David Byrne’s Musical Building


This is amazing. David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame) takes an old building in New York and hooks up an organ to different pipes and beams in the building. The sound reverberates throughout the entire building creating a giant sound installation. There are no amplifiers; all the sounds are made by the little motors vibrating the parts of the building via the organ.
Check out Byrne’s website for more information.
MP3: Talking Heads – This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)

Video Mix

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Here’s a selection of videos from some of my favorite bands of the 90s. Some are music videos, some are live performances. I don’t think the Built to Spill performance is from the 90s, but the song is and that’s what’s important. I’ve also included an MP3 of each of the songs. Strange to think that in just 2 years we’ll be reminiscing about videos from the naughts (00s). Nearly all of these videos are 10 years old! Tell us your favorite videos from the 90s and we’ll make another post to re-share them with the world!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw06bRjHks4[/youtube]

MP3: Built to Spill – Stop the Show (Live)

 

 Check out Built to Spill’s “Perfect from Now On” tour! I’ve already bought my ticket.

 

 

[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=oPWzf2wKbvg[/youtube]

 

MP3: Pavement – Spit on a Stranger

 

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D65-wWflr_w[/youtube]

 

MP3: The Flaming Lips – This Here Giraffe

 

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_LkAAzCQrQ[/youtube]

 

MP3: Yo La Tengo – Sugarcube

 

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sHj6V1lfek[/youtube]

 

MP3: Eels – Novocaine for the Soul

 

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-F5L1S7LKU[/youtube]

 

MP3: Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees

 

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2jkyuT8unw[/youtube]

 

MP3: Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

 

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwh3FmpZ7kg[/youtube]

 

MP3: Travis – Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

Port O’Brien

I first heard Port O’Brien opening for Rogue Wave back in October of 07, and at first I sort of brushed them aside as another indie band that would be forever opening for other indie bands, never quite able to break on through. After having listened to their album All We Could Do Was Sing, I feel bad for feeling that way. It wasn’t that their live show was unenthusiastic or fun to listen to, I had intentions to look them up after the show, but I never got around to it (maybe it was because Rogue Wave’s show was too awesome). The album is much fuller than what I remember of their live show; it has string arrangements, some sound clips of the ocean, and layered vocals. “When I Woke Up Today” was both the opening and closing song for their set. It sounded better the second time when the audience started to sing along, sounding more like it does on the record. Though I’m not sure of the nautical experience of Modest Mouse or the Decemberists, Port O’Brien seems to have some authentic experience as it is poignantly expressed in “Fisherman’s Son”.

Every summer, Van works on his father’s commercial salmon fishing boat, the Shawnee, on Kodiak Island in Alaska. The work is exhausting and the weather could be much better, but the contrast between the serenity of the wilderness and the rigorousness of the labor seem to cause quite a bit of musical inspiration.

– from their website

The album has its soft and delicate moments as in “Don’t Take My Advice” and its rockin’ out moments like in “Pigeonhold”, but it all works together in the end. Don’t be a fool like me and brush this band aside, give them a chance and I think you’ll enjoy them. Here are a few tracks for your listening pleasure:

MP3: Port O’Brien – I Woke Up Today

MP3: Port O’Brien – Fisherman’s Son

MP3: Port O’Brien – Don’t Take My Advice

Catch them live at one of these upcoming dates:

Jun 23 2008 7:00P
Brookdale Lodge w/ Black Francis (featuring some dude from some band called THE PIXIES) Santa Cruz, California
Jul 7 2008 8:00P
The Casbah w/ Builders and the Butchers San Diego, California
Jul 8 2008 8:00P
The Detroit Bar w/ Builders and the Butchers Costa Mesa, California
Jul 9 2008 8:00P
Muddy Waters w/ Builders and the Butchers ALL AGES Santa Barbara, California
Jul 10 2008 8:00P
Spaceland w/ Builders and the Butchers Los Angeles, California
Jul 11 2008 8:00P
Cafe Du Nord w/ Builders and the Butchers ALL AGES San Franciscoooooooo!, California
Aug 6 2008 8:00P
Cafe Montmartre w/ Bodies of Water Madison, WI
Aug 7 2008 8:00P
Schubas w/ Bodies of Water Chicago, IL
Aug 9 2008 8:00P
El Mocambo w/ Bodies of Water Toronto, ON ~ CANADA
Aug 10 2008 8:00P
Le Divan Orange w/ Bodies of Water Montreal, QC ~ CANADA
Aug 12 2008 8:00P
The Middle East Upstairs w/ Bodies of Water Cambridge, MA
Aug 13 2008 8:00P
Mercury Lounge w/ Bodies of Water New York, NY
Aug 15 2008 8:00P
Union Hall w/ Bodies of Water Brooklyn, NY
Aug 16 2008 8:00P
Johnny Brenda’s w/ Bodies of Water Philadelphia, PA
Aug 17 2008 8:00P
Black Cat Backstage w/ Bodies of Water Washington, DC
Aug 18 2008 8:00P
Cafe Bourbon St Annex w/ Bodies of Water Columbus, OH
Aug 19 2008 8:00P
Locals Only w/ Bodies of Water Indianapolis, IN
Sep 13 2008 2:00P
Monolith Festival @ Red Rocks! Denver, Colorado

