Music per Diem

New Blog

2010-06-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'm retiring this blog name, and moving to my new blog, The Static Boom.

I'll be posting about music (of course), art, fashion, news, Chicago and more! Expect reviews, interviews, research, gossip and my opinion on random things. I hope you'll check it out!

Thanks,
Tracy :)

New Arcade Fire!

2010-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited by this news. Apparently, on June 1 (11 days from today) there will be new Arcade Fire music available. We all knew the new tunes were on their way, since the band's slated to be at Lollapalooza this year, we just weren't certain when. Well, now details are emerging that look like we'll be able to hear the first new track June 1, and up to 38 more by July! According to Consequence of Sound, 38 tracks were mixed, meaning we may very well hear enough new Arcade Fire music soon to make up for the 2+ years gap since Neon Bible.

FABulous news. :)

New Black Keys Video

2010-05-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

I was definitely excited to hear the new Black Keys music with Danger Mouse involved, and I loved "Tighten Up" when I first heard it. It's only grown on me since. It's the kind of song that I want playing on my iPod while I'm walking in some fierce black heels. So, I was surprised to see a video that wasn't dimly lit, slightly drunk and noticeably sexy (as I had hoped). Instead, humor prevailed, with a multi-generational focus on getting the girl, complete with toy trucks, blood, and half-eaten donuts.

The Black Keys "Tighten Up"

The Black Keys | MySpace Music Videos

Chicago's Reckless Records on Broadway

2010-05-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

For all you music lovers outside of Chicago, you've likely heard of Reckless Records but maybe haven't had the chance to visit (yet). Well, this post is most especially for you! :)

There are many great record stores in Chicago, and three of my favorites are definitely the Reckless Record stores. I live really close to the one on Broadway, so I'm in there most often, but I visit the Wicker Park location pretty regularly too.

The Reckless stores are great because the staff is incredibly nice, the selection of new and used CDs seems endless (especially because if they have the item you're looking for at another location, they'll bring it over for you!), and there's WAY more than fabulous music. Especially at the Broadway location, there's ample selection of great movies (VHS and DVD), records, CDs, cassettes, t-shirts, magazines and more. Plus, posters for the latest and greatest local shows always line the entrance.

Within the last year they moved into this location from a much smaller store across the street, and this allowed for an increased supply of goods and space for live shows. So, Chicagoans and non-Chicagoans alike, head to Reckless next time you're nearby, and then maybe to Wilde's for an AMAZING buffalo chicken sandwich and Intelligentsia for an AMAZING cup of coffee... which is pretty much my perfect day. :)

New Francis and the Lights Album

2010-05-03T11:36:00.001-07:00

New York

Francis and the Lights first caught my attention on a mixtape from a friend, and I posted his song "LIME" back in February '09. Just recently he started streaming his newest album, It'll Be Better, and it's fabulous. There's a strange, comfortable, uniqueness in his music that will stick with you. It's the smartest dance-pop music I've heard in a long time, and I'm happy to spread the word if you're unfamiliar. Enjoy a listen to the new album below. :)

New Wolf Parade Tunes!

2010-05-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

I've posted my love for Wolf Parade's "You are a Runner, but I am my Father's Son" and "Call it a Ritual," so I was pretty excited to see some new tracks from their upcoming album Expo 86 posted today. Definitely a fan on first listen, and I have the intention of playing through them a few more times yet today. Have a listen yourself below.

Montreal, Canada

Wolf Parade - Ghost Pressurebypitchfork
Wolf Parade - What Did My Lover Say (It Always Had To Go This Way)bypitchfork

props to We All Want Someone To Shout For via Pitchfork

Semi Precious Weapons, Verona Red, Nico Vega and The Flavor Savors ROCKED Chicago this Weekend

2010-04-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing weekend.

Friday night I went to see my beloved Semi Precious Weapons at Subterranean. This was my fourth time seeing them in Chicago, and fifth overall. LOVE them. I don't think blogger allows a large and bold enough font to accurately express my positive feelings towards them. Their live show sucker punches everyone else's live show in the face and makes all the other live shows cry. It's full of the most beautiful rock and roll you'll ever see. They're currently on tour with Lady Gaga, which is great for them and ironic since Gaga used to open for them back in the day, so they're leaving the country again for a few months. BUT, next time they're in Chicago and playing a smaller venue (so NOT Chicago Theater w/Gaga), do yourself a favor and check out their show. You'll want to be up front and center for this one, so get there early and wear something fabulous. Below are some clips from their show.
Opening for SPW was LA's Nico Vega. Every once in a while I see a band I'm not familiar with and they blow me away. Ha Ha Tonka did it. Passion Pit did it. Nico Vega did it. They have a live show worthy of opening for SPW, which is a feat in itself that most can't conquer, and I can certainly call myself a fan. After rocking my socks off a few songs in a row, I decided to snap a clip for your viewing pleasure. Check it out below.

Saturday night was Chicago's Verona Red's turn to rock my socks off. They did, and they did it well. I am constantly impressed with their ability to play really great rock and roll with such vigor that people dance, instruments break, and good times are inevitable. Of all the Chicago bands I've seen, they have the best live rock show hands down. They're playing again in Chicago at Subterranean on May 14 with Hurricane Bells from NY and King Sparrow from Chicago, so if you have the desire to be rocked, check them out then. Below is a video of them starting the show with "In the Coat Check."
Model Stranger and The Flavor Savors also played Saturday. Mad props to Model Stranger for such an amazing album release show. "Dreams and Bones" sounded great live, and I'm looking forward to the next show. Also, The Flavor Savors were a blast. I captured a bit of their show below.

MGMT Rocks SNL with "Brian Eno"

2010-04-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

While I was rocking out to Verona Red on Saturday night at Cubby Bear, MGMT was busy rocking out at SNL. Thanks to the interweb, I'm able to enjoy and share their performance today. Within my first few listens through MGMT's newest album, Congratulations, "Brian Eno" was one of the songs that caught my attention. I was happy to see it was one of the songs they performed. Check it out on SNL below or with the rest of the album HERE.

New LCD Soundsystem Album Streaming

2010-04-15T06:41:00.001-07:00

LCD Soundsystem has a new, and likely final, album called This is my Happening being released on May 17 (EU) and May 18 (US). Apparently, LCD threw a secret show in NY a few days ago where he gave out this new album and asked the crowd not to leak it before the official release. I think there were a few hours before it was found online, so LCD Soundsystem decided to pull an MGMT and stream it themselves (only MGMT's player allows you to select the song you want to hear, where LCD's player starts on song one and plays through, with only play and pause controls available).

As soon as I saw it available yesterday on twitter I did two things: I retweeted it, and I listened. I actually listened for several consecutive hours, and determined myself to be a fan of the new album. It seemed to me that the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. I definitely feel like the whole album as a single piece of artwork has an identifiable sound. Listen for yourself HERE, and then check out all of LCD Soundsystem's upcoming shows, including at Chicago's Metro and Pitchfork.

NY's The Beat Hounds Make Good Rock 'n' Roll

2010-04-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

I grew up engulfed in classic rock, and I think The Beat Hounds wrote some really great music that could easily slip into a classic rock station's playlist and no one would complain. The music was written by front-man Matt Lenny during a four-month recovery from a car crash suffered while on tour with Chicago's Oh My God. Props to you, Matt, for making some delicious rock and roll out of a shitty situation.

