Yes, that's right, Boxer has sprung a leak and it looks like no one's going to sop up the beautiful mess. The release date is over 7 weeks away, I think, and here it is playing as I type (thank you, D.S.) , the song "Ada" playing. It's a lovely melody driven by Matt Berninger's smoke empowered vocals, the wonderful addition of piano to many songs on this new album, and lines like these...

Stand inside an empty tuxedo
with grapes in my mouth
waiting for Ada

I'm not going to post a song from Boxer, yet. I could get all kinds of traffic by doing so, but I want to get a much better feel for the new music. The band has obviously made an attempt to grow and expand, musically and literally, by seeking out the musical talents of Doveman's Thomas Bartlett and indie it-boy Sufjan Stevens. And I should at least make an attempt to grow by burrowing into the rich soil of this new music.

And that is the band in the cover shot for Boxer.

From Boxer - fake empire [mp3]

BUY The National's music.

MP3s
from Alligator mr november [mp3]
from Cherry Tree EP cherry tree [mp3]
from Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers lucky you [mp3]

Download The National through eMusic's free trial.

You can cancel before your trial period ends and you'll never pay a dime. Keep the FREE MP3s as a gift just for checking out eMusic.

FIND MORE SONGS HERE.

This news item found at billboard.com:

BY John Benson, Cleveland

A whole bunch of untitled songs is what Tapes 'N Tapes singer/guitarist Josh Grier has at this stage of writing the band's next album, which is slated to be recorded in June for a tentative fall release date.

"None of the songs have been played live so far," Grier tells Billboard.com. "I've been holding off and wanted to get to the point where I was comfortable with them and liked how they were sounding."

That will change next month when the Minneapolis quartet hits the road for a headlining club tour, which begins April 16 in Columbia, Mo., and also includes a Coachella date. When asked if he's concerned about any of the new material finding its way onto the Internet, Grier laughs, "There's only so much you can control. I think that's part of the reason why we waited until this tour to play the new stuff, because I wanted to make sure we had the lyrics written so I wasn't just mumbling words."

Go HERE to read more.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

From their debut The Loon

from their debut EP

'50s Parking

* * * * * * *

Andrew Bird appears to have more than mere avian powers, he also seems to affect the Apoidea family for he has set the indie hive buzzing. With last Tuesday's release of Armchair Apocrypha many bloggers have finally glommed onto the fact that Bird makes some fascinating music. On this new record Bird has collaborated, successfully, with electronic musician Martin Dosh who also puts out his own records as Dosh. Bird and Dosh learned how to work together while performing live and this led to the creation of one particular song on the new Bird record, "Simple X". Dosh often opened the shows with a solo performance and would play a song from his 2004 recording, Pure Trash, called "Simple Exercises". This song worked it's way under Bird's skin until he pried it out by penning some lyrics to the instrumental song, the result is on Armchair Apocrypha and is simply called "Simple X".


Here's that something from Armchair Apocrypha [BUY]
simple x [mp3]

FIND MORE ANDREW BIRD MP3s HERE.


and this is the original song by Dosh - from the album Pure Trash [BUY]
simple exercises [mp3]


This is from Bird's previous release The Mysterious Production of Eggs [BUY]

nervous tic motion of the head to the left [mp3]

From the album Weather Systems

lull [mp3]


Here's a live performance recording done for French radio. You can truly appreciate what a talent Bird is in these recordings before a small studio audience.
BLACK SESSION - March 21st 2005 [mp3s]
introduction
sovay
why?
a nervous tic motion of the head to the left
measuring cups
banking on a myth
masterfade
fake palindromes
armchair apocryhists
tables and chairs
capitol isle
lull

* * * * * * * * * *

GO HERE to listen to Bird's 2007 SXSW performance of songs from Armchair Apocrypha "Plasticities," "Imitosis," and "Scythian Empires."

