[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqUzHJjbnU[/youtube]
[A]pparently Kyle James Hauser and I share more than just a first name, we both seem to love Elliott Smith’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Check out this recording of Hauser’s banjo laden cover of the Elliott Smith classic, recorded in tribute in Denver, CO for a screening of the Smith documentary “Searching For Elliott Smith,” which as a fan I think you should definitely see.
And well if you aren’t hip to Elliott Smith, take a crash course over here.
[video]
[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/wichita-recordings/first-aid-kit-wolf[/soundcloud]
[W]e were lucky enough to have First Aid Kit play the Newport Folk Festival a couple weeks back, and it seems as though they’ve been fresh in my mind since. Then they go and release “Wolf,” a live favorite that will be released as a digital single on September 16th.
First Aid Kit on tour:
AUGUST
09 – Way Out West Festival, Gothenburg
11 – Oyafestivalen, Oslo
17 – Pstereo Festival, Trondheim
23 – Dognvill, Tromso
24 – Ratt og rade, Stavanger
26 – Zurich Open Air, Zurich
SEPTEMBER
02 – End Of The Road, Dorset
06 – Boileroom, Guildford
07 – Bestival, Isle Of Wight
08 – Berlin Festival, Berlin
25 – Blind Pig, Ann Abor, MI
26 – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto
28 – Royale Boston, Boston, MA
29 – Irving Plaza, New York, NY
30 – Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
OCTOBER
02 – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington DC
03 – Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
04 – Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta, GA
05 – 3rd & Lindsley, Nashville, TN
06 – Firebird, St Louis, MO
08 – Waiting Room, Omaha, NE
09 – Granada Theatre, Lawrence, KS
12 – Austin City Limits, Austin TX
13 – The Kessler Theater, Dallas, TX
16 – The Fonda Theater, Hollywood, CA
17 – The Fillmore Audiotorium, San Francisco, CA
19 – Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
[W]estern Affairs is a three-piece dreampop group based in Washington DC. Back in July they released, 2000, a six track EP with single “Iowa,” featured above. It’s an eclectic dream-like state full of ambient spacey sounds that give the song a sense of solitude, and in these days of Mars exploration, this seems to fit right in.
Western Affairs
Web | Bandcamp | Facebook
Blessed Feathers - Hey All You Floridians
[W]isconsin’s Blessed Feathers have an interesting story of origin. When Donivan Berube left his home in Lakeland, Florida, after disassociating himself from his life as a Jehovah’s Witness. At 17, he left home and headed north straight into Wisconsin where he ended up working in a restaurant in West Bend fatefully meeting Jacquelyn Beaupre his now wife and musical partner in crime.
Check out first single , “Hey All You Floridians,” that was released a while back but is being offered up in anticipation of the album. It’s a rambling folk track full of grievances with the entire state of Florida. It’s a little dream-like, and full of lovely instrumentation and choir verse repetition that makes it sound more full and deep.
The two are set to release Peaceful Beasts in an Ocean of Weeds their debut album on October 9. Peaceful Beasts in an Ocean of Weeds will be released on hand-numbered, limited-edition digital vinyl discs on Tuesday, October 9th, 2012. All preorders placed before 10/9 will receive a free copy of the new Summer/Fall 2012 issue of Sleeping in a Torn Quilt / Dreaming of Gold, Donivan Berube’s literary zine which, this time around, features stories, poems, essays and artwork by Blake Mills, Thor Harris of Shearwater & Swans, Colin Caulfield of Young Man and several others.
[youtube width=”940” height=”429”]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kS8RTRi7HA[/youtube]
[I]t’s been far too long since Mumford & Sons released their debut Sigh No More back in 2009, and we’ve all been patiently awaiting the arrival of their new material, we’ve heard rumors, heard live tracks, seen them live, and begged for a release. Babel, their second full length will appear here in the States on September 25th. Check out the very Mumford sounding “I Will Wait” above.
[soundcloud]http://soundcloud.com/blondstheband/sets/the-bad-ones-lp[/soundcloud]
[B]rooklyn’s BLONDS are releasing their fantastic debut full length today, The Bad Ones, and the band has offered up a stream of the entire album. I think you are all going to be hooked after the first few tracks, give it a listen, and when you fall for it, pony up and buy it.
Buy The Bad Ones
Tour:
BLONDS Tour Dates:
8/28 - The Rock Shop - Brooklyn, NY @
8/31-9/1 - Debaser - Malmo/Stockholm, Sweden %
9/16 - Cameo - Brooklyn, NY ^
9/20 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA &
9/24 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia PA &
9/25 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington DC &
9/26 - The Southern - Charlottesville, VA &
@ - w/ Telepathe
^ - w/ Beach Day
% - w/ Cults, The Hold Steady, Blonde Redhead, DIIV, Caveman, Dum Dum Girls, Telepathe, The So So Glos, Crystal Stilts
& - w/ Wild Nothing, DIIV
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8hB1X2jQ7o[/youtube]
[D]elightfully poppy indie-rockers Oberhofer have put out a video for their slacker friendly track “Cruisin FDR” off their newest album Time Capsules II, which was one record this year that really surprised me. It’s a wonderful effort & a ton of fun to listen to.
Check out the video for “Cruisin FDR,” which boasts the guys trying to cruise the town, but are interrupted by a horde of flesh eating zombies, all in vintage VHS off-tracking style.
Buy Time Capsules II
