laura marling’s 4-song EP found me in september 2007 (i fell in love with her song “new romantic”), and i just now got around to listening to her full-length release “alas, i cannot swim.” it’s quite great. adele and duffy seem to have overshadowed miss marling in the media, but this is definitely worth a listen. or many, many listens. or on repeat for an entire weekend, even.
now almost certain that i live in the wrong country, here is yet another up-and-coming brit band. enjoy.
every few months, i sort the top myspace artists by country and have a look at the top indie and unsigned artists in the UK, australia, and sweden. that’s how i found winterpark (victoria, australia), a new electronic shoe-gaze duo.
this is the new series i mentioned a while back. r.a.t.e. = radio ain’t the enemy. i’m not gonna lie, i enjoy some pop music/artists/songs. i’m not ashamed to say that i like ashlee simpson. and the veronicas. and leona lewis. and dozens of others. i decided i might be a little too self-conscious to devote an entire post to each of them, so this is the next best thing. each r.a.t.e. post will feature 5 radio-friendly songs that i love.
ashlee simpson - little miss obsessive
the veronicas - revenge is sweeter (than you ever were)
french/finnish bands are a scarce commodity. this particular one sets the bar high. i’m thoroughly enjoying their album “a mouthful” this week.
emily haines is so much more than, well, emily haines - solo or emily haines - metric. she pops up in every corner of the music world, making more guest appearances than t-pain.
emilyhaines.com
myspace.com/emilyhaines
broken social scene - anthems for a 17 year-old girl
trying to remember all of the concerts i’ve seen since i moved to austin last fall is not an easy task. i am sure that i’ve forgotten a few, but to the best of my recollection, i’ve been privileged to see the following here (so far):
-imogen heap (la zona rosa)
-justice (stubbs)
-feist (stubbs)
-tegan and sara/northern state (stubbs)
-regina spektor (stubbs)
-indigo girls/brandi carlisle (stubbs)
-tilly and the wall* (emo’s)
-mates of state* (emo’s)
-rilo kiley* (stubbs)
-the faint* (emo’s)
* = near future!
i saw the indigo girls open for ani difranco in eureka springs, arkansas back in 2004 on the vote dammit tour. i didn’t expect to like them nearly as much as i did! not being that familiar with their albums, i thoroughly enjoyed their set. i’m hoping for a repeat performance tomorrow night @ stubbs. joining them this time will be brandi carlile (who i also know very little about).
indigogirls.com
myspace.com/indigogirlsmusic
brandicarlile.com
myspace.com/brandicarlileband
indigo girls - all that we let in
definitely a little late to jump on the bella (circa summer 2007) bandwagon, but this band has been tearing up my playlist all week. i’ve never wanted to limit/restrict this blog to “new” music only. there’s simply too much quality music out there, not all of it brand new. bella combines all of the best elements of the organ, pony up!, and tilly and the wall…and still manages to create their own unique blend of indie synth-pop. i fear that they may no longer be together…but they did make an appearance at sxsw this year, so maybe there’s hope?
sunday: (i still haven’t decided between stars and against me!)
nicole atkins and the sea - maybe tonight
the acl schedule was posted this week, and i’m pretty excited about it! there are no major schedule conflicts…my toughest choices were between ingrid michaelson and css (css wins) and between band of horses and tegan and sara (tegan and sara wins). i’ve planned my weekend out loosely, although there are still several gaps to fill. this weekend i’m going to post a track from each band/artist that i am definitely seeing.
friday:
autamata - jellyman (youtube)
vampire weekend - cape cod kwassa
patty griffin - every little bit
mates of state - the re-arranger*
jenny lewis - you are what you love
the swell season - when your mind’s made up
*removed at request of label
astonishing amounts of great music have found me lately. mates of state’s latest album has been on repeat in my car all week, in particular “the re-arranger,” which is definitely one of my favorite songs of the year.
matesofstate.com
myspace.com/matesofstate
mates of state - the re-arranger*
mates of state - my only offer
mates of state - lullaby haze*
*removed at request of label
from now until forever, i will say that over the rhine is the most underrated band in america. with over 13 albums, spanning a quiet and respectable career of 15+ years, karin and linford show no signs of stopping. i discovered them wayyy back in the days of waterdeep, almost 9 years ago. until recently, i’d been missing a few albums from their catalog. i corrected that problem this past week, with the additions of live from nowhere, volumes one and two, discount fireworks, and snow angels. it’s so hard to recommend a starting place for those new to otr, but i suppose ohio would be the obvious choice. over the rhine has the uncanny ability to create their very own mix of alt/country, blues, and gospel…and the result is a form of truth that i have yet to find anywhere else in today’s music. here are a few tracks, from the above-mentioned albums, that i have just heard for the first time and am currently in love with.
