[video] Neon Indian - "Should Have Taken Acid With You"

Neon Indian - "Should Have Taken Acid With You" - Live at Great Scott from Extraneous Noise on Vimeo.

I’ve mentioned this once or twice, but unlike most I wasn’t enamored with Neon Indian’s 2009 debut Psychic Chasms. Although there were a couple of cool songs and the talent and potential were obvious, I found the overall sound a bit on the thin side and a few of the songs less than compelling. So far in 2010, it’s a completely different story. First there was the Fallon performance where they basically tore the roof off the place. Next there was the surprise free single “Sleep Paralysist”, which still stands as one of the new year’s best songs. Now, here’s a full band live video of “Should Have Taken Acid With You” courtesy of Extraneous Noise recorded in Allston, MA back in early February. Further proof that this band just keeps getting better. Neon Indian 2010 > Neon Indian 2009.

MP3 :: Sleep Paralysist
(free single through Green Label Sound. Info here)
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PHW's April Mix

MP3 :: The Mermaid Parade / Phosphorescent
MP3 :: Youth / Beach Fossils
MP3 :: You Only Like Me / PENS
MP3 :: Zebra (UK Radio Edit) / Beach House
MP3 :: Lately (Troisieme) / Memoryhouse
MP3 :: Isbjörnskatten / The Deer Tracks
MP3 :: Relief / Sam Amidon
MP3 :: Afraid Of Everyone / The National
MP3 :: Twenty Miles / Deer Tick
MP3 :: Come Talk To Me / Bon Iver (Peter Gabriel cover)
MP3 :: Invisibility: Nonexistent / Kurt Vile
MP3 :: Blue Thunder / Galaxie 500
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[mp3] Phosphorescent - "The Mermaid Parade"

Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade is an annual event held to mark the start of summer in one of Brooklyn‘s oldest and most famed neighborhoods. It’s basically a Mardi Gras-like environment, with large groups of diverse people walking around in costume and making merry. Keeping with the spirit of real mermaids (think more Daryl Hannah than Ariel), a rather large amount of women choose to march topless. So that’s cool about it. It’s a festive environment, and not necessarily one that you’d think of making a setting for a beautiful country weeper. But here you go.

Today Stereogum premiered “The Mermaid Parade” from the forthcoming Phosphorescent album Here’s To Taking It Easy (Dead Oceans, 5/11), and it seems like songwriter Matthew Houck has taken his experience covering Willie Nelson to heart. This is the second song from the new album (after the rollicking, horn-fueled It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)) to possess a more straight-country feel than the haunting, night-sky folk of 2007’s brilliant Pride. The new sound is working just fine for me - this one’s as pretty as a song gets, with some great specific lyrics (“Now New York this morning’, it was 8 A.M. L.A. time”; “Yeah I found a new friend too and yeah she‘s pretty and small, but goddamnit Amanda, oh goddamn it all”) and a fitting bed of pedal steel guitar and piano. There are a bunch of new albums coming from big named indie-artists in the next few weeks. I’d bet money Here’s To Taking It Easy has them all beat.

MP3 :: The Mermaid Parade
(from Here’s To Taking It Easy. Info here)
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[mp3] The Deer Tracks - "Isbjörnskatten"

Swedish electro-pop duo The Deer Tracks usually write songs in English, but this new one, from their Eggegrund EP, is in their native tongue. And like most of those Northern European/Scandinavian languages, when you hear it sung well, it comes across as both strikingly beautiful and completely alien (see Sigur Rós). The calming, hypnotic “Isbjörnskatten” fits that description, and is based on a traditional folk tale about a cat that wants to be a polar bear. Hm. You should have a listen:

MP3 :: Isbjörnskatten
(from Eggegrund. Buy here)
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[mp3] Memory Tapes - "Bicycle" (Little Loud Remix)

Memory Tapes' web-hit "Bicycle" gets the remix treatment here from Little Loud. Seek Magic will be recieving a 2nd pressing from Acephole Records, who have commissioned a series of just such remixes that will be released for free over the coming weeks. Love how this one kind of explodes with joy about half way through.

.

MP3 :: Bicycle (Little Loud Remix)

(originally from Seek Magic. Buy here)

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[mp3] Beach Fossils - "Youth"

If you pay attention around here you may be familiar with Beach Fossil’s “Time”, which was released late last year as a 7” single by Woodsist and was featured on my December mix. Captured Tracks is now prepping the band’s official self-titled full length debut, out May 25th. “Youth” (as well as a batch of other new songs streaming at their myspace) continues the breezy beach-pop/garage rock that caught my attention back in the dead of winter and seems perfectly timed for the long hot summer days and nights ahead.

MP3 :: Youth
(from Beach Fossils. Info via I Guess I’m Floating)
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John Prine live album/tribute album on the way

For those in the know, the song catalog of John Prine is an absolute treasure. Possessing the rare gift of being able to use humor as effectively as heartfelt emotion, Prine released his classic debut way back in 1971 and has been consistent pretty much ever since. In fact, two of my very favorite Prine songs, 1995’s “Lake Marie” from Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings, and 1999’s “In Spite of Ourselves” from the album of the same name, were released 25 to nearly 30 years after his debut, which I think says a lot for the man’s lasting brilliance with a pen and a guitar. Catch a live version of “In Spite Of Ourselves” from Sessions At West 54th here.

So it’s nice tonight to be able to share two news bits regarding upcoming Prine related releases. First of all, a new live album is in the works - In Person & On Stage collects an assortment of performances from over the past few years. Featuring guest spots from Iris Dement, Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter, among others, the album will draw on songs from throughout his career, from his debut through 2005’s Fair & Square. You can download “Long Monday” below and “She Is My Everything” for the price of an email right here.

Also, get this. A tribute album is due from Oh Boy Records on June 22. Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows will feature contributions from such indie-folk/rock mainstays as Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, Josh Ritter, Lambchop, Justin Townes Earle, The Avett Brother, Drive-By Truckers, and Deer Tick. Sounds promising. More info on that one when it becomes available. Until then:

MP3 :: Long Monday (live)
(from In Person & On Stage. Info here)
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[stream] The National - High Violet

Apparently a low quality version of The National’s upcoming High Violet is out there on the interweb for those of you leak-savvy types. For the honest citizens among you (raise your hands…anyone?) the band has decided to stream the new album in high audio quality over at the New York Times website starting this coming Friday, April 23. Sorry to get your immediate-gratification hopes up. Get in line here. Until then you can still hear two new songs via the free and legal downloads the band has already graciously provided.

MP3 :: Bloodbuzz Ohio
MP3 :: Afraid of Everyone
(from High Violet. Info here)
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[video] LCD Soundsystem - "Drunk Girls"

Here’s the batshit-crazy official video for the hilariously shallow, Velvet Underground-referencing “Drunk Girls” from LCD Soundsystem’s forthcoming This Is Happening (May 18). Oh (drunk girls) it tickle me down to my toes, oh (drunk girls) I said now goodness knows.

Stream :: This Is Happening
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The Tallest Man On Earth - The Wild Hunt

It’s rare to see a songwriter like Kristian Matsson get the attention and respect he deserves from a larger section of the online press than simply the die-hard folkies, as the recent “Best New Music” nod from Pitchfork, as well as all the recent posts from blogs usually reserved for music much more “now” sounding than this, attests. As The Tallest Man On Earth, Matsson writes and performs songs that are hardly ever arranged beyond their most basic elements - often just violently strummed or delicately-picked acoustic guitar and the kind of voice that will get a room to stand in rapt attention. No chill-wave sound effects, no raging electric guitars, and no looped beats to be found. Songs with little flash beyond the bare sounds and the often striking words. I may have gotten into 2008’s Shallow Grave a few months late, but it left such a mark that I’ve been anticipating its follow up since it was first announced.

His latest, The Wild Hunt, has already produced a pair of appetite-whetting early singles, “King of Spain” and “Burden of Tomorrow”. Both are representative of what to expect from the new material, and fans of Shallow Grave will not at all be disappointed. There are a few surprises to be found though - “Love Is All”, perhaps a reference to his fellow Swedes in the band sharing the same name, has a unique and refreshing chorus melody, and “You’re Going Back” sounds downright angry in a way that I don’t remember hearing before in Matsson’s songs. Perhaps most disarming is album closer “Kids On The Run”, a piano ballad/anthem that may have it’s inspiration in last year’s Daytrotter version of Shallow Grave’s “I Won’t Be Found”. Simply put, it’s one of the best songs I‘ve heard all year. If you’re going to invite the “early Dylan” comparisons (not to mention those of early blues-men like Dock Boggs, Mississippi John Hurt, and Leadbelly) as obviously as Matsson does you better have the songs to back it up - and he has them in spades. Simple arrangements and all, The Wild Hunt is one of the year’s freshest albums. It’s also one of the best.

MP3 :: King Of Spain
MP3 :: Burden of Tomorrow
(from The Wild Hunt. Buy here)
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[mp3] PENS - "You Only Like Me"

Add London’s PENS to the growing list of noteworthy female bands inspired in equal measure by garage, punk, Phil Spector and recording on the cheap. “You Only Like Me”, from a recent 7” released by De Stijl Records, is 3 minutes of fuzzy spirit and glistening melodies.

MP3 :: You Only Like Me
(from the ‘Love Rules’ b/w ‘You Only Like Me’ 7”. Buy here)
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J. Tillman does Daytrotter

After releasing two of my favorite albums of 2009, my gut tells me J. Tillman looks to have a quiet 2010 on the solo front. That’s just speculation of course, I could be (and hope I am) wrong, but I expect that Tillman has been and is still hard at work contributing to the rumored/promised sophomore album from Fleet Foxes (Tillman’s the drummer/backing vocalist) rather than working on his own material. To help tide those of us who prefer his solo work over, Tillman recently brought his band into the Daytrotter studio for another session (there was one last year). Have a listen to three full band songs - one each from his last three solo efforts. There’s “Though I Have Wronged You” from Cancer and Delirium, “Firstborn” from Vacilando Territory Blues, and “Crosswinds” from Year In The Kingdom. [EDIT - whoops, "Though I Have Wronged You" is also from Year In The Kingdom. C + D is not represented this time]

MP3 :: Though I Have Wronged You/Firstborn/Crosswinds
(from Daytrotter)
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