Glasgow’s Frightened Rabbit have a new record coming out on April 1 called The Midnight Organ Fight. After hearing the two songs they have on their myspace that will be on it and taking into account how good Sing the Greys is, I have to say that this is probably my most anticipated release of the year so far (even moreso than the new Silver Mt Zion album was).

http://www.goexplosions.blogspot.com/

Okkervil River – Golden Opportunities Mixtape

A Christmas gift from Okkervil River to their fans. These songs were recorded live on tour, 2006-2007.

Here’s the track list:

01 April Anne (John Phillips)
02 Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear (Randy Newman)
03 I Want to Know (Charles F. Olsen/Ed Sanders)
04 Do What You Gotta Do (Jimmy Webb)
05 I Can Here to Say I’m Going Away (Serge Gainsbourg)
06 The Blonde in the Bleachers (Joni Mitchell)
07 Antarctica Starts Here (John Cale)
08 Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas (Will Sheff)
09 Solo (Sandy Denny)

Things I learned:

1] Blockhead is a less-cool Girl Talk. The addition of DJ Skinhead was cool, but it kind of made the music sound sloppy.
2] People smoke marijuana when listening to Aesop Rock and Blockhead more than they do when listening to Black Moth Super Rainbow and I’m not sure why.
3] Marijuana has a very very strong smell when you’re less than a foot away from people doing it (to the left of you and behind you]. It also makes you smell like marijuana, which is not fun when you have to walk by the six billion cops in Orlando. I’m not sure if I like the smell or not. It wasn’t a good smell, but it’s one of those things that’s weird enough to sniff.
4] Downtown Orlando night life is more busy than downtown Orlando day life. It’s insane how many people were going to clubs and it’s insane how many clubs there were!
5] Large cities make me very sad.
6] Playing crazy 80s videos (which Black Moth did when they were up] is actually very neat. Also, playing a Richard Simmons video to the opening song is a very weird but very neat idea.
7] Aesop Rock was way over-hyped.
8] When an Orlando show says doors open at 8 and you’re late, don’t freak out… The show won’t start for another 2 hours. I had the most frustrating night finding the place and then finding a parking spot. It was terrible and I thought I would be late (I finally got in line at around 9:15].
9] The bassist has a very awesome beard (causing me to have major beard envy]. He was also an incredibly nice guy when I talked to him.
10] The keyboardist girl was insanely friendly too.
11] The drummer’s skills really show on their live show. She was insanely talented and was basically flawless.
13] Aesop Rock fans were quite weird. 1/2 of them were normal, cool black dudes while the other half was pretty much very nerdy white guys. Apparently a lot of mall goth-looking people like Aesop Rock too.
14] Not many people seemed to know who Black Moth Super Rainbow was. That surprised me.
15] I hate downtown Orlando.
16] The number twelve is overrated.

 Lil Wayne – Da Drought Is Over 4

One of the more recent mixtapes by Lil Wayne, Da Drought Is Over 4, is up on datpiff. Looking through the crazy, hard-to-read comments about the mixtape, my favorite has to be this: “ask them hoes.” I’m not sure how it’s really relevant, but yeah, it’s full of win.

Too many mixtapes though (they seem to get older a little faster for some reason). I’m still anticipating the collab album with Juelz Santana, I Can’t Feel My Face.

Coming tomorrow/late tonight: my opinions on the Black Moth Super Rainbow / Aesop Rock / Blockhead show that is tonight.

!~

Menomena – Wet And Rusting

In the next couple months, you’ll be seeing a ton of top albums of 2007 lists. Well, this band’s 2007 album, Friend and Foe, which was released back in January, has been on the top of my list since it’s release and doesn’t seem to be moving from that spot. I expect to see it on a number of lists.

It also will win the best artwork of the year award.

My Mourning Jacket – It Beats For You (KCRW)

Guster – Two Of Us (KCRW)

Iron & Wine – Carousel

*** I&W’s new album is finally out in two days (25th) after being leaked many months ago. I haven’t listened to the whole thing yet (I don’t like listening to leaked albums all that much), but I really like the songs that I have heard.

Sorry. Not a very creative batch of posts yet. It’ll get better.

Goodnight!

We Are Wolves – Fight & Kiss

Found out about these guys on Montreal’s Dare To Care Records MySpace. They’re super sweet. I had heard of them before, but hadn’t really checked much of their stuff out until now. I like how they describe themselves on their myspace, so instead of trying to explain by myself, I will let them speak for themselves: “A gang of three, four including rock. We are Wolves imposes a music that’s both free and honest, like the celestial lightning on the mystic mountain. It’s a post-punk landscape filled with analogue trees. It’s like rock after the post-modern explosion.”

Their new album, Total Magique, should be out October 2nd and will be a “for sure pickup” for me.

Bangers & Cash – B-O-O-T-A-Y

Bangers & Cash – Loose (featuring Amanda Blank)

The second track from Spank Rock and Benny Blanco’s upcoming release, Bangers & Cash EP, was released a few days ago. I like it.

And the newest (and third) one was released today! It’s called Loose and features Amanda Blank. Seriously excited for this release.

Also related: here is the artwork for the new song.