Website | MySpace

Video: The Books – Tokyo

http://indiemuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/800px-Thebooks.jpg

Pitchfork.tv put this music video by the Books up on their website Friday. Though this track is from their 2nd full release “The Lemon of Pink“, I had just seen this video from 2003 for the first time. I was interested in seeing how the Books would make a music video with their type of music. Would it be a bunch of video samples strung together to form some sort of coherent piece with a few shots of the band interdispersed? or something just as unconventional as the music itself. It turns out it was closer to the former. With juxtaposed shots of Suzuki method violin recital and the occasional clip aligning itself to the rhythm of the music the video has its moments where everything comes together. I think it’s a great music video.

MP3: The Books – Tokyo

This is a stupid From Thought for Food
MP3: The Books – Motherless BastardFrom Lost and Safe

MP3: The Books – It Never Changes to Stop

Website | Tomlab Records

Sigur Rós – Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust

 

I usually reserve my listening to Sigur Ros during the late fall and winter months. Sometimes I’ll pretend that I’m in Iceland instead of the upper reaches of Michigan or Massachusetts. I even attempted to learn some Icelandic to understand the lyrics without translation. My self-taught Icelandic course has been put on hold, but my enjoyment for Sigur Rós has not. Their 5th studio album sounds the most optimistic; it feels much more like a summer album. The care-free cover art accurately foreshadows the music enclosed. They still have their ethereal sound, but it feels lighter and more organic. This is evident from their first single “Gobbledigook” which sounds like it could be an Animal Collective track. The band hasn’t changed into another tribal influenced indie rock band; they’re just expanding their already large sound. With cheerful bursts of horns and strings and a steady bass drum, the band seems more focused. The album has a clear direction and does not wander like ( ) or Takk (though I enjoy both those albums for that reason). They do have their epic songs: “Festival” clocks in at nearly 9 and half minutes and “Ára Bátur” is almost 9. This is still very much a Sigur Rós album and I’m glad. They are one of my favorite bands that have been consistently good their entire career. I felt compelled to listen to the entire album in one sitting which is a first for me this year. My favorite tracks are: Gobbledigook, Góðan Daginn, Ára Bátur, Ví Spilum Endalaust, Illgresi, Fljótavík, and All Alright (the first Sigur Rós song in English!)

You can stream the entire album here, but I’ve provided some MP3s from this album and some of my favorites from their back catalog as well. The album is released June 24th.

MP3: Sigur Ros – Gobbledigook

MP3: Sigur Ros – Góðan Daginn

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/15/Hvarf-cover.jpg

From Hvarf/Heim

MP3: Sigur Ros – Starálfur (Live)

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From Takk…

MP3: Sigur Ros – Saeglópur

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From ( )

MP3: Sigur Ros – Track 4

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From Ágaetis Byrjun

MP3: Sigur Ros – Svefn-g-Englar

About the Album | Website | MySpace

Grouper

I stumbled upon Grouper randomly perusing some blogs I keep in my bookmarks. I downloaded it on a whim as it was described as ambient/folk/shoegaze. Interested in seeing how folky shoegaze would sound, I listened to the first track and knew that I had found something special. “Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill” is the 3rd album from Portland based musician Liz Harris. To define her music as folky shoegaze is incomplete. Her songs exist as hazy memories, lacking in detail, yet full enough to trigger a nexus of emotions difficult to describe. The instrumentation is mostly limited to layered vocals, electric piano and down-stroked guitar with the production quality weaving in and out of lo-fi. The sonic world that the album creates has a quiet intensity slowing submerging the listener.