The Beat Hounds are playing Chicago on May 1 at Quenchers, and I highly suggest you visit their MySpace HERE and check them out.

Disney's Jungle VIPs Make an Appearance in this Remix

2010-04-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

The whole video is interesting, fo sho, but I LOVE the Jungle Book cameo.

props to Slice Magazine and Mar's Farce and Melancholy

Spoon and Passion Pit, LIVE

2010-04-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday and Friday I attended Spoon and Passion Pit's Chicago shows, and they were each fabulous to varying degrees. I didn't take pictures at Passion Pit, but the pictures and videos I grabbed at Spoon are below.

SPOON was amazing. I first saw them at P4K 2008 and had really only ever heard "I Turn My Camera On." Having said that, I was incredibly impressed and turned on by their awesomeness. I vowed to listen to more Spoon, and I'm happy to say that I followed through on that promise.

On Thursday's show at the Aragon, I was so excited to see them up close and indoors. When Britt Daniel came out on stage with his guitar, you could clearly see his excitement too. But after a few songs it became obvious that they were a bit "off." It didn't seem like they were drunk, so I was beginning to get confused, but then Britt first addressed the sound. Apparently, the monitors sucked, and Spoon couldn't hear themselves, despite me hearing them just fine. I saw the band go from confusion, to frustration, to anger, to frustration, to anger, to frustration, etc. Britt spent half the night playing to the floor, ear pressed to the monitor, while Rob kept facing Jim on drums, apparently unable to hear the tempo otherwise.

While Britt still showed bursts of the excitement he had when he first came on stage, those moments were sporadically placed between his blatant disappointment and missed entrances. It's not like they were HORRIBLE - I could still see what incredibly talented musicians they are - but it didn't make my "best live shows" list. Britt felt bad, and kept thanking us for not leaving and for clapping.

(above: Britt and Aragon's sound guy, checking out the monitors mid-song)

PASSION PIT has only gotten better since when I first saw them in January 2009 at Schubas. They're more polished, bigger, louder, and more creative. Besides the fact that I was surrounded by drunk, sweaty 12 year olds, it was an awesome dance party similar to Lollapalooza's last summer. While I can appreciate burning some calories to great live music in a crowd of enthusiasts, and while I'm certainly happy Passion Pit is able to pay their bills, I definitely loved their Schubas show way more. That show had just as much dancing, only it had less annoying chaches and more sophisticated hand-clapping.

Some Upcoming Music to be Excited About

2010-04-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

So, this time the lovely folks at Pitchfork put together a list of Spring releases, and I captured some of my favorites below. Click HERE to see the full list.

4/6
Doves: The Places Between: The Best of Doves
Dr. Dog: Shame, Shame

4/13
Arctic Monkeys: My Propeller 10"
Four Tet: Sing 12"
Freelance Whales: Weathervanes
MGMT: Congratulations

4/17 - RECORD STORE DAY
Beach House: Zebra 12"
Bloc Party: Silent Alarm
Bon Iver/Peter Gabriel: Split 7"
Bright Eyes: Fevers and Mirrors
CocoRosie: "Lemonade" b/w "Surfer Girl"
Crystal Castles: "Doe Deer" 12"
Deerhoof: Apple O'
Deerhoof: Green Cosmos
Modest Mouse: The Moon and Antarctica
The Mountain Goats: The Life of the World to Come
Pavement: Quarantine the Past
Simian Mobile Disco: Attack Decay Sustain Release
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/20
The Apples in Stereo: Travellers in Time and SpacePlants and Animals: La La Land

4/26
The Dead Weather: "Die by the Drop"

4/27
Frightened Rabbit: Nothing Like You 7"

5/4
Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record
The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way

5/11
CocoRosie: Grey Oceans
The Dead Weather: Sea of Cowards
Sleigh Bells: Treats

5/18
The Black Keys: BrothersThe Depreciation Guild: Spirit Youth
LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

6/8
The Chemical Brothers: Further
Deer Tick: The Black Dirt Sessions
Delorean: Subiza
Here We Go Magic: PigeonsNada Surf: If I Had a Hi-Fi
Rooney: Eureka
Sia: We Are Born
Tokyo Police Club: Champ

3/25 @ Empty Bottle = Zoos of Berlin are Officially Great

2010-03-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

When I first listened to Zoos of Berlin I liked them. As they started making regular appearances on my shuffled playlists, I discovered I really liked them. In preparation for yesterday's show, I played through Taxis many times and I realized I loved them. So, heading into yesterday's show I had high expectations based on the recorded material, and I was slightly worried that their live show might not be as impressive as the album. I've now seen them live, and can say that I am a believer. These guys are incredibly talented and have a very cohesive and polished live sound. I definitely believe Zoos of Berlin is going places, and I certainly encourage you to check them out. Head HERE for their MySpace, or to any of these shows if you can:

Zoos of Berlin

(the head bang)

Q&A with Detroit's Zoos of Berlin, Creators of Good Music

2010-03-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

I first heard about Zoos of Berlin from Zoos of Berlin. Keyboardist Will Yates emailed me through this blog with some music on their newest release, Taxis. I was typically behind and it took me a while to play it through, but I'm really glad I did! Their music is very upbeat and slightly chaotic in structure (which is nice for my A.D.D.) and the rounded, laid-back vocals pull everything together just perfectly. It's a polished and sophisticated sound, and I am a fan. Head to their MySpace page HERE to check them out.

Have a read below to learn more about their DIY production and release methods, childhood influences, their take on today's music industry, some of their favorite bands in Detroit, and more.

This classy, lounge-pop act is heading to the Empty Bottle on Thursday, March 25. Hopefully I will see you there!

Music Per Diem: Zoos of Berlin have a uniquely familiar sound. There's no one direction I could point someone when trying to describe your music; however, I believe mentioning the likes of Bowie, Jens Lekman, Sufjan Stevens and Of Montreal should give someone a relatively close place to start. It's a big-band, lounge-pop sound that feels like receiving a long hug in the warm sun while slightly intoxicated. In an interview with Motor City Rocks, keyboardist Will Yates mentioned that ZOB tries to keep the sound "weird and fresh without getting too far away from being a pop band." Who did you all listen to growing up that likely influenced today's ZOB sound? I love that there's a trumpet in your songs, how did that instrument get involved? I hear you're writing new music, how different is the sound you're making now from Taxis?

COLLIN: (drums) I grew up on the classic and prog rock of the 60s, 70s and 80s since I had a mother who was quite young when she had me and loved to listen to rock and roll loud and dance around. Stuff like Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Beatles, Elton John, The Who, Bowie. Then when I got older I got into crazy metal bands like Slayer and hardcore punk like the Dead Kennedys and Bad Brains. But over the last twenty years my tastes have evolved from working on many records with a diverse range of artists, including Carl Craig, Denaun Porter and Erase Errata.

DANIEL: (vocals, bass) My taste in music was formed by listening to my father's record collection, which ranged from the familiar to the obscure. As a kid I listened most to the Beatles and classical recordings. The decision to start making my own music was made chiefly under the influence of Guided by Voices, however much my methods now differ from Robert Pollard's. His example showed me where to start.

