Podbop

Breadpig: A Rock BandBreadpig: A Rock Band

Breadpig is a Rock Band (in every sense of the word) composed of Brian Femiano, Jon Swyers, and Alexis Ohanian. Their full album is available on their site but I picked out my two favorite tracks here.

Breadpig's First Show: Live in D.C.:

On a more serious note, all proceeds raised by touring + t-shirts are donated to charity/good causes!

James YorkstonJames Yorkston

James Yorkston is a Scottish folk musician who started out as a bassist for a punk band (but seriously, who didn't?). He plays soft, transcending chords and sings about seasons, drinking and girls. And I love it very, very much. His most recent album The Year Of The Leopard was released just last month and might be his best work yet.

"Summer Song" reminds me of Nick Drake in the best way possible. "Woozy With Cider" is beautifully haunting, even if his spoken lyrics remind me of William Shatner a bit. Take them both in, and let them take over. If you're like me, you might end up waking up and falling asleep to the sound of James Yorkston's voice.

Some of the more humorous parts of his Wikipedia page:

Subsequently he signed to Domino Records, recording music with a number of friends and associates credited as The Athletes on his records. None of them, however, are actually athletes. Indeed the accordion player - the renowned Scottish musician Reuben Taylor - has been seen smoking a pipe.

Yorkston is a vegan and turned down £10,000 for the use of one his songs in a television advertisement for butter.

Video for James Yorkston's "Steady As She Goes" (not a Raconteurs cover)

Recommend Your Favorite Undiscovered BandRecommend Your Favorite Undiscovered Band

I've been busy working in NYC the past week so posting is a bit light. So let's turn to YOU. Time and Spin named "You" the person/artist of the year, so how can I compete?

What music are you listening to right now that you really, really, really dig? Don't overwhelm me, just one or two bands I should definitely check out (that aren't over-hyped).

I'm listening/lovvving Dodobird right now, but they'll get their own post soon enough..

Girl Talk: Bone Hard Zaggin'Girl Talk: Bone Hard Zaggin'

Girl Talk (aka Gregg Gillis) released one of the funnest albums this year with his well known album Night Ripper. Around the same time he also released a limited edition (333 copies from 333 recordings) 2 song vinyl EP. The best part is they still have a few copies at the label for a reduced price of $4.50 since the remaining copies lack an outer sleeve. Here's the goods your gettin' (thanks to Wikipedians for breakin dem trax down). I'm pretty sure they missed a few though. "LC And Lo" is the highlight of the EP in my opinion mostly because I love Finally and Zero and hearing them mashed together is joyous.

Photo by 5500 on Flickr.

Buddy Holly inspires Ian Mackaye?Buddy Holly inspires Ian Mackaye?

Ian Mackaye's latest group The Evens are dropping a new album November 6th called Get Evens. It's a great indie-rock album and is even catchier than their 2005 self-titled release.

While listening to one of my favorite tracks on the album, "No Money" immediately hit me with one of those deja-vu music moments. I went hunting around my oldies folder and dug up the 1957 song from Buddy Holly's debut album entitled "Not Fade Away". I think they sound pretty alike (though I actually like Buddy Holly's better, regardless). Think I'm reaching?

The Even's opening track "Cut From The Cloth" is also a standout song so check that one out too. Thanks to 5500 on flickr for the Ian Mackaye shot.

WindmillWindmill

Released in September, only 500 of these Windmill dual song 7 inches were pressed by Static Caravan. Like finding one last, hiding, m&m at the bottom of the bag this single is a real treat. The other few sites I could find reviews about this album on regurgitated the same artistic influences over and over (old Flaming Lips, Neil Young, Mercury Rev) but it struck me as a slower Arcade Fire/Cloud Cult/Clap Your Hands spin. The 26 years-old Englishman (and mostly solo band-member) Matthew Thomas Dillon's got this nasally, trembly voice that when matched with his piano compositions don't give you a chance to look (or listen) elsewhere.

