MP3

Great feature on Arizona's Source Victoria and the band's new record, The Fast Escape, in the latest Phoenix New Times. Read it here.

"The Fast Escape, however, is no political manifesto. It's a beautiful narcotic that allows you, the lucky listener, to sail for the better part of an hour above (Brendan) Murphy's roughhewn voice as it recounts the uncomfortable truths, the impossible personal entanglements, and even the marginalized discordant background noises of everyday life that make this music so compelling and universal."

If you're in the Valley, check out the band on Jan. 25 at the Last Exit in Tempe. Also, don't forget, I'm putting on a show with Source Victoria and Birdmonster on March 8 at Angelo's Lounge in Phoenix. $5 will get you through the door.

[MP3]: Source Victoria | Miss Spiritual Tramp of 1948

There's something about Brazos' single "Mrs. Virginia" that evokes a loose comparison to another Austin band--Spoon. It's not a blatant similarity, more of a Rorschach inkblot type of reaction. It might be the initial rhythm that makes me suddenly conscious of my own heartbeat or the slow, succinct build into a faster, bouncier pace. It's the perfect song in that it's catchy enough to love and add to regular rotation, but not enough to get stuck annoyingly in your head for hours.

The indie foursome are pushing their latest EP, A City Just As Tall, which features the aforementioned tune as well as four other worthwhile tracks. Grab a copy on their official website and they'll also throw in a handmade copy of another EP, Feeding Frenzy.

From A City Just As Tall:
Mp3—Mrs. Virginia
Mp3—Mary Jo

From Feeding Frenzy:
Mp3—Feeding Frenzy
Mp3—Travel

The name caught my eye first and foremost—I expected some kind of dark, goth-like industrial rock, but no, evidently a vampire lives a calm, slightly preppy weekend life with a significant amount of West African influence. In all truthfulness, the New York-based band, all of whom met while attending Columbia University, got their name from guitarist/singer Ezra Koenig's 2005 movie of the same name (check out the trailer here.)

Although the spunky indie rockers haven't yet released a full-length album, fans don't have to wait too much longer; their self-titled debut on XL Recordings, full of Afrobeat-infused guitar pop, is scheduled to hit shