Tune Trade

In Memorium

2009-02-23T09:18:00.001-08:00

In memory of the best cat to ever grace this blog: Moonshine Tisdale.

On this, and every 23rd of February, we raise our glasses to toast you, and remember the good times: killing birds, getting high on gasoline, meowing like a cat possessed. Truly a one of a kind feline. An east coast martyr to a west coast lifestyle. You'll forever be in our hearts, and your clawmarks will forever be on our couches. Here's hoping you're in a better place now, enjoying an endless supply of catnip and reunited with your long-lost testicles. We miss you, old buddy.

Blonde Redhead - Free!

2008-04-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have another code to download an album for free. This time, it's for Blonde Redhead's 23. Unlike other offers, this code can only be used three times, but still jump on it! Here's what you do:

#1 - Click here
#2 - Enter UPC code "5263727171"
#3 - Enter secret code "blond0ZZ0XJAW"

I normally don't recommend bands...

2008-04-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

... that I first see on the cover of a magazine, but Vampire Weekend is worthy of a mention here.

Declared the year's "best new band" by SPIN, VW has got some hook. My first two or three listens were met with skepticism as their brand of pop came off a bit cheesy. But then I found myself whistling the tunes around town. And, yes, my foot started tapping.

Once when I was whistling their song Oxford Comma a cute girl overheard me and smiled. Can you imagine?

-Mitochondriac

P.S.: Who will be the first to review the new Raconteurs? Anyone got the soul to speak to Gnarls? And what of R.E.M, speakest thou Georgia boys?

Snowball told me this guy could rock...

2008-04-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Stephen Malkmus. The former leader of Pavement has delivered with his latest solo effort, Real Emotional Trash.

Those of you who seek creative songwriting, listen up. Any of yous like rad riffs from a bad guitar? Here you go. There is even a sentiment or two for the lovers out there.

My favorite track is the 10+ minute title jam, Real Emotional Trash which, as some of you who have visited me will recognize, has several references to my neighborhood. Plus there is Hopscotch Willie and We Can't Help You, each with their own distinctive charms.

Check it out and let me know what you think...

Two Great Singer/Songwriters

2008-03-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

Liam Finn performs "Second Chance" on Letterman:

Check out the Brendan Benson song "Metarie" at Last.fm as it appears on his album Lapalco. There is also an over-produced version with an accompanying music video. Not nearly as good but worth a look:

Music To Listen To While Sad

2008-02-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

Mazzy Star. for those unfamiliar with their work, Mazzy Star was an early '90s dream-pop band. their lead singer, Hope Sandoval, has bar-none the most hypnotic, chilling, melancholy, and beautiful voice i have ever heard. you might be familiar with their biggest hit "Fade Into You", but the rest of their work, especially on the album So Tonight That I Might See, is equally as haunting.

Fade Into You:

Apple Bottom Jeans

2008-02-24T21:01:00.001-08:00

Few songs can really describe an entire weekend.

For myself and Russell, who both sat around like virtual heroin addicts watching The Wire all weekend while my dog ate a pound of chocolate chips, Flo-Rida's latest jam "Low" featuring T-Pain from the upcoming film Step Up 2 Da Streets was the jam of the weekend.

Watch the Youtube

Or read the poetry ...
Apple Bottom Jeans
Boots with tha fur
The whole club was lookin' at her
She hit tha flo'
She hit tha flo
Shorty got low
low
low
low
low
low
low

Them baggy sweatpants
And 'dem Reebok's w/ the strand
She turned around and gave
Dat big booty a slap!

She hit tha flo'
She hit tha flo'
Shawty got low
low
low
low
low
low
low

Don't forget T-Pain's official site

As well as Flo-Rida's official Myspace page! Tour coming soon to a town near you!

Tribute

2008-02-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

I've been checking in on this blog regularly from the get-go. After a couple of months of observation and careful research, I've determined that though this is technically Matthew's little project, without Kenny, this blog would be nothing. As such, I think it is high time that Kenny be recognized for his hard work and contributions.

In honor of Kenny, I spent some time today checking out various bands on Myspace that come up when you search the term "Kenny." After minimal consideration, I have come up with the following five pages in honor of Kenny.

First, some criteria: I disqualified any page by a Kenny that is already well known (Chesney, Rogers, Loggins, Wayne Shepherd, G, etc.). I also noticed that an overwhelming majority of Kennys classified themselves as either rap/R&B or country. While I like both of those genres, those are also the two genres that in my opinion often make the worst music when not well done. Given the ratio of good to bad music on Myspace, I decided therefore not to check out any Kenny that claimed to be in one of those genres. If someone wants to take the lead on a follow up Kenny tribute, feel free to wade through those sites...

