New Multitudes

New Multitudes comes to us as an interpretation of the work of icon and musical legend Woody Guthrie. Jay Farrar (Son Volt), Will Johnson (Centro-matic), Anders Parker (Varnaline), and Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket) come together to present 23 sets of previously-unrecorded Guthrie lyrics. The album, though possibly billed as a tribute, feels like so much more. It seems, in this day and age, the sure embodiment of all the emotions Woody conveyed through his words. It is excellent, if only for its ability to capture these emotions. The men's voices blend beautifully, and the subtle layering added to many of the stripped down guitar ballads works tremendously well. Listen now!

Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker & Yim Yames--"Hoping Machine"

Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker & Yim Yames--"Talking Empty Bed Blues"

The Shins - "Bait and Switch"

The Shins have released another video from their upcoming album, Port of Morrow, due out March 20th. The video, for "Bait and Switch," shows the band rehearsing in a Portland log-cabin. Enjoy!

Bowerbirds - The Clearing

Is it too early in the year to nominate an album for my Best of the Year list? Bowerbirds certainly don't think so. With their previous albums, Upper Air and Hymns for a Dark Horse, I was made a fan and it was clear that the group had a huge amount of potential. The Clearing, however, realizes every last bit of that potential. The folk group from North Carolina skyrockets past their previous efforts, and, I think, makes the best album they possibly could have. 

From the first track, I knew things were different. The melodies of "Tuck The Darkness In" have been wandering around my head for weeks and the beautiful instrumentation reveals further subtleties with every listen. The song builds and builds, showing that when the group gets loud, their whole effect is more powerful. The second single, "In The Yard," surprises yet again, with soaring fuzzy guitar lines and yet another catchy melody. 

I could go on and on like this about every single track, but this piece of folk genius is best experienced firsthand. Not a single track stood out as being weak, although "Walk The Furrows" and "Now We Hurry On" were additional highlights. 

With The Clearing, Bowerbirds expand their sound, from almost exclusively slow acoustic ballads, to fuller arrangements with distorted guitars, more present drums, and strings. The vocals are stronger, less hushed, and more powerful. This album is everything Bowerbirds should be. 

Enjoy the video below of the Philip Moore and Beth Tacular discussing the making of the album. 

Bowerbirds-"Tuck The Darkness In"

Bowerbirds-"Walk The Furrows"

James Egbert

I am a big fan of electronic music. But I often get tired of the countless number of producers that don't do anything new with the art. I tend to gravitate to towards the artists that expand the scope of the genre, artists like Pretty Lights, Big Gigantic, or Skrillex. That is why I took a liking to James Egbert. After first hearing his Blackhawk EP, I was shocked to find that the young producer had not garnered much attention yet. His four-song EP combines strong melodic components with heavy drops, and dubstep sounds that I have yet to hear anywhere else. The songs are available for free download below. Keep an eye on this guy. He's gonna be big. Enjoy!

Plants and Animals - The End Of That

Canadian rockers Plants and Animals are back with their third full length, The End Of That. With this effort, the group solidly continues along their modern, classic rock path, not straying too far away from their roots. The first track, "Before," showcases the group's soft side, while hard-hitters like "Why & Why" and "Control Me," show the fellows loosening up a bit. The lead single, "Lightshow," is clearly the standout track, bringing all the trio's sounds together. The rest of the album, especially "2010," a seemingly very forced song about the end of the year, stumbles. Propelled by the strong single, the album is worth a listen, but "Lightshow," and the great music video for it, provide the listener with the best four minutes of the disc. Unfortunately, this does not seem like a step forward for the group, yet it is unlikely to drive any fans away. The End Of That isn't actually the end of anything. It is simply a sidestep. 

