New Wilco - "Bull Black Nova"

Wilco. Wilco. Wilco. No, I am not singing the chorus to "Wilco (The Song)". Yes, Wilco is back with a new album, Wilco (The Album) due to release on June 30th and due to leak on...Well, maybe you should just find out for yourself.














Suffice it to say, Wilco's new song, "Bull Black Nova" is outstanding. Let's hope this points to Jeff Tweedy and the crew returning to the Wilco we (I) grew to love (e.g. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born) rather than the somewhat predictable Wilco that all the 'critics' loved (Sky Blue Sky). Time will tell. Or perhaps, my ears are already letting me know.

For the time being, listen to Wilco's "Bull Black Nova" and let your ears provide you with your first clue.

I almost forgot this important tidbit! You can stream Wilco (The Album) for free at Wilcoworld.net.

Share your thoughts if you feel so led. Now.


Wilco - Bull Black Nova

New Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"

One band that continues to impress me more and more is Grizzly Bear. Their last album, Yellow House was an amazing listen and continues to reward to this day. For this reason, I am really anticipating the release of their third full-length album Vectamist.




















The atmospheric nature of the songs is truly something to behold. I would highly recommend a nice set of cans (aka headphones) when listening to Grizzly Bear. Your ears will certainly thank you. Grizzly Bear's genre has been classified as many including lo-fi, anti-folk, and freak-folk. After now hearing three of the songs from Veckatimest, I anticipate this to be high on my list come the end of 2009. Oh by the way, one of the members of Grizzly Bear, Daniel Rossen (songwriting/guitar), is also a member of the excellent band Department of Eagles.

Veckatimest will be released on May 26th. Here is track number two from Veckatimest, "Two Weeks".

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

Woods - Rain on (Live Video)

Fresh out of hiatus, I am back with a strong recommendation for the band Woods. Woods is a lo-fi group I just discovered. I cannot say enough about their new album Songs of Shame...It is that good. I anticipate it will be in my top 3 of 2009.

The album really ingrains itself to you and you will find yourself wanting to hear it over and over again. I cannot sum up Woods sounds any better than this quote from Pitchfork: Woods created a distinctive blend of spooky campfire folk, lo-fi rock, homemade tape collages, and other noisy interludes, all anchored by deceptively sturdy melodies.

Seriously now, I am trying to figure out how I am now just hearing about these guys. Their two other albums are amazing too. Well have a listen. Also, check out the new lala player on the right side of the blog. In there you can check out some more songs by Woods. Lots of lo-fi ear candy!

Here is their song 'Rain On', performed live:

New Video - Bonnie "Prince" Billy: I Am Goodbye

Singer-Songwriter Bonnie "Prince" Billy (aka Will Oldham) will release his latest album, Beware on March 17th. I am a big fan of his music and would highly recommend giving a listen. Here is the video for his new song "I Am Goodbye".

New U2 Video - "Breathe"

Fresh off U2's performance last night on Letterman (the first of five nights in a row on Letterman), here is the video for "Breathe". U2 Live = Amazing!

U2's new album, No Line On The Horizon was released today.

J. Tillman Video - "Firstborn"

J. Tillman (aka Josh Tillman) is a Seattle-based artist who is also the drummer for Fleet Foxes. This is the video for J. Tillman's song "Firstborn", which is on his 2008 album Vacilando Territory Blues. Very cool, laid-back sound. I will have to soon check out the rest of J. Tillman's album!

Oh by the way...You'll notice that J. Tillman's Fleet Foxes band mates were part of the effort on "Firstborn".

New Song By Great Lake Swimmers

One of my most anticipated album releases of 2009 is Lost Channels by Great Lake Swimmers. Lost Channels is the 4th full-length record from this Canadian band who craft melodic folk rock songs. I cannot recommend them enough...just superb music all around. A few weeks ago, I posted one of their new songs from the upcoming album. Here is another song from Lost Channels called "Everything Is Moving So Fast".


















Lost Channels will be released on March 31st.

Great Lake Swimmers - Everything Is Moving So Fast

Bon Iver Covers Feist

If you are a fan of Bon Iver, then you will enjoy this. During a recent interview in Austrialia, Justin Veron (aka Bon Iver) covered Feist's song 'The Park'.



















Bon Iver - The Park (Feist cover)

Coldplay - Love 'em or Hate 'em?

Love them or hate them, you have to admit that Coldplay know exactly who they are: An anthemic, stadium-filling, UK rock band. Last night's Grammy's found them pulling in the Best Rock Album award for Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. The intriguing thing about Coldplay is that despite all their success and notoriety, they are still quite unpretentious. Disagree? Watch their recent interview on 60 Minutes. During that interview, Chris Martin joked:

"And the other reason why we do well is because U2 is still on holiday. So…they're back in March. So, you know, as soon as they come back, we drop down the ladder a bit,"..."So, we're in our last week of substitute teaching."

You could argue that this modesty is part of their intention to 'Always keep mystery.' (rule #6 on a list of rules in their studio). However, I believe it to be the genuineness of four middle class college friends who started a band and continue to share a love of music.

Here is Coldplay's newest video for the song 'Life In Technicolor ii' which is from the Prospekt's March EP.

The Welcome Wagon

The Welcome Wagon's debut album Welcome To The Welcome Wagon is one of my favorites of 2009. If you are a fan of Sufjan Stevens then you should definitely check out The Welcome Wagon (Sufjan produced and helped arrange the album). I love the lyrics and the sincerity of this album.

The Welcome Wagon is comprised of a pastor, the Reverend Thomas Vito Aiuto, and his wife Monique. Here is how their label Asthmatic Kitty Records describes the music of The Welcome Wagon:


"They execute a genre of gospel music that is refreshingly plain. Their hymns are modest and melodic takes on a vast history of sacred song traditions, delivered with the simple desire to know their Maker—and to know each other—more intimately."


Here is the first single from their excellent album:


The Welcome Wagon - Sold! To The Nice Rich Man

'Nothing To Worry About' Video - Peter Bjorn and John

Peter Bjorn and John's newest album Living Thing comes out on March 31st. The first single on the album is 'Nothing To Worry About'. The song has been getting a good amount of playtime on SiriXM U. This song is very unique and I particularly like the sounds of the drums. It also features backup vocals by a bunch of kids. Very cool! Here is the just released video for 'Nothing To Worry About'. The video, while amusing, fits quite nicely as the song does give you the feel of being in a different culture.



Peter Bjorn and John "Nothing To Worry About"

New The Decemberists - 'The Rake's Song'

By far, one of my favorite bands is the The Decemberists. Fronted by Colin Meloy, The Decemberists attack songs from a pure storytelling approach, often calling upon historical events. I first heard Colin Meloy as a member of his first band Tarkio. Tarkio was an Alternative Country band formed while Meloy attended the University of Montana in Missoula. I also had the distinct fortune of seeing Tarkio live at a local bar in Missoula. I remember thinking that this guy was going to go on to even bigger and better things in the music world.


The Decemberists 5th album, The Hazards of Love, will be released on March 24th. Here you can listen to the first single from the album, 'The Rake's Song'.

The Decemberists - The Rake's Song

Anxious Anticipation - DM Stith

I am really excited for the debut release by Indiana-based artist DM Stith. His album Heavy Ghost will be released on March 10th via Asthmatic Kitty Records (Sufjan Stevens, Castanets, etc.).



















My Old Kentucky Blog had a quote in a recent post which expressed the sounds on Heavy Ghost:

"The music on this debut calls to mind Antony And The Johnsons, Grizzly Bear and sometimes the explosiveness of Animal Collective, along with the dissonance of Sonic Youth and Henryk Gorecki, the expressive vocal techniques of Caetano Veloso and Mary Margaret O'Hara, and the romance and textures of Benjamin Britten and Edward Elgar. Vocals sit amongst lush arrangements of piano, guitar, strings, electronics, choir, and percussion. The song structures feel like mini soundtracks. A transfixing and imaginative statement."

Also, amongst other guest appearances on Heavy Ghost, you can expect to hear Sufjan Stevens on stapler, scissors, and a stationary fan. Now if that doesn't amplify your anticipation, I don't know what will.

Here is a song from DM Stith's Curtain Speech EP. The more I hear this song the more I like it. It has a uniqueness that is very intriguing.

DM Stith - Just Once

Sweet New Song By Great Lake Swimmers

I just heard a sweet new song by Great Lake Swimmers on SiriXM U. So I just had to share. This is from Great Lakes Swimmers 4th album which will be released at the end of March.

Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling On A Line

Sun Kil Moon - Moorestown

Sun Kil Moon is the project of singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek, best known for his previous band, Red House Painters. One of my favorite aspects of Mark Kozelek's music is the way he is able to create a mood. This video does a tremendous job of capturing the mood of 'Moorestown' from Sun Kil Moon's 2008 album, April. Enjoy!