"Austin’s Balmorhea has always made beautiful music, but that beauty has often belied the underlying sensuality that makes their music so inviting. The band takes a giant leap forward, embracing that sensuality, on their bold and variegated new album All is Wild, All is Silent. Now a six piece, the band known for their understated simplicity and restraint has produced an album as complex as the workings of the lonely human heart. The addition of drums, upright bass, and wordless vocals, helps the band evoke a timeless American narrative, conjuring the ghosts of our ancestors and tapping the veins of spirited adventurers who seek, discover and defend a kind of home and way of life entirely new. Like the letters of early Texas settler William B. Dewees, that inspired the title All is Wild, All is Silent, the album swells with images of an untamed land and a uniquely American optimism and faith in the face of an unknown and savage nature." The album will be released soon on Western Vinyl. Pick up a copy, because it's fantastic. Here is a song off the album:
January 30, 2009
Balmorhea
January 28, 2009
Marissa Nadler
Marissa Nadler has a new album coming out soon, entitled Little Hells. I first heard Marissa when she opened for Skeletons and the Girl-Faced Boys back in 2006, and she put on a stunning show. Little Hells displays "a brighter leap in musical maturity and attention to detail, as the fantasmagoric sounds delve into melancholy nuggets, sometimes erotic, sometimes gutting, but filled with a gorgeous sense of serene hope more so than previous albums". Here is my favorite song off the new album:
January 26, 2009
The Ice Storm
School was canceled today because of icy and treacherous weather! Instead of studying, me and the roommates are watching Out Cold and listening to some sexy winter jams. Here are a few:
Flutter- Bonobo
Human Remains- Tom McRae
Blood Machine- Chad VanGaalen
Human Racing- St. Vincent
January 25, 2009
Preservation Hall
Well I'm back from New Orleans, and it was a wild, wild weekend. Good food, good friends, and good music!
I went to Preservation Hall on Friday and saw the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. They were incredible, and it was refreshing to see a group of indescribably talented musicians perform. Preservation Hall is a beautiful and surprisingly intimate venue, and I recommend stopping by next time you're in New Orleans. Here are a couple of songs:
January 22, 2009
Blake & Kate
Blake and Kate went to high school with me and just released an EP on iTUNES called Letters and Words. Most bands from Coppell are really crappy, but Blake and Kate are awesome! Here is an extremely catchy song off the EP:
Without You- Blake and Kate
Buy the whole thing from iTUNES today! It's the best $4 I've spent all week!
New Orleans
I will be in New Orleans for the next three days and will not be updating this blog until Monday. So for the six people who read this regularly, here are six great songs to enjoy this weekend!
Laisse Tomber les Filles- April March
Dreadlock Child- Soulwax
Noah's Arkestra- Mountains in the Sky
Something in the Air- Thunderclap Newman
Age of Consent- New Order
Gettin' Nasty- Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm
Have a great weekend!
January 21, 2009
The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady
In 1963, Charles Mingus released The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady, a sprawling, multi-section masterpiece, described as "one of the greatest achievements in orchestration by any composer in jazz history." It's by far the craziest jazz album I've ever heard, and I highly recommend purchasing a copy. Here is the album opener:
Solo Dancer- Charles Mingus
January 19, 2009
Reverie Sound Revue
Reverie Sound Revue is a Canadian group putting out some pretty great pop music. They have an album coming out sometime soon, but here are two fantastic songs off their self-titled EP:
Rip the Universe- Reverie Sound Revue
Walking Around Waiting Downtown- Reverie Sound Revue
January 17, 2009
Dancing in the Streets
I wish people would dance in the streets together more often. This song would be playing.
Your Blessings- Handsomeboy Technique
I hope you have a festive and memorable Saturday night. We have a lot to celebrate.
Thomas Dybdahl
Thomas Dybdahl is from Norway and has collaborated with artists such as Morcheeba and Jaga Jazzist. Though Thomas has worked with these bolder, edgier groups, his solo work is far more subdued and intimate. He reminds me of a less-sappy Damien Rice. Here are two songs from his most recent album, Science.
January 15, 2009
January 14, 2009
Vetiver
Vetiver has new album coming out soon on Sub Pop called Tight Knit. Here are three of the album's strongest tracks.
Everyday- Vetiver
Rolling Sea- Vetiver
Down from Above- Vetiver
I love this band!
Middle Cyclone
People Got a Lotta Nerve- Neko Case
“People Got A Lotta Nerve” is the first single from Neko Case’s forthcoming album Middle Cyclone, which will be released on March 3. For every blog that reposts this song between January 13 and February 3, Neko Case and her record label ANTI- will make a $5 cash donation to Best Friends Animal Society! More information can be found here.
Also, here is a fantastic song off her 2006 album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood:
January 13, 2009
The Wind
The Wind- Cat Stevens
This may be my favorite song of all time. I'd kill to hear it for the first time again. Hope you enjoy it!
January 12, 2009
Summers in France
Three French jams for your next trip to Versailles. Or Walmart.
Mon Amour Mon Ami- Virginie Ledoyen
Pour Un Flirt Avec Toi- Michel Delpech
La Fille de Paille- Brigitte Bardot
N.A.S.A.
N.A.S.A. is an ongoing creative collaboration between two lifelong music aficionados, Squeak E. Clean ad DJ Zegon, and many of their famous friends, including M.I.A., David Byrne, Santogold, Tom Waits, Ghostface Killah, Kanye West, George Clinton, Method Man, Karen O, RZA, and more.
