Coldplay Viva La Vida stream

Here is a stream of "Viva La Vida" from Coldplay's new record!

Sufjan Reviews the new Cryptacize record

Now that Apple have made their announcement about the iPhone 3G, the next thing I'm eagerly anticipating is a new Sufjan Stevens record.

He hasn't done anything in ages, at least not in terms of releasing records, so it's intruiging to see him pop up with a record review for a label mate - Cryptacize and their debut disc Dig That Treasure.

Read his review here


He takes a moment to be self-effacing saying that "Their new record “Dig That Treasure” offends many of my own musical impulses, the over-achieving bigger-is-better-shock-and-awe approach."

Sufjan says that the record contains "songs [that] are not trifles, but rather cryptic haiku poems that expand toward a vast cosmic significance."

MP3: Cryptacize: No Coins [from the Dig That Treasure LP]

A Fine Frenzy interview

A Fine Frenzy Interview

A Fine Frenzy's debut record, One Cell In The Sea, has been something of a phenomenon, catapulting it's lead singer, Alison Sudol, into the limelight. The 22 year old singer-songwriter has just returned to her native LA after touring Europe with her band. Before that they were headlining the USA for the first time. She takes a moment out of her recovery time to talk to About The Music.

How was the tour?

We have been on tour for 6 weeks in Europe going everywhere, and before we went to Europe we had just finished our headlining tour in the US. When I'm on the road I'm living on adrenaline, seeing new places and meeting new people. But when on tour I also think back and miss the mundane things in life, like I was thinking about how nice it would be to do the dishes! I've realised again that the dishes are pretty over-rated.

Now I have got home I cleared my diary so I could have some time to relax and read a book, but I've found it difficult to do nothing after the exhilarating tour. I've been very restless. I think I thrive from being busy.

How did you find Europe?

It was our 4th tour in Europe. The people there were, as always, so welcoming. It is amazing that they can sing along with me, knowing all the words to the songs - and they don't even speak English! I find that incredible, I don't think I could sing along in a foreign language.

How did AFF get started?

Well I've been making music since I was 11, and writing songs since I was 15. I've always felt connected to music, the way it can take you to another place and absorb you in its story. I found it a wonderful way to express myself, in a way no other medium could do. 

I wrote Almost Lover [From One Cell In The Sea] when I was 19 years old. I taught myself to play the piano and that was the first song I wrote using the piano. It was a real turning point for me. Almost Lover was this song that was completelymine about how I was feeling. From then on I really wanted to get going and write more songs. 

When people hear the songs that you've written it's a real thrill, the final part of the artistic process.

Almost Lover feels markedly different to the other songs on One Cell In The Sea, much less oblique and more honest. Is that a deliberate to move away from exposing yourself?

Almost Lover was at one point very difficult for me to play but I really believe in that song and in music. I think that you have to be honest for people to be able to connect with it. If people don't understand, and can't connect with my music then I may as well quit.

As I grew up and immersed myself in the novels of CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll and others who use fables and allegory, the easier I found it to write in images. I think that when you speak in stories and images it makes it easier for others to connect with, so that is how I try to write now.

 

What do you think of Pullman and The Northern Lights Trilogy?

 

I haven't read it actually. I really should but I haven't got around to it yet.

I hear you're writing a book?

Yeah that's right. It's a young adult fiction book, in the style of Narnia. I haven't let anybody read it yet. For now it's staying tucked away.

 

How have you found the last year?

 

It's been amazing, but I think the universe has been shielding me from it all. I've met so many people, amazing fans. I'm now getting letters and emails from great people.

 

Tell me about the next record?

 

The new record is shaping up now. I've written about 10 songs. For the last album I wrote 50 songs and then chose from them. I'm listening to a lot of music which is shaping the record.

 

You seem to love all the same artists as About The Music, who should we be listening to?

 

Well, apart from the obvious like Iron and Wine, I love Jose Gonzalez, Camera Obscura and Stranger Than Fiction. I went to see a band last week from Oxford called The Foals, I really liked them. Oh and I love Sufjan Stevens. I saw him in New York, I'm friends with a member of his band and we were walking down the street and we bumped into him and he was wonderful. I love his music.

 

I heard you were at the New York fashion show. What about modelling?

 

Oh I could never become a model. I'm 5 foot 6 and clumsy! I find fashion interesting and I'm learning a lot. It's an interesting form of art and at the moment My music is providing interesting opportunities.

 

But those are all just distractions, music is my real thing. I can never stay away from it for long. I always have a guitar or something nearby so I can sit down and play music.

