Neighbors :: Attention (Updated w/ Interview)

Neighbors
These two teenagers are from LA ('cause really, where else is there besides LA?) - they are barely out of high school, but they have already made some top notch music.  This song, "Attention," features some great harmonies and a simply but very multi-layered tune to keep it flowing smoothly; the use of banjos, autoharps and acoustic guitars really build a great summer feel.  It is (even if it's just one song) far better than Tennis, who I enjoy thoroughly, simply due to all the variety you get within the one song - when it breaks down from 3:20 on to the end and really, Augusta's vocals throughout are just simply beautiful.


Not to mention the fact that the video is done extremely well - the simple act of repeating them in one frame seems to add to the depth of the song - not to mention the fact that is just really cool.  The whole aura that both the room and they give off just makes everything about this song seemingly perfect in its own little world, even if they haven't done much else besides this song.  Check the video out below, and their Facebook page here.  Interview below as well.





Me: You guys are clearly just getting started on the LA music scene - what would you like listners to know about your band and your music?


Neighbors: We have a very personal relationship with our music and we're happy to know that people enjoy listening.


Me: How did Neighbors come together?


Neighbors: We became friends on a school trip to China.  We were 12 years old and bonded over mutual interests.  Since then we've been buds and started playing music together during free periods in high school.


Me: How would you describe your music? What are the writing and recording processes like for it?


Neighbors: Our music is an organic fusion of what we listen to.  We both love early American folk music, and a lot of doo-wop.  An average practice for us would be Dakota fiddling on the guitar and Augusta singin' different melodies until both lined up nicely.  Lyrics are usually drawn from personal experiences or fictional stories we wanna tell.  Some, like John Muir, are about people we love/ are inspired by.  Most of our friends play music which provides a great community to workshop our songs.  Now Dakota lives in Chicago our writing process has become more dependent on the internet connection.


Me: Are there any bands that influence your music directly? Or any that influence you to write something polar opposite?


Neighbors: There are so many bands that influence us. Some of our shared influences are the Everly Brothers, Harry Nilsson, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Beach Boys, everything that Sublime Frequencies releases, Ry Cooder...the list never ends.


Me: Thanks so much for your time, and keep up the great work!




Here's some more stuff by them.
Latest tracks by NEIGHBORS
-- ______Me____

Glow Marrow

These guys hail from LA (woot!) and they are really darn good.  Their name might have "Glow" in it, but don't let that bias you into thinking they are just some more lo-fi/fuzzy Washed Out wannnabes.  They really do have a unique, fun, interesting sound.  They key is that they blend their deep electronic layerings with excellent vocals in a way so that you never feel like the vocals were just an after thought, mumbled to complete a track; they actually perfectly come in and take center stage when they should, and then fade into the background to let the synths do the work, and on some songs the guitars as well ("Build the Floor" is a great example of the vocal balance).  "Lights and Other Types" is the standout in my opinion, building up from some echo-y reverbed vocals and beat into an almost anthemic chorus.

The EP is long for four songs, clocking in at 25 minutes, but it moves at a brisk pace and the dense songs leave you always finding something new to pick out.  There is a certain laid-back exuberance to it all if that makes any sense - poppy enough to feel really happy but not cheesy or ever in your face about it.  They sound like guys you'd want to hang out with, if you can tell that from a song.  It sounds real, which is what ends up separating them from the pack, if you will.  They don't keep it all one sound though, mixing in some great acoustic guitar in "The Last Century."  I really did enjoy all four of these songs - check 'em out below or head over to their site to download them in various qualities.  

I look forward to hearing more from them!

mp3: Build the Floor

mp3: The Last Century

mp3: Lights and Other Types

mp3: Broadheart

Let's all hope they can make it - so share them with your friends, like 'em on facebook, etc.

