Yes!  The New Pornographers return on May 4th with latest album Together. 

        

        

        

        

        

        

Sometimes a little ranting is neccesary in regards to the music world. So from time to time TWMS will post a short rant about whats stuck in our collective craw.

Today's Short Rant: Lo-fi Noise Slock

These new lo-fi noise bands (Japandroids, Vivian Girls, No Age, Wavvves, Times New Viking, et al) that some (p4k) are heaping mountains of praise on are simply terrible. They are producing mediocre (at best) garage rock that they then drench in reverb and noise to obscure the fact that there is nothing particularly interesting about their music. Thats not to say that noise and heavy reverb never worked; Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, all used that sound to great effect. But they knew the difference between using something as a sonic element to complement a song instead of piling it on to the point where there was no song anymore. Remember back in school when you had to turn in a paper and you knew it was shit? So you put the plastic cover protector and put the colored plastic spine on there to snazz it up a bit in hopes that it woud get you a better grade, but it was blatantly obvious to the teacher and everyone else what you were trying to do? Well we learned pretty quick that you can't gussy up shitty. These bands apparently did not.

        

TWMS has stepped into the world of Twitter. Be sure to check our twitter page for music news updates and the TWMS song of the day.

        

The Flaming Lips, with the help of lablemates Stardeath and White Dwarfs, recently covered Madonna's hit Borderline for a Warner Brothers comp Covered, A Revolution in Sound. You can see and hear the Lips psychedelic take on Borderline here.

Covered tracklist:
1. Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs, "Borderline" (Madonna)
2. The Black Keys, "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" (Captain Beefheart)
3. Michelle Branch, "A Case of You" (Joni Mitchell)
4. Against Me!, "Here Comes a Regular" (the Replacements)
5. Missy Higgins, "More Than This" (Roxy Music)
6. James Otto, "Into the Mystic (Van Morrison), James Otto
7. Adam Sandler, "Like a Hurricane" (Neil Young)
8. Taking Back Sunday, "You Wreck Me" (Tom Petty)
9. Mastodon with Billy Gibbons, "Just Got Paid" (ZZ Top)
10. The Used, "Burning Down The House" (Talking Heads)
11. Disturbed, "Midlife Crisis" (Faith No More)

Download
MP3:Flaming Lips - Borderling (Madonna Cover)

        

Ah that voice. It's wonderful to have it back again. Neko Case's latest LP Middle Cyclone is an intoxicating swirl of her velvet voice and trademark gothic country sound. While Case's booming vocals tends to draw the listener's ear, the instrumentation on Middle Cyclone is just as excellent; from the mini piano orchestra on the Harry Nilsson cover "Don't Forget About Me" to the reverb caterwaul of "Fever" to the stark music box beauty of the title track. Case seems to be at the top of her game on this record and there is little doubt that Middle Cyclone will find its way on several best of lists for '09. Middle Cyclone is currently available at all fine independent record stores.


Download:
MP3:Neko Case - People Got A Lotta NerveMP3:Neko Case - Fever

        

Gospel records are not often spun here at TWMS. Mostly our run-ins with gospel comes as a tangential result of listening to the early works of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, etc. However ever since we heard Sister Wynona Carr on Bob Dylan's Radio Time Theme Hour we often revisit her gospel album Dragnet for Jesus. Thats right Dragnet for Jesus, probably the best album name ever. Dragnet is a collection of all of Carr's gospel recordings from 1949 - 1954. What is so remarkable is the sound of the record. Ray Charles once drew criticism for pulling his gospel influence into his secular R&B sound; Carr did just the opposite and pulled R&B into gospel. The product is the most enjoyable, toe tapping gospel you ever did hear. And with the exception of the lyrics, if you caught a song on the radio you would be conviced that you were listening to some good old R&B. Eventually Carr did cross over and made a secular record, Jump Jack Jump!, but her career dwindled quickly after due to a bout with tuberculosis. But her best efforts were her gospel music. To those like us who are not that spiritual and may balk at listening to gospel we implore you to give Wynona a try, you won't be sorry. The music is just to good to pass up. While Carr never gained much fame her influence could be much larger than we know. During her time as a gospel singer Carr was the gospel choir director at the church of Reverand C.L. Franklin whose daughter Aretha was often in attendence.