 

 

Album review - Anais Mitchell - Hymns for the Exiled

ANAIS MITCHELL - HYMNS FOR THE EXILED
(Righteous Babe)
2 June 2008



Anais found inspiration for her brand of singer-songwriter folk/americana growing up on a sheep farm in Vemont. She recently won the prestigious New Folk Award and this album is influenced by her travels to the Middle East and beyond. The lyrics frequently reference the war and her dislike for Washington politics like "I could tell stories like the government tells lies". Musically it is only guitar and voice.f It is sparse but her child-like, yet accomplished voice holds it's own. The songs can get repetitive as there is little change in rhythm or melody but these quiet, ambitious songs are worth a listen.

Rating: 7/10
For fans of: Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris,
Download: Cosmic American, 1984

Album review - Yeti - The Legend of Yeti Gonzales

YETI - THE LEGEND OF YETI GONZALES
(GET UP & GO RECORDS)
23 JUNE 2008



This album is like an audio Prozac pill, especially with the words "Your CD player craves my goodness" imprinted onto the disc. The 14 songs of multi-layered pop-psychedelia sound like The Beatles, especially "In Like With You" with almost identical chord changes, crossed with some Beach Boys vocal harmonies.

They're clearly having a lot of fun, especially on "Shane McGowan", a country tinged pop tune about "big fat Shane/Shane Shane McGowan" of The Pogues. It does feel slightly like you're intruding on a private party; they're having so much fun but you don't quite get the joke. A lot of the songs are overly long, and degenerate into meandering jams. That aside I salute their love of pop and harmonies.

FOR FANS OF: The Beatles,
DOWNLOAD: Shane McGowan, Obvious-Lee
RATING: 7/10

Radiohead - best of

Heads up! Radiohead best of is to be released 3 June. Here's the tracklisting. CD1 is pretty predictable, but I'm disappointed not to see "Talk Show Host" on CD2. I'm sure most of you will already own all/some of the songs, but it's a shame that there aren't any new songs on it.

Radiohead: The Best Of (Special Edition 2CD)
Disc 1
1. Just
2. Paranoid Android
3. Karma Police
4. Creep
5. No Surprises
6. High and Dry
7. My Iron Lung
8. There There
9. Lucky
10. Optimistic
11. Fake Plastic Trees
12. Idioteque
13. 2+2 = 5
14. The Bends
15. Pyramid Song
16. Street Spirit (Fade Out)
17. Everything In Its Right Place

Disc 2
1. Airbag
2. I Might Be Wrong
3. Go To Sleep
4. Let Down
5. Planet Telex
6. Exit Music (For A Film)
7. The National Anthem
8. Knives Out
9. Talk Show Host
10. You
11. Anyone Can Play Guitar
12. How To Disappear Completely
13. True Love Waits [recorded live in Oslo, 2001; previously released on I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings]

It'll be available in the following formats:
*1CD collection featuring 17 tracks
*Special Edition 2CD, adding 13 tracks
*4-piece vinyl set with 29 tracks
*17-track & 30-track digital downloads
*DVD featuring 21 classic promo videos

The Onion reviews Pitchfork

Most of us who write about music, also read Pitchfork. It has become massively influential and championed bands like The Decemberists and their brand of indie.

However, their contributors write with a much derided, holier than thou opinion that The Onion takes offence to. Read their critique below.

Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8

CHICAGO—Music, a mode of creative expression consisting of sound and silence expressed through time, was given a 6.8 out of 10 rating in an review published Monday on Pitchfork Media, a well-known music-criticism website.

According to the review, authored by Pitchfork editor in chief Ryan Schreiber, the popular medium that predates the written word shows promise but nonetheless "leaves the listener wanting more."

READ THE REST

Duffy, Mercy on Jay Leno

Duffy "Mercy" on Jay Leno video:
http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.aspx?id=f86a548b-24d2-4cb4-b131-c042e19c3ff4

Duffy's USA network television debut.

Coldplay tour dates!

COLDPLAY ANNOUNCE "VIVA LA VIDA"

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH UK/EUROPEAN DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

Details Released For Free Madison Square Garden
& Brixton Academy Show Tickets On Coldplay.com

Coldplay announce their "Viva La Vida" North American Tour in support of their new album of the same name, which will be released on June 17th. The US tour will kick off on June 29th in Philadelphia, PA. Ticket information is available at http://www.coldplay.com. British/European dates will be announced shortly.

