Brilliant Beast - Where Do You Want

We've been posting a ton about the shoegaze scene in Minneapolis lately, but for some reason that area is a hotbed of 90s inspired acts lately. Brilliant Beast just might be my favorite as of yet. Led by siblings Hannah and Jordan Porter (who also share lead vocals), the band released their second album late last year.

Brilliant Beast somehow join shoegaze with a poppier sound, with just the slightest edge of punk. It reminds me of the earlier, more pop driven period of Built to Spill. The third track, "Nepotism Shakes," is the soundtrack to the most lush dreams you've ever had and is much closer to Slowdive. "Crushdumb" brings back the noise and energy, while still swirling you around in dreamland.

You can get some more info on Brilliant Beast at their website. While you're at it, stream their whole album (which is out on Guilt Ridden Pop) at their Bandcamp, and check out the official video for "A Child on Fire" below.

Check Out a Video About Dave from Brown Bird's Recovery

For those of you who don't know, Dave Lamb from Brown Bird was diagnosed with leukemia last year. Any form of leukemia or cancer diagnosis is scary and hard enough, but for musicians it can be especially hard since the vast majority are self employed and without insurance. Plus, while going through procedures and recovery, Brown Bird has been unable to tour, cutting off virtually all incoming revenue. Luckily, Brown Bird are a fairly successful and known band so they were able to start a YouCaring to help defer the costs. If you're a fan of Brown Bird, it's definitely worth checking out the video.

Unfortunately, health insurance is a political firestorm right now, so I will mention the video was put together with HeadCount.org and implores people to look into getting health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. I try to avoid politics on this blog, but I would hope health insurance can slide by just this once. If you'd prefer, you can go here to watch them perform "Thunder & Lightning" at the Newport Folk Fest.

First Listen: New Releases for February 11

Busiest new release week so far this year, so let's not waste any time.

††† - †††: ††† is a side project of Chino Moreno of the Deftones. I only realized this after finishing the album for the first time, and it explains quite a bit - the album would fit right in on mid-1990s alt-rock radio in a lot of regards, and it is ultimately an all-over-the-place nostalgia trip more than anything else. It's worth listening as a curiosity, for certain, but whether it has staying power for you might be based more on your love of the Deftones and/or the state of alt-rock when you were in high school/college.

Nina Persson - Animal Heart: Nina Persson is perhaps best known for her work as lead singer of The Cardigans, but this is her first solo album. Truly, this is an album that mirrors her work with A Camp more than it resembles anything you remember from The Cardigans, but that's not really a bad thing. There are some memorable tracks on here along with some slower-type songs that only kind of work. Overall, a decent album that deserves a look or two, but your enjoyment might be based more on your expectations than anything else.

Speedy Ortiz - Real Hair EP: If It's Too Loud favorites Speedy Ortiz offer a four track EP this week that, in my mind, include four of the best songs they've done yet. There's more immediacy here than most of their album, and "American Horror" is an instant favorite for me in particular. I'd actually call this a good entry point for the band if it was more representative of what they've done so far, but that's not a problem. Watching a new band continue to evolve like this is often a lot of fun, and this EP is a solid quick hit.

Cibo Matto - Hotel Valentine: After 15 years, Cibo Matto releases their third proper album. I always found Cibo Matto to be a bit of an acquired taste, and it's interesting to say that now when the new album largely fits in with a lot of the more popular indie acts and recent indie hits of the time. If you dig TuneYards or Fol Chen, this might actually work for you - Hotel Valentine is certainly more accessible than anything else they've done, and while I wouldn't call it necessarily better than Viva La Woman, for example, it's still a solid album from start to finish. Really enjoying this surprise of a release, it's definitely worth a listen for you.

