a depth, fragility, authority and tragedy that simply shouldn’t belong to someone so young. The trouble with this knowledge and gift: it comes at a price. To be able to write and sing with this much emotion, you have to survive the feelings first.
Over the years Molina has called his music by many names and tried just as many genres. Recently with his new band, Magnolia Electric Co [Official Site], he is easing into what could be called an alt-country/folk phase, a fitting stylistic shift because the sound is the perfect match for his world weary songs of loss, traveling, adventure and regret. …read full article…
- What is being hyped as the greatest entertainment complex this side of the Mississippi, Brooklyn Bowl, opens on Tuesday. I am outwardly ambivalent but inside I’m a giddy little child.
- JellyNYC announced the lineup for this year’s “Pool” Parties. They are, um, completely amazing. I’m especially excited for Mission of Burma, Fucked Up, and Ponytail next week. But really, they’re all amazing. (via BKVegan)
- OMFG NEW ARCADE FIRE OMG OMG OMG (via Rock and Roll Daily)
- Pretty Much Amazing puts together a pretty much amazing list of the top 50 songs thus far for ‘09. Well, minus the inclusion of Boom Boom Pow.
- This headline made me spit a pretzel across the office yesterday (via Buzzfeed)
There, deep in the nether regions of space, a small crack forms in the absolute blackness of nothing, before quickly bursting into a circular tear that burns through space like film celluloid. This tear is quickly followed by a glass-like shattering of the cosmos and the space-time continuum itself rips apart.
A gaping hole is formed. …read full article…
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I don’t put much stock into the ratings at Metacritic [as we were never included or answered back when we asked for inclusion, so suck it, Metacritic
] but The Dirty Projectors‘ latest album, Bitte Orca, has been in the Billboard Top 100 for two weeks now and with the great press they have been receiving, I am starting to finally come around to the dark side; the people got this one right, I think. Bitte Orca is awesome (from what I have heard) because Dirty Projectors take chances (as far as I can remember and/or tell) that no other band is capable of taking (see we didn’t get a review copy of the new record, but we got one for the last album).
All kidding aside, the new video for their “Stillness Is The Move” is pretty awesome. It’s amazing what truly creative artists can do with a bit of a budget (and a llama) and although I jest about not getting a review copy, I have heard the record in its entirety and love it. 2007’s Rise Above was their Black Flag cover record (and who DOESN’T have one of those these days?) so for trying something “different,” David Longstreth and the crew deserve the freedom to take some chances. They’ve definitely paid off here.
Check out the clip and tour dates “after the jump” …read full article…
No joke. One of Radio Exile’s favorite Norwegian acts, Casiokids [MySpace] (alongside Ida Maria, Lukestar, Hanne Hukkelberg) participated in what I will term the “coolest act by a Norwegian band this year” from within a hot air balloon. Well, part of the band did, as the baskets really aren’t that big.
I might have done shots with Ida, but all of that pales in comparison to this stunt because, well, I find it pretty damned cute and while it could have been better if it weren’t a tethered ride and this was a video of the band soaring through the Norwegian countryside, you take what you can.
(Full disclosure: I worked as a “chase vehicle operator” for a hot air balloon company while in college. Coolest job ever.)
“Finn Bikkjen!” is out now on Moshi Moshi singles club and drops August 3rd.
Check out more on this great band and maybe some tour dates “after the jump” …read full article…
We are at an uncertain time in the world right now. The mideast, it is explodin’, the economy’s still collapsin’ and Mark Sanford, he is a screwin’. Obama’s been elected but Michael Jackson and Billy Mays are dead. The environment might be dead unless we pass cap-and-trade, which will solve the problem, unless it does nothing but destroy the American economy. China wants to dump the dollar and Russia and Nigeria just teamed up to create Nigaz. Not only that, but Radio Exile just linked to the Moscow Times. That’s never a good sign. Seriously, if everything ended by next Friday, I wouldn’t be THAT shocked.
Uncertain times call for one thing: power-pop (didn’t see that coming, did you?). Whereas once we sought solace with the soothing and reassuring sounds of Rivers Cuomo and the Weezers, nowadays that’s a less certain proposition, what with them covering My Po-po-po-po-po-po-just say it already junior!-ker face Lady Gaga and all.
What are we to do? Find out after the jump… …read full article…
St. Vincent kicked off P4K’s new performance series (which is shot in a chapel within a Brooklyn graveyard) with tracks from her new album, Actor. Damn, I love this chick, but more importantly how gorgeous is that stained glass window directly behind them? I love the art in churches, although, I know people who are still freaked out by St. Peter’s feet in some images.
Podcast: Download | iTunes | Twitter | Friday Only Podcast | Facebook
Put It In Your Ears contains immature humor in downloadable form three times a week. The music shows will be posted to Radio Exile on Friday afternoons. It’s hosted by Radio Exile staff member Rob Blatt and Gavin St. Ours from The Gavin Show.
Discussed: Music from Grizzly Bear, Superdeluxe and Fresh Body Shop. Also, what is a teddy bear wedding? …read full article…
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Still really bummed about the passing of Sky Saxon (lead singer of The Seeds) and, of course, Michael Jackson, yesterday. We’re around and working but I am feeling very little of the joy I normally find in music, it isn’t feeling like much of an escape right now. I am sure that it’s just a temporary thing and I promise I will be back to normal soon. In the mean time, enjoy this new video for “Diamonds on Fire” by Rubies [MySpace], from the debut album Explode from the Center.
I hope it’s not true, but if it is, R.I.P. King o’ Pop. (Edit: It’s true. Ugh, what a terrible day).
“We’ve just learned Michael Jackson has died. He was 50.
Michael suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. We’re told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.
A source tells us Jackson was dead when paramedics arrived. A cardiologist at UCLA tells TMZ Jackson died of cardiac arrest.” [via TMZ]
Great video, right? We’re slowly, but surely being converted into PCP fans (that’s Portland Cello Project [MySpace]) and this video which we found via The FADER, gives a pretty clear indication of what that “project” is all about. …read full article…
Somewhere Paul Simon is weeping, not only because of the fact he has to drag Art Garfunkel around the world for a tour once again, but also because Kodak finally took his beloved Kodachrome away. For the non-film nuts among our readership, Kodachrome was the first mass produced and marketed color film. Developed in 1935, this landmark achievement in photography helped produce great photos from 1935 till around the mid 1980s when it began to lose favor.
So why is Paul Simon so upset? Well, you see in 1973 Mr. Simon released probably his greatest and catchiest single, “Kodachrome,” not only is the tune a fine tribute to shutter bugs and an awesome brand of film, but it also has a pseudo curse word they used to play on FM radio: “when I look back on all the CRAP I learned in High School…..”
Oh come on that was exciting and edgy back when I was ten.
Anyways, here is a lovingly inspired eulogy to Kodachrome set to Mr. Simon’s enduring classic. Enjoy!
Better Than Ezra [Official Site, MySpace] . You are easily one of my five favorite bands of all time. Over the past fifteen years, you’ve faithfully accompanied me on my radio, tape deck, Walkman, Discman, iPod. You always make an appearance on my road trips. I have more memories attached to your songs than any other band. My prom date played How Does Your Garden Grow? in his pickup truck while driving on back roads en route to the dance hall. My friends and I skipped school on sunny spring days and blared Deluxe while doing a variety of forgivable teenage things. I regularly fell asleep to “Everything in 2s” and “Under You” during college. Your albums were perfect for breaking up and making out. Friction, Baby is one of the albums I’d choose if I could only listen to five for the rest of my life. I lovelovelove you.
But with your latest release, Paper Empire, you’re breaking my heart.
For long-term bands to be successful, one of two things must happen – you either need to continue to reinvent yourself, like U2 or Radiohead, or you need find a way to bring your listeners back to their halcyon days. With the latter, I’m not referring to keeping the same sound on every album (if I wanted that I’d listen to Green Day or Everclear). No, what I’m taking about is that indescribable sweet spot, somewhere in between the lyrics, beats and guitar that makes you feel invincible and happy. Something that will give you the rush of sneaking out past curfew, the butterflies and electricity before that first kiss, something to make you lose all inhibitions and sing at the top of your lungs with the windows down… at a stop light.
