Last month we find out about the greatness of Jens Leman, the following week we find out he is quitting music (sort of), and now he’s giving away his three tour EP’s for FREE on his site. These were beautifully packaged limited edition EP’s that are all currently sold out (Did I say limited edition?). He also mentions on his blog? journal? whatever?, that we should say no to The Sounds, and Yes to the Embassy, and I think thats about right.

Jens Lekman - Run Away With Me

I’m not sure why people start writing blogs, or why I even started writing a blog, but I’m pretty sure some have ambitions of getting snatched up as some sort of underground knowledgable writer, that went against the system to become a distinguished rock n’ roll journalist for Rolling Stone or Spin or someone of the like. Sticking it to the “man”, by never going to journalism school, studying the media, or paying much attention to grammar. Not to say that I am an excellent writer, or ever claim to be that, in a recent interview when asked to describe my writing skills I said “they are at least practiced,” needless to say I didn’t get that particular job, but anyway. We all know Rolling Stone sucks, and we know its corporate, and we all saw Kurt Cobain wear his t-shirt on the cover, so it really isn’t a shock for me to say that I really think Rolling Stone is the steak through the eye, the deathblow have you, to all Rock n’ Roll critiquing. Read the rest of this entry »

Built to Spill is back!! Armed with guitars rifles and melody bullets. rock. And apparently Warner Bros. has already filled up the file sharing networks with the full version of the album, with one addition, the name dropping of fellow Warner Bros. labelmate Mike Jones periodically throughout the album. Ohhh, Warner Bros., Looney Tunes indeed!! I would like to think that Built to Spill would have the emotional artistic gusto to pull this off with out it being annoying, but “who is mike jones?” being dropped in the middle of an ethereal guitar solo is just more than any mortal man can handle. Anyway here’s a track.

Built To Spill - Conventional Wisdom (Who is Mike Jones? Remix)

PS - I’d like to thank my main man brandon, of elbo.ws fame, for the new in-browser flash based music player thinger, looks much prettier than that del.icio.us thing I was using.

I saw Rogue Wave a few weeks back at the Bowery Ballroom, I like Rogue Wave, but for some reason seeing them live was kind of a let down. I don’t really know what I was expecting, but they still write really good songs, like this rarity, called “Eyes”, which previously I have only seen on their myspace page, it’s another song that just proves they are masters of melody, and heck the lead singers name is Zack, ain’t nothin wrong with that!

Rogue Wave - Eyes

And why isn’t he bigger than Sufjan!? Sirius radio’s Left of Center has a channel plug that goes something like “The current indie capital of the world is Omaha Nebraska,” cue clip of Cursive, to Bright Eyes, “and if that changes we will let you know, blah blah Left of Center” Well maybe if was 2002 they would be close, but its 2006 now, and Canada took over for a spell, but now its time for that icy peninsula of the North to take over, with Radio Dept, and Jens Lekman spilling out great releases this coming year, time to get your Viking on!!

Jens Lekman - Black Cab

Jens Lekman - Maple Leaves

Sorry for the lack of posting, but most of my time these days, has been taken up reading all things Bears, and Windy City Gridiron has been there for me the whole time. Anyway music has been boring, I wrote a review for Jens Lekman’s b-sides and EP compilation over at eleven elephants, look for my top 10 and a lambasting of Rolling Stone magazine after the new year. Until then.. Go Bears!

What happens when two super indie folk pop heads unite and have a show in New York City? Did the walls of Webster Hall become so soaked with estrogen, they tenderized and fell in on themselves, leaving one humungous hipster oil spill into the streets of Manhatten, and thus ruining counltess others day as they leave the Loewe’s Theatre after seeing Chicken Little in 3D? No, because I’m sure it was awesome and I’m still waiting to hear something or anything about Sufjan’s suprise involvement in last nights Iron and Wine and Calexico (or is it Iron, Wine, and Calexico, stupid grammar) show at Webster hall.

I went out and bought me that Wilco Live album everyone is talking about yesterday, and when I got home I was mostly pleased. Sounds a whole heck of a lot better than these bootlegs of live shows (duh) I’ve been clutching on to for the past few years. I had only one gripe about the tracklist, there is no Kingpin. Kingpin is a song that was, well, pretty good on the album, but has become sort of a phenomenon in the Wilco setlist. As anyone knows that has listened to multiple Wilco bootlegs or live shows, in Kingpin lies the true character and uniqueness of the set usually turning into the time when Jeff Tweedy rants, cracks jokes, or just checks out how the crowd is doing, all in between mind bending screams from the audience. Anyway I have chose to include 4 of my favorite Kingpins here, enjoy.

Wilco - Kingpin - Live Chicago 10/30/2004

Wilco - Kingpin - Live Philadelphia 6/23/2005

Wilco - Kingpin - Live London 3/14/2005

Wilco - Kingpin - Live Tempe 11/20/2004

The Radio Dept. are back again, well they never really went anywhere, it just takes a long time for their albums and EP’s to float across the vast Atlantic Ocean, at least its not the Pacific. Anyway, I found another EP of theirs Pulling Our Weight, which was released fairly recently on the very much underrated Labrador Records. If I could use Labrador in an analogy it would go something like this:

Labrador:Sweden::Merge:Canada

Well maybe thats not really accurate being that most of Merge’s acts are from the US, but whatever you get the point. Labrador brings us the best stuff from Sweden, including Pulling Our Weight. Which contains one of the best pop songs ever recorded, “I Don’t Need Love, I’ve Got My Band” sure thats a bit dramatic, but isn’t that the only way things get attention in the blogosphere. I remember reading somewhere that the latest Spoon album was “like better, than The Beatles Revolver man.” Really? Spoon?

Radio Dept. - I Don’t Need Love I’ve Got My Band

Occasionally, ok at least once a month, I get really sort of disguisted with music. The trivialness of it all, I know I spend way too much time thinking about it, researching it, spending money on it. Probably better spent learning a computer language, investing in some sort stocks, or even reading a book. So there have been a lack of posts here the past week, and I often say I’m not goin to write about about crap if there isn’t crap to write about. Although many people probably think the stuff I write about is crap anyway. So thats basically what I have to say about blogging in general, everyone is chasing there tail to give you the next Clap Your Hands Say Yeah or whatever, some day blogging will become just as obnoxious, if it hasn’t already, as the good ol’ free radio. So I’m basically on the look out for something to thrill me again, and until then, buy the Clue to Kalo album.