overtherhine.com
myspace.com/overtherhine
over the rhine - new redemption song
this promises to be perhaps the most exciting post of 2008, thus far. if possible, i’m even more in love with this album than cloud cult’s latest offering. olivia broadfield is quickly rising to fame in the UK, but she is virtually unknown here (and definitely absent from the usual mp3 blogs). often compared to imogen heap, miss broadfield has released one of the most promising and surprising electronic pop albums of the last few years. as i’m sure most of you know, imogen is my number one. olivia broadfield has just secured a place in my top 10…and that’s a very hard list to break into. it took some work to get a hold of the album, and “eyes wide open” is the 2nd album i’ve bought this year in physical form/audio cd. you can purchase your copy (audio cd) through her record label or the digital version at amazon.com.
oliviabroadfield.com
myspace.com/oliviabroadfield
olivia broadfield - holding onto you
thanks to aaron for the reminder about this danish pop sensation. they are 200% fun.
thisisalphabeat.com
myspace.com/thisisalphabeat
very rarely do i post pure punk tracks. the following is pure punk. but it’s damn good punk. and it should be played loud.
againstme.net
myspace.com/againstme
girl drummers are cool. girl drummers who also sing are super cool. as evidenced by my roommate while playing rock band, drumming and singing is a true talent - he gots skillz. so does she. she, being kristin gundred of grand ole party. i once described this band as “yeah yeah yeahs meets the b52s.”
grand ole party - look out young son
grand ole party - nasty habits
this post officially marks the death of the house!rules post category here at goodnightandgo.com. i simply don’t have the resources or time to keep bringing quality house music tracks to the people anymore. if some happen to fall into my lap, i’ll include them in either the re!mix or grab!bag categories. i have a new category in the works, never fear.
2006’s “bring me the workhorse” was a very unexpected discovery for me. to date, i still haven’t heard anything else like it. almost-but-not-quite too dark/industrial for my normal musical appetite, i found myself listening and enjoying it on a weekly basis. for me, most music that i bring into my life has a very specific purpose and fulfills certain emotional needs. occasionally, i grow completely out of once-favorite artists (ani difranco, waterdeep, bob dylan, even panic at the disco). more often than not, though, these time/mood-specific artists find their way back into my playlists. my brightest diamond is no exception. after recently listening to the remarkable track “something of an end,” i have rediscovered miss shara worden. she has a new album “a thousand shark’s teeth” slated to release in june.
mybrightestdiamond.com
myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond
my brightest diamond - something of an end
my brightest diamond - workhorse
even before they were all over the apple commercials, i was obsessed. the 4 tracks i got my hands on have been in constant rotation on my playlist for months. it was only natural that i’ve added the recent “shut up and let me go” to that list. the full-length “we started nothing,” releasing later this month, has potential to be among my top 10 albums of 2008.
thetingtings.com
myspace.com/thetingtings
the ting tings - that’s not my name
lily allen has a couple of new demos out, unofficially. if her yet-to-be-released official tracks sound anything like these, they will be welcomed with open arms. don’t get me wrong, i’m a loyal lily fan. but even i didn’t realize she had this maturity in her.
in an attempt to keep this blog grounded, i should update you all on miss imogen heap’s recent whereabouts. in addition to her new love interest (credit goes to victoria for this tidbit), she has also recorded and released a tune for the “heroes” soundtrack. it’s brilliant, as expected. i’ll include a few tracks from her older album, “shine,” to round out the post.
imogenheap.com
myspace.com/imogenheap
imogen heap - not now but soon
imogen heap - shine (radio edit)
as you (should) already know, the weepies are anything but. buy the new album. do it.
theweepies.com
myspace.com/theweepies
i’m a little late to jump on the tilly and the wall bandwagon, but better late than never, right? the single “beat control” hooked me.
tillyandthewall.com
myspace.com/officialtillyandthewall
tilly and the wall - beat control
tilly and the wall - cacophony
cloud cult’s new album “feel good ghosts (tea-partying through tornadoes)” is, hands-down, the best thing i’ve heard all year. possibly even in the past few years. it is genious and beautiful and epic, all rolled into one seamless piece of art. if you buy one album in 2008, make this the one. it was EXTREMELY hard to choose just four tracks to share.
cloudcult.com
myspace.com/cloudcult
cloud cult - everybody here is a cloud
cloud cult - hurricane and fire survival guide
cloud cult - journey of the featherless
cloud cult - when water comes to life (shared previously)
go here to listen to more songs from the new album
*edit* this is officially the first album in 2008 that i’ve actually bought in its physical form from a record store - it’s just that good.
they say bad things come in threes. and they are right. which is why i’m not going to have much written content in the next few posts to come. the music will be constant. the music is one of the few things that keep me sane. enjoy adele.
adele.tv
myspace.com/adelelondon