When I clicked my way to Atlanta band One Hand Loves The Other's myspace I was intrigued as the music began to play. The song that was playing, "Burden of Barnacles", is built on the blips and bloops of a laptop and over these are laid the strings of cello and synththesizer. These aren't all, there's an airy flute flittering in and out and more, although above all these inorganic sounds soars the stunning voice of Lou Rodriquez. I wasn't sure if one of the women in the band was now singing, or not, but after a little googling I learned that Rodriguez does all the vocals. In this song he begins in his more than interesting, let's call it 'regular' voice., But abruptly he swings, or sweeps, up into the stratosphere, giving the song a lovely edge whether you know it's a man, or woman. This is surely dramatic music, music that may find a wider audience with the popularity of very dramatic Mercury Prize winners Antony & The Johnsons. This Atlanta based four piece show much promise and their collective talent will outshine any who see the vocal as a 'gimmick'. This is no gimmick, this is a gift.

burden of barnacles [mp3] from their s/t debut out May 2007 on StickFigure Records
tortoise [mp3]

Pink Floyd icon, Roger Waters, has recorded a new song for movie, THE LAST MIMZY, and it features the line...

"hello, I love you, is there anybody in there..."

Does that look, or sound, familiar?

Roger Waters Hello (I Love You) [mp3]

Suicide Squeeze band Minus The Bear will be touring this spring with the Honorary Title and SS labelmate Chin Up Chin Up. This tour will give MTB fans a chance to hear a preview of the band's upcoming album, Planet of Ice, which is due Aug. 21st.

TOUR DATES
THU APR 26 Seattle WA, the Vera Project % w/ Chin Up Chin Up, TBA
FRI APR 27 Portland OR, Hawthorne Theatre
SAT APR 28 Eugene OR, Indigo District
SUN APR 29 Reno NV, the New Oasis
TUE MAY 1 Orangeville CA, the Boardwalk
WED MAY 2 Santa Cruz CA, the Catalyst
THU MAY 3 San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
FRI MAY 4 San Luis Obispo CA, Downtown Brew
SAT MAY 5 Los Angeles CA, Ex Plex
SUN MAY 6 Solana Beach CA, Belly Up Tavern
TUE MAY 8 Las Vegas NV, House of Blues
THU MAY 10 Colorado Springs CO, the Black Sheep
FRI MAY 11 Lawrence KS, Granada Theatre
SAT MAY 12 Iowa City IA, Picador
SUN MAY 13 Champaign IL, High Dive
MON MAY 14 Sauget MO, Pops
TUE MAY 15 Chicago IL, Beat Kitchen* w/ Honorary Title only All Ages show
TUE MAY 15 Chicago IL, Beat Kitchen** w/ Chin Up Chin Up only 18+ show
WED MAY 16 Milwaukee WI, Pabst Theatre*** w/ HT, CUCU, Maritime
THU MAY 17 Minneapolis MN, Triple Rock Social Club
FRI MAY 18 Minneapolis MN, Triple Rock Social Club# w/ HT, CUCU, P.O.S
MON MAY 21 Omaha NE, Sokol Underground
WED MAY 23 Denver CO, Bluebird
THU MAY 24 Aspen CO, Belly Up
FRI MAY 25 Salt Lake City UT, Club Sound
SUN MAY 27 Quincy WA, Gorge Ampitheatre## / Minus the Bear only

Minus The Bear MP3s:
Drilling P.O.S. REDO (MP3) - from “Interpretaciones Del Oso”
Pachuca Sunrise (MP3) - from "Menos El Oso"
Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!! (MP3) - from "Highly Refined Pirates"
Juct Kickin' it Like a Wild Donkey (MP3) - from "This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic"

Here's something new at eMusic (you do know about eMusic, don't you?), a seven track sampler of Arts & Crafts bands (A of H,The Dears, Young Galaxy, Amy Millan) and it opens with the most accessible song from Apostle and Hustle's (left) latest record, National Anthem of Nowhere. The album is an improvement over their debut, Folkloric Feel, it has more focus, they've whittled away any, and all, extraneous sounds that were on the debut disc.

And that aforementioned song, "My Sword Hand's Anger", will get your feet moving and blood pumping as it opens and continues with the kick drum's quickened heartbeat. It's a simple song that shines through it's sharp lyrics and tastefully arranged structure... give a listen and then go here to buy the album (you won't regret it).

my sword hand's anger

Arts & Crafts SXSW 07 Sampler Tracklist:
My Sword Hand's Anger - Apostle Of Hustle
Bandwagoneers - The Dears
Skinny Boy - Amy Millan
Outside the City - Young Galaxy
You and I (Are a Gang of Losers) - The Dears
Losin' You - Amy Millan
Swing Your Heartache - Young Galaxy
Check out eMusic.com's great selection, DRM-free downloads and low monthly cost.

* * * *

Some notable albums found at emusic include:
Aloe Blacc - Shine Through
Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
Frank Zappa - Freak Out
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar and Pompeii
AND Arcade Fire's Neon Bible

Ted Leo and the band (myspace page) will release their fifth full length, and first on Touch and Go, this coming Tuesday, March 20th. Produced by Brendan Canty of Fugazi, the album, Living With The Living, offers fans, and soon to be fans, FIFTEEN tracks! On the new disc will be these two songs, "Some Beginner's Mind" and "Army Bound" and here are those songs in demo form. These have been available on the Ted Leo homepage for over ten months, but they still sound great (now how does he do that?).

army bound [demo]

some beginner's mind [demo]

Give a listen and just imagine what you'll find on the record. If you haven't heard Leo, be prepared to discover a new favourite, he is simply one of the best solo artists working the indie fields today. And if you have heard Leo and you're an old fan, you'll likely be happy to know he's returned to his punk roots with regards to the sound of the record, as opposed to Shake The Sheets. The new song "La Costa Brava" has more than a whiff of renowned British band The Jam, and that's a good thing in my mind. And if you can't imagine how good that new record will sound here's a little taste:

sons of cain [mp3]
bomb. repeat. bomb [mp3]

la costa brava [mp3]

Download Ted Leo/Pharmacists albums, tracks and songs for free with eMusic's trial subscription.

FIND MORE TED LEO MP3s here and just below.

More Ted Leo MP3s...
Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone
Biomusicology
Bleeding Powers
Congressional Dubcision
Criminal Piece
Ghosts
Loyal to My Sorrowful Country
Me And Mia
Squeaky Fingers
Tell Balgeary Balgury is Dead
The Anointed One
The Crane Takes Flight
The Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree
Walking Through
Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone

TOUR DATES
03-28 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
03-29 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
03-30 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
03-31 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
04-01 Orlando, FL - Social
04-02 Miami, FL - Studio A
04-04 Baton Rouge, LA - Chelsea's Cafe
04-05 Houston, TX - Numbers
04-06 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Ballroom
04-07 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
04-09 Tempe, AZ - Clubhouse
04-10 San Diego, CA - Epicentre
04-12 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
04-13 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
04-14 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
04-16 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
04-17 Seattle, WA - Showbox Showroom
04-18 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
04-20 Boise, ID - Venue
04-21 Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound at In the Venue
04-22 Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
04-23 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
04-25 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
04-26 Madison, WI - Club 770
04-27 Iowa City, IA - Picador
04-28 Chicago, IL - Metro
04-30 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
05-02 Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club
05-03 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
05-04 Boston, MA - Avalon
05-05 New York, NY - Webster Hall

EUROPEAN DATES
06-02 Barcelona - Primavera Sound
06-06 Milan - Magnolia Club
06-07 Soliera - Artevive
06-08 Livorno - The Cage
06-10 Wien - Chelsea
06-11 Innsbruck - Weekender
06-12 Munchen - Feierwerk
06-13 Stuttgart - Schocken
06-14 Nurnberg - K4
06-15 Köln - Gebaude 9
06-16 Ludwigshafen - Das Haus
06-17 Wiesbaden - Schlachthof
06-18 Berlin - Magnet
06-19 Hamburg - Molotov
06-20 Munster - Gleis 22
06-21 Rotterdam - Rotown
06-22 Amsterdam - Paradiso
06-23 Aarschot - DE Klinker
06-25 Paris - Nouveau Casino
06-27 Dublin - Crawdaddy
06-28 Galway - Roisin Dubh
06-30 Glasgow - King Tuts
07-01 Leeds - The Cockpit
07-02 Nottingham - The Maze
07-03 Bristol - Thekla Social
07-05 Brighton - Pressure Point

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Living With The Living Tracklist
Fourth World War
The Sons Of Cain
Army Bound
Who Do You Love?
Colleen
A Bottle Of Buckie
Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.
La Costa Brava
Annunciation Day / Born on Christmas Day
The Unwanted Things
The Lost Brigade
The World Stops Turning

Some Beginner's Mind
The Toro and The Toreador
C.I.A.
Release Date: March 20, 2007

Morrissey, or Moz, as we in the know call him, will get around the US this spring and leading the way each night will be Kristeen Young.

