Some Videos and Album News for Yall...

As I've said the past few posts, I've been really busy (but don't worry, Tuesday=freedom...), but just thought I'd drop some album news and a few videos.  (Sorry if there's not really a lot of content, but oh well).

Dave Sitek :: Maximum Balloon

Dave Sitek is one of the masterminds of everybody's favorites TV On the Radio. Well, he's just announced he'll be releasing a solo album... rejoice! Due out in August. He's also been working on a rap mixtape with Aziz Ansari of Parks & Recreations... don't know what to expect there.

Phil Selway :: Familial

Phil Selway (one of the three guys in Radiohead who is not Thom Yorke or Jonny Greenwood...hehehe) has been playing some solo shows recently with the likes of the Wilco drummer.  He'll be releasing an album to support this called Familial, also due out in August.  On a side note, he will be third member of Radiohead to release a solo album (Thom Yorke: the Eraser, Jonny Greenwood: There Will Be Blood Original Score); do you guys think it can live up to the two fantastic predecessors/can his live show be anywhere near as good as Thom Yorke's Atoms for Peace (fact: when they release an album, I will go crazy...)?  Digging the album art...

Neon Indian :: Sleep Paralysist

Chillwave's been in a little bit of a slump hasn't it?  Well, here's a pretty sweet video for Neon Indian's post summer 2009 single (is that possible... chillwave released after summer 2009?  Jokes of course...).

Here We Go Magic :: Collector

Adidas, Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, and Star Wars... Yep.

The headline says it all... a remake of the Cantina scene, featuring Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, David Beckham, Noel Gallagher of Oasis, Jay Baruchel, and more... just watch it.

And since I'm going video crazy...

Totally unrelated but epic, the new trailer for Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.

I don't think a good movie has been released in months, but I can't wait for this and Inception.

-- A Teenage Elephant

More album tidbits...

The Thermals :: Personal Life

Due out in August

Interpol :: S/T

After some time off/band trouble, they'll be releasing their self-titled, fourth album in September.

Bonus!!!

First Half of '10 Album List

Hey yalls.... I just realized I've been super light on album reviews this year, so I figured I would do a little update seeing as we are nearly halfway done with this year.  I'm not going to write a review for each album, but I will write a sentence or two and let you know that you should pretty much OWN all 20 of these.  Sorry if there is not a lot of detail to these posts, it's just there was a lot to cover and I'm in the middle of Finals (excuses, excuses, I know).

1. 
   
   LCD Soundsystem :: This Is Happening
   
   Extremely varied album that (at least to me) seems encyclopedic in its influences.  It's got all styles, and everything in every song is functional (i.e. contributes to the sound).
   
   
2. 
   
   Local Natives :: Gorilla Manor
   
   Beautiful Beach Boy inspired harmonies; perfectly captures the LA indie sound with its clean guitars and double percussion.
   
   
3. 
   
   Tame Impala :: Innerspeaker
   
   Pyschedelia to the max... and awesome.  Wah-wah pedals, reverbed vocals... close your eyes and enjoy.
   
   
4. 
   
   Beach House :: Teen Dream
   
   Moaning, brooding vocals, echo-y, epic anthems, effects laden organs, and more.
   
   
5. 
   
   The New Pornographers :: Together
   
   The power pop pros do it again; they might have perfected their sound with this one.
   
   
   
6. 
   
   Caribou :: Swim
   
   Every song seems to be painstakingly crafted, with synths swooping in and at as vocals get effects laid on them; standout song is house style "Sun"
   
7. 
   
   MGMT :: Congratulations
   
   Most divisive album of the year; I really liked MGMT's new direction.  You either love it or hate it and I'm not going to write anything else.
   
8. 
   
   Broken Social Scene :: Forgiveness Rock Record
   
   More great stuff from the Canadian supergroup.  Less power-poppy than I expected, but still great.  "Texico Bitches" is my favorite.
   
   
9. 
   
   Avi Buffalo :: Avi Buffalo
   
   This album is fantastic, and it was made by a couple of a kids who are only just out of high school.  They have the simple sound of LA indie with their simple, clean electric guitar and young male vocals (if that makes any sense...)
   
   
   
   
10. 
    
