New Gotye Single

Recently the video for Gotye’s new single of his upcoming album was leaked. This was the Belgium-born Australian’s first leak so far, and I think he handled it great. Wally released the video on vimeo right away and the single is available to purchase through iTunes (Australia) as well as directly from his site gotye.com. You can also listen to the track on his soundcloud.

The song is a duet featuring Kimbra who also has a new album coming out soon. It is an extremely emotional and powerful song. The first half of the song is simple, soothing, smooth, and beautiful. When the chorus comes in at around a minute and a half, you get hit with a wave. It honestly took my breathe away the first time I heard it. The vocals of Wally and Kimbra go together perfect, it sends chills down your spine.

The video is very moving as well with some creative stop-time animation and full body painting. I can imagine making this video was a lengthy shoot with a lot of standing around, but it turned out fantastic. I don’t know about you all, but this song will be on repeat in my headphones for at least a week. Enjoy!

The Head and The Heart

Head and the Heart came to my attention after I bought a ticket for Iron & Wine on their summer tour as soon as they came on sale.  I usually like to at least be familiar with the openers I see when I go to a show.  I was glad to find that they were label mates on very possibly the best record label in existence right now, Sub Pop Records, so I was pretty optimistic about it.  Additionally, the album cover, a portrait of an adorable lady and a man in a sheep mask with a cigarette, pleasantly intrigued me.  The opening track, Cats and Dogs, is a playful ballad that really had me feeling good about the album.  It was like trying a new food and immediately thinking that you had been a fool for not claiming that you didn’t like it for years.  except this is music, not food.  Right?

Lost in My Mind starts with solo guitar and vocals and evolves into a wonderful foot-stompin’ and hand clapping folk song.  One of my favorite elements of this song is the vocal harmonies that they lay down on it, and the “ooooh ooooooooohs” that serve as a bridge.   The compositions of these songs, with their harmonic back up vocals, convinces me that they had played live or practiced a great deal before recording this album.  That or they had a wonderful producer.  Either way, its apparent that they’re skilled at their craft.

This album is such a wonderful collection of great indie folk songs, covering a broad range of emotions while staying true to their distinctive sound and vocal harmonies.  I saw it written somewhere that they were being called “America’s answer to Mumford”  which is a bold statement, and a large shoe to fill, but I’m confident that they’re up for the challenge.  Similarly, I’m not too quick to group them into the anti-folk movement, simply because its almost a genre of their own.  Soon, I will be saying of other bands, “They sound very “The Head and the Heart-ish”.  Hopefully.

For fans of:  Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes, Noah and the Whale, The Low Anthem

Lost in My Mind

Cats and Dogs

Honey Come Home

Winter Song

Sounds Like Hallelujah

Click the gorilla for more snacks

Thanks and enjoy and thanks

New Avett Brothers Song – “The Once and Future Carpenter” + Video

Hey Ya’ll, nothing warms me up more than new material from one of my favorite bands.  We’ve recently been graced with new content from Mumford (Sister and “Home”).  Well, here’s a new track from our dearly beloved Seth and Scott (and Joe and Bob), titled “The Once and Future Carpenter” premiered on CMT’s Unplugged.

The Avett Brothers have spent the year recording their follow-up to 2009 major label debut I and Love and You with producer Rick Rubin. And while no release date has been announced for the disc, the boys are jonesing to debut their new material. On an episode of CMT’s Unplugged, the North Carolina trio unveiled the strummy new track “The Once and Future Carpenter,” which you can watch here.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s a Corporate World (review + video + stream)

As disappointed as I am that I am missing/missed the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. concert in Cincinnati, I can’t complain about camping with the fam and relaxin’ after a taxin’ finals week.  Also, it doesn’t kill my excitement about the new album.  I gave them a chance after hearing their cover of a Beach boys song “God Only Knows“.  That had me hooked, I’m totally a sucka for some solid vocal harmonies.  This was no exception.  The tracks on this album all have a certain amount of intimacy to them that makes you want to get closer to your speakers (or just turn it up).  It’s really quite warm.  The electronic instrumentation on tracks like “An Ugly Person on a Movie Screen” got me smirkin from the start.  The slightly distorted vocals color the tracks really nicely, along with some other subtle effects that let me know that these guys know what they’re doing and not just up to some cheap gimmicks.  Give these guys a solid watch or listen.  Preeze.

For fans of The Drums, Surf Rock(kinda), quirky people, vintage instruments, NASCAR (jksc)

The final sale on this album/band was this ridiculous KCRW session.

watch the full session at the link below.

http://www.kcrw.com/media-player/mediaPlayer2.html?type=video&id=mb110314dale_earnhardt_jr_jr

Or check out “Simple Girl” from that Session

Stream (listen to) the album here.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/paste_station?station_track=track_23345_3869&mode=normal

Album Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s a Corporate World | One Thirty BPM.

Skeletons

Thanks and share and thanks.

Brain Salad – July

July’s Salad of the brain variety is actually June’s.  To explain, my inner genius has noticed that people don’t want to listen to last months music, so I have cleverly skipped ahead and named this salad July, for the simple reason of attractiveness to Brain Salad virgins.  So yeah, theres that.

Now, this salad has a bit of a different taste.  There’s still the classic sweet start, with your (my) favorite folk tunes that have been brooding in the inner region of the brain.  The first song “Flee or Fight” comes from a wonderfully talented band, Matrimony, who construct delicious folk rock songs with both male and female lead vocals (see album: The Sea & the Eye).  Next, another good track from Stornoway, who continue to satisfy me with their creative folk pop, lead by a wonderful voiced lead singer.  The Vampire Weekend song “Cousins” covered by Mumford and Sons, is the next track on the mix, and is just a prime example of good musicians paying homage to each other.  Love that shit.  Man In Space makes another appearance in the salad bowl, with a wonderful sing-out-load anthem march thing song track hit.  Get it?   Every once in a while I will become interested in a band or album simply because of a creative or intriguing name (Hoodie Allen, Trampled By Turtles, etc.) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is one of those bands.  Their elegant harmonies and creative indie rock songs have had me humming and smiling like a nutcase.  No Diggity, do I really have to explain that one?  If you got a problem, take it up with Steve Wilkos.  In the hip-hop section, I’ve decided to share with you, Shabazz Palaces.  Which is yet another Sub Pop records outlet that I promote.  Its straight forward hip hop with a darker feel and just hard banging beats, nothing overdone, just done.  GHOST TOWN BY THE SPECIALS IS POSSIBLY THE BEST SONG EVER AND I INCLUDED IT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL HAD IT IN YOUR LIBRARY.  Next is the electronic portion of the dish, and features some very dreamy and washed out electro jams.  Mansions on the Moon’s single is out, promoting their new album which is being released soon.  For fans of Passion Pit.  Hot Chip got thrown in just to give you something to dance to in the dark.  The new release from Junior Boys is phenomenal, completely changing my mind about them (also for fans of Passion Pit and the likes).  Lastly, comes the original version of a Jamie xx song that was featured on the last Brain Salad in its remix form.

Anyways, this has been a fun one to compile, and make sure to check out the album art and stare at it for while, because that was fun too.

**Click below to download**

http://www.mediafire.com/?7c8jgqxn4iqbbeu

Tracklist after the jump.

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