Something to become your life soundtrack without trying.
You were this. You made this kind of music. …read full article…
Oh, to be a critic.
We here at Radio Exile pride ourselves on being fanboys (case in point here, here, and, uh, well, generally speaking, here). The impetus for this site (along with the thousands of other music blogs across the internet) is just that; our profound, obsessive love of all things music. Even if we hate what we hear, we still love it for being music. And while most of you understand what that means (the same impetus drives our readers to visit our site with some frequency), there is a minority that exists to anchor our love, mixed bag that it is, and assume that our opinions count less if they do not match others’.
I haven’t written a review since this one. I like to tell myself it’s because I’ve been too busy, or I’ve been suffering from writers’ block. But that’s not true, because I continue to fill my own obligations here and, in my new found love of Twitter. The fact is, I’m honestly afraid to continue pasting my opinion on other people’s music, should that opinion be categorically mistaken for anything other than that: my opinion. I was unaware that my position as a lowly music critic on an independent music blog assigned some weighty responsibility to promote artists or a certain type of music outside my own taste. I mean, God forbid I ever become a food critic, though, to be fair, I’m not as picky when it comes to stuffing my face hole.
Read more “after the jump” …read full article…
Throughout my weeks and months I collect songs by relatively unknown bands that are deserving of hype. I try to post a collection of these songs every week but some times life gets crazy and I don’t get around to it for a couple weeks. The common theme of this week’s Hype Device is that Pitchfork has stolen my thunder on 4 out of 5 of these songs. I made this Hype Device a couple of weeks ago and in the interim, P4K reviewed 4 of these songs. Damn them to hell, I say.
Oh well, at least they have good taste.
On with the show… …read full article…
Podcast: Download | iTunes | Twitter | Friday Only Podcast | Facebook
Put It In Your Ears contains immature humor in downloadable form three times a week. The music shows will be posted to Radio Exile on Friday afternoons. It’s hosted by Radio Exile staff member Rob Blatt and Gavin St. Ours from The Gavin Show.
Discussed: Music from We Swim You Jump, Three Sisters and King Tut. …read full article…
Photo Credit: Oliver Correa at Hi Fi Cartel
On June 16th, after opening for the successful NIN/JA (Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction) tour, the gang known as Street Sweeper Social Club [ MySpace] struck out on their own. For those of you not familiar with the band, Street Sweeper Social Club is a new group featuring Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello and former Coup MC Boots Riley. Not only did they play their first headlining concert, they also released their self-titled debut album this week.
Befitting their image as a “social club”, which Boots frequently reminded the audience of, the band picked a much smaller venue than expected for their NYC jaunt, The Blender Theater. This presented an opportunity for fans to not only to rock out to some power-packed revolutionary jams but to see these two musical heroes up close and personal, making for an eclectic mix of fans - there were the old school Rage fans, hip hop heads, general rock and roll fans and because it was a record release show - label and radio personnel. Speaking of which, former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield stood next to me for half the concert, which is not really important but I just figured you should know. …read full article…
Just the other day, we posted the video for Fever Ray’s “When I Grow Up” because the song has been stuck in my effing head. I can’t get over it right now, but now the good folks at Stereogum have the exclusive on her latest video for the song “Triangle Walks”. This one isn’t quite as haunting as previous singles, but she’s just so effing good, I can’t really say that I am going to hold that against her.
The album, Fever Ray, is already out on Mute Records.
Tour Dates “after the jump” …read full article…
12 Most Cursed Video-Game Cover Athletes [Switched]
The Decemberists, Blind Pilot @ The Tabernacle, Atlanta [Concert Review] [HearYa]
Win Tickets To See Toumani Diabate In Cincinnati [Each Note Secure]
Live in NYC? Recommended Wednesday Show: Clues and Drink Up Buttercup at Santos Party House [New York Rock Market]
The Dodos Time To Die Coming This Fall on Frenchkiss Records [Muzzle of Bees]
Thursday Links!!
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