zis is a test 2

dfadf

Crows 

test

zis is a test

My first song

Blake Mills

There was once a band that called themselves Simon Dawes. Simply put, they were fantastic. According to their MySpace page a couple of years ago, the band decided to take "an extended hiatus from Simon Dawes so that [they could] focus on expanding [their] individual musical efforts." Simon Dawes was led by two of the most brilliant musicians I have ever had the luxury of seeing mature: Taylor Goldsmith and Blake Mills. Taylor Goldsmith and bassist Wylie Gelber went off to form the almost unfairly incredible band Dawes. Post-Simon Dawes, Blake Mills had a brief stint playing guitar with Band Of Horses and Julian Casablancas while also perusing around Los Angeles every so often to give spectacular solo performances. Talk of a solo album has been spreading for quite some time. I even heard one musician who had heard some of Blake's top secret studio recordings nearly a year ago say it was some of the best music he had ever heard (woah). To be frank, I have been so excited, yet so plagued by anticipation for something, anything, from Blake that I've just about put my head through a wall a dozen times. Well kids, the time is now. It has been officially announced that Blake Mills will release his first solo album this April via Record Collection. What a fucking treat. I'll be sure to post it as soon as I get my greedy little hands on it. Blake recently stopped by Daytrotter and recorded a great four-song session which you can check out here. So until April you'll have to make due with that and the three tracks on his MySpace.

Just for fun I've decided to throw in Dawes' cover of Joe Cocker's version of "With A Little Help From My Friends." It's incredible. Watch it and try to disagree. HD on and volume all the way up on this one.

Wonder Years Troubadour from Evan Romoff on Vimeo.

Mason Jennings

I just found the coolest thing I think I have ever come across... ever. Credit to I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for this post. This is a recording of a Mason Jennings concert at The Cave (a student-run pub at Carleton College in Minnesota) that dates all the way back to 1998. The concert features Mason Jennings, right at the beginning of his career, playing an entire solo acoustic set - something he does from time to time nowadays but probably did more often earlier in his career. There's some great quick banter but what's even better is that there is a whole slue of unreleased tracks and early versions of songs from his self-titled album (1998), Simple Life (2002), and Use Your Voice (2004). Anyone who knows me knows that this is probably my most beloved find of all time. DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM NOW. Great, great, great folk music.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/zhnn4zmmnyv/Mason Jennings.zip

Now keep in mind that this was recorded in 1998 at a small college in Minnesota. There are some problems with the recordings (i.e. the very beginning of the last song, Rebecca DeVille, is missing, etc.) but you'll get the point and appreciate the awesomeness.

technicolor pop love

A perfect way to end the night.

Community Service Announcement - Jonathon Boulet from Modular People on Vimeo.

native video: St. Vincent et Andrew Bird

La Blogotheque, Vincent Moon's French sensation, has struck again. With impeccably tasteful cinematography and sound quality, the Blogotheque session featured Bird in an astonishing performance of "Effigy" followed by "Tenuousness" and culminating in beautiful "Natural Disaster." The real treat of the session however is when St. Vincent joins Bird in the intimate apartment to perform a previously unrehearsed "What Me Worry" and "Black Rainbow." Do yourself a serious favor and watch this.

For the many of you who won't want to spend a full half hour watching the entire performance, here's the gem, "What Me Worry"

Check out the session in its entirety below:

http://www.blogotheque.net/Andrew-Bird-et-St-Vincent

Staff Benda Bilili

Winner of the most far-fetched and inspiring band of the day goes to- Staff Benda Bilili. Straight out of Congo, Staff Benda Bilili is composed of a group of poor paraplegic street performers riding custom made tricycles who happened to take an 18 year old homeless kid who plays a homemade one string "electric lute" formed from a tin can under their wing. What separates Bilili from any other 60 Minutes-esque African glory story? Their music absolutely rules. Check out Tres Tres Fort, which recently climbed to #1 in Europes World Music Charts, as well as a video giving you a peek into their one of a kind life below:

http://www.mediafire.com/?jgwynjinw22