Round-Up

As I've been MIA for a month or so, here's a round-up of some choice free downloads I've been enjoying:

NINA NASTASIA - You're A Holy Man

http://www.clashmusic.com/feature/nina-nastasia-album-preview

65 DAYS OF STATIC - Crash Tactics

http://soundcloud.com/sainted-pr/65-days-of-static-crash-tactics

ROLO TOMASSI - Party Wounds

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Rolo_Tomassi/track/Party_Wounds_Produced_by_Diplo

WILDBIRDS & PEACEDRUMS - Fight For Me

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Wildbirds__Peacedrums/track/Fight_For_Me

SONS OF LEE MARVIN - Road To Audrey

http://www.box.net/shared/41rr9ycq02

VESSELS - An Idle Brain And The Devil's Workshop (Errors Remix)

http://soundcloud.com/cuckundoo/errors-remix-2010

QUACK QUACK - D Motherfucker D

http://soundcloud.com/cuckundoo/quack-quack-d

GOLDHEART ASSEMBLY - Jesus Wheel

http://media.nme.com.edgesuite.net/audio/2010/feb/07%20Jesus%20Wheel.m4a

TIGERS THAT TALKED - Bracelet

http://www.tigersthattalked.co.uk/wp-content/downloads/Bracelet.mp3

THREE TRAPPED TIGERS - 11 (Edit)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/26p7iq

and finally....

THE NATIONAL - Bloodbuzz Ohio

http://downloads.pitchforkmedia.com/The%20National%20-%20Bloodbuzz%20Ohio.mp3"

Soundtrack to this post: Fulham-Wolfsburg, Real Fur, Tony Castles

The Take Away Show

LA BLOGOTHEQUE is one of the most awesome websites on the net, I wish more of it was in English, though I also like the fact that it's so French. La Blogotheque is a French Drowned In Sound / Pitchfork, but less magazine based I guess, and closer to a... blog. Which means it has cool features on cool bands, with less concern over how topical it is

The really amazing thing about La Blogotheque is THE TAKE AWAY SHOWs. These are films of bands kind of busking, but really well thought out. The really special ones are often directed by Vincent Moon, who recently did short films to accompany the National and Mogwai albums. These can turn out really special, here are some of my favourites:

Here they take Fleet Foxes to a disused University in the Grand Palais, for maximum echo effect on the acoustic stylyings. Below is The National, and then Bon Iver

Soundtrack to this post: Stars

Mr November

Obama wins and the whole world breaths a sigh of relief.

Dizzee Rascal says the result was down to hip hop, but not lets forget a certain brand of indie

The National - Mr November 

Dizzee Rascal on Newsnight

Soundtrack to this post: Gilmore Girls

On The Radio

On Sunday night I did an hour broadcast for East Leeds FM which was loads of fun being indulgent talking about myself and my favourite records. Here's some tunes I picked:

Thin Lizzy - Vagabond Of The Western World

Get Well Soon - Prelude

The National - Mr November

Jonquil - Lions

International Trust - Let's Have A Dance

Mi Mye - The Last

Oh No! Oh My! - Wham Bam Thank You Spaceman

Gemma Hayes (feat. Kevin Shields) - Out Of Our Hands

First Aid Kit - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

Lift To Experience - Waiting To Hit

NERD (feat. Julian Casablancas & Santogold) - My Drive Thru

Neutral Milk Hotel - Holland 1945

Wilco - Ashes Of An American Flag

Soundtrack to this post: Gregor Samsa / Final Fantasy

The Decemberists + Me

I got back from Luxembourg this weekend to find my dad had burnt me copies of the new Colin Meloy Sings Live! album and the first two Decemberists albums - Castaways & Cutouts and Her Majesty. Which was a nice surprise, and was just what I wanted

Everyone around me became a fan of The Crane Wife on it's release last year, but I only thought it was 'alright.' My Dad quickly became a big fan of all things Meloy and it wasn't long before I heard Picaresque ( their last independent album) and I too got pretty obsessed. We were out the other day and talking about the new Meloy live album, which prompted the lend.

There was also a great article with Meloy in The Guardian, describing the process he goes through to write songs, check that out HERE

So I'm on tour with Forward, Russia now, so that's why there's even less posts. Will try and be back soon though

Soundtrack to this post: The National - Alligator

The Armada

I meant to put this before without being really self important and so on. My pop group has an album coming out in April - we recorded it in June / July / August last year in Seattle so it's been a bit of a wait. 

It's all go now at the minute. We're doing photo / video and more promo, and we also have new tracks on our our myspace and a free track to give away called 'Spanish Triangles' It's the album closer and it was a joy to layer guitar, rhodes and hammond all over the ending. I think I did it last and just let rip

LINK TO MP3---> ¡Forward, Russia! - Spanish Triangles

MYSPACE---> ¡Forward, Russia! - Breaking Standing / We Are Grey Matter

Soundtrack to this post: The National, helping me reminisce about Seattle (we saw them there)