Bishop Allen and my return from Spain

Hey everyone! I feel mildly guilty about not posting. Actually, I feel really guilty. That whole a capella thing just did not cut it. My schedule has been ridiculously hectic, though, I swear. Spain was fantastic, 1) yes I did encounter the Spanish-indie scene, 2) yes I will post on it, 3) no, not right now. But, let's get straight back to the music, which, thankfully, has not stopped changing while I was gone.



Blogs all over are crazy about Bishop Allen, an affluent group of talented people straight out of Brooklyn. The group's two core members, Justin Rice (keyboard and vocals) and Christian Rudder (various stringed instruments), are old friends who are supported by a rotating group of other band members.

The band has received great reviews from some pretty credible sources, like NPR, which says that it "has mastered the art of quirky, unassuming pop with a fragile heart", and Rolling Stone, which calls the band's tracks "charmed harmonic bliss".

Basically, Bishop Allen is everything I always wanted The Shins to be and more. Justin Rice has the perfect voice for the lyric-oriented folk that the group generally produces (Fans of Bright Eyes will certainly like this group), yet at the same time, there is a more poppy side to be heard as well. Really, the vocals are just... good. Also, the guitar and keyboard melodies are very strong. In other words, these guys know what they are doing.

Their first album, Charm School came out in May 2003. In 2006, they released an EP every month, with each named after its particularly month. August, though, is a 14-song live EP. The band just released its sophomore effort, The Broken String, on July 24th, and now, with more experience and steady members under its belt, it is producing some pretty incredible stuff. I can tell that they've put a lot of work into this disk, and I am definitely buying it ASAP. Speaking of which, you can stream the album from here, and/or you can buy it and their other CD's from their website.

I promise that soon, I will begin to post at least fairly regularly. But, for now, enjoy some mp3's. I have selected two of my favorites, ones that I think show off the band's musical ability, but their are so many songs to hear. Look into them. Seriously.

Bishop Allen- The Same Fire (from June)
Bishop Allen- Like Castanets (from The Broken String)

The Dreadful Yawns

It took two years and three different studios, but the new album from Cleveland folk/rock quintet The Dreadful Yawns is finally here. And now that they've finally reached this point, the band doesn't look quite the same. Throughout the recording of May release Rest, four of the five original band members quit, leaving just principal singer/songwriter Ben Gmetro and four completely new bandmembers.

The making of the album was so drawn out and mismatched studio-wise that it really came through in the music. Throughout the album, the band transforms themselves from indie folk to country to experimental and back to the original folk. "You've Been Recorded" a catchy country-influenced pop song that begs to be followed by "Changing States." "Due South" is a beautiful ballad, and "We Go Up" is an experimental-ambient track. If you like what you hear, buy Rest here.

The Dreadful Yawns-You've Been Recorded
The Dreadful Yawns-Changing States
The Dreadful Yawns-Due South
The Dreadful Yawns-We Go Up

Also, I'll post a Kate Bush track that I have been digging lately. That violin gives me chills..

Kate Bush-Jig Of Life

Okkervil River and The Fountain

Take 1 part The Killers, 1 part The Arcade Fire, and then throw in The Shins for good measure. What do you get? Okkervil River, the band that I was fortunate enough to discover this week. Now, to be fair, they've been an established indie band for awhile now, I was just trying to describe them with my past experience.

Okkervil River is an incredibly amazing quintet combining the best of folk, blues, alt. country, and bluegrass. I really cannot get enough of them, and it saddens me that I've not discovered them till now. By the way, they record on the awesome Indiana label Jagjaguwar, one of my faves because of their labelmates Sunset Rubdown.

Enjoy the tracks... "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe" is a newer track that is getting quite popular on the blog scene. They will be releasing an LP on August 7th, their 5th, entitled The Stage Names. I look forward to the release greatly. If you'd like to buy some of this band's top-notch music, click here. Trust me- you need this band.

Okkervil River-Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe
Okkervil River-For Real

On the subject of bodies of water you absolutely have to experience... why don't you go rent The Fountain?




The Fountain is an amazing movie by "guerrilla director" Darren Aronofsky, the man behind Pi and Requiem for a Dream. If you feel like movies nowadays are just stupid little ways for you to not focus on anything for two hours in a dark room, this film will set you straight. Visually, it is a masterpiece, Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz are both amazing actors, and the theme- mortality and love- is consuming.

Of course, this is a music blog. So, naturally, the main reason I brought this up is because of how much I love the soundtrack. Clint Mansell works together with the Kronos Quartet and Mogwai to produce some really great songs, which I wholeheartedly recommend. If you like Mogwai, you'll like the soundtrack. Here, have a listen.

Clint Mansell (feat. Mogwai)-Stay With Me

On a side note, there's a really cool remix competition based on the score going on at www.thefountainremixed.com. If you're into that kind of thing, I suggest heading over there.