TREVOR: (vocals, guitar) My father used to sing me to sleep by playing Cat Stevens songs on an acoustic guitar. My parents had a record collection stacked tightly on a low shelf and I remember having access to Mason Williams, Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, the 2001: A Space Odyssey soundtrack. TV music was a big influence as well. My father loved PBS and science fiction and I'd get a thrill from the intro to "Doctor Who." I think it's still one of my all-time favorite pieces of music. "Magic Shadows" was another one. (Along with the music, the artwork in the intro was visually influential for me.)

WILL: (keyboards) I grew up playing classical piano. As a young child I absolutely loved (still do) Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet, and then later on I got heavily into playing Debussy on the piano. I got into rock listening to the radio in middle school, and I fell head over heels in love with Smashing Pumpkins' "Siamese Dream" album, and then Radiohead's "OK Computer". Some other major influences for me were the pop-rock of Sloan, Elliott Smith and Ben Folds Five, and some abstract electronic stuff like Autechre and Plastikman.

DANIEL: I might hazard the guess that our new material will be somewhat sparser and darker, but it's hard to say how it will all turn out. We spent many years tightening our playing before we recorded "Taxis." Our new studio allows us to be more spontaneous, and I think the songs will sound much fresher, more cohesive. We won't be covering the same ground again.

TREVOR: The new record... there's a feeling of confidence and joy that's going into the music.

MPD: I really admire the effort put into self-recording and releasing your album, Taxis. The album sounds amazing, and the promotional support has certainly captured people’s attention. It obviously helps having a recording engineer in the band, drummer Collin Dupuis, but I’d like to understand more of how the self-recording process went. Did Collin manage all the recording process, or did other members contribute specific skills? What were the band’s priorities in terms of sound quality? I read in a previous interview with Real Detroit Weekly that some of these songs originated six years ago – how much did the songs change from creation to recording? How much are you able to replicate your recorded sound in your live performances?

COLLIN: Yes, I did most of the engineering. Since I have been making records professionally for a while, it made sense to delegate the engineering stuff to me. Plus we used all of my equipment so I know it better than anyone. Sound quality is always important to us but not to the point where it gets in the way of experimentation. I do like lo-fi sounds used in the middle of really good sounding recordings. I love distortion but blended in so that it is not completely obvious that you are listening to a distorted sound.

DAN: Collin deserves much of the credit for the recordings, but we're all detail-oriented, perfectionist types with a surplus of opinions - finding a way to incorporate the input of every member has sometimes slowed us down, but that has always been the aim of the band. With "Taxis," we strove for a sound that was both polished and natural, but the performances were those we'd spent years honing in concert. With our new record, we may find ourselves learning to play songs after having written and recorded them.

MPD: I understand that Zoos of Berlin also took a DIY strategy to releasing the music. As someone who sends and receives a good deal of press releases and music samples, I can understand the amount of work sometimes required to get attention. In an interview with Motor City Rocks, Will mentions he actually enjoys the work involved in releasing and promoting the music. What types of things do Will and the band do themselves to spread the music? Are there any aspects of the release process you outsourced? Your efforts successfully attracted the attention of Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan, what promotion would you consider the most influential to date? Your upcoming Chicago show is part of tour covering 18 cities, was the tour logistics handled in-house by Zoos of Berlin too? Lastly, you released a music video for “Black in the Sun Room,” what role did the band play in the concept and visual creation?

WILL: I started working on promoting this band a couple years ago, when we released our first EP. I had never tried doing promo before, but I've been really enjoying it. I started just with our Detroit networks, talking to musicians we knew and writers who had covered them, and I've built up my Rolodex from there. We've done almost everything ourselves, but we did use the promo company AAM for mailing "Taxis" CDs out to college radio, just to get our foot in some doors. They mailed the CDs, and I did all the follow-ups.

Our upcoming tour is with another Detroit band called Child Bite. Shawn from Child Bite and I put together this tour for the most part, but Shawn gets most of the credit.

For the "Black in the Sun Room" video, Trevor (our de facto art director) found a video director (Chicago-based Adam Lonczynski) he liked whose style meshes well with ours, and we let Adam take it from there.

MPD: Something I love hearing from artists is their opinion on how to best release new music in today’s environment. There are so many variables to consider, and I don’t think we’ve discovered the hands-down best strategy yet. What are your thoughts on releasing music for free, versus for a price? As a physical CD or digital format? Should music be released in a full-length, EP or single format? On a label or independently distributed? Personally, I believe in general that releasing free content regularly is one of the best things an artist can do – whether it be blog posts, video diaries, pictures, tweets or new music. As an artist, where do you see the industry heading?

TREVOR: Art, on the internet, is like sand. It slips so easily through the hands of those that try to control it. It's an infinite place and there are always people who will find a way to be smarter and faster than the corporations/controllers... they'll get what they want for free and with no hassle. There's a beauty to that kind of freedom and access. On the other hand, I am a major fan of album art and I am concerned that it could go away. I need that physical object. But ultimately, I just want people to hear everything without a limit or a price tag. Truthfully, I was really happy to see "Taxis" leak on Rapidshare and Megaupload.

WILL: There's no question that to be a musician these days you've got to be OK with giving your music away for free. It's not the 90s anymore. On the other hand, we do actually see sales on online services like iTunes, despite the fact that you could find our album for free somewhere if you tried hard enough, so that's heartening.

Now that cassettes have become cool again I think it's only a matter of time before the CD gets an ironic revival, haha. But seriously, we have CDs because people still buy them, and they seem to still be the standard when it comes to doing promo. Personally I still buy CDs because the quality is still better than your average download.

I think indie bands are best served by releasing full-lengths, since that's what their fans are generally most interested in. For mainstream pop though, I think it would be awesome if they just gave up on albums and switched back to the business model where artists had to have a hit single every month instead of a hit album every four years.

I think no one is really sure where the music industry is headed, but personally I'm excited about what the future holds for Zoos of Berlin. We're happy to just hang out in our studio and record ourselves, so anything else that comes along -- e.g., a tour, this interview -- is just icing on the cake.

MPD: For everyone who has yet to experience a Zoos of Berlin show, including myself, how would you describe the live experience? Do you have any superstitions or routines before each show? How different is the crowd reaction in Detroit versus when you’re on the road? What is your favorite part of your live show?

DAN: The rare moments when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

TREVOR: When I see us smiling, when I hear us really clicking, then I know it's all worth it. Will does some great headbanging during one song.

MPD: Name three things you’re loyal to (i.e. a brand of vodka, a coffee shop, a sports team, recycling, etc)

COLLIN: Family, friends, and music.

MPD: Let’s play word association.

DAN:
Broken: String
Spring:Tiger
Chicago: Wind Hand
Sleep: Blue Hotel
The Beatles: Alpha and Omega

MPD: Tell me about the Detroit music scene. What bands do you recommend checking out? What are your favorite venues to play? To see a live show? How has the Detroit scene changed since when you first started writing Taxis songs six years ago? Outside of Detroit, what are some of your favorite cities to play in?

TREVOR: Bands or artists to see: Aran Ruth, Outrageous Cherry, Oscillating Fan Club, Computer Perfection. Venues: CAID, Crofoot, Majestic Cafe. Detroit is a freer spirit now, less bogged down by the garage fever. NYC is a favorite city.