    Surfer Blood :: Astro Coast
    
    The best (in my opinion) of the many lo-fi/pop releases this year.  They manage to create their own sound and identity, which is something of a problem for a lot of the lo-fi bands (whenever I'm listening to lo-fi, I have a friend who always makes the joke "didn't we just hear this song?").  This album will definitely get you ready for the summer...
    
    
11. 
    
    The Morning Benders :: Big Echo
    
    
    
    
12. 
    
    Flying Lotus :: Cosmogramma
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. 
    
    Sleigh Bells :: Treats
    
    
    
    
14. 
    
    Beach Fossils :: Beach Fossils
    
    
    
    
15. 
    
    Broken Bells :: Broken Bells
    
    
    
    
16. 
    
    Jonsi :: Go
    
    
    
    
17. 
    
    Delorean :: Subiza
    
    
    
    
    
18. 
    
    Titus Andronicus :: the Monitor
    
    
    
    
19. 
    
    Gemini :: Wild Nothing
    
    
    
    
20. 
    
    Yeasayer :: Odd Blood

Notable Mention:

Spoon, Hot Chip, the Delta Mirror, the Gorillaz

I haven't really gotten a chance to listen to the Black Keys' Brothers, the Besnard Lakes' Are The Roaring Night, Best Coast's Best Coast, Fang Island's Fang Island, Janelle Monae's the ArchAndroid, Harlem's Hippies, jj's n3, or the National's High Violet, but what I have heard from them I really like (I've done my best to stay up, but you can't be perfect....)

-- A Teenage Elephant

(Now go get some music!)

PS Trying something new... all of those images (except for the Tame Impala ones) are links to amazon...

Tame Impala :: Innerspeaker

Alright, I'm sorry, blah blah blah you know the deal. I've been busy with the end of school, and Finals start tomorrow, but I figured I'd get one post in because it's been way too long and there are three things I MUST SHARE.

Before I start, I realized I never really did a full post about LCD Soundsystem's This is Happening; for now, all that you need to know is that it is probably James Murphy's most complete album, it's probably his best one, and has just about every type of style of song you could want from him, and it is epic (9 songs, 68 minutes epic).  Listen to it now.


Thing Numero Uno: Tame Impala :: Innerspeaker

If you haven't heard this album yet, I, with the power invested in me by the interwebs, command you to go buy/get from a friend/download this album immediately.  It's is awesome.  Awesome enough to invoke expletives when talking about it.  It's got more wah than you can handle, it's got an ample amount of psychedelia infused into it, and it just plain blows your mind in my humble, and not really influential but whatever, opinion.  It seems to have influences from all over the music timeline, like the Doors, Beck, Cream, and most of all in my opinion, the Beatles (but then again who isn't influenced by them).  It really seems to me to be a modern take on the Beatles trippy stuff, and a lot of it really is in the sound of "Within You Without You" (interestingly, that song is very Indian sounding and a lot of this album was recording on the Indian Ocean...).  Bottom line: PICK THIS ALBUM UP IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (I even gave it to my dad to listen to if there are any old fogeys out there reading this... not that my dad is an old fogey or anything... oh boy I hope he doesn't read this...).  My favorite tracks are three in a row in the middle, "Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind", "Solitude is Bliss," and "Jeremy's Storm."  My favorite track on the album though is the last one, "I Don't Really Mind."

mp3: Solitude is Bliss
mp3: I Don't Really Mind (sorry I got a takedown notification from the DMCA for both of those... scary)
yalls can find 'em somewhere else... (i.e. Hypem)

#2: Arcade Fire Singles

I'm pretty positive you have heard these by now, and I posted the clips from them a few weeks ago, but for those of you who have been living in a cave in the past, oh 15 days, here are the new Arcade Fire songs.  Oh, by the way, that was the sound of my drool in anticipation of the new album hitting the ground.

mp3: The Suburbs
mp3: The Month of May  (Sorry more take down notifications)

#3: Broken Bells :: Ghost Inside (Video feat. Christina Hendricks)

Check out the video for the Ghost Inside by Broken Bells.  It's starring Christina Hendricks of Mad Men, but more importantly, of Firefly, which is only one of my favorite shows evah (she plays Mal's "wife" for tose of you that watch the show.  She's back in her sci-fi element with this one...  The video is pretty sweet, and it turns a decent song into a really good video.


--A Teenage Camel (woops wrong animal...)