Shuffle Up and Deal

I like to pretend there is a magical musical goblin in the heart of my iPod that is in charge of making decisions like playing Gangstarr, preceded by The Velvet Underground, when on the 'shuffle' option. Just to remind me about the opposite ends of spectrums.

Well, the following two songs came about the other day, and now, I cannot have one without the other. The first song is from the Oscar winning soundtrack score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the highly emotionally stirring, musical salutation to "The Social Network". Check out "Hand Covers Bruise" below, to be immediately followed by...

"The Passenger Seat" by Death Cab For Cutie. Written approximately seven years prior to the release of "The Social Network", this Gibbard & Company track exists on a very similar musical plane.

To me, these two tracks are the musical equivalent of the party game where everyone writes down story fragments onto a piece of paper, and they are later put together to form one coincidental, and cohesive story.

It is important to note, you must listen to these tracks in reverse chronological order, to prove my theory. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, immediately followed by Mr. Zooey Deschanel.

"Hand Covers Bruise" by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
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"The Passenger Seat" by Death Cab For Cutie

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Ash Wednesday

A Happy Ash Wednesday to those applicable. See Bright Eyes song (and tour dates below).

"Drunk Kid Catholic" by Bright Eyes


Download "Drunk Kid Catholic" here or here.

The People’s Key is out now on Saddle Creek Records.

Bright Eyes 2011 Tour Dates:
03/09 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall *
03/10 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
03/11 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre ^
03/13 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy ^
03/14 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre ^
03/15 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre ^
03/16 – Champaign, IL @ Foellinger Auditorium ^
03/17 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
03/19 – Austin, TX @ Auditorium Shores (SXSW) (FREE SHOW)
04/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theater
04/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/08 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore
04/09 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
04/12 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
04/13 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
06/23 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall

"Like" Bright Eyes on Facebook.

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The Dø

"Both Ways Open Jaws" is the new record from the terribly creative and wonderful duo, The Dø. Check out "The Calendar" below. I can't get enough. It's like a mad scientist took a Joni Mitchell record, and fed it into the computer with a DJ Shadow record, à la the Weird Science production of Kelly Lebrock's famous "Lisa" role.

Do visit The Dø's website. Buy their album at iTunes.

"The Calendar" by The Dø

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Battle LA!

(This ain't no Jennifer Anniston movie, Aaron Sorkin!)

It's quite rare I get excited for an over the top action movie release, but these trailers for "Battle:Los Angeles" have put me in the proverbial shoes of a fat nerd waiting in line for Comic Con. The wonderful use of the eerie track by Icelandic musician Jóhann Jóhannsson sent me over the edge. According to the movie premise, L.A. is the last line of defense against alien invaders. Thanks for letting us down NYC, and SF! Cue Michelle Rodriguez's tough face!

Check out the trailer for "Battle: Los Angeles" below, and the haunting track titled "The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black" also. "Battle: Los Angeles" will be released on March 11th. Check out their official site.

"The Sun's Gone Dim, and the Sky's Turned Black" by Jóhann Jóhannsson

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"Battle: LA" Trailer


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ANR

Awesome New Republic, aka ANR, melds all that is good from bands like Menomena, Animal Collective, Yeasayer, and the hey-day era of Depeche Mode. The band is comprised of John Hancock & Brian Robertson, fellow graduates from The Frost School of Music, formerly the University of Miami's music program.

Unlike this writer, the fellows have taken their practical college education, and applied it to the real world. "Stay Kids" is like a genial by-product of Paul Simon's "Graceland" impregnating Hawthorne, California's favorite sons' "Pet Sounds", with a modern day spin. Check out my favorite track, from an all together great album, "It's Around You".

"It's Around You" by ANR
It's Around You - ANR
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Visit the ANR official site here.

CLICK HERE for front page and full list of track postings.

Visit our sister site The Book of Band Names.

Never Forgetters.

Forgetters is Blake Schwarzenbach's latest project. I hope this one lasts longer than his last project, Thorns of Life, which I quite enjoyed as well. Rather than ramble on about whether or not this new material sounds more like Jawbreaker, or more like Jets to Brazil, I'll let you listen to "The Night Accelerates" below.

Blake is joined by former Against Me! drummer Kevin Mahon and bass player Caroline Pacquita. Seems like the same type line up as Thorns of Life, but I haven't confirmed if his bassist was part of the ensemble cast of "The L Word"?

One thing I can be certain about is, that Blake continues to build on his prolific punk rock legacy, with this self-titled EP courtesy of Too Small to Fail Records. Forgetters will be playing two L.A. shows next month. This aging music nerd is left to decide which night he will be attending? The 22-year old version of me, would have no-doubtedly already bought tickets for both.

"The Night Accelerates" by Forgetters

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Swedish PB & J

The Swedish trio continue their mission to prove to everyone, that they will be known for being more than just a one hit wonder. Here's the opening track to the forthcoming Peter, Bjorn, and John album, which has a release date of April 5th (March according to their official site). I'm reserving judgement until I get a real good listen to the follow up to 2009's "Living Thing", titled "Gimme Some", but the catchiness and harmonies we've come to expect from these three Swedes can be heard in "Tomorrow Has to Wait", below.

You can pre-order "Gimme Some" here. Visit the official site here.

"Tomorrow Has to Wait" by Peter, Bjorn, & John

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Visit our sister website at Book of Band Names.