-- I

Sufjan Stevens + FlyLo + Here We Go Magic + A Video

Sufjan Stevens :: All Delighted People EP

First off, this is some pretty exciting news... Without any warning, after five years of doing pretty much nothing (yeah he did 4 albums worth of Christmas Carols, but... not exactly what anybody really listens to Sufjan for), Mr. Stevens has just released an EP entitled All Delighted People, but in standard form for him, the EP is a sprawling hour!  He also recently announced some new tour dates, so does this mean there is an album on the way?  Let's hope so.  The press release for this album is about as puzzling to say the least.  Apparently, the album (woops, EP) is "a dramatic homage to the Apocalypse, existential ennui, and Paul Simon’s ‘Sounds of Silence."  It also contains a "17-minute guitar jam-for-single-mothers ‘Djohariah.'"  As is evident from these descriptions, the EP is indeed epic in nature, featuring choirs and more; it features choirs, massive buildups with powerful trumpets in the end (think the his great 'You Are the Blood' from Dark Was the Night), and at times sounds almost Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon-ish to me, with lyrics like "What difference does it make?"  Its also got your great Sufjan acoustic rock, and well, a guitar-jam-solo that is... considerable... in its length to say the least.  Is this as good as some of his previous stuff... probably not, but is certainly pretty wonderful to have some new Sufjan.  You can stream the entire thing below.

Here We Go Magic :: Terminally Chill

Having just released an album, (Pigeons, Secretly Canadian) which I think I posted a track or two from a ways back, the Brooklyn band went on and put out a cover of Neon Indian's 2009 song demonstrative of all the chillwave qualities, "Terminally Chill."  Despite some similar parts, like the backgrund synth, they really put the HWGM touch on it with the backup vocals echoing the lead and repeating and overlapping, as well as the quick repetitive drums.  Enjoy.

mp3: Terminally Chill (Here We Go Magic Cover)

Flying Lotus :: Camera Day

Was releasing one of 2010's best albums (Cosmogramma) enough for LA (woot!) hip-hop/electronic/general bro Flying Lotus enough?  Absolutely not.  He must come back with more!  More the people want!  Well more the people shall have (what else would you expect from the nephew of John and Alice Coltrane, after all he does have to carry the family torch).... he will be releasing Pattern+Grid World, an EP (hopefully of the Sufjan length...) soon enough, and here is the first track from it, "Camera Day."

Flying Lotus - Camera Day (taken from Pattern+Grid World) by Warp Records

Yeasayer :: Madder Red
Finally, although I'm sure you've seen it already, here is the new Yeasayer video for "Madder Red."  It is a perfectly normal video.  There is nothing strange or off putting about it.  Oh wait, this is a Yeasayer video.  Of course it's the weirdest video since you've seen the last Yeasayer video.  Of course it makes you feel sort of like, what just happened, and of course it makes you quite sad on the inside...  Well here it is, starring Kristen Bell.



-- A Teenage Elephant

4 Albums that Should Be On Your Radar (And May Not Be)

Here are four albums that are potentially under your radar but should be on it!

Swim by Caribou

This one may not be under you radar as Dan Smaith (Caribou) has been around for a while, but his latest release is great.  It's a bit of a fusion of many different styles, but it does not at all feel disorganized; instead it feels like every song was meticulously crafted.  Effects that wash out the music last just as long as they should, the drum beats are smooth and relaxed, and overall the album has a warm summery (slightly, dare I say, chillwave?) feel.  Also, the way refrains repeat but get changed up by effects gives some of the songs a slightly house feel.  My favorites: "Leave House" and "Sun"

Avi  Buffalo by Avi Buffalo

Chances are this one is under the radar for you (if not for the post I put up about him/them the other day), but they are certainly reaching buzzband status in LA.  These guys/guy (Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg AKA Avi Buffalo plus his band) are super young, fresh out of Millikan High in Los Angeles (Go LA bands!), and they certainly sound young, although not in a negative way.  It's not their musical composition, but the tone of their songs.  They have a happy feel, although it does not feel poppy and silly (think Matt and Kim).  They sing on the song "Jessica" - I still want to leave my mark / show you that I fit the part / Remember when we talked on that /  and it made you laugh.  The lyrics don't sound like they were just hashed out in minutes, they feel like they were thought about and the music is slow yet with joy, again making it seem thoughtful not immature.  It feels much more structured and cleaner, making it musically sound mature (if that makes any sense).  My favorites: "Jessica" and "One Last"


Clinging to a Scheme by Radio Dept.

