Lots of Album News/Streams!! (And A New Segment)

Hey,

First, some sad news: tragically, a girl at my school was killed in a car accident last week, and of course the school has been absolutely torn apart.  I just wanted to dedicate this post to Julia Siegler.  On that note, and in her honor, I would like to introduce a new "segment."  Once a month, I will pick an old song that I am getting into, or just came across, etc.  I think this first one is really perfect for the occasion, and really captures what everybody is feeling.  It's an incredible song in my opinion, and, especially right now, makes me really emotional.

Bill Withers :: Ain't No Sunshine

The song is "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers, 1971.  It's been covered countless times, but I think this version is just captivating.   My grandfather actually just passed away also, and he lived back east.  On the flight back home from New York to LA, I listened to this song for literally two-thirds of the flight; I listened to this song over and over for four hours - that's how much I like it.

Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withe...

And now, for some news from the sonic world...

This week is a big week for album releases, so let's get right to it.

Morning Benders :: Big Echo

  

I've been blogging a lot about the Morning Benders, so sorry if I am boring you, but... the album, which I have been highly anticipating (if you couldn't tell), is due out on March 9th.  In this week leading up to the album release, the full album is available for streaming from their website, and since they are such nice guys, in the embed above...   They are playing at the Troubadour (the Troooooob) on the 24th or 25th, which I am dying to go to but am unsure of if I will make it seeing as it is a school night (it's a hard knock life...).

Broken Bells :: Broken Bells
Another band I have been blogging a lot about... they will be playing a show in LA on March 14 at the Troubadour (the Trooooob), which I am dying to go to as well.  This will be just their second live show, so you can see why it would be awesome to go to, but... I will have just had surgery a couple of days before, and also it is a school night (it's a hard knock life).  Luckily for me though, they put up the entire album (due out March 9th) on NPR First Listen, so enjoy!



Titus Andronicus :: The Monitor
New Jersey-ites!!!!!!!!!  All that needs to be said... not really.  Their sophomore album is due out on the 9th (what a surprise!), and they put up the whole thing on their MySpace.  Super lo-fi garage rock... I love it.  Check it out.

The Besnard Lakes :: Are the Roaring Night
These guys are pure anthem music if you ask me.  Every song has the feeling of epic scale, and I can see every song at some point in a movie; some songs it's the moment when we first see the main character, silent as they travel through whatever environment they're in, or when the character has the profound realization.  The album has two sets of two part songs... like I said, grand proportions.  Listen to the whole album here.

Band of Horses :: Infinite Arms
Band of Horses are a band that IMHO epitomize the "indie" sound.  When you hear songs like "Funeral," "Is There a Ghost," "No One's Gonna Love You," and "The General Specific," you can't help but being drawn in.  Hopefully their third album, which they have said will be released on May 18th, will continue to capture that (again, IMO) iconic sound.  The big question is though... which label will it be on?  It is unclear whether it will be released on Sub-Pop, who released their first two albums, or another label.  It will be interesting to see if being on a different label makes a dramatic difference in their sound, etc.

-- A Teenage Elephant

Rest In Peace Julia Siegler

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

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). 

What's Big on the Interwebs

Sorry I haven't post anything in a few days, I've been pretty busy.  This will be last post for a little over a week (until the 22nd); I have finals coming up (yes, I'm a student... I know you would never guess...) so I will be holed up in my room, listening to some good music of course (I'm thinking the Flaming Lips' cover of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, which if you haven't checked out you really should, and Titus Andronicus' The Airing of Grievances) and studying like crazy (no, I'm not a slacker...).  I will leave you with a bunch of new tracks that are making a little bit of a splash on the intertubes right now or that I'm just digging.


Besnard Lakes :: Albatross
This is a new song from Besnard Lakes' follow up to their 2007 album Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse, entitled Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night.  It is probably the song out of all of these that is receiving the most attention, and I think that is because it strikes just the right mix between slow, deliberate rhythm and driving, powerful melody/guitar to make it really anthemic.  This is the type of song that turns bands into Arcade Fires.
mp3: Albatross

The Drums :: I Felt Stupid
I recently posted the video for this song, so now here is the actual song.  It is very poppy, and although it may sound happy, when you listen to the lyrics it really is more of a ballad.  It is clear from their sound that they really love 80's pop and New Wave,and it definitely seems like they have taken a lot of inspiration from the Cure.
mp3: I Felt Stupid

Harlem :: Friendly Ghost
This song has been circulating for a little bit, but until now I hadn't gotten a chance to post it.  Austin trio Harlem are definitely under the lo-fi category, so Smith Westerns and Wavves fans rejoice1
mp3: Friendly Ghost

Sleigh Bells :: Crown On the Ground
This song is a song that to enjoy you have to play really loud to enjoy; it's got one of those beats and tunes and that when you crank it up the encompassing feeling and the distortion from the sound of the song and from the strain it is putting on the speakers make it that much better.  You might not instantly like it, but if that is the cast I suggest you listen to it a couple times - it'll grow on you.  I think it actually sounds a little like MIA, what with the female vocals and pump-up sound.
mp3: Crown on the Ground

Love Is All :: Kungen
This is the new song from 5-piece Swedish indie rockers Love Is All.  It instantly evokes the Mamas and the Papas with its "baaaah, bah bah bah bah's," but after that it pretty much diverges from the Mamas and the Papas.  The song is divided into a couple of different sections, each with a different sound, which takes away a little bit from the song; it is almost as if it can't decide which one they should have made the song out of.  There's the "bah" section, a section with very Bjork-esque vocals over bass and drums, and a faster section that is more guitar focused.  This gives the song a mashed up, slightly incomplete feeling, but I still like the song, even if the sum of the parts isn't as good as the parts themselves.
mp3: Kungen

The Morning Benders :: Promises

This song was just released off their upcoming album Big Echo, due out in March, as a free download.  It's a song that you can "groove" to; at least that's what the lead singer sang when about it when I saw them back in December.  Here's a picture from the concert that my friend took and put a caption on on his iPhone - when we showed it to the guys from the band after the show they loved it.  From what I heard of the new album at the concert, the album seems like it will be really good, and it is certainly one of my most anticipated albums of the new year.  They will be touring in support of it starting in March.  Photo by LSF
mp3: Promises

Lissy Trullie :: Ready for the Floor
This is a Hot Chip cover, and it was featured on the soundtrack of "Jennifer's Body" (didn't see the movie, so I couldn't tell you how it fits in).  The track has been around for awhile, but I just heard it and really like it, so here you go.  It is a really interesting take on turning a very electronic song into a instrumental song; it reminds me a bit of Taken By Trees' "My Boys" cover of Animal Collective.  Lissy Trullie sounds to me like if you took the vocals of the girl from the xx and put it over a Velvet Underground song... superb stuff.
mp3: Ready for the Floor (Cover)

Also listening to:
Miracles Club :: A New Love
mp3: A New Love

Thom Yorke :: All for the Best
mp3: All for the Best

--The (Switched from A) Teenage Elephant

The Start of 2010

So the new year has begun!  Sorry for being a little lax about the posting in the last two weeks, but apparently bloggers travel too.  I was getting some requests for what I am looking forward to most in the new year, so here we go!

Yeasayer :: Odd Blood (Febuary 9)


As the follow up to All Hour Cymbals, one of my favorite albums, Odd Blood is certainly looking to me as a possible Merriweather Post Pavillion situation; everybody's been dying for a new release, it's by a very unique band, and it was partially leaked (well, all of MPP was leaked and that's sort of what was special about it, but oh well).  Everybody has been drooling over Ambling Alp and the video for it, and after a few other songs were leaked the anticipation is certainly building the same way it did for MPP with the full album leak.  Yeasayer hasn't really done anything at all with the exception of the excellent "Tightrope" from Dark Was the Night, and hopefully they will impress and keep the Psych-pop that I love them for coming.
mp3: Ambling Alp

 Toro y Moi :: Causers of This (February 23)


T y M was for me the biggest breakout of 2009, really taking it to the next level with Talamak and Blessa.  His woozy, completely computer generated, mellow dance-pop certainly separated him from the rest of chillwave.  The difference between him and the rest of chillwave is that when you listen to Talamak, you are captivated by its ethereal vocals and simple sounding beat, and those two chords that repeat through the whole song; it is more of a sort of pop-jam that you really focus on the music, whereas, for me at least, the rest of chillwave is the perfect background music, a soundtrack to whatever you are doing.  Hopefully the rest of the album can live up to Talamak and Blessa, and not be overshadowed/let us down because of the greatness of those two songs.
mp3: Talamak
mp3: Blessa

Local Natives :: Gorilla Manor (February 16)

I fell in love with this band with just two songs; they are an up and coming LA band, and they fit in perfectly with the whole Deadly Syndrome-Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros-indie-power-pop scene, and I think the two songs really show a potential for a complex and sophisticated album.  Both songs seem to be complex arrangements of simple instruments, and "Airplanes" certainly has the slightly anthemic feel of Band of Horses' "Funeral" or the Deadly Syndrome's "Eucalyptus," or at least the sound that some indie-rock songs have that makes you feel like "Oh, this is the song that is going to become popular and is slightly stereotypical in sound of an indie-band."  The album is already out in the UK (weird right for an LA band to release across the pond first?), and hopefully they will have some success with it here.
mp3: Sun Hands
mp3: Airplanes
mp3: Camera Talk

LCD Soundsystem (Early 2010)
The title I believe hasn't even been released yet (I know, I know, I should be able to find it, but it's not out yet!), but this is certainly one of those albums that I have a feeling that I am so excited for it that it is bound to let me down, but who knows maybe it will amaze.  The previous album, Sound of Silver, is easily one of my favorite albums; "Someone Great" is one of my favorite songs EVER (and I hate choosing favorites) - it is such an emotional song with incredible lyrics, as well as incredible synth... you can't get much better IMHO.  If the new album has even one song as good as "Someone Great," "All My Friends," or really any of the songs from the first album, LCD Soundsystem, it will be great.  I really don't know why I am doubting the new album... I just don't want to be let down.

Born Ruffians :: Say It (early 2010)
A band similar in style to Vampire Weekend, their previous album Red, Yellow, and Blue was excellent and hopefully this album will be just as good as well as able to fill the gap left by an awful Vampire Weekend album (always a chance of an I stand corrected... get the pun?).

The Morning Benders :: Big Echo (Early 2010)
Another really good California band made up of really young guys...

Broken Bells
James Mercer & Danger Mouse... what more needs to be said?

Spoon :: Transference

Rumor
Arcade Fire!!!!!!
Arcade Fire have been reported to be in the studio right now.  They always let a lot of time pass between releasing albums; they are extremely deliberate when it comes to making music (and it always pays off).  It appears that we are due an album soon!!!

Anything I'm missing?
-- A Teenage Elephant

Morning Benders, Girls at the Troubadour

So last night I went to the Girls concert at the Troubadour...amazing.  The Tamaryns and the Morning Benders opened.  The Tamaryns sounded pretty good but they had no energy and once you heard a couple of songs you kind of felt like you had heard 'em all already, but I still liked them.  The Morning Benders on the other hand were awesome.  They are a couple of guys from Berkeley who have sort of flown under the radar, but still toured/played with awesome bands like Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer and Yo La Tengo.  I really love their sort of simple poppy sound.  They remind me a lot of the Unicorns...  After the show I talked to them and they seemed like pretty cool guys.

Now, Girls...  The moment they came on it seemed like it got way more crowded.  Everybody seemed like they were so excited to be there and see Girls... it was a pretty perfect environment.  During pretty much every song they got everybody singing, and Christopher Owens really had great stage presence/banter.  For me the standouts had to be Laura and Lust for Life (which if you haven't checked out the restricted video of... you should).  It has got to have been one of my favorite concerts of the year.

-- A Teenage Elephant

mp3: Girls :: Lust for Life
mp3: The Morning Benders :: Waiting For a War