We All Want Someone To Shout For

The Online Romance are a six piece pop band from Portland, Oregon. Their music is a blend of baroque melody, girl group inspired harmonies and folk storytelling. They harmonize and all members take turns singing. If you had to compare them to other bands Belle & Sebastian seem to be your best bet. They are currently working on an album and trying to find a label to release it on. They gave me a free mp3 of one of the songs that will most likely be on the album titled “Ladybug, Don’t Smile” It is very good. I have high hopes for the rest of the album. They also got some songs on their myspace that will be on the album so if you like the mp3 below go check those out as well. Delightful Portland pop rock is something I will never tired of.

[mp3] : The Online Romance – Ladybug, Don’t Smile

I love good new wave/dancerock music and Monomen play just that. Check out the infectious track “Drum of Glass” which takes all of the good stuff from the British new wave era of the 1980′s and makes one killer track. The Norwegian quartet is just a rush of energy from the driving beat to the sweeping vocals this track remains one of the freshest things I have heard from Norway in…ever??? They released their album Monomen LP back in 2007 but it’s not like it has seen any light of day here in the states. They have made a few performances at gigs like CMJ but nothing too big otherwise. On Asian Spacestation they really sound like Joy Division/The Editors, it is almost scary at some points!

Give “Drum Of Glass” and “Neon” a listen and get your self acquainted with these guys. With band’s like Cut Copy emerging very strong on the indie scene, it won’t be long until these guys get some notice.

[mp3] : Monomen – Drum Of Glass

[mp3] : Monomen – Asian Spacestation

Visit Monomen at their Myspace

Wintermitts are a bilingual quintet from Vancouver BC who use a diverse set of instruments along with both English and French lyrics to craft some really delightful pop music. The band has been together since 2005 and they really have produced a familiar yet original sound. Familiar in the sense that this is a bright, warm, indie album. Original in their approach to making their music. They use a wide assortment of instruments such as an accordion and glockenspiel. There are moments where they reminded me of Arcade Fire or Los Campesinos. The band can bring both upbeat, charming, guitar happy pop tracks along with more intimate instrumentals. The fact that they are bilingual is a part of what makes them so special. Although you may not know what they are saying, the music fits so well with the unfamiliar lyrics that you actually enjoy not knowing what they are saying. It adds a sense of mystery that the music helps you clear up in your mind.

The songs are not reinvented rock and roll but rather making an irresistible indie album that they seemed to pull of with ease. Songs like “Mer De l’Atlantique” are enchanting. “Dans” is a true pop gem that stood out to me instantly with hand claps, anxious shouts, and a beat that you could nod along to. Wintermitts have delighted me with the refreshing “Heirloom” and you should invest some time. It will make your day that much better.

[mp3] : Wintermitts – Dans

[mp3] : Wintermitts – Schoolyard

Visit Wintermitts on Myspace | Buy Their Album

Rollingstone has just posted that they caught Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond at a Manhattan studio and when asked about the situation with him and the rest of The Strokes he said:

“We’re getting back together for the first time in two years, and it’s very exciting,” says Albert. “We’re just going to start working on songs. I mean, sounds — we don’t even have the songs. We got to get back to playing first. That’s all I know. Right now, it’s just February 11th at 2 o’clock we’re going to the studio to hang out and play music. I just know the date and time.”

It’s about damn time! We neeeeed a new Strokes album already!

[mp3] : The Strokes – Meet Me In The Bathroom

Hot Chip were picked by New Order to cover Joy Division’s “Transmission” as part of the War Child’s: Heroes charity compilation. Well New Order knew what they are doing because this is a really good cover. They fit the bill perfectly! Check it out below:

Stream it at Stereogum

You can buy the Heroes album right here

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5xm0e8AX0s

Can you say trippy? It actually reminded me of an itunes commerical….if you were on acid + shrooms. Gotta love the visuals!

This has been some month for Animal Collective. They released one of the most buzzed about albums in memory, with many calling it the best of 2009 already. Yesterday the acclaimed album “Merriweather Post Pavilion” finally came out on CD (Came out 2 weeks ago on vinyl) and they returned to NYC to make their first MPP performance at the Grand Ballroom. The theater was packed with hipsters young and old. There were many hot lady hipsters in attendance on a quick side note….

Opening band Blues Control was alright, most people talked right over them but than again it isn’t the band’s fault. These people are dying to see Panda Bear, Avey Tare, and The Geologist. They had a few cool songs but overall I didn’t really get much out of them. Sorry guys!