These guys are Swedish and have been around for 13 years (!), yet this is just their third (!) album.  I'd never heard of them before, but when I came across this album I felt I had to share it.  It's really short, clocking in at 35 minutes despite being 10 songs.  Each song feels compact and like everything in it has a purpose, which is impressive seeing it could be easy to go overboard and make a very long album when working on it for 4 years.  They have a sort of dreamy pop sound.  Don't know what else to say but it's great!  Favorties: "This Time Around" and "The Video Dept."

Machines that Listen by the Delta Mirror

More LA for yall!  I talked about these guys a while ago, and this album is a little over a month old, but it would be easy to miss.  It's in some ways an "experimental album" in that each song takes place in a different room of a hospital.  In some ways it reminds me of the album Hospice by Antlers because of this, although the sound is very different.  To be honest, it is easy not to notice the hospital part.  The album has a very glitch/electronic sound.  Check it out!  (Plus it's got some sweet album art).  Favorites: "A Song About the End" and "We Got It All"

-- A Teenage Elephant

Tell me what you think of these!  (Please?)

Avi Buffalo, Beach Fossils, and the Talking Heads!

First up...
Avi Buffalo :: What's It In For

I never really got to talk about Avi Buffalo on here for one reason or another, but here's a big one!  With their freshmen (and they're actually about to be freshmen in college... that's how young they are) try just out on Sub Pop, they are starting to make the splash they deserve.  They just put this color saturated video out for their song "What's It in For."  You've got some cool cgi flowers sprouting to match the happy, playing music in the field vibe that comes with their laid back but still joyous guitars/vocals.  It's also slightly anthemic.  Visual treat if I may say so.
mp3: What's It In For

Beach Fossils :: Daydream, Youth
The parallels to Beach House are just too numerous... BEACH House/BEACH Fossils, DayDREAM/Teen DREAM, YOUTH/TEEN Dream, you get the idea.  Good thing their music doesn't really sound alike... we'd have a case of copycats on our hands...  Beach Fossil really nail down the lo-fi sound in my opinion; if Titus Andronicus are at the energetic (maybe more punk/garage rock) end of the lo-fi scale, then these guys are at the mellow, laid back, dream-pop end of the scale.  They've got the reverbed vocals (sounds a lot like Small Black vocals actually), but their music sounds a lot more organized and thought out than a lot of garage rockers (think Wavves).  Good stuff.
mp3: Youth
mp3: Daydream

TALKING HEADS BLOWOUT!!!!!!!!!
You may ask yourself, well why are the Talking Heads on this blog?  You may ask yourself, well how did I get here to this blog?  Well it's the same as it ever was... there's damn good music.  And you may ask yourself, well why is a new music blogger writing about old music?  Because I'm burning down the rules of music blogging (and because I was listen to the Talking Heads a lot this weekend)!  So, Qu'est-ce que c'est? Since I don't want to bore all of you too much with old (even if it's incredible) music, I'll just post covers to make it seem newer, one song that is about somebody involved with the Talking Heads, and the David Byrne-Dirty Projectors collaboration from Dark Was the Night!


Here's your music, pack up your iPod/laptop, time to listen to some really good music!


mp3: Psycho Killer (Cage the Elephant - Talking Heads Cover) (This one is not very good but whatever)
mp3: Warning Sign (Local Natives - Talking Heads Cover)
mp3: Pulling Up the Roots (The Morning Benders - Talking Heads Cover)
mp3: Naive Melody (Arcade Fire - Talking Heads Cover)
mp3: This Must Be the Place (MGMT - Talking Heads Cover)
mp3: Knotty Pine (David Byrne/Dirty Projectors)
mp3: Brian Eno (MGMT) Link Coming/ I'm too lazy just check it out it's one of the album highlights


For those of you who didn't figure it out, everything in that section was a variant of a Talking Heads lyric except the second to last sentence.


And Just Because It's hilarious/great...
 


--A (Psycho Killer) Teenage Elephant

PS This post is... Once In a Lifetime...  too many puns to handle.

