New Fleet Foxes Video - He Doesn't Know Why

Fleet Foxes He Doesn't Know Why from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

Get yourself some Fleet Foxes NOW!

New Okkervil River Video - Lost Coastlines

Hotel Lights!!!

Has anyone else ever heard of these guys? Hotel Lights? It features Darren Jesse (former Ben Folds Five drummer) and they are totally awesome. How come I have never heard of these guys before!!!


HOTEL LIGHTS "Blue Always Finds Me" from Firecracker People on Vimeo.

New Common Market Video - Trouble Is

I have been eagerly anticipating this video!


''Trouble Is'' tells the story of a vagrant farmer's hardship in a town where the locals call into question his intentions and work ethic. The video captures this tension with unmistakably rustic and southern imagery as the first scene opens with a fiery sermon delivered from the pulpit of a dusty Baptist church. The farmer, played by the emcee RA Scion, is aggressively pursued by a town mob, first driven out of town over distrust and distaste, then back again for the purpose of assimilation by force. The video takes a curious turn in the final scene, ultimately leaving the viewer in the position of the town-folk to question the farmer's motivation.

So without further ado, here it is:




Add them to your collection!




Also, consider their associated act Blue Scholars (same DJ, different MC)

An Open Letter to the Decemberists

I'm not above Begging #1
Letters to bands that need to come play me a concert

Dear Colin Meloy and Crew,

This letter represents the first in what I can only assume will be many pleas, begging bands to come visit our concert-starved city of Lincoln, NE and play a concert. And, take it as a compliment, of the many bands I could write to first, I'm starting with you guys. Of the many places I where I have lived (Bellingham, WA, Provo, UT, Phoenix, AZ), Lincoln is a big disappointment musically. I'm not meaning to offend the local Lincoln music scene, but rather, refer to the utter dearth of good concerts from national bands. Everyone skips over Nebraska (can I blame them?), and when they do come to NE, they go to Omaha.

But, Decemberists, I look to you to save us. Would you please come to Lincoln on your next tour? Or, contact the University and get them to bring you out here to play a show campus (Grand Archives, David Bazan adn Sam Beam played campus concerts recently). You may be tempted to go to Omaha, but I beg you, NO! The Star City needs you! Actually, I need you.

Your unique blend of folksy, old-timey, maritimesque indie rock is the only thing that can save us.


Talk to you soon (I hope),

Music Snobs Anonymous

Ben Gibbard covers The Mountain Goats

Hola all! Here is a little diddy to brighten your Monday morning. This is Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie doing a cover of The Mountain Goats' Palmcorder Yajna (from their 2004 We Shall All Be Healed). Classic.

Ben Gibbard - Palmcorder Yanja [The Mountain Goats cover].mp3

Here's a video of the same






Here's some Death Cab for Cutie to purchase



Or, hows about some Postal Service?



Or solo Ben Gibbard?

International Talk like a Pirate Day

This is a re-post from last year . . . but I'm too lazy to make a new one.

MP3 - The Decemberists - Shanty for Arethusa.mp3

MP3 - The Decemberists - The Mariner's Revenge Song.mp3

That's right folks, International Talk Like a Pirate Day!!! In celebration of this great global recognition of pirates, I thought I would share a couple of my favorite shantys - both by The Decemberists. If you are unfamiliar with the Decemberists, I suggest you rectify that quickly. While they do have a few songs about pirates and other 19th century whatnots, they are a mostly normal band that happens to put out some of the best music I've found in the last couple years. Honestly. So, without further delay, here are your pirate songs for the day. Put them on repeat, crank the volume up and wait for coworkers or roommates to come in yelling. YAR! I would suggest starting out with either their Picaresque album, or The Crane Wife.

Live Death Cab for Cutie footage from Spin.com

Live at Bumbershoot 2008

Go to Spin.com for the full article and info. Thank you Spin!!!

"The New Year"

"Bixby Canyon Bridge"

Here's some Death Cab for Cutie to purchase



Or, hows about some Postal Service?



Or solo Ben Gibbard?