Hurray for the Riff Raff - Small Town Heroes: Another If It's Too Loud favorite, Hurray for the Riff Raff, releases a new album this week, their first for a major label (in this case, the RCA subsidiary ATO Records, run by Dave Matthews). It's more polished than their previous efforts, with some more expansive sounds, and the band continues to explore all sorts of Americana sounds, and it all works. On first listen? Maybe my favorite album of theirs, even if a single song hasn't jumped out at me just yet, but in terms of entertaining, expansive folk/Americana music, you really can't go wrong with this. Especially with the Inside Llewyn Davis revival of sorts, Small Town Heroes really fits right in, and is absolutely deserving of a listen this week.

Band of Horses - Acoustic at the Ryman: I'm a sucker for acoustic albums. Not so much live albums, per se, but I love hearing bands that generally aren't acoustic rework their music in intentionally limiting ways. Band of Horses is best known for "The Funeral," I suppose, which was a quiet-loud-quiet-loudloudloud affair about a decade ago that I loved, but never felt they reached those heights again. They've since become much more popular, but a lot of their music has had the more quiet, perhaps folksy, aspects to it. Thus, Acoustic at the Ryman works well for Band of Horses in the sense that the more stripped-down sound feels very natural for a lot of the songs, and songs like "The Funeral" or "No One's Gonna Love You" don't lose their impact and instead sound like they might have worked this way in another universe. At the end of the day, there's not a ton here for people who aren't already fans, but as an interesting live album attempt, it basically succeeds. If you're a fan, absolutely put it on your list.

The Civil Wars - Between the Bars: There's not much new to say about The Civil Wars, who continue to release music while on some sort of hiatus. This EP collects some cover versions they've been doing in various forms for a while - "Sour Times" and "Billie Jean" are both great, "Between the Bars" a little plodding, and the cover of "Talking in Your Sleep" by The Romantics is actually an older song that was on an earlier EP (although it may be rerecorded). This may not be the new Civil Wars album we want, but it's a nice little bookend to their excellent album from last year.

The Casket Girls - True Love Kills the Fairy Tale: I honestly couldn't tell you what it was that drew me to this album. Probably the name of the group, which implies some sort of tongue-in-cheek metal outfit or something incredibly dark. Instead, what I'm hearing is a somewhat-lo-fi, dreamy indie pop that is kind of blowing my mind a bit. Every song is a winner, "Same Side" being both a highlight as an opening song but also pretty representative of the album on a whole. The closer, "The Chase," is just as solid as everything that came before it. I can't really compare it to anything specific, but this sort of music feels new to me, and this album is really a standout for me. Definitely the best thing I've heard this year so far, highly recommended.

Thumpers - Galore: Moving from The Casket Girls to Thumper is an exercise in how two similarly-positioned acts (indie, lo-fi-ish sounds, not doing anything especially unique) come across so differently. Thumpers is a British duo doing the sort of dancey indie pop that's become so popular over the last few years. It's not a bad album by any indications, but there's literally nothing here to separate it out from the dozens of times I've heard this before, and, frankly, Yeasayer does it a lot better anyway. I assume a few more listens will result in a few musical gems here and there, but in a week that is filled with a lot of interesting music, this one doesn't do anything to break through.

Temples - Sun Structures: So I had no original intention of listening to this one, given the album title and the Fat Possum release, but I read a review that noted that this British act was one of Noel Gallgher's new favorites, so why not, right? It turns out that Temples is a very capable throwback act that's making some really, really addictive psychedelic pop rock. We've had throwback acts come and go over the years, like The Coral or any number of Elephant 6 acts. This album in particular, though, scratches an itch I didn't know I had, even if it's slightly longer than it needs to be. If this sounds anything like what you'd want to hear, this is absolutely worth your time. Another stellar release this week.

