The Great Book Of John
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I am not a huge fan of covers! Something about them just makes me cringe, like when I hear Counting Crows cover Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchelle, or the Ataris cover Boys of Summer by Don Henley - it is at these times where I scream loudly so I cannot hear the music as I reach for the car stereo to switch it off. However, when an artist covers a great song and makes it their own, when they capture a moment so special and bring new meaning to a song, this is where greatness happens - and The Great Book Of John have done just that with their new cover of Never Tear Us Apart by INXS.
I am absolutely in love with this! They come from Birmingham, AL and their southern flavor has soaked into this pop song, turning it into a crispy fried double wide delicatessen! It is dripping with the blues and fuzzy swirling vocals which manage to stir any emotion from deep within. They only recorded this track a few weeks back, after being well received at SXSW, and invited a friend to film the process - the result is a giant second helping of visual pleasure!
You can download this track for free from Communicating Vessels - HERE -
Never Tear Us Apart by The Great Book of John from Communicating Vessels on Vimeo.
New Music: Auction
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Auction is Joseph Sigee (vocals), Samuel White (guitar), Andrew Smith (keys), Kane Dansie (bass) and Guy Lawrence (drums). The five of them grew up in and around Croydon and became friends at sixth form college. They were all in different bands before realisation dawned that they could create something really special by pooling their own musical talents.
The band writes, rehearses and records in unusual surroundings that also inspired their name – an auction house. The huge building was originally built as a railway station but the site was changed and it was rendered redundant. Drummer Guy’s great great grandfather started a removal business a century ago that grew into a hugely successful operation. This passed to his son who, having a keen interest in antiques, began holding auctions in the local village hall – and that turned into another lucrative business. As a result he bought the abandoned building and it became an auction house, which Guy’s dad runs to this day. The disused living quarters upstairs were recently claimed by a group of propitious, bright musicians who turned it into their much loved studio – and named their band Auction in its honour.
You might think that creating songs in such an austere environment would result in a rather traditional musical output. Not so. Auction, who cite the likes of Wild Beasts and The Police as their musical inspiration, produce songs bursting with experimental creativity, uniqueness and intelligence.
New Music: Vadoinmessico
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Ok, I am going to admit that I decided to listen to this band simply because of this picture - and I was pleased to find some very interesting and delightful pop songs to share on this hot Saturday afternoon. The band is called Vadionmessico and they are from London, and they are somewhat of a rare find, at least in my opinion. They have undertones of Animal Collective (the Animal Collective that isint all over the place) and have a light and fun spirit about them. I instantly thought it was like Vampire Weekend on acid on a carabian beach....but so much better than that would actually sound like! I missed them at SXSW this year, but it seems like their live show could be a great treat! They have a show coming up on May 18 @ Dalston Boy's Club in Hackney, London.
Enjoy!
Parenthetical Girls give good head!
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It's hard to ignore the new Parenthetical Girls video for The Pornographer. I have never actually thought about watching Zac Pennington get head, or that I would actually enjoy watching it for that matter, but I did - not for the reason you think! It's hard to ignore the dirty garage foot stomping crunchy sounds that is behind this video - which is something of a new sound from this band, and something that is good - oh so good - oh yes yes so good!!
The Californian needs your HELP!
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Have you supported your local musician today??
I have been saying for months now that The Californian are the best new band in Los Angeles! With an all-star cast from various LA area bands, including Phantom Planet, The Henry Clay People, and The Bird and the Bee -- The Californian deliver a beautifully crafted live show that is both fun and engaging, where people actually dance in Silverlake and sing along to the songs! It's like the LA hipsters found their way to the beach to catch some waves..dude!
I love this band - but even really great bands need love back, and right now The Californian need you!! They are raising funds to record their first full length album this summer, and have started a KICKSTARTER - where you can get some pretty cool prizes for pledging! They are also the June residency band at The Satellite - where I hear there are going to be some pretty great bands playing with them....really looking forward to this one kids!
Foster The People - Free Remix by RAC
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Houdini - RAC Remix - Foster The People by beautifulbuzzz
Foster The People - LA's newest musical sensations are offering up a new remix - this time with the track Houdini! You can download it Here!
Tonight - Royal Bangs @ The Echo
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Tonight @ The Echo - Royal Bangs
Ah, the South, the region that has always boasted the best alt- and indie-rock bands, from Big Star in Memphis, Tenn., to R.E.M. in Athens, Ga., to the late and great Sparklehorse (R.I.P., Mark Linkous) in Richmond, Va.
Indeed, there's a long tradition of eclectic rock 'n' roll, especially in a town like Knoxville, Tenn., home base of avant-electro trio the Royal Bangs. So it's a surprise that the band's guitarist, Sam Stratton, confesses that his band doesn't feel much of an affinity for the Sweet Tea Belt.
"There are some awesome bands from the South, for sure," he says in the tour van while en route to a show in Boise, Idaho. "In high school, we all loved listening to Elephant 6 Collective bands like Olivia Tremor Control and Neutral Milk Hotel. But we've never met them, and we're not interested in participating in 'musical regionalism.'"
The Royal Bangs' recently released third album, Flux Outside, is a 12-tune collection that's relentless in its spirited attack. From the post-punk guitar miasma of "Grass Helmet" to the bruising bass keyboard lines of "Fireball," Flux Outside is about change. Sure, frontman Ryan Schaefer's voice is consistent, a grainy, fevered yawp suited for cutting through drummer Chris Rusk's crashing cymbals and Stratton's unusual chord structures. Otherwise, the band takes a different tack on nearly every song. The Royal Bangs aren't about being unusual for its own sake, though. -Tucson Weekly
New Release - WhoMadeWho
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Another treat from SXSW this year was my first time seeing WhoMadeWho live. One of the bands I work with have been telling me for years that WhoMadeWho are one of the best bands they have ever seen, and I can agree that it was one hell of a show! They just come out with a new album on Tuesday called Knee Deep - which touches on a dark dance feel that I can soooooo get into! I have uploaded one of the tracks that stood out to me the first listen through, so here it is!!
Musketeer - WhoMadeWho by beautifulbuzzz
Copenhagen’s WhoMadeWho explore a more sombre, enigmatic creative direction with their new album, ‘Knee Deep,’ The album reflects the band’s love for electronic music in conjunction with 60’s inspired psychedelic vocal productions. WhoMadeWho release ‘Knee Deep’ on 25th April via Kompakt Records. Tomas Barfod, Tomas Hoffding and Jeppe Kjellberg aka WhoMadeWho have paved an illustrious career spanning numerous singles and two acclaimed full length albums. They have certainly been one of the few acts in the past decade to successfully redefine the term “crossover” in music thanks to their genre hopping creative tact. - Harder Blogger Faster
The Making Of WhoMadeWho's "Knee Deep" (Available April 25th) from Kompakt Records on Vimeo.