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HearYa Live Session 18: Modern Skirts
2008-05-22 16:36:00
So there I am at the 40 Watt Party at SXSW. I had been having a great day up until this point and I had headed over to the party to meet a friend and catch The Dexateens and Dead Confederate. Well that and drink a whole bunch of their free PBRs. Unfortunately the set times were all fucked up, but we ended up drinking bourbon with John C. Stubblefied of Lucero and decided to wait it out for The Dexateens. Around that time, The Modern Skirts hit the stage and brought with them an easy-going sound that made us take notice. On a day when it was over 90 degrees and sweltering outside, the Athens, GA foursome hit the stage cool as cucumbers and delivered a wonderful set, full of infectious pop melodies. I didn’t really get a chance to hang with them in Austin, so it was cool to chat with them while in Chicago. We got the lowdown on how Mike Mills became a fan and produced a few tracks for the boys. Dig into the four tracks below, in particular the foot-stomping “My Last Sopra...
More About: Live

Drive-By Truckers, Live Download from Cat’s Cradle Show
2008-05-22 00:08:00
I was checking out the Live Music Archive today and found this DBT show from last week at Cat’s Cradle in North Carolina. That’s fresh produce. Here are some of the highlights (for me anyway) and the download. Drive -By Truckers - Women Without Whiskey Drive-By Truckers - A Ghost to Most Drive-By Truckers - That Man I Shot Drive-By Truckers - Checkout Time In Vegas Drive-By Truckers - Dead Drunk and Naked Click here to view the full set: Download the full concert here.
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The Hold Steady - Sequestered in Memphis Released, Ben Nichols Sings Backup
2008-05-21 16:36:00
American rock band The Hold Steady have just released the first single from the upcoming release, Stay Positive, due out mid-July. Ben Nichols, lead singer of Lucero, sings backup vocals on the track. You can buy it now on iTunes for a penny less than a dollar.
More About: Backup , Released , Memphis , The Hold Steady

House Season Finale Music - Gregory Goes Indie
2008-05-21 01:01:00
Anyone watching the “House ” season finale last night probably noticed that indie music was well represented. I always pride myself on calling out band names as their songs start during TV shows. I nailed 3 out of 4 last night while watching House - Jose Gonzalez, Bon Iver, and Iron and Wine. My ...
More About: Music , Season , Indie , Finale

XM Tracks: Band of Heathens - Jackson Station
2008-05-20 16:50:00
So I’m driving home from work last Friday, barely able to keep my eyelids open after my gassy newborn daughter kept me up at all hours the previous night, and XM radio responded by playing “Jackson Station ” by Band of Heathens. It’s as if my radio was saying “Hey little buddy. I see you’re ...
More About: Tracks

Les Blanks - Shoot the Horse
2008-05-19 16:29:00
Last week I talked about Yukon Records band Flashing Red Lights. Another California act that has me tingling all over is Les Blanks and their self-released album, Shoot the Horse . I’ve been listening to Shoot the Horse for weeks now, but have been procrastinating writing a proper review. Their sound is just too ...

Sunday MP3 Roundup, 5.18.08
2008-05-18 19:03:00
What we talked about last week: Firewater - Borneo Firewater - 3-Legged Dog Port O’Brien - I Woke Up Today Port O’Brien - Close the Lid Tall Firs - Hairdo The OaKs - Masood The OaKs - Epilogue Celebration The OaKs - From the Moon The OaKs - Hugh Thompson, The Aftermath Stuff we didn’t discuss: The Sugar Oaks - Very Sparrow Earlimart - For the Birds We ...
More About: Roundup , Sunday

The OaKs - Songs for Waiting
2008-05-17 17:20:00
We get boatloads of e-mails on a weekly basis promoting a variety of bands. Some are home runs and others don’t capture our attention. There hasn’t been a more interesting story than that of Ryan Costello of The OaKs. Post 9/11, Ryan set off to Afghanistan and wound up working with the locals in effort ...
More About: Songs , Waiting

Are The Moldy Peaches Sellouts?
2008-05-16 17:55:00
I am not a Moldy Peaches fan by any stretch of the imagination. I do enjoy following the changing music marketplace to see how bands will earn more money or enhance their living, however. To earn additional revenue with much less effort than touring, many cut licensing deals with network television to feature ...
More About: Music Video , The Moldy Peaches