Before kicking off the "Viva La Vida" tour, Coldplay will play free concerts in London (June 16th at Brixton Academy) and New York (June 23rd at Madison Square Garden). Information on how to win tickets to these shows will be available at http://www.coldplay.com beginning today. The contest will run from May 9th through to June 1st. Winners will receive notification on June 5th.

Viva La Vida, Coldplay's forthcoming album, will be released by Parlophone on June 12th. Produced by Brian Eno and Markus Dravs, the record is the follow-up to 2005's X&Y, which debuted at #1 in 32 countries and has sold 10 million copies worldwide to date.

The album's lead single "Violet Hill" was downloaded by two million people during the recent one-week period in which the band made the song available to fans for free. It is now for sale at all digital retailers.

Coldplay will perform "Violet Hill" on the Today Show on NBC on Friday, June 27th. US fans are encouraged to check out the performance in person. Viewing is on a first-come, first-served basis outside the show's Window on the World Studio, located at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. The band will also perform on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on June 26th.

"[Lead singer Chris] Martin broods over a lost lover with a snarling acidity that makes him sound more human than ever - miles away from the dreamy romantic he was on soaring ballads like 'Speed of Sound,'" said Rolling Stone, naming "Violet Hill" a must-have in a recent "Downloads" column. "Jonny Buckland rips jagged, bluesy riffs that match Martin's mood while drummer Will Champion and bassist Guy Berryman maintain a stalking beat...primal rock & roll."

Upcoming US tour dates are as follows:

COLDPLAY - "VIVA LA VIDA" NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Date City Venue Public on Sale Date

6/29 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center 5/16
7/2 Washington, DC Verizon Center 5/17
7/3 Hartford, CT XL Center 5/17
7/5 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills 5/17
7/6 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena 5/17
7/8 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 5/17
7/9 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center 5/17
7/10 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center 5/16
7/12 Phoenix, AZ Jobbing.com Arena 5/17
7/19 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena 5/17
7/21 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
7/24 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
7/25 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
7/27 Pemberton, BC Pemberton Festival
7/29 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
7/30 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
8/1 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
8/3 Omaha, NE Qwest Center
8/4 Chicago, IL United Center
10/20 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
10/21 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
10/26 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
10/29 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
10/30 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
11/3 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
11/7 Orlando, FL Amway Arena
11/8 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
11/11 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
11/18 Houston, TX Toyota Center
11/19 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
11/21 Denver, CO Pepsi Center Arena
11/22 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena

A Fine Frenzy - Come On Come Out video

Brand new video- it's the wonderful Come On Come Out by A Fine Frenzy.

Come On, Come Out

My Morning Jacket on SNL May 10th and free MP3

My Morning Jacket is the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this Saturday, May 10th.

In case you haven't checked it out you can download an Mp3 of title track "Evil Urges" here:

http://atorecords.com/b2b/

THALIA ZEDEK - LIARS AND PRAYERS - CD review

THALIA ZEDEK - LIARS AND PRAYERS
(THRILL JOCKEY)
21 APRIL 2008

Thalia Zedek has notable musical credentials from a number of bands including Uzi, Live Skull and Come, before her solo work. The tour for her debut album on Thrill Jockey 'Trust Not Those in Whom Without Some Touch of Madness' earned a spot on The Wire magazine's top 60 Greatest Shows Ever.

But it doesn't matter what she's done, this album is awful. Unlistenable. She sounds like a moody adolescent whining about depression. The songs are too long, unstructured, meandering and devoid of a melody. Listen to it at your peril.

For fans of: apparently Nick Cave and PJ Harvey
Download: nothing
Rating: 2/10

Murder By Death - Red of Tooth And Claw - review

MURDER BY DEATH - RED OF TOOTH AND CLAW LP
(VARGRANT RECORDS)
26 APRIL 2008

MURDER BY DEATH are a four piece from Texas, Detroit and Kentucky. They now make their cello rock'n'roll music in Indiana. The "Red of Tooth and Claw LP" is full of dark, rumbling, drink hazed scenes of sin, redemption and guilt. Adam Turla's low baritone growls sound like a Nick Cave from the deep south in an argument with Tom Waits. He sings with considerable energy about Old West drama with Old Testament judgement.

It starts well, with an uptempo opener "Comin' Home" but after that it descends into generic rock. There are no real stand-out songs and one average track moves to the next almost without notice. Potential, but never really finds its feet

Download: Fuego!; Comin' Home
For Fans of: Tom Waits; Drive By Truckers
Rating 5/10