Song for today, verse for today.

I've never really mixed other forms of art with this blog, but I think it might be time for it.  If you're in the Philly area, is a little chilly, kinda rainy, kinda cloudy, and I think this song is conducive to calm minds without putting you to sleep.  It's off of Woods' most recent album, At Echo Lake.  Enjoy:



Now, for the other part.  I was reading some work from one of my favorite poets, Tony Hoagland, who I actually had the pleasure of workshopping with about a year and a half ago.  I never read this before today, but I think it's brilliant and fits right in with "Blood Dries Darker" and all of our longing for summer days.  Again, enjoy:

“Jet”


by Tony Hoagland



Sometimes I wish I were still out

on the back porch, drinking jet fuel

with the boys, getting louder and louder

as the empty cans drop out of our paws

like booster rockets falling back to Earth



and we soar up into the summer stars.

Summer. The big sky river rushes overhead,

bearing asteroids and mist, blind fish

and old space suits with skeletons inside.

On Earth, men celebrate their hairiness,



and it is good, a way of letting life

out of the box, uncapping the bottle

to let the effervescence gush

through the narrow, usually constricted neck.



And now the crickets plug in their appliances

in unison, and then the fireflies flash

dots and dashes in the grass, like punctuation

for the labyrinthine, untrue tales of sex

someone is telling in the dark, though



no one really hears. We gaze into the night

as if remembering the bright unbroken planet

we once came from,

to which we will never

be permitted to return.

We are amazed how hurt we are.

We would give anything for what we have.

New Panda Bear tracks: "The Preakness" and "Surfers Hymn" (Actress Primitive Pattern Remix).

(image from Keep's Tumblr)

Gorilla vs. Bear posted a stream of a new Panda Bear track, "The Preakness" on their website/Soundcloud.  It's a beautiful little song he did for Keep Shoes that's part of Keep and Animal Collective's teaming up to sell shoes for charity.  The second one is a b-side off of the "Surfers Hymn" single set to be released today.  Check out the tracks here: "Surfers Hymn" and "The Preakness".  Enjoy!

James Blake show moved to First Unitarian Church.

The craaaaaazy hyped James Blake sold out Johnny Brenda's in no time, so it's been moved the bigger First Unitarian Church.  If you got your tickets for the JB's show, you're get in, and if you don't have tickets you can go get em over at r5productions.com this Saturday.

(via swollenfox.com)

Shameless plug: Ideals.

Welcome to my new section, shameless plug, where I shamelessly post things to help promote projects my friends do.  Okay, here we go...

I had the opportunity last winter/spring to live in London and meet a ton of really good people who I miss dearly and daily.  Along the way, I met Ben.  Ben plays drums in a London based indie group called Ideals.  Here's one of their videos you should watch, post, and bring up in casual conversation... casually.

In all seriousness though, they're talented kids and they happen to be going on tour throughout England soon. 

 

Stream new Peter, Bjorn, and John album, "Gimme Some".

Ah Peter, Bjorn, and John,  I remember being in high school and listening to Writer's Block over and over and over again.  PB and J (haha) had a sophomore effort which I wasn't too crazy about, but I think this third one sounds really good.  It reminds me of Writer's Block, but doesn't seem like an album of Writer's Block b-sides, if you know what I'm saying.  NPR have the whole thing for you for a free stream on their "First Listen" section.  Lots of fun songs on here.  "Eyes" instrumental parts sound a lot like "Boys Don't Cry" by The Cure which is kinda funny.  Can't wait to play this in the summer time.

Tunes for today: Those Darlins (100th post!)

100 posts!  That's a milestone of something, right?  Well I recently got my hands on the new Those Darlins album Screws Get Lose and I'm hooked.  Wanted to give y'all some suggested listening to get ready for it when it comes out.  The first one's the single off the new one, the next few after the jump are oldies from a live session in Tennessee which rule.

New Fleet Foxes, "Battery Kinzie".

In what is presumably the second single off the upcoming Fleet Foxes album, Helplessness Blues.  I absolutely can't wait.


Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie by One Thirty BPM

Stream new Strokes, "Angels".

Some Kind of Awesome strikes again with another free streaming album, this one from the Strokes.  Check it out here.

Listen to J Mascis album "Several Shades of Why".

J Mascis - Several Shades of Why by subpop

Found this on Some Kind of Awesome.  Figured it's appropriate with J Mascis coming to the World Cafe on the 23rd with Kurt Vile.  Get ready.

The Mantles record Daytrotter session.

This post is a bit late, but better late than never.  The Mantles recorded one of better Daytrotter sessions I've heard in awhile.  Check it out here.

Woods announce new album, "Sun and Shade".

Woods has been one of my most played bands since Songs of Shame came out.  Hell, I listened to it today.  Well they've announced a new album via their Facebook page, Sun and Shade, that is scheduled to come out June 14th on their label Woodsist.  The album (above) is looking pretty sick if you ask me.

Here's the video for "To Clean" from Songs of Shame.

Fleet Foxes + Grizzly Bear, 3 songs.

How strange/incredible!  Front man of Fleet Foxes Robin Pecknold and Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear recently collaborated, recorded a few songs, then posted the songs for free on the Fleet Foxes Twitter account.  Amazing.  Here's the link to the songs.

New Sweet Lights, "The Ballad of Kurt Vile #2".

Nice little track from dreamy Philly group Sweet Lights.  You can get it for free here.

Show review: Dum Dum Girls @ Johnny Brenda's

Here's a link to my recent review of the Dum Dum Girls show at Johnny Brenda's. Bunch of pics and setlist after the jump...

New White Denim song, "Drug".

Definitely one of my favorite bands of the past few years. This one's off the upcoming album, D:

White Denim - Drug: "White Denim - Drug"

New Strokes music video, "Under the Cover of Darkness".

The first Strokes music video for the first time in years. I have to say, I'm cautiously anticipating this album. Of course, I'm going to try to give it its fair due as the Strokes were very important to my development as a young music fan when Is This It? came out. Here's the video:

Okkervil River and Titus Andronicus tour.

Courtesy of Philly blog "The Swollen Fox" we've got some dates for an upcoming Okkervil River tour (with a Philly date in there). In related/awesome news, Titus Andronicus will be opening every show along the way. Not much to complain about there. Spring must be upon us as we start to notice more and more awesome shows popping up.

Okkervil River with Titus Andronicus 2011 tour dates
05/31 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse #
06/01 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle #
06/02 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
06/03 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero Theatre #
06/04 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place #
06/07 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 #
06/08 – Boston, MA – Royale #
06/09 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom #
06/10 – Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix Concert Theatre #
06/11 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall #
06/12 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue #
06/14 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
06/15 – Denver, CO – The Bluebird Theater
06/16 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
06/17 – Boise, ID – Egyptian Theatre
06/18 – Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
06/20 – Vancouver, British Columbia – The Vogue Theatre &
06/21 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom &
06/22 – San Francisco, CA – The Fox Theater &
06/23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern $
06/24 – San Diego, CA – The Belly Up Tavern $
06/25 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre $
06/28 – Lubbock, TX – Jake’s $

# with Future Islands
& with Julianna Barwick
$ with NewVillager