Blood Red Shoes - “Doesn’t Matter Much”
Blood Red Shoes are a Brighton-based duo made up of Steven Ansell on the drums and Laura-Mary Carter on guitar, with both providing vocals. They formed in 2005 and have toured extensively around the UK and Europe since then, receiving much support and acclaim.
“Doesn’t Matter Much” is the opener on their debut album, Box of Secrets. It’s a perfect opener: powerful and confident, and a perfect example of what this band sounds like. Commanding drumming, and powerful guitar riffs, combined with the surprisingly effective joint vocals, come together to make an excellent sound.
Weezer - “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived”
Here is a track off of the new Weezer album. Clocking in at just under 6 minutes, you get everything from Rivers rapping, a shaker hymn, some Queen inspired falsetto, and then some typical sounding Weezer power chords.
At about 3:33, it sounds reminiscent of Pink Triangle. Then it goes into Rivers spoken word, followed by some Gregorian Chant and finishes up with a Weezer-esque ending.
I enjoy the variations in this song, but part of me just wants straight up Weezer. The album isn’t bad per se, but it’s certainly different. The end to this song certainly makes me miss that sound.
I posted another new track off the Red Album on my own tumblelog.
I’m certainly curious as to what people think of this track, so leave plenty of comments!
Violent Femmes - “American Music”
Since today is Memorial Day, I wanted to find an “American” song. Why? Who really knows…but this song is great, and has “American” in the title. Do the two go hand in hand? No, not really.
Anyway, I love this song. I think its kind of hilarious and really catchy. Plain and simple.
Foxboro Hot Tubs - “Mother Mary”
Alright, no surprise that this is yet another band that the members of Green Day have started. Foxboro Hot Tubs released 6 tracks from Stop Drop and Roll!!! exclusively on their website (for free) in December 2007. The full album was released May 20th.
Personally, I love how Green Day can take the same members, add a few new people here and there, change their name and, bam!, play music that isn’t quite Green Day. It’s a great way to experiment with new sounds while not losing that trademark Green Day sound everyone has come to know and love.
So this song. I really dig it. I especially love the “Ba ba ba’s.” 60s garage rock at it’s finest. If you like what you hear, check out another song that I posted a while back on my own tumblelog.
Jonny Greenwood - “Prospector Arrives”
The There Will Be Blood OST is a rhythmic, atonal, jarring musical experience that fits its film’s dark, mysterious, and suspenseful nature. Trains chug across the desolate turn of the century nation as black smoke billows out of the engine. At the same time, cellos and basses strum short, staccato, Jaws-esque lines. A baby is symbolically baptized with recently unearthed crude oil. Violins and piano play countermelodies that while soothing for an instant, stir up anticipation of evil. Greenwood leaves any semblance of Radiohead’s style aside to create a masterpiece of a soundtrack evoking despair, frustration, a little hope, and a lot of greed.
Listen closely and enjoy.
Cursive - “Art Is Hard”
Yesterday’s Daytrotter session with Cursive (which includes two unreleased tracks) got me listening to them again, and I can’t believe it took this long. This track is from their album The Ugly Organ, which is more of a concept album, than an album of songs in their own right. It tells the story of an ugly organist’s life of lust and empty sex. The songs, however, do stand out on their own, regardless of the somewhat pretentious concept. “Art Is Hard” was the first single from the album, back in 2003.
Interpol - Rest My Chemistry
Directed by Blip Boutique and programmed by Aaron Koblin, this video uses a visualizer to trace life from two cells all the way out into space. A heavy video for sure.
Interpol may be a band I typically associate with winter, but this video is not to be missed regardless of the season.
Giant Drag - This Isn’t It
This is a track from Giant Drag’s debut — and only, to date — 2005 album, Hearts and Unicorns. The undeniably pleasant album name is offset by their somewhat obnoxious track titles — “Kevin is Gay”, “You Fuck Like My Dad”, “My Dick Sux” — but the music can’t be faulted. (They also did an excellent cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”, which I put on the Muxtape.)
Giant Drag used to be a two-piece, until Micah Calabrese, who played drum and synth (simultaneously!), left in 2006. In 2007, Giant Drag as it now exists — with just Annie Hardy — was dropped from their label. Hardy has said she plans to continue making an album on her own, and it’s due sometime this Spring.
Björk - Wanderlust
If you haven’t seen the video to this song yet, do it now! I was tempted to post a lower quality version, but thought better of it. Apparently, this video is also in 3D, which I’m sure is equally awesome. Wanderlust is the latest single off of Volta, an album continuing Björk’s tradition of releasing absolutely stunning music. Like I said before, go watch the video. It will blow your mind.
Note: this was reblogged into Tuneage because Russell accidentally posted it to his personal blog. Crazy kids…