04-27 Stockton, CA - Bob Hope Theater
04-28 Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Celebrity Showroom
04-29 Sparks, NV - John Ascuaga's Celebrity Showroom
05-01 Oakland, CA - Paramount Theater
05-02 Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center
05-05 Spokane, WA- INB Performing Arts Center
05-06 Seattle, WA - Paramount
05-08 Salt Lake City, UT - E Center Ford Theater
05-09 Denver, CO - Fillmore
05-11 Omaha, NE - Orpheum
05-12 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside
05-14 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
05-15 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
05-17 Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square Center
05-18 Columbus, OH - Palace Theater
05-20 Indianapolis, IN - Murat Center
05-22 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
05-23 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
05-25 Dallas, TX - Palladium
05-26 Austin, TX - Backyard
05-28 Houston, TX - Verizon
05-30 El Paso, TX - County Coliseum
05-31 Tucson, AZ - Music Hall
06-02 Phoenix, AZ - Maricopa County Events Center
06-03 San Diego, CA - Bayside Concerts
06-05 Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theater
06-06 Riverside, CA - Riverside Municipal Auditorium
06-08 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
06-09 Las Vegas, NV - Pearl
06-30 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

Coming off an immense amount of touring over the last two years both as headliners, world-wide festival staples and openers for the likes of U2, Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam, the ambitious and eclectic "Because Of The Times" (the title refers to an annual preachers' conference the boys attended growing up) is Kings of Leon's most diverse collection yet and represents a major evolution for the band. Brimming with ideas, it represents a huge leap forward both in songwriting and musical prowess. "We took the limitations off of ourselves," says frontman/rhythm guitarist Caleb. "We went into the studio with an open mind, thinking let's do whatever it takes to get these songs to the next level. Because we really have a lot of music inside of us and a lot of different places we can go."

Adds drummer/singer Nathan: "We weren't scared to try anything. I think that's the difference between this album and the last. We weren't timid at all. Every song showed us something we had inside of ourselves that we didn't know existed, which enabled us to be even bolder on the next song."

Early media response to "Because Of The Times" has been glowing. The "Observer Monthly" in England awarded the record five stars, while in America,"Esquire" hailed "Because Of The Times" is "a classic rock album in the truest sense, and "Filter" said, the record "is the Kings' fiery repentance for unplanned pregnancies, black Camaros and the sins of the road, and it is their finest confession to date." "American Songwriter" said the record is "heavy on the emotion and insistent hooks that remain KOL trademarks," and "Relix" noted "the Kings of Leon may be fit for a crown."

KOL TOUR DATES:
April
28 Indio, CA Coachella Festival

May
2 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
3 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
5 Denver, CO Ogden
6 Kansas City, MO Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah's
7 Tulsa, OK Cains
9 Austin, TX Stubbs
11 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
12 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
13 Dallas, TX House of Blues
15 Indianapolis, IN Vogue
17 Milwaukee, WI Rave
18 Minneapolis, MN First Ave
19 Chicago, IL Riviera
21 Louisville, KY Headliners
22 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
24 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
25 St. Louis, MO Pageant

June
1 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
2 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
4 NBC TV CONAN O'BRIEN
5 New York, NY Roseland
6 Boston, MA Avalon
7 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
12 Toronto, ONT Kool Haus
15 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival

And this from an interview with Furdlog in November 2004:

"Tweedy: A piece of art is not a loaf of bread. When someone steals a loaf of bread from the store, that’s it. The loaf of bread is gone. When someone downloads a piece of music, it’s just data until the listener puts that music back together with their own ears, their mind, their subjective experience. How they perceive your work changes your work.

Treating your audience like thieves is absurd. Anyone who chooses to listen to our music becomes a collaborator. "

Wilco's Jeff Tweedy (left) once said in a poem (Another Great Thing) "...the best way to feel your blood is to lie...", and after listening to him sing the new songs on Sky Blue Sky, or anything else for that matter, that seems like a contradiction because, for me, no one sounds so utterly honest when they sing as Tweedy does. I've been trying to get at what I like so much about his voice and I've decided it's his simple honesty. The Tweedy voice is nothing to write home about and yet it captures the listener by making you believe every word he sings. I love this voice, there is a wounded country boy who's seen too much of the city in there (perhaps he lost that stuffie).

Funny, he sounds great doing the older alt-country stuff, but for me that voice of his sounds better when it uses the contrast of it's alt-country tinged core in the heart of a rock song or, what I like to call, one of Wilco's alt-city songs.

Here's one of those alt-city songs from the upcoming album Sky Blue Sky [May 15th on Nonesuch Records], an album which does a great job of showing how inventive and fluid a guitarist Nels Cline is... and once again, how honest a performer Jeff Tweedy is.

shake it off [mp3]

FIND MORE WILCO MP3s HERE.

