Keep Shelly In Athens [MUSIC]

Although her name isn't Shelly [it's actually Sarah], the music of this duo Keep Shelly In Athens would still sound just as sweet by any other name. Athen's native [at least that's true] Sarah P. and her producer and instrumentalist known simply as, RPR are working on building a following in their homeland across the ocean, whereas here in the States, they are relatively a big deal.

“It’s really, really strange to release a record in a different country,” says Sarah, “but we are ecstatic. Here in Greece we aren’t so well known, so this is just really weird.” She quips. Probably isn't going to hurt that their exposure is about to expand ten-fold as they are on deck for Coachella 2012 this April.

Drawing upon their surroundings, they invite the natual beauty and splendor of the sea and beaches into their musical process. Very etheral and ambient, it triggers vivid imagery of the Mediterranean--even though you might never have been. The best way to describe them comes from Gorilla Vs. Bear: "A shimmering, sexy-smooth, Balearic pop dream, perfect for soundtracking all the lingering yearning and regret of your next late-night comedown.."

So...Who the hell is Shelly??

“Who is Shelly?… that’s funny,” she giggles, “there is no Shelly. It’s a game with words because here in Greece there is a suburb called Kypseli.”

I can dig it.


DOWNLOAD:

Keep Shelly In Athens - DIY
Keep Shelly In Athens - Song To Cheer You Up
Keep Shelly In Athens - Our Own Dream (Blackbird Blackbird Remix)
**sounds like: Arcade Fire - Sprawl II**
Keep Shelly In Athens - Hauntin Me
Keep Shelly In Athens - Lazy Noon


BONUS:

Keep Shelly In Athens - When You Sleep [Mixtape]

Coachella 2012: Playlist [MUSIC]

Ah! Coachella 2012, everyone's favorite three-day festival, is back for another round April in Indio, CA. As is the problem with so many big festivals, time managment is key. Often it's hard to figure out where to go and what to watch. There are many a talented name on the list this year, including the neo-indie likes' of Yuck, the serene rock style of Real Estate and Oberhofer, as well as legacy acts such as Pulp, Refused, headliners like Radiohead and Neutral Milk Hotel, this is definitely a 'something for everyone' type-situation. So if you got some time to kill you may want to consider some the acts below.

 

The lineup is WAY to expansive to include everything, so here is an offering of names you may have heard of and never actually heard, or heard and dont actually know of, or seen and still never heard of...Enjoy.


DOWNLOAD PLAYLIST:


Gary Clark Jr. - Don't Owe You A Thing
Oberhofer - Away Frm U
Girls - Morning Light
Pulp - Common People
Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
Refused - The Deadly Rhythm
Wild Flag - Black Tiles
Explosions In The Sky - Trembling Hands
Yuck - The Wall
The Shins - Mine's Not A High Horse
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - The Death Of You And Me
Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland, 1945
At The Drive-In - Invalid Litter Dept.
Real Estate - Black Lake

damn you west coast....

The Shins Make A 'Simple Song' [MUSIC]

Considering it's been years since we've seen The Shins in action, nothing about this resurrection is probably simple. But they sound just as I hoped they would. James Mercer's lyrical stylings are right back where they were before his time spent with Broken Bells.

In preparation for the release of Port Of Morrow in March, the band is dropping a couple jams to let us know they still got it. The first, simply titled 'Simple Song' sounds an awful lot like 'Phantom Limb' from Wincing The Night Away [their last release in 2007 before hiatus]. Which is probably a good thing since they're picking up right where they left off.


DOWNLOAD:

The Shins - Simple Song


BONUS:

The Shins - Sea Legs
The Shins - Sleeping Lessons (RAC Remix)
The Shins - Gone For Good (Alternate Version)
The Shins - Girl On The Wing [KCRW Sessions]

At The Drive-In Reunites After 11 Years [NEWS]

After more than a decade of new bands, side projects and general differences in the creative department,

At The Drive-In are returning to the stage. Way back when in 2001, lead singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López left to form the very loud and experimental group The Mars Volta. The remaining crew went on to form the band Sparta.

I guess the Coachella lineup this year was too big to turn down! You may remember them for their hits 'One Armed Scissor' and 'Invalid Litter Dept.' Which turned out to be their best tracks. Re-listen to them below:


DOWNLOAD:

At The Drive-In - Invalid Litter Dept.
At The Drive-In - One Armed Scissor


BONUS:

The Mars Volta - Eriatarka
The Mars Volta - The Widow

Farrar, Parker, Johnson & 'Yames' Celebrate Woody Guthrie [MUSIC]

Jay Farrar [of Son Volt], Will Johnson [of Centro-matic], Anders Parker [of Gob Iron] and 'Yim Yames' [of My Morning Jacket...no one is quite sure why he insists on being called that] have collaborated on a brand new album, New Multitudes. It's based on the unrecorded lyrics of Woody Guthrie, and it's due out on 2/28 on Rounder Records.

And there's a sweet backstory to all this...