Fol Chen

Yesterday (super briefly), I mentioned the Fol Chen EP, and in the past couple days it has really blown up... BUZZBAND ALERT!!!!!!!!!!

  Now, I'd like to really push it to you guys because it's great.  It's five songs, three of which are remixes of the first, the other being a cover of the first.  Right off the bat, the Fol Chen version has this deep, strange voice and heavy drum beat/bass.  Then the vocals and other instruments come on, and it turns into a catchy pop song, and finally you have a nice part where all the instruments cut out and you have a little piano riff.  Really varied song, really good... then you have the remixes and cover, which give you four completely different and new takes.    Bonus: Fol Chen is an LA band.

The first Baths remix is a house, trance take on the song, with heavily reverbed vocals and synth pads.  Then the other Baths remix is also very different.  It's got vocals that shutter in and out giving the entire song an incredibly staccato feel.  The Keepaway remix starts out with the original drumbeat, but then goes and plays with changing up the drum beat and using synths for the instrumental parts.  It may be more of a traditional remix, but it is still very different from the original and other two remixes on the album.  Finally, there is the Karin Tatoyan cover, which is the most drastically different.  It starts out with a long, drone drum intro, and then a sort of 80's/8bit synth comes in.  Next in, the vocals, which have a very, very different take on the vocals.  They are the main emphasis of the song, with the other instruments pretty much relegated (poor word choice...) to the background.  They are not sung with a poppy feel, but with a feeling of longing and melancholy that is most evident as she almost begs "All I want is to see your face" and observes "everything is in ruins."

I really recommend you guys go over to folchen.com and download the whole EP for free (and the weird video that comes with it...  it's also below).  I'll give you a track or two here.

mp3: In Ruins
mp3: In Ruins (Kerin Tatoyan Cover)


Check out the Holy Ghost! remix of LCD Soundsystem's "Drunk Girls."  The two will be touring together this summer, and they are both on LCD Soundsystem front man's label DFA Records.  Oh, I've been listening to the new LCD Soundsystem album a ton, and it's great!  With the exception of Drunk Girls, every track is fantastic.  More on it when it actually comes out in May.
mp3: Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost! Remix)

-- A Teenage Elephant

Foals, Here We Go Magic, Royal Bangs (Plus FlyLo)

Foals :: Spanish Sahara

"Spanish Sahara"  is off of Oxford-quintuplet Foals' sophomore album Total Life Forever, which is due out May 5th.  I love how although it for the most part is a very simple song, the vocals really connect and the turn of of the rhyme (I think that is what is called) is impeccable in the British accent: Sahara, Wanna, Horror.  The lyrics really feel like they have some impact.  Can't wait for the album!
mp3: Spanish Sahara
mp3: Spanish Sahara (Mount Kimble Remix)

Here We Go Magic :: Old World United
Check out the new track from some of my favorite lo-fi/folky-ish bands from last year.  Just like the other track I posted from this album (Pigeons, Due out in June on Secretly Canadian) a while ago, and which will also be below again, it's a lot more upbeat and synthy than their previous album.
mp3: Old World United
mp3: Collector

Royal Bangs :: War Bells
This songs got Sleigh Bells' style of guitar/drums and TV on the Radio vocals.  That's pretty much how I would sum it up.  I like this song, but I think it is the type of song I will completely forget about in two weeks.  Thought I'd share it anyways...  The second track is a little different and better.  This stuff isn't exactly new, but I just came across it so I'd figure I'd share it.
mp3: War Bells
mp3: My Car Is Haunted

As has recently been the trend, the full Flying Lotus album is now available to stream after its leak.  Check it out at his MySpace.  Other album leaks with streams: LCD Soundsystem, the National, the New Pornographers.

-- A Teenage Elephant

Some New Tunes + The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

First up...

Here We Go Magic :: Collector

HWGM is a definitely a breakout band from last year; they hail from Brooklyn.  This new track from their upcoming June release (on the always great Secretly Canadian) sees them (that's actually a change... the last album was recorded on a four-track by just one guy; now he has a whole band, which I actually saw him play with when they opened for Grizzly Bear last June) with a little bit of a more upbeat kinetic sound.  I really enjoyed it... I always like to see bands doing something different than what they have already done.  Oh, and it has some nice art to go with it, which is always a plus for me.
mp3: Collector [Link to Secretly Canadian's site... sorry they took the direct mp3 down... now you can get it for the price of an email]

Fitz and the Tantrums
Just heard about these guys from none other than a commenter on this blog!!  See, it is productive!  These guys are from the LA area, so that's another bonus... They have a very 60s soul sound, which is certianly what they are going for... I mean their name, and the cover art below... it's excellent.  Check it out.

DOWNLOAD THE SONGS FOR AN EMAIL BELOW (they are from a live session the band did at KCRW... also check out the song Breaking the Chains of Love)

  

  

Ariel Pink and the Haunted Graffiti :: Round and Round
This one has really been heating up on the interwebs the past week or two, and for good reason.  I had never really listened to a lot of Ariel Pink up until now, but this track has certainly turned me on.  For those uninitiated, it's a super 60s, maybe even 70s sound that is really generated by the bass used and the echoed vocals.  It's got a nice melowness to it, which maybe even gives it a little bit of a dance feel some how... Horrorshow good stuff if you ask me..
mp3: Round and Round

And Now, For Something Completely Different (Props if you know what I am referencing)... A movie/book suggestion/review (sort of... more of a suggestion)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
By now, you have probably read this book or seen somebody reading this book... mostly likely they bumped into you because they were walking around completely engrossed in it... or at least heard something about it.  To sum it up, it is a complex, multi-layered (I find I use those two words in a row a lot when describing stuff on this blog... I should probably practice my writing skills...) mystery novel that will DEFINITELY keep your eyes glued to the book.  I hesitate to call it a thriller, because of a) the fact that much of it is really the story of the main character slowly trying to gather each piece of a massive, multi-generational puzzle, and b) it is not the type of book that I like to call a Roman de'Gare (which means train novel... and is also the name of a French movie that is also the opposite of a train story), i.e. a John Grisham style book, although you will zoom through its 600 pages because it is so good.  Even though it hasn't excellent complexities and twists in it, what I find most appealing about, and what I believe most people who read it find to be most appealing, is of course, the girl with the dragon tattoo.  She is one of the most interesting characters in a book that I have read recently, rivaled only by perhaps (IMO) Alex from A Clockwork Orange (whom I decided to of course throw in a reference to above... did ya catch it?).  She is on one hand the epitome of the cyberpunk (although this book in no way deals with any of those themes); on the other hand, and this is what makes her interesting, she is an introverted, enigmatic character who won't open up to anyone.  I'm not going to really talk about the plot because I think you should just read it for yourself.  I don't want to talk too much about the book at all really though because this is supposed to be about the movie, and I have already started rambling!

The book was originally written in Swedish and was hugely popular in Europe, so of course it was made into a Swedish movie a few years ago, which has just seen a limited release in the US.  Tonight (Friday) was the opening night, so of course my dad (that's right, I hang out with him...) and I had to go.  The movie lived up to the book in almost every sense.  It managed to pack all the twists and turns of the book into 2 hours and 40 minutes excellently, never feeling like it was moving too fast.  It capturedd the solving of the intricate mystery, while at the same time not feeling like anything was left out (of course lots of stuff was cut out, but it is done extremely well).  Even having read it, it still manages to pull you in and be enthralled by the mystery, EVEN IF YOU KNOW THE ENDGAME.  That I think is what makes the movie so excellent.  Well, I know I really haven't said that much about it even though I've written a lot, but I don't really want to give a lot away.  JUST SEE IT JUST SEE IT JUST READ IT ETC.

-- A Teenage Elephant.

The Delta Mirror! (And New Morning Benders/Broken Social Scene and More)

Hey Readers---


I have an excellent post full of a ton of great music so PLEASE PLEASE listen to it ALL.  I think this post is my best in terms of all the music in it.  PLEASE COMMENT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.


