Deer Tick – “20 Miles”
The Press – “Jellyfish Wrangler”
Steel Train – “Turnpike Ghosts”
Fol Chen – “In Ruins”
Blank Dogs – “Heat and Depression”
SPEAK – “Digital Love”
Jennie Arnu –
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Round and Round”
Thee Oh Sees – “I Was Denied”
The Dig – “You’re Already Gone”
The Lodger – “The Back of My Mind”
Becca – “Kickin & Screamin”
Venice is Sinking – “Falls City”
Johnny Bertram & The Golden Bicycles – “Private Land”
Senryu – “Inklings”
Night Driving in Small Towns – “Come & Tell Me”
Yukon Blonde – “Rather Be with You”
Snowglobe – “Love”
Author: chip midnight
Video: Colin Gawel – “Superior”
Mad props to local musicians who make MTV-ready videos (yeah, yeah, MTV doesn’t show videos anymore but you know what I’m talking about). Colin Gawel was (is?) in Watershed who had a brief dance with the majors back in the mid-90s (1995’s Twister was put out by Epic Records AND was the first major label album to have my name in the “Thank You” credits!). In the last 12 months or so, Gawel has taken to releasing solo EPs and has just put out his second one, Superior. You can download it on eMusic, iTunes, etc., etc., just check out Colin’s site for all the details.
More info about the video can be found here.
Interview: 3 minutes with The Kissaway Trail
I’m suffering from both a Kissaway Trail hangover and withdrawal after seeing the Danish band perform as the opening act for The Temper Trap this past Friday night in Columbus, Ohio. The five-piece (six if you count the bearded and dancing tambourine player) blew me away with a sound that was equal parts Arcade Fire, Mew, Snow Patrol, Sigur Ros, Long-view, Modest Mouse and Polyphonic Spree. Everything built up into huge anthemic crescendos that rained on the close-to-sold-out audience and kept me (and hundreds others) in a 45-minute state of bliss. After their set was done, I went backstage and threw a few questions at Rune Pedersen (bass), Hasse Mydtskov (drums), and Daniel Skjoldmose (guitars, keyboards). Apologies for the background noise (ie – Temper Trap performing), the dressing room walls were pretty thin.
Rune told me that after this run of dates with The Temper Trap, The Kissaway Trail is heading overseas but will be back in the States this summer/fall and will be performing at some festivals (hmm … maybe Lollapalooza?). You can pick up the band’s U.S. debut release, Sleep Mountain (Bella Union / Yep Roc), on April 20.
Free music Friday
Household Names – “Driving to LA”
(fueled by the same unrequited aspirations as Big Star devotees like Matthew Sweet and Jellyfish” – Austin Chronicle)
POPLIN – “Une Debutante Au Jeu (featuring Bridget Low)”
(jazz, 60s French chansons, funk, bossa influences)
Noun – “Holy Hell”
(solo release from Screaming Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster)
Franz Nicolay – “World/Inferno Vs. the End of the Evening”
(former Hold Steady keyboardist)
Jennie Arnau – “Bouncing Ball”
(a mix of Neil Young, Martina McBride, and Gillian Welch)
Love is All – “Repetition”
(“disco beats, post-punk sax honking, twee-pop boy/girl harmonies” – Pitchfork)
Grovesnor – “Taxi from the Airport”
(Hot Chip drummer Rob Smoughton echoes Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Billy Joel)
Free download: Static of the Gods – “Knowledge Machine”
Boston band Static of the Gods is making their new CD, Knowledge Machine, available as a free download but just for this week only. You’ll have to wait to read my full review in the spring issue of The Big Takeover but I will say that of the 18 reviews I did, this was one of my 3 favorite CDs. In short, think “Gwen Stefani fronting Arcade Fire”.
DOWNLOAD: Knowledge Machine