Under the invitation of Nora Guthrie [Woody’s daughter] to tour her father's archives, each of the four songwriters were offered the chance to plumb and mine the plethora of notebooks, scratch pads, napkins, etc. for anything that might inspire them to lend their voices and give the words new life.
Set to coincide with the centennial celebration of Woody Guthrie’s birth year, New Multitudes will be released as a 12-track release and a whopping 23 track deluxe limited edition. The limited edition features original Guthrie lyric sheets, the 12 track release, and 11 additional compositions recorded by Farrar and Parker. The album will also be available on vinyl.

Grab the first amazing track off this album below.



DOWNLOAD:

FarrarParkerJohnsonYames - Old L.A.




weird name for a group..but then again it is a one time thing.

SURFS UP [PLAYLIST]

One of my most recent obessions [probably cause' its colder than a witches tit outside] is the phenomenon of Surf Rock that is sweeping the nation. If my job actually afforded me paid vacations--or rather, vacations at all.. I wouldn't even be writing this, for I'd already be frolicking in the water on the Cali coast.


I thought I would share some of my favorites from this genre that I think best capture the spirit of summer and all things lo-fi-tastic:


Beach Fossils

Oddly enough, Beach Fossils have probably only been to the beach a handful of times considering they're from Brooklyn--and any beaches around there are sure to send you to the hospital just as fast. Still, theyre twangy simple jams evoke the kind of emotions one gets when enjoying a sunset on Venice Beach.

DOWNLOAD:

Beach Fossils - Adversity


Best Coast

This group should go without saying, but for me, I can't say it enough. Headed by Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno, this lo-fi garage-style surf rock is just the thing for lounging. I mean, Best Coast has the words 'Best' and 'Coast' right in the name! And they're from L.A...so ya know, there's that.

DOWNLOAD:

Best Coast - Wish He Was You (Daytrotter Sessions)


DOM

This eclectic brilliant indie lo-fi band from Worcester, Massachusetts, DOM embodies the spirit of classic surf rock with a bit of an edge. Hey, maybe it's because the only beaches they have are cold as shit.

DOWNLOAD:

DOM - Crazy Girl


Jenny and Johnny

Once a band or musician gets comfortable enough and has a dcecent following, the natural next stop is television appearences. Sometimes, it works the other way around. Jennifer Lewis [Jenny] got her start in TV sitcoms and commercials like Golden Girls, Growing Pains, Baywatch and Twilight Zone. She's was also the lead singer of Rilo Kiley and a successful solo artist. Now she's touring with boyfriend, Johnathan Rice [Johnny..naturally] under the moniker 'Jenny & Johnny'. If you cant hear the blatant sounds of a more talented Sheryl Crow, there may be something wrong with your ears.

DOWNLOAD:

Jenny & Johnny - Big Wave


Real Estate

Formed in New Jersey back long ago in 2008, Real Estate received accolades right out the gate. Getting to tour with bands like Girls and Deerhunter have only helped to increase exposure. The guitars you are about to hear, is something of a chill, retro lullaby.

DOWNLOAD:

Real Estate - Green Aisles
Real Estate - Out Of Tune


The Raveonettes

Danish duo, Sune Rose Wagner & Sharin Foo recreate that [then] exciting new sound that came about in the 50's and 60's with their own The Raveonettes and a blend of classic rock riffs. Pretty In Black which came out in 2005 features some cover songs that are nice to listen to no matter if you're a baby-boomer or not.

DOWNLOAD:

The Raveonettes - My Boyfriend's Back (The Angels Cover)
 
 

Lana Del Rey Gets Brit-natized [MUSIC]

Brooklyn hottie Lana Del Rey may have got her start on Youtube, but she's getting much more than multiple views of her sultry videos. Her music is getting some crazy remixes of tracks from her upcoming EP(s) 'Video Games' [out 1/31]. Like this rinse of weepy hit-of-the-week 'Born To Die.' In the glitchy paws of British pop duo AlunaGeorge, it’s beaten into a gluey batter of bubbling bass, synths and bump-n-grind distortions. Half slow dance, half painkiller, and its still all good.

Be sure to peep her remix EP of Video Games, which is out 1/17. Grab a few selections below.


DOWNLOAD:

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die (AlunaGeorge Remix)

BONUS:

Lana Del Rey - Video Games (Club Clique For The Bad Girls Remix)
Lana Del Rey - Video Games (White Lies Remix)
Lana Del Rey - Video Games (Helium Robots Remix)
Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans (Club Clique 'Nothing Is Real' Remix)


i miss Nintendo...

Nickelback Responds To Keys. With A Tweet. [NEWS]

The other day, drummer Pat Carney of The Black Keys had some choice words for Nickelback in Rolling Stone magazine. Those words? Pretty harsh. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have a point. As for the Alt-rockers, they opted to take the high road and respond to the obvious underhanded compliment.


Take a look:

 
Of course, if you read the article you would know that Carney wasn't actually saying they were the biggest band in the world. He was merely pointing out that the mediocrity of Nickelback makes them generic enough to have a vast following within the genre of Alternative music. Not that their success makes them great.
 
In anycase, looks like the feud has been diffused...
 
 
DOWNLOAD:
The Black Keys - Ain't Nothing Like You (Ft. Mos Def & Jim Jones)
The Black Keys - On The Vista (Feat. Mos Def)
The Black Keys - Same Old Thing
The Black Keys - 10 Cent Pistol
 

Thom Yorke Goes Fashion Forward With Rag & Bone [MUSIC]

Fashionable clothing company Rag & Bone has enlisted the help of Thom Yorke to create new tracks for a recent runway show. The result is so electronic and ethereal its hard to imagine models keeping pace. But hey, that's what they're paid for...right?


You've probably already heard a taste of the track 'Twist' but you can find the full version below, along with the song 'Stuck Together'. The latter contains a plethora of haunting Yorke vocal scales, some well-placed static, and Tron-esque synths. Pretty eclectic indeed.

DOWNLOAD:

Thom Yorke - Twist
Thom Yorke - Stuck Together
 

Zooey Deschanel: Back On The Market [NEWS]

Attention hipsters: Zooey Deschanel is single..again! Commence those love letters! Everyone's favorite adorkable blue-eyed gal is divorcing from her husband Ben Gibbard [Death Cab For Cutie] of just 2 years. Probably citing 'irreconcilable differences' as all Hollywood couples do--turns out money might have been involved as well.

The lawyer for 'Ms.' Deschanel included her personal account information in the filings, which may give some insight into why she is not only drop dead gorgeous, but also a thrifty and accomplished investor! Who couldnt love a woman who doesnt actually spend all her money?? Apparently Ben. Shame dude...

Here's the breakdown:

-- Zooey -- who stars in "New Girl" -- makes an average of $95,000 a month
-- Her expenses average $22,550 a month [little high, but considering her income...]
-- She has 3 credit cards ... AmEx, Visa and Mastercard, all of which have a $0.00 balance.
-- She has $1,578,000 in the bank [you go girl!]
-- Zooey has an additional $1,645,000 in stocks, bonds, etc. [and all while the economy plummets!]
-- Zooey has real and personal property valued at $693,300 [real? as opposed to imaginary?]

Not sure why she shared this considering its public domain now, but perhaps she's just letting all those guys out there know that she's totally capable of balancing a checkbook.

Don't got a mailing address yet for you to send that crappy collage you made out of cut-up pictures of you and her as an imaginary couple. But stay tuned.


DOWNLOAD:

She & Him - Sing
She & Him - Thieves
She & Him - Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want (Smiths Cover)
She & Him - I Knew It Would Happen This Way [Bonus Track]




....please, please, please let me have a date with her!

Feist Goes Loco On Piñata During 'November Rain' [VIDEO]

Feist has been showing us more of her edgy side lately--what with the release of her much darker LP 'Metals' and now it seems with a truly wacky rendition of 'November Rain' by Guns N' Roses'. Complete with a Slash look-a-like and workout on a piñata.

In a recent show in Mexico City, Feist just couldn't say goodbye without an encore featuring the aforementioned rock ballad. In an interesting turn of events, she decided to go to town on a festive candy-filled party toy during the faux-Slash guitar solo. Whoever said girls cant get grungy on stage? Although maybe someone should tell Rihanna to dial it back a bit...

You can check out the video HERE.

DOWNLOAD:

Feist - Inside & Out - (Hannes Fischer Edit)
Feist - The Bad In Each Other (Live on KCRW)

The Black Keys Take A Shot At Nickelback [NEWS]

If it wasn't already obvious from the picture, The Black Keys will be covering the January 19th issue of Rolling Stone, as an homage to the already stunning success of El Camino, and its critically positive reception--not to mention that they are nominated for a couple Grammys...no biggie.

In an interview for the mag, uber lanky drummer Patrick Carney gives us his take on all the acclaim:

"...Rock & roll is dying because people became OK with Nickelback being the biggest band in the world,” he says, blowing cigarette smoke out the window of his rented East Village loft a few days ­before the band heads to L.A. “So they became OK with the idea that the biggest rock band in the world is always going to be shit – therefore you should never try to be the biggest rock band in the world. Fuck that! Rock & roll is the music I feel the most passionately about, and I don’t like to see it fucking ruined and spoon-fed down our throats in this watered-down, post-grunge crap, horrendous shit. When people start lumping us into that kind of shit, it’s like, ‘Fuck you,’ honestly."
(via Rolling Stone)

Personally, I see no connection between the horrid Nickelback and the likes of the Keys, but hey, perhaps I missed that article. Perhaps this disdain for labels like 'biggest' or 'best in the world' is a tad misdirected? In any case, its fair to say Pat and Dan are leaps and bounds ahead of Chad Kroeger these days [and everyday]. Remember when Nickelback got rocks and flash grenades thrown at them? I do.

DOWNLOAD:

The Black Keys - Black Mud
The Black Keys - Keep Your Hands Off Her
The Black Keys - Psychotic Girl




....who brings grenades to a concert?