Download:
MP3:Sister Wynona Carr - A Letter To HeavenMP3:Sister Wynona Carr - Dragnet for Jesus

        

We recently discovered in the vast interwebs an EP by Justin Veron aka Bon Iver called Hazeltons. It was recorded in 2006 a year before he began work on what would be For Emma Forever Ago. Justin's voice on the EP is more straight forward and only employs the signature falsetto a few times but is no less affecting. Highly recommended and nice companion to the Blood Bank EP which came out recently. We at TWMS are betting that Hazeltons sees an official release of some sort in the near future.

Tracklisting:

1. Hazelton
2. Frail Sail
3. Game Night
4. Easy
5. Liner
6. Song For a Lover Long Ago
7. Hanna. My Ophelia


Download:
MP3:Justin Veron - HazeltonMP3:Justin Veron - Liner

And because we are feeling generous download the entire EP here.

        

Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) is set to release his first solo effort Keep It Hid on February 10th. Auerbach has said that this record is a mixture of things he listens to:  psychedelia, soul music, and country harmonies. While over arching structure of the album is similar to the scuzzy blues of the Black Keys records, there is a distinct psychedelic/garage british rock bent with a few sparse country-tinged acoustic numbers mixed in. What is most remarkable is Auerbach's ability to move convicingly from style to style; from the minimalist beauty of Trouble Weighs a Ton, to the tremelo drenched Heartbroken, In Disrepair , to the gritty guitar stomp of I Want Some More. While there are stylistic changes throughout the LP it maintains a cohesion which makes the entire record a rewarding listen from start to finish. We should also mention that one of favorite tracks, Real Desire, comes to close with a guitar solo that reminds us very much of Zeppelin's 10 Years Gone which is a real treat.

Dan will hit the road in late February for a small tour in support of the record. The opening act Hacienda will also serve as his backing band. We have mentioned Hacieda's (Auerbach produced) debut before on TWMS and is highly recommended.


02-28 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
03-01 Boston, MA - Paradise Club
03-02 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
03-03 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-05 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
03-06 Chicago, IL - Metro
03-07 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
03-10 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
03-11 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
03-13 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
03-14 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre


Download:
MP3:Dan Auerbach - Trouble Weighs A TonMP3:Dan Auerbach - Real Desire

        

With all of 2008's top lists made and digested its time to look to the new year. The first 3 months of the 2009 hold in store some very promising releases which TWMS recommends you keep an eye out for.


January 20th

        

 

So you might ask, how did we decide what albums deserved to be on this list? Well we could make up some pretentious answer probably involving the word zeitgeist in there somewhere but truthfully these records were chosen simply because they got tangled up in our lives like most good music does. They lived in our car stereos for months and we hummed them as we did the dishes. When we have our "Wonder Years" style reflections on the year that was 2008 these albums provide the soundtrack. Simple as that.






10.    Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology



09.  The Futureheads - This is Not the World



08. The Black Keys - Attack & Release




07.  Sun Kil Moon - April



06.  Dodos - Visiter



05.  Vampire Weekend - S/T



04.  TV on The Radio - Dear Science



03. Fleet Foxes - S/T



02. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer



01. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago




    

        

Ah yes the Year-end list. Is there no greater joy for music bloggers? So lets get right down to it. Below you will find TWMS choices for the top 25 songs of 2008. Be sure to check back soon for our Top 10 albums of the year.

