Port O'Brien at Laundro Matinee

I'm posting this partly because I enjoy listening to Port O'Brien and wanted to share... but also for the production quality of the website, the video, and even the external Vivemo site used in conjunction with Laundro Matinee. Impressive.

I'll say I'm also not a fan of live music without an audience. Something about playing to a camera is blah to me (same as with the AOL sessions), but I can overlook that for the time and effort put in.

If only this blog could be the swank.

Video Session : Port O'Brien
Straight off the fishing boat and ready to rock...
December 24, 2008

Port O'Brien rolled through Indianapolis, on tour with Bodies Of Water, and put on one hell of a show at Locals Only. Touring behind their 2008 release All We Could Do Was Sing, an incredibly honest, autobiographical album put together by the band's two primaries Van Pierszalowski and Cambria Goodwin. Many songs deal with Van's time spent on his father's fishing boat in Alaska.  Some are joyous. Some are sad, lonely and heart-wrenching. All are quite good.

Port O'Brien has seen a slow rise into the eyes and ears of indie music fans in 2008. But that's mainly because these two are no strangers to hard work. Outside of making quality [From Video Session : Port O'Brien : LaundroMatinee]

Videos:

Port O'Brien~Tree Bones from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.


Port O'Brien~Sour Milk Salt Water from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.


Port O'Brien~Rooftops from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Ryan Gosling

Yes... I got this off Perez. But I have a little crush Ryan Gosling (despite The Notebook) and this video makes me like him even more - where did that voice come from? While I too am not a fan of actors turned musicians (usually), this have me intrigued. I'll be anxious to hear some of his band's music once they get some posted to their MySpace page.

(here's a better YouTube Version:)

New Dan Auerbach (Black Keys)

GREAT SONG! Love the big, dramatic, bluesy sound...

I'm so thankful that the Black Keys are local boys... Check My Concert Calendar for all the upcoming dates, including Dan Auerbach's solo show at the Beachland on March 5th.

NEW DAN AUERBACH (BLACK KEYS) - "I WANT SOME MORE" (STEREOGUM PREMIERE)

Black Keys vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach shows up sans Patrick Carney for his solo debut Keep It Hid. It's wasn't too long ago that the duo themselves released their fifth album, Attack & Release Release; in fact, Auerbach wrote a bunch of these new songs while on the road in support of it. Auerbach produced the album by himself in his Akron Analog studio mentioning he "wanted a live, organic sound. Nothing was too plotted or planned, just a lot of spontaneity." He got what he wanted because he performs most of it (drums, guitar, percussion, and keyboards) minus the occasional guest like his uncle James (not Robert) Quine, who adds vocal harmonies and electric guitar on "Street Walkin," Jessica Lea Mayfield (vocals on "When the Night Comes") and Bob Cesare (drums on "Whispered Words"). DA says the collection's "a mix [From New Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) - "I Want Some More" (Stereogum Premiere) - MP3 - Stereogum]

Team Love Library

Now here's a good idea... free & legal music as promotional material. Team Love is creating a library of free music from it's artists, which include the likes of David Dondero, Tilly & the Wall, and Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins.

INTRODUCING THE TEAM LOVE LIBRARY
POSTED ON DEC 8TH, 2008 || FILED UNDER || NEWS

WHEN TEAM LOVE STARTED WE HAD THE SIMPLE AND POSSIBLY SELF-DEFEATING NOTION THAT POSTING ALL OUR ALBUMS ON THE WEBSITE AS FREE DOWNLOADS WOULD BE A GOOD DETOUR AROUND THE WRECKAGE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND A WAY TO AVOID GETTING BOGGED DOWN IN THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION AND DISTRACTION: PIRACY, ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS, P2P NETWORKS AND SO ON.

FIVE YEARS LATER AND THE DEBATE STILL DRONES IN THE BACKGROUND, AND WHILE SOME BANDS HAVE ADOPTED A MUTATED VERSION OF THE “FREE DOWNLOAD” (PAY WHAT YOU WISH, ETC), WE’VE DECIDED TO RESHAPE OUR POLICY IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND INTRODUCE THE TEAM LOVE LIBRARY. EACH MONTH (OR SO) WE’LL BE ROTATING THE LIBRARY’S SELECTIONS, FEATURING DIFFERENT TEAM LOVE ALBUMS AS WELL AS EXCLUSIVE CONTENT SUCH AS UNRELEASED SONGS, LIVE OR REMIXED VERSIONS OF TL FAVORITES.

THE LIBRARY WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUB [From TEAM LOVE » News » Introducing the Team Love Library]

New Guster Album in the Works (finally)

I just love Guster. DeVane turned me on to them years ago and I felt like I was already late to the party. Luckily, they've kept going, though at a much slower pace.

That's fine, they're changing labels and having kids and shiz. I understand. I'll be excited where these changes take them and I'm really looking forward to their new album.

Guster Shifts To Aware/Columbia For New Album
December 11, 2008 12:01 AM ET
Michael D. Ayers, N.Y.

