There’s so much delightful new music making its way out this Winter, making it a little more tolerable to stay bundled-up inside…with headphones on, of course.
As any good Portlander knows, our beloved Decemberists are preparing to release yet another record very soon. As such, they’ve released the first single – The Rakes Song – which is a pleasant departure from their last record, The Crane Wife. The Rakes Song represents a new leaf for Colin and crew, threatening, as they occasionally do, to rock things a little harder.
Not to be outdone, a new collaborative single has been leaked to the blogosphere from Feist and Ben Gibbard.
M. Ward is also releasing a brand new record, apparently taking a break from his She and Him project with Zooey Deschanel. This little song, Never Had Nobody Like You, is a sweet, sweet song. A dynamite driving beat and his signature riffs – it’s even got Zooey jumping in on the choruses… This song is brilliant and maintains a unique swagger throughout.
My boys, The Dimes, are pluggin’ right along, getting ready to release their second full-length record, comprised of New England themes of long ago. This demo is a wonderful glimpse of what they’re working on and, if you like what you hear, go to www.thedimes.com/blog and keep tabs on what they’re up to, including plenty of demos to keep you going.
Blitzen Trapper. Enough said. If you haven’t picked-up this record yet, you really don’t know what you’re missing. Epic.
Tapes N Tapes is a band we’ve been into for a few years now… Thankfully, they’re still building momentum and are touring on their latest record. THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, TNT will be headlining a dynamite show at Doug Fir in Portland, along with our best buds, Derby. More than 100 pre-sale tickets were already gone when we checked last week, so get your tickets now if you want to get in.
Finally, we’d like to mention a recent project of a friend of ours, Lee Beckley and his band, Beeswax. I swear, everytime I talk to Lee, he’s got some new project he’s working on. Word on the street is he’s already moving on and is on to something new. In any event, check out Black Roses and let me know what you think.
Oh, and the Jay-Z vs. Radiohead mash-up is pretty damned good. Better than most mash-ups we’ve heard in awhile. Anyways, here’s some free music for your iPods:
The Decemberists – The Rakes Song
Feist and Ben Gibbard – Train Song
M. Ward – Never Had Nobody Like You
The Dimes – Damrell’s Fire (demo)
Blitzen Trapper – Stolen Shoes and A Rifle
Neko Case – People Got A Lotta Nerve
AC Newman – Submarines of Stockholm
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – Anchorsdropped
Jay-Z vs. Radiohead – No Karma (mash-up)
It probably goes without saying…but if you like what you hear, go buy the record and go buy some tickets when these acts comet to your town. Nobody likes free loaders.
