Quick Post--New Album Alert!

Hello all!
I thought I might just  write a quick unofficial post and send out the word (in case you ain't heard) of two great new albums that just dropped:
The King is Dead by The Decemberists (January 18th, 2011)
AND
Kiss Each Other Clean by Iron & Wine (January 25th, 2011)


GOOD SONG: Calamity Song by The Decemberists

Yeah, I have no idea what's going on in this picture, either.

GOOD SONG: Tree By The River by Iron & Wine

Sam Beam, the brains (and hair) behind Iron & Wine.
I can't decide whether I think he looks more like Zeus or Jesus.

Also, the new album by Bright Eyes, which comes out on February 15th, 2011, can be listened to in its entirety here: NPR First Listen
It's quite good, you should check it out (especially the song "Shell Games").


Enjoy!
Over and out,
Anna

Ice Day

So while putzing around on the internet today, enjoying my day off from school because of insanely icy roads (thus an "ice day" instead of a "snow day"), I discovered a fantastic singer. And her last name is Ices! Ice day! Ices! Get it?
I like that.
To tell the truth: her real last name isn't Ices. I don't know what it is. Her name, Lia Ices, is a pseudonym, and she keeps her real name under wraps.
Turns out she and I have something in common-- we both went to NYU. That's where our similarities start and end, though, I think.
She has this unbelievably beautiful voice-- haunting, achey, sort of angelic. And she is incredibly beautiful, to boot. Some people get all the luck, right?

She's like Giselle's more artsy, talented sister. 

Her album, entitled Grown Unknown (on the Jagjaguwar label, which is almost always spot-on), isn't actually out yet. It will be released on January 25th. But you can still listen to her music here:

GOOD SONG #1: Grown Unknown by Lia Ices. The title track. Has fun hand-claps, her amazing vocals, violin, and beautiful guitar. Definitely worth a listen.

On her upcoming album, she collaborates with Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), who is also hyper-talented. Their voices meld really well. The collaboration is kinda a no-brainer, since they have a similar sound/musical aesthetic.  Check it out.

GOOD SONG #2: Daphne by Lia Ices with Justin Vernon.

Talented, but definitely not related to Giselle.

If you liked these songs, you might also check out:

Feist
My Brightest Diamond
Cave Singers (they're touring together soon)
Bon Iver
Volcano Choir
Cat Power
Nouvelle Vague
Bat for Lashes

BUY HER MUSIC HERE: lia ices

Over and out,
Anna

I guess now I'm a Bond(y) Girl

Ok, so Palenville, NY is this tiny and quite random town in upstate NY near my house in the Catskills.  There is almost nothing going on there. And yet, it produced the fantastic Felice Brothers, who I posted about earlier. 
Turns out Palenville is also where A. A. Bondy (originally from Birmingham, Alabama) went to record his second album entitled When The Devil's Loose.

At first, I just thought to myself, "Oh, that's odd. I wonder what the connection is." I figured it was just a random coincidence. BUT...

I noticed that a bunch of photographs of A. A. Bondy on Last. fm were taken by a certain "Clare Felice." Hmmm.... Felice. Sounds familiar.

Yup, looks like Palenville. 

Turns out it's his wife. And I'm betting you a billion dollars that she is related to the infamous brothers of the same name.

So there's your connection. I feel like a veritable SLEUTH. (Although brooklynvegan knew all this way before I did. Oh well.)

Anyway, A. A. Bondy is great. I stumbled across him while on Last.fm, and haven't regretted it. He's originally from 'bama (like I said), and became mildly famous for singing in the band Verbena, although he was known as Scott back then. I have no idea why, when his real name is Auguste Arthur Bondy, which is a great name. Verbena sounded much more like Nirvana than anything that A. A. Bondy makes now, which is cool by me. His first album entitled American Hearts came out in '07, and his sophomore album came out in '09. Let's hope he keeps them coming.

With no further ado, here is today's GOOD SONG:
When The Devil's Loose by A. A. Bondy.

Enjoy!

BUY HIS MUSIC HERE: A. A. Bondy!

If you liked this song, you might also check out:
a lot of stuff I've already told you to check out, like:
Deer Tick
The Avett Brothers
The Felice Brothers
Bob Dylan (ha!)
Ryan Adams (& the Cardinals)/ Whiskeytown
Justin Townes Earle
Adam Haworth Stevens
Forest Sun
and also:
Benjamin Fitton
Cass McCombs

Over and out,
Anna

Bet You'll Like The Beta Band

I originally got into The Beta Band (from Scotland) upon the release of their album Heroes to Zeros (2004), which I fell in love with at first listen. NOT at first sight, though, since the cover looks ridiculous.

Stupid cover

Unfortunately, Heroes to Zeros was their last album before they broke up. Thus, I was forced to search deeper into their past for "new" Beta Band music. But it's OK! There made plenty of awesome stuff! I discovered their album The Three EP's, which, no surprise here, is a compilation of three EP's they made.

So, here's an older GOOD SONG song for ya from The Three EP's: Dry The Rain by The Beta Band.

It has a great chorus to it, and I can't help but groove to it. The song is hard to define, like most of their music. While doing some research on them, I discovered that they were listed as part of the following genres (listed in order of increasing ridiculousness): Alternative, Experimental, Art Rock, Folktronica,  Neo- Psychadelic, Space Rock.
Right.

Ever seen the movie High Fidelity? He puts this song in this scene:  "I will now sell five copies of "The Three EP's" by the Beta Band"

Los amigos del beta bandidos!!

If you liked this song you might also check out:

Tame Impala
Thievery Corporation
Panda Bear
Gruff Rhys and the Super Furry Animals
Air
Caribou (also known as Manitoba)
The Flaming Lips

Over & out,
Anna