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Phosphorescent - "It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)"
Mike McKinley
February 26, 2010
Phosphorescent's new LP Here's to Taking It Easy is due out May 11, 2010 on Dead Oceans. In addition to the great title, the focus is to be an "any time, any season" Phosphorescent record -- with tracks (like the one below) that you can crank up and get down to, as well as some stuff that's a little darker and more introspective (you have to love it when a press release states "...the stark album closer, "Los Angeles" sounds as if it was lifted from the grooves of Neil Young's On the Beach").

It sounds like a perfect follow up to Phosphorescent's previous LP -- the great tribute to Willie Nelson (To Willie) from last year - read our interview here.

Here's a tasty track from Here's To Taking It Easy:

"It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)"



Apollo Sunshine Plays Boston and Brooklyn this March
Mike McKinley
February 23, 2010
In 2008, Apollo Sunshine's guitarist Sam Cohen told me in an interview that the band would probably be making records together forever. The alchemy they have together was implied in the way he discussed their music. And for me, it's obvious when you hear their records. The three records they made in the 2000s -- Katonah, Apollo Sunshine and Shall Noise Upon -- I felt were among the strongest of the decade.

When I spoke with Sam, the band had just released Shall Noise Upon and they were still dealing with life/band transformations that took place while they were making the record: the band went from living in the same city together to three different cities -- Boston, San Francisco, Brooklyn. With drummer Jeremy Black moving to the other side of the country, touring logistics obviously became a lot harder.

They've just announced two shows in March, and with 2009 being such a quiet year for the band, it feels like a treat:

March 18th - The Paradise in Boston
March 25th - Southpaw in Brooklyn

Here are videos for "Singing to the Earth" and "Money" from 2008's Shall Noise Upon:



Video: Trailer for the Magnetic Fields Documentary Strange Powers
Matt Bushlow
February 8, 2010
I've never quite connected with Stephin Merritt. I'm not quite sure why‚ but I think it's simply that he wears his "Yes‚ I'm a dour ironist who knows more about songwriting than 98% of the human population" on his sleeve too much for me.

But I think I may have woken up to a new morning with Merritt. I saw this trailer for a new documentary about his band‚ The Magnetic Fields‚ on Pitchfork the other day. The doc is called Strange Powers‚ and I was drawn in immediately.

The opening scene‚ where a cabbie asks why someone is making a documentary about Merritt‚ is a beautifully dry and funny take on the age old theme of "Have I heard of you?" Then the director gives us a little contrast by having Peter Gabriel, Sarah Silverman, Daniel Handler and Neil Gaiman praise different aspects of Merritt's work. Surely the cabbie has heard of at least Gabriel and Silverman. And there's a quote from his manager about how label people told her that obviously Merritt is not going to be huge‚ so what is she planning to do with him. Classic.

So I think it's time for me to dust off my copy of 69 Love Songs. Seeing Merritt on video wakes me up to how brilliantly funny he is, whether he's making a deadpan observation about Olivia Newton-John or telling his band, "Ignore the audience and it will go away."

Check it out.

Video: David Rawlings & Gillian Welch Live at NPR
Matt Bushlow
February 5, 2010
Well‚ sometimes when you can't get people to perform at your office‚ you can still tune into NPR. Bob Boilen‚ host of NPR's All Songs Considered‚ has a great series of live performances called the Tiny Desk Concerts‚ where largely acoustic acts sing and play in front of a couple of mics in his office.

This time it's David Rawlings and Gillian Welch‚ who are supporting Rawlings's first album‚ Friend of a Friend. This is a great taste for those who have been wondering what these two are up to these days. Essentially‚ they're playing the other side to their musical coin: same voices‚ same guitars‚ same moods‚ but the way it all fits together is slightly different.

Personally‚ I love the combination of the long‚ dramatic dual cover "Method Acting/Cortez the Killer‚" paired with "Sweet Tooth." Their performance reminds me of all the reasons I love these two. And as much as I enjoy Friend‚ I'm really squirming in my seat waiting for the new Gillian album.

Plants and Animals - "Tom Cruz" from La La Land
Mike McKinley
February 1, 2010
I've had Plants and Animals debut record Parc Avenue in heavy rotation lately. Every time I hear it I say the same thing to myself: "Holy shit‚ this is their debut album?"

Parc Avenue is that dialed in. So‚ here's some good news: their sophomore record La La Land is due out on April 20th (bonus points for the super duper heady release date) on Secret City Records. Check "Tom Cruz" from La La Land.

Plants and Animals - "Tom Cruz"



Here's "Bye Bye Bye" from 2008's Parc Avenue

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