DeVotchKa

DeVotchKa was one of the bands I heard about during SXSW this year. At the time I was so overwhelmed trying to catch all the bands I knew about that I didn't actually hear the new DeVotchKa record until a few weeks ago. But let me tell you it does not disappoint.

A Mad & Faithful Telling sounds majestic and sincere at the same time. DeVotchKa offers the drama of Arcade Fire with a Balkan/Gypsy twist. Their music was featured in Little Miss Sunshine, so they've been kicking around making records for a few years. But I feel like '08 may be their year to step it up a notch in the fame market.

Listen for this song in upcoming movies(?), TV shows(?), commercials(?):

DeVotchKa - Transliterator

RIYL:Arcade Fire, The National, Gogol Bordello, The Boss(?)
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UK Soul

What with Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and now Jamie Lidell you'd think that Motown records JUST hit the UK. But in fact they are all part of new pool of artists making classic-sounding Motown/Stax for a new generation.

Jamie Lidell's Jim was just recently released in the U.S. but it has already been featured on the hit ABC drama Grey's Anatomy. It has also been rocking my iPod for a while now. I bought my mom a copy of Jim for Mother's Day and she already loves it.

I think you're gonna like it too. Whoever you are this music is undeniable. So hit your local record shop and ask for Jim :-)

Check out Another Day, the first song from Jim and if you don't feel like singing along then check your pulse.
Jamie Lidell - Another Day

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Going On w/ GB

While I'm not a big fan of Gnarls Barkley's latest effort the Odd Couple it definitely has its moments. Kudos to Kanye for pointing one of them out.



I miss videos sometimes. I went them free, podcast style, on my iPod...but if I'm being honest I probably wouldn't watch 'em that much anyway.
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Will Go to Wilco

So as previously mentioned Wilco is going to be in Austin this weekend. Playing at Stubb's on Sunday AND Monday. Sunday is, and has been, sold-out but Monday still has some tickets left. I haven't actually decided to spend the $41 yet but I REALLY want to.

Wilco's website is craziness!! They even have an area where you can request a song for an upcoming show. It has a form you fill out with your name, birth-date, address, etc. Then you choose your song from a drop-down menu and explain why you requested it.

The first concert I ever went to was the band Live. It was the end of their tour so they asked the audience to shout out requests. I always thought that was cool, but I suppose with all of today's tech you might as well make people explain why they chose that song.

Anyway, see you at Stubb's on Monday Wilco.

Wilco - Either Way
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Keep Your Eyes Ahead

The Helio Sequence is a two-piece band from Beaverton, OR. They are making a stop here in Austin on June 7th, performing at the Mohawk's outdoor stage. I expect that tickets will hover around the $10 mark so I recommend catching this band before the next time they tour when tickets will cost twice as much.

Keep Your Eyes Ahead is their fourth release since '99 but only their second release on indie/major label Sub-Pop. It's ten tracks run just under the 40 minute mark but each song offers a new texture, melody or rhythym idea to digest. Keeping this in mind, I would call it an excellent collection of songs, but not necesarily a great album. But still it has been one of my favorite releases of '08 thus far.

Sounds Like(RIYL): the Walkmen, Rogue Wave, M83

Check out some tracks courtesy of Sub-Pop:

the Helio Sequence - Can't Say No
the Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

And/Or a video:


The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Or two:

Keep Your Eyes Ahead on Jimmy Kimmel Live

BTW

The song Shed Your Love is this year's Hey There Delilah whether you or anyone else like's it or not.



SeeqPod Stream Shed Your Love
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Time = $

Tickets I would buy, if I had the time and money:


(In no particular order)

• $12 Black Angels CD Release party May 30th
  
• $10 Islands Jun 23rd
  
• $19 RZA Jun 11th
  
• $15 Clinic May 23rd
  
• $90?Radiohead May 17th
  
• $17 Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club May 19th
  
• $10 Busdriver June 14th
  
• $25 Cat Power Oct 11th
  
• $08 Cave Singers May 15th
  
• $27 Colin Hay Aug 30th
  
• $16 Ladytron w/Datarock Jun 06th
  
• $30 Loretta Lynn Jun 13th
  
• $10 Northern State May 14th
  
• $25 Rilo Kiley Jun 16th
  
• $10 Riverboat Gamblers May 31st
  
• $20 Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings Jun 04th
  
• $12 Shearwater May 29th
  
• $14 The Kills May 24th
  
• $35 Thievery Corporation Jun 24th
  
• $12 What Made Milwaukee Famous May 10th
  
• $35 Wilco w/Retribution Gospel May 11th & 12th
  
• $25 X w/Detroit Cobras Jun 02nd
  
• $62 Bill Cosby Jun 06th
  
• $40 Eddie Izzard Jun 06th, 07th, 08th
  
• $25 Aimee Mann Jun 17th
  
• $81 Merle Haggard Jun 18th
  

Total cost: $693 - service fees and taxes.
Total overlapping shows: As far as I can tell there are three shows on Jun 06th but I didn't really look too closely to be honest. :-)



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Winners and Lugers

I must Twitter my critiques of the hippest events of the trendiest artists you've never heard of. I shall listen and enjoy until you listen and enjoy at which point it becomes trite and banal. I'm bored with it, must surf and destroy pop culture. Scrobbling, logging, and blogging as I trudge through this dense fabric so you don't have to.

You do it too though, and that's cool, as long as I find it first. As long as I love it before you do so I can be sufficiently disinterested by the time you mention it to me then I win.

Here's a song I like today.


SeeqPod Stream Skinny Love



Bon Iver

Lugers
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