Get this!

I remember thinking this was the coolest Nitzer Ebb video ever when it came out...been wanting to see it again for awhile...and well, here it is:



And this led me to this X-Ray Spex video...



YouTube is turning into this pretty amazing resource...

TechTag: Music

think of the children...

The Cold War Kids just released two eps...check them out...there's a bit of the White Stripes in these guys...

They love making fake album covers, it seems:



They're busy out there touring like mad right now, heard they put on a good live show. Check their myspace page for dates.

Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds

Cold War Kids - Tell Me In The Morning

Two more tracks from their Mulberry Street EP over at their music page, just scroll down a bit.

Just in case

On the ever so slight chance that you missed this somehow, check out the streams for Neil Young's new album...Living With War:

Direct Link

This video on CNN is also entertaining...when will reporters learn how to ask relevant questsions?



TechTag: Music

Calexico is so mean...

Here's the video:

Calexico - Cruel (quicktime)

And here's the track:

Calexico - Cruel

Thanks, Pixelsurgeon...

How beautiful!

eX-Girl are playing tonight in San Francisco, wild and crazy times will ensue...

eX-Girl - Pretty You Ugly
eX-Girl - Rocket Keronian





Another track's available over at their site on Alternative Tentacles (you'll have to navigate to it) And here's their site as well. I adore their photos...in case you couldn't guess.

Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs : Under The Covers Vol. 1

There are lots of reasons why I was looking forward to this disk...number one being Matthew Sweet. Number two being the tracks they recorded and number three, well, I'm not a huge Susanna Hoff's fan, but I was curious.

And well, although I've heard some pretty good reviews of this album, I was left feeling a bit disappointed. Mathew's last albums started to feel over-produced to me, too polished. And in that rock'n'roll sort of way, not that keyboard-electronic way. His best work for me will always be "Goodfriend," a limited release he did around the time "Girlfriend" was released. It was a mixture of live tracks and demo versions and it's rawness let his emotions shine.

That being said, this album isn't a stinker by any means. There are some great covers in here, and I enjoyed listening to it. I was surprised by Susanna as well. Songs like "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" really let her shine, and raised her up a bit in my book.

Here's the track listing with the original artists:

1. I See The Rain (The Marmalade)
2. And Your Bird Can Sing (The Beatles)
3. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan)
4. Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (Fairport Convention)
5. Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young And Crazy Horse)
6. Alone Again Or (Love)
7. Warmth Of The Sun (The Beach Boys)
8. Different Drum (The Stone Poneys, featuring Linda Ronstadt)
9. The Kids Are Alright (The Who)
10. Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground)
11. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young And Crazy Horse)
12. Care Of Cell #44 (The Zombies)
13. Monday Monday (The Mamas And The Papas)
14. She May Call You Up Tonight (The Left Banke)
15. Run To Me (The Bee Gees)

Mathew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - She May Call (.mov audio file)

My Old Kentucky Blog has a couple of tracks posted, including "Care of Cell #44," one of the better tracks on the disk. The official site is over at Shout! Factory.

Take me back, country roads...

Stumbled across Flee the Seen by accident...turns out their playing locally and someone had mentioned them to me on the same day...tuned in and well, I liked!

Kim's voice reminds me of Jody Bleyle from Team Dresch and Hazel, but a bit more angry.

Big sound here, kids...

Flee The Seen - Wire Tap Out REMOVED

Here's a link to their site and to another where you can here some more tracks and check out their latest video.

Purchase over here.
TechTag: Music

this air is making me cough...

Just a quick post tonight...here's a couple of tracks from an unavailable (as far as I know) single back from 1991. It's a split single Smog/Suckdog...and without further ado, here are the two Smog tracks:

Smog - My Shell (removed)
Smog - Astronaut (removed)

Here's Smog's site on Drag City and another Smog site here.

Okay...I stand corrected...Astronaut is on Accumulation...My Shell seems to not be out there.

TechTag: Music

WOW SPARKS!

WOW has this funny track up by Sparks...run...quick...!

Sparks - Madonna (link to their post)

I can barely stand up...

Trying something new today with my music links, let me know if it bugs the heck out of you guys or not.

Back in 1986 I stumbled across this album who's liner notes sucked me in:

"Hoo Are Hooting Welk?
(and the veggies)
By James Bartholomew Nasty

Tone
(A right young Jim-The-Lad and no mistak) Inheriot a doubtful-bass off his olderly Grandfarmer who play gospel on the spoons. Howafter, the kindly old scrunge forbat him to play the "daffodil's musig" (rhysole & blouse) on it. Tone ignosed this (wretched slimmer that he was) and could soon be heard (slappitythud) all over Kentist Towel and parts of Humpstead. One day while prastising his backwart-double-slap-harf-nestle and frighting the pensioners, he met..."

And it goes on to describe each member of the band in the same tone. Needless to say, I bought it. This was my discovery of the very elusive Howlin' Wilf & the Vee-jays. The album, "Cry Wilf!" was their first release, and it would turn out that the ring-leader, James Hunter would end up touring with Van Morrison and becomming, in Van's words, " one of the best voices, and best kept secrets, in British R'n"B and Soul." It took years to find him though, and during the interim the only news I found about the band was when I stumbled upon their fourth album, "six by 6" in 1990, but the band name had changed to Howlin' Wilf and his Band. Somehow I missed album number 2 and 3. Not hard to imagine, though, considering his releases were on tiny labels from England link Hound Dog Records and Big Beat.

He released his new album, "People gonna Talk" last month. Here's a couple of tracks from his first release, direct from vinyl, kiddos!

Howlin' Wilf & The Vee-Jays - Got A Thing For You REMOVED
Howlin' Wilf & The Vee-Jays - Wilf's Wobble REMOVED

Like I said earlier, I'm changing the way I link to songs, let me know what you think.

Here's a recent picture of him.




Here's the Amazon link for his new album, "People Gonna Talk." Here's his Myspace site as well as his official site.

TechTag: Music

That sweater looks really uncomfortable...

There have not been enough guitars around these parts lately...

Try Angoramachinegun on for size. Although I'm not to excited about their name, they know how to pull out the punk.

Angoramachinegun - Stop, Applaud REMOVED

See what I mean?

Visit their MySpace page and here's their homepage...

TechTag: Music

I've seen a ghost...

Remember House of Freaks? Take a listen:

House of Freaks - I Got Happy

Now, listen to this:

Gary Reynolds and Th Brides of Obscurity - Instant Happiness

Sounds like Bryan Harvey born in the 70's...



Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity definitely have their own thing going on, and when they hit it right, they hit it pretty good:

Gary Reynolds and The Brides of Obscurity - On The Radio

This isn't a perfect album, but they're on the way there. The orchestrations and lush builds work well with his voice.

You can download another song and purchase the album directly over at their site.

Why am I on my knees in the first place?

The Sounds have a few tracks up on their site right now, including some from their new album, "Dying To Say This To You."

Pure power pop...do I like it? Haven't made up my mind...it's not bad...it's just not different...

The Sounds - Queen of Apology

See what I mean? Not bad? But is it good?

The Sounds - Painted By Numbers

I like her voice...it's the music that's not differentiating itself for me. But damn that record cover is hot...oh...did I say that out loud? But that's not reason enough to spend $10 now, is it?



The Sounds - Song With A Mission


More sounds over at their site and here's the Amazon link.


TechTag: Music

Something about a burro?

Got this email today...and the track is oh so nice...

The hey hey my my's is a bet launched on the number two: two artists, two
Juliens (Garnier and Gaulier), two guitars, two Hey’s, two my’s and a lot of
luck on two people becoming fundamental.

It all began on February 9th 2005, while singing a few songs for friends
during one of the Julien’s birthday party, a fire broke out in the
apartment. Luckily, no one was hurt, more fright than harm, but this
inspired the two Julien’s to think of a part of a Neil Young song saying
«It's better to burn out than to fade away », which lead them to name their
group with the title of this song : «hey hey my my».

Tempo being set by such a flaming start, both write and compose folk songs
in mind similar to Nick Drake, Frank Black, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash or
Brian Wilson (nevertheless neither of the two Julien’s never really
listened to the Beach Boys !).

Hey Hey My My - Too Much Space


MySpace connections as well as their own site...

TechTag: Music

Oh god...I can't think straight...HELP!

I was in the subway the other day, minding my own business, when this guy rudely pushes past me, in some kind of big hurry. He looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.
A few moments later I notice a commotion in front of me. Then I realized who it was. It was Bernard Sumner, but the 20 year old version. He was lying on the ground along with some other chap who I instantly recognized as Gary Numan, but again, he was only about 22 or so...much younger than he is today. Seems Bernard was running along and ran into Gary, knocking them both flat on the ground. Some other guy was giving them both a hand up, smoothing the situation over. Damn...isn't that Simon Topping?

CutCopy - Time Stands Still REMOVED

CutCopy - Saturdays REMOVED



HELP! I thought the 80's were over...then this happens...and...and...I like it...help me...please?

CutCopy's website is here...their label, Modular has a Modcast, which is quite nice, here's episode 1, which includes The Avalanches, Chromeo, CutCopy, The Presets and more:

Modcast #1

You can subscribe to it and listen to others over here. Or just go visit Modular's site. Here's CutCopy's site and their myspace page as well.

And here's the Amazon link.




TechTag: Music

Well, maybe I love you...

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness have announced some tour dates:

ILYBICD TOUR DATES:
05/17/06 Marfa, TX - The Ballroom
05/18/06 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/19/06 San Diego, CA - The Casbah w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/20/06 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/22/06 San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/23/06 Sacramento, CA - Junta w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/24/06 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/25/06 Seattle, WA - Husky Union Auditorium (University of Washington) w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/26/06 Bellingham, WA - Night Light Lounge w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/27/06 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
05/29/06 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/30/06 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive w/ The Rogers Sisters
05/31/06 Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground w/ The Rogers Sisters
06/01/06 Norman, OK - The Opolis

And to wet your appetite, from their new album, "Fear Is On Our Side":

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - According to Plan

Listen ducky...

Just got the Guillemot's EP, "From the Cliffs," go out and buy it already. It's worth every penny.

What are you waiting for?

I get the distinct feeling that they LOVE making music. It's there in every note and sound.

TechTag: Music

Concentrated Cleaning Power!

I'm going to make a more concentrated effort to start putting up more of my old vinyl...and is so often the case with this stuff, there isn't always a lot of info about some of these bands. Especially the ones on 45. Such is the case with Oswald 5-0, of which I know so little about. All of the info I know is gleaned from this small write up ( from Up Records):

(EUGENE, OREGON) - In 1989 Robert Christie was writing more songs than ever, despite the fact his band of the previous five years, snakepit, had recently disintegrated. His friend Diane Beck had been bugging him to start a band since she had acquired and learned to play Matt Colgans bass. They together agreed, now is the time. Oswald 5-0 is born. Rounding up Joe Brooks and Gary Sharts to man the drums and lead guitar respectively, O 5-0 booked some gigs and hit the basement. In the ensuing year a single was recorded in Portland at Mike Lastra's Smegma studios and released on the Imp label. "A Love Supreme" may not have burned up the charts, but music fans with an ear for Oregon's rich rock history heard an instant classic in the vein of the Wipers and the Rats. Change is inevitable, and by 1992 Brooks and Sharts had left, motivating Christie to return to his original instrument, the drums. Enter Nick Tucker, a California transplant and friend of sometime Oswald lyricist Greg Rios. Tucker took over the guitar and male vocal duties, lending an 'SST' edge to the combo's northwest sound. This line up recorded the full length "For Lover's Only" and toured the U.S. with compatriots Some Velvet Sidewalk and the Spinanes. Sadly Oswald 5-0 never received the recognition that was accorded some of their big city neighbors and quietly called it quits in the late 1990s.

Lineups:
Robert Christie Vocals, Guitar
Diane Beck Vocals, Bass
Gary Sharts Lead Guitar
Joe Brooks Drums

Robert Christie Drums, Vocals
Diane Beck Bass. Vocals
Nick Tucker Guitar, Vocals

I always filed these guys under that sort of early Built to Spill/NW indie rock sound...

Oswald 5-0 - A Love Supreme REMOVED
Oswald 5-0 - Crushproof REMOVED

Both of these tracks are from an early 45. Robert Christie, the main songwriter, was also a member of Snakepit and one of the original members of Some Velvet Sidewalk.

You can still purchse one of their later 45's over at Up records.

TechTag: Music

bring it back, please?

The new Mates of States video is out...

Mates Of State : Fraud in the 80's

Here's the embedded version:



I'm going to sound like I'm bragging here, but it came out pretty sweet...we got to work on it here and it looks pretty nice. Arno, the director, did a great job with all the stop motion.

You can also download the track over here, the link is on the bottom of the page.

The song is pretty infectious, too. You can buy the new album here.