Top 25 Songs of 2008

1. Dancing Choose  - TV On The Radio 
2. An Animal in Your Care - Wolf Parade
3. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
4. Born Into a Light
5. Modern Guilt - Beck
6. Ladies of Cambridge - Vampire Weekend
7. I Got Mine - The Black Keys
8. English House - Fleet Foxes
9. Hang On  - Dr. Dog 
10. Fools - The Dodos
11. Sleet - The Futureheads
12. Lolita - Throw Me The Statue
13. Bargain Of A Century  - Albert Hammond, Jr.
14. Lost Coastlines - Okkervil River
15. I'm Outta Time - Oasis
16. This Is The End - The Charlatans
17. Sleepytime in the Western World - Blitzen Trapper
18. You Really Gotta Hold On Me - She & Him
19. Lost Verses  - Sun Kil Moon
20. Geraldine - Glasvegas
21. Brand New Start - Little Joy
22. Useless and Tired - Hacienda
23. Bad Blood - Supergrass
24. Hunter - Portishead
25. A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife  - Stars

        

Ryan, Neal, and Brad of the Cardinals stopped by the Dutch television show 3 Voor 12 the other day and performed 5 tracks from their most recent LP Cardinology. If you like what you hear we have the songs available for download at the bottom of the post. Enjoy.








Download:
MP3:Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Fix ItMP3:Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Go EasyMP3:Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Natural GhostMP3:Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Sink ShipsMP3:Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cobwebs

        

I'll be honest, Cardinology did not grab me at first. I'm not sure why it took a little time for me to come around to this record. I hate to use the term "grower" but it seems to be apt in this case. I think that when it comes to an artist you greatly admire, you tend to expect each album to immediately blow your mind or on the flipside, you are terrified that their next album might really suck, thus souring what you once held so dear. So when I initially met Cardinology with a shrug I was worried. But after several listens I find the songs getting stuck in my head and album getting stuck on repeat. The sound of this album augments the original Cardinals sound first displayed on 2005 Cold Roses. A kind of amalgamation of Grateful Dead's American Beauty and Harvest era Neil Young. Of course then there is the song "Magick." A jokey but damn catchy rocker about zombies, mushroom clouds, and missile strikes. The Cardinals do have themselves a sense of humor. There are a few mellow selections as well. Evergreen is a nice acoustic ballad in the style of Wildflowers off of Ryan's solo effort Gold. And the excellent closer "Stop." A sparse piano ballad about Ryan's battles with addiction and the owner the albums best vocal performance. The albums two best tracks are "Fix It" and "Crossed Out Name." The latter is quickly strummed acoustic number and the former is the closest the Cardinals have come to anything remotely funky. As Ryan has stated for all intents and purposes he is no longer a solo act, but just a member in The Cardinals. Cardinology is their first true album as a full band. And while its a bit spotty, the album is pretty great moments on it. Cardinology is out October 28th via Lost Highway.

The Cardinals performing "Magick" live:


Download:
MP3:Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Fix It
MP3:Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Crossed Out Name

        

When they aren't paying buskers* in NYC to play their songs in subways and on street corners, Oasis has been busy putting together their best album since ...What's Story Morning Glory. Dig Out Your Soul the group's 7th album was released this Tuesday in the U.S.  Noel has stated that he wanted to throw the kitchen sink at the new album, to "fancy" it up a bit. It would seem the the group have done just that. Gone are the simple arrangements of Don't Believe the Truth and in its place are overdubs galore. But unlike their coke-addled album Be Here Now, Dig actually soars under the weight. However there are few missteps in the record. The LP is top heavy. The first five tracks are ace, but the second have the record is a tad spotty. Particularly the Liam penned number "Ain't Got Nothin." Though Liam gets a pass on that one for thanks to another song of his, "I'm Outta Time" which is an excellent Lennon-esque ballad. Despite a slightly uneven LP and a few eye-rolling lyrics, this album finds Oasis at their bombastic best.

*Shock of the Lightning performed by Dagmar:




Download:
MP3:Oasis - Bag It Up
MP3:Oasis - Im Outta Time

        

After 8 years in production The Flaming Lips' first foray into film making, Christmas on Mars, will finally be see the light of day. We at TWMS are very exited for the Lip's, "fantastical film freakout." Pitchfork recently interviewed Wayne about the making of the film, you can read that here. Look for it in stores this Christmas.

Trailer: