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Bright Eyes and Sound Strike

The artist boycott of Arizona continues. I have written about it here in the past (refer to the June 1st post) and the list of Sound Strike artists has grown dramatically: those who refuse to aid Arizona economically in light of the passage of the egregious immigration law SB1070.

Money is being raised for the Sound Strike Fund which “donates needed resources to families caring for children in Arizona whose parents are detained or have been deported, immigrant rights organizing and legal defense”. Sound Strike Songs directly benefits this Fund. And the first Sound Strike Song is from Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes.

In an open letter to artists Conor says: “American ideals of democracy and liberty are built on the foundation that all people, regardless of race or country of origin, deserve fair and equal treatment by the government . . . We’ve all seen the power music has to spread messages of solidarity and hope. Please join the Sound Strike Songs project by donating a track and help us . . . enable people to continue to dream.”

This exclusive moving Sound Strike Song “Coyote Song” from Bright Eyes is a $2.00 download. Below is the video.

Support The Sound Strike. Sign the petition. Download the song. Boycott Arizona!

Exclusive Song for The Sound Strike “Coyote Song” by Bright Eyes. from Producciones Cimarrón on Vimeo.

Stereolab

In April of 2009, Stereolab announced on their website that after 19 years they were going to have “a bit of a rest” and to work on other projects. Although they do not plan to record any new music for awhile they did record numerous tracks in 2007. Out of that recording session came the 2008 album Chemical Chords, and the soon to be released Not Music. From the latter is the “Sun Demon” the Song of the Day.

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“Sun Demon” by Stereolab

Choral Creep

Scala is a Belgian girls’ choir formed by the classical-trained Kolacny Brothers with Stijn conducting and Steven on piano. They have gained international recognition by reworking covers of well-known rock songs by the likes of U2, Nirvana, Metallica, Depeche Mode, the Cure to name a few as well as with their own compositions. Their hauntingly beautiful cover of “Creep” by Radiohead is being used in the trailer of the film The Social Network and is the Song of the Day.

“Creep”
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British Sea Power: Free download

British Sea Power, the indie rock band from the UK (with brothers Yan and Hamilton), are known for their outlandish stage performances. They have just released the seven-song EP, Zeus. The title track is available for streaming, and a free download of “Living Is So Easy” is available with the simple addition of your email address below. Hear and add to your collection the Song of the Day.

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“Zeus” by British Sea Power

No Age

Punk band No Age rip it up on their third album Everything In Between. The duo of Randy Randall (guitar) and Dean Allen Spunt (drums) is associated with the underground Los Angeles DIY punk scene. They champion the All-Ages Movement Project (AMP-a network of community-based organizations that connect young people through independent music and art) as well as independent radio stations. Their call to arms is Community! Communication! Freedom! “Glitter” is the Song of the Day.

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“Glitter” by No Age

The Social Network

The film The Social Network opens tomorrow to general release. It’s the dramatic story of the early years in the development of Facebook that has forever changed the way that we interact.

I had the opportunity to explore Facebook in its nascent incarnation. In 2004 a neighbor who was attending Harvard University asked if he could produce a short documentary about me for his film class. During the course of the filming, he and his partner told me about this new website that had become overwhelming popular at their school and that was spreading to other college campuses. Membership was restricted to students but they gave me their login information and password. The website revealed many risqué and revealing photographs and much of the content was of a student body unleashed. Facebook then was the wild west that has since been settled and has conquered the world.

The movie has received rave advance reviews. The soundtrack was scored by Trent Reznor and his frequent collaborator, the English composer, Atticus Ross. The soundtrack will be available in later October. Here is a free download of a five song sampler from the album.

“Pieces Form the Whole”
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Warpaint

Quoting from the band’s website, “Warpaint is an all-girl quartet from Los Angeles. They weave intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals, and driving post-punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between the soundscapes of psychedelia and intimacy.” Their debut album, The Fool, is due in later October. The lovely song “Undertow” is available as a free download and is the Song of the Day.

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The Thermals

The Thermals are a trio out of Portland, Oregon who have gone through various personnel changes since they formed in 2002, but Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster have remained together as the core of the band. Personal Life is the fifth album from the group and the very catchy bouncy “Never Listen To Me” is the Song of the Day.

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“Never Listen to Me” by The Thermals

The Black Angels

The Black Angels out of Austin have the distinction of not only being a searing psychedelic rock band but also of having briefly backed up the legendary Roky Erickson when he performed a few select dates in 2008. Now their third album, Phosphene Dream, has just been released on Blue Horizons (a label recently reestablished by three notable record executives: Seymour Stein, Richard Gottehrer and Mike Vernon). Hear the contemporary garage sounds of the Black Angels on “Telephone”, the Song of the Day.

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“Telephone” by The Black Angels

Belle & Sebastian

Belle & Sebastian have been making richly colourful music since 1996. The lush pop sounds from this band from Glasgow create such a sweet aura and for years have enlivened my home filled with guests.
Belle & Sebastian curated the Bowlie Weekender in 1999, a sponsorship-free music festival, conceived as an alternative to the larger corporate festivals, that eventually evolved into All Tomorrow’s Parties. This December the band will curate Bowlie 2 in the English countryside and the line-up includes: Belle & Sebastian, Frightened Rabbit, Julian Cope, The Vaselines, Teenage Fanclub, The New Pornographers, Isobel Campbell with Mark Lanegan, Foals, Dean Wareham plays Galaxie 500, Dirty Projectors, Field Music, Howlin’ Rain, Crystal Castles, Jenny and Johnny, Best Coast, The Zombies and many more.

Soon we will have a new Belle & Sebastian record. Here is the title track “Write About Love”.

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The Walkmen

The Walkmen emerged out of the ashes of Jonathan Fire*Eater (a Washington D.C. band) The Recoys (from Boston), but they all knew each other from their youth in the D.C. area. Re-establishing themselves in Harlem at the turn of the century, The Walkmen began experimenting with different recording techniques and syncopations while incorporating vintage musical instruments. They just released their sixth album Lisbon, a tribute to the city that they visited a couple of times while recording. The marvelous “Angela Surf City” from the album is the Song of the Day.

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“Angela Surf City” by The Walkmen

Matt & Kim

From Seattle to Athens, Orange County to Montreal, certain areas of North America morph into hotbeds of new exciting music. Currently it now appears to emanate from Brooklyn, NY. MGMT, The National, The Drums, Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors, only to name a few, all base themselves in this NYC borough. Matt & Kim, the duo of Matt Johnson (vocals, keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums, vocals) are yet another Brooklyn-based band, perhaps best known for their award-winning video “Lessons Learned”. Their third album, Sidewalks, is coming out in November. “Cameras” is the first release from that album and is the Song of the Day.

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“Cameras” by Matt & Kim

Azure Ray

It’s been a long seven years since we last heard from Azure Ray. The duo of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink pursued solo and collaborative projects during the interim. Part of the Saddle Creek collective out of Omaha, NE, these two women return with their gorgeous harmonies on their 4th album, Drawing Down the Moon. From this recording “Don’t Leave My Mind” is the Song of the Day.

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“Don’t Leave My Mind” by Azure Ray

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