Reporting Back on Jason Collett at the Power Plant

True to my expectations, Jason Collett delivered alright last night at the Power Plant. Glorious indie alt-country done well. Opening up with Tinsel & Sawdust, he riffed through Idols of Exile, plus two new songs. But the revelation of the night for me was the band that backed him up, some Barre, Ontario lads called Paso Mino. There was the Canadian indie devil lust in their eyes, hands, feet and swagger. They played some songs from their indie-pressed album titled Good People. Sweet indie-country they play, telling the stories and walking the walk.

A radiohead-sque space rock Edmonton-based band called Storyboard opened the show. Sincere decent stuff. Go here to get some songs they have offered up for free download on their site.

All in all, a good night out.

Freebie Update - Sounds Like Fall

Wikipedia tells me Sounds Like Fall is the stage-name of Joe Young, a singer-songwriter from Iowa. His website tells me he's been compared to Iron & Wine, only that he's better. Very well then, cos this fella is offering up a free compilation of his early demos and home recordings. As we say down here, well, we have no choice but to get, jam, love and judge for ourselves.

Get that here.

Pavement, Live: 6/16/1999: Irving Plaza, NY

Photographer: Marcus Roth © 1999

"Beauty speakes for itself" (take that, Shakespeare, I can talk gibberish too)
01. Intro 02. Here, 03. Cream of Gold
04. Billie, 05. Major Leagues, 06. Box Elder
07. Platform Blues, 08. The Hexx, 09. You Are a Light
10. Stereo, 11. Bob Improv Song ("Cymbal Stand"), 12. Ann Don't Cry
13. Kennel District , 14. Speak See Remember, 15. Spit on a Stranger
16. Summer Babe 17. Intro, 18. Grounded
19. Folk Jam, 20. Gold Soundz, 21. Sinister Purpose

Doherty “Up the Bracket” Again

Dear Pete,

Congratulations for taking your hatred of the press to new levels of freshness. To quote from your ever amazing work with the Libertines on the brilliant Up the Bracket,

“You’re like a journalist/How you can cut and paste and twist/ You’re awful”

Thanks for kicking the press lady. Thanks for jumping the rail. Thanks for facing more drug charges. Hell, thanks for dating Kate Moss. To quote you again, you are “living in the ruins/of a caste built on sand.”

Now let’s all don our tribly hats and scream “What a fucking waster!”

Click here to stream Up the Bracket (in continuous loop, available today only, I recommend you just buy it-its of the best dance rock albums I know).

Holy Smokes...Hot Blogwatch, The Case of rbally and Pavement Posts

rbally just sent me into overdrive with a post of Pavement, Live at the Paradiso Theatre, Amsterdam, Holland.

Nightpost: Reflecting on Jens Lekman and the Emptiness of a Hotel Room

Jens Lekman is probably a sad guy. Here's an excerpt from an interview with the PopMatters people.

PM: What girl has been the most inspiring to you?
JL: Sara. The girl I dedicated the album (Oh, You're So Silent Jens) to. She's the only girl I've been in a relationship with and everyone I've met after we broke up has seemed so boring in comparison.

Damn Jens. You're so in need of love. Anyhow, since I'm hanging out all by myself tonight in a godknowswhypeopleloveit hotel room, I have no choice but to jam your songs. You can relate.

Jason Collett at the Power Plant

As far as excitement goes, mine is palpable. Lovable Canadian bard and Broken Social Scenestar, Jason Collett, plays the Power Plant tomorrow. Should be exciting, given my love for his latest cut, the supremely laid back alt-country Feist/Drew/Amy-vocals-contributing Idols of Exile. This would be the kind of show you take your noise-hating girlfriend or wife to.

If you like flash players, you can stream Idols of Exile by clicking here and then proceeding to the "Music" page.

Electronica

2005 was a good year for meddlers in the world of sequencing, synthesizing and sampling. I now present to you picks from the best. Rock on.

Caveat: The synth-guy in the photo is not me or anyone I know, just a victim of blogcumstance.

Kraftwerk: Neon Lights
Ladytron: Destroy Everything You Touch
Vitalic: My Friend Dario
Jason Forrest: Nightclothes and Headphones (Radio edit)
M83: Car Chase Terror
M83: Teen Angst
LCD Soundsystem: Tribulations
LCD Soundsystem: Disco Infiltrator
Boards of Canada: 1969
Boards of Canada: Music Is Math
Prefuse 73: Pagina Cinco

If this genre knocks your ruts off, then bookmark this blog - it's electric, boogie, boogie, woogie!

NewsFlash - The Bigmouth Strikes Again

Go here to stream the new Moz, Ringleader of the Tormentors. Available today only. Run, little lads, Moz has forgiven Jesus!

Hot Female Lead Series #2 - Jenny Lewis

Now boys and girls, this is something we all can agree on, and I've got over 2 million of our collective google image hits to prove it. We love to look at JL. Much more than we love to hear her sing - which she does well by the way. To reward our collective drooling over the Rilo Kiley frontwoman, here's a Vancouver live gig (July 16, 2005) for your listening pleasure.

It's a Hit (Incomplete)
Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You
Portions For Foxes
Paint's Peeling
I Never
Pull Me in Tighter
So Long
More Adventurous
Ripchord
With Arms Outstretched
The Execution of All Things
Love And War (11/11/46)
The Good That Won't Come Out
Pictures of Success
Does He Love You? / Jam
Let My Love Open the Door (Pete Townsend Cover)

If you like what you hear, head here for some more. Then quickly purchase my favorite Rilo Kiley album, The Execution Of All Things and/or Jenny's newest (with the doubly fine Watson Twins), titled Rabbit Fur Coat.

The Return of the Friedbergers

As we await Bitter Tea, the next studio album from the Fiery Furnaces, go here for a treasure trove of B-sides, alternate takes and live material sure to make us forget the yuck opera that was Rehearsing My Choir. And Eleanor, please put your boots back on.

Pitchfork Newly Crowned: Band of Horses

Here's some tracks from Everything All The Time, the debut release of sub pop's Band of Horses, the reigning Pitchfork "Best New Music" heroes. Haven't given this a spin yet, so let's jam together and get judgmental later. Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

The First Song
The Funeral
Wicked Gil
Our Swords
The Great Salt Lake

Buy Everything All The Time.

Blogwatch

More daring than I could ever be, Babyborderline has put up links to unreleased Fiery Furnaces and Yeah Yeah Yeahs - plus news about Ryan Adams' fans being busted for pirating unreleased material! Nice.

Think Tank has a new Shins song, performed live.

Freebie of the Year: Dead Heart Bloom

Last year, two bands formerly unknown to me, Boston's The Spaceshots and "still not sure who they are" ACRISIS, blasted their way into my itunes and admiration by "freebie-ing" their full albums for the world to enjoy on the internet. Today, the man now known to me as Boris Skalsky, former DC band Phaser bassist, vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter has freebied us the new album by his new band, Dead Heart Bloom. Well, seeing as this is the case, we have no option but to listen, love and enjoy.

Download the self-titled debut which include a cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" here (zip file).