THE TWO MIRRORS

A Better Offer

2007-03-21T09:53:00.000-04:00

So, you may be wondering what happened to The Two Mirrors? We've moved our site and our mission. Here is what we are hoping to do at our new blog...

Our goal here is to spotlight a band for an extended period of time. We anticipate wrting about one band exclusively for approximately two weeks. If something really worthwhile comes up, We'll most likely post it over at the two mirrors and post a link on this site. Please support the bands featured on A Better Offer by purchasing thier music, wearing their t-shirts, seeing them live, or telling your friends about them. The majority of bands covered are independent artists that would love your support.

And big ups to Jeff at Out With The Kids, for giving A Better Offer the royal treatment! Read his post here.

A contest

2006-10-09T22:09:00.000-04:00

So I have been posting a little less than normal lately. It's for many reasons, but mostly because I've also been posting over at (sm)all ages while Clea is away. Read my guest posts here.

Also, you should all have bought Letting Up Despite Great Faults new EP by now. I mean for god sakes, did you listen to the song of the month? Go back down and listen if you haven't heard it yet. And if you didn't buy it yet, I have some great news for you. The guys from Letting Up... have graciously given the two mirrors a copy of thier new EP Movement to give away. So all you have to do is send an email to thetwomirrors@yahoo.com with the subject Letting Up and send your mailing address in the body. And in two weeks RD and I will randomly pick a winner. Come on its that easy. You might even say, easy like sunday morning.

And finally Jeremy Enigk has announced some more tour dates (thank you Brian Newton), this time opening for Cursive. I am one extremely happy camper. You can bet I'll be down in Gainsville for this show. Check them out if they happen to come near you.

10/31 - Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
11/01 - Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ
11/03 - The Black Sheep, Colorado Springs, CO
11/09 - Sokol Auditorium, Omaha, NE
11/11 - The Blue Note, Columbia, MO
11/12 - Young Avenue Deli, Memphis, TN
11/13 - Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
11/14 - Variety Theatre, Atlanta, GA
11/16 - Satellite Ballroom, Charlottesville, VA
11/17 - Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC
11/18 - Cats Cradle, Carrboro, NC
11/20 - The Moon, UF, Tallahassee, FL
11/21 - Reitz Union Ballroom, UF, Gainesville, FL
11/22 - The Club @ Firestone, Orlando, FL
11/24 - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
11/25 - Emo's, Austin, TX
11/26 - Gypsy Ballroom, Dallas, TX

Song Whores--October ZC

2006-10-05T23:46:00.000-04:00

Song: Maybe I'll Hide With You

Band: Letting Up Despite Great Faults

Album: Movement

Time: 3:48

Photo by Ejen Chuang

So it's time for the post formerly known as song of the month. I cannot say enough amazing things about the Letting Up Despite Great Faults. I will definitely say this more than one time in this post...GO BUY THE RECORD. You can buy it from their website or amazon or cd baby. And now on to my review.

So Letting Up first and foremost has a very unique sound. I would say you could think Postal Service or Plus/Minus but that is just because of the electronic feel. Just think really good music. Music that evokes some emotion. There is a heavy emphasis on the piano and acoustic guitars. And an interesting side note is that the vocals are intentionally mixed as to not dominate the songs. The band feels that vocals are simply another instrument and should not dominate the mix. For me, my song of the month is undoubtedly Maybe I'll Hide With You. And as promised, I was able to spend some time talking (via email) with the Mike (the singer from Letting Up Despite Great Faults) about this track.

The first thing you will notice as you listen to this track is how beautiful the melody is. And around 2 minutes and 15 seconds there is a change that changes the way the song feels. I asked Mike specifically about how this musical change played into the story being told. Mike informed that lyrically this song was written about suicide and that when this musical change occurs it was for a very specific reason. "The "goodbye"-s came very naturally. It was a blatant statement about leaving the world but I think the fact that the music becomes more upbeat and the vocal harmonies (which later I re-recorded with Kent and Patrick) become brighter makes it ironically uplifting. This was something very conscious on my part when writing it b/c you can commit suicide (I'm not referring to the physical kind) and it frees you in ways you never thought possible." Now during this change in the song Mike sings "and we will all be there for you." He commented on how fake that statement can sometimes feel. How many times have we heard those words in tough times only to feel completely alone throughout. Mike calls it a, "play on the insincerity that can be expressed at our caring for one another."

Next I asked Mike about some specific lyrics in the song. He talks about a "town" that he can always hide from. I asked if this town was a real place or something more metaphorical. His response was, "The physical "town" I'm referring to is a suburbÃ‚Â well 2 particular suburbs in southern California. They exemplify how some people try their best to make everything picture perfect, but forget that sometimes that means sacrificing character and substance." We also talked about, in my humble opinion, the most prolific lyric in the song. Towards the end of the song Mike sings, "And all you say to me is hanging on to yesterday." I wondered how much that line played on the importance our past and how it affected our future. And maybe how other people view our pasts. Mike wrote me some amazing insight into this line. He wrote that the line, "was actually ad-libbed when I was recording. I needed an end so I just pushed record and sang (well sort of mumbled) that line. This is probably my favorite line in the song because I know I had to have meant it. I never wrote it down." He then expanded this idea with, "I think I meant that some people can be a bit over-obsessed about the past. Everything they say is something that is hanging on from the past. Sometimes it is best to let go as much as you can and not let the past devour the bright future you have. Sometimes you have to stop hiding."

Okay Two Mirrors readers. If you purchase one cd in the next few weeks, get your hands on a copy of Movement by Letting Up Despite Great Faults. Listen to Maybe I'll Hide With You and you'll understand. I assure you that it is worth your $9. That's right folks it's only $9 from their website.

Letting Up Despite Great Faults--Maybe I'll Hide With You

And you can also download a few other tracks from their website. Check them out.

And for even more Letting Up, listen to Shifted Sound Podcast #27

Letting the Tall Poppy Shine

2006-09-28T10:43:00.000-04:00

So my good friend Rachelle passed on to me a two disc collection of Australian indie musicians. She compiled some of Australia's finest and I'd like to share a sampling of my favorites. And as always if you find something you like, click on the link and buy their stuff.

Youth Group had some success recently as they opened up for Death Cab for Cutie on the first leg of their Plans tour. They are from Sydney and in July of 2006 they released Casino Twilight Dogs on Ivy League Records. I had some knowledge of Youthgroup's music, but didn't understand how stellar their stuff is. They have a nice rockin sound. Nothing too strange and a really easy listen. Check out these two tracks.

Youth Group--Shadowland

Youth Group--Catching and Killing

Goyte (pronounced goit) was next up and by far these two songs were my favorite songs from the Australia comp. His music is simply stunning. He has that quality in his music where it's almost uncomfortable to listen too. Think early Bright Eyes with an electronic edge. Both of these tracks are highly recommended! You will be hearing more from Goyte when I get the new record. You can order it here.

Goyte--Hearts a Mess

Goyte--Thanks for Your Time

Carly and Paul provided nice change of pace during the 2 disc compilation. Carly and Paul do not have a record out nor do they even have a webpage to view. They simply have a couple of stunning songs. This track is called Without Me. Clearly they have quite the influence of Tori Amos. And for those of you who really know me, know about my addiction to Tori. RD has even gone to a few shows with me in the past. Back to Carly and Paul. While this rough mix was recorded in one day, this teacher and milkman (its true) duo provide one of the smoothest melodies I have heard in a while. The piano mixed with an acoustic guitar is always a nice combination and Carly and Paul do a fantastic job with this track.

Carly and Paul--Without Me

And Finally is the spirit of Australia, I just need to post this cover of Ben Lee doing Modest Mouse's Float On. I blatantly stole this cover from I Guess I'm Floating from one his Thursday and Covers posts. So check out his site cause he's got some outstanding stuff over there.

Ben Lee--Float On

And on a COMPLETELY SEPARATE note, if you are not listening to the Shifted Sound Podcast yet, you better recognize. Shelby has turned me on to some really great bands lately and has played many a Two Mirrors favorite over time. So go to ITunes and download the podcasts. Also, while you are dowloading the podcast or these great Australian tracks, go over to Shifted Sound and vote for him at podcast alley. I want to see Shifted Sound in the top ten. Just follow the simple directions. Go do it, I promise it doesn't take long.

Check out (sm)all ages and Oh No! Oh My!

2006-09-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

So I RD and me are guest blogging over at (sm)all ages while Clea is away. Along with slew of other guest bloggers. I put the first guest post up over there tonight. Read it here. You may be wondering what the hell RD is going to post at site for kids (Cash reserve your teddy bear jokes if at all possible) but you'll see what he's got.

Anyway. I got some stuff you should be listening too. I think one of things I should make clear about my role in this site is that very rarely I am going to bring you a band that no one has ever heard of. In fact if you read often enough, you'll know that in the blog world, I am usually one of the last to know about a band. Having said that, maybe my role here is to remind you of a band that just blew up on the blogs and then faded away. With blogs wanting to give you the next big thing first, sometimes the old big thing (which was REALLY good) gets pushed aside. Anyway Oh No! Oh My! have a self released record that you can buy at insound and it's really good. Here is sampling of tracks from that record. Like I said these songs have floated around the blogs for a while but you may have forgotten how great they are. Listen especially to The Backseat. It's one of my current favorites.

Oh No! Oh My!--The Backseat

Oh No! Oh My!--Walk in the Park

Oh No! Oh My!--Skip the Foreplay

My mom is cooler than your mom

2006-09-23T15:09:00.000-04:00

So the story goes something like this...

We have Friday night family night every week at my folks house. My brother and his wife (who are expecting), my family of four, and my mom and dad get together every Friday for dinner. Madness ensues as we laugh and enjoy life. Anyway, last week mom says check out this band I heard on NPR. I obliged thinking what could she possibly have heard that I hadn't heard yet. My arrogance backfired as she turned me on to the Silversun Pickups. Somehow in my endless search for good music these guys went unnoticed. Not that others hadn't blogged about them, but I just didn't pay attention. I am really digging this track right now. The melody is just amazing and it has this great 90's indie rock feel. I have placed an order for their new album which can be purchased here...

Purchase Carnavas from Silversun Pickups from Insound

Go buy it.

And take a listen here...

MP3 Silversun Pickups--Three Seed

And they are on tour right now with Viva Voce. Check them out if they come near you...

September 28, The Rickshaw / San Francisco, CA
September 29, Howie & Sons / Visalia, CA
September 30, The Echo / Los Angeles, CA
October 1, Modified / Phoenix, AZ
October 3, Emo's / Austin, TX
October 4, Opolis / Norman, OK
October 5, Randy Bacon Gallery / Springfield, MO
October 6, Jackpot / Lawrence, KS
October 7, Courtyard Cafe / Champaign, IL
October 8, Southgate House / Newport, KY
October 10, Iota / Washington, DC
October 11, Mercury Lounge / New York, NY
October 12, Mercury Lounge / New York, NY
October 13, Johnny Brenda's / Philadelphia, PA
October 14, Boston University / Boston, MA
October 15, Middle East / Boston, MA
October 16, Bug Jar / Rochester, NY
October 17, Lee's Place / Toronto, ONT
October 18, Lime Spider / Akron, OH
October 19, Little Brothers / Columbus, OH
October 20, Empty Bottle / Chicago, IL
October 21, The M-Shop / Ames, IA
October 22, Mojo's / Columbia, MO
October 24, The Hi Dive / Denver, CO
October 26, Neurolux / Boise, ID
October 27, The Crocodile / Seattle, WA
October 28, The Doug Fir / Portland, OR

Now It's Overhead

2006-09-17T22:55:00.000-04:00

I know I know I should have gone to the show. I can't tell you guys how many times I have said those words to RD. I always seem to miss the really good shows. Now I have seen my share of amazing ones too, but life sometimes gets in the way. (It's a life that I wouldn't trade for the world by the way).

Anyway Now It's Overhead have been a band that I have listened to for quite some time now. Yet, for some reason they have never made it to that level of "the next greatest thing" (or something like that). Well this new record may just change that. I am really enjoying thier new album Dark Light Daybreak. I think the following two tracks are two of their finest. I think you should be listening too.

Now It's Overhead--Night Vision

Now It's Overhead--Nothing in Our Way

Take two

2006-09-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

So why is it that bands sometimes take a older song of theirs and remake it later on? I have struggled with this idea for quite some time. Before going any further, it is important to note that one of my favorite performers is quite guilty of this, yet he is the one of the few who is successful with the idea (Bright Eyes--When the Curious Girl Realizes She is Under Glass and When the Curious Girl Realizes She is Under Glass again; Feb. 15h and Happy Birthday to Me (Feb. 15th). Plus/Minus and Death Cab for Cutie are two other bands who have done this also to their music. For whatever reason sometimes it doesn't turn out as well as the listener would like. Below are two recent examples of songs that I absolutely loved, and then the artist rerecorded it and I don't enjoy it quite as much. Both versions of these two tracks are good, but the original is so much better. Take a listen and tell me what you think

The Dears--There Goes my Outfit (demo from Beneath the Surface Volume 2--A Bella Union Sampler)

The Dears--There Goes my Outfit (from the recent release Gang of Losers)

AND

The Long Winters--ultimatum (from the ultimatum EP)

The Long Winters--ultimatum (from their recent release Putting the Days to Bed)

For the record The Dears new album is super and so is The Long Winters. Check them out.