Plants and Animals-"Why & Why"

C2C

Between the years of 2003 and 2006, C2C, a group of French DJs reigned supreme by winning the DMC World Team DJ Championship four years in a row. Years later, the quartet has reappeared with their first attempt at producing original music, the Down The Road EP. The EP is one of the most exciting debuts of electronic music I have ever heard. The five tracks all showcase different aspects of their songwriting and feature soul samples, infectious beats, and good old record scratches. The title track, "Down The Road," has been on repeat in my headphones for a solid week now, and I personally challenge any reader of this to listen it without wanting to dance. It is impossible! They even scratch up a harmonica solo! Enjoy the track and take a look at their creative and visually spectacular music video for "F.U.Y.A." below.

C2C-"Down The Road"

Download A Free Andrew Bird Sampler

Andrew Bird has released a free four song EP that you can download via NoiseTrade. The EP features "Eyeoneye," the lead single from Bird's upcoming release, Break It Yourself, available March 6th. It also includes "The Crown Salesman" and "So Much Wine," tracks from a recently released seven-inch, and "After Dinner Jam," a track that didn't quite make the album. Download the EP for free below, and enjoy!

Yellow Ostrich - "The Shakedown"

Yellow Ostrich will be releasing their long-awaited (at least by me!) sophomore album, Strange Land, on March 6th. From what we have heard so far, like "Marathon Runner," the new album is much more fleshed out than their debut release, The Mistress. The latest track to surface is "The Shakedown," a very guitar-focused track that shows off the group's ability to let loose and rock a bit. Take a listen and check out their upcoming tour dates below!

Yellow Ostrich-"The Shakedown"

Robin Pecknold - "Olivia, In A Separate Bed"

Robin Pecknold, the driving force behind Fleet Foxes, has released a new demo, "Olivia, In A Separate Bed". The tune is a hushed, acoustic ballad that narrates a painfully fresh breakup. Quite a sad song, but as per usual with Pecknold, quite beautiful as well.

Good Old War - "Can't Go Home"

Philadelphia folk trio Good Old War will release their upcoming album, Come Back As Rain, on March 6th. Until then, we have the pleasure of hearing a few great sunny singles! "Can't Go Home" is filled with beautiful simple harmonies, and "Calling Me Names" is made for a concert singalong. To support the album, the group is embarking on a very extensive Spring tour with The Belle Brigade and Family of the Year.

Good Old War-"Can't Go Home"

Good Old War-"Calling Me Names"

Dub Fx

Dub Fx is not your average street performer. The Australian beatboxer/singer does not perform with any instruments, instead making his entire songs with only his voice. By running his voice through an effects pedal and a looping station, he is able to make beautiful hip-hop/reggae tracks that are much fuller than one would imagine.

A few years ago, after I saw a YouTube video (below) of Dub Fx performing one of his tracks, "Made," on the street, I became captivated by this extremely driven, and now hugely popular busker. The other day, I stumbled upon another video (below) that gave a very informative introduction to the mysterious artist. His socially concerned tracks on his debut album, Everythinks A Ripple, blend heavy bass with reggae beats and introspective raps, all done with his voice of course. Check him out!

Dub Fx-"The Rain Is Gone"

Recent Recommended Releases - 2-21-2012

Damien Jurado - Maraqopa
Damien Jurado-"Working Titles"

James Vincent McMorrow - We Don't Eat EP

James Vincent McMorrow-"We Don't Eat"

Sleigh Bells - Reign Of Terror

Julia Stone - Let's Forget All The Things That We Say - EP

M. Ward - "Primitive Girl"

M. Ward is set to release his upcoming solo album, A Wasteland Companion, on April 10th. We get to hear another track from that disc, titled "Primitive Girl". After a few years of playing with groups like Monsters of Folk and She & Him, he is back to working on solo material, and it sounds like he definitely remembers how. Check out the video for the first single, "The First Time I Ran Away," below.