WILL: I agree with Trevor. My favorite Detroit acts are Great Lakes Myth Society, Lightning Love, Javelins and Child Bite.

MPD: If you could build your dream line-up, who would be on it and at what venue?

WILL: We opened for Field Music in Ann Arbor last week, and I'd say they were definitely on our short list of bands to play with. We'd love to open for Broadcast someday. Longer shots would include Radiohead, Portishead, and Stereolab.

Zoos of Berlin are playing at Chicago's Empty Bottle on Thursday, 3/25, with Child Bite, Old Fake, and Dylan Posa & Three Cheers for One Dead Man.
I will be there.

Archie Bronson Outfit Makes More Good Music

2010-03-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

"Sharks Tooth," the second track of their new album Coconut, is awesome. I love the overall vibe and sound, and I'm really excited to listen to the full album. Coconut debuted on March 1, and this song was released February 22, and I completely missed them both. I don't know how they got by me, but I wanted to share this with you all asap, in case they passed you by too.

While I anticipate the whole album will be fabulous, I can't vouch for it yet. I'll let you know though. Until then, enjoy "Sharks Tooth" HERE and check out my previous Archie Bronson Outfit posts HERE.

props to LHB

3/15/10 @ Empty Bottle = My Gold Mask Love & the Discovery of Common Loon

2010-03-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

I attended My Gold Mask's FREE show last night at the Empty Bottle, and am completely happy I decided to forgo those few extra hours of sleep. Not only was MGM's performance my absolute favorite kind of performance - high energy and full of dancing - I also discovered Champaign's Common Loon.

Common Loon was direct support for My Gold Mask and, despite the crowded room, failed to capture the attention [I believe] they deserved. Their music is calm and strategically built, and yet somehow they still brought the rock-and-roll vibes.

They start a 15-day tour on April 8 in Indianapolis in support of their first full-length album, The Long Dream of Birds. They stop back in Chicago on April 11 at Ronny's.
I absolutely loved My Gold Mask, as did the many other people who came out to send them off to SXSW. And you could tell MGM loved us back.

Before the show, I read that MGM's live performance wasn't disappointing. It isn't. Their energy is just as raw and exciting as you might expect after hearing their tracks, and the crowd reacted warmly to it. I very much look forward to their next Chicago show, which as far as I know isn't on the calendars just yet.

She & Him Head to Millennium Park this Summer

2010-03-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

At this point, I think I'm a bigger fan of their first album than their second, but either way I'm excited about this show.

On Monday, June 7, they'll play a FREE show at Chicago's own Millenium Park. She & Him made their first appearance on this blog on November 26, 2008, with "You Really Got a Hold on Me" as my Recommended Song of the Day.

Of course, there's a facebook event for this occasion. You can choose to attend the show HERE if you're like me and need a reminder closer to the show.

props to LLP

Before SXSW, Chicago's My Gold Mask Offers a FREE Empty Bottle Show & Some Conversation

2010-03-14T16:51:00.001-07:00

I am a fan of My Gold Mask's music. I first heard them on January 6, and have listened to their latest EP A Thousand Voices countless times since. I was incredibly excited to learn that before this Chicago duo heads to SXSW, they're playing a FREE show at Empty Bottle on Monday, March 15. Assuming your hangover from the weekend's St. Patrick's Day festivities has subsided, I strongly encourage you to attend the show. It'll be a great way to burn all those alcoholic calories.

Over the past few months, My Gold Mask music has spread like wildfire. They have an electronically tribal sound, with a driving energy that encourages dancing. The lyrics are deep and fleeting, accompanied by a single guitar and a minimalist use of percussion. Many bloggers, including myself, are calling My Gold Mask a top Chicago act to watch in 2010.

My incessant googling lead to several questions, and MGM welcomed my invitation to share some conversation online. As a music lover and promoter, my questions ebb and flow between random points of interest. Read on to hear what Jack and Gretta from My Gold Mask have to say about SXSW, their dream line-up, and releasing new music.

Music Per Diem: I admire your approach to making music. In past interviews you expressed a desire to continuously challenge yourself, and to have your music be a product of your abilities and not your influences. In January to the Chicagoist, Gretta mentioned that adding a cymbal to more songs is one way she plans to challenge herself in 2010, but I’m curious to know what’s next. How do you plan to keep the process new? Do you see any other instruments on the horizon? Any collaborations? Do you think My Gold Mask will ever make the conscious decision to head in a completely new direction?

J: As you said, we're all for challenging ourselves and keeping things interesting to us. We basically have no set rules. We may add more, we may not. Our philosophy is to let the music, the songs, decide where we go next.

G: Well, since the Chicagoist interview, I've already added a cymbal. As for what's next? I don't know, I'd like to learn Braille. It doesn't necessarily have to be added instrumentation. It can be a language, or how to sew. When I was 13, I learned Morse Code for no reason other than it seemed interesting.

MPD: Music is certainly my favorite form of art. While I respect your choice to write in seclusion, purposefully avoiding any form of outside influence, I usually like the concept of artistic influences. The idea that one person’s art is responsible for the outcome of another person’s art is exciting to me, and seems slightly inevitable. Recently, your music was used by two other artists, Chicago musician The Hood Internet "Bitches," and fashion designer Phillip Lim used “Violet Eyes” and “Your Coo Ka Choo” in his Fall/Winter 2010/2011 fashion show. As an artist trying to avoid all influences, how do you feel when other artists integrate your work into theirs? Do you think you’ll ever hear someone else’s music and choose to integrate it into your work? Do other forms of art influence your sound?

J: Well, it's not so much that I'm trying to "avoid all influence", we of course have influences. It's more like an effort to leave those influences in the subconscious while we write songs. As far as other artists integrating our work that's always a thrill as well because it causes you to look at your own art in a different way.

G: And we have integrated someone else's music, in a way. We covered "Betty Davis Eyes" last year. We integrate all forms of art when it comes to music. It would be hard not to. We are sponges to the vibrations of all kinds of art and I hope that comes across in our music.

J: Though, when it comes to doing a cover song, it's only interesting to us if we feel like we do something different with it.

MPD: Up next for MGM is SXSW. If I were in a band offered to play SXSW, I’d be beyond fantastically excited. On a scale of 1 to 10, how fantastically excited are you? What part of the SXSW experience are you most looking forward to? Who tops your list of must-see shows? Was there a specific event that put MGM on SXSW’s radar, or would you accredit a broader situation?

G: We are very excited! Neither of us have ever been to SXSW, and we feel extremely lucky to get to play 3 amazing showcases with tons of amazing new bands. I just want to slip into it and ride the wave until someone tells me it's time to leave.

J: As to what led us to this....I don't really know if there was a specific event that led to us playing, I think it's just been about a few nice people who appreciate our music and are giving us a chance to share with even more people. That's what it's all about.

MPD: When describing your writing process, the words organic, collaborative and emotion often come up. For MGM, you’ve explained that a song generally starts with Jack exploring guitar riffs and Gretta throwing lyrics around, followed by adding drums and the occasional cymbal. It doesn’t seem like there’s a point where you decide to “create an album,” but rather once a few songs are penned, performed and polished you release them to the world. Is that accurate? Was there any conversation regarding how MGM is going to release music?