Song Whores--September ZC

2006-09-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

Song of the Month (now re-titled Song Whores)

Band: The Golden Dogs

Song: Never Meant Any Harm

Album: Big Eye Little Eye

Time: 2 minutes, 56 seconds

So my song of the month comes from The Golden Dogs. I must first give a shout out to Shifted Sound for turning me onto these Canadian musicians. They are making some really catchy and refreshing music. And Dave from the band was kind enough to send some info about the song over to the two mirrors for my song of the month. He also sent a full copy of the lyrics, which I'll be happy to post if anyone would like. Anyways here is my full review.

The song begins with a drum machine to provide the overall feel for the song. The recording process for Dave usually begins with an 8 track recorder and he uses a drum machine to “guide to get the main feel of the song” After which he “then replaces them with real drums on the actual recordings.” However, Dave enjoyed the “Kraftwork” feel of the song so he left the drum machine in the beginning of the song. However, “real drums get introduced in the break down after the bridge and eventually turns into a rock song for the last verse/chorus.” One of the defining aspects of this song is how it changes from a electronic type introduction into a rock type song in the middle. The song has such a nice feel to it and this change truly adds to the intensity of this song. Dave informed me that this change was intentional and he likes, “how the cold, staccato techno parts eventually turn into a very stripped down rock song.”

The lyrics of this track are especially amazing. Dave told me he feels like the song is, “about going head first into your dreams and realizing that you've pulled other people's lives into your dreams. Then dealing with the fact that it's a very risky thing to do and feeling the responsibility of it all.” In the opening verse he sings, “thought I wanted more, looked around, just to see what would happen.” I think we all know that feeling in our dreams where we explore a little too far, and then you do feel that sense of guilt in the morning. It’s such a crazy thing. Because we all know that it was simply a dream, yet we get that feeling of guilt when we wake up. And Dave giftedly captures that feeling in his lyrics. Finally, Dave did mention that there are a “few hidden meanings that I won't tell you about.” Spoken like a true artist. We all get to have some fun with the rest.

So, download and listen to the absolute brilliance of The Golden Dogs. And by the way, as always, if you like this track, go buy it here.

The Golden Dogs--Never Meant Any Harm

Some things I'd like to share

2006-09-08T23:06:00.000-04:00

First off, thanks for all the love and support for my award. It has just been an insane couple of days and I have a strange feeling this year is going to be just as wild. I am truly honored and humbled by the whole experience. Okay enough of that and onto the good stuff....

1. The illustrious Clea has posted my monthly guest post over at (sm)all ages. If you guys are reading her site yet, you gotta check it out.

2. The first contest from the two mirrors is over, and even though he did not follow instructions, Cash won the Arizona EP. Congrats Cash--hope you continue to enjoy their music. And the good news is he runs an amazing record store here in Jacksonville. You should be shopping there.

3. Arizona has landed a huge gig with the Whigs at the Mercury Lounge in New York. They are asking for your/our support. If you live in New York or know anyone who lives in New York, get them to that show. They really feel like this is a turning point for their band. Read the whole thing here.

4. My song of the month (soon to be re-titled) will be up by mid week. It's a good one, I've got some great stuff to share and I promise to keep it a little shorter.

5. Im off to Orlando for the weekend. You can believe my ass will be at Park Ave. cds for some new tunes.

And now for reading all of that, a song that I think is absolutely brilliant.

The Lovely Feathers--The Only Appalachian

I-Dee-Clair-War

2006-09-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

In honor of our first ever contest, RD and me (I know grammatically that should be I but me sounds so much better) played a little game of IPOD war. IPOD war is free, fun, and legal in most countries. You play the game just like the card game War. You put your IPOD on shuffle and the first song that comes up battles your friend’s first song. A long discussion follows about which song is better and winner is crowned. So we played five rounds (actually six—see below) to determine who was the winner in the first game of IPOD war here at the two mirrors. Hint: the winner was Sunday. Here is how the game went. Oh yeah you can download each song if you don’t know them and leave your comments about how we were wrong.

Sunday (ZC)

Versus

Broken POS (RD)

Round 1

The National Anthem (live) Radiohead, I Might Be Wrong

Versus

Happily Divided Sebadoh, Bubble and Scrape

Decision: Sebadoh takes down Radiohead because it was the live (and in our opinion sub par to the original) version of The National Anthem. Plus we are on a Sebadoh kick right now.

Round 2
Luna Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream

Versus

Jed Others Poem Grandaddy, The Sophtware Slump

Decision: Smashing Pumpkins in a landslide victory. One of the greatest songs of the 90’s from one of the best albums of the 90’s.

Round 3:

The Prophet (live) Sunny Day Real Estate, Live

Versus

Skip Divided Thom Yorke, The Eraser

Decision: The Prophet takes down Thom’s solo effort. RD described this song as the low one. And he was right. The Prophet is not the greatest Sunny Day song but this live version is outstanding.

Round 4:

Fix Up, Look Sharp Dizzee Rascal, Boy in Da Corner

Versus

In Particular Blonde Redhead, Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons

Decision: Blonde Redhead wins as Dizzee Rascal falls short. The Dizzee song is great yet Blonde Redheads sound beats out Dizzee’s crazy vocals.

Round 5:

The Tourist Radiohead, OK Computer

Versus

Man, Wife, the Latter Desaparacidos, Read Music/ Speak Spanish

Decision: Okay, we were tied 2-2 coming into this fifth round. We both agree that The Tourist is probably a better song, but being that it was the fifth and final round we wanted a clear winner. So onto round 6.

Round 6:

I Was Meant for the Stage Decemberists, Her Majesty The Decemberists

Versus

Title and Registration (demo) Death Cab for Cutie, B-sides

Decision: The Decemberists pounce all over Death Cab. This is probably one of the Decemberists’ best tracks. It is so grand and the lyrics are simply stellar. We had our clear winner.

SUNDAY. (3-2)

Song of the Month - r.d.

2006-09-01T21:58:00.000-04:00

I've been accused of being a "song whore*" in the past, but Brother is seriously one of the best songs I've ever heard. The Annuals are from Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC and are set to release an Album on Ace Fu Records on October 17th and an EP on Terpsikhore Inc. (which I can find absolutely no info on).

Easily my song of the month - most likely my song of the year

MP3 The Annuals - Brother

rd

* song whore - A person who says "This is the greatest song I've ever heard" everytime they hear a new song they like.

Arizona strikes again

2006-08-30T22:16:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to throw up quick post to let you all in on some exciting news about Arizona. The guys sent me an email yesterday to let me know that they loaded three live songs up on their myspace page. These songs are available (for a limited time) for download. They were kind enough to give The Two Mirrors permission to post them here too. So below are the links to download them, but when they take them off the myspace page they will come down from our site soon. So get them now. They are stellar to say the least. And it ties in well with our contest. Don't forget to send us an email with the name of your IPOD and why. We will pick a winner next Friday.

Somersby (live)--Arizona. Wow. Wow. I don't know if I can say enough about this version of this song. Many of you know about my love affair with this track. It is one the best songs I have heard this year by far. And it translates so well live. You gotta listen to this version of the song. I think thier energy brings a new level to this song. And the outro is simply beautiful.

Stay Wit Who Ya Know (live)--Arizona. A rocking version of this track. It's a fun song that I actually like better live than I did on the album. Not to say that the recorded version of the song is not good, but I think this live version tells the story better. Check it out. You can tell how much fun they are having too while they play this song.

New Song/Surviving the Savior (live)--Arizona. So this is what the guys sent me about this song..."a new song from our upcoming EP". That is some of the greatest music news I have read in a while. I think we are all excited about where this band is headed and the fact that WBDC was just released and they are already planning a new ep release is outstanding. And wait until you hear how this leads into Surviving the Savior. Good stuff.

You can now buy thier fantastic record Welcome Back Dear Children at Insound. GO BUY THIS RECORD.

The Contest

2006-08-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentleman, may I present to you the first Two Mirrors contest. I have in my hands, not right now of course—it’s just a figure of speech, an extra copy of the fantastic EP from Arizona, The Sun and the Room. This EP consists of 4 super songs that is a must have for any music fan. These guys are making some of the most amazing music that we have heard in a long time.

What do I have to do you may ask. Well as you all know I just got my first IPOD. And I like to name things. My IPOD has a name, Sunday. That’s right Sunday is her name. My good friend DP once told me he was “easy like Sunday morning.” And since then I have stolen that motto and used it as my own. Now obviously DP stole that from Lionel Ritchie but hey who’s keeping track. Back to Sunday. She was so easy to use when I got her that I decided that her name should be Sunday. What in the world does this have to do with the contest. Well we are looking for the most creative, exciting, unique name for your IPOD (or faux IPOD). Just send us an email at thetwomirrors@yahoo.com describing your IPOD’s name and how you decided on his or her name and we will pick a winner. And if you don’t have an IPOD make a good name up. Hey we are easy here. And the winner will have the Arizona EP The Sun and The Room shipped to his or her door, free of charge. Make sure you email us your mailing address too.

Good luck.

Here is an MP3 from The Sun and The Room.

MP3--Jubilee

Oh and RD is going to drop the name of his IPOD in the comments.

The Rosebuds

2006-08-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

The Rosebuds have been one of my favorite bands for the last few years. I'm very happy to announce that they have released a new demo thru their myspace blog. Although they have used drum machines in the past, this sounds quite different than anything they have done previously. Buy Birds Make Good Neighbors - one of the best albums of 2005!

MP3 The Rosebuds - Hold On To This Coat

Taking on Goliath takes on music

2006-08-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

The magnificent DP has donated his musical knowledge to the two mirrors in this fantastic guest post. If you have not already, you should be reading Taking on Goliath daily. Okay enough of me, let's hear from the DP...

So, my boy Zak was kind enough to post my unsolicited music post, and we thank him greatly.

If you don't know me, I'm Flavobean, the guy behind Taking on Goliath. I don't do music, I do politics. Well, sometimes I do music.

But for all intents and purposes, you want music, you come to The Two Mirrors. These guys do music and they do music well.

So enough with the praise and self promotion. I'm writing here at TTM because I have come across an upcoming CD that sounds pretty awesome.

It's Colours Are Brighter, a children's album curated by those sad sacky bastards from across the pond Belle and Sebastian.

Easily, not one of my favorite bands.

But it has all these children's songs done by some pretty big names (Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand, Rasputina). I'm personally addicted to The Four Tet's "Go Go Ninja Dinosaur" but I love all things strange and Asian.

[insert inappropriate Asian porn joke here]

I'm also digging Snow Patrol's "I Am An Astronaut."

Anyway, the CD drops October 16 (I guess Oct 17 here). You can here the Snow Patrol and Four Tet track at the website, Colours Are Brighter. You can also check them out at their MySpace page.

Alright, like my boy Tom Cruise says...

Much Love.

Shifted Sound and the D

2006-08-22T22:26:00.000-04:00

The fine folks over at Shifted Sound are running a great podcast that you should be listening to. The Two Mirrors received an email from Shelby Miller, the host, about a recent episode that featured The Two Mirrors favs Arizona. So I went over and listened to my first ever podcast and was thouroughly pleased. Not only did Shelby provide a fantastic interview which provided much insight into the making of Welcome Back Dear Children, but he also played some fantastic tunes from Arizona. All of the tunes were preceded by an introduction by one of the members of the band. The Shifted Sound Arizona interview can be heard here:

Shifted Sound Episode 023

I highly suggest that you sign up and listen to Shelby's podcast. He has featured bands such as Bishop Allen, Irving, The Long Winters, Oh No Oh My, Maria Taylor, and many more. Upcoming podcasts will include exclusive live tracks from John Ralston, a show cohosted by Wintergreen's Drew Mottinger and more.

And for those of you who are wondering, the IPOD loading is still going on. I am up to letter T in my library and while I have been loading I have been reminded of some fantastic music that I own that I may have forgotten about. If you don't laugh at this song below than you should check your pulse. Good stuff that reminds me of Dinosaur World and mullets.

Tenacious D--Inward Singing

Another Reason To Be Proud Of Jacksonville

2006-08-18T10:35:00.000-04:00

Mogwai

2006-08-17T19:34:00.000-04:00

I can't understand why more people do not listen to Mogwai. Most people I know have heard of them but didn't really pay much attention. For the last ten years they have been putting out some really good records. They released Mr. Beast this year and it's definitely in my top ten of 2006 so far.

MP3 - Mogwai - Glasgow Mega-Snake from Mr. Beast (highly recommended)

MP3 - Hunted By A Freak from Happy Songs For Happy People

rd

Isn't she pretty

2006-08-16T23:11:00.000-04:00

So I got an IPOD. And I also got a Sounddock from Bose. Life is good. For years now I resisted getting an IPOD for reasons way to complicated and various to describe here. But I have one now. And life has changed. I know all you hipsters went through this life changing process years ago, but nevertheless I am here now. So I have been up countless hours adding music to my library and after tonight I will have added everything that I want on there up to the letter J. That is actually about half my cds. For those of you who don't know A-J is rather encompassing for me because of my obsession with Tori Amos, Bright Eyes, and Death Cab for Cutie. So in celebration of my first 1166 songs loaded on the old IPOD, I thought I'd try a little something. I just turned it one and pressed shuffle. Below are the first three songs that played. I did not edit or skip any songs. I kept it as real as it comes. I hope you enjoy the tracks.

Starlight Mints--Sidewalk. I posted this song before but it may have gotten lost in the shuffle. I actually really like the Starlight Mints. And this song happens to be one of top three favorite Mints songs. It got a great melody. The opening notes tell the whole story.

Bright Eyes--Everything Must Belong Somewhere. Oh you all can thank my IPOD another day. this track is so amazing. I think I may have mentioned my Bright Eyes obsession before. And this song is just stellar. Conor shows some of his most exceptional lyrics on this track. Please for your own good download this song. I can't promise it will stay up forever. I feel a little uneasy posting it as it is. But I set the rules for IPOD post and I had to follow them.

Death Cab for Cutie--Champagne From a Paper Cup. I really think this is the highlight from Something About Airplanes. The lyric "I think I'm drunk enough to drive you home now," tells the whole story.

Song of the Month--Somersby

2006-08-13T00:47:00.000-04:00

Song Title: MP3-- Somersby

Band: Arizona

Album: Welcome Back Dear Children

Time: 4:08

So I have been listening to Welcome Back Dear Children nonstop for a month or so now. And I still have not quite found a way to describe to you all how amazing this record is. But as I was driving to work on Monday—that’s right it's back to work for this teacher—I was listening to Somersby and I thought I gotta find a way to spotlight this song on the two mirrors. So I came up with the (unoriginal) idea of spotlighting a song each month. However, my intentions were to really go deep into the song and share with you all my feelings and hopefully gain some insight from the band about the track. Well Ben, from Arizona, was kind enough to share with me an abundance of information about Somersby and I am going to do my best to synthesize it all together for you below. Anyway, we hope to keep this feature going but it’s going to be hard to top this track.

Somersby finds itself nuzzled in at track 10 on Welcome Back Dear Children and it follows Surviving the Savior which is a tough act to follow. However, it quickly proves itself as the highlight of this record. Somersby begins with a keyboard piece that according to Ben, “is some kind of vibraphone/Wurlitzer hybrid patch on a Yamaha keyboard.” This keyboard piece is crucial to the song, as it comes back in the end in a reinterpreted form as if to remind of where we began. After this intro keyboard, this “absolutely wild guitar orchestra” explodes to begin the story of Somersby. This explosion was the result of a “stream of consciousness style” that was suggested by Nick. In my humble opinion Nick’s most valuable suggestion was to “follow its form a little bit.” I truly believe that songs can take on a life of their own. And while I am not a musician myself, I certainly understand the power that a song can take on. Ben explains that the band began to feel like Somersby was about “a kamikaze deep space scientist who had reached the end of his wits and had set his space craft on a collision course for the sun.” If you can stay with this idea for a moment, in my mind, during this sound explosion you can envision the scientist freaking out and heading for the sun. At the conclusion of this explosion, the opening keyboards are reinterpreted and I can just see this scientist in slow motion heading for the sun as his life flashes before him. Ben let me know that, “The final ending is a reinterpretation of a riff I recorded 2 years ago at the same time I wrote the piano part, but I never intended the two to go together.” It’s rather interesting to me that the beginning and ending keyboard pieces were not written for the same track.

There are so many more layers to this song but one of the more interesting things that Ben shared with me was about the lyrics. He originally had many more lyrics to the song. However the line “Somersby, oh Somersby, a man with a thousand eye's can't see that all that I want... and all I must get... is everything that ain't happened to me yet,” is the line that is the focal point of the song. According to Ben, “it’s the only original vocal part that made it to the final song” I really like this idea that even the most visually astute person can’t see that you will eventually get everything you need in life. That little word yet is so powerful in this lyric.

And I think I would be doing a disservice to the musicians out there if I were to try and interpret what Arizona was doing technically. So here a few quotes from Ben about the technical aspects of Somersby and the entire Welcome Back Dear Children album.

The song starts off with a reversed sample of Danny Kadar dropping my Jamison 2x12 combo amplifier and causing its reverb tank to go haywire.

Another funny little piece of information about Somersby is that during the mix, either Alex (bassist/engineer) or Danny forgot to unmute the kick drum channel on the console (for the technical minded out there, WBDC was mixed on a super nice big format Neve console to tape) or something, because it was mixed to tape without a bass drum.

Alex actually had to go back and line up the original kick drum track to the master and blend it in before the CD could be duplicated. So if you really listen, you can hear the kick is separated from everything else just a bit.

Also, I hope to do a sequel to Somersby one day- Arizona has a lot of "character" songs, like Jubilee, David, Sylvester Wheat vs. Finneas B, and I think it would be fun one day to do a song or an album that was all about the goings on of these characters.

Somersby is a great example of how the drums got done on Welcome Back Dear Children. The majority of the song is played by Nick on drums, but that very ending part is played by Alex. A lot of the drums on WBDC are hybrid performances with Nick playing most of it with Alex adding his touches in key parts.

Okay, Two Mirrors readers, it’s time listen up and go buy this record. You can get it at itunes from the link below. It comes with the highest recommendations possible from both of the mirrors, RD and myself. You really should go out a buy this album, it is truly amazing.

Arizona--Welcome Back Dear Children via Itunes

Reasons to Own a Record Player

2006-08-07T20:23:00.000-04:00

This is the first installment of "Reasons to Own a Record Player". There are quite a few hidden gems released on 7" or as extra tracks on Vinyl. I wasn't real high tech in transferring these songs. I just hooked up my record player to my computer and adjusted the volume. The first track is And Then by Pavement . This is an early version of the song The Hexx from Terror Twilight. In comparison to The Hexx, this song is very raw and rocking. Complete with off key vocals. One of Pavement's finest. The second track is a Blue Angels Air Show by Bright Eyes . This track is from a Devil In The Woods 7". This 7" came free with the magazine and was previously only available with limited copies of the magazine. The song will be included on the new Bright Eyes compilation Noise Floor.

MP3 Pavement - And Then - And Then from the Spit on A Stranger 7"

MP3 Bright Eyes - Blue Angels Air Show - from the Devil in the Woods 7"

I'm having troubles with EZarchive right now, so I had to use yousendit.com to post these songs. If you have trouble downloading them let me know and I'll refresh the link. thetwomirrors@yahoo.com

rd

8/5/76

2006-08-05T08:11:00.000-04:00

First and foremost, RD, my idea about song of the month is only unoriginal if you do it like you did. That was one sorry post. I may be a little dismayed too that you found that pic. of me after your star wars themed birthday party at your house last year. Just wait until I find the one of you as princess lea. And I am going to blow this thing song of the month thing up. I have been in contact with the band who is going to provide us with my song of the month and I have some AMAZING stuff.

On a more important note. I am 30 today and I am leaving for Tampa to watch my beloved red sox play. I will not be updating until mid-week and again I hope RD will hold down (and not bring down) the fort. Those pics above were from the whiffle ball/birthday party we held last night in honor of my last day in the twenties. My wonderful wife convinced all my friends and family to go in for the 60 GB ipod for me. So far I have taken it out of the box and put it back in the box three times. I know once I hook it up I will not put in down. So I am waiting. And I cannot say enough incredible things about what my wife, parents, friends, and family did for me last night. You guys are amazing. It feels good to be thirty when you surround yourself with such amazing people.

And on a final note, Clea, over at (sm)all ages, put up my guest post yesterday of the kiddies favorite tunes from August. Check it out here.

ZC (Happy birthday to me)

August: Song of the Month - r.d.

2006-08-04T12:02:00.000-04:00

Here at the Two Mirrors we wanted to find a way to be even more unoriginal so, ZAK came up with Song of The Month. The new feature will most likely last 2-3 months... that's my guess anyway. So now I guess I'm supposed to describe the song to you...

MP3 BRIAN BORCHERDT - MOTEL from the album The Remains of Brian Borcherdt

I feel kind of late to the party on this one. This album was released in 2004 but I didn't hear it until June 06. Motel is a very simple and straight forward song. Actually, it's perfect. Just listen to it.

A teacher and his deceiving songs

2006-08-02T23:01:00.000-04:00

I gotta say that this is gonna be a short post. For those of you who don't know I am a 4th grade mathematics teacher. Yeah that's right, out there saving the world one knucklehead at a time. For the record, I absolutely love my job and I wouldn't change it for the world. Anyway, I bring this up because I started school on Tuesday (we have four days of planning and the kids return August 7th) and life is gonna be a little wild for a little bit. But the other mirror (RD) is gonna hold down the fort over here at the two mirrors.

Anyway I was driving to work today listening to Control by Pedro the Lion, and track five, Progress, came on. For those of you who know that song it starts off really convoluted and messy. It sounds like it was recorded super indie and then about 50 seconds in these big drums kick in and the recording is great. It then reminded me of another song who starts off like it was recorded in the basement and was intended to be a demo of some sort, yet then kicks in like it was recorded with some of the best equipment and has a really big sound. That track is Title Track from Death Cab for Cutie. If you can think back to the first time you heard that song, I know I thought well this recording sucks. While this change is a little more subtle than Pedro the lion when it kicks in around 1:40, you understand.

Check them out

MP3--Pedro the Lion--Progress

MP3--Death Cab for Cutie--Title Track

So this leads me to your challenge. Are there other songs that I am forgetting that are structured similarly to those two above. As a matter of fact, I am sure that there are I just can't think of them right now. So leave a message in the comments if you can think of another track structured like this. Remember, I'm a teacher.

On a somewhat related note, if you go back and read the comments from my last post, Cash has an interesting connection with these two bands that I did not think of when I thought of this post. Again you should check out these two Cash related sites

Also Jeremy Enigk has released two MP3's from his new album on his website. Check them out and someday soon, I'll give my opinion.

ZC (It wasn't as short as I thought)

So you want some music...

2006-07-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

Here’s a sampling of what I purchased in O-town. And sorry for the weak intro picture. But I think the tunes will make up for it.

MP3--The Long Winters--Hindsight. I really think that this record is The Long Winters' strongest work to date. It’s simply fabulous. It’s an easy listen and you’ll undoubtedly find yourself tapping your feet as you listen.

MP3--Band of Horses—Our Swords. There is a demo of this song on their website that is actually better than this finalized version. It was called bass song then. But this more polished version fits much better on this record that some of you (RD) may see as a rip off from the Jacket. But I think they have their own style and I am really enjoying this record.

MP3--Pedro the Lion—Let Down. I know this floated around quite a bit on the blogs. But this cover is so eerily similar to the original that it is worth at least one listen. And yes RD Control is amazing and I am listening to more Pedro the Lion.

MP3--My Morning Jacket--Golden. RD was wrong. I love saying that. RD was wrong. When I asked him about this live acoustic EP he said it was alright and not as good as the new live stuff that is coming out from the Jacket. While I cant argue about the new live stuff because I haven’t heard it all, this little EP is simply stellar. It showcases Jim James in a bare bones acoustic performance that is just unforgettable. The last three songs are simply amazing.

Also here’s a couple of things I read/heard in the last week:

Thom Yorke is releasing a single for Harrowdown Hill in three different formats.

Ltd CD1. Harrowdown Hill2. The Drunkk Machine3. Harrowdown Hill (Extended Mix)
Ltd 7"A: Harrowdown HillB: Jetstream
Ltd 12"A: Harrowdown Hill (Extended Mix)B: The Drunkk Machine
Pre-order all three formats for five pounds from Record Store

The Stars Remix Album is going to happen. Im sorry I can’t recall where I heard this but It going to be entitled Do you trust your friends (or something close to that) and will include remixes from The Dears, Broken Social Scene, Metric, and other artists of the Canadian origin.

And on a similar note, Memphis is releasing an album soon too. Its called A little place in the wilderness. It’s slated for release on August 15, 2006, but Im not sure that date will hold true because I am finding it hard to check that date anywhere else. I never really got into the Memphis stuff but maybe this record will change that.

