Grant Manship

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 31st, 2006

French Kicks - "Cloche" from Two Thousand

MAN MAN & Danielson - Live at the Southgate House

It's been quite a while since I was as excited about a concert as I was for the MAN MAN appearance at this year's Lite Brite Festival.  Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.  I can safely say this was the  first time that I found the band setting up to be an entertaining thing to watch.  It was amazing to see the seemingly never-ending parade of the tubes, lights, bells, pots, pans, and other assorted instruments MAN MAN pulled out as they prepared for their set.  Literally, the only thing missing from the stage was the kitchen sink.  The energy the band puts out while they perform is incredible.  It's hard to imagine a person NOT having a good time at one of their shows.  It's also hard to explain to someone exactly what one of their shows is like.  If you have a chance to see the band live, don't miss it.

You can check out some of the pictures I snapped of MAN MAN's set here.

Danielson ended the evening and while they put on a completely different kind of performance, it wasn't any less entertaining.  Daniel's stage banter with the crowd, specifically those in the balcony he light-heartedly promised to ignore for not coming down and joining everyone else on the floor, was quite entertaining.

You can check out the pictures from Danielson's set here.

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 28th, 2006

The Sleepy Jackson - "I Understand What You Want But I Just Don't Agree" from Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird)

The U.S. vs. John Lennon Soundtrack

Here is some interesting news regarding the soundtrack to the upcoming documentary "The U.S. vs. John Lennon".

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 27th, 2006

The Beach Boys - "God Only Knows" from Pet Sounds

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 26th, 2006

Bears - "Walk Away" from Bears

New LADYHAWK MP3 and Video

LADYHAWK has released a new mp3 from what their label (Jagjaguwar) is calling the Mushroom Session.  You can check out the track below:

• LADYHAWK - "War"

I really like the new song but I'm not sure it can compare to the other bit of LADYHAWK goodness that we've been blessed with today.  Check out the video for the band's song "My Old Jacknife" below.

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 25th, 2006

Adam Green - "Pay the Toll" from Jacket Full of Danger

Favorite New Release of the Week - July 25th, 2006

The Sleepy Jackson -  Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird)

Since the Sleepy Jackson formed in 1999, their founder - Australian oddball Luke Steele - has ditched no less than three sets of bandmates. This second album features just Steele and drummer Malcolm Clark.

But any fears that the ethereal grandeur of 2003's Lovers might be swapped for White Stripes-esque minimalism are swept away in a torrent of strings, horns and backing choirs. Driven by a passion for the Beatles and Brian Wilson, Steele appears to have hired every session musician in Sydney to help realise his orchestral-pop vision. The result is a stirring, richly detailed record that sounds something like Mercury Rev produced by Phil Spector and fronted by a wide-eyed Roy Orbison.

Steele's softly expressed demons underscore Personality, but the album's most striking feature is its ability to avoid the musically obvious while still delivering golden pop melodies. A special record from a special talent.

- Chris Salmon, July 21, 2006 via The Guardian

Adam Green - Jacket Full of Danger

Can this really be Adam Green's fourth solo album? The man who famously spent whole days, and sometimes weeks, meticulously crafting a single line is creatively flourishing. Following his Anglo-German book of gobbledygook last year and the perplexingly underrated 'Gemstones' album, Green seems to be spewing forth words with some considerable aplomb. If 'Gemstones' was occasionally erratic, then 'Jacket Full of Danger' is a more mature and finely honed piece, a fully realised record that embodies what Adam Green is, and thankfully there's still madness in his method.

Green's appeal lies in his oxymoronic qualities; a cherubic face and a brain scourged with deviant thoughts. He may have the eyes of a puppy but you wonder if deep down he's a very evil man who wants to bite you. Nowhere is this deviance more evident than on 'Drugs' a ballad about the fact Green loves drugs and how gutted he is when his lady throws his drugs away.

"I like to do drugs, I like to have drugs, I like to hold a cigarette full of grass in my hand."

It's typical Green in that it's hilariously funny, occasionally nonsensical, and will corrupt and offend in equal measure. Songs about drugs are so often shrouded in innuendo and rely on heavy symbolism, yet Green is emphatically and refreshingly bold. He's at his best when he's forthright, and pouring out what pollutes his weird head, and if it's cruel than that's even better.

