Zola Jesus – “Clay Bodies”

(via No Conclusion)

Last week we mentioned the new State Capital Field Recordings vinyl comp featuring Vivian Girls, A Place To Bury Strangers, and many others. This week, the label sent us a digital copy of the comp, so we can actually share a sample. Here’s the track from Philadelphia’s Clean Equations, the newest addition to the State Capital roster:

MP3: Clean Equations – “French Noise Piece”

(Tip: it’s not really a “French noise piece.”)

Jweekly profiles Alicia Jo Rabins of Girls in Trouble, whose wonderful self-titled album was released digitally yesterday (the CD is released on November 3rd).

Express Night Out interviews St. Vincent's Annie Clark.

Express Night Out also profiles Clark's current touring mate, Andrew Bird.

"Eventually, I want to try to do some sort of episodic thing, kind of 'Muppet Show'-style," Bird said. "Maybe if the CD is dead or dying, then the thing is more of an episodic-type thing where you take a song and kind of unfold all the little facets of the song into, like, a 25-minute show. Often times the songs I write have a lot of layers, and sometimes there's three of four different streams going on within one song, kind of like an episode where there's a couple of plot lines going on. [It could be] kind of like a musical 'Mr. Show' — that's it in a nutshell."

AfterEllen points out Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, and Cyndi Lauper dolls. (via)

NPR's All Songs Considered lists the highlights from the 2009 edition of CMJ.

The streaming radio show No Love for Ned this week features an in-studio performance by Knight School.

The Aquarian Weekly interviews Charlie Fink of Noah and the Whale.

Singer-songwriter David Bazan talks to Pitch Weekly about his new album and crisis of faith.

Today is the last day to download 11 Mojo Nixon albums free at Amazon MP3.

NPR is streaming last night's performance by Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar.

St. Vincent, Actor
Beggars Group, 2009Via Tania, Moon Sweet Moon
Hours Entertainment, 2009

 

MySpaceOpening up with the sound of bird noises might be a bit of an over-sell, but forgiveness comes easily when the multi-layered harmonies of Toronto’s The Wilderness Of Manitoba arrive and usher in their debut EP, Hymns Of Love And Spirits. Sharing members with Provincial Parks and Key Witness, The Wilderness of Manitoba come with a very clear and direct mandate – to craft gentle, intricate folk songs of the sort that no one seems to make anymore. Of course, that’s a mandate that many have taken on in recent years and so, ironically, there’s a good number of artists presently making those sorts of songs.

The Wilderness Of Manitoba still manage to stand tall amongst their peers, however, and stand out. Obviously drawing inspiration from both the English and American folk revivals of the 1960s, they place an emphasis on choral vocals that give the mini-album a certain dreamy quality that splits the difference between spiritual and ghostly. The musical arrangements are similarly kept ethereal, all gentle acoustic guitar, spare percussion with an occasional guest appearance from a banjo, cello or keys and carried aloft on a plush cloud of reverb. It’s a record that drifts by prettily, seemingly untethered from earthly concerns yet tangible enough to still carry a very real emotional heft. It haunts, like a fond but faded memory.

MP3: The Wilderness Of Manitoba – “Bluebirds”

Examiner.com talks to Liz Powell of Land Of Talk.

Blurt reports that Midlake will finally release their new record The Courage of Others on February 2.

Fazer has got an interview with Logan Kroeber of The Dodos.

Tiny Mix Tapes talks to Thao. Aaah, that’s some good alliteration right there.

The Quietus asks Alison Mosshart what’s up with each of her bands, The Kills and The Dead Weather – new records from both in 2010. There you go.

PitchforkTV has added a video interview segment with Yo La Tengo to go with their Don’t Look Down session performances. The Skinny, San Diego News Network, The San Francisco Examiner and Vail Daily also have interviews.

Magnet picks their five most overrated and underrated Galaxie 500 songs. Is it really possible for a band that’s chronically underrated to have overrated songs?

Sweden’s Shout Out Louds have completed their new album and named it Work – look for it February 23 of next year.

It’s not new album news, per se, but NME’s reporting that Lightspeed Champion will have a new single out entitled “Marlene” on January 25 is certainly a good omen that record number two is coming.

Exclaim talks to The xx.

Pants Yell! – “Cold Hands” From their new record Received Pronunciation, out 11/10 on Slumberland.