I’ve taken a message from the MySpace page explaining her sounds better than I ever could:

dragging a dead deer in my ears feels like the relief of an unknown flickering series of burdens, dawning in my marrow moment a living freedom. lifted.

I recommend Grouper for fans of Low, Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters), and beautiful female vocals.

MP3: Grouper – Disengaged

MP3: Grouper – Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping

MP3: Grouper – When We Fall

Website | MySpace | Type Records

Mini Mix 2

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Here is another mini mix for you all. Included are new tracks from Sigur Ros, Wolf Parade, Lau Nau, and relatively new tracks from Mount Eerie and Fuck Buttons.

MP3: Sigur Ros – Gobbledigook

MP3: Lau Nau – Ruususuu

MP3: Fuck Buttons – Sweet Love for Planet Earth

MP3: Wolf Parade – The Grey Estates

MP3: Mount Eerie – In Moonlight

Sigur Ros | Lau Nau | Fuck Buttons | Wolf Parade | Mount Eerie

Avi Buffalo – Coaxed

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Avi Buffalo caught my interest after they had cited Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Panda Bear, Broken Social Scene, and Jim O'Rourke. I've given their songs a few listens (you can even download them at their Myspace). Since their style and interest of music is closely aligned with the staff of IndieMuse I hope that the readers will also enjoy the sweet sounds of Avi Buffalo. This Long Beach, California band is not currently on a record label, but I can see that changing soon.

Today's song of the day:

MP3: Avi Buffalo – Coaxed

Here's a sample of their live show performing “Where's Your Dirty Mind?”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roCxZUt7OdY[/youtube]

Here's their tour for this summer for all you people in California.

Jun 21 2008 9:00P
Pehrspace Echo Park, California
Jun 23 2008 9:00P
Mr. T’s Bowl with The French Semester Highland Park, California
Jun 27 2008 8:00P
eVocal Costa Mesa, California
Jul 5 2008 8:00P
dipiazzas long beach, California
Jul 23 2008 8:00P
LA Underground – Mr. T’s Bowl Highland Park, California
Aug 22 2008 8:00P
KXLU Demolisten at loyola marymount university. los angeles, California
Sep 11 2008 9:00P
The Unknown Theatre – All Ages!! Los Angeles
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Women – Black Rice

The image “http://indiemuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/WOMEN-by-Marc-Rimmer-vinyl.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

Today’s song of the day comes from Flemish Eye records’ up and coming band Women. “Black Rice” is a simple, lo-fi, catchy little pop rock song. Just some two note guitar riffs, a hint of glockenspiel and piano, the simplicity only leaves me wanting more. I’m interested in hearing the rest of the album when it comes out July 8th.

Recorded by label-mate Chad VanGaalen and the band members, the 10 song, self-titled album by Women is an explosion out of the gates for this young band. Sometimes light and spacious, at other times eerie and dense with an ominous weight, this debut flirts with the noisy beauty of the Velvet Underground and effortlessly toys with the intricacy and playfulness of Deerhoof as crude percussion beats out a pulsing tattoo of clatter.” – from their press page.

But don’t take their word for it, listen yourself and check out their website for another track.

MP3: Women – Black Rice

If you live in or near Canada, try to catch one of their shows:
June 11 :: Winnipeg, Royal Albert
June 12 :: Saskatoon, Little Pictures
June 13 :: Calgary, Broken City
June 14 :: Edmonton, The Velvet Underground
June 14 :: Calgary, Marquee Room
June 16 :: Kelowna, Whitehouse Productions
June 17 :: Victoria, Lucky Bar
June 20 :: Vancouver, Little Mountain Studios
June 21 :: Vancouver, Hoko’s
June 24 :: Lethbridge, Knights of Columbus Hall
June 26 :: Calgary, Broken City
Website | Pitchfork’s Review | Myspace |

Mini Mix

 

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Earlier on this year I had a New Year’s resolution that failed about 2 months in. Maybe it was too ambitious or maybe I’m too lazy, but regardless, posts on our blog have been running thin. I’m going to revise my resolution and instead of listening to an album a day I will post a miniature mix every weak instead consisting of five songs. Here are five songs that I like and I hope that you like them too:

MP3: Islands – The Arm

MP3: Fleet Foxes – Ragged Wood

MP3: No Age – Things I Did When I Was Dead

MP3: Ratatat РBrule̩

MP3: Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Lie Down in the Light

Islands | Fleet Foxes | No Age | Ratatat | Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy