Hey hipsters! Finally a good reason to download some songs for Rock Band. Next week’s DLC will feature two songs by The New Pornographers. The songs are:
- “All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth”
- “Use It”
Hey hipsters! Finally a good reason to download some songs for Rock Band. Next week’s DLC will feature two songs by The New Pornographers. The songs are:
The Polls are closed. Thanks for voting. Come back Monday, December 24th to see who wins!
I hope everyone in the United States had a wonderful Thanksgiving. For those of you who don’t celebrate the holiday, don’t worry. I ate enough to cover you!
If you have yet to vote in the Cale Awards, please do so. I need you. You complete me. Also, next week is the last full week of normal things around here. Starting December 1st, we’ll begin counting down the Top 31 Songs and Albums of 2007 every day for the whole month! I say “we” because a new writer will graciously be lending her talents to Audio Overflow soon. Her name is Jill, and hopefully she’ll be able to bring some new insights and opinions to the site. I would say “welcome her,” but you folks never leave comments anyways.
Look forward to a huge, monumental review next week and your normal features. The Top 31 Countdown begins a week from today!
It’s Black Friday, folks! That means one of two things: 1.) you’re an idiot and you’re probably standing in long lines freezing your extremities off, or 2.) you’re a rational human being and you decided to be more productive with your time (that includes sleeping in). Me? I’m at work. And if I’m at work on a Friday, that can only mean that it’s time for another Top 5 Friday! Staying with the spirit of Black Friday, today’s list is the Top 5 Albums Under $10 on Amazon.com. If you have a hipster on your holiday shopping list, you may want to perk up for a few minutes. These are some albums that I highly recommend!
#5: The Pipettes: We Are the Pipettes ($9.98
) – If the hipster on your list is a 16-year old girl, or a horny 14-year old boy, you can’t go wrong with The Pipettes. Of course, they could also just be a fan of Motown and classic pop music. Whatever profile your hipster fits, The Pipettes are sure to please. These 3 British beauties will sing their way into that part of your mind where songs go to become annoyingly catchy. You know, the place where you can’t get them out of your head even if you try. It’s kind of a good thing, unless you’re trying to fall asleep. Then you want nothing more than to take the CD and stick it in the microwave…which is also cool!
#4: The New Pornographers: Challengers ($9.97) – In terms of musicianship, lyricism, and overall likability; no one outdoes The New Pornographers. Their newest album, Challengers, may not be as immediately enthralling as their previous albums, but it is just as amazing! Neko Case and A.C. Newman will pull at your heartstrings with their back-and-forth vocals while Dan Bejar provides more WTF-inducing moments than any other artist in recent memory. The rest of the band ain’t too shabby either. While the drumming (or music in general) isn’t near as forceful as it was on Twin Cinema, each member of this band plays their part to perfection. The end result is a fantastic assortment of indie rock and power pop that anybody will enjoy!
#3: Of Montreal: Satanic Panic in the Attic ($9.97) – I’m well aware of the fact that most Of Montreal “fans” have yet to listen to any of the band’s pre-Sunlandic Twins albums. Idiots! Satanic Panic in the Attic is not only the best album in Of Montreal’s expansive catalog (arguably), but it’s one of the best indie pop/rock records of the last decade! The band only flirts with electronics here, as opposed to the hot and heavy make-out sessions found on their previous two albums. “Disconnect the Dots” is a clear segue to their new sound, but the rest of the album is a masterpiece of indie rock. Songs range from bizarre sing-alongs (“Rapture Rapes the Muses”) to guitar-heavy retro rockers (“Vegan in Furs”). The bottom line is, buy it!
#2: LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver ($7.99) – It’s nominated for a few Cale Awards for a reason folks. And while it may be a bit behind the competition at this point, LCD Soundsystem’s second album was one of 2007’s biggest and best surprises. James Murphy not only refined his sound, but he improved upon it, giving us all something that we can dance to without feeling like a mindless clubber. It’s smart, witty, sometimes insightful, but always enjoyable, and something that anybody with a penchant for dancing will enjoy! Plus, it’s only $8.
#1: Band of Horses: Cease to Begin ($8.99) – One of 2007’s best indie rock albums is also one of the cheapest! People may have given it a hard time for sounding exactly like their last album, but I’ve never heard that one, so I’m still loving the hell out of Cease to Begin. The great thing about this one is that anyone can enjoy it. It’s been out for over a month, and I have yet to talk to someone who outright hates it. Even my dad likes it! Usually he’s morally opposed to anything that doesn’t have the name “Jesus” in the title. Not so with Band of Horses. If you’ve got someone on your list that listens to real music (not Britney Spears or Nickelback), you can’t go wrong with this one. Guaranteed!
This week, I’ve decided to group news by category. Maybe I’ll do it this way from now on. Who knows?
General
Photos
Tour Dates
nerdXcore
Meh, I don’t like it.
The New Pornographers – “Challengers” from the album Challengers.
For the most part, there are a lot of awesome artists that I need to see live; Radiohead, The Decemberists, Joanna Newsom, Bright Eyes, you know, stuff like that. That’s the biggest problem with living in Houston (aside from, say, the traffic), even though it’s the 4th largest city in the nation, it’s a crap music city! As such, a lot of the better indie acts avoid it like the plague. It’s not all doom and gloom though. I can still get out there and see a show and enjoy myself, and then go on to make a list based on my experience. That’s why I’m bringing this list to you today. Please enjoy the Top 5 Live Acts I’ve Ever Seen!
Technically, Spoon was the headliner last night. They played last, played more songs than any of the other acts, and even did an encore. But if you ask me, The New Pornographers stole the show last night. Of course, if you were to ask me who I showed up to see, I wouldn’t tell you I was there to see Spoon. Hell, I don’t even like Spoon that much. But November 1, 2007 was a great night even if The New Pornographers weren’t the headliners.
The evening began with the real opening act, Emma Pollock. This Scottish singer used to front the band Delgados, but she has since become a rather decent solo artist. This was my first time hearing her material, and I have to admit that I was very impressed with what I heard. She has a thick Scottish accent when in conversation, but it doesn’t come through at all when she’s singing (and her voice is just great!). Her new album is entitled Watch the Fireworks, and is available now. Last night was also her first encounter with Shiner Bock, and in her words, “It gets a thumbs up from me and the guy in the front row.” Good for her!
After about 25 minutes of waiting, The New Pornographers hit the stage (yay!). They opened with “All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth,” a perfect selection. The band played with such energy, that it was absolutely impossible to not get into it. Carl Newman and Neko Case sounded absolutely perfect together, and Katheryn Caler held her own with equally impressive vocals.
I was surprised to see every member of the band there, since the word on the street is that they don’t often all tour together. Dan Bejar even made an appearance, though he only came on stage for the songs in which he lends his vocals (“Myriad Harbor,” “Jackie Dressed In Cobras,” and “Spirit of Giving”). On that note, I was really surprised to find that the song that moved me the most was not “Challengers” but “Spirit of Giving.” Say what you want about Bejar’s voice and style, but he totally nailed the song, and hearing Neko, Carl, and Katheryn singing harmony to Bejar’s voice was absolutely breathtaking! All but two of the band’s songs were from Twin Cinema or Challengers, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
And then I was ready to go. But alas, I was right against the stage and there was a sea of people behind me. Plus, I kinda wanted to hear a few of the better Spoon songs. So I stuck it out. I’m proud of me.
The band played with a lot of energy and Britt Daniel’s voice is just as perfect as it is on the band’s albums. The band was kind enough to set up a keyboard directly in front of me, really obstructing my view and ruining my chances of getting some decent pictures. My favorite song of the night was “Don’t Make Me a Target,” as the band just completely let loose. At one point Britt was screaming into the mic, “No don’t make me a target!” and I was just blown away by how effective it was.
The show was not without it’s share of surprises, however. “The Ghost of You Lingers” was surprisingly cool despite the fact that it’s a terrible song in a non-live setting. All of the cool effects that are all over the song sounded 5x as cool live. At one point, a thumping, vibrating bass crescendoed and shook the entire building. It was awesome. Also awesome and unexpected was Dan Bejar joining the band to sing one of his songs. Britt requested that someone put a video of it on YouTube so that he could watch it today, but I haven’t found it yet. Keep an eye out for it though, because it was a sweet surprise.
Overall, it was a fantastic night. Emma Pollock was terrific, The New Pornographers were everything I would hope they would be, and Spoon was surprisingly entertaining for most of their set. If you happen to be in the Dallas area tonight, you better have tickets, as it’s the only other time these two huge bands will be together (possibly ev0rz!). For more pictures from this show (I believe I have around 80). Check back a little later and I’ll post a link to where you can get some full sized pictures. Peace out!