ZC

Park Avenue cds

2006-07-26T21:24:00.000-04:00

So Im Orlando, Fl on business (don't I sound big time). Anyway. I found myself wandering the streets (by wandering I mean driving around haphazardly) to find a copy of the new Long Winters Cd that was released yesterday. I found a Barnes and Noble and entered. They were having this dramatic performance of Harry Potter for a bunch of kids at what Im guessing was a birthday party. Anyway, at no surprise to me, they did not have the CD. But the guy at the counter seemed pretty cool so I asked if there was an independent record store nearby and he told me about park avenue cds. They are a great little record store. They had a dj playing great music when I walked in and they had about 15-20 people in the store on a Wednesday night in the summer. Pretty impressive for something (independent record stores) that we sometimes view as fading away. If was so inspiring to see an independent record store thriving. I will be heading back tomorrow to just be in there while I'm in Orlando. Cash you gotta model Moon Colony after these guys. And let me pubically say that was Cash and Co are doing with their store is simply amazing for Jacksonville. I just wish Jacksonville was more supportive of this type of thing. I guess that's the south for you.

If you are wondering I bought:
The Long Winters--Putting the Days to Bed
Band of Horses--Everything All the Time
Cursive--Dorthy at 40 (7")
The Subways--Young for Eternity (It's for Aiden and explain soon)
They also gave me two free samplers. Smack 2006 (includes Built to Spill, Regina Spektor, Dinosaur Jr., Secret Machines, and more) and The International Noise Conspiracy (live EP).

So I am feeling the love right now and my hope in independent record stores was renewed. My laptop is being a pain right now and I can't upload music to ezarchive but I will get some MP3s up for you when I get home.

And as DP announced, I turn 30 next Saturday. Send some good vibes my way because I am feeling very old.

ZC

Arizona--Welcome Back Dear Children

2006-07-24T22:15:00.000-04:00

As RD told you yesterday, Arizona released Welcome Back Dear Children via Itunes and you can purchase the album directly by clicking on the link below.

Arizona--Welcome Back Dear Childen via ITunes

So I thought I’d treat this record right and give it a proper review. RD turned me on to this band about a month ago and I clearly remember my first reaction. As I listened I thought… this band has something special. I remember listening thinking that in a year I’d remember the first time I heard them and smile. It reminded me of the first time I listened to The Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, Broken Social Scene, and Bright Eyes. It’s like I could tell that someday soon I would get it. Don’t get me wrong I don’t think Arizona necessarily sounds like any of those bands above, but I just felt I was listening to something new and fresh that would undoubtedly be part of my current listening for a long time. Having said that I heard Welcome Back Dear Children in its entirety last night and here are my early reactions.

The album starts with Te Amo Tanto, a dreamy pop song that provides a nice backdrop to the record. It leads straight into Some Kind of Chill—a track we’ve all been listening to non stop for over a month. It’s interesting to hear it in the context of the whole album. I still get chills when he sings, “It’s gone looking for space, as people all will, until they get to that place…” Track three provides quite the surprise in Away. I am certain that this song will have that same feel that Some Kind of Chill provides after repeated listens. The album continues its wistful pop feel through Diventa Blue and that leads us to the standout. Splintering is the track that sold me on this band when I first heard them. The rock in this track sells it and it’s the first time on the record that they veer from that dreamy pop feel that you were just getting comfortable with. Just when you get comfortable there, Arizona take you on another little detour with Old Man With a Bad Back Climbing up a Staircase and David. These two tracks are oriented around a piano and are just straight up good indie pop. The later is a little more pop than Old Man… but they both have pretty fantastic moments. Now Waking Up is just a short little ballad centering on an acoustic guitar that even has a little Wilco flair to it. Surviving the Savior fits nicely at track 9 because it sort of weaves itself through the musical moments that have presented themselves so far on this record. You have the acoustic guitar, that amazing voice, and a good bit of rocking at the end. Somersby is a great little song that is most similar to Splintering if you liked that track. It’s got some nice oh ohs in it and it’s got a got bit of rocking in its soul. The drums on this track are really amazing. Now I’m no drum expert, but they just seem to stand out to me on this song. Stay With Who You Know finds itself at track 11 and it seems to be the song that I’m struggling to fit into the context of the record. It’s a good song, but I can’t seem to put it into context yet. Don’t get me wrong, I have only listened 5 times or so, and I’m sure I’ll make some sense of it soon. It just has a completely different feel to it. And at 4:43 it clocks in as the longest song on the cd. Through the Soot and On Judgment Day close out this record in the same dreamy style that began it.

Overall, I am completely and utterly impressed by Arizona. The fact that this is their debut record just amazes me. It seems that there are a very few bands in my extensive library that have created such beautiful music on their debut record. I hope that you all take my advice and go to itunes and buy Welcome Back Dear Children soon. I assure you that these guys are on the brink of success and you’ll be glad you were along for the ride.

PAVEMENT

2006-07-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

OH SWEET BABY JESUS

Pitchfork reports that Wowee Zowee will receive the double disc treatment. Very few details have been released as of yet. No track listing yet, but hopefully a Novemeber release date... I need a towel.

OLE-722 2 dbl CD Pavement -- Wowee Zowee DELUXE Fall 2006

rd
I know I'm a dork

Who needs a drummer?

2006-07-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the title is a little tongue-in-cheek. I just wanted a reason to post these songs.

MP3 Spoon - Stay Don't Go

MP3 Death Cab For Cutie - Lightness (demo)

rd

Jeff Tweedy

2006-07-23T20:38:00.000-04:00

Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco ) is a genius. I've unfortunately never had the oppurtunity to see Jeff Tweedy live. I have had the pleasure of seeing Wilco and was impressed, but I fstill feel like i'm missing out on something. This version of Sunken Treasure is simply amazing. The version on Out There doesn't do the song justice.

MP3 Jeff Tweedy - Sunken Treasure (live)

MP3 Jeff Tweedy - Arline to Heaven (live)

Arizona's Welcome Back Dear Children has officially been released on iTunes.... Go buy it now!

Items of interest

2006-07-22T23:29:00.000-04:00

So I've got a lot to share. First and foremost, we gotta welcome back the RD. He's been on hiatus for a little while and his presence was missed. Enough with the cheese and onto the music. In my mailbox today were two new cds. Man, I really do love new music. I (finally) got my copy of The Merediths EP. I really am having a hard time figuring out why they have not become more successful. I think the EP is super. I still think that Marmalade Maggie is the standout track, but man Homo Erectus is great. I've had a hard time finding a whole lot about the history of the band. But I do know for certain that one member, Jonathan, is no longer with the band, yet he is the contact person for discrepancies with paypal. Hence the (finally) above. He was super nice and put me in contact with some of the other members, and I did receive my cd. Take a listen and leave some comments with what you think.

MP3--The Merediths--Homo Erectus

The other cd I received was the Arizona EP, The Sun and the Room. RD and I have been singing these guys praises for quite some time now and you can't expect it to stop anytime soon. I'm not posting a new MP3 here, but here are the links to the previous posts where can sample a few songs. Post #1, Post #2. People listen up, Arizona are amazing!

Both Sides of the Mouth (my pick for blog of the moment) has posted some more Starlight Mints songs and a concert review of their most recent show. (hint: Midlake opened). They have also posted a live video of seventeen devils captured at above mentioned show. Go check it out and tell your friends. They've got good stuff over there. But don't forget about us when you see how great their blog is.

And now for the real reason I wanted to post. My Morning Jacket. I love this band. I have been meaning to share this track for a while now. I pre-ordered Z from the band last year and they gave an unreleased MP3 for doing so. The track is called How Could I Know and if you haven't heard this track yet you really should. My first impressions (way back) were that it was not as good as the tracks on Z and its place as an outake was appropriate. Well I am rescinding that opinion immediately. It's a great track and it reminds me of a different time in My Morning Jacket history. As a bonus I have posted my favorite My Morning Jacket song of all time below. I still get goosebumps.

MP3--My Morning Jacket--How Could I Know

MP3--My Morning Jacket--Phone Went West

ROCKTOBER

2006-07-21T14:23:00.000-04:00

I'm Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know it's only July, but October looks like it's going to be a great month in music.

The Decemberists are scheduled to release their major label debut The Crane Wife on 10/03 on Capitol Records. The album is based on a tragic Japanese folk tale. The group enlisted Death Cab For Cutie's Chris Walla and Seattle mainstay Tucker Martine to man the decks.

1 The Crane Wife 3
2 The Island:Come and SeeThe Landlord's DaughterYou'll Not Feel the Drowning
3 Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
4 O Valencia!
5 The Perfect Crime #2
6 When the War Came
7 Shankill Butchers
8 Summersong
9 The Crane Wife 1 & 2
10 Sons and Daughters

MP3 The Decemberists - The Tain Part 1 (Demo) - courtesy of the Decemberist's MySpace page.

Bright Eyes is scheduled to release a b-side rarities compilation on 10/24 entitled Noise Floor. on Saddle Creek. I was hoping for more unreleased tracks but they only provided two.

01 Mirrors and Fevers
02 I Will Be Grateful for This Day
03 Trees Get Wheeled Away
04 Drunk Kid Catholic
05 Spent on Rainy Days
06 The Vanishing Act
07 Soon You Will Be Leaving Your Man
08 Blue Angels Air Show
09 Weather Reports
10 Seashell Tale*
11 Bad Blood*
12 Amy in the White Coat
13 Devil Town
14 I've Been Eating (For You)
15 Happy Birthday to Me (Feb. 15)
16 Motion Sickness
17 Act of Contrition
18 Hungry for a Holiday**
19 When the Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass Again**
20 Entry Way Song**
21 It's Cool, We Can Still Be Friends**

* previously unreleased ** bonus tracks for the vinyl

MP3 - Bright Eyes - The Trees Get Wheeled Away

My Morning Jacket is schedule to release Okonokos, a live double cd. More importantly though (and keeping with the October theme), they a scheduled to release a DVD of the show on 10/31. My Morning Jacket's live show is truly amazing and although i'm sure the DVD won't completely capture the live experience completely, it should be on everyone's wish list. The movie will also be screened in select cities. I can guarantee it will not screen anywhere close to me.

CD track list

Disc one:
Wordless Chorus
It Beats 4 U
Gideon
One Big Holiday
I Will Sing You Songs
Lowdown
The Way That He Sings
What A Wonderful Man
Off The Record
Golden
Lay Low

Disc two:
Dondante
Run Thru
At Dawn
Xmas Curtain
O Is The One That Is Real
I Think I'm Going To Hell
Steam Engine
Dancefloors
Anytime
Mahgeeta

MP3 MyMorning Jacket - At Dawn (live) from Okonokos

Jeremy Enigk (former Sunny Day Real Estate and current Fire Theft frontman) is scheduled to release World Waits on 10/17 on Enigk’s own Lewis Hollow Recordings. It was been 10 years since he released Return of the Frog Queen, a truly amazing record. I'm kind of bummed that Alcohol and Asleep Under Last Week's News didn't make the cut...

1. A New Beginning
2. Been Here Before
3. River To Sea
4. City Tonight
5. Cannons
6. Damien Dreams
7. Wayward Love
8. Dare A Smile
9. World Waits
10. Burn

MP3 Jeremy Enigk - Burn (live)

r.d.

Midlake

2006-07-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

Joey asked, so I’ll tell. I do enjoy the music of Midlake. I’m not sure if you were comparing Midlake to Band of Horses, which in essence compares them to My Morning Jacket. But I definitely think that Midlake is similar to Band of Horses. Now I don’t have the leaked version of the album which comes out July 25th, and I have only heard the two songs below, but I think the singer from Midlake definitely has a more unique and enjoyable voice than the singer in Band of Horses. However, I like Band of Horses a little better. Midlake reminds me of the 70’s. I just feel like they could have been part of the soundtrack to Almost Famous. So far. I can definitely make a better judgment when I hear both records in their entirety. Which I plan to do as soon as the Midlake record is released. Anyway for now I do think that these two songs are really great and I think you’ll enjoy them too.

MP3--Midlake--Roscoe

MP3--Midlake--We Gathered in Spring

Band of Horses

2006-07-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

So I know I am the last person on earth to post about this band. If it makes you all feel any better, I have had these songs for a little while, but I forgot about them. Then while working late last night this song came on and it reminded me how brillant they are. Band of Horses remind me of My Morning Jacket. Especially his voice. This song doesn't even attempt to rock like The Jacket does, but that's not the goal of this band. At least in my mind. Plus pitchfork, way back in March, gave this album and 8.8. Anyway it is quite the enjoyable tune. If you check out their website, there are other songs for download and they say a fall tour will be announced soon.

MP3--Band of Horses--Funeral.

By the way, I keep telling you people about Moon Colony Razorblade. You should be shopping there instead of Target. Cash Im coming soon and I need the Band of Horses cd and the Oh No! Oh My! cd.

The track sevens (part two)

2006-07-17T10:35:00.000-04:00

So I was down and out for 4 days with no computer. Long boring story that you don’t want to hear. The moral of the story is don’t leave your only copy of your music on your computer. I am a traditionalist in that sense. I have mounds of cdr’s laying around with all my music from the computer. But I am glad to be back. I hope to get back to more regular updates with my new computer!