Alright, without further ado, and in honor of the real Kenny, here are the top five Kennys on Myspace:

5) Kenny Mehler (Pop/Reggae/Rock) - Seems to be the type of music that teenage girls would love. A perfect show for Kenny to meet Ms. Right.

4) KENNYFLOYD (Rock/Pop) - These guys would likely make for a fun bar scene. Also, something about their promo picture just makes me laugh. Lastly, I suspect the bars these guys play would be filled with girls that would want to take Kenny home.

3) Kenny Jaworski (Other) - Talented pianist. I suspect if Kenny took a girl to his show, she'd be unable to resist him.

2) Kenny Meeks (Americana/Blues/Country) - I almost disqualified this Kenny for his country classification, but since he listed Americana and Blues first, I let him slide. Also, how could I make a list of tribute music for Kenny and not have anything with good bluegrass instruments? This show should be chill enough for Kenny to get his game on, but with enough interesting music to make it easy to sit through.

1) Kenny's Cheer Music (Experimental) - I'm not sure why this is classified as "experimental" music, but how could I not put this at the top of a list in honor of Kenny, our own little ball of cheer? I do kinda suspect that Kenny made this page himself as a way to meet cheerleaders. If so, well played my friend. Well played.

MGMT - Free!

2008-02-17T16:58:00.001-08:00

I have another code to download an album for free. This time, it's for MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, which Marc highly recommends. This code can only be used once, so jump on it! Here's what you do:

#1 - Click here
#2 - Enter code "CwPVZW9W"

After this is used, be sure to leave a comment to let other readers know it has been used.

Jens Lekman: A crooner for all the lovers out there

2008-02-13T21:17:00.000-08:00

On this the eve of love's day, I commend unto you the work of Jens Lekman. His Night Falls Over Kortedela is the pride of Sweden. As most of you know, I have a soft spot for bubble gum pop. This album hits that note, but is balanced by plain creative lyrics and unique vocal phrasing.

Night Falls features one track, "A Postcard to Nina," that has been in and out of my head for the last two weeks. Other tunes on this album use island beats to bring out the sailor in you. Then the stark honesty of "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You" brings it home.

And he's coming to a city near you, with a Spring tour guaranteed to bring the lovers out.

Check it out and let me know if it works for you...

mitochondriac

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

2008-02-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

So there are like at least 47.83 new bands that I've recently discovered, all of which would warrant a totally sweet blog post. None of these bands or albums make me smile and want to dance as much as this album by MGMT, however.

I saw them open for Of Montreal on Halloween at the 40 Watthere in Athens, and yeah, they rocked and shit. I wasn't paying that much attention because, well, it was Halloween and there were all these weird costumes and scantily clad females (again, it was Halloween) up in that place. Plus, Dan and the Asheville crew were in town, and I was dressed like some Assassin of Love, Bond-esque character. I think we had squirt guns with whiskey in them at that point still ... It was a crazy fucking time.

So last Saturday, upon the suggestion of my magic-rice-krispie-treat-toting friend, I picked up this album ... If you guys liked that Of Montreal disc, I think you'll love this shit. It's far more accessible and much less weird. The first song is probably my favorite new one this year.

If I can make one other suggestion ... The new Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath is a complete and total mindfuck. It pains me to get out of the car each morning and walk into school while it's still blaring on my stereo ... From there I'm still seeing visions of snakes and worms crawling through corroding skulls and corpses for hours upon my arrival. Yeah, it's that fucking good.

The Power of Cat Power

2008-02-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

So, I am exited that a copy of the new Cat Power CD "Jukebox" is on it's way. I'm not a big female vocalist enthusiast, but I do love Cat Power (and Nico). This will be Cat Power's second cover album, the previous one released in 2000. Amy and Kip Betz agree in giving it two thumbs up (whatever that is worth). I don't know all the fancy ways to get it for free on the internet (Kenny=pirate) but I feel it is worth the time.

Gang of Four

2008-01-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

Gang of Four was a politically and socially-conscience post-punk band from England. Singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham formed the group in 1977 and were active until 1984. Their debut album, Entertainment!, was named the 490th best album of all time by Rolling Stone. The original lineup reformed in November 2004, and in October 2005, the band released a new album featuring new recordings of songs from their first three albums.