Fanfarlo - Let's Go Extinct: My first experience with Fanfarlo was actually when their first album came out. It was also one of my first digital experiences, as the album was for sale initially for $1 and touted by Sigur Ros, so why not? The album was great, but the follow-up missed the mark for me. Let's Go Extinct is not what I'd call a return to form, but it is a solid, lively album that reminds me why I enjoyed the band to start. Plenty of poppy songs going around, "Landlocked" being a standout track in particular, and there's a little bit of experimentation to go along with it as well. Another solid release for this week, and definitely one that's going to stay on my radar for a while.



Also out this week:

* Neil Finn - Dizzy Heights
* Sun Kil Moon - Benji

First Two Acts Announced for Newport Folk Festival!

The Newport Folk Festival just does things differently. Last year they had a rolling line up announcement, where they took literally months to announce the full line up, band by band. There was a practical reason for this, since Newport is a non-profit and pays artists less than other festivals do, they can't always announce acts right away due to contractual reasons. For fans, this actually works out perfectly since you get to check out each band and get excited about ones you might have missed if it was all announced at once. You know, the way every other festival is.

This year, they've already announced the first two acts: Mavis Staples and Houndmouth. In any other circumstance, I hate gospel music, but in 2011 I decided to check out Mavis's set at Newport, solely for her connection to Jeff Tweedy. I assumed I'd hear a song or two, and then head over to the Fort Stage for the Decemberists. Instead I sat transfixed by one of the most powerful and beautiful voices I have ever heard. This year she's being promoted as "Mavis Staples & Friends," with her 75th birthday being celebrated throughout the weekend. Cue the Jeff Tweedy rumors...

I missed Houndmouth last year. They were on my initial list of "must see" bands, but your schedule always changes at Newport. Instead I opted for Kingsley Flood and Frank Turner. While I don't regret my decision, I'm thrilled they're making a return trip this year. For the last three years, Newport brings back a band that played the previous year. Houndmouth are joining a club that consists of David Wax Museum, Brown Bird, and Spirit Family Reunion. Not a bad group to be in.

For more information on the Newport Folk Festival, including tickets, head over to their website. 

First Listen: New Releases for February 4

A fairly interesting new release week this week.

Les Claypool's Duo De Twang - Four Foot Shack: All this album taught me is that I really don't care much for Primus, even when they're strange acoustic twangy renditions. The highlight for me was a fairly amusing take on the Bee Gees's "Stayin' Alive," but beyond that, this is really just for fans of Claypool and Primus and not much else.

The Haden Triplets - The Haden Triplets: The Haden Triplets are exactly who you think they are: Petra Haden (of That Dog and various a capella renditions), Rachel Haden (also of That Dog), and less famous sister Tanya Haden who has done cello work for various indie and alt-rock bands. The three got together and did a collective album of folk standards for Jack White's Third Man Records, and it's pretty solid. I'm a big fan of Petra Haden in particular, and this was fairly anticipated for me and largely delivers. If you enjoy a lot of good folk music, like hearing modern takes on the standards, etc, this is worth your time. A highlight of the week.

Marissa Nadler - July: Marissa Nadler has pretty significantly held down the fort on darker indie folk over the years, and July, while probably not her best album, is certainly the most cohesive. You tend to know what you're getting with Nadler, and there are no stumbles to speak of on July, just a solid experience from start to finish. It would benefit from a couple standout tracks, but nothing jumped out at me on first listen, unfortunately. Still a great effort.

Nicole Atkins - Slow Phaser: I first heard of Nicole Atkins when her previous album, Mondo Amore came out. It was a good, albeit not great, pop folk album similar in sound to Brandi Carlisle in a few ways. Slow Phaser pulls her closer to the pop area with more mixed results. Songs like "Girl You Look Amazing" are solid, but then you have some thematically strange songs toward the end that don't seem to fit much of any real sound. It's ultimately a mixed bag, but when it's on, it's absolutely on. Worth your time if you're a fan, worth your time if you're looking for something similar.

