Photo Credit: Piper Ferguson “So, the song is just about the idea that I’m going to figure all my shit out, and I’m coming to get ya!“ You gotta love Glen Hansard and The Swell Season. And the most beautiful thing about seeing The Swell Season live is that you get to sing along. Seriously, … Read more
Jakob Dylan has released a glimpse of his upcoming album, Women and Country, and it just happens to be the track where Neko Case helps him out. Sometimes, we just get lucky right off the bat. While I certainly would like to hear Case’s voice a bit more, this is a very nice back porch … Read more
“Remember when we met/ We were so innocent/ I was so cautious, you were so cool/ The world was brand new…“ Those words come from the first Matthew Ryan song I ever heard, which was was “Devastation” off his 2001 album Concussion. That tune happens to be a duet with Lucinda Williams, another one of … Read more
Already an East coast favorite, the Brooklyn-based band, The Morning Pages, is prepping itself to receive some much-deserved love from the rest of the country. After listening to the lead single, “My Name is Lion,” I know this much is true. Combining “country authenticity with the grit of city life,” (not to mention some distinguished … Read more
Swedish post-punk band, Love Is All, is gearing up to release its third full-length, Two Thousand and Ten Injuries, on Polyvinyl Records. (Side note: the Swedes are really serving it up right in the music world. Am I right, am I right?) The band just announced a North American tour where it will join labelmates, Japandroids, … Read more
Sure, Taylor Swift may have shared the stage with Stevie Nicks the other night at The Grammys. And she may have tried her best to do the hippie dance. But, other than gazillions of album sales and that Grammy she won for “Album of the Year,” I say she’s got nothing on Jill Andrews. (Seriously, … Read more
My friend Matt recommended that I give Freelance Whales a try. I call him my friend, but you know what? I’ve never met him. We share a late mutual friend, a music lover, and Matt and I keep his spirit alive by passing musical tips back and forth. I love being one-half of this long … Read more
Not to be outdone by Broken Social Scene, that other Canadian indie-rock collective that just released a new song + album details last Friday, The New Pornographers released its first track off the upcoming Together yesterday. The Twitter description claimed the new song is “quite rocking.” That’s not a lie. With grinding guitars and a edict to “put, … Read more
Per his Facebook account, Jesse Malin has announced official news of a new album on the way. Love It To Life will be released on April 27, 2010 on Side One Dummy Records. He recorded this album with his new band, The St. Marks Social. Love It To Life is produced by Ted Hutt (Lucero, … Read more
GIVERS puts ants in my pants and makes me do the boogie dance. This Lafayette, Louisiana five-piece makes music that is pure, unadulterated fun, perfect for fans of Vampire Weekend. It’s clear that GIVERS is heavily influenced by the native music of their hometown and neighboring New Orleans. Add afro-pop, indie, and funk flavors on … Read more
One day last summer, I helped my dear friend Corey search for a Chicago-based soul band to play his upcoming wedding. In typical groom-to-be fashion, he had one task during the whole planning process, and he had procrastinated like nobody’s bizness. During my investigation, I came across a glorious video on YouTube of JC Brooks … Read more
This new video from The Happy Hollows is just fascinating to watch. It’s literally an animated watercolor painting. A watercolor painting that I sort of want hanging in my house. Hmmm. Created by Benjamin Hoste, “Death to Vivek Kemp,” supports the newly released LP, Spells, out now on Autumn Tone Records.
Songs like Adam Green’s “What Makes Him Act So Bad” put me in a weird mood. Of course, I mean this in a good way. The song is just a hair over two minutes, and it gets my brain moving. It’s probably the freaky, albeit brief, guitar solo. Or maybe it’s Green’s vocals. They sound … Read more
From the moment I first heard Fyfe Dangerfield’s “When You Walk in the Room,” I knew I had made a friend for life. This song just cannot be denied; its spirit is infectious. Ten years from now, it’ll be a great day when this pop gem randomly plays on my iPod. That is, if I … Read more
Photo credit: Andrew Waits Seattle folkies, Jesse Loritz and Kimberly Morrison, comprise the duo that is The Dutchess & the Duke. They’ve spent the winter touring to support their 2009 release, Sunset/Sunrise. This is an album that unequivocally felt like me the moment I listened to it. I was lucky enough to chat with Loritz about … Read more
When you’ve got a cool name like Misty Boyce, you better have a few tricks up your sleeve. Luckily, Ms. Boyce is a hell of a magician. It’s Monday morning magic, and don’t I need a little bit of it today. The 25-year-old from New Mexico gives us our theme to start the work week. … Read more
A couple years ago, I discovered one of my favorite singer-songwriters, David Ford. The talented man from the UK has released two beautiful albums, I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I’ve Caused and Songs For the Road, filled with timeless songs like “I Don’t Care What You Call Me,” “Go To Hell,” and “State … Read more
The Arcade Fire has announced that their third album, The Suburbs, will be released August 2, 2010 in the UK/Europe and August 3rd in the U.S. via Merge. Check out the announcement letter below by clicking on it. On their site, you can pre-order the album in every format imaginable, listen to the new single “The … Read more
Ryan Adams is all set to release his “first fully-realized sci-fi metal concept album” according to an email newsletter. It’s called ORION and was recorded in 2006 according to the official blurb below: “Recorded in 2006, ORION is Ryan Adams’ first fully-realized sci-fi metel concept album. No copies will be sold on compact disc – … Read more
Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants will release their debut self-titled album on July 13, 2010 on Le Coq Napoleon/RCA. Of course, Shiflett is known for being the Foo Fighters’ lead guitarist, so it’s nice to see him branching out on his own. Here are the details from the press release: Chris Shiflett & The … Read more
Here’s this week’s Speakers in Code endorsed live shows in St. Louis and The Triangle, from now until October! Saint Louis 6/21 – The Moondoggies + Blitzen Trapper @ Off Broadway [buy tickets] 6/23 – Brahms + Tokyo Police Club + Passion Pit @ The Pageant [buy tickets] 6/26 – Sleep Kitty + The Blind … Read more
Columbia, South Carolina’s Toro Y Moi (a.k.a. Chaz Bundick) just announced a new single – and judging by my first listen, it sounds pretty damn good. Download it for yourself below. Toro Y Moi is currently on tour opening for Caribou and is playing with a full live band for the first time ever on … Read more
The musical journey can lead down some unexpected and convoluted roads – and my path to Future Islands has ended with me kicking myself for not finding them sooner. Let me lay it all out for you. My good friend and fellow music junkie Ty recently told me to give them a listen. Living in … Read more
Good news! Antony and The Johnsons have announced the release date and covert art for LP4, titled Swanlights. Out October 4th on Secretly Canadian, the band will also release a special edition of the album which includes a 144 page artbook containing Antony’s paintings, collages, photography, and writing. Get that on your iPhone calendars stat, you crazy … Read more
Capturing the spirit of the pop music that flooded the Hit Parade in the early ’60s is a tall order, and the songs on Gigi’s new LP Maintainment decidedly develop a world and language of their own. With a reverent eye on the past and a deep respect for the airtight songsmithery of artists like … Read more
While doing my homework for this post, I began to realize just how important Beck has been to my musical path. I mean, he was initially decorated as the voice of my generation, crystallizing much of the post-modern ruckus of the alternative explosion, but in unexpected ways. His foray into electronic music seemed like a … Read more
When: May 21, 2010 Where: Madison Square Garden What: Sheer awesomeness
There is a brief but horrifying moment when you’re at a show, you look around, and you realize why the beer lines are way too short, the bathroom line is way too long, and the merch stand has been overly-popular the entire evening. You stare out into that sea of “Xed” hands and pimpled faces … Read more
“Well, who needs education/ When you’ve got a degree?…” I love that line. And I’m sensing some sarcasm. Those words come from David Ford’s “Nothing At All,” one of several superb tunes on Ford’s latest, Let the Hard Times Roll. Ford is a British songwriter who is never at a loss for words. I can’t … Read more
Lately, I have found myself reminiscing about “the good ol’ days” of ’90s music. Seriously, what happened to that stuff? I miss Blind Melon’s tap dancing bee girl, Adam Duritz’s dreadlocks (although he probably still has them, it’s just gross at this point), and Dolores O’Riordan’s Irish yodel. I know I’m not the only one: … Read more