Julie Peel released her first full length LP, Near the Sun, back in September of last year. The entire album has a very open and free sound. While listening you'll never know what Julie is going to pull out of her sleeve to layer on top of her methodical voice. Near the Sun has a very compelling sound that you'll find yourself humming the tune of all day. You'll enjoy Near the Sun if you're a of Nina Nastasia, Fiest or My Brightest Diamond.

Here is the fist track off the album titled "Living in a Movie"

Bird

Just discovered a great new folk band from the Netherlands. They have a great folk sound that beautifully incorporates the violin as well as an accordion.
I recommend the track "About"

Video Bodies of Water

Enjoy this dark and eery video for Under the Pines by Bodies of Water. The track is from their '08 release A Certain Feeling.

Fictionist

Utah's own Fictionist released their album Lasting Echo, which is one of the catchiest albums that's been released this year. Fictionist does an excellent job of blending a folk and country sound into the raw rock sound that harness. It also doesn't hurt that their music is topped with beautiful vocals that have a haunting sound that will you'll be hearing all day in your head.

Fictionist will be returning to Utah to play a show at the Velour on April first.

Enjoy their track Blue-eyed Universe.

Blue-eyed Universe from Fictionist on Vimeo.

Video Bird and the Bee

the Bird and the Bee released a tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates which is purely covers. I'm really digging this record as well as the bands developing sound.

Broken Bells

As I posted earlier James Mercer and DJ Danger Mouse's side project titled Broken Bells was released earier this month. I have some time to review this album and I'm very impressed. At first I thought it would be quite similar to The Shins, however, it very different. I guess that's what happens when you bring the genius that is Danger Mouse into the studio with you.

I've picked a few tracks of my favorite tracks from the High Road LP for you to sample. The first is The Ghost Inside. You can definitely feel the hip hop influences but they work perfectly with the voice of the Shins to tell the story of a modern love.


The first single The High Road sounds more like classic Shins

Acoustic preformance by Tegan and Sara

Twins Tegan and Sara recently released their 6th full length album Sainthood. I've been a big fan of these gals since I first heard them play Where Does the Good Go on spinner tv. I immediately sought out the album from which the song appeared and struck gold. So Jealous was where I first started and the Quinn twins didn't let up. They went on to release The Con and Sainthood with the help of Chris Walla, the guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie. Tegan and Sara stopped by Canadian blog La Blogothèque earlier this month to play a few songs for them.

Aligator from Sainthood


Feel it in my Bones which is a Tiësto track featuring Tegan and Sara



Nineteen from The Con


Tegan and Sara will be playing at In the Venue on April 6th. I've seen them once before and know this is one show you don't want to miss.

Where you at Menomena?

So back in January Menomena tweeded their new album "would be done in two weeks". My heart must have skipped a few beats when I heard that. We've been waiting for new material from these guys for three years now. Well a few days later they posted again to inform us that the album will be masted by Jeff Stuart Saltzman, who previously done work with Death Cab for Cutie. Well it's been three months since the album has been "finished." Where are you Menomena! Well at least they were kind enough to release a video for one of their songs Queen Black Acid (posted below).


Also here's the boys playing Wet and Rusty on the Streets (sorry about the low quality)

The Chairs

There are a few bands where you just don't dare attempt to cover their music. Neutral Milk Hotel is one of the bands. Jeff Mangum has one of those voices that any replication will automatically sound monotonous and drab. Well I stumbled upon some small indie band from Wisconsin, called The Chairs, who had attempted to cover Airplane over the Sea. I automatically had little faith but to my surprise, and delighted, found that they had done an excellent job. The first EP these guys had produced held so many great little jems, such as my favorite track titled Polly (not a Nirvana cover but an original track). Turns out this little local band from has been hard at work producing EP after EP and recently released their full length album, Nine Ways.

The band's entire discography is available on their website with Radiohead's philosophy of pay-what-you-want (Well that is as long as you're downloading the entire album. Single tracks cost $.99 but in its entirety it is free. I guess that's their catch?)

I recommend checking out Biggest Fan from the LP and Polly from the November EP.

Danger Mouse

DJ Danger Mouse has been a busy little bee! He just recently finished a side project he did with James Mercer (The Shins) called Broken Bells, which debuted the beginning of March. Danger Mouse also has produced a track off of Brothers, The Black Keys new album which is slated for release on May 18th.
Stream the new track on the band's myspace

1, 2, 3

I'd like to thank my friend for showing me this great band called 1, 2, 3. Earlier this year they released their first single titled Confetti.