Gang of Four's influence has been greater than their record sales. Their jagged guitars and use of feedback has been borrowed by countless acts, and newer groups such as The Rapture, Radio 4, Franz Ferdinand, and Bloc Party continue to incorporate Gang of Four's sound. Andy Kellman, a writer for Allmusic.com, has even argued that Gang of Four's "germs of influence" can be found in many rapcore and nu-metal groups "not in touch with their ancestry enough to realize it".

I highly suggest picking up a copy of Entertainment!. It's fun, catchy, and sounds so modern you'll be amazed it was released going on thirty years ago.

Discography:

Entertainment! - 1979
Solid Gold - 1981
Songs of the Free - 1982
Hard - 1983
At the Palace - 1984 (Live)
Mall - 1991 (King and Gill only)
Shrinkwrapped - 1995 (King and Gill only)
Return the Gift - 2005 (Original line-up; New recordings from first three albums)

"To Hell With Poverty" (Check out those sweet suits!):

"I Love A Man In Uniform" from July 31st, 1982:

Also, I tried to find that Entertainment!'s stand-out track "Natural's Not In It" to post on this page, but alas! Go get it.

More songs & info on Myspace

Simplify Media

2008-01-21T17:43:00.000-08:00

So maybe you've heard me talk about this, and maybe not. But this is one of the best applications I've ever used.

Simplify Media software lets you browse and play remote music using the iTunes and Winamp software interfaces. Music is streamed directly between computers over the Internet within small groups that you control. It works both on Mac and PC, and is free, safe, and easy to use. Visit their site for more info and to download.

My username is "khamner", and you'll have access to over 22k tracks if we become friends.

Also, please note that you can just stream music from computer to computer, and you cannot download tracks directly onto your computer or iPod with this program. That'd make it illegal.

Menomena - Free!

2008-01-21T17:37:00.000-08:00

So I just purchased Menomena's "Friend and Foe" on vinyl and got a code to download the album for free. I've already got it, so I'm offering it up on a first-come-first-serve basis. This code can only be used once, so jump on it! Here's what you do:

#1 - Click here
#2 - Enter code "2xhf7r6l"

After this is used, be sure to leave a comment to let other readers know it has been used, and also be sure to write your thoughts. Is it any good? Does it suck worse than Vanilla Ice? Inquiring minds want to know...

The Whigs

2008-01-17T22:41:00.001-08:00

The Whigs are a garage rock band from Athens, Georgia and formed in 2002 with singer/guitarist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio, and bassist Hank Sullivant. Early in their careers, they shared the stage with bands such as Franz Ferdinand, but had difficulty recording their first album.

In the summer of 2005 the band recorded their first album, Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip, in an empty fraternity house. They used equipment purchased on eBay and resold after recording was finished to help offset the cost of production.

Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip was released independently in 2005. In July 2006, The Whigs signed with Dave Matthews' record label ATO Records, and Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip was rereleased on September 19, 2006. Before signing with Matthew's label, Rolling Stone called the band "perhaps the best unsigned band in America." Esquire also named Dorio their "Best Drummer" award in March 2007.

The band had finished their second album called Mission Control and will release it on January 22. The band will appear on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 28 to support their new album.

Click here for their rocking new single: "Right Hand On My Heart"

More songs, info, and tour dates on their Myspace page

Watch "Written Invitation" live at the 40 Watt from Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip:

Menomena!

2008-01-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

More than just a funny song from The Muppets, Menomena is a unique band that formed in 2000 in Portland, Oregon. The band uses a computer program called the Digital Looping Recorder, or Deeler for short, in the song writing process. It was programmed by keyboardist Brent Knopf using a software program called Max. Drummer Danny Seim explains the process, "First, we set the tempo of the click, which is played through a pair of headphones. We then take turns passing a single mic around the room. One of us will hold the mic in front of an instrument, while another one of us will lay down a short improvised riff over the click track. We usually start with the drums. Once the drums begin looping, we throw on some bass, piano, guitar, bells, sax, or whatever other sort of noisemaker happens to be in the room. Deeler keeps the process democratic, which is the only way we can operate".

After giving away several different homemade demo CD-R recordings at local shows, the trio stuck with the DIY aesthetic of their early demos by recording their first album themselves. The result was their nine-song debut, I Am the Fun Blame Monster! (an anagram for "The First Menomena Album"), which was self-released on May 20, 2003. The album was elaborately packaged in an 80-page flipbook that Seim designed and individually hand-assembled while working at Kinko's.