After four albums with Reprise, veteran rock outfit Guster has signed with Aware/Columbia. The group hopes to complete its as-yet-untitled label debut in February.

Lead singer Ryan Miller says Guster plans to come away with "17 or 18" songs recorded, pared down from around 25 possiblities. Fatherhood has been a key factor in the writing.

"Three of us all had our first kids within four months of each other," Miller tells Billboard.com. "We're adjusting to this new era of fatherhood. The band met each other in 1991, and it's 2008. So, it's sort of an interesting place to still be excited about making music together."

[From Guster Shifts To Aware/Columbia For New Album]

Message from Daemon Records

Message from Daemon Records

This past year has been a particularly difficult one for the US economy. Skyrocketing home foreclosures, rising unemployment and sharp increases in the cost of basic necessities have meant trying times for American families, including their pets. Particularly when forced from their homes due to foreclosure or other economic necessity, families have made the difficult decision to abandon their pets.

Local shelters are overwhelmed by the rise in homeless pets and animal rescue organizations have found pets in dire situations - locked up and left to starve. This winter season we encourage you to get involved to help these pets and their families. Together we can help families keep and care for their pets, and we can provide much needed support for shelters whose services are in high demand.

Help Daemon Records raise funds for the Foreclosure Pets Grant Fund created by Humane Society of the United States. Monies from the HSUS fund will be distributed to local shelters and rescue groups that are meeting the needs of families and pets in this tough economy. Projects may include expanding the number of foster homes they have, starting a pet food pantry, or providing financial assistance for veterinary care.

We are offering a special benefit package at www.daemonrecords.com through the end of January.

For $30, you will receive autographed copies of Prom and Stag, a signed photo of Amy Ray, and first class postage (US orders only).

Thanks!

Feel Like Dancing?

Here are some free remixes from Danger Danger... Pretty good stuff. ;-)

GRUM - Woah (Clockwork Remix)

Kanye West - Love Lockdown (Clockwork Remix)

Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire (Clockwork Remix)

Still catching up on some things worth sharing...
From NPR. He's such a great songwriter, performer, and all around nice guy... as you may remember.

Matthew Ryan On Mountain Stage

Listen Now: Matthew Ryan On Mountain Stage

[25 min 45 sec] add to playlist

Brian Blauser

Matthew Ryan.

SET LIST

• "American Dirt"
• "Some Streets Lead Nowhere"
• "Jane, I Still Feel the Same"
• "Could've Been Worse"

NPR.org, November 13, 2008 - Making a long-awaited return to Mountain Stage (his first visit was 10 years ago, when his debut album May Day was released), Matthew Ryan performs his organic and sparse folk tunes alongside Molly Thomas on piano and vocals.

As occasionally happens, due to the nature of live performance, Ryan's voice wasn't heard by the audience until the middle of his opening song. Slightly deterred after realizing this, he didn't check his tuning and had to re-start his second song. Still, Ryan is a consummate performer, and as he jokes with the audience, he comes off all the more charming. Mountain Stage host and artistic director Larry Groce includes the set in its entirety here, capturing the spontaneity of the show's live setting. Echoing Ryan's final song, Groce concluded that "it could've been worse."

Three of the songs heard here also appear on Ryan's latest CD, Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State. "Some Streets Lead Nowhere" has been featured on the TV show One Tree Hill, and was issued as a digital single.

Belated Christmas Video

I was sick over the Christmas holiday, so I'm just now catching up on some of these things. While Christmas is over (thankfully), this video is still worthwhile. The things that get recorded, let alone posted on YouTube, amaze me.

Earles on NPR

This morning I was listening to this piece with Steve Earle and his son Justin Townes Earle. The more time passes, the more disappointed I am for missing Justin at the Kent State Folk Festival. Hopefully he'll come back soon.

Check it out...

Steve And Justin Townes Earle: Life Lessons

Listen Now

[7 min 46 sec] add to playlist

Courtesy of the artists

Steve Earle (left) and his son, Justin Townes Earle, are both acclaimed singer-songwriters.

Morning Edition, December 29, 2008 - Justin Townes Earle went into the same business as his father. Steve Earle, the acclaimed singer and songwriter, passed on a lifetime's worth of advice about music and rebellion.

Justin says his father wasn't easy to rebel against.

"I could have become a Republican," he says. "That would've really pissed him off."

Instead, says his dad, Justin took up golf. Steve says Justin would hit golf balls in the front yard, just to irritate him.

But Justin says that no one in his family — on either his mother's or his father's side — discouraged him from playing music. He was in trouble a lot when he was young, but Steve Earle says he recognized his son's behavior.

"I knew what this looked like," he says. "I couldn't do anything else."

Steve says he raised his kid on food stamps because he wasn't prepared to do anything else with his life but make music. So he wasn't shocked when Justin began following the same path he did.

