The Cave Singers

{front and center at red palace DC}

I bought tickets to see Lia Ices at the Red Palace DC the very day I posted about her. I knew she was the opener for The Cave Singers, who I wasn't familiar with but figured a.) I like caves, b.) I was gonna dig the overall aesthetic, c.) if I wasn't wild for them we had all the more reason to leave early and get back to RVA before the kind of hour I'd keep on the odd upper weekend.

Today I got bags under my eyes, 32oz of coffee and came in to work 30 min late. Whoopsies. F*ck yeah, Cave Singers.

Playing to a pretty packed house, this WA-based trio clearly already have an established fan base with the neo-hippie sect. Cuz they wuz dancin'. So I danced too, duh. Hard not to when the seated Derek Fudesco, {whom my bestmate Andi and I renamed Animal}, heavy picking the electric while playing a distortion pedal with such gusto that he nearly comes out of his chair with every sway into the bass line. Can't deny it when Pete Quirk is doing crazymanlegs dancing punctuated by occasional wild screams. You're a soulless robot if you can ignore Marty Lund's stomp-inspiring floor tom. They're deconstructed gritty folk rockers, and they'll be yowling into your town soon.

track1 off their new release on jagjaguwar, track2 because i spilled my beer when it was played due to enthused shimmying.

and p.s., Lia? Thrashing-lovely set. We're going to be seeing more of her, guar-on-teed.

The Cave Singers // No Prosecution If We Bail
The Cave Singers // At the Cut

lykke love

Lykke Li // I Follow Rivers

O'Death

{image from venuszine}

Nearly as tireless as their moniker, O'Death has toured much of it's existence since the formerly SUNY-enrolled gents banded in 2003. Gleefully filtering Americana through a warped and rusty sieve, the result is raw, minimalist bluegrass with a twist of goth and maybe a little punk. Gothic Americana, I can get behind that.

Newest release Outside is expected from Ernest Jenning Record Co. next month...as in three'ish days from now {april. already? jiminy}. You can plan ahead and preorder that freaknastiness here.

O'Death // Bugs

Under the Covers Monday - the Smiths & the Dum Dum Girls

I considered somehow weaving the pride of RVA into the Monday post, but the day got away from me and this song continues to play on freakin' repeat within my inner-ear jukebox. I don't mind all that much...plus it's an admittedly easier subject to find an obscure cover for.

Throwaway Weezy track from the 500 Days of Summer spoof album thrown in for good measure, and because I missed you all last week. Really and truly.

The Dum Dum Girls // There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Lil Wayne // There Is A Fire That Never Goes Out
The Smiths // There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Windsor For The Derby

{hollywood cemetery, rva}

Windsor For The Derby // Queen of the Sun

Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan made the album I wished for Radiohead.

There I said it.

I got all jazzed and crowed about it, but even after a few listens and some pep talks - it just doesn't put me into the pupil-dilation, catatonic state I craved. I did some discombobulated jigging, sure, and that was fun. But the album that has had me looking off into the middle distance since October of last year is Age of Adz. Syncopated, psychopathic, melodramatic, swirling, electrocuted wildness. And goddamn bold, "Impossible Soul" is a hefty 25:35, nearly as long as The King of Limbs in it's entirety, and just as diverse.

The second half of this particular track makes me want to run screaming over the rotting boards of a frayed cable bridge. In the best way possible.

Sufjan Stevens // I Want To Be Well

Cast Spells {and a nibble on SXSW}

{image by scot stewart}

I haven't said anything about SXSW. Doesn't mean I'm oblivious to it. I just might, MIGHT, be incrementally bitter I'm not there. It's been long enough since the slog-mess of ACL 2009 to have me forgetting sweaty, over-crowded discomfort and longing for festival attendance again. Looking at lineups always have me bemoaning my absence; and Dave Davison's of Maps & Atlases solo effort, Cast Spells, adds to the whining. I even annoy myself.

Sonically experimental with some drifty retro crafting, Davison finger-drums like a sonova and is one of those guys who just dribbles out excellent lyrics without huge effort. If you're there, check him out March 19. Take pics. MMS them to me. I'll reply back with onomatopoeias like "aaauuughh" and "grrrrr."

Maps & Atlases - The Ongoing Horrible (Live at Radio Radio)

Cast Spells // Pioneer Scalps

Tinie Tempah

Found out about Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, aka Tinie Tempah, whilst on the stairmaster 6'ish a.m. yesterday. Reading some deets about this 22-year-old Plumstead, South London native kept me from resting my forehead on the command panel and taking a quick snoozer. He probably saved my life, as had I done such a thing I would've inevitably leaned on the crank-up button and hot-stepped to catastrophe.
Likely a more entertaining visual in my mind than on paper.

Coming out of the U.K. Grime scene, Tempah is already pretty hot-sh*t over the Pond and on the Brit charts. He's making the pop-duo rounds, {Kelly Clarkson, eh? Please don't.}, and paired up with our girl Ellie Goulding on this posted March 7 release. AND, according to wikipedia, his single "Written in the Stars" was used for a WrestleMania XXVII countdown promo during the WWE PPV Royal Rumble on 30 January, who later confirmed that it will be the official theme for Wrestlemania XXVII. Big time, baby!

Here's hoping after these forays and getting a little older, little wiser - perhaps after his 25th birthday? He sticks to more tracks like "Gimme More Money." Until then we can waste billable hours on his social media savvy game, blog, ad infinitum.