So this is where I am with the track seven issue. I am going to post these last five track sevens and I’ll leave it alone. I was hoping to hear from all of you on this topic, because all of the people (in person) I have talked to about this seem to agree whole heartedly with the topic. And maybe that’s why no one is saying anything in the comments. You all just accept this theory and you’ve known about it for years. But please if you got something to say, leave it in the comments section below. Especially if you disagree. Give me your argument. Because I’ve thought of a few track sevens that are not that great, but I’m certainly not going to nullify our own theory. That’s your job. Enjoy.

Shine a Light—Wolf Parade. It’s my favorite Wolf Parade song. It just got such a good feel to it. I may be in the minority here, but I never really loved this record. Don’t get me wrong, It’s really good, but there are times where it just doesn’t do it for me. But track seven saves it every time.

Explain—Jeremy Enigk. So with all this Jeremy Enigk talk I went back to Return of the Frog Queen to listen. Yet again, I get to track seven and its brilliant. His voice is simply amazing on this track. When he is singing “how can I explain dear, you’ve been gone for some time. Man that’s some good stuff. You may argue that Shade and the Black Hat is better, and you can make your case here, but it’s track 8 and that’s close enough for me.

This Modern Love—Bloc Party. I’m sure RD will argue that there is no track on this record that’s worthy of a post. But I really got into Bloc Party last year and it often finds its way into my cd player. While not the most rocking song, it’s undeniably the most catchy. Yet it was the single and there weren’t to many track sevens that I have mentioned that were the single.

Grace Cathedral Hill—The Decemberists. This was actually the first decemberists song I heard (thank your RD) and it is still probably my favorite. This was a tough one, because there are a handful of songs on Castaways and Cutouts that are just as good.

Soma—Smashing Pumpkins. I was discussing this topic with the brother in law on Saturday and he made this suggestion. I put it up here for him becuase it fits here, but mayonnaise always was my favorite from Siamese Dream.

Anyway enjoy the songs and leave a comment if you’ve got the time. ZC

And if you’ve got the time you should check out Out with the Kids. It’s a fun website for parents and Jeff is a great guy who runs things over there. He’s got some really interesting history with music. I’m gonna add his website to our links over on the left real soon, because RD and I are going to change up the site a little bit.

Thom Yorke

2006-07-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

Am I the only one who waited? Well I went and bought (that's right--what a noble idea) the eraser this morning and I have had only one listen. But guess what folks? Track seven. My favorite. See below for more information. Anyway the song is one of the more rockin songs on the record (and I use the term rocking loosely). However, Thom's voice is at it's strongest, in my humble opinon. And while this is definitely not a Radiohead album nor do I think its a predictor of what the new Radiohead album will sound like, I am still enjoying. But you all knew that because you've had it for a month.

Thom Yorke--And it Rained All Night

The Track Sevens

2006-07-10T21:44:00.000-04:00

So Rd and I have this ongoing (for at least 5 years now) discussion about how you can always tell how good a record is by track 7 on the cd. (Rd hinted at it with his Canada Posts #2.) We have gone as far as to say that for most records the best track is song seven. At the very least it is a good song. I have yet to find too many records that I love that I don't enjoy track seven. Anyway, we have many theories about why this phenomenon occurs and we will undoubtedly share them in the upcoming days. But for now here are a number of songs (track sevens) from records that I love. I hope you all will leave your comments as to which track sevens I forgot and any track sevens that disprove this theory. RD will be posting some soon too. We all miss you man.

The Lovely Feathers--Photocorners. This is a good place to begin, because this is undoubtedly the highlight of this record. I actually really enjoy The Lovely Feathers and I am anticipating their presence in a top ten of 2006 this year. I know we have posted this song before but I'm working on the track seven thing remember.

Pavement--Gold Soundz. Okay I know this is so NOT my territory. For those of you who don't' know, RD is our resident Pavement expert and you may argue that Range Life is better but I'll hold my ground on this one because for me, it is most likely my favorite Pavement song (insert the un-indie remarks below).

Mates of State--Nature and the Wreck. Another track we (I) have posted before here at the two mirrors. But for me it is proving the theory. However, this one is interesting because it is not characteristic of the entire album. Not at all. Yet it is the track that I find myself listening too most on Bring it Back.

Audio Explorations--Ginnie Springs. That's right. You could argue that I don't want to be a rock star is better, but this song has such a great feel to it. This record reminds me of a time when I was younger. For those of you who don't know them, now is the time in your life to enjoy the glory that is Audio Explorations.

The Boy Least Likely To--I'm Glad I Hitched My Apple Wagon to Your Star. I still really enjoy this record and this is my favorite track. You should be listening to The Boy Least Likely To.

The Arcade Fire--Wake Up. Can you even argue this one? I can't think of any song on this record that comes close and this is an amazing record. We all know the brillance of the Arcade Fire and this song is clearly their best.

Death Cab For Cutie--Company Calls. This may well have been the song that sparked this discussion many years ago. And some of you may argue that DCFC did better with Company Calls Epilogue and I'll listen to that argument. But where would the epilogue be without the original.

Bright Eyes--I Believe in Symmetry. Conversation over. One of my favorite records from last year and this is undoubtedly the highlight of the record. I mean when the change happens in this song, you know you are hooked. Conor did it right on this record and especially this song.

Bright Eyes--Napoleon's Hat. I've been looking for a reason to share this song with you all and in a strange turn of events, I realized that our theory may even be true for compilations. This song comes from the Lagniappe comp from Saddle Creek and you guessed it--track seven. Another amazing track from Bright Eyes.

Keep checking back as I hope this only sparks more conversation, and I imagine I will think of many more soon. ZC

The Dave Pittman Birthday EP

2006-07-09T20:54:00.000-04:00

So, DP is 27 today. First and foremost, I've said it before, you should check out his blog--Taking on Goliath--for your up to date information on the crazy things our government does. Anyway, I wanted to let you all enjoy the Dave Pittman Birthday Ep. 6 songs that were chosen to supplement Hank (see Taking on Goliath for details). For all of you out there who have not had the pleasure of having such a friend in your life, I'm sorry. But DP you are the man and I wish you the best birthday. By the way the picture above is from The Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1998 in RFK, ironically where Dave spent his Saturday.

Voxtrot--Rise up in the Dirt. Dave claims Voxtrot is a winter only band. I understand his point so I tried to find a song of theirs that felt like the summer. This song is the best I could do, but I really think if you are not listening to Voxtrot yet, then you have some issues you should work out in your musical tastes.

Plus/Minus--Steal the Blueprints. This is from their forthcoming album. You see Dave and I have some history with Plus/Minus and I think he may have forgotten how amazing they are. So enjoy this one for the old times DP.

The Long Winters--The Commander Thinks Aloud. So this track is probably not the most characteristic of The Long Winters, but it is undeniably one of their best. Think David Bowie doing space oddity for indie rockers. I am really beginning to like this band.

Gnarls Barkley--Smiley Faces. Come on DP, you gotta get on board or it will be too late. These guys are simply amazing. You cannot enjoy the summer of 06 without Gnarls Barkley. This song makes me so happy and it makes this boy feel like he can dance.

Starlight Mints--Sidewalk. This is from their new record Drownatown and I love it. This is the last song on the cd and it is so worth the wait. The ride through the cd is well worth the trip too. This is another song that is maybe a little uncharacteristic of their music as a whole, but it is amazing.

Arizona--Splintering. This may be an overstatement. But I cannot envision myself ever making another mix tape without this track on it. These guys are brilliant. See previous post and comments for more details.

Happy Birthday DP!

The guest blogger

2006-07-05T23:50:00.000-04:00

Head over to (sm)all ages for a top 6 (in two parts) of my kids favorite tunes. Cleo is as sweet as can be and she runs a fantastic site over there. I don't have much else for you here at the two mirrors today. So just check out this song. I think you'll enjoy. Im back on my Mates of State kick. It's one of my favorites from their new (hey it was released in 2006) record.

Mates of State--Like U Crazy

ZC

Happy Independents Day!

2006-07-04T23:01:00.000-04:00

A couple of good folks turned me on to this idea and I couldn't decide if it was non-patriotic or not. You know substituting independence with Independents. Anyway, I'll give you all a synopsis of the day and the I'll reward you with a couple of good independent tunes. So the four of us got up bright and early and headed to the Zoo. Where we couldn't decide if it would be packed because of the holiday or empty because of the holiday. We were leaning toward the former. To our surprise it was empty. We played at the new play park and enjoyed a train ride. (we are members by the way). Good times were had by all. The kiddies especially enjoyed the monkeys. After the zoo, we headed home in which both kids fell fast asleep. They napped and I worked. Then we all went on a nice bike ride and ate dinner outside while lighting sparklers (aiding first time). Overall it was a fantastic 4th of July.

Two independent bands to listen to today.

So RD turned me onto the Lovely Feathers with his Canada posts. I have also since reported some background info on the band so I'll be short winded here. RD said he didn't love the whole record and I am not yet promising a top 10 of 06 spot just yet, but I like it. Don't get me wrong here either, Photocorners is certainly the highlight, but it may be worth giving it another spin RD.
The Lovely Feathers--Frantic

So this hopefully will round out my Bright Eyes addiction for a while. I know I've been posting alot about them lately, but hey the blog is named after a bright eyes tune, so we should pay homage when necessary. Anyway this track is a cover of a Bruces song and it comes from the Lua single. I remember when we first got this single back in November of 04. RD and I listened non stop. I had forgotten about this song until..........well the story is simply to long and boring to tell when I have already bored you with a synopsis of the day. Just enjoy the song.

Bright Eyes--I Woke Up With This Song in My Head This Morning.

Another Bright Eyes Song (not new)

2006-07-02T00:27:00.000-04:00

So I had yet to listen to this version of An Attempt to Tip the Scales from Bonnaroo. I never go seek this song out, but everytime I hear it I remind myself how great of song it is. This version, as does this original, is a little drawn out at the end, but man the lyrics are amazing in this song. I say this next sentence alot, just ask my wife and RD, but this is one of the best Bright Eyes songs around. I think it gets forgotten because on the record (Fevers and Mirrors for those of you who were wondering) it leads into that crazy hoax interview and the recorded version of A Song to Pass the Time (which is another time you'll hear me say...) Anyway take a listen below.

Bright Eyes--An Attempt to Tip the Scales (live at Bonnaroo)

Bonus: The fine folks over at (sm)all ages suggested I post over at her site a few of the little Champagne's favorit tracks. I'm working on that post, slowly but surely. I thought I'd share one of their favorites with our reader's first. By the way, Dad likes this band alot too.

Starlight Mints--Popsickle

The Grand Canyon State

2006-06-29T20:50:00.000-04:00

Arizona is a band I discovered a little over a week ago and can not stop listening to. The band was founded by Ben Wigler, Alex Hornbake and Nick Campbell, but has since grown into a 5 piece adding Drew Dunn and James DeDakis. They self-released a 4-song EP entitled "The Sun and the Room" and their debut full length entitled "Welcome Back Dear Children" is due in approximately two weeks. I recently contacted Ben in regards to the history of the band and it's influences.

Regarding History:
"This EP literally captures the birth of Arizona. I had met Nick a grand total of once and though Alex and I are best friends from middle school, we hadn't made music together in a while. Nick and Alex drove up from Georgia to bring me some recording gear I left with Alex the summer before. Nick said he'd play some drums and Alex bass on some "solo" music I had written. We tried; it sucked. The two were dismayed but I realized the reason it blew so hard was because we needed to try and write together." Over the next four days the band recorded "The Sun and the Room". 6 months later they moved to New York to give Arizona their full attention.

Regarding Influences:
"Influences, well the three founding members (Alex, Nick, Ben) all share a bond of being huge metallica fans. We also like Nirvana, Neil Young, we grew up on Green Day, Simon and Garfunkle, the Beatles. Nick comes from a background of stuff like Helmet and was highly influenced by Jeff Buckley, Alex from a more punk/indie background, and dorky sounding as it is, I'd say my influences are a mix of Japanese video game music and beatles. I also love elliot smith and think we have a lot in common, but The Sun and the Room was done before I even heard him. James (drums) and Drew (guitar/keys) aren't metallica fans but are rabid for Smashing Pumpkins who I also really like. James is in love with the beatles, Drew is obsessed with SP. We all love Soundgarden and our guitar sound is influenced by My Bloody Valentine, I'd say. Nick plays a little like J Mascis from what I've heard, I have spent zero time listening to J Mascis. "

For the record, I've never felt the need to contact a band, but after hearing a few of their songs I had to find a way to get more. The band is currently looking for label support.
"The main thing we are looking for in a label is someone who is going to be very supportive of the idea of putting out a lot of material and staying out of our way creatively unless they want to be actually creative with us, which we would love but aren't holding our breath for. We plan on being Arizona for a decade if we can and have the material, will power, dedication, and creative juice to probably put out an album a year as well as several little things. We also have ambitions to produce other bands at the creative level".

Judging from Ben's previous music project Young Idiot, he seems to be a very prolific writer. I am eagerly awaiting the release of "Welcome Back Dear Children" and HIGHLY RECOMMEND you check this band out.

MP3 - Jubilee - from the EP The Sun and the Room.

Arizona also have a couple shows coming up:

6.30.06 (Friday)Mercury Lounge, be there at 8pm. http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com/
7.8.06 (Saturday)Pianos, 8pm. http://www.pianosnyc.com/
7.28.06 (Friday)The Trash Bar, 11pmhttp://www.thetrashbar.com/
8.18.06 (Friday)The Trash Bar - OUR CD RELEASE PARTY!!!!! - 11pmwww.thetrashbar.com

r.d.

Not what I intended

2006-06-28T23:41:00.000-04:00

When I sat down to do this post I intended to write about the Now It's Overhead song that You Ain't No Picasso posted a few days ago. Because it's really great. I thought the first record from Now It's Overhead was outstanding but the second record was less to be desired. However, if this new song is any indication of the record, then we are all in for a real treat. It just may be the one that breaks them. But you can read all this and get the track over at YANP.

So as I started to write, I was listening to music on random and the new Bright Eyes song came on. It's called Soul Singer in a Session Band and it was recorded at Bonnaroo. The song needs some attention. I honestly ignored it for the first week that I had it. Not because I didn't like it but more because it wasn't exactly what I expected. Or maybe it was what I expected and I wasn't thrilled about it. That will be determined in the future. For now it's a fun little song and I am sure it will continue to grow on me. Plus the line "You mean nothing to no one but that's nobody's fault" just rings in my head and accurately depicts the character he is betraying.

Soul Singer in a Session Band--Bright Eyes

The lineup for Lollapalooza is just insane this year. We gotta find someone who is gonna record that Jeremy Enigk show and pray for Alcohol or Asleep.

The Just cover is available once again to those of you have the username and password to our ezarchive account.

Small Ages

2006-06-26T22:56:00.000-04:00

So I just gotta give some props to this blog I found. It's dedicated to reviewing and posting music that you can listen to with your kids. The tag line is "because no one should have to listen to the wiggles, ever" My sentiments exactly. Aiden and Anna's lives just got stepped up one notch thanks to the fine folks over there at Small Ages. Check them out. Go now. Do it for your kids

The Walkmen

2006-06-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

I know I know I should have done this three months ago. The Walkmen's new (no it's not really new at all) record is out and ready for you to purchase. I have yet to do so. But this song is taking me ever closer to Cash's record store to purchase the new Walkmen cd. For the record I do have Bows and Arrows and love it. However, this song is quite the departure from that and it sounds like a bunch of indie kids channeling Bob Dylan's spirit (except he's not dead). My wife even asked if it was a Dylan song she'd never heard. She was being sarcastic. Anyway, to the millions of you out there, take a listen. And then go buy the record.

The Walkmen--Louisiana

And RD when you get that Arizona, I gotta hear it. I am in love with those three songs. You people need to recognize and listen to some Arizona.

The Velvet Teen Remixes (thanks RD) Radiohead

2006-06-23T08:03:00.000-04:00

So I don't know how new or old this is. I am not sure where it comes from either. I simply found this one night in an endless search of the blogs for some good music and I thought I would share it with all of you. I actually do not know if Velvet Teen covers this song or just remixes it. You see the singer from Velvet Teen has always sounded eerily like Thom Yorke (which was part of my draw to their music). But this sounds a little too much like Thom and so that leads me to think that they just remixed it. Either way its an interesting listen. If anyone knows the origin of this song (or is it a remix) let me know in the comments.

The Velvet Teen--Everything In It's Right Place

Look for me to guest blog over at Taking on Goliath--where politics meets life. I gotta brush up on my political knowledge. And my boy dave is gonna step up his musical game and guest blog one day for us here at The Two Mirrors

I like new music

2006-06-21T22:41:00.000-04:00

So I really like the Long Winters. I posted about them in my anticipated albums of 06. There is just something unique about them. I don't have anything else life changing to mention, but I think you'll like this track.

The Long Winters--Fire Island, AK

There are other things to discuss. Arizona is really great. I am hoping that RD will put the EP up so we can all listen soon. I will be purchasing when RD tells me where to buy it. I am starting to hear the Decemberists more in their music, but Im not sold on that being the most influential band in their music. Maybe its the vocal similarities. Anyway go get those Arizona songs now. They are fantastic!

Here is a track that RD posted about a little while ago in his Canada posts. I have also taken quite a liking to this track. It's by a band called the Lovely Feathers who I know absolutely nothing about. Okay now I do. I did a little research and now I know somethings.
1. They are indeed from Canada.
2. Their album has been released in the US.
3. Their are five members and they describe themselves as..."The Lovely Feathers are a band which toots blossomy, extractive post-punk-infused eccentric pop."
Anyway, I know this track is already posted on this site, but it's in the archives, so I am posting it again.

The Lovely Feathers--Photocorners

Also, do yourself a favor and listen to this new Radiohead song if you haven't yet. It's amazing.

Radiohead--Videotape

And their may or may not be two new Bright Eyes songs in the EZarchive acount if you know the password.

The Merediths

2006-06-18T00:03:00.000-04:00

So Im back. I don't know how coherent this post will be. I have been doing school work (I know it's the F-in summer, but it never ends) for a week straight. Sandwiched in between my family, baseball, basketball, and music (those are in no particular order). Anyway I have been meaning to post on this band for little while. And I apoligize for taking the top spot from Arizona (you must go below to listen to Arizona--for once RD was so very right). Anyhow this is the only song I have heard from The Merediths, but I really like it. It's a little bit Beatles, a lot of Voxtrot, and dash of the Wilco. Take a listen.

The Merediths--Marmalade Maggie

And now for something you may have missed. This is a song from Maria Taylor (Azure Ray) and Andy LeMaster (Now It's Overhead). It is a remake (sort of) of a song on Maria Taylor's brillant album 11:11. This version is from the Hurricane Katrina Benefit from Saddle Creek.

Maria Taylor and Andy LeMaster--Breathe

ARIZONA - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

2006-06-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

This post is a complete rip of I Guess I'm Floating. I couldn't help but posting the same thing because I can not stop listening to Arizona. I couldn't find any information on when their album is actually coming out, but they do have an EP available. Mine should be shipping Monday... I can't wait.

MP3 ARIZONA - Splintering

MP3 ARIZONA - Some Kind Of Chill

To hear more check out their MySpace.

r.d.

Cursive

2006-06-15T21:41:00.000-04:00

Cursive has a new album coming out August 22nd on Saddle-Creek titled "Happy Hollow". They recently lost their cello player, but have added horns to the mix. I must admit I was a bit skeptical at first, but the horns definitely work. The first single Dorothy at Forty is coming out July 11th. Here's an MP3 from the new album.

MP3 Cursive - So So Gigolo

r.d.

Sonic Youth

2006-06-13T18:22:00.000-04:00

Sonic Youth released yet another album, "Rather Ripped". The album shows a much smoother less noisy side of the band.

MP3 Sonic Youth - Incinerate

They are touring extensively for the release including a stop for David Letterman on June 16th, Jimmy Kimmell on July 11th and Conan O'brien on August 9th. see dates below:

JUNE 13 SONIC YOUTH NEW YORK, NY CBGB - WITH TALL FIRS SOLD OUT
JUNE 14 SONIC YOUTH PHILADELPHIA, PA STARLIGHT BALLROOM - WITH BE YOUR OWN PET SOLD OUT
JUNE 15 SONIC YOUTH EARLY SHOW 6:30 DOORSWASHINGTON, DC 9:30 CLUB - WITH BE YOUR OWN PET SOLD OUT
JUNE 15 SONIC YOUTH LATE SHOW 10PM DOORSWASHINGTON, DC 9:30 CLUB - WITH BE YOUR OWN PET TICKETS
JUNE 16 SONIC YOUTH ON XM RADIO 'ETHEL'6PM EASTERN TIME
JUNE 16 SONIC YOUTH ON DAVID LETTERMANCBS NETWORK TELEVISION
JUNE 17 SONIC YOUTH ASHEVILLE, NC ORANGE PEEL - WITH BE YOUR OWN PET TICKETS
JUNE 18 SONIC YOUTH MANCHESTER, TN BONNAROO FESTIVAL INFO
JUNE 19 SONIC YOUTH ATLANTA, GA EARTHLINK LIVE - WITH BE YOUR OWN PET TICKETS
JUNE 21 SONIC YOUTH TULSA, OK CAINE'S BALLROOM - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JUNE 22 SONIC YOUTH HOUSTON, TX WAREHOUSE LIVE TICKETS VIA SUPERUNISON.COM, TICKETMASTER OR CALL 713-629-3700
JUNE 23 SONIC YOUTH AUSTIN, TX STUBB'S BBQ - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JUNE 24 SONIC YOUTH DALLAS, TX GYPSY TEAROOM - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JUNE 26 SONIC YOUTH LAWRENCE, KS LIBERTY HALL - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JUNE 27 SONIC YOUTH DENVER, CO GOTHIC THEATRE - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JUNE 29 SONIC YOUTH MISSOULA, MT UM THEATRE - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JUNE 30 SONIC YOUTH SEATTLE, WA MOORE THEATRE - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JULY 1 SONIC YOUTH PORTLAND, OR ROSELAND BALLROOM - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS TICKET PRESALE 5/19 PASSWORD 'RATHERRIPPED' TICKETS ONSALE 5/20
JULY 3 SONIC YOUTH SACRAMENTO, CA EMPIRE - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JULY 4 SONIC YOUTH RENO, NV THE THEATRE AT RENO HILTON - WITH AWESOME COLOR TICKETS
JULY 6 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMLAS VEGAS, NV MGM GRAND CASINO TICKETS
JULY 7 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMCOX ARENA, SAN DIEGO, CA TICKETS
JULY 8 SONIC YOUTH LOS ANGELES, CA SHOW FOR ALBUM BUYERS INFO
JULY 9 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMFORUM, LOS ANGELES, CA TICKETS
JULY 10 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMFORUM, LOS ANGELES, CA TICKETS
JULY 11 SONIC YOUTH ON JIMMY KIMMELABC NETWORK TELEVISION
JULY 13 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMSANTA BARBARA BOWL, SANTA BARBARA, CA TICKETS
JULY 15 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMBILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM, S.F. CA TICKETS
JULY 16 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMBILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM, S.F. CA TICKETS
JULY 18 SONIC YOUTH WITH PEARL JAMBILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM, S.F. CA TICKETS
JULY 22 SONIC YOUTH SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS FESTIVAL, AUSTRALIA TICKETS
JULY 24 SONIC YOUTH PALACE, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
JULY 26 SONIC YOUTH ENMORE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
JULY 29 SONIC YOUTH FUJIROCK FESTIVAL, JAPAN TICKETS
AUGUST 3 SONIC YOUTH CLEVELAND, OH KUYAHOGA FESTIVAL TICKETS
AUGUST 4 SONIC YOUTH WITH FLAMING LIPSDETROIT, MI STATE THEATER
AUGUST 5 SONIC YOUTH CHICAGO, IL LOLLAPALOOZA INFO
AUGUST 6 SONIC YOUTH MILWAUKEE, WI PABST THEATRE
AUGUST 9 SONIC YOUTH ON LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIENNBC TELEVISION
AUGUST 11 SONIC YOUTH + YEAH YEAH YEAH'S + BLOOD ON THE WALLBROOKLYN, NY MCCARREN POOL TICKETS VIA TICKETMASTER. TICKETS WITH LESS SERVICE CHARGE AVAILABLE AT IRVING PLAZA BOX OFFICE AND EARWAX RECORDS IN BROOKLYN.
AUGUST 12 SONIC YOUTH + YEAH YEAH YEAH'S + AWESOME COLORBROOKLYN, NY MCCARREN POOL TICKETS VIA TICKETMASTER. TICKETS WITH LESS SERVICE CHARGE AVAILABLE AT IRVING PLAZA BOX OFFICE AND EARWAX RECORDS IN BROOKLYN.
AUGUST 24 SONIC YOUTH WITH FLAMING LIPSST. PAUL, MN MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
AUGUST 25 SONIC YOUTH WITH FLAMING LIPSCOUNCIL BLUFFS, IA STIR COVE AT HARRAH'S
AUGUST 26 SONIC YOUTH WITH FLAMING LIPSST. LOUIS, MO THE PAGEANT
AUGUST 28 SONIC YOUTH WITH FLAMING LIPSCOLUMBUS, OH PROMOWEST PAVILION
AUGUST 31 SONIC YOUTH ALLENTOWN, PA ALLENTOWN FAIR WITH FLAMING LIPS
SEPTEMBER 1 SONIC YOUTH WITH FLAMING LIPSSYRACUSE, NY NEW YORK STATE FAIR
SEPTEMBER 3 SONIC YOUTH WITH FLAMING LIPSBOSTON, MA BANK OF AMERICA PAVILION

Yo La Tengo

2006-06-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

Yo La Tengo has a new album coming out on Sept 12, 2006 entitled "I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass". You can download a new track called "Beanbag Chair" at Matador Records. Here are some MP3's from older albums, just in case you're not familiar with their music.