I find this discussion particularly interesting as the hands-down best strategy to release music hasn’t been determined yet. The jury’s still out on whether or not music today should be released for free or at a price? As a physical CD or digital format? Should the release be full-length or an EP? On a label or independently distributed? Personally, I believe in general that releasing free content regularly is one of the best things an artist can do – whether it be blog posts, video diaries, pictures, tweets or new music. As an artist, where do you see the industry heading?

G: I guess our only plan on how we release music is that when we have something finished, we just get it out there. It can be an EP or full length or just a single, it doesn't matter. It's whatever we feel like.

J: But, we will always have free mp3's out there because really, we just want people to hear our music. And that's the easiest way to get people to listen. And we will still make physical copies for people who like to hold something in their hands too. We would love to do a vinyl next.

MPD: In previous interviews you stated that MGM just “puts the music out there” and hopes people like it. From a business perspective, I’m curious where you “put it.” MySpace? Bandcamp? Where else? What medium provided your first traffic surge? What outlet has helped you best maintain the momentum this far? What types of things, if any, have you done proactively to get on someone’s radar? Based on your experiences thus far, what is your top recommendation to other artists?

J: Well, as an unsigned musician, sites like Bandcamp have been very helpful. It's easy to use and people can download straight from the site. It's also nice because you can embed the MP3's with your art, info, etc. I'm sort of a freak about having artwork attached to my mp3's. I actually have artwork on everything in my iPod. So, it drives me crazy when I download something and it's like "track 1" and has no art attached.

G: Our advice to another band would be, just give some songs away, don't be too possessive.

MPD: Name three things you’re loyal to (ie a brand of vodka, a Chicago coffee shop, a sports team, recycling, etc)

J: Comic Books, My Pug, Making music

G: Same for me, except switch comics for chocolate

MPD: Let’s play word association.

Conan O’Brien - rad
Lo-fi - warm
The Midwest - cold
MySpace - necessary evil
History - repeats

MPD: Last November, MGM was featured on a Pretty Much Amazing podcast with some pretty amazing artists, including Yeasayer, Girls, Hot Chip, Junior Boys, Department of Eagles, Sia and Four Tet. How does it feel to see your song Violet Eyes featured with that crowd? Of all the artists on the playlist, included below, who is your favorite? Beyond that list, who are some of your favorite artists today?

Artists on pmaCAST #21 include Four Tet, Karen O and the Kids, Ellie Goulding, Bloodgroup, Sia, The xx, Fyfe Dangerfield, Girls, Yeasayer, Maps, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Department of Eagles, Junior Boys, Peter Bjorn and John, and Hot Chip.

J: It's kinda weird to see our song next to all those names. But good weird! Some new stuff I'm digging lately: Shapers, Hussle Club, Cloud Nothings.

G: Well, the new Charlotte Gainsbourg record is amazing.

MPD: If you could build your dream line-up, who would be on it and at what venue?

Line up: Klaus Nomi, Run DMC, The Ramones, US

Venue: Saturn

My Gold Mask is playing Monday, March 15, at Empty Bottle. The show is FREE, 21+, and begins at 9pm.

I will see you there.

A Must-Stop Indy Music Shop

2010-03-08T17:06:00.000-08:00

I happened to be in Indianapolis this weekend to attend a Verona Red show, and I finally made it out to LUNA Music. I will definitely be back!

More than just a record store, LUNA offers a variety of items within the music-lovers culture. There's a whole section of music books, magazines, t-shirts, and knick knacks, as well as new and used CDs. Literally, the walls are lined with merchandise I want to own. Alas, I limited myself to three albums: Golden Silver's True Romance, Spoon's Transference, and Mumford & Son's Sigh No More. I left behind a copy of Verona Red's Side Effects in the FREE bin, so stop by and try to claim it!

The LUNA Music I visited was at 431 Massachusetts Avenue. There's a second location at 5202 North College Avenue, and I hope to visit there soon.

Have you Heard About Havin a Baby?

2010-02-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

If you're obsessed with Liam Finn, you already know that Havin a Baby is something you need to understand.

Liam Finn started a fun little distraction with some of his "good mates," and in August 2009, introduced their one and only song to-date on the band's myspace page, myspace.com/tobeadad. The track, like the band, is called "Havin a Baby." It both satisfies my A.D.D. AND puts me in a better mood. The sound is a braided concoction of Passion Pit, Of Montreal, and The Go! Team - clearly, it's pretty fabulous. Check it out HERE.

I Wish I Could Go to Bonnaroo

2010-02-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

Bonnaroo's line-up is shaping up quite nicely. Below is a list of confirmed performers, organized into separate sections of my knowledge (but not organized within those sections). If this were the Pitchfork or Lolla line-up, I'd be investing my time to check out the folks I don't know.

If anyone has a free ticket for me and a place I could crash, let me know! ;)

Top Picks
Phoenix
LCD Soundsystem
The Avett Brothers
Zac Brown Band
The Black Keys
Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers
She & Him
Miike Snow
Dr. Dog
Neon Indian
Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile
The Temper Trap

Would be Nice to See
Stevie Wonder
Jay-Z
Weezer
The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform “Dark Side of the Moon”
Regina Spektor
Thievery Corporation
Daryl Hall & Chromeo
The xx
They Might Be Giants
OK Go
Mayer Hawthorne and the County
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
The Dodos
Tokyo Police Club
Here We Go Magic

I Know Nothing About These Folks
The Dead Weather
Damian Marley and Nas
Michael Franti and Spearhead
John Fogerty
Jimmy Cliff
Les Claypool
John Prine
Jeff Beck
Dropkick Murphys
Against Me!
Deadmau5
Jamey Johnson
Clutch
Bassnectar
Kid Cudi
The Disco Biscuits
Kris Kristofferson
Medeski Martin & Wood
GWAR
Isis
Blues Traveler
Miranda Lambert
Calexico
Gary Chardonnay
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Martin Sexton
Lotus
Baroness
Dave Rawlings Machine
Jay Electronica
Ingrid Michaelson
Cross Canadian Ragweed
Big Sam's Funky Nation
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Brandi Carlile
Mumford & Sons
Rebelution
Diane Birch
Monte Montgomery
Julia Nunes
Fanfarlo
The Postelles
Hot Rize
B.O.B
NEEDTOBREATHE
The Entrance Band
Local Natives
Lucero
Dan Deacon Ensemble
Tinariwen
Wale
Baaba Maal
The Melvins
The Gaslight Anthem
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

I Don't Really Care About These Folks
Tenacious D
Norah Jones
Rise Against
Tori Amos
The National
Blitzen Trapper
Japandroids
Manchester Orchestra

I Really Don't Care About These Folks
Dave Matthews Band
Kings of Leon

First Acts of Pitchfork 2010 Confirmed!

2010-02-05T07:54:00.001-08:00

Tickets go on sale at noon today, and Pitchfork confirmed the first list of artists to perform (as if I needed any added incentive to buy the tickets?!) I think you can tell which artists I'm excited for :)

Friday
Modest Mouse

Saturday
LCD Soundsystem
Raekwon
Here We Go Magic

Sunday
Pavement
St. Vincent
Lightning Bolt
Sleigh Bells
Cass McCombs

You can buy tickets HERE $40 for a single day pass, and $90 for a 3-day

I plan on checking out all these artists asap, so my excitement level will likely only increase dramatically. Oh happy day.

