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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’ ...

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights [In Motown?s Shadows]
2008-04-24 16:55:00
Arguably my favorite music movie of all time is a documentary called Standing in the Shadows of Motown , which was recommended by a good friend named PRick Lachey. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s the story of the Funk Brothers. Never heard of ‘em? Well in 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. gathered the best ...
More About: Jones , Days , Kings

The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain, The Empty Bottle April 25
2008-04-23 16:56:00
When I was really young my parents would always try and get me to eat McDonald’s cheeseburgers. That was supposed to be my special treat, but all I wanted to do is eat hot dogs. No matter who told me how good these cheeseburgers were, all I wanted to do was eat me some hot ...
More About: April , Hope , Bottle , Mountain , Glory

HearYa Live Session 16: Howlin Rain
2008-04-22 16:36:00
When I was about 10 years old we used to sneak into my friend’s brother’s basement and leaf through his albums. They all seemed so cool and it smelled really funny down there. Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Zeppelin, and friends. That was my introduction to rock music. It also was my introduction to a couple of ...
More About: Rain , Hear , Live

Fleet Foxes - ?White Winter Hymnal? MP3 Released
2008-04-21 17:59:00
Woody wrote a little piece about Fleet Foxes Sun Giant EP (and his past drug habits) not too long ago and we didn’t have an mp3 to post along with it. I hate posting anything without giving a song sample, but we couldn’t find anything (legally) from Fleet Foxes. I mean, really, do you ...
More About: Winter , White , Released

My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges MP3
2008-04-21 05:51:00
I assume everyone has already found the new My Morning Jacket track by now, but it’s impossible for me to ignore posting it. Here’s their new single, “Evil Urges” from the album by the same name, due out in June. It’s safe to say that we’re in for some new MMJ sounds on this go around. My ...
More About: My Morning Jacket

Sunday MP3 Roundup, 4.20.08
2008-04-20 18:56:00
Here are the tracks we talked about: Bean Pickers Union - Photograph Motel Motel - Pedal Steel Motel Motel - Coffee Octoberman - Run From Safety Octoberman - Once in a Blue Octoberman - Temptation Is a Bloody Mess Octoberman - Run From Safety (Live) Octoberman - Elbow Room (Live) The Whipsaws sent us these tracks by Cory Branon: Cory Branon - Tall Green Grass Cory ...
More About: Roundup , Sunday

Jan Terri ? A True American Treasure [Best Video Ever Made]
2008-04-19 18:14:00
I recently did a search on YouTube for ?Best Music Video Ever Made ?. Jan Terri?s ?Losing You? popped up…and I watched. Words cannot do this video justice. The makeup, the hair, the wardrobe, the casting ? all complete abominations. If you expect me to believe Jan Terri has friends to wave at, money for a limousine ...
More About: Music Video , American , True

Octoberman - Run From Safety [Canadians Rule]
2008-04-18 17:07:00
I listen to XM Radio in my car on a daily basis and they seem to have a huge crush on Octoberman. I heard “Run from Safety ” and “Chasing Ambulances” on several occasions before finally picking up the entire album on eMusic (Take note of the buying behavior music marketers). Octoberman is yet another great ...
More About: Canadians , Rule

Motel Motel - Old York EP, New Denver LP
2008-04-17 16:41:00
We’ve had some really great unsigned bands on HearYa in the past. Some of my favorites have been The Record Low, Pale Young Gentlemen, Gringo Star, Cracklin Moth, and yesterday Woody featured a great album by Bean Pickers Union. I think I have a new band to add to the list and their name ...
More About: Motel , York , Denver

Bean Pickers Union - Potlatch
2008-04-16 17:00:00
It took me about 10 seconds of the first track, “Photograph,” to get the feeling of Potlatch. Those first few piano notes set the tone for a stunning debut from Bean Pickers Union . “Photograph” examines a town torn apart by a flood and they lyrics combined with the music makes the town come alive. The ...

Bebo Sold for $850 million, Billy Bragg Wants a Piece of that Ass
2008-04-15 16:57:00
It’s been a while since I’ve ranted, but a few weeks ago I read an article in the New York Times entitled “The Royalty Scam,” written by Billy Bragg . The purpose of the article was to answer a burning question plaguing the SxSW 2008 music conference: How will musicians make a living in the age ...
More About: Million , Sold , Piece