I have been listening to Feist's upcoming record and am happy to find it more closely resembles her earliest solo work on 1999's Monarch (Lay Down Your Jewelled Head). I think this new record is much closer to how Feist wishes to present herself and her music. Let It Die was an experiment, a very successful one, but an experiment nonetheless. But I am merely speculating here, perhaps this is how she always works and her upcoming effort, The Reminder, is also an experiment.

From Monarch here is, "One Year A.D.", it's guitars, drums, and a little rockin'. This is one of my favourite Feist songs...

one year a.d. [mp3]

Find more Feist MP3s.

Visit this previous *Sixeyes post for more info on the new album, tour dates and mp3s.

Wilco's latest release will be on shelves May 15th (nonesuch), titled Sky Blue Sky, it will be the first studio album recorded with the current line-up. This means Nels Cline and his guitar will make their presence heard and felt, and that's true in the song "Impossible Germany" which opens with the chiming entwining of two guitars, not unlike a mellow Television, a band which Cline has admitted being fond of in the past (and the band behind my all-time favourite album, Marquee Moon:

"...I'm a fanatic for two guitars, like [Television's] Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, and [Sonic Youth's] Lee Renaldo and Thurston Moore, and I'm looking forward to coming up with some potentially classic twin-guitar stuff with Jeff." - from SF Gate Nov. 2004

This song does bear some lovely guitar work from Cline as the song lazily winds down... and then winds up again, it's a long song, and then winds down once more... you'll see.

impossible germany [mp3]

"Impossible Germany"
Impossible Germany
Unlikely Japan
Wherever you go
Wherever you land

I'll say what this means to me
I'll do what I can
Impossible Germany
Unlikely Japan

Fundamental problem
All need to face
This is important
But I know you're not listening
No I know you're not listening

This was still new to me
I wouldn't understand
Impossible Germany
Unlikely Japan
This is what love is for
To be out of place
Gorgeous and alone
Face to face

With no larger problems
That need to be erased
Nothing more important
Than to know someone's listening
Now I know you'll be listening

Sky Blue Sky Tracklist:
01 Either Way
02 You Are My Face
03 Impossible Germany
04 Sky Blue Sky
05 Side With the Seeds
06 Shake It Off
07 Please Be Patient With Me
08 Hate It Here
09 Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
10 Walken
11 What Light
12 On and On and On

FROM billboard.com:

"After recording an EP and touring with Calexico, as well as taking time off to rear his infant daughter, Iron & Wine principal Sam Beam has wrapped his next studio album, "The Shepherd's Dog." The 12-track set is due in late September via Sub Pop and will be supported with a two-month fall tour of North America and Europe.

"That tour affected me a lot," Beam tells Billboard.com of his time spent with Calexico. "They're such good musicians. I already knew I wanted to do a much freer record; a little bit more of a playful record. Their influence just helped me even more."

Beam says the new album has a "wider sonic palette" than anything he's previously released. Among the guests are Calexico's Joey Burns and Paul Niehaus, Tin Hat Trio accordionist Rob Burger and Califone's Brian Deck. "There's some waltzes, reggae-influenced stuff and some straight-up West African highlife music," he says, the latter style of which crops up on "House by the Sea."

A single, likely led by album track "Boy With a Coin," is being eyed for a summer release backed by two of the four songs from the "Shepherd's Dog" sessions that did not make the final cut. "It's got an African-sounding guitar thing. It's kind of familiar, but at the same time pretty indicative of the playfulness of this new record," Beam says of "Boy With a Coin."

With the exception of "Carousel," every song had its basis in a backlog of material that Beam has been gradually chipping away at for years. "It's still pretty sizable," he admits. "I'm already working on the next one. A lot of them, you think you're on the right track, but when it comes time to record, they don't seem different enough."

"The Shepherd's Dog" is the follow-up to 2004's "Our Endless Numbered Days," which has sold nearly 200,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Beam attributes the three-year gap in new albums to working in his new home studio. "This is the first time I was ever actually able to do some stuff and then sit on it for awhile and react to what we'd done," he says. "I ended up taking a lot longer, basically just because I had the time."