Sweetheart 2014: Starbucks occasionally puts out a covers compilation around Valentine's Day of love songs. The 2014 entry has a few standouts (most notably Vampire Weekend doing the operatic "Time to Say Goodbye" and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings covering "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours"), but is overall really exactly the corporate sterile monstrosity we come to expect from Starbucks. Honestly, it's good for a single listen to find the covers you find interesting, and then just file it away.





Also out this week:

* Broken Bells - After the Disco (seriously heartbroken that this isn't on Spotify yet)
* Amy Stroup - Tunnel

Check Out a Video for The Lemonheads "A Circle of One"

While we wait impatiently for the first sounds to emerge from the next Lemonheads album featuring Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Juliana Hatfield (aka the LH-Punk All-Stars) and produced by Ryan Adams, we can tide ourselves over with this brand new video for the Lick classic "A Circle of One." According to Ben Deily's Facebook page, this is the first of multiple videos to commemorate the reissue of the first three Lemonheads albums on Fire Records. 

In the video for "A Circle of One," you get to see footage of the band from '86-'89, mostly clowning around at home with friends. The "Art Truck" from the Creator tour is also featured, as well as a cameo from Husker Du's Grant Hart.

Keep an eye out for more videos. For more information on Evan Dando and the Lemonheads, head on over to the official Lemonheads webpage. To check out Ben Deily's current band Varsity Drag, check out his website. And finally, go to the Fire Records website for information on the reissues of the first three Lemonheads albums.

Lemonheads, "A Circle of One" (Official) 2014, w/re-mastered audio from Benjamin Deily on Vimeo.

Highlights from Amazon's February's mp3 Sale

Every month, Amazon.com puts up 100 albums for $5 each. Ones that may be of interest to readers:

* A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
* Waxahatchee - Cerulian Salt
* Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
* The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
* The Beastie Boys - Solid Gold Hits
* Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain In the Cloud
* Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See
* Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island
* They Might Be Giants - Flood
* Beck - Sea Change

First Listen: New Releases for January 28

A pretty significant new release week this week, so let's get right to it:

Eleni Mandell - Let's Fly a Kite: Eleni Mandell is a throwback in a lot of respects. Much of her music feels like old orchestrated folk music, and it's a nice change that not a ton of people are doing her way. I was a fan of I Can See The Future, and I might argue that Let's Fly a Kite is even better. It trades standout tracks for a consistent, high-quality listen throughout, and that works well for someone who makes music that has a specific sound and atmosphere. Definitely a highlight of this week for me, worth a listen for sure.

The Hidden Cameras - AGE: I confess to not really understanding The Hidden Cameras. Their breakout (as it were), Mississauga Goddam, had a few solid songs on it for me, but it ultimately didn't grab me on a whole. The new album, an 8 song full length, is along those lines of having a number of decent songs but lacking any sort of real staying power for me. Fans of the band will probably find quite a bit to love here, but as for me, it didn't really do it.

Peggy Sue - Choir of Echoes: A friend of mine turned me onto Peggy Sue a while back. They may have opened for either Wild Flag or Sleater-Kinney at the time, but regardless, Acrobats was an album that ended up in rotation for a bit. The new album that came out this week feels... well, orchestral isn't the right word, but maybe more choral? It's definitely got a feeling of being in some sort of hollow chamber or large room, and the entire sound of things is really impressive and different. It's unlike anything else I'm listening to currently, and if you're interested in expansive, challenging indie rock, this might be your thing.

The Autumn Defense - Fifth: I can't say I've been impressed with Wilco's output over the last decade or so, but I did trip up on The Autumn Defense sometime around when I was into Wilco, and I've kept up with them better than Wilco, for sure. Fifth is the new album, and it's more of what you'd expect from a Wilco-associated act - strong, bright, country-flavored indie rock songs with excellent songwriting and melodies. It's probably not going to blow your mind away, but it actually reminds me a lot of early Josh Rouse in a lot of ways. If this sounds at all interesting, you're going to love this album. I'm really into it on first listen, and I'm wondering if this one might leave a lasting impression.