Hey Marseilles

Hey Marseilles, a seven-piece group from Seattle, WA, blends folk music with orchestral and French influences to produce something soothing and beautiful. With a sound that brings to mind wide open spaces and long journeys, the self-proclaimed "folkestral" group has struck gold with their debut 2010 album, To Travels & Trunks. The acoustic "Someone to Love" brings to mind Death Cab For Cutie, while the title track evokes more comparisons to Of Monsters & Men, or a French-tinged The Head and the Heart. Not a single track is weak, and the first and last tracks act as perfect bookends to the journey that is To Travels & Trunks. Check out a great Look Session of the group performing their new single, "Elegy" below. Also below are their tour dates for SXSW and Sasquatch! Check them out!

Hey Marseilles-"To Travels & Trunks"

Hey Marseilles-"Someone To Love"

Hey Marseilles-"Cigarettes"

Alabama Shakes Announce Spring Tour

Alabama Shakes have announced a lengthy Spring tour, leading up to their festival appearances at Sasquatch, Hangout, and Bonnaroo. Their upcoming album, Boys & Girls, will be released midway through the nation-wide trek on April 10th. Below, enter your email address to get a free download of the group's bonus track, "Heavy Chevy". Enjoy! Check out the tour dates below!

Brother Ali - The Bite Marked Heart EP

Minneapolis Rhymesayers rapper Brother Ali has just dropped a new 7-song EP, titled The Bite Marked Heart! The EP, just in time for Valentine's Day, is available for free download! If you're a fan of his labelmates Atmosphere or Grieves, you'll enjoy this!

The Decemberists - "One Engine"

The upcoming soundtrack for The Hunger Games features quite a variety of artists, from Kid Cudi to Taylor Swift. While the soundtrack isn't released until March 20th, one track from The Decemberists has surfaced! Check out their song, "One Engine" below!

The Decemberists-"One Engine"

The Lumineers

After first hearing The Lumineers, I noticed that they had seemed to go back in time. The voice of Wesley Schultz sounds as if it comes from another era, a simpler time. The three-piece from Colorado has been making waves with their frolicking, fun, folk rock jams, full of frantic fingerpicking and male-female vocal harmonies. They recently got some attention when their song "Ho Hey" was featured in the TV show Hart of Dixie. They will be releasing their self-titled debut album on April 3rd, and I cannot wait. Luckily, to hold us off until then, they recorded a Daytrotter session a few months ago and they sound amazing live. They have also finished shooting their music video for "Ho Hey" and it will be released soon! They are also going on tour very soon to support the album, and I have a very good feeling that they will be quite fun to see live. Take a listen and enjoy!

The Lumineers-"Ho Hey"

The Lumineers-"The Dead Sea"

New Bowerbirds Song: "In The Yard"

Bowerbirds, whose album The Clearing will be released March 6th, have given us another peek onto the disc. "In The Yard," the second track on the album shows more distortion than the North Carolina group is used to, and it makes it all the better. Listen to "Tuck The Darkness In," the first single from the album here. Also, check out their recently announced tour dates below!

Bowerbirds-"In The Yard"

Take Care - Somewhere Safe

         After carefully honing their sound, and launching an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign to fund recording, Take Care has finally released their debut album, Somewhere Safe. The Boston-based group, led by brothers Kyle and Dan Joseph, has crafted an album that has kept me coming back and listening again and again. On the album, the brothers find a sound that, while combining many familiar elements, succeeds in forging new ground. Jazzy interludes lead into catchy pop hooks and soaring synths with superb percussion throughout.
         While overall a fairly poppy set of songs, each track reminds you not to jump to conclusions too quickly, and keeps you guessing the whole time. A song that reminded me of a happier version of The Strokes, was followed by a track with Bon Iver-like vocal harmonies. The group displays a wide variety of styles, each one better than the last. This album falls perfectly between its influences and something brand new. It ends up showing obvious influence from a broad selection of sounds while maintaining strong originality. It is not very often that a group comes along with a sound that you can truly call new. Take Care is one of those groups. Take a listen and enjoy!

Buy Somewhere Safe on iTunes

Take Care-"Lockjaw"

Take Care-"Orphan"