N.A.S.A.'s debut album The Spirit of Apollo will be released on February 17, and will be the soundtrack to any good dance party this spring and summer. Be sure to check it out!
Here are 4 songs from The Spirit of Apollo:
Gifted (feat. Kanye West, Santogold & Lykke Li)- N.A.S.A.
Whachadoin? (feat. Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santogold & Nick Zinner)- N.A.S.A.
Spacious Thoughts (feat. Tom Waits & Kool Keith)- N.A.S.A.
Money (feat. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge & Z-Trip)- N.A.S.A.
(Sorry for the poor audio quality on a couple of these!)
January 11, 2009
Slowdive
Though I've been a fan of Neil Halstead's current band, Mojave 3, for several years, I never made a point to check out his earlier work, specifically with Slowdive. However, I recently purchased Slowdive's 1993 album, Souvlaki, on a whim, and I can't stop listening to it.
Souvlaki is, to me, the perfect shoegaze album. It mixes the dreamy guitar swirls of My Bloody Valentine with the ethereal ambience of the Cocteau Twins, and the interacting male and female vocals are gorgeous and unique. Every song is a surreal soundscape, crafted with care and talent.
Here are my favorite two songs off of Souvlaki, though every song on the album is worth listening to.
Machine Gun- Slowdive
When the Sun Hits- Slowdive
January 10, 2009
Water Sphere
When I was 16, my mom refused to let me drive to Deep Ellum for the Pilotdrift show. My brother and I snuck off anyway, and were subsequently busted when my 1993 Nissan Quest failed to start after the concert. I was grounded for nearly a month.
It was totally worth it.
Water Sphere, Pilotdrift's first album on the Good Record label, is one of my favorite albums of all time. Here's what Amazon.com has to say about Water Sphere.
"Water Sphere begins with the theatrical, haunting, dark, (and yet somehow inviting) "hit-you-from-behind" rock of "Caught in My Trap". Layers of instruments surround and enfold dangerously evocative vocals, drawing the listener, inescapably, into its net. From there it drops you into the unchartered pop waters of "Bubblecraft", which sounds like a 1970s James Bond, passed out in a jazz lounge, dreaming about the far future. After the electrical rain dance of "Passenger Seat", Pilotdrift entertains you with the fantasy story of "Late Night in a Wax Museum". The middle of the record is anchored by a haunting 10-minute epic entitled "Jekyll and Hyde Suite" that sounds like a two-faced orchestra battling within itself to free from a straitjacket. Immediately following is the Antarctic tale of Shackleton and his journey to "
Here are the last two songs from the album:
So Long- Pilotdrift
Some Velvet Morning
Some Velvet Morning- Primal Scream (feat. Kate Moss)
Some Velvet Morning, the Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood classic, is reborn here as a slinky, bass-heavy dancefloor track, courtesy of Primal Scream and Supermodel Kate Moss. There's no reason this song should be good, but it is.
My brother and I are helping our friend build Copperphones today. Considering I had trouble building my Pinewood Derby car back in the day, this could be interesting....
Twilight & Ghost Stories
Chris Schlarb is a musician, writer, father and husband. He is also the owner and founder of Sounds Are Active, a Long Beach, California-based record label specializing in jazz, experimental, electronic and other progressive musics. In addition to releasing music with a number of different groups, Chris has also released solo electric guitar music under the name Xn. In 2007 he released his first album under his own name, Twilight & Ghost Stories, a massive five-year work with over forty collaborating musicians, on Asthmatic Kitty.
Here is my favorite song:
I- Chris Schlarb
A Strangely Isolated Place
Craig and I went to Lee Harvey's tonight and met a woman named Susanna. It was a lot of fun.
On the way home, I pledged my undying allegiance to Ulrich Schnauss.
Here is one of my favorite Ulrich songs, from A Strangely Isolated Place.
Gone Forever- Ulrich Schnauss
January 9, 2009
Roadtrip to Texas
Every good roadtrip needs a good soundtrack. For my drive to Texas today, here are three of my choices:
Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb
I remember the first time I went to Good Records in Dallas. Over the radio, my brother and I heard that Good Records was selling the brand new Maroon 5 CD for a penny. Naturally, John and I begged our mom to drive us downtown to capitalize on this incredible deal.
When we arrived, the Maroon 5 CDs were all sold out, but the guy working suggested some other albums to purchase. That day, I purchased Shootenanny! by Eels and The Beginning Stages Of... by The Polyphonic Spree.
I instantly fell in love with The Polyphonic Spree, and later on, Tim Delaughter's earlier band, Tripping Daisy. Hundreds of dollars and a dozen shows later, The Polyphonic Spree is still my favorite band to see live.
Here are two songs from Tripping Daisy's Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb, and one from The Polyphonic Spree's The Beginning Stages Of...:
Welcome to The Idle Rich.
The world definitely doesn't need another music blog, but hopefully you'll find some songs you've never heard, songs you've long forgotten, and songs you can't live without here at The Idle Rich.
All songs will be posted for about 2 weeks and all links will be zSHARE (until someone teaches me how to upload them directly to Blogspot).
Though songs will usually be accompanied with a description, information about the band, pictures, etc., here are six good ones I've been listening to a lot lately. Enjoy.
I hope you like these songs and I hope you'll like this blog. Have a happy and productive weekend!
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