My wife has a dirty secret
2008-05-16 01:22:00
It’s been awhile since I ranted. On Tuesday I had a softball game that was canceled, so instead of going out drinking, I came home to see my kids before bed. I walked into the bedroom and to my horror, my wife and kids were watching American Idol. I was in shock. I think I ...
More About: Wife , Dirty , Secret

Free Album Download: Tall Firs - Too Old to Die Young
2008-05-15 16:43:00
Brooklyn NY band, Tall Firs along with label Ecstatic Peace Records, have released Too Old to Die Young for free download. It’ll only be available for one week, so grab it quickly. It’s a mellow album with lazy vocals that will appeal to your rainy day senses. MySpace Download Tall Firs - Too Old to Die Young ...
More About: Free , Album

Exclusive HearYa Video: Port O?Brien - I Woke Up Today
2008-05-14 16:59:00
It’s no secret that HearYa has a huge crush on Oakland-based band, Port O’Brien. Lead singer Van Pierszalowski and the gang have recorded a series of videos to promote yesterday’s release of All We Could Do Was Sing and funneled them out to a few websites to post exclusively for their readers (Spin posted one ...
More About: Video , Exclusive , Music Video , Today

Matthew Ryan Tonight at Schubas, ?Jane, I Still Feel the Same?
2008-05-13 18:03:00
It’s Tuesday, the day many consider to be the worst day of the week. If you’re in Chicago and would like to brighten up your evening, make a trip to Schubas tonight to catch Matthew Ryan . I saw him at SXSW 2008 at the Go Entertainment Showcase that we sponsored and he played ...
More About: Music Video , Tonight , Jane , Feel

Firewater - The Golden Hour
2008-05-13 16:31:00
Awhile back, I heard that a band called Firewater had signed to HearYa label favorite Bloodshot Records. I was not very familiar with the band or its inspiring force, Tod A and what I had read and the couple of tunes I heard on MySpace didn’t get my juices flowing at first. Then at ...
More About: Hour , Golden

XM Tracks: Charlie Robison - ?John O?Reilly?
2008-05-12 16:53:00
I found another gem on XM Radio’s Cross Country station the other day on a drive home from work. It’s rare to find an Irish-Country tune, but that’s just what Charlie Robison’s serves up in this track, “John O’Reilly .” The song tells the story of an Irish immigrant fighting his way through Hell’s Kitchen, earning his ...
More About: Tracks , Charlie Robison

Sunday MP3 Roundup, 5.11.08
2008-05-11 19:06:00
Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers. Here’s the stuff we talked about this past week… The Battle Royale - Racecar The Battle Royale - Scream Scream The Battle Royale - Let’s Leave Joe Pug - Hymn 101 Joe Pug - Call It What You Will The Explorers Club - Do You Love Me? Flashing Red Lights - Endless Salt Flashing Red Lights - ...
More About: Roundup , Sunday

Who?s in your fantasy supergroup?
2008-05-09 16:44:00
When I was a young boy, I came up with a game called ?Create Your Own Fantasy Supergroup ?. My two friends who liked music and I would sit around discussing who we would hand select to create the ultimate band. You got to choose one from each of the following categories: ? Lead ...

Flashing Red Lights - Bridges
2008-05-08 16:44:00
Yukon Records is on fire right now. Flashing Red Lights debut album, Bridges , is one of a few Yukon albums we’ll be featuring on HearYa. Flashing Red Lights hail from LA and are led by Mack Slevin, a guitarist from several other LA bands. Good for him (and us) for stepping out and ...

The Explorers Club - Freedom Wind
2008-05-07 16:49:00
Remember my drunken rant about The Kennedy award show where Hootie & The Blowfish played in tribute to Brian Wilson? It was submitted for a Pulitzer or a Dundie…I can’t remember. The question was posed to me, who would I rather have up on that stage to replace Hootie. I now have my answer. The ...
More About: Freedom , Wind , Club , Explorers

Joe Pug - Nation of Heat EP
2008-05-06 17:40:00
Not too long ago Drinking Buddy wrote about Pete Molinari, wondering if he was the second coming of Bob Dylan. I appreciated the comparison. It seems that Dylan references abound on this site, recently for bands like Leatherbag and The Felice Brothers, but there will never be another Dylan. I’m just not sure ...
More About: Nation , Heat