Yet more Vinyl Acquisitions

I haven't updated this list in a while. Here's the latest finds:

• Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
  
• Blackalicious - Its Going Down (Sit Back)
• Blackalicious - Nia
  
• Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
• Colin Meloy Sings Live [autographed]
• The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
• The Decemberists - Her Majesty
• The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
• Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
• Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP
• The Mamas & the Papas - If you Can Believe your Eyes and Ears
• Rocky Votolato - Suicide Medicine [marble white vinyl] [autographed + set list]
• Saturday Night Fever
  
• The City on Film - In Formal Introduction [marble gray vinyl]

See my full collection HERE

KEXP + Common Market

Thank you KEXP, the greatest radio station on earth. (except maybe for KUGS . . . tough call)

Black Patch War
Common Market


Add them to your collection!




Also, consider their associated act Blue Scholars (same DJ, different MC)

Ben Folds + Tim and Eric = Awesome Video, Great Job!

Ben's new video for You don't Know Me, starring Tim and Eric from Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job



Also - at about 3:07 there is a guy that looks a lot like that Josh Groban guy.

Please excuse the song's one expletive. I'll post a radio-friendly version if I can find it.


Be a Pal and buy some Ben Folds or Ben Folds Five tunes!!!

Facebook Group

If any of ya'll are on Facebook, feel free to join the Music Snobbery 101 Group.

Sigur Ros videos - I can't Stop!!!

Someone help me! I can't stop posting Sigur Ros videos! Its just soooo good!

Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur live in London

New Mighty Underdogs Track from "Droppin' Science Fiction"

It is going to be a good fall for hip-hop. The Mighty Underdogs (The Gift of Gab from Blackalicious, Lateef the Truth Speaker from Latyrx and Maroons and Headnodic from The Crown City Rockers) are releasing their new album on October 14th (preorder ships).

Just to tantalize us all, they have posted a full track, War Walk.

Download it here:

The Mighty Underdogs - War Walk.mp3

Initial Thoughts Album Review #5 - Common Market "Tobacco Road"

Initial Thoughts Album Review #4
Unpretentious album reviews that forgo the big words, analogies and obscure music-references to simply voice some initial thoughts and gut reactions.

Common Market - Tobacco Road





I have been eagerly waiting all summer long for RA Scion and Sabzi to release their new full length, "Tobacco Road." While I'm grateful that they gave us a taste with their "Black Patch War" EP last spring, in a way it made the wait all the more difficult. Over the past month or so a few tracks have leaked here and there and they sounded great. Now that I have received a copy of the full album, I am one happy camper.

Some thoughts:

RA Scion's craft is at its best! Not only are his lyrical stylings and content more cohesive throughout the album, but his presentation - cadence, flow, intoation - prove a large step forward from their 2006 selftitled "Common Market" LP.

Sabzi's beats are equally impressive. It is interesting to compare his work with Blue Scholars and Common Market. I'm not sure if he consiously choses certain beats for one band and different ones for the other (I can only assume that he does), but the backing tracks he chose for this album mesh well with RA Scion's vox.

The lyrical content, though clearly less autobiographical than Black Patch War, still dwells upon aspects of RA Scion's agricultural, rural, Southern roots.

In short, I really hope these guys break it big! The hip-hop world needs more guys out there putting out high quality tracks that don't just talk about rims, grills, hoes and money. That schtick got old a LONG time ago. I think the term "conscious hip-hop" gets thrown around way too much, but these guys really do embody the best of what that term originally was used to mean. The fact that they are going through the independent grind, fighting from the ground up, makes this already impressive album all the more triumphant.

Long live Pacific Northwest Hip Hop!!!

ps. don't forget to download this track off the Black Patch War EP

Common Market - His Eminence.mp3

Add them to your collection!




Also, consider their associated act Blue Scholars (same DJ, different MC)

Common Market - Tobacco Road

Check out Common Market's Myspace page! They have uploaded almost the entire new album. this is my most highly anticipated hip-hop release in quite a while.

Add them to your collection!




Also, consider their associated act Blue Scholars (same DJ, different MC)