According to the awesome blog Consequence of Sound's Pitchfork Festival Outlook, other artists anticipated include Neon Indian (yay!), Real Estate and The Smith Westerns.

2010 Coachella Line-up Announced

2010-01-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

and I SO wish I could go :(

I will certainly be at Lollapalooza and Pitchfor k again this year, but I really hope I can find a way to make it to Coachella or CMJ or SXSW or Bonnaroo too. Either way, I posted the Coachella line-up below for your reference, and I also called out which bands made me immediately excited. The bands are listed in relative order of excitement. :)

Muse
LCD Soundsystem
Passion Pit
SPOON
Florence and the Machine
Owen Pallett
Hot Chip
Yeasayer
King Kahn
Phoenix
She & Him
White Rabbits
Girls
Pavement
Them Crooked Vultures
Avett Brothers
MGMT
Gossip
Beach House
Gorillaz
Temper Trap
The xx
Matt & Kim
Dirty Projectors
Vampire Weekend
Hockey
Grizzly Bear
Tokyo Police Club
Sia

I Finally Discovered Shearwater - Better Late Than Never

2010-01-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Austin, TX

I follow the Chicago blog Cream TEAM on twitter, and they just tweeted their encouragement for everyone to get familiar with Shearwater before their next album, "The Golden Archipelago," is released on 2/23. MY GOD am I glad I did!

If you like Akron/Family, Liam Finn and/or Arcade Fire, you'll love Shearwater. I first headed to their website, where they offer a track or two sample from previous albums. I highly recommend you head HERE and listen for yourself! I LOVE them, most especially "Rooks" and "Red Sea, Black Sea."

If you'd like to act now on your newly acquired or recently revived love for Shearwater, you can pre-order their upcoming album directly from Matador, where you'll not only receive 15% off, but you'll also get a CD-sized perfect bound book.

You can hear more of their music HERE. Enjoy!

Greenland Is Melting, a New Love of Mine

2010-01-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

Gainesville, FL

I am a twitter lover. I've made so many fabulous connections and received SO much music and recommendations through the twitter for this blog = LOVE. Well, today I requested on twitter that if you were in/knew of a band that offers their album for FREE, to please send it my way so I could add it to the section of my blog that lists FREE albums (see the left sidebar). Pretty quickly, I heard from Greenland is Melting. Of course, I wanted to listen to it before I posted it, and I immediately loved it.

If you're a fan of Ha Ha Tonka or The Avett Brothers, you will be a fan of Greenland is Melting's album "Our Hearts are Gold, Our Grass is Blue" too. Beautiful harmonies, lovely bluegrass instrumentation, and lyrics like "no, we don't have the songs for the radio, but we have songs for the basement that our friends know" fill the album. Click HERE to listen to and/or download their album. It's FREE, or for a donation. You wont regret it.

Enjoy! :)

What You Should Be Doing Tonight

2010-01-09T09:52:00.001-08:00

If you're:

In Chicago
Wanting to have fun
A fan of good music
Needing/Wanting to get drunk
Hoping to work out more in the New Year (aka dancing)
Friendless
etc

Invest your time wisely, my friends, and head to Subterranean to see Verona Red! They have a KILLER live set, chuck full of really fun rock and roll music and good times. The show's been previewed on Chicago Innerview and Baby Stew, and was recommended in Friday's RedEye, so you can see there are others who support this post.

Doors are at 9, The Locals start at 9:30, followed by The Glide at 10:30, and Verona Red at 11:30. All three bands represent rock and roll, sporting some chicks in The Locals and an electronic influence in The Glide. Verona Red's music is infused with some swing, blues and dance, and an intense contagious energy. Tickets are $10, and this show may very well sell out, so schedule it into your plans now, yo.

You can check out more Verona Red on twitter, myspace, or their blog. And hopefully, I'll see you tonight!

Music Marketing this Creative gets My Knickers Moist

2010-01-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

I saw this on the FABulous blog Gorilla vs. Bear, and I'm pretty giddy. Not only did I immediately want to know who this is, but also whose mind was behind the idea.

What email address did they send it from? Because I know I'd google it asap.
I want to know what's next, because to me it's all about how long this goes on for and how they close it.
Is this a new person, the expected (GaGa), or a reinvention of a familiar face? (wouldn't we all die if this was T-Swizzle?)
Once it's unveiled, I wonder if they'll use this concept in their whole branding process - myspace, website, merch - or if it's just a music/tour video.
Most importantly, these random videos are proving they can gain buzz, but I want to know how they plan to capitalize on the buzz and turn tweets and blog posts into concert tickets and album sales.

UGH. The suspense is killing me...

According to Gorilla vs. Bear, they received the first of these "cryptic messages" about a month ago, followed by another one yesterday. They pointed out the polished production value, leading one to believe it's not some newby out of left field, but someone we should be excited about. GvB proposes maybe Goldfrapp, GaGa, MGMT, or even Christina Aguilera. I'm hopeful it's someone like Lykke Li or Asteroids Galaxy Tour over Madonna just "reinventing" herself again, but I guess time will tell.

Check out the incredibly intriguing videos below, and GvB's blog post HERE. Who do you think this is?

Best Album Finds of 2009

2010-01-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to do a "Top 10 albums of 2009" list because I listened to a LOT of really good albums throughout the year, but most of them only once or twice due to my crazy don't-have-time-to-listen-to-full-albums-enough-to-fall-in-love-with-them lifestyle. Since many of these albums COULD have made my top 10, and since I didn't even get to listen to all the albums I wanted to, I simply will not rank them. I'd hate to look back later this year, after I fall in love with an album that was made in 2009, and know that I didn't included it in my "Top 10 albums of 2009." So, I officially declare that I will author an annual "Best Album Finds of YEAR" list. Enjoy!

WARNING: Some of my favorite album finds of 2009 weren't made in 2009. I'm ok with that; just happy I finally found them.

Mugison's Mugiboogie is my favorite find of 2009 (even though it was released in 2008). This album is AMAZING. I discovered my love for this album on January 9, 2009, when I featured his song Mugiboogie. It was then that I first declared him a "versatile, boundary-less, unpredictable, master of sound." I encourage you to stop reading this post, click HERE, and listen to this album now (you can also download it for FREE!). This blog post will be here when you're done.

The Blow's Paper Television is chuck full of fun. Another album I highly recommend. I'm pretty late to the Paper Television party, since this album came out in 2006, but again - better late than never. You can listen to it HERE.

Although I discovered Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping on December 27, 2008, it was still one of my absolute top albums of 2009, so I'm including it. F.A.B.ulous. Also one of my absolute favorite live shows of 2009. Listen to it HERE.

Ok, so I now realize that most of my favorite albums of 2009 were birthed earlier than 2009, so in order to get to some more current albums, I'm going to list a few more personal classics that I found-and-loved last year.

Passion Pit's Chunk of Change
Friendly Fires' Friendly Fires
Langhorne Slim's Langhorne Slim
Foals' Antidotes
Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid
Lykke Li's Youth Novels

I love Animal Collective's Merriweather Pavilion from beginning to end. This made a lot of folks' top album lists, and for good reason. My goodness, if you haven't heard it yet, click HERE and get started!

Absolutely LOVE Golden Silver's True Romance. Kind of surprised I haven't heard more about them yet, but I'm ok assuming I'm an early adapter. :) Listen to them HERE and see if you agree.

