I’m way late on this cover, but it’s too good not to share. Last summer, Two Door Cinema Club stopped by Australian radio station Triple J, and recorded a brilliant cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecilia”. They absolutely nailed the song, and I think you guys will dig the hell out of it.
Don’t know where I was when this originally came out. Must have been sleeping.
[mp3]: Two Door Cinema Club – Cecilia (Simon & Garfunkel Cover)
Forgot to post this. Damn shame, because I’m loving the hell out of it right now. The Lonely Island have done it again. I mean, they’ve now made both T-Pain & Akon somewhat cool. That deserves applause. It should be on their new album coming out later this year.
Just favorite the video already. It’s going to be stuck in your head anyway…
Tapes ‘n Tapes – Outside | 2011 | Ibid Records
Purchase at Insound
Tapes ‘n Tapes wonderful debut album The Loon captured many hearts in 2005. I distinctly remember it coming out just as I was discovering the world of indie rock. It was the first time that I saw a band rise from blogs to wide acclaim. Unfortunately, this type of fame is both a blessing and a curse. People were ready to rip apart their sophomore effort, before it was even conceived.
Walk It Off, the band’s 2008 follow up to The Loon got a lukewarm reception, and the bands future seemed bleak. Many felt that the album was lacking any hooks, and that it suffered from overproduction. Sure, it lacked the charm of The Loon, but it wasn’t totally disposable as critics made it out to be.
So here we are in 2011, and the band is finally back with a new album. It’s a new decade and enough time has passed for people to hit the refresh button. The band has gone back to their roots, releasing new album Outside on their own record label, Ibid Records, just like they did for The Loon.
At this point, Tapes ‘N Tapes have nothing to prove to anyone but themselves. They went out and made the record that they wanted. After listening to Outside, it’s safe to say that Tapes ‘n Tapes are feeling comfortable once again.
The album starts well with opener “Badaboom”. It shines with earnest warmth, bringing you close to the record. The lively horns in “One In The World” gives the impression that the band has loosened up a bit, which is a good thing. With that in mind, the best songs from Tapes ‘n Tapes are the ones where they let loose and hit the rock out button.
Remember the freak out rock of “10 Gallon Ascots”? Moments like that are when the band is at their best. This is why first single “Freakout” stands so tall amongst the rest of the album. Don’t get me wrong, as a whole this is a pretty solid album. It’s just, no song quite holds a candle to it. It sounds like the best 90s rock and roll that never was. It perfectly captures the live energy of Tapes ‘n Tapes, that too often gets lost in some of their recordings.
Hearing the band bring the rock at the end of “Hidee Ho” treads towards psych rock, and it’s a good fit for them. “People You Know” is a solid pop song that showed flashes of the same catch songwriting that we heard on The Loon.
Overall, Tapes ‘n Tapes made a solid attempt to return to form. Some songs may be more memorable than others, but it’s a pretty solid record. It’s an album that got better after a few listens, and it may even grow even more as the year continues. Tapes ‘n Tapes aren’t a band that are flashy upon first listen, but I think this album is warm enough to find a way in your heart at the end of the day. Forget about what they did in the past, and just enjoy this new album for what it is.
What do you think about Outside? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and your own score.
[mp3]: Tapes ‘n Tapes – Freak Out
[mp3]: Tapes ‘n Tapes – Freak Out – Badaboom
Zach Hart, my bud over at We Listen For You directed the new music video for The Pass’s song “Walk Away”. I love The Pass, and I love this music video as well.
Check it out:
The Pass – “Walk Away” Music Video from Visual Space Media on Vimeo.
Wavves just gave away a new song called “Mutant” for free via this tweet. It was attached to the Japanese version of King Of The Beach (why do all the exclusives seem to go to the Japanese? No seriously, I’m curious…) so Wavves thought it was only fair if we got it. It may even be released as a 7″.
Download it below:
[mp3]: Wavves – Mutant
Woke up today and saw that Cut Copy’s new album Zonoscope had leaked. I absolutely love the dance rock that Cut Copy bring to the table, and am really looking forward to the new album. I figured what better album to live blog the leak of. With that said, I’m going to buy it on vinyl when it comes out, and I will try and make their next NYC show. You can pre-order it from itunes right here.
So let’s see how the first listen is:
1. Need You Now - This is a sexy start. Dan’s vocals sound very 80s. This sounds like a trip through a dreamy club while on e. Dreamy is the best way to describe this. This just glorious sounding dance rock. Some timely female vocals to add to it’s wonderful climax. What a way to kick off an album. I have a good feeling about the rest of Zonoscope, if this is any indication how the rest of the album is. Magical start. 2:06 p.m.