The Shepherd's Dog Tracklist:

01 Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car
02 White Tooth Man
03 Lovesong of the Buzzard
04 Carousel
05 House by the Sea
06 Innocent Bones
07 Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
08 Resurrection Fern
09 Boy With a Coin
10 The Devil Never Sleeps
11 Peace Beneath the City
12 Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Iron and Wine MP3s:
jesus the mexican boy
lion's mane
naked as we came
southern anthem

Andrew Spencer Goldman is the prime force behind Brooklyn NY's Fulton Lights, a project which sees it's mood built as much upon the softly breathed vocals of Goldman as the sparse crisp instrumentation.

This Tuesday March 6th will be the release date of his self-titled debut album after releasing music as John Guilt and Maestro Echoplex. This is chill out music for urbanites who can't bear to release all of their city-bred anxiety. Or for small town folk yearning for 2 am in the 24 hour urban decay cycle.

There'll be a CD release party in NYC on March 15th at Tonic, with Frances, and Still (x-dj of dalek doing experimental turntable set--Still is now playing in Fulton Lights).

The show starts at 8pm and is $8.

Fulton Lights MP3s
thank god for the evening news [mp3]
fire in the palm of my hand [mp3]

---

The Arcade Fire may just be the band to put indie music into your average mainstream household. And by 'indie' I mean artists on an independent label, in this instance, Merge Records. AF's new album, Neon Bible, is good, even better than Funeral, but it feels kind of mainstream to me and that's because of Win Butler's songwriting, the guy's edgy enough, but his music isn't from the edge, it's much closer to the middle, the mainstream. AF are kind of the opposite of another band with a forthcoming album, Modest Mouse. AF are an indie band who sound kind of mainstream while Modest Mouse are a major label mainstream act who sound like an indie band. Once again that's due mainly to the band's (Modest Mouse's) leader in voice and verse, Isaac Brock. Ranging from his off-the-wall softer talk-singing to his phlegmy barking shout, the guy just sounds 'indie'. Although that won't hold them back too much, as their upcoming record, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, has several cases of viral music encoded upon itself. Starting with the obvious "Dashboard", and continuing with "Parting Of The Sensory", "Missed The Boat", and "We've Got Everything", these songs will draw new fans into the mouse hole.

So, I'm going to predict that the combination of Modest Mouse's great new 'indie' sounding mainsteam record and Arcade Fire's very good 'mainstream' sounding indie record will bring even more people, whose musical tastes have been, and continue to be, formed by whitewashed radio, exposure to a deep, deep well of great indie music. Will this be good for independent music? What? The massively bleeding from the gut major label recording industry sending their sharks into the quiet freshwater lakes of indie music, good? No. Someone (or something) is going to get hurt. But I'm not blaming any indie bands for what I'm predicting, to me the villain here is money and that's in the hands of the major labels. But it was bound to happen after The O.C.-ing of indie and the Garden State-ing of The Shins, plus independent bands like Death Cab For Cutie and The Decemberists getting major label deals. Big money is moving in and along with it what it does... good and bad.

Modest Mouse from We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank [March 20th]
we've got everything Link Removed [mp3] BUY

Arcade Fire from Neon Bible [March 6th] BUY

black mirror [mp3]

Find Arcade Fire MP3s here.
Find Modest Mouse MP3s here.

Download Arcade Fire's Neon Bible and/or Funeral with eMusic's free trial offer.

"The Furies were Roman goddesses named Tisiphone (avenger of murder), Megaera (grudging), and Alecto (constant anger). They were born from night and they punish crimes on Earth that go unpunished. We conjured them during a tropical depression in the summer of 2006. We were almost in a fever from the threat of falling trees. The wind was not the worst we’d seen, but it peeled back the skin of old fears. In this condition, the senses are heightened. You surely know what I mean. We began to speak—just out loud--to clear away the fear hanging all around..."

"We set about recording these and other stories right away and Night of the Furies is the result. It is a dark, sexy, danceable, nuanced, and sublime record. We produced it ourselves, which was the only way it could have been done, naturally, considering the content."
- The Rosebuds

This song from the upcoming release shows just how sumptuous The Rosebuds (Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp) can be, the smooth vocals, the swirling strings, all bringing back the best of British pop from the eighties.

get up get out [mp3]
Out on Merge Records April 10th.

Night Of The Furies Tracklist:
My Punishment for Fighting
Cemetery Lawns
I Better Run
Get Up Get Out
Silence by the Lakeside
Hold on to This Coat
Silja Line: On Settling for a Normal Life
When the Lights Went Dim
Night of the Three Furies