As I am leaving for Spain on Tuesday, and I have loads of packing and farewelling to do, this will probably be my last post till August. Mikey'll definitely be able to keep things under control on his own. Anticipate a lot more posting and album reviews from me upon my return. Take care, everyone.

Casados

Casados is an indie folk band that caught my ear with their constant vocal harmonies over simple yet fitting rock-country fusion guitar parts. Since I stumbled over this Champagne, Illinois duo, their track "Panama" has been on heavy rotation. The band is made up of Nic and Heather Dillon and are yet unsigned. I have a feeling it won't be this way for long, though. I think they will be able to break through with their smooth laid-back indie-country sound.

Casados self-released an EP entitled Passages a month ago. Buy it here. Here is their Myspace, and here is their site. As always, mp3s.

Casados-Panama
Casados-Unraveling

Some Local Stuff

This Story

So, in case anyone didn't know, there is some damn good indie music here in the midwest. So, today, I thought I would talk about a few of the really good local bands there are. Let us start with This Story.

This Story makes their home in Muncie, Indiana and are probably one of my favorite artists overall. They have released one album, Darling It's War (buy) and have a sound that I would call what would happen if Bright Eyes and Sufjan Stevens had a jam session. I'm also a sucker for male/female harmonies, something that This Story employs all the time.

When the band plays live, they can barely fit on a stage, they have so many members. So, naturally, the music sounds busy. But oddly, This Story has found away to make it not too overwhelming. Colorful banjolin lines mix with chiming bells and jazzy trumpet mixes with bluesy guitar, but it all...fits. Once you listen, you will understand. By the way, these guys are amazing live. Oh, and here is their myspace.

This Story-Old Slave Hymnal
This Story-Mothers In Kitchens
This Story-Something Before Death

A surprising off-note is that each individual member of the band actually recorded their part seperately. I have no idea how they made it blend like they did.



Arrah And The Ferns is a Muncie three-piece that is derived from former This Story members. The brand brings a poppy mix of music that they hope will bring a smile to everyone's face. Although they have just three members, they often give off a sense of business just like This Story. They also employ the banjolin to juice up their songs. All three members can play many instruments. It is just a beautiful mix of indie folk that is hard to pass up. Check out their myspace.

Arrah and the Ferns-Science Books
Arrah and the Ferns-Problems



Margot and the Nuclear So So's is another large Indiana indie folk band. With nine members, the band composes what sometimes comes out as a light catchy pop sound and other times a more ambient kind of post-rock. The band employs traditional rock instruments (guitar, bass, drums, piano, etc.) along with violin and trumpet. The sound is noticably less busy than the two previous bands' sounds can be. They have one full length album out, The Dust of Retreat (buy.) I have never seen this band live, but intend to as soon as possible. Check out their myspace.

Margot and the Nuclear So So's-A Sea Chanty Of Sorts
Margot and the Nuclear So So's-Jen Is Bringing The Drugs
Margot and the Nuclear So So's-Quiet As A Mouse



I went to Wiux's Culture Shock a few weeks ago (which, by the way, was amazing.) I went in pumped to see Sunset Rubdown and Xiu Xiu. I came out dazed by the ridiculous talent I had seen that day from the math-rock group Maps and Atlases. Normally a four-piece, the Chicago act's fourth member, one of the guitarists, was still on the road when the band performed. And let me tell you, it didn't hurt them at all.

All three members had ridiculous talent, from the bass player who tapped half the time to the guitarist that shredded as fast as I have ever seen live while he was singing, to the drummer who was the backbone of the band, thumping out complex, pounding rhythms all show long. The songs are flurries of fantastically fast guitar parts mixed with some extremely unique vocals.

The band has released one album, Tree, Swallows, House (buy.) Check out their myspace.

Maps and Atlases-Everyplace is a House

Hello.

So, the new Bright Eyes album Cassadaga is receiving a whole mess of press. Rightfully so, considering the quality of the album and considering how hyped it has been in the last few months. Thankfully, I think we can say that the album hasn't been a victim of too much hype, like what happened to Bloc Party's sophomore effort, Weekend in the City. So much hype was created for the follow up to the hit Silent Alarm that anything even different from their debut would be bashed, which is what happened.

I think the reason that this has not happened to Cassadaga is the fact that for months people have known that it would have a country feel and therefore did not expect anything in particular. The album was received with open arms for the most part, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200. Right now for me, it is their second best album, after the emotionally bare Fevers and Mirrors. Buy some of their stuff here.

Now, I leave you with mp3s. The first is my favorite from Cassadaga, followed by a song in which I believe Conor Oberst was 15 during the recording of. Naturally, it is raw emotionally, like the final track, from Fevers and Mirrors.

Bright Eyes-If The Brakeman Turns My Way
Bright Eyes-A Line Allows Progress, A Circle Does Not
Bright Eyes-The Calender Hung Itself