music reviews and information for the rest of us

On the bus home tonight I decided to search YouTube for some Fleet Foxes videos to watch. Instead I ran across this cover of a Fleet Foxes song by a Swedish sister group called First Aid Kit. I rushed home and bought their album and they are blowing my mind. The just made the best of 2008 list for me. You can buy an MP3 download of their album off their YouTube profile page. It’s less than $7.

These are the “lyrics” to Pena, off Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica Album. Thanks Cap!

Intro to Pena

Don Van Vliet: Heh-heh-ha-ha . . . Fast ‘n bulbous.
The Mascara Snake: Fast ‘n bulbous!
Don Van Vliet: That’s . . . heh-heh.
FZ: OK, do it again, then you’ve won.
Don Van Vliet: I love that, I love those words.
The Mascara Snake: Fast ‘n bulbous!
Don Van Vliet: That’s right, The Mascara Snake, fast ‘n bulbous!
The Mascara Snake: Bulbous also tapered.
Don Van Vliet: Yeah, but you’ve gotta wait until I say, “Also, a tin teardrop.”
The Mascara Snake: Oh, Christ.
FZ: Alright, again, beginning.
The Mascara Snake: Fast ‘n bulbous!
Don Van Vliet: That’s right, The Mascara Snake, fast ‘n bulbous! Also, a tin teardrop.
The Mascara Snake: Bulbous also tapered.
Don Van Vliet: That’s right!

Mark Burgess talks about the Chamelions

Oh Deerhoof, how I love thee.

Video of the day: White Winter Hymnal, by Fleet Foxes

I’m just having a Roxy Music kind of day so I thouht I’d share.

OK sorry, this isn’t very indiegeek but I just found a great iMix f 70s songs on iTunes and just wanted to share. It’s called: “(gasp) I love that song!“

I love Long Winters shows, and this show was no exception. John Roderick comes on stage sporting long hair a few pounds heavier and sporting some excellent 70s cocaine smuggler shades. They kick into “Give me a moment” the lead track from “The Worst you can do is harm” and the place lights up. For the ride out solo John gets carried away and crashes into the drums, taking out the mics and falling backwards over the guitar amps. The band doesn’t skip a beat. Everyone hoots and hollers and waits for him to get back up. The band waits. We all wait. He kicks right back in. Damn this is a rock show.

They go through lots of past album material and Roderick explains that his Gibson Thunderbird, his “white hippie space guitar” is changing his ideas about music. This interaction with an audience is what most bands lack at shows. Alberta Cross who opens doesn’t say a word and Say Hi, barely says anything as well except to say thanks. The Winters are tight, they are funny and they are right with the crowd. Its a great show, even if they wont do any encores.

Alberta Cross opens the show and they make believers out of a lot of the crowd. They have a wonderful short set full of crunchy Fender Jaguar blues gospel. We went out and got their record the next day. If you have some money left in your pocket go and pick up their EP “The Thief and the Heartbreaker”. It does not disappoint. Better yet. See them if they are in your neck of the woods. Imagine Jim James from My Morning Jacket fronting the Black Crowes or maybe a gospel version of the The Shins and that might get you half way there. I can’t wait to hear more from them.

What do you get when you cross Ween, New Pornographers, the Rolling Stones, The Bee Gees and Aretha Franklin? You get the Mgmt. And what a sweet, glorious pot of jambalaya it is. I heard a lot of the same sounds coming out of Band of Bees and you know what a huge fan I am of theirs. Mgmt is full of gooey layers of analog keyboards and organs, deep melodies bass, and anthemic sing along lyrics. Your heart will swoon and your hips will shake.

Visit the Mgmt on MySpace.

Read the Rolling Stone review.