Keep your eyes open and hopefully we'll have a full length album out by them later this year.

The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers have announced tour dates, sadly which none include Utah, as well as their first single from their new album, Together, which is out May 4th.
Together will have appearances by many amazing musicians, as usual, such as Zach Condon of Beirut and Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Shearwater.
Enjoy Carl Newman and Neko Case's glorious harmony in Your Hands (together):



The new single, The Crash Years, can be purchased for $.99 on itunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/crash-years-single/id359472440

Looks like May is going to be an amazing month!

Here's the tracklist:

"Moves"
"The Crash Years"
"Your Hands (Together)"
"Silver Jenny Dollar"
"Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk"
"My Shepherd"
"If You Can't See My Mirrors"
"Up In The Dark"
"Valkyrie In The Roller Disco"
"A Bite Out Of My Bed"
"Daughters Of Sorrow"
"We End Up Together"

And their tour:

Fri, 5/28 – Parc Del Forum, Barcelona, Primavera Sound
Mon, 5/31 – George WA – Sasquatch Music Festival
Mon, 6/7 – Calgary AB – MacEwan Hall
Tue, 6/8 – Edmonton AB – Edmonton Event Centre
Wed, 6/9 – Saskatoon SK – The Odeon Events Centre
Thu, 6/10 – Winnipeg MB – The Garrick Centre
Fri, 6/11 – Minneapolis MN – First Avenue
Sat, 6/12 – Milwaukee WI – Pabst Theater
Sun, 6/13 – Columbus OH – Newport Music Hall
Tue, 6/15 – Toronto ON – The Sound Academy
Thu, 6/17 – Montreal QC – Le National
Fri, 6/18 – Boston MA – House of Blues
Sat, 6/19 – New York NY – Terminal 5
Mon, 6/21 – Philadelphia PA – Trocadero Theatre
Tue, 6/22 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
Wed, 6/23 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
Fri, 6/25 – Chapel Hill NC – Memorial Hall at UNC
Sat, 6/26 – Atlanta GA – Variety Playhouse
Sun, 6/27 – Nashville TN – Cannery Ballroom
Sun, 6/28 – St Louis MO – The Pagaent
Thu, 7/15 – Vancouver BC – The Vogue Theatre
Fri, 7/16 – Portland OR – Crystal Ballroom
Sun, 7/18 – Oakland CA – Fox Theater
Mon, 7/19 – Los Angeles CA – The Music Box
Tue, 7/20 – Los Angeles CA – The Music Box
Wed, 7/21 – Tucson AZ – Rialto Theatre
Fri, 7/23 – Austin TX – Stubb’s BBQ
Sat, 7/24 – Dallas TX – The Showroom at Palladium
Sun, 7/25 – Tulsa OK – Cain’s Ballroom
Mon, 7/26 – Lawrence KS – Liberty Hall
Wed, 7/28 – Denver CO – Ogden Theatre
Fri, 7/30 – Boise ID – Egyptian Theatre
Wed, 8/4 – Madison WI – Orpheum Theatre

Broken Social Scene

Earlier today Broken Social Scene released two new tracks from their forth coming LP titled Forgiveness Rock Record. The two new tracks, as well as their previously released song, can be found on their website.
http://www.brokensocialscene.ca/

Forgiveness Rock Record will be released on May 4.

Tracklist:
01 World Sick
02 Chase Scene
03 Texico Bitches
04 Forced to Love
05 All to All
06 Art House Director
07 Highway Slipper Jam
08 Ungrateful Little Father
09 Meet Me in the Basement
10 Sentimental X's
11 Sweetest Kill
12 Romance to the Grave
13 Water in Hell
14 Me and My Hand

Let's start with local shows

There's been quite the dry spell in Utah concerts however our luck is about to change.
In April one of my new favorite bands, Yeasayer, will be coming to town to promote their new album Odd Blood. I decided to share with you the track titled I Remember, which is my favorite song from the album right now, rather than their two amazing singles, Ambling Alp and O.N.E.



This band has transformed electro pop with their own twisted dark sound. They will be in Salt Lake on April 23rd at In The Venue. Opening for Yeasayer will be Sleigh Bells who's distorted sound will keep your head bobbing. Keep your eye out as they will soon be releasing their debut LP.