If you haven't heard of The Wooden Birds, maybe you know Andrew Kenny from his other band The American Analog Set. Or perhaps Matt Pond from Matt Pond PA?
If you haven't heard of any of these guys, well, you have some catching up to do on your indie rock. The new quartet stopped by the CBS Interactive studios to share some thoughts and tunes from their new LP "Magnolia." The lineup features Andrew Kenny on lead vocals and guitar; Leslie Sisson on vocals; Sean Haskins on drums; and, unexpectedly, Matt Pond on guitar.
Check out the exclusive interview and performance, then visit the band's artist page on Last.fm if you'd like to hear more.
It's the end of the week! It's also Audio Draft Time, and this might raise a little bit of controversy. It's Matt and Kim, an Indie pop band from Williamsburg, New York City. Nope this isn't Justin's pick; it's Wilson's. Strange, no?
(Credit:
Last.FM/CBS Interactive)
We check out their tracks "Daylight" and "Yea Yeah." We apologize beforehand for the overdriven audio. It may not be your cup of tea, but Wilson assures us they are great in concert and just lots of fun. On a further note, they will be touring with Weezer in the coming days.
On today's show, we check out an outrageous iPhone app, where you actually have to lick the screen to play the game. The premise of the app is to lick off the food on your plate. Without getting too detailed, we come up with a couple of other apps that might take advantage of this lick-touch-screen idea. Just be sure to wrap up your iPhone before you partake.
We also check out a study that says HDTVs are mostly a placebo effect to most users. Now, we admit this study didn't compare a SDTV next to a HDTV, but we know plenty of people who think that composite video looks just as good as 1080p. After that we get to plenty of voicemails, and yes, we have two--count 'em--two voicemails from women!
EPISODE 442
Listen now: Download today's podcastSubscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video
... Read more
Other Music isn't the sort of place you'd go to pick up the new U2 record; its primary mission is to turn its customers onto, well, other music. Now, some of Other Music's titles are available as MP3 downloads.
The physical and download Other Music stores are an attempt to classify the unclassifiable; there's "In" (indie rock); "Out" (experimental, free jazz, noise, 20th century composers, and early electronic pioneers); "Electronica" (new electronic music including ambient, electro, and underground hip-hop); "Then" (influential artists from the '60s, '70s, and '80s); and "Groove" (classic soul, dub, and rare groove).
The store also stocks unsigned local bands' CDs and a lot of stuff from small labels, rarities, and a generous selection of new indie-oriented vinyl. Too bad you can't download vinyl, but Other Music has a mail-order department.
I recently spoke with Other Music's Josh Madell to learn more about Other Music Digital. First, the download store offers only high-quality 320kbps, DRM-free MP3s. The store has long-term relationships with a ton of indie labels, and that has helped Other Music tackle this sort of venture. I haven't heard of any other indie record store that sells MP3s in significant numbers.
Madell quickly acknowledged that going up against Amazon and iTunes wasn't easy, but Other Music scores occasional exclusives and some stuff appears first as an Other Music MP3 before it comes out on CD.
Looking around the site I found a lot of music I liked, and sure it's also on iTunes, but I wouldn't have found it there. If you like underground, cutting-edge stuff, check out Other Music. Most download albums are $9.99, or $1.11 per track. There's some free downloads too.
Do you know of any indie brick-and-mortar stores that sell MP3s? Please let us know.
With his band The Comas on hiatus, Andy Herod's self-produced new project, Electric Owls, embarks on an exploration of musical experimentation while dwelling on the distinctly dark and cryptic with the release of the Magic Show EP.
Aptly titled, the four tracks propagate the mystical spirit of Halloween with many macabre references in songs such as "Cannibal Superstar" and "Darken Me," both lyrically dredging up feelings of death and dethronement put against a backdrop of slightly offbeat--yet melodic--pop hooks and intertwining harmonies. Less heavy songs also appear on the release, such as the unusually jaunty and whimsical title track, evoking surrealistic images and a dreamy musical style equal parts nocturnal and charged--perhaps better identifiable as an electric owl.
With help from producer/songwriter Britt Daniel (Spoon), Anya Marina's hit single "Move You" has that indie-meets-pop feel, which is hard to pull off. It's hip yet catchy enough for TV--and perhaps that's why it was featured on Grey's Anatomy.
Soul-jazz is the coolly palatable launchpad for this Chicago trio's experimental musings. From there, the group cycles through a patchwork of sketchy vocal themes. It's equally friendly with Deerhoof and a smoky jazz den, and makes "avant-garde" sound a whole lot less intimidating.
Bloc Party gets intimate with their new album, Intimacy.
Now that Daylight Savings Time has ended, it's that odd time of the year when it gets dark while we're still at work (at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere with day jobs). Sun worshippers may be bummed, but night owls should be psyched about the extra hours of darkness. Either way, it's a good time for everyone to get out and embrace the nightlife!
Listen to our free playlist "Night Moves" featuring Bloc Party, New Order, Black Sheep, Metallica, Kid Cudi, Juliana Hatfield and more. To launch, click the green button below, and then visit Download Music to stream and download thousands more free songs.
Male/female duos are hot right now (see She & Him and The Raveonettes), and this upbeat Berlin-based group raises the bar even higher. It's A Musical's orchestral indie pop is both catchy and clever at the same time.
The Parisian indie duo brings Lekman levels of twee joy to bear on galloping, Mexicali-touched ditties. So what does it mean to fall between, say, Belle & Sebastian and '50s hero Richie Valens? We're not quite sure, but we think it means these are true pop purists.
A defining contributor to the indie-rock sound of California's Central Valley, Earlimart has expanded into an ambitious and accomplished band. Having retained the experimental edge and DIY approach of its earlier recordings, Earlimart still peppers its songs with layers of distortion, strings, and keyboards, but with more finesse and complexity.