Racing: Both songs begin with a robotic voice-over that seems to deliver the not-so-secret purpose of each song. In this song it's try to make it right. The piano drenched chorus pulls you into his fight, while Matthew Thomas Dillon searches for forgiveness.
Best Lyrics: "The day was short, it was longer than most"

Tokyo Moon: Now that the fight with his girlfriend has subsided, he takes us on a wild trip (in the your-parents-in-the-70s way) with Tokyo Moon. This one's a little more upbeat.
Best Lyric: "The drugs were doing things you already could"

I look forward to what else this kid has up his sleeve for his full album in 2007. For now you can check out two more excellent demos on his myspace.

The Milly: Chicago's 2001 Macarena Rip-offThe Milly: Chicago's 2001 Macarena Rip-off

Back in 1999, Richard M. Daley, the Mayor of Chicago, was so excited about the incoming new millenium, he launched a three-year celebration leading up to and all through 2001.

This included a now defunct chicago2001.org website, a 2000-Minute Party (from 9am 12/31/99 to 6:20pm 1/1/2000) and release of The Milly, a CD-single of the city-sanctioned official dance of the millenium.

Entitled Do The Milly, the Macarena-esque dance by "The Millie Makers" had nine dance moves (that were even painted on the streets of Chicago in an effort to get people to randomly break into dance on their way to work). It was a soulful, jazzy and horribly ironic song that finds its only worth as a snapshot of just how out-of-hand new millenium celebrations got back in the day.

In case you were slow there was an extended seven-minute Instructional Mix included, which just repeated the dance section over and over and over. For those who didn't want the lyrics to distract them while they were using it as studying music, there was also an Instrumental Mix.

Lyrics after the jump!

Emily HainesEmily Haines

Let me start out by confessing that Emily Haines is my favorite female singer. Ever. Everything she touches is magic. Her ghostly vocals on "Anthems Of A Seventeen Year Old Girl" by Broken Social Scene make it the standout track. Her lustful lyrics on "Poster Of A Girl" by Metric (of which she is the lead singer) make me smile as I run stadiums. The ambient pop duo tracks "Detective Daughter" and "Sprig" break my heart and mend it back together all in under 10 minutes.

So imagine my excitement when I discovered this weekend that she's planning on releasing a solo debut on September 26th called "Knives Don't Have Your Back" consisting of tracks four years in the making. You can check out two of the 12 tracks off the new album below. If it's any indication, this album is already in my top 10 of the year. I've also included her beautiful, beautiful rendition of Elliott Smith's Between The Bars. This girl can do no wrong.

Tour dates after the jump.

Spankin' New Go! Team Track (Plus One)Spankin' New Go! Team Track (Plus One)

Swedish label Rico just released a limited edition (count 20) CD-R between Nicolas Makelberge and The Go! Team (which sold out within 24 hours but is still on sale as a digital download.)

The Go! Team's "Western Song" is a summery, poppy instrumental track with those Oooo-ing's you can hum along to. And since it's winter in Australia, I'll balance things out with an instrumental track titled "The Ice Storm" from their Australian Tour EP from 2005.

I saw them perform at last year's Pitchfork Fest in Chicago and it was the highlight of my weekend. If their music doesn't make you want to go slip-n-slide with your friends (after eating snowcones that have made all your mouths cherry-red) then you're hopeless.

Tour dates after the jump...

Metafilter MusicMetafilter Music

Not all great artists are famous and not all great music gets heard. Metafilter, probably the most popular community blog on the Internet, is helping bridge the gap between amateur musicians and their audience with MeFi Music. Released on June 30, the site lets Metafilter users upload their own musical projects. There's some gold on there.

• You Spin Me Round is a beautifully sung cover of Dead or Alive's classic dance song.
• Diamond Joe is a really fun piece of Irish country that must be a blast performed live.
• In Testing 1-2-3, user starkeffect took recordings people had made of themselves and mistakenly left for upload on P2P services and made a genius song out of them.
• I am a demon and will swallow your soul! by the Christian Science Monitors should get reviewed on Pitchfork any day now.
• Dracula Man X2 Alpha Turbo is an awesome high energy videogame-esque composition.
• The Writing's on the Wall, my band's magnum opus, is my own contribution to the site.