Animal Collective came on and the room exploded with anticipation. They started it off properly with the great MPP opener “In The Flowers”. The crowd was completely into it dancing/moving along with the building beat. I was amazed at how well Avey and Panda’s vocals sounded live, they really do the songs justice. They quickly went into the older classic “Leaf House” and the crowd completely ate it up, it was one of the many highlights of the night. The band then gave us a taste of a new song “Blue Sky” which took some time to build up but the end result was nice. From then they hit 4 MPP songs in a row, one of which really blew me away just as I hoped: “Summertime Clothes”. They gave us a really strong performance of “Summertime Clothes” that got everyone dancing along to the beat and signing along eagarly. It was one the best moments of the night for me. The biggest moment of the night was the mega 3 song monster combo of “Fireworks”, “My Girls”, and “Brother Sport”. “Fireworks” has become a classic already with a really great singalong from the crowd really connecting to Avey. They extended it for almost 12 minutes leading into the new fan favorites “My Girls” and “Brother Sport” which got the crowd dancing wildly, making the floor fucking feel like it was moving like a wave up and down!! Avey made every scream and lyric count not letting up any of his passion or emotions. While Panda Bear really impressed me with his singing abilitiy live, adding in some new impressive falsettos on “Daily Routine”.

They came back for an encore of the amazing epic “Feels” track “Banshee Beat” that really showed the band had some much depth aside from their MPP bass heavy tracks. It was a reminder of the older Animal Collective, and it was an epic moment. They ended the set with the reworked “Slippi” which was the most “rock oriented” tracks of the night giving the crowd something really to move along to. However I expected a more epic finish with something like “Grass”, “Peacebone”, or something that the crowd would really freak out towards. They had the crowd in their control and they really could have ended it with a bigger bang!!!

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The crowd was high as a kite, and they really made it that much better. The strobe lights really added something to the songs, and made the show a true experience. I just wish they could have played more tracks from MPP such as “Bluish” and “No More Runnin”. Like I enjoyed “Fireworks” but those 12 minutes could have been shortened down so more songs could be played. Oh well, you can’t have it all can you? They put on one hell of a performance last night, and if you are seeing them tonight at the Bowery, have a good time!!! I hope to buy tickets for their Terminal 5 performance as well!

Setlist
In The Flowers
Leaf House
Blue Sky
Guys Eyes
Summertime Clothes
Daily Routine
Lion in a Coma
Lablakely Dress
Fireworks
My Girls
Brother Sport
Encore
Banshee Beat
Slippi

nyc taper recorded the show for us and here are a few mp3s!!:

[mp3] : Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes (Live 1/20/09 NYC)

[mp3] : Animal Collective – My Girls (Live 1/20/09 NYC)

[mp3] : Animal Collective – Banshee Beat (Live 1/20/09 NYC)

Also as another bonus check out the 2 videos I recorded of My Girls and Fireworks!!:

My Girls

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eORmI_7yiFU

Fireworks

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TCIqQ7Jidg

Well I was reading /film’s Sundance movie reviews and came upon the film 500 Days Of Summer. The film looks awesome, reminding me of Garden State/Juno. The trailer was really well done, aside from the annoying narrarator. What really stood out to me was the amazing music that fit the trailer perfectly. I immidiatly looked into the song and found out it was by a band named The Temper Trap called “Sweet Disposition”.

I have had this song on repeat for days, and it keeps on blowing my mind. The song is glowing with melody due to lead singer Dougy’s ethereal soaring vocals. The song is full of delay and receiving some comparisons to 80′s u2. The song is really great. They only have on EP under their belt, and are currently working on their debut album with Jim Abbiss who has also worked with the Arctic Monkeys. If the album has any more songs like this, it will be one hell of a force. These guys have a really big atmospheric sound going for them, and it seems to come so so easy. Highly reccomended!!! Give it a play:

[mp3] : The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

Visit The Temper Trap at Myspace

Thanks to dvr I was able to skip straight to the performances and oh man where they fantastic! Fleet Foxes were absolutely great on SNL, nailing every note perfectly. They played “Mykonos” from their “Sun Giant EP” and “Blue Ridge Mountains” from their self titled debut LP. The performances certainly helped them get out to a bigger audience. I noticed their album has gone #1 on itunes. Good for them. Watch the performances below:

Mykonos

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bJC330fBPM

Blue Ridge Mountains

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUhXAGnbkwM

[mp3] : Fleet Foxes – Mykonos

Aside from She & Him, M. Ward’s other project with Zooey Deschanel I am not too familiar with him. I have heard mostly positive things about his work and have been meaning to dig into his work. Well Stereogum posted a brand new track of his called “Never Had Nobody Like You” that will be on his new album “Hold Time”. I really enjoyed the song and the sorta old fashioned blues guitar sound that M. Ward has. Plus Zooey has some backing vocals on this track which is good. (btw congrats to Ben Gibbard, a lucky, lucky man indeed!) I’ve been reading that this album is M. Ward’s best yet, so I may just start with it. If you think I am wrong, drop me a comment and tell me otherwise!!

[mp3] : M. Ward – Never Had Nobody Like You

“Hold Time” is set to release on 2/17 on Merge Records. Purchase it here.