When Justin did begin writing songs, his dad gave him some advice. At around age 13, Justin says he hadn't been reading much, but his dad told him, "If nothing was put in, then nothing comes out."

Asked if he'll pass on music to his children, Justin says he has the feeling his offspring will not be as similar to him as he is to his father: "I got a feeling that when I have kids, I'm going to have a little girl, and she's going to be completely sensible," he says.

His father disagrees.

"I do believe in karma," he says, "and if you think for one minute that there would be anything karmically correct for you to have a well-behaved little girl, you're dreaming."

Brett Dennen is Coming

My wish is finally coming true after all this time. I couldn't be happier to see Brett Dennen perform again (Sat. Feb 21st), at the Beachland no less. Top that with my thoroughly enjoying his new album and you can probably imagine my excitement.

Brett Dennen maps long tour for 'Hopeless'
By Tjames Madison / LiveDaily Contributor

Singer/songwriter Brett Dennen will embark on a mammoth headlining tour early next year as he begins to support his latest studio effort, "Hope For the Hopeless," in the US. The California native will stay on the road for more than three months, traveling through more than 50 cities during the outing, which kicks off Jan. 16 in Orlando, FL. Dates are shown below. Support acts for the trek include Erin McCarley, Angel Taylor, The Little Ones and Angus & Julia Stone. Check Dennen's official website for more information. "Hope For the Hopeless,' Dennen's third studio album, emerged in October after the singer returned home from a tour of Australia. The set--which features an appearance on the first track, "Make You Crazy," from afro-beat star Femi Kuti--debuted at No. 41 on The Billboard 200, making it Dennen's hi [From Brett Dennen maps long tour for 'Hopeless' >> Tour dates and concert ticket info >> LiveDaily]

I know it's a little late, but check out these holiday songs he recoreded.

iTunes Tip: Remembering to Rate Your iTunes Music | TheAppleBlog

For me, iTunes plays a huge role in discovering and appreciating music. I have a system of acquiring albums, organizing them, rating them, and listening to them in different ways. I've thought about documenting the entire process (why not?)... maybe some day. But this is a good article to read if you've considered using some of the more advanced features of iTunes and just haven't yet.

iTunes Tip: Remembering to Rate Your iTunes Music
Written on December 22, 2008 by Nick Santilli

My life is busy (and yes, if you’re wondering, it is all about me), and frequently I tend to rip or download music without taking the time to apply ratings to it. Since ratings are one of the best methods for determining the usefulness of your playlists, neglecting to add that information to your tracks can really handicap the power iTunes offers.

Some pondering of the issue (and a putrid burning smell) led me to come up with a Do It Yourself kind of solution that everyone can institute without spending anything more than a little time. If this sounds like something useful to you, feel free to follow along at home.

Data Dips First, what kind of information do we want to leverage? ...

[From iTunes Tip: Remembering to Rate Your iTunes Music | TheAppleBlog]

Download Sufjan's New Christmas Album

Not a huge fan of Christmas Music, nor am I ga ga over Sufjan Stevens like so many others, but I thought this was a pretty nice score. Hope you enjoy... (I am, especially the opening "Angels We Have Heard on High".)

Download Sufjan Steven’s 2008 Christmas album! December 20th, 2008

It’s the first original Sufjan music we’ve heard in a while, so enjoy it all you can!

As you probably well know, Sufjan records a yearly Christmas album to give out to family and friends. And even though he released a compilation back in 2006, he hasn’t stopped recording them. The 2008 version is called Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage, Volume VIII.

Head over to So This Is What The Volume Knob is For to download the full set.

[From You Ain't No Picasso]

Joan Armatrading Live in San Francisco

A "gift" from Joan...

All that remains is to wish you and your family the very best for the New Year and to give you this online concert by Joan from 2007 in San Francisco. Just click on the link to view this great concert. It will be available online for free until January the 7th 2009. The DVD is available to buy in the stores or online at HMV or Amazon but Joan wanted you to have this free online viewing as a Christmas present.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE CONCERT

"Set You Free" (N-Trance cover) | Pitchfork

I'm always enjoy seeing an indie rock band doing a cover of a 90's dance song... I don't know why. I'm also still enjoying Frightened Rabbit and their new album The Midnight Organ Fight, so I was happy when these two areas of interest came together.

I don't remember the original. I thought about embedding it as a comparison, but once I saw it, I realized you wouldn't be missing anything if I didn't.

From Pitchfork

Video: Frightened Rabbit: "Set You Free" (N-Trance cover)

We can (and should) debate about the whole idea of what "guilty pleasure" means in the context of pop music, but Frightened Rabbit couldn't be ironic if they tried. Sincerity is wired into this band to a degree that probably turns a lot of people off, but that sincerity makes songs like this, their contribution to the second Guilt by Association comp, a lot more interesting than they would be otherwise. Here they are in a sorta perfunctory video for a cover of N-Trance's "Set You Free", a gushing dance-pop hit from 1995. In a sense they arrive at the same vulnerable place as the original while taking a very different route to get there.