Delta Mirror

Just heard these guys for the first time this past week and I love them.  They are another great band hailing from my stomping (or maybe tip-toeing... I don't do a lot of stomping, I'm more mellow...) grounds, LA... And yes I am joking when I use the term stomping grounds.  These guys sound say they are akin to Fuck Buttons and the Big Pink, but to me they are a bit less crowded and certainly more downtempo, making their music seem more pensive more emotional.  Upon further listening, I have realized that each song actually takes place in a different room of a hospital (this will be true of the whole album), which further adds to that strong emotional impact.  This immediately brings to mind Antlers' Hospice, and I think that this is just as moving; another song that I feel is incredibly moving and possibly my favorite song ever, and I'm not one to choose favorites, is LCD Soundsystem's "Someone Great."  If you haven't heard it GO LISTEN TO IT IMMEDIATELY.  Although most of their songs are that slower, affecting feeling that is sometimes only expressed through simpler instruments, they also throw in some glitch, giving them an Interpol/Postal Service cross feeling.  The stuff is really excellent and I really recommend you head over to their MySpace and check out all of their stuff.  Their first album, Machines Will Listen comes out on 3/26 on Lefse Records, and for any of my readers in LA, the will be doing a three week residency at the Echo starting this Tuesday, and you should try to check them out if you can. Please please please go to their MySpace and listen to all of their stuff, it's excellent!

mp3: he was worse than the needle he gave you

mp3: it was dark and I welcome the calm

a song about the end

Morning Benders :: Excuses

  

A bunch of buzz has been going around about the Morning Benders this week, which is making me really happy!  I think these guys are really talented and are going to be a really great band in the coming years.  They are still really young, and I always think it's cool to see people really make an impact of some sort in the music community (did you catch the wishful thinking?).  You can pop over to their site by clicking "more info" in the player above and download the new song for the price of the email.  These guys will be kicking off a tour in New York in a couple of days, and I will definitely looking forward to hopefully seeing them for a second time when they come to LA in March.


Caribou :: Odessa
Caribou just released the video to Odessa, one of my favorite of their tracks.  The video is very interested, not sure of my thoughts on it.  Tell me what you think!   Download the song for an email over at their site.




Broken Social Scene :: World Sick
All You Need to Know
New Broken Social Scene = Epic.
5 Year Wait = Worth It
Give Email = Get Song
May 4 = Forgiveness Rock Record Release
May 3 = Broken Social Scene @ the Fonda

Last but not least
Phoenix :: Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Phoenix covered Bob Dylan with just Thomas Mars vocal and strumming guitar... 'nuff said.  Some might find it cheesy though...  I absolutely love it.


Download the HQ version over at PMA.

-- A Teenage Elephant (reflecting on this post full of excellent music)

PS Please Please Comment and tell me what you think of everything

(Insert Creative Post Title Involving Valentine's Day Here)

The Deadly Syndrome just announced their sophomore album, Nolens Volens (don't ask me what it means).  It's a follow up to one of my favorite albums, The Ortolan, which in my opinion exemplifies the LA sound and what makes indie music great.  The album is due out March 23rd, but here is the first release for it.  You can download it below, or download it for free at the band's website.  According to the band, there will be fewer wolves and ghosts...

mp3: Wingwalker

I Hope I Become A Ghost - The ...

Also, one of my favorite up and coming bands just announced that they will be touring with Phoenix... that is one concert I would not want to miss.  The band is Northern Irish electropop/indie rock trio Two Door Cinema Club.  In the coming months, I think they will definitely be making a splash with their energetic and danceable sound.



-- A Teenage Elephant (who is debating whether or not to take down the Deadly Syndrome mp3 link... that whole Google think is still scaring me...)

Back from the Br-..... Being Lazy

So, as I am sure you have noticed, I haven't posted in about two weeks.  I would say no excuses, except I do have a few and I think that you should be informed.

1)  There just hasn't been that much out that has really interested me, although since some new tracks that did generate some buzz, I do feel obliged to post 'em so I will below.  From here on out though, I won't be as posting as often as when I first started the blog.  I was posting 3-4 times a week and writing a lot each time, and it got to be a lot to handle (I am in high school after all); also, I will only be posting on stuff that I feel is important/what I feel I enjoy.  I feel I was just posting whatever was coming out/stuff I didn't really care about, so from now on it'll just be stuff I think should let y'all know about.  Having said that, I will still posting tracks that EVERYONE is buzzing about, that way you're in the loop!

