And the Oscar for Best Weekly Subfeature In A Supporting Role By A Newcomer To The Field Of Music Blogging (we’ve all got to have dreams, so fuck off) goes to… New Music Monday!
New music from James Mercer of The Shins and Broken Bells, AND from Ugly Casanova, the solo project of Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. This courtesy of the soundtrack of 180 South: Conquerers of the Useless, a new film that the official blurb describes as follows: Conquerors of the Useless follows Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia. Along the way he gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life – and prepares himself for a rare ascent of Cerro Corcovado. Jeff’s life turns when he meets up in a rainy hut with Chouinard and Tompkins who, once driven purely by a love of climbing and surfing, now value above all the experience of raw nature – and have come to Patagonia to spend their fortunes to protect it.
Ugly Casanova – Here’s To Now
Ugly Casanova – Lay Me Down
James Mercer – Journey Through The Past
Another track from James Mercer/The Shins (my line between solo and band projects has become blurry since he dismissed questions about the ‘firing’ of a band member last summer by essentially saying he IS the band and the rest of them are just hired guns around for touring). This is another track sponsored by the Levi’s Pioneer Sessions, and this time Mr. Mercer gives us a cover of “Goodbye Girl” by Squeeze.
The Shins – Goodbye Girl (Squeeze Cover)
The Roots are back with their new album, How I Got Over, and the currently blogosphere fave is (surprise surprise) the track featuring yowly-voiced harpist Joanna Newsom providing backup vocals and chorus for Black Thoughts energetic rhymes. Check “Right On” below – Black Thought is asking for a witness, and I’d say this album should get him a few million.
The Roots – Right On (f/Joanna Newsom)
A sneaky way for new material to emerge from two Daydream Station faves, My Morning Jacket and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. This time, you’ll find the pair of them covering tracks on Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: The Songs of John Prine, a tribute album to the aforementioned rootsy singer-songwriter.
Justin Vernon – Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow)
My Morning Jacket – All The Best
Beck and Bat For Lashes. Together. She is channeling Bjork, he is channeling David Bowie. Hell with the source (Twihards suck blah blah), this is timeless stuff!
Beck and Bat For Lashes – Let’s Get Lost
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Hypnolove are channeling the French connection here, appropriate for inhabitants of Air‘s record label (alongside other Gallic notables like Sebastian Tellier). The track’s getting notice because guest vocalist Bitch Lap Lap is actually a pseudonym for Feist, but it’s good enough to deserve your attention either way.
Hypnolove – Get To Know The Girl (f/Feist)
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Supergroup? Pshaw. The term gets thrown around too much. Just because Tired Pony is composed of members of R.E.M., Snow Patrol, and Belle and Sebastian and the track has Zooey Deschanel on guest vocals doesn’t mean anything… except that they’re already damn confident in what they do and it completely comes through in the songwriting. “Point Me At Lost Islands” is a nice starting point, and I’m eager to here more when The Place We Ran From comes out on July 20.
Tired Pony – Point Me At Lost Islands (f/Zooey Deschanel)
A damn epic track from one of the originators of the “drag” or “witch house” scene. Salem bring the expected rapid hip-hop beats, slow bass grind, gauzy vocals and gradual melodic shift to their newest track, but “King Night” still surpasses all of their previous work by going for bust. Choirs raining down holy fire atop shuddering drum sets and thundering bass – this is a track set for high impact.
I hadn’t posted this yet since I don’t know whether to love or hate the absurd 2 Live Crew send-up of a music video, but musically Miike Snow are always welcome to a spot on New Music Monday. While I’ve heard nothing specific, one can always hope they’ll follow up their recent touring and this fun single with a sophomore full-length in the near future.
In case you missed its featured post this past week, Of Montreal dropped a fantastic track from upcoming album False Priest.