Liam Finn and Eliza Jane's Champagne in Seashells is a love-at-first-listen album. I'm a big fan of Liam Finn's I'll Be Lightning, and this EP just confirmed that I'm a big Liam Finn fan in general. Check it out HERE.

Florence and the Machine's Lungs - Love her voice, her energy, her enthusiasm, and most importantly - her music! I'm a fan :) Listen to the album HERE.

I'd heard for-EVER about the supposed greatness of The Decemberists, and it wasn't until I listened to The Decemberists' Hazards of Love in that I understood why. AMAZING. Definitely a top find of 2009. I suggest you listen all the way through, which you can do HERE.

Other albums that maybe should be on here, but I haven't listened to enough to fully endorse include:

Muse's The Resistance
Girls' Album
Bat for Lashes' Two Suns

I can imagine your internal dialogue at this point might look something like this:

"Jiminy Cricket Tracy, you're obsessed with music and listen to it constantly,
how can this be it?! wtf"

It saddens me that my stupid life got in the way of actually listening, reviewing and becoming obsessed with a LOT more albums from 2009, but do not fear for 2010. I have aggressive goals to not only stay on top of all the fabulous 2010 releases, but to also catch up on all the great stuff I missed in 2009. Therefore, plan to see more old stuff on the list next year, and hopefully a shit more albums too.

Until then, thanks for reading and please feel encouraged to send me whatever album recommendations you have.

Exciting to Know My Gold Mask is from Chicago

2010-01-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

Chicago

If Emiliana Torrini wrote lyrics to a Battles song, it might sound like Circle Mass, by My Gold Mask. With its very driven and large sound, this song will quickly rack up play counts on my iPod, especially because it's FREE HERE.

Give it a listen, and then (if you're not heading to Subterranean to see Verona Red) maybe head over to The Hideout to hear it live on Saturday, January 9.

Upcoming Album Releases to be Excited About

2010-01-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

So, the very fine blog Consequence of Sound posted a pretty thorough list of album releases for Q1 2010. I highlighted what I'm most excited for below, and you can check out the full list HERE.

1/12/10
Ringo Starr - Y Not [Hip-O Records]
Vampire Weekend - Contra [XL]

12/19/10
Editors - In This Light And On This Evening [Fader]
Eels - End Times [Vagrant]
Fredrik - Trilogi [Kora Records]
Spoon - Transference [Merge]

1/26/10
Animal Collective - Campfire Songs [Reissue] [Paw Tracks] Beach House - Teen Dream [Sub Pop]
David Bowie - A Reality Tour [ISO]
Four Tet - There Is Love In You [Domino Records]
Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring [Arts&Crafts]

2/9/10
AM - Future Sons & Daughters [Filter Recordings]
David Bowie - David Bowie: Deluxe Edition [Decca/Universal]
Galactic - Ya-Ka-May [Anti-]
Hot Chip - One Life Stand [Astralwerks]
Yeasayer - Odd Blood [Secretly Canadian]

2/23/10
April Smith & The Great Picture Show - Songs For a Sinking Ship
David Byrne & Fatboy Slim - Here Lives Love [Nonesuch Records]
Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself [Kill Rock Stars]

3/2/10
Rogue Wave - Permalight [Bushfire]
The Whigs - In The Dark [ATO Records]

3/9/10
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat The Devil’s Tattoo [Abstract Dragon]
Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks [FatCat Records]
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach [EMI]
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks [Matador Records]

3/16/10
The White Stripes - White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights [Third Man]

3/23/10
Goldfrapp - Head First [Mute Records]
She & Him - Volume Two [Merge]

2010 Presents a NEW Music Per Diem

2010-01-03T18:28:00.001-08:00

I started this blog on November 25, 2008 - the day I first heard Nine Inch Nail's "Closer." I have ALWAYS loved music, and when I heard "Closer" I knew I was late in joining the NIN bandwagon, but I thought "If I JUST found and fell in love with this song, I bet there are others who haven't discovered it yet too."

I decided to start this blog for two reasons:
1) so that I could share my music finds with all of you, and hopefully you'd share some in return (you have, thank you!)

2) to challenge my free-time-challenged self to proactively search for new music - daily

I stand by every song I posted on here! I didn't ever just "post something to post it;" I took careful selection in the artists and songs that I recommended. Because I only recommended one song by each artist, and each artist only once, with Arcade Fire's "Neighborhood #2" I've posted 366 different artists and songs!

Towards the end, I did start lagging with my posts (which I felt horrible about). This was due to my increasingly hectic schedule and my self-imposed high standards for the songs I feature. Well, I'm proud of the year I blogged a song a day, but it's time to move on - to a bigger and better Music Per Diem.

There are a LOT of new sections, contributors, features, etc coming your way, and I'll be sure to announce them as they're ready. Until then, please be patient with things that seem partially done, and enjoy the posts!

Thanks to you ALL for a fabulous year!
Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

Montreal, Canada

11/25/09: Neighborhood #2 (Laika), by Arcade Fire

Listen to it HERE

Ok, so I LOVE Arcade Fire. The only reason I haven't featured them before is because I couldn't chose which song to feature! I finally just picked one, literally. If you like this song, and for some reason haven't heard of Arcade Fire, I strongly encourage you to listen to their albums Funeral and Neon Bible. LOVE. SO excited for their upcoming album!

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T17:19:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn, NY

11/24/09: 100 Days, 100 Nights, by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Listen to it HERE

Love this!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

LA,CA / Portland, OR

11/23/09: Stanislaus, by Sea Wolf

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

Cleveland, OH

11/22/09: Pirates, by Mr. Gnome

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

Copenhagen, Denmark

11/21/09: Meet and Greet, by Slaraffenland

Listen to it HERE

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Stockholm, Sweden

11/20/09: Watch the Waves, by Taken by Trees

Listen to it HERE

A very pretty song... Taken by Trees will be at Schubas on 2/22 - FYI

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:45:00.000-08:00

NY, NY

11/19/09: Convict Colony, by Saul Williams

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:40:00.001-08:00

LA, CA

11/18/09: I Got A Thing For You, by Jim Bianco

Listen to it HERE

Definitely a sexy song... Enjoy! ;)

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Omaha, NE

11/17/09: From The Hips, by Cursive

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

NOLA / LA,CA

11/16/09: Old Song, by AM

Listen to it HERE

They'll be at the Riviera on March 24!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

Chapel Hill, NC

11/15/09: Get To Love, by The Old Ceremony

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

London, UK

11/14/09: Arrows of Eros, by Golden Silvers

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this song, and their whole album True Romance. It's definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. You can check it out HERE.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

NY, NY

11/13/09: In My Heart, by Heavy Trash

Listen to it HERE

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

Chicago

11/12/09: Proper Etiquette, by Kinetic Stereokids

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Liverpool, UK

11/11/09: Harvest (Within You), by Clinic

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2010-01-03T12:06:00.001-08:00

11/10/09: Light From Your Lighthouse, by The Fireman

Listen to it HERE

It took me waaaaaaay too long to listen to The Fireman's "Electric Arguments" - a Paul McCartney project with producer Youth. LOVE it. Love. You can hear the whole album HERE, if you're interested.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