A friend advised the band to mail a copy of their album to Pitchfork Media, a popular music website that Seim "had never heard of" at the time. Several months later, Pitchfork gave the album an 8.7/10 rating, and placed it in the "Best New Music" section. The band continued to assemble the flipbooks by hand and distribute them with the help of online retailer CD Baby until late 2004, when the album was released nationwide by FILMguerrero, a Portland-based independent record label.

On November 8, 2005, Menomena released Under An Hour, an album of instrumental music written for and performed with Monster Squad, an experimental dance company based in Portland. The release consists of only three tracks, each of which is over seventeen minutes in length. Stylus Magazine gave the album a somewhat lukewarm "B-" and described it as, "...an interesting view into a band that continues to evolve without really throwing down any breadcrumbs for them or us to follow".

Menomena released their third album Friend and Foe on January 23, 2007. As with their first two releases, Friend and Foe was entirely produced, recorded, and mixed by the band. It received relative critical acclaim, and Pitchfork gave the album an 8.5/10 and again placed it in the "Best New Music" section, calling it "...The first great indie rock record of the new year". On December 6, 2007, it was announced that the artwork for Friend And Foe was nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Recording Package".

"Cough Coughing" from I Am The Fun Blame Monster:

Live performance of "The Pelican" from Friend and Foe:

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band

2008-01-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

It is unfortunately rare to go to a show and be blown away by the opening band. Openers usually have poor sound, little energy, and/or songs that are a complete mismatch with the main band. But when an opening band is good, the whole evening is improved dramatically.

This fall, Blind Melon played its first shows together in 12 years. The shows were terrific and their new singer and songs really made me excited for their upcoming album. I ended up catching two of their shows, and at both of them, a California band by the Name of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band opened. Now, I am loath to encourage Matthew and Debbie's move to the Left Coast in any way, shape, or form, but after seeing Dusty perform a couple of times, I have proof that at least some good things are going on out west.

The band's sound is really different, with a cool mix of instruments and styles. Plus, I love bands that have the skills to alternate vocals and instruments in a successful manner, something that the River Band does on just about every track. Check out one of their videos here: Dusty Rhodes and the River Band "Dear Honey"

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Or Listen to more of their stuff on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dustyrhodes

I predict 2008 will be great for music

2008-01-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

To help you kick off your new year, I suggest the following new music:

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Ween - La Cucaracha (think of me when you listen to "your party")

And if you haven't heard it yet, go back and fall in love with a few of my favorites:

Joe Jackson - Look Sharp
David Byrne - Grown Backwards

Lastly, I will be inviting more of you to be "contributors" to this blog. Accept the invitation and your recommendations can included as POSTS instead of comments. This will free up the comments sections for follow-up that is specific to the recommendations being made. Cool?

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of the Arcade Fire

2007-12-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

Last October, members of the Arcade Fire joined Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band onstage in Ottawa, Ontario, and they performed Springsteen's "State Trooper" and the Springsteen-esque Neon Bible tune "Keep the Car Running". The results were unbelievable. Here's proof:

Worst Band Names

2007-12-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Onion AV Club just released their Worst Band Names for 2007. Some of the wonderful entries this year include:

Gay Witch Abortion
Tigers Can Bite You (Abbreviation: TCBY)
Dance Me Pregnant
The House That Gloria Vanderbilt
Ringo Deathstarr
My! Gay! Husband!
Lego Wookie
Butt Stomach
One Small Step For Landmines
The Dead Kenny Gs
Jews And Mexicans ("Available for Bar Mitzvahs and Quinceaneras!")
Car Full Of Midgets
Batman Vs. Predator

And my favorite bad band name for 2007 is...

Prognosis: Killing It

The whole list can be found here

A Few Tunes To Enjoy

2007-12-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

I have lately been enjoying a few artists/albums that I would recommend to you:

The most original album I've found lately is Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer (Hat tip to Goonie for that recommendation)
I've also been enjoying the new Radiohead. Great that they released it as a "pay what you will." Kenny tells me that disc 2 is even better than disc 1, some I'm looking forward to that.
Lastly, check out Robert Plant and Allison Krauss' Raising Sand. It's super duper.

If you use iTunes, you can enjoy my music collection by installing Simply Media. My username is eladsit and so long as I'm online, my music collection is your music collection.

Enjoy.

Trading Tunes

2007-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

Friends,

I frequently long to hear new music, something fresh and original, but sometimes its hard to find. Will you help me out? Just post your recommendations to this blog so that me and the rest of the world can enjoy those choice cuts you've discovered.

Thanks

Matthew