Yo La Tengo - Tom Courtenay
From the album "Electr-O-Pura". 1995

Yo La Tengo - Stockholm Syndrome
From the album "I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One". The bass player JamesMcNew sings on this one. This guitar solo is truly amazing. 1993

Yo La Tengo - I Heard You Looking
From the album "Painful". This is the first (of many) Yo La Tengo song that I became completely addicted to. It's an instrumental. 1997

One of the best videos ever Yo La Tengo - Sugarcube

My son is cooler than me (part 2)

2006-06-09T16:06:00.000-04:00

Make no mistake, I am not cool. The posts on this website that are of new bands that are up and coming that you probably have never heard of are from RD. I usually find a band you probably know and just run my mouth (via the keyboard) about them and tell you why they are great or could be better. This post however makes me really un-indie. But I love this Pearl Jam song and I think you all should hear it. It makes me feel like I am in high school again skipping class and doing things I shouldn't be. I really feel old lately. It's not good. Listen up people.

Pearl Jam--Marker in the Sand (link removed via band request)

However, my wife, who gets a stamp on her indie card, has informed me, much to my surprise, that Thom Yorke reminds her of Neil Young. I've never heard it before but listen to these songs and you'll see too. Maybe I should of heard it before, but remember, I am not cool. Strike two on the indie card

Radiohead--After the Gold Rush

Neil Young--After the Gold Rush

Canada Post Number 2 - not that anyone cares

2006-06-08T16:02:00.000-04:00

Damn - I can even get one freaking coment for Canada Part 1. I thought that was a good post... I haven't had much time to dig through the other cd's yet, but here is a few mp3's anyway - all are track 7 on their cd. Tell me what you think.

MP3 Burdocks - ok ok
From the album "What We Do Is Secret"

MP3 The Lovely Feathers - Photocorners
From the album "Hind Hind Legs"

MP3 The Novaks - Dullsville
From the self titled album "The Novaks"

Sorry for the lazy post. Deal with it - it's past 12:00am and I don't want to miss The Jacket on Letterman.

Aiden's birthday and Amy Millan

2006-06-08T09:25:00.000-04:00

So my son turned three yesterday. It was quite the fun day and we have week long of birthday celebrations. And Dave Pittman (aka Flavobean) has viewed the two mirrors. See comments below. You should check out his live journal for you politcal minds out there.

On to the music. I got my copy of the Amy Millan album on Tuesday. I am trying really hard to enjoy it. You all know how much I love Stars. Anyway, why is that all these females who go solo think its a good idea to make it a alt country album. (see Jenny Lewis and Neko Case). Anyway I don't want a country album from Amy Millan and to be quite frank I'm not sure what I wanted from the Amy Millan album. Just not this. There are some highlights. Two are posted below. Give them a listen and tell me what you think.

Amy Millan--Losin You

Amy Millan--Headsful

Radiohead

2006-06-07T22:29:00.000-04:00

I gotta keep this post simple. The Radiohead live songs are surfacing, and while RD probably has all these already, I thought I'd let our other readers know these are out there. The crowd is pretty annoying in some of these songs, but overall they are good listen.

Radiohead live shows

If you just want a few highlights or don't have the time to download them all, get Videotape for sure. Enjoy.

Canada Post Number 1

2006-06-06T19:47:00.000-04:00

So, I recently had a friend who took a business trip to Nova Scotia. He came back with about 20 cds, most of which, are from bands I've never heard of. I haven't had a chance to listen to all of them because I got addicted to the first few I listened to. So, I thought I'd share.

MP3 Holy Fuck - Tone Bank Jungle
This track is from the self-title cd Holy Fuck. It was recorded by Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene fame) at Stars & Sons. From what I can gather, this cd is completely improvisation. The band name says it all.

MP3 The Remains of Brian Borcherdt - Motel
This track is from the cd The Remains of Brian Borcherdt. Brian Borcherdt is from Holy Fuck, but you would never know it. It sounds completely different, more reminiscent of Red House Painters or Pedro the Lion. I've become completely addicted to this cd.

MP3 North of America - Cities and Planes
This track is from Elements of an Incomplete Map Pt. II. This is a complilation of a previous EP, 7", B-sides and demos. It's dated 2002. I couldn't find much more info on this band. I think they broke up. This sounds like Pavement mixed with Polvo. Freaking Amazing.

A Reason to Actually Watch Letterman

2006-06-06T13:44:00.000-04:00

FRIDAY 06/08 - My Morning Jacket performs with 13 members of the Boston Pops. This means I'll watch Leno until about 12:22 then flip over to Letterman... Then I'll flip back to watch Conan.

Semifinalists

2006-06-05T13:05:00.000-04:00

I forget who turned me on to this band. I believe it was Skatterbrain (who runs a great website by the way). Anyway Semifinalists are a band from England and I simply cannot get enough of them. Her voice is eerily familiar and the way this song builds up is simply stellar. I have not heard anything else from this band but I have ordered the cd and I will let you all know what the verdict is. Until then, check out this track from their album. Really give it a shot.

Semifinalists—Lets Kill This

And if you happen to have access to our ez archive account, I have posted the unreleased Bright Eyes song in there.

Conor, Jeremy, and three unrelated items

2006-06-02T15:10:00.000-04:00

While I try to convince myself that this year is gonna be okay for music (anticipated albums of 06--see below) the truth of the matter is that this year will inevitably suck because there will not be a album or EP release by Bright Eyes. I truly miss Conor. I mean in the past new songs have surfaced and RD and I will delight in discussing and arguing over the best Bright Eyes song ever. And for god's sake he released two records last year. So I just wanted to put it out there that I have been listening to a lot of old Bright Eyes lately and I realized that I missed new Bright Eyes.

Bright Eyes--Going for the Gold

2nd--Jeremy Enigk is touring. No where near here of course. Thank you Brooklyn Vegan. But expect in the next few days a top 5 list of shows that could get me back to a concert. I'm really old.

Jeremy Enigk--United States of Leland song

And in completely unrelated news...

Check out Moon Colony Razorblade website. If you are ever in Jacksonville, you should check them out. Holla.

The Thom Yorke album leaked. I haven't listened. I mean its just ten more days.

Blog radio should be called BLAH radio. I guess they write for a reason. I mean don't get me wrong they played GREAT music, but their commentary was not much to be desired.

Wilco

2006-05-30T18:50:00.000-04:00

I still can't stop listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Everyonce and a while I'll go back and listen to the older albums, but can never get in to them. The last studio album (A Ghost is Born) is okay, but doesn't capture what they had on YHF. Well anyway, here's some YHF demos

Wilco - Kamera

Wilco - I am trying to break your heart

Wilco - Reservations

Anticipating the second half of 06

2006-05-26T09:13:00.000-04:00

These are the top five records (in no particular order) that I am looking forward to this year. We are about halfway through 06’ and there have been a few records that I really love, but it looks to be a bright second half.

Thom Yorke—The Eraser (July 11th)

The Dears—still untitled?(August 6th)

+/- Let's Build a Fire (no release date set)

Amy Millan—Honey from the Tombs (out May 30th in Canada)

The Long Winters--Putting the Days to Bed (out July 25th)

The Barkley

2006-05-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

So in effort to keep you boredom to a minimum, I will try to keep my posts shorter. I have been meaning to give Gnarls Barkley a proper post for a long time now. While the initial buzz about this band was extremely high, it seems when their album was released the blogging community backed off. I however, am doing the opposite. I am simply in love with this record. It is just a great summer record. Without getting to soft, Cee-Lo's lyrics on this track (Just a Thought) are simply stunning. It's refreshing to hear a hip hop star write about his insecurities. We've all been there. Take a listen.

Gnarls Barkley--Just a Thought

Your tax dollars at work

2006-05-24T11:36:00.001-04:00

So I'm at work and I realized why RD and I have not updated in a week. While we were originally excited about blog radio (I myself am a long time Sirius subscriber), we eventually realized how un-indie blogging has become. For god sakes they have a radio show that is being broadcasted by a satellite. We are merely pawns in this blog scene and I think its good. We're gonna keep it indie here at The Two Mirrors and we will not sell our soul to the man! (Unless of course they ask--then we are in).

In response to my last post. $17.97 for one song. To my surprise the old Darla sampler I purchased from Darla has a live version of Bermuda Highway from My Morning Jacket. So I thought I'd share a story. It was over four years ago (spring break 02) and my friend RD had just gotten back of a month long (or so) tour and he gave me a call. I assumed we would play Tiger Woods on the playstation and drink Heinekens to celebrate his homecoming. However, He said get ready we are going to Tampa. I told him no and that I was too tired and didn't really feel like going. He said that there was this band playing and I could not miss it. You guessed it that band was My Morning Jacket. I had never heard them or even heard of them. He said and I quote (very loosely, as it was four years ago) "If I am going and I have been on the road for a month, you gotta get in the car and go with me." Needless to say I put my Tiger Woods addiction on hold and got in the car with RD and SH. We drove the 3 and 1/2 hour trip to Tampa on a Wednesday night. And I started listening to Tennessee Fire and the newly released At Dawn. I didn't get it. I didn't really like it and was pretty upset that I was going. The only saving grace was Bermuda Highway. There was something about that song. Nevertheless, history was made that night. Swearing at Motorists opened up and introduced us to the "The Jacket." Hereby, requiring RD and I to name as many bands as we could by using the article "the" in place of the first word of the band name, providing it isn't already the first word (ie.. Mates of State becomes The State, but The Arcade Fire cannot become The Fire). Oh yeah the show was nothing short of perfect. I have been addicted ever since

My Morning Jacket--Bermuda Highway (live)

Exclusive Voxtrot Song

2006-05-17T23:09:00.000-04:00

Here at The Two Mirrors we strive to keep you cool, (and by keeping you cool we really mean keeping ourselves feeling like we are cool). So I just wanted to keep myself cool by being the first blog (that I can locate anyway) to post this Voxtrot song. It's from Little Darla Has a Treat for You--Endless Summer Edition. The title of the song "Warmest Part of Winter," and it's exclusive to the above mentioned sampler that you can purchase for $6.99 (kind of--see story below) from Darla. So anyway, this song is not their best work. If Voxtrot really does equal Belle and Sebastian + The Strokes, than this song is much more toward the Belle and Sebastian side of the equation. If you are new to Voxtrot (all three of you) then I would not suggest this song as an introduction. Try "Soft and Warm" from their brilliant Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, & Wives EP.

Enjoy!

Voxtrot--Warmest Part of Winter

Voxtrot--Soft and Warm

So ponder this: The top three ways you know you are obsessing about a band... (All of which I have now done with Voxtrot.)

3. You have ever found yourself talking mathematical equations to describe the bands sound to someone who does not care one bit.

2. You own a 7" that cost only a couple of bucks, yet you paid $6 for shipping. But it's got an exclusive song, that is TRULY brilliant and most likely their best song. Maybe someday RD will transfer it from record to MP3 so all of our readers can hear it.

1. You have ever paid more than $17 for ONE exclusive track. Here's the story. Darla has the new sampler for sale for a mere $6.99. Sounds great right. Hang on there, to make a purchase at Darla you must spend at least $10 (not including shipping). So I had to find something else to buy in order to get the ONE exclusive Voxtrot track. So after finding an old sampler for $5.99 plus S&H, I spent a total of $17.97 for the above mentioned song. Save your money and download it.

It's a celebration, bitches

2006-05-14T15:58:00.000-04:00

In celebration of the new Thom York solo album (un-solo album) "The Eraser", I give you "Follow Me Around". This song was never officially released by Radiohead, but it's one of my favorites.

MP3: Radiohead - Follow Me Around

Thom Yorke Solo Album due July 11th

2006-05-14T00:39:00.000-04:00

Go over to Brooklyn Vegan to see the news! The world will rejoice. I really have nothing else to say.

My son is cooler than me

2006-05-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

One of the things you will quickly find out about RD and me is that he is much cooler than I am. I mean did you all not see that last post. He has basically rocketed himself into indie stardom with that single post. So I decided that there was no way I could top it, so I did the opposite. I actually made myself less cool. You see, I am generally way behind on things (and by things I mean cool music). Richard usually informs me about the best and the brightest. That’s why I thought my top 6 was so much cooler than you may expect from me. Anyway these next four songs are songs that I should have known about many years ago, but they are nevertheless absolutely brilliant. But these four songs should definitely be included in a most listened to list for me this year.

Hope you enjoy

Built to Spill—The Plan. (1999)

The Rosebuds—El Camino (2005)

Rilo Kiley—The Absence of God (2004)

Mates of State—Ha Ha (2003)

Bonus: In effort to redeem myself

Radiohead—After the Gold Rush (Neil Young cover)

Cover Songs

2006-05-11T19:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some cover songs for your enjoyment. I highly recommend the Wolf Parade...

Death Cab For Cutie - Bad Reputation
Originally performed by Freedy Johnston. This is an iTunes exclusive. They stay true to the original.