Seattle, WA

11/9/09: Ship, by Throw Me The Statue

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

Omaha, NE

11/8/09: Black Pope, by Flowers Forever

Listen to it HERE

This song is fun, enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Portland, OR

11/7/09: Learn to Lose, by Hockey

Listen to it HERE

I've enjoyed these guys for a while now, and was heartbroken when their sound went out at Lolla this year. If you like this song, click their pic to check out more.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

Germany

11/6/09: Free Masons in the House, by Robocop Kraus

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Leeds, UK

11/5/09: Put You In Your Place, by The Sunshine Underground

Listen to it HERE

This song is pretty awesome. The vocals remind me a lot of The Music.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

Wilmington, Delaware

11/4/09: The Cat's Pajama's, by The Spinto Band (Acoustic version)

Listen to it HERE

If you're a fan of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, give this tune a chance. I think you'll like it. Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

London, UK

11/3/09: Which Song, by Max Tundra

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

11/2/09: Not Fair, by The Holloways

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:14:00.000-08:00

Palm Desert, CA

11/1/09: I Only Want You, by Eagles of Death Metal

Listen to it HERE

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

10/31/09: Down By The Water, by PJ Harvey

Listen to it HERE

Happy Halloween everyone!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

Montreal, Canada

10/30/09: Beep Beep Beep, by Tiga

Listen to it HERE

Completely the opposite tempo as Girls, but good nonetheless!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-21T16:58:00.001-08:00

SanFran, CA

10/29/09: Hellhole Ratrace, by Girls

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this. Their whole album, "Album," is pretty awesome. For me, this is the song that did it.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-01T12:22:00.000-08:00

Washington DC

10/28/09: Leaving The Nest (It's A Long Way Down), by Benjy Ferree

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Stockholm, Sweden

10/27/09: Hanna, by Juvelen

Listen to it HERE

If you like this, check out Chicago's Loyal Divide.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-12-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Oakland, CA

10/26/09: It's All Good, by Seasick Steve

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this!

Tracy :)

Random 10 Extras I Love

2009-12-01T06:52:00.001-08:00

All these artists have already had a song featured on the blog, but not this song. This song is another piece of fabulousness they created, and I (of course) wanted to share it with you! Click the song name to hear it, and click the artist to check out their previous posts.

LOVE good music. LOVE.

Enjoy!

Archie Bronson Outfit - Bloodheat
!!! - There's No Fucking Rules, Dude
Cloud Cult - The Girl Underground
Dark Side Of The Cop - Shaky Little Rules
Devendra Banhart - I Feel Just Like A Child
Dr. Dog - The Ark
Florence And The Machine - Drumming Song
Here We Go Magic - Fangela
Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
Out Hud - It's For You (Album Mix)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:49:00.000-08:00

10/25/09: Dart For My Sweetheart, by Archie Bronson Outfit

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this. Seriously, it's pretty fab. Check it out!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

Brighton, UK

10/24/09: Getting Light Outside, by Clearlake

Listen to it HERE

Love the percussion in this song. The whole beat is very driven. I'm a fan.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:42:00.000-08:00

Brighton, UK

10/23/09: Pearl's Dream, by Bat For Lashes

Listen to it HERE

Finally, I fell for a Bat For Lashes song. Love it!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:26:00.000-08:00

Pittsburgh, PA

10/22/09: London, by Donora

Listen to it HERE

I think this song is simply beautiful. Check it out.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

10/21/09: Golden Skans, by Klaxons

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

London, UK

10/20/09: Tricycle, by Psapp

Listen to it HERE

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:16:00.000-08:00

London, UK

10/19/09: So Human, by Lady Sovereign

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:09:00.000-08:00

Trinidad/Tobago

10/18/09: Big Lost, by Diplo

Listen to it HERE

This is pretty fabulous.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T15:01:00.000-08:00

Glasgow, UK

10/17/09: A Love Economy, by De Rosa

Listen to it HERE

A very Death Cab sound, and I like it. Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia, PA

10/16/09: Try Again, by Hail Social

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

Brazil

10/15/09: Solta O Frango, by Bonde Do Role [Bitchee Bitchee]

Listen to it HERE

Love this! Check it out, yo.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:34:00.000-08:00

London, UK

10/14/09: I Love You, by Esser - Prince Paul Mix

Listen to it HERE

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

London, UK

10/13/09: Launch Yourself, by Adem

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

Louisville, KY

10/12/09: Highly Suspicious, by My Morning Jacket

Listen to it HERE

Love this! My first My Morning Jacket love.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:20:00.000-08:00

London, UK

10/11/09: Night Is On Fire, by Me My Head

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

NY, NY

10/10/09: Talk To The Bomb, by Brazilian Girls

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

Toronto, CA

10/9/09: Word Up, by MSTRKRFT (feat. Ghostface Killah)

Listen to it HERE

I think this is chuck full o' fabulosity. Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T14:05:00.001-08:00

Somerville, MA

10/8/09: UV Theme, by U.V. Protection

Listen to it HERE

This has to be the coolest song I've ever heard about quality assurance and employment policies. Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T13:57:00.000-08:00

Atlanta, GA

10/7/09: Never Stops, by Deerhunter

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

Manhattan, NY

10/6/09: Street Gang, by A.R.E. Weapons

Listen to it HERE

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T13:49:00.000-08:00

NO, LA

10/5/09: Bobby Beale, by The Generationals

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-11-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

France

10/4/09: Are You Vegetarian, by Joakim

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

Barcelona, Spain

10/3/09: Fish Tank, by The Last 3 Lines

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Atlanta, GA

10/2/09: Stay Here, by Chris Cauley

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

Sydney, Australia

10/1/09: Marching On, by SoundCasino

Listen to it HERE

First song I'm posting that I discovered on OurStage. Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Berlin, Germany

9/30/09: High on the Heels, by The Whitest Boy Alive

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

New York, NY

9/29/09: Mr and Mrs Fader, by Flight Crash Companion

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T21:02:00.001-07:00

Noid, England

9/28/09: How Do You Like Me Now?, by Heavy

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this! RockandRoll

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:58:00.001-07:00

Paris, France

9/27/09: I'm a Man, by Black Strobe

Listen to it HERE

Rrrrrockandroll

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:55:00.001-07:00

Detroit, MI

9/26/09: Leave My Kitten Alone, by The Detroit Cobras

Listen to it HERE

Bluesy chick Rock and Roll w/attitude. LOVE.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:52:00.001-07:00

Ireland

9/25/09: Low Rising, by The Swell Season

Listen to it HERE

LOVE this.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

LA, CA

9/24/09: Sailing to Byzntium, by Liars

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Scotland, UK

9/23/09: Keeping Warm, by We Were Promised Jetpacks

Listen to it HERE

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

North Hills, CA

9/22/09: Friends, by 22-20s

Listen to it HERE

Such a good song; it's pretty.

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC

9/21/09: 3 Day Packet Plan, by The Delta 72

Listen to it HERE

More good Rock and Roll...

Tracy :)

Recommended Song of the Day

2009-10-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

New York, NY

9/20/09: Money Rock'n'Roll, by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Listen to it HERE

Ok, I've always been a fan of Rock and Roll. It's the music of my childhood. It can provide SO MUCH that only Rock and Roll can. and MAN have I been on a kick lately! Check these guys out!

Tracy :)