2. Take Me Over – I’ve been playing this non-stop ever since it came out. This song is everything I love about Cut Copy. Amazing bassline, lush vocals, big fat chorus. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think they changed the song a bit from it’s first release. I think the part before the chorus was altered a bit. Either way, this song holds up just as well, if not better, than it did when we first heard it. Absolute gold. 2:13 p.m.
3. Where I’m Going – Nice transition into this from “Take Me Over”. The band is always good at doing that. This sounds a bit different too, but the changes in the mix help. This one still finds ways to continue to grow on me. Don’t tell me you don’t feel the same? 2:21 p.m.
4. Pharaohs & Pyramids – Turn the bass up loud for this one. This is one of the most club ready songs that they’ve ever created. This needs to be blasted with the lights off and the strobe lights/fog machines turned on. The production is the shining star here. Ah take in the glorious breakdown around 3:40. 2:26 p.m.
5. Blink And You’ll Miss A Revolution – I remember hearing this one live, and absolutely loving it. It sounds even better recorded, and that’s saying a lot, trust me. I think this has a chance of being the standout track for a lot of people, myself included. From the dirty, throbbing bassline, to the high soaring chorus, this one’s a winner. 2:30 p.m.
6. Strange Nostalgia For The Future – A slow instrumental track that allows us to breath a little. Stretch your legs, and get ready to dance some more. 2:32 p.m.
7. This Is All We’ve Got - Druggy vocals lead the way for this one. This is one of the more psychedelic rock tracks that we’ve heard from them. Trippy stuff. I think I’m gonna need to spend more time with this one and let it grow. It has plenty of bright spots but I need to absorb it all. Cool song, though. 2:37 p.m.
8. Alisa - I think we heard previews of this in the studio videos that they posted. First thought: Tight, tight, bassline. You come to expect them from Cut Copy, and they keep delivering them in style. Lots of interesting parts. Recognize that scream of “Alisa” through the guitar from the videos. 2:41 p.m.
9. Hanging Onto Every Heartbeat - Best way to describe this so far is very chill. The synths sound magical. Pretty nice. 2:47 p.m.
10. Corner Of The Sky - Funky bass, tribal sounding percussion, with some smooth vocals that sounds lost and haunted. Like this one quite a bit. The vocals are the hero of this track. I think this one could see a lot of cool remixes if done right. 2:51 p.m.
11. Sun God – Here we are at the last track, an intimidating 15 minutes long. Let’s see where this one takes us.. Well its long and there’s a lot of instrumental to take in. It does have legs though, and I think this was a bold move. Does it pay off? I don’t know if I can say yet. Only time will tell. 3:07 p.m.
Alright, so there you have it. After one listen I can safely say Cut Copy are back. Stop right now if your asking if it’s as good as In Ghost Colours, because there’s no point. This is a good album in it’s own right. They experiment with some now sounds here and it pays off. There are some songs that are better than others, and some that need to grow on me. It was a very solid first listen. I’m excited to listen some more so I can peel some more layers and see the album for what it really is.
If you’ve listened to it as well, please leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what you think.
Panda Bear attached a new song called “Atiba Song” to a new skate video from Atiba Jefferson and Ty Evans. No official confirmation whether its on Tomboy, but I hope it is, because this song is out of this world. So much beauty.
Watch the video below, and grab a mp3 rip right after it.
ATIBA EVANS Panasonic GH2 Skate from skatefairy on Vimeo.
[mp3]: Panda Bear – Atiba Song
Posted below is the grainy music video for the Robert Smith featured Crystal Castles song “Not In Love”. It was included in my top 100 songs of 2010.
Panda Bear has finally completed his new album Tomboy. The album is set for an April 19th release on Animal Collective’s label, Paw Tracks. The songs that were released as 7″ singles will be included on Tomboy. The songs are seeing production/mixing help from Sonic Boom right now.
There is still one more 7″ on the way. It will be the final one, and it will be released on Kompakt pretty soon.
Mister Heavenly is a indie super-group consisting of Nick Thorburn of Islands, Honus Honus from Man Man, and Joe Plummer from Modest Mouse. Michael Cera is a touring member as well. Talk about a pitch perfect indie super group.
Today they gave fans a reason to get excited. They gave away two of their songs as a free download. First was the exciting “Mister Heavenly”, a song that grooves and moves, showcasing the unique sound that each member brings to the table The second track, Pineapple Girl, reminds me a lot of the Islands. Always a good thing.
I may venture out to see the band at Bowery this Sunday. Maybe you should join me. Test out both tracks below:
[mp3]: Mister Heavenly – Mister Heavenly
[mp3]: Mister Heavenly – Pineapple Girl