"There's no place inside this romance, for a girl who's clearly balding, so embarrassed by injustice that shuts doors on balding women' ('Hairy Women).

Speaking of the Doors, Green's rasping baritone is even richer and more hoary than usual, and while the Lee Hazelwood and Scott Walker comparisons still stand, 'Jacket Full of Danger' sees him emulating the primal grunt of the late leather-trousered sex-drunk Jim Morrison, especially on 'White Woman', which is effectively an updated rendering of 'LA Woman'. Yes, on 'Jacket Full of Danger' Green's Mojo is rising, and he just got that little bit more dangerous. Come and pay homage to the new Lounge Lizard King.

- Jeremy Allen, April 12, 2006 via Playlouder

Musical Family Tree

I went to Indiana University for undergrad and one thing I quickly learned, and loved, was the excellent music scene in Bloomington.  There's an amazing group of musicians making music in Bloomington which is also the home of Secretly Canadian.  In early 2004 Jeb Banner decided to start a collection of all the great music and compile it in an online musical archive.  His efforts have resulted in the Musical Family Tree. 

Starting with bands like Sardina, Antenna, and United States Three the site has quickly grown to encompass over 200 bands with Indiana roots, past and present, from all over the country.

The people at the Musical Family Tree have now released a compilation CD titled "Delicious Berries" in partnership with Indianapolis based Luna Records and will be distributed through Revolver.  You can check out all the songs on the compilation along with the rest of the music in the archive via the streaming player at the site.  The compilation will also be available on iTunes and directly from the site here.

Some of the artists featured on the CD are well established artists like John Strohm, The Mysteries of Life and Vess Ruhtenberg as well as Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, Gentleman Caller and Everything, Now!.  All the artists contributed new or unreleased songs with several recorded specifically for the compilation.  The proceeds from the sale of the CD will go to cover the costs of running the site and any profit will be directed towards new initiatives for the Musical Family Tree community.

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 24th, 2006

Okkervil River - "A Glow" from Black Sheep Boy

Sound Team & Cold War Kids - Live at RBC (Secret Show)

Secret as in, it was a secret where they were finally going to have this thing!!!  Thankfully, the show finally ended up happening at RBC only a few hundred feet from its originally planned location at Alchemize (R.I.P.). 

So anyway, the Cold War Kids put on an amazing live set.  I've definitely been looking forward to seeing them and they didn't disappoint.  The opener "We Used To Vacation" along with "Saint John" were stand-outs in my mind.  I definitely recommend picking up their EP's which are available here.

Sound Team ended the night and despite some problems with an amp put on another great show.  I was thrilled that they played "The Fastest Man Alive" which I felt was the highlight of the entire night.  Watching them tear through the material on "Movie Monster" reaffirmed my thoughts that Pitchfork is on some serious crack with their lame review.

I'm currently having trouble uploading the photos I took last night so in the meantime, check out the shots Joe took over at Each Note Secure.

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 21st, 2006

Robert Johnson - "32-20 Blues" from King of the Delta Blues

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 20th, 2006

Songs: Ohia - "Almost Was Good Enough" from Magnolia Electric Co.

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 19th, 2006

James Figurine - "55566688833" from Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

I just saw the trailer for this film and it looks great.  Check out the film's synopsis and trailer below:

"The U.S. VS. John Lennon" is a compelling and provocative look at John Lennon's transformation from beloved musical artist to anti-war activist to iconic inspiration for peace that also reveals the true story of why and how the U.S. Government tried to silence him. The film will also show that this was not just an isolated episode in American history but that the issues and struggles of that era remain relevant today.

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 18th, 2006

Bishop Allen - " The News From Your Bed" from February - EP

Daytrotter Sessions - French Kicks

In other French Kicks news, they're Daytrotter's band of the week so be sure to check out the band's story and free songs.

Favorite New Release of the Week - Jul. 18th, 2006

French Kicks - Two Thousand

So the boys from Brooklyn do it again. Somehow, the powers that be took greater notice of bands like the Strokes and even the Walkmen, and while the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were pulling up their buddies like TV On The Radio and Celebration (God knows why), this work-a-day band seemed to get left in the dust. But what really happened is that the parents left the building and the kids just threw a yearlong block party, and Bloc Party wasn't invited.

Two Thousand is a far more diverse record that last year's The Trial of the Century, and a far more joyous affair than the otherwise stellar One Time Bell. It actually harkens back to their blockbuster debut EP, Young Lawyers, in my humble opinion. It ranges from heavy melodic guitars and voices (the "if the radio doesn't play this song, they're crazy" "Cloche") to heavy drums on "Keep It Amazed" to almost lounge-y swing ("Go On"). What this album makes me really want to hear is the French Kicks mix it up with Gnarls Barkley. That would be, as the kids say, off the hook.

The French Kick song formula usually involves a judicious amount of repetition, hammering a riff or rhythm into your brain, before exploding into harmonies and bridges galore. They are such a tight group that when the bass drops out for a moment, you barely notice. And then it comes bounding back in, totally re-arranging the picture. Now, I know this kind of songwriting isn't exactly new, but remember when everyone got all hot about Smashing Pumpkins and their loud-soft formula? Some things just work and this is one of them. Case in point is the completely outstanding "Also Ran".

The real change on this record is the re-introduction of the drums to the mix, something that was strangely missing from the last record. My first memories of the French Kicks, on tour for One Time Bell was the fact that singer Nick Stumpf also played the drums… and those guys were all lined up in a straight line. It was garage rock meets Motown meets go-go, and it worked so well. The happiest thing is that it still works on this latest release, and that makes the Frenck Kicks the most famous New York band in my book.

- Grant Capes, July 17, 2006 via indieworkshop.com

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 17th, 2006

Sufjan Stevens - "Saul Bellow" from The Avalanche

Franz Ferdinand - Eleanor Put Your Boots On

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - According to Plan

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 14th, 2006

Danielson - "Did I Step On Your Trumpet" from Ships

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 13th, 2006

Thom Yorke - "Black Swan" from The Eraser

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 12th, 2006

Nobody & The Mystic Chords of Memory - "Decisions, Decisions" from Tree Colored See

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 11th, 2006

Syd Barrett - "Dark Globe" from The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett - R.I.P.

LONDON (Reuters) - Syd Barrett, the troubled founding member of Pink Floyd, has died aged 60, after living the life of a recluse for the last 30 years.

"The band are naturally very upset and sad to learn of Syd Barrett's death," Pink Floyd said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Syd was the guiding light of the early band line-up and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire."

A source close to the band, who did not want to be named, said Barrett died on Friday. Media reports say complications from diabetes were the cause.  (more)

Favorite New Release of the Week - July 11th, 2006

Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche

Despite the extended title of Sufjan Stevens' latest opus, The Avalanche is more than simply a collection of alternate takes and b-sides. With the exception of three reworked versions of "Chicago" from Come on Feel the Illinoise, this record contains new and never-released songs that were originally written for Illinoise in its initial conception as a fifty-song double album. Pouring over the detritus of his phenomenally successful ode to the prairie state, Stevens rewrote and rerecorded (along with the Illinoisemakers band) the 21 songs that became The Avalanche. This return to the land of Lincoln initiates a dialogue with its predecessor while remaining true to the larger themes of Sufjan's near-impossible project of releasing an album about each of the 50 states.

Though some of the songs on The Avalanche may be slightly below the standards of the previous record (the pretty but dull "Saul Bellow" comes to mind), the great majority of these songs sparkle with the same infectious melodies, beautiful arrangements, empathetic storytelling, and sharp wit that made Illinoise so critically acclaimed and commercially successful. "Adlai Stevenson" marries a great melody to a blustery marching band accompaniment perfectly appropriate for the twice unsuccessful presidential candidate, "No Man's Land" is a short, upbeat, and incredibly catchy recollection of various place memories, and "Dear Supercomputer" is composed of stilted riffs and rigidly delivered vocals that evoke the spiritual complexities of man-made technologies and artificial intelligences. Yet songs such as "Springfield," and "The Mistress Witch from McClure" hint at infidelities and family traumas with a sadness and compassion that suggest an intimate knowledge of such painful events.

With his lyrical collages of historical trivia, odes to great men, personal memories (both painful and sublime), and literary references, Sufjan Stevens captures—perhaps more than any contemporary artist—the ways that we experience place, memory, history, pop culture, and their intersections. Recollections of particular places and times congeal from the bits and pieces of seemingly mundane details: a sister's braids, a flood in the bathroom, the lightning flashing over a park, or the glimpsed ankle of a father's mistress. Similarly, history is learned as a series of unconnected facts and recycled myths, commemorated by landmarks and monuments, and subsumed by a popular culture that is itself a somewhat unreal patchwork of literature, music, and advertising. And just as one must navigate this bewildering cognitive terrain in order to cobble together one's own sense of meaning and identity, Stevens has worked his way through the songs and ideas leftover from his previous work, arriving at a newer and deeper understanding of the state of Illinois and, it seems, himself. This process is typified on the magnificent "Pittsfield," the whispered account of an unnamed protagonist coming to terms with an emotionally distant parent while making reference to a grandmother's ghost, the Persian Gulf War, and "a few things I learned from this TV show." That such self-realization can emerge from this disorienting combination of promotional culture, memory, place, and history is, in the end, the profoundly life-affirming proposition at the core of The Avalanche, and of Sufjan Stevens' work in general.

- Tim Recuber, July 7, 2006 via indieworkshop.com

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

It seems like a lot of people like to either love Radiohead, or absolutely ignore/hate Radiohead. So I wasn't surprised when there was a lot of naysaying going on about this new release from Thom Yorke, a one man album called The Eraser. I think it's kind of funny that everyone finds it a fault that this album could have potential to be a lot like a Radiohead album. After all, Radiohead is pretty alright, yes? If you really think about it, Radiohead has to be at least, what... 50% Thom Yorke in its genetic material? So obviously a little will spill over into his new project.

Of course, then comes the second thought, if this album rings a little of Radiohead, what is the difference from Radiohead. I guess I could offer up a few brief thoughts on that, mainly the obvious: less layers of noise, more clear and crisp sounding vocals, more synth and much less rock (not to be confused with being B sides to Kid A or Amnesiac though, because most of this album wouldn't fit properly in either of those settings), more poppy sounding, a lot less background noise/distractions, more emotionally direct and less spaced out.

This is not distilled Radiohead, Radiohead-missing-something, or b-side Radiohead cast-offs. What's really important though is that Thom Yorke is someone a lot of us feel like we know in a lot of ways, and here he is, much more wide open, visceral, entrails laid out. Instead of watching through a tiny crack in the wall, it's like seeing through a giant pane of clear glass in bright light.

Yorke's lyrics and vocals on this album feel like they're being said into your ear or screamed into your face. It's almost like he could be talking to you, or someone you've been thinking about lately. It's like a train wreck break up with a slow moving, hot anger. That teary friend that comes over and curls up on your bed to spill their guts. What Yorke has always had, in my mind, that other musicians and artist's don't, isn't necessarily some type of pain that is misunderstood, but a genuine lack of fear for splaying it out in the open to be picked at. The siren-like quality of his singing on this album really makes it feel more like an open wound/broken egg instead of a regular outpouring of depressed or angry emotions. These are songs you will not have to sit and wait to love, it's like they're songs you already know or understand. You will instantly take them personally, and you should.

- Amanda Spadaccini, July 10, 2006 via indieworkshop.com

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 10th

The Music Tapes - "Song for the Death of Parents" from 1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad

Gentleman Caller - Bomb the Castle

Two New Releases from Jason Molina

Jason Molina will release his second solo record Let Me Go, Let Me Go, Let Me Go on August 22nd. 

This vinyl-only limited release is akin to his last solo record Pyramid Electric Co, and revisits the type of songs he did on his more experimental albums, The Ghost, and Protection Spells.

Check out the MP3 for "Get Out Get Out Get Out" here.

Following that release will be the release of the brand new Magnolia Electric Co. album, Fading Trails, on September 12th.

Recorded all over the country with such luminaries as Steve Albini and David Lowery, as well as at the world famous Sun Studios, Fading Trails is perhaps the best and most invigorating recordings by any band fronted by Jason Molina.

Check out the MP3 for "Lonesome Valley" here.

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 7th, 2006

The Good Life - "Always a Bridesmaid" from Lovers Need Lawyers - EP

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 6th, 2006

Peaches - "Downtown" from Downtown - EP

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 5th, 2006

Richard Swift - "Half Lit" from The Richard Swift Collection, Vol. One

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 4th, 2006

The Beach Boys - "Feel Flows" from Surf's Up

iTunes Song Suggestion of the Day - July 3rd, 2006

Johnny Dowd - "No Woman's Flesh But Hers" from Pictures From Life's Other Side