2) This is the bigger reason, and what will be the bigger change to the blog.  I don't know if you guys know this, but the blog service I use, Blogspot, has begun deleting music blogs that have repeatedly been found to be posting illegal tracks, even though the bands are DEFINITELY happy about it... but I won't get into that whole spiel right now...  I've already gotten two emails looking like this:

from support@blogger.com to wolk.sam@gmail.com cc blogger-dmca-notification@google.com date Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 2:20 PM subject Blogger DMCA takedown notification mailed-by blogger.bounces.google.com signed-by google.com,blogger.com

hide details Feb 4 (6 days ago)

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to "draft" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.) This means your post - and any images, links or other content - is not gone. You may edit the post to remove the offending content and republish, at which point the post in question will be visible to your readers again.
asking me to remove posts.  There were more to the emails, but that is the essence.  Seeing as I REALLY don't want my blog taken down after just three months, for now I will hold off on posting mp3 links for downloads, but I will instead put in embedded Lala boxes and the like.  I am dreading receiving a final email that says this:

Subject: Blogger Blog takedown notification

We’d like to inform you that we’ve received another complaint regarding your blog (http://irockcleveland.blogspot.com/). Upon review of your account, we’ve noted that your blog has repeatedly violated Blogger’s Terms of Service (http://www.blogger.com/terms.g). Given that we’ve provided you with several warnings of these violations and advised you of our policy towards repeat infringers, we’ve been forced to remove your blog.

Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
The Blogger Team

I don't think I would understand... but thank you guys for understanding my changes!

So, now that that is out of the way, back to my music blog, which will now be slightly less legitimate and slightly more depressing for me that I can't post links, but oh well... I'm sure you can all find links VERY easily on Hypem... Wink Wink Nudge Nudge...  And finally, on to the music!!!!

-- A (Slightly Sadder) Teenage Elephant

What HAS Interested Me

ALBUMS

Yeasayer :: Odd Blood

This was an album that I have been talking up a lot on this blog, and from what I have listened to of it so far, I think it hasn't quite lived up to it, but it is enjoyable for the most part.  I feel I haven't quite listened to it thoroughly enough to review it, but I will definitely be posting one later.  For now you can  stream the whole album at their MySpace.

Local Natives :: Gorilla Manor

 Now this is an album that I talked up a lot that I do think is living up its/my hype.  I am really loving this album and feeling that it really captures the LA indie sound.  Again, I will post a review later, and you can stream the whole album at NPR, which I HIGHLY recommend you do.


SONGS

The Morning Benders

First Up: Here is a fantastic video from the Morning Benders.  They are performing the first track, "Excuses," from their LP Big Echo, which I am highly anticipating and is due out in March.  In this video they sing with a bunch of other San Francisco natives, including Christopher Owens, the singer for Girls, whom I saw the Morning Benders open for.

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros :: Home

These guys and this track has been around for a while, but it has started to pick up some radio time and I really love this track/the band so I figured I would post it.  

Home - Edward Sharpe & The Mag...

Broken Bells :: Vaporize

 Broken Bells, AKA James Mercer and Danger Mouse, just put up their newest track, "Vaporize" on their MySpace. IMHO, it's not quite as good as "the High Road," but still very enjoyable (sorry no embed).

 

Harlem :: Someday Soon

 Another opener track, "Someday Soon" is an enjoyable jam form lo-fi-ers Harlem.  Listen to it here it PMA (sorry no embed). 

Local Natives

This is a band from Los Angeles that just signed to a label (Frenchkiss - who are also Passion Pit's label) and are touring now. They'll be putting out an LP soon (titled Gorilla Manor), but in the meantime here is this to tide you over.  With a sound very similar to the Deadly Syndrome, their music has a simple, understandable feel but they still have a lot of drive and manage to work a lot of energy into their songs, especially with their upbeat multi-part drumbeats.

--A Teenage Elephant

mp3: Sun Hands [via]
mp3: Airplanes