Bettie Serveert - Lover I Don't Have To Love
Originally performed by Bright Eyes. This falls well short of the original, but it's intriguing none the less.

+/- (plus minus) - Summerlong (boy version)
Originally performed by Emm Gryer. I'm not to familiar with the original (I've only heard it once or twice), but this cover is amazing.

The Mountain Goats - Pet Politics
Orginally performed by the Silver Jews. I'm a huge Silver Jews fan, but this might be better than the original.

The Decemberists - Clementine
Originally performed by Elliott Smith. Not quite as good as their Joanna Newsome cover, but definitely worth a listen.

Spoon - Decora
Originally performed by Yo La Tengo. Definitely not as good as Yo La Tengo, but it's Spoon.

Wolf Parade - Claxxon's Lament
Originally performed by Frog Eyes. Wolf Parade can do no wrong...

Top 6 in 2006 (part 2)

2006-05-09T18:42:00.000-04:00

So here is my contribution to this post. Sorry it has taken me so long. Hopefully the content will make up for the lack of frequency. And by the way , while the rules may be the rules, Amy Milan is only on this list because my other half (not what you're thinking) posted The Rosebuds and he was first so no overlapping. But, here you go...

6. Amy Milan—Skinny Boy. Umm, Id like a Venti non-fat mocha with whip cream. This song is just a sample of what is to come from the voice of Stars. Even though the more I listen the more mediocre it gets, it still has to be on the most listened to list this year because it has gotten many plays. Sorry Torquil—but she is way better than Memphis ever could be.
“You’re so miserable in the morning.”

5. Mates of State--Did You See the World. Like their music, they come on strong but fade away fast. However this song stays with me. There is something about having kids that makes this song resonate with me.
“How I will protect, and how each day matters.”

4. Gnarls Barkley—Crazy. What a hit. For those of you who don’t know now you know. This song is sick. I honestly feel really lame that I did not include any hip hop on my top ten from last year, so this is a way of making up for it. And no, this is not really hip hop, but you are sitting with the DJ Dangermouse (of the Grey Album fame) and Cee-Lo (of Goodie Mob fame) and you are set with a hit. And no Richard you can’t kick me off the blog—I know the password and set up the ezarchive account.
“I remember when I lost my mind.”

3. The Boy Least Likely To—Be Gentle with Me. I swear this song is so much fun. This whole album is so much fun. Simple music with great songwriting. I really love this record and barring some strange release of like five Bright Eyes cd’s this will be in the top ten of ‘06.
“If I wasn’t so happy, I wouldn’t be so scared of dying.”

2. The Dears—There goes my outfit. Get this while you can. This is a demo version of this song and it is simply amazing. I really love the simplicity of this song and the lyrics are just amazing.
“Clearly this isn't my life.”

1. Voxtrot—Soft and Warm. I could write all day about the brilliance of this band. I have listened to both EP’s way more than anything else this year. And I don’t need an IPOD to count the number of plays to tell me that. I just feel like I have stumbled upon something real when I listen to these guys and the keyboard in this song is just outstanding.
“Baby, I’d leave you for the person you used to be.”

BONUS:

Sparrow House—When I’m Gone. Truth be told, this should probably be on the list. However with the success of Voxtrot, I don’t think we should be holding our breath for the debut Sparrow House record. But damn, this song is good.
“Now there’s nothing I could do to change the facts, you know I tried.” Thanks RD.

Top 6 of 2006 (part 1) - R.D.

2006-05-07T17:19:00.000-04:00

So, this isn't really a Top 6 of 2006, more of "The songs I've listened to most this year (so far)"...

6. Mogwai - Folk Death 95
From the new album Mr. Beast. This is one of my favorites albums of 2006 so far. Top notch production great artwork and powerful music.

5. The Rosebuds - Hold Hands and Fight
From the ablum Birds Make Good Neighbors. The Rosebuds went a little mellower on their 2nd full length and I love it. They stepped up the productions adding more instrumentation creating a more mature sound.

4. Animal Collective - Did You See The Words
From the album Feels. I was a little late to the Animal Collective. I'd always heard good things about them, but they never caught my attention until Feels. Now I'm faced with the task of going through their entire back catlogue.

3. Metric - Empty
From the Album Live it Out. Best guitar solo I've heard in a long time.

2. Broken Social Scene - Fire Eye'd Boy
From the album Broken Social Scene. This was by far my favorite album of 2005 and I still can't stop listening to it.

1. Tapes 'n Tapes - Cowbell
From the album The Loon. Go out and buy this album now...

VOXTROT

2006-05-04T12:15:00.000-04:00

For Zak:

http://www.voxtrot.net/vault.htm

your welcome,

R.D.

Under Construction

2006-05-01T15:56:00.000-04:00

We have been receiving quite a few messages about our "lack of posts". Please be patient, we are updating a few things on the site and should have things running smoother by the end of the week.

Nature's Kids

2006-04-24T22:05:00.000-04:00

The almighty Pitchfork brings us the following news that is intended to make us all feel like we are in high school again (and by "us all" I mean Richard and I)

"It's official, the Smashing Pumpkins are currently writing songs for their upcoming album, their first since 2000. No release date has yet been set, but the band plans to begin recording this summer."

In similar news, I realized today why Richard thinks indie rock needs more trash talk. His beloved Pavement started it with Range Life (note the title, clever I think)

On a seperate Pitchfork note, they have also posted the new Bright Eyes tour dates, that we have (at our own complete faults) forgotten to post or discuss. They are as follows:

06-04 Victoria, British Columbia - Royal Theatre *
06-05 Vancouver, British Columbia - Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park *
06-07 Edmonton, Alberta - Reds *
06-08 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall *
06-09 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Wheatlands "A" *
06-10 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre *
06-13 London, Ontario - Centennial Hall *
06-14 Toronto, Ontario - Massey Hall *
06-16 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo #
06-17 Omaha, NE - Memorial Park

* with Gruff Rhys# with Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, Sonic Youth, Cat Power, Beck, the Streets, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, more

Bright Eyes

2006-04-23T16:41:00.000-04:00

So... I feel kind of bad about the whole Dashboard thing. So to make up for it, here are two Bright Eyes songs

Hit the Switch - live acoustic version w/M. Ward and Jim James http://download.yousendit.com/B11D2AB70BDAF209

Hell is Here, Hell is Coming - live unreleased song http://download.yousendit.com/47E100AF3867640C

Enjoy,

r.d. (to indie for uppercase)

ps. I think it's hilarious when you refer to our readers - no one reads this crap

Richard 1, Zak 0

2006-04-20T22:52:00.000-04:00

Damn that boy is fine.

So, It begins

2006-04-20T22:22:00.000-04:00

I didn't say you couldn't compare them, I said I didn't consider them similar (didn't they teach you difference in college). No, plus/minus is not a side project of Versus. - Simply because Plus/Minus put out their album after the last Versus album. Additionally Versus hasn't put anything out since 2000. Meanwhile, P/M put out 2 albums and an EP.

Top 3 reasons Zak's indie card should be taken away

3. He wears shorts when he swims or mows the lawn.
2. He once bought a Backstreet boys single for his wife.
1. He purchased tickets* and attended for a Dashboard Confessional show.

r.d.

*The fact that he purchased the tickets makes it unforgivable. If he would have been begged to go by a friend who he felt sorry for and went to make his friend feel better, that would have been okay.

Let the trash talking begin

2006-04-20T10:32:00.000-04:00

VS.

So I probably should leave this in the comments of Richard's previous post, but I want all of our readers to see this.

Is your arguement that I cannot compare +/- to The Postal Service because The Postal Service is a side project? Correct my indie rock knowledge (if I am wrong) didn't +/- begin as a side project of Versus? And even if am wrong about that--why can't I compare a side project? And their styles are similar. Certainly +/- is more guitar oriented but you have to admit that there is some comparison.

For our readers, Zak is the smart one (and cute too!) and We Todd Did (Richard) down there is the one who is usually wrong.

Plus Minus vs. Postal Service

2006-04-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

In response to Zak's previous post "+/- Steal the Blueprints. Like the Postal Service (and dare I say it) only better."

First of all, I don't really think these bands sound similar. Postal Service put out a good album, but it honestly sounds like a side project. On the other hand, Plus Minus is one of the best bands to come out in years. Need more proof?

+/- Fadeout http://download.yousendit.com/00C4470E165F8F11

I thought so...

still want more? www.plusmin.us

R.D.

a test and two songs

2006-04-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

I didn't know if you had heard these yet. I am trying this from yousendit.com

The downloads are only available for three days

check it out

The Dears--There goes my outfit Just a great song. I listen at least once a day. The website says its only a rough cut and the final cut will have more instruments and layers. I prefer this one and I haven't even heard the final cut.

+/- Steal the Blueprints. Like the Postal Service (and dare I say it) only better.

The Ben Gibbard story. My family and I are having a nice little dinner on Saturday and the satellite radio is playing. On comes the acoustic version of Soul Meets Body. And everytime we hear DCFC, I just know my wife is gonna change her mind (she hates them if you don't already know). Well I thought this may be the day. But this acoustic version provides the listener with Ben at his whinny best and my wife states the following. A very loose translation.

"Everytime I hear him I feel like Im on a really bad date. You know the nights not going so well and he decides to get his guitar out and play you a song. You know to liven things up. And this is what comes out. And Im sitting here feeling very uncomfortable but he won't stop singing. You know"

Pretty funny stuff.

KIF

Mission Statement and Maria Taylor

2006-04-16T21:51:00.000-04:00

So we need like a mission statement or something. Not quite Jerry McGuire, but something in that vain. I mean why are we spending our time on this little thing? I mean I think I know why, but we really should put it out there. You know something permanent.

On a separate note. In the past month, I have considered who I would write about first on this blog, and never in my wildest dreams, did I ever think it would be Maria Taylor. But here goes. So I really liked this album last year. And by liked, I mean just that. It was very likeable. I enjoyed it on a car ride or two and Conor's backing vocals are about as great as they are on the Home EP with Brit Daniels. But today is Easter. And my kids got this really big inflatable water slide from the inlaws and my family and I spent the day outside today. So I put on 11:11 and it absolutely stunned me. Now I know you indie rockers out there did not give Maria her fair dues and no one really loved this record. And I also know that some of you (Richard) don't enjoy the female vocalist, but you are missing out. For some reason she hit me today. It was simply amazing. So if you haven't heard 11:11 or you already tucked it neatly away in your cd collection (after arguing with yourself on weather to file it under Taylor or next to your Azure Ray cds) go give it a shot (or another shot).

Coming soon, why my wife hates Ben Gibbard--funny stuff.

POGS!

College is for quitters

2006-04-15T21:27:00.000-04:00

Man we both blew our loads with using our good titles for the first two posts

I figured the only way you'd let me hand around this blog with you was if I apologized on the site.

Im sorry Richard

Abstract and Bored

2006-04-13T19:12:00.000-04:00

*THE TWO MIRRORS*

A Better Offer

A contest

Song Whores--October ZC

Letting the Tall Poppy Shine

Check out (sm)all ages and Oh No! Oh My!

My mom is cooler than your mom

Now It's Overhead

Take two

Song Whores--September ZC

Some things I'd like to share

I-Dee-Clair-War

Song of the Month - r.d.

Arizona strikes again

The Contest

The Rosebuds

Taking on Goliath takes on music

Shifted Sound and the D

Another Reason To Be Proud Of Jacksonville

Mogwai

Isn't she pretty

Song of the Month--Somersby

Reasons to Own a Record Player

8/5/76

August: Song of the Month - r.d.

A teacher and his deceiving songs

So you want some music...

Park Avenue cds

Arizona--Welcome Back Dear Children

*****PAVEMENT*****

Who needs a drummer?

Jeff Tweedy

Items of interest

ROCKTOBER

Midlake

Band of Horses

The track sevens (part two)

Thom Yorke

The Track Sevens

The Dave Pittman Birthday EP

The guest blogger

Happy Independents Day!

Another Bright Eyes Song (not new)

The Grand Canyon State

Not what I intended

Small Ages

The Walkmen

The Velvet Teen Remixes (thanks RD) Radiohead

I like new music

The Merediths

ARIZONA - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Cursive

Sonic Youth

Yo La Tengo

My son is cooler than me (part 2)

Canada Post Number 2 - not that anyone cares

Aiden's birthday and Amy Millan

Radiohead

Canada Post Number 1

A Reason to Actually Watch Letterman

Semifinalists

Conor, Jeremy, and three unrelated items

Wilco

Anticipating the second half of 06

The Barkley

Your tax dollars at work

Exclusive Voxtrot Song

It's a celebration, bitches

Thom Yorke Solo Album due July 11th

My son is cooler than me

Cover Songs

Top 6 in 2006 (part 2)

Top 6 of 2006 (part 1) - R.D.

VOXTROT

Under Construction

Nature's Kids

Bright Eyes

Richard 1, Zak 0

So, It begins

Let the trash talking begin

THE TWO MIRRORS

PAVEMENT