Hospitality - Trouble: I originally got into Hospitality because their album sounded a lot like classic Belle & Sebastian. On their second effort, they don't really sound like Belle & Sebastian anymore, but what they do sound like is an indie band that's spreading their wings a bit and doing something different. It doesn't always work (some songs in particular feel like a chore, but it's made up for by some other really good songs like "Last Words"), but there's enough here to like that it's still worth a listen if you were into it to begin with.

Tara Jane O'Neil - Where Shine New Lights: I don't know what prompted me to flag this for a listen this week, but this is more of the sort of atmospheric electric folk that's become somewhat popular in some circles. O'Neil, who hasn't released an album in five years, does a solid job with this one. This isn't something I normally reach for, but there's often a time where this is exactly what I need, and this is very good. Quiet, ethereal, definitely a solid release.

Laura Cantrell - No Way There From Here: You'd never know it from the terrible, terrible album cover or the fact that we haven't gotten new original music from her in a long time, but, for my money, you can't really do better with modern alt-country/folk music than Laura Cantrell. I've loved everything she's ever put out, and that she had a new album out this week was a pleasant surprise for me. Is it her best? No. This is definitely a slower piece on a whole, but that doesn't mean it's bad at all. It's really high quality Americana from an underrated singer-songwriter. Definitely add this to your list.

Dum Dum Girls - Too True: I've been a fan of the Dum Dum Girls for a while, but this throwback album is not among my favorite stuff of theirs at this point. Their sound continues to evoke a lot of 1980s-style soundscapes, but it misses the mark a lot more than their previous releases did. While I'm impressed that they're still building on something, I just have to wonder whether it's that I'm too married to what they started doing or just don't love the direction right now. Still a good listen, but I can't help but feel like it's a step backwards on a whole.

DVD Review: The Stone Roses: Made of Stone

The reunion we never thought would happen is chronicled in The Stone Roses: Made of Stone. Director Shane Meadows (This is England) follows the band throughout the European leg of their tour, with backstage access, rehearsal footage, and more.

One thing this film is not is a career spanning look at the history of the Stone Roses. It starts out that way, and seems like it is going to keep bouncing from the past to the present and back. That ends very quickly after a lengthy interview with the band three weeks before their debut album was released. Aside from a brief five minute opening sequence at the very beginning of the film, that's really all the history you get. Meadows then focuses on the rehearsals and reunion shows. Another interesting way this film diverges from the traditional rock doc is by avoiding the "talking head" interview footage that virtually every other one uses. Pretty much the only interview footage is with fans and is shot on location outside of shows.

That's one thing that really wins me over with this documentary: The fans. You really get to see the fan excitement as the shows get closer, and the agony of not getting into one of the shows. Even if you've never gotten the Stone Roses, you can feel how much people absolutely love this band. Meadows just doesn't sit fans down in a studio and have them say how much they love the Stone Roses in a prepared statement. Instead he gets them just as they get tickets for the show, or don't get tickets.

And then there's the live footage. Made of Stone might have the best live concert footage I've ever seen. It's shot so brilliantly and beautifully, I'd be almost afraid to see them in person. (Almost). The crowd shots are some of my favorite, as you can feel the ecstasy their fans are experiencing seeing a band they never thought they'd see again, or would never get to see.

The Stone Roses: Made of Stone might not be the best introduction to the band, but for die hards, it's a must see. For more information, check out the film's official website. You can also purchase it on Amazon.

Cheap Music Alert!

With the Grammys over and done with, Google Play's music store has discounted a ton of stuff. Some free songs and cheap albums are available here, and there are highlights:

* Lorde - Pure Heroine ($1.99)
* Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer, Different Park ($1.99)
* O Brother, Where Art Thou ($1.99)
* Kanye West - The College Dropout ($1.99)
* Jay-Z - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life ($1.99)
* Bon Iver - Bon Iver ($1.99)