Tinie Tempah // Pass Out

Tinie Tempah f. Ellie Goulding // Wonderman

Under the Covers Monday - Titus Andronicus & Weezer

Titus Andronicus, with some help of Vivian Girls' sunglass-slipping Cassie Ramone, do a sloshy cover of Weezer's "Undone {the Sweater Song}." Can definitely remember yelling these lyrics in 5th grade and feeling nervous slash on-the-cutting-edge when we got to the collective's favorite line "I'll soon be naked!" Looks like everybody at this ridiculous, humid silliness had a similar sentiment.



Titus Andronicus f. Cassie Ramone // Undone {the Sweater Song} Cover

Weezer // Undone {the Sweater Song}

Robin Pecknold

As I continue to fidget in anticipation of Fleet Foxes second album's release in May, frontman Robin Pecknold saw it fit to dole out a few tasty treats to satisfy. Recorded in LA a few weeks back, he released three tracks of acoustic guitar picking and lilt-along vocals. "I'm Losing Myself" featuring Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste, a cover of Chris Thompson's "Where Is My Wild Rose" and posted "Derwentwater Stones."


{sneak-attack pic of Pecknold unawares at Moxie, Le West spring road trip 2010. yeah i'm that creep. i mean, fan.}

Fleet Foxes begin their spring tour April 29 in Vancouver. Loads of dates are already sold out, but their stop in D.C. magically has tickets left. You can carpool with me if your first pushpin is RVA, but only if you bring snacks.

See you at Wye Oak tonight. Next week I'm posting some thrash-metal and rage sh*t, get some edge back in this blog, nah meen?

Robin Pecknold // Derwentwater Stones

Papercranes - growl & rawhide

{image from rainphoneix.net}

When Rain Phoenix recorded the Papercranes' sophomore album, Let's Make Babies in the Woods, she aimed to push past the cushy production comfort zone. Without breaks or retakes, the writing and recording was an exercise in stream of consciousness. Non-linear, managed chaos production. Reminds me of the creative process I was encouraged to take in Hyper Island work sessions. {do you people not realize that if i don't cross things out in my silo'ed, structured, process-oriented list i will flippin lose my shit?!! all right fine, i'll do the boneless-boy dance while spouting social media ideas. be cool chirgotis. be cool.}

Anyways. Her efforts are largely successful, with whiskey-soaked vocals dragged over granite lyrics and dredged in shale instrumentation. To call up a neo-Janis comparison can't be too far a stone's throw.

Papercranes // Sea Red

FINALLY

Pitchfork! You did it!

I've been searching for this goddamn Fever Ray track ever since I saw the vapid, yet annoyingly hot, Little Red Riding Hood trailer. Click here.

Under the Covers Monday {makeup} - Florence + the Machine & Cold War Kids

get 'em, Florence.

Florence + the Machine // Hospital Beds
Cold War Kids // Hospital Beds

Peggy Sue - folk noir bandits

If you're gonna name yourself after one of the most famous songs of the '50's by one of the most famous '50's boys, you're gonna have some guts.

And blues.
And grit.
And woozy laments that feel like being entangled in damp sheets, caught in the throes of remembered heartachey noir dreams.

Formerly Peggy Sue & the Pirates. Then Peggy Sue & the Pictures. Now Peggy Sue, comprised primarily of Rosa Slade and Katy Slade, songs on their Fossils & Other Phantoms have lots of sweet little beginnings that build to ferocious crescendos. Now recording a second album in Bristol, these Brighton, UK lassies have my attention.

i only came here to see you see me ?

flippin' story of my life.

Peggy Sue // Watchman

Wye Oak - the truth about being earnest

If you're Andy Stack of Baltimore-based Wye Oak, and you can play drums with your right-hand and keyboards with your left, you are one badass motherfather. True & livin'. And if you're Jenn Warner, holding down guitars and vocals - you ain't lyin', either.

You'll hear some more earnest folk rock truths with the release of album, Civilian, March 8 - then check them out at Black Cat that Friday.

Oh and I just saw their free download card at Starbucks. People like some honesty with their latte.

**3.8.11 update**

chirgo, mcgaw and mckay will be in attendance at the Black Cat show. huzzah!

Wye Oak // Civilian

Reading Rainbow - take a look, it's in a book

It's good, but a different kind of good. Not the kind of good stored on at least 9 VHS tapes in a familial basement. But it's close.

Philadelphia bf/gf songsters, Sarah Everton and Rob Garcia {green-leaning engineer by day}, throw their own sound of hollow garage psych into the beachcomber bucket. Their second release, Prism Eyes, has a couple rainbow glorious moments. With blastoff fast tracks and some catchy lyrics popped in, they make it easy. Granted - you're not going to do any soul-searching, and listening for too long might make you twist your finger in your ear. {read: caterwauling is not uncommon}. But if you're good with that, RR is full of reverb, skittles and sunshine - so you just feel good listening to it. And that's good. Bueno. Bien. Barf. Levar Burton.

Reading Rainbow // Wasting Time

Trentemøller - teddybear robot

{image by Karen Rosetzky}

Moody March 1.

Anders Trentemøller, a Copenhagen-based Danish producer, was already lauded High Wizard of Electronica by the release of his 2006 Last Resort. Several years and numerous bad-ass remixes later, Trentemøller warmed up his minimal techno sound with 2010's Into The Great Wide Yonder. Go on and cuddle right up to guitar-twang, oxymoronic organic synth and melodic vocals. Admittedly I'd prefer stalking through rain-soaked alleys to this particular soundtrack, but it's all you sugarbear.

Trentemøller // Sycamore Feeling