The Battle Royale - Wake Up, Thunderbabe
2008-05-05 18:21:00
If you’ve read this blog for any length, you can probably guess that there’s not much music in my library labeled under Electronica/Dance. I’m way more comfortable at a dive bar than a club and I’ll take Johnny Cash over house music any day. Somehow, regardless of the genre that includes the word “electronica,” ...
More About: Wake , Wake up , Battle , Battle Royale , Royale

Sunday MP3 Roundup, 5.4.08
2008-05-04 18:49:00
The stuff from HearYa this past week: The Sword - Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians Langhorne Slim - Rebel Side of Heaven Exclusive: Justin Townes Earle - Lone Pine Hill Exclusive: Justin Townes Earle - Who Am I To Say Exclusive: Justin Townes Earle - Your Biscuits Are Big Enough For Me Exclusive: Justin Townes Earle - Turn Out My ...
More About: Roundup , Sunday

Indie Artist Lookalikes: Part Two
2008-05-02 20:44:00
About a year ago, I wrote a post about indie artists who resembled other famous people. Well I?ve marinated on it for another year, and come up with some more for your viewing pleasure. Glenn Richards from Augie March and Donal Logue from some TV stuff You?ve all seen Donal Logue somewhere but you can?t ...
More About: Artist , Indie , Part

HearYa Live Session 17: Justin Townes Earle
2008-05-01 17:56:00
There are certain bands that roll though town and are on my required list: Drive-By Truckers, Lucero, and The Hold Steady, to name a few. No matter what’s going on in my life, I make sure it revolves around those shows. I now have a new addition to my short list and his name is ...
More About: Hear , Live , Justin

Langhorne Slim, Self-Titled
2008-04-30 16:43:00
When I first heard the name Langhorne Slim , I expected a dirty blues sound. Something about that name made me think of the delta blues and I pictured a skinny, old black dude with a howling voice singing songs about being down on his luck after his old lady left him. Langorne Slim may ...

Wow. I have offspring.
2008-04-30 03:18:00
Things have been a little hectic over the past couple days. Mrs. Oz and I were blessed with our first baby on Monday morning. It’s a girl. Back to scheduled programming shortly. Wilco - “My Darling”
More About: Music Video , Offspring

The Sword Slashes San Francisco at Slims
2008-04-28 20:58:00
An raucous crowd of 400-plus left Slim’s nightclub in San Francisco last Saturday with more than just ringing ears. Many, including this closet banger, felt they may have just witnessed a torchbearer in hard rock’s resurgent march. The Sword was sharp and delivered a classic axe-grinding performance that had me wanting more. The Austin, TX based foursome opened with a couple enjoyable screamers from their newly released album, Gods of the Earth. The band played fast and crisp all night and had many in the packed venue howling by their third song by unleashing their classic ‘Winters Wolves’ (from the Age of Winters album). The mosh pit reached a fevered pitch and spilled out into the far corners of the venue during pounding takes of ‘To Take the Black’ and ‘The Black River’. The crowd got primed for The Sword with impressive showings by opening bands Children and the Bay Area’s own Slough Feg. For $14, the show was a steal. Something tells me if The Sword cont...

Sunday MP3 Roundup, 4.27.08
2008-04-27 16:31:00
Here’s the mp3 recap for last week: My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal The Acorn - Crooked Legs The Acorn - Flood Pt. 1 Sharon Jones - 100 Days, 100 Nights The Rustlanders - La Conchita From our Howlin Rain Live Session: Exclusive: Howlin Rain - Dancers at the End of Time Exclusive: Howlin Rain - Calling ...
More About: Roundup , Sunday

One Track At A Time: Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash
2008-04-26 17:28:00
By now I’m sure you have read a couple reviews on the new Malkmus and the Jicks release, Real Emotional Trash . Normally I wouldn’t add to the deluge, but you know what’s been getting my goat lately? Well in addition to these new boxers that ride up on my leg, my wife thinking that we ...
More About: Time , Track , Stephen

The Rustlanders
2008-04-25 16:52:00
Put The Rustlanders on stage at Winterland, hand Scorsese a camera, have these boys play “Holdin’ Out” and God as my witness, you might just be watching The Last Waltz. When I first listened to The Rustlanders self-titled debut, I felt like I was listening to Richard Manuel and Levon Helm harmonize. After playing “Holdin’ ...