Today’s streaming 7-inch comes from California noise-makers XBXRX (the band sometimes described as “an animalistic seizure of grunts and yips“). The duo made effective use of 7-inch vinyl’s limitations by deftly cramming 10 concise, noise-art jams into the record’s 9 or so minutes (they’re actually combined into just two above). Get your ears in on the masterful clamor, and pick up the record for $5 from Polyvinyl.
Orange Juice – …Coals To Newcastle Box Set
Out 11/9 on Domino
Seven-disc anthology from this seminal band collects their complete discography and other studio recordings, as well as a collection of BBC Sessions, and a DVD featuring rare promotional clips, four performances, and their posthumous concert video, “Dada with the Juice.” .
Britta Persson - “Some Girls Some Boys” Britta Persson is very good at writing about the confusing romantic stalemates that can occur between a pair of awkward, shy, emotionally reserved people. In previous songs, such as the lovely “At 7,” she came at this from a more frustrated perspective, but in “Some Girls Some Boys,” she’s clear-headed and patient, waiting out the confusion and ready for the moments of genuine communication and connection. The form of the song follows its emotional arc — the verses are pensive and vaguely uncomfortable, ruminating on what could be going on, while the chorus is calm and reassuring, with a gentle reminder that “what you really need is to let go.”
Buy it via the Britta Persson website.
Legendary singer-songwriter Roky Erickson talks to Click Track about his music career.
The Boston Globe profiles the band Dawes.
Its pastoral palette conjures a vintage era of American music when bands forged country, folk, blues, rock, and blue-eyed soul into something new, something old. Cosmic American music, as Gram Parsons was fond of calling it. If there’s any constant, it’s Goldsmith's connection to where he grew up.
"I feel a very strong connection with California music that developed before I was even conscious of it," Goldsmith says. "Someone pointed out to me that all the music I listen to is from California groups, and I looked at my playlist, and it was all Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and Graham Nash. I was like, 'Whoa, they’re right.' Other than John Prine, I'm on a pretty steady diet of California."
Justin Bieber talks to the Associated Press about why he wrote his memoir, Justin Bieber: First Step 2 Forever: My Story.
Mother Jones profiles singer-songwriter Johnny Flynn on the road.
WNYC profiles Claudia Gonson of Magnetic Fields.
NME lists 25 debut albums everyone should own.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin visits The Current studio for an interview and live performance.
Haaretz profiles cartoonist Sarah Glidden and her new graphic novel, How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less.
Prefix lists the 10 best songs under a minute long.
Drowned in Sound lists the 10 worst album covers of the '00s.
Jenny and Johnny visit WXPN's World Cafe for an interview and live session.
Thank You – Golden Worry
Out 1/26/2011 on Thrill Jockey
Today we kick off a run of streaming 7-inches in which we’ll feature the entire Fall 2010 line of singles from the fine folks of Polyvinyl. We’ll begin with the singles that’ve already been released, and we’ll close out next week with 3 all-new, as-yet-unreleased discs– the new ones from Japandroids, Sharon Van Etten, and the Deerhoof/Physical Forms split (all are out 11/16). First up, though, today we have the latest 7-inch from Mr. Mike Kinsella, aka Owen. “Abandoned Bridges” is an all-new track, and the backing b-side is a cover of “I’m Always In Love” (from Wilco’s Summerteeth). Pick up the record on black — or white — vinyl from Polyvinyl for just $5.
Rolling Stone is streaming Syd Barrett's An Introduction to Syd Barrett album (out November 9th).
Dean Wareham talks to San Diego CityBeat about playing Galaxie 500 songs live again.
The Coloradoan profiles singer-songwriter Josh Ritter.
Rocks Off features a panel of Houston musicians discussing the relevance of the term "indie rock."
The Georgia Straight profiles singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten.
The Chicago Tribune profiles Smith Westerns.
But right now, to borrow their own phrase, they are a blog band, their initial success launched by a handful of influential music blogs. In this, Smith Westerns — "There's no 'the' in Smith Westerns," corrects guitarist Max Kakacek, "it's just Smith Westerns" — are not unique. Far from it: "The pace that (blogs) spin out new bands can feel like a 24-hour news cycle," said Scott Plagenhoef, editor of Chicago-based Pitchfork, arguably the most influential music blog in the sphere the Smith Westerns occupy. "Smarter bands know people come back for quality, not because everyone is or isn't talking about them. But it can all seem so ephemeral."
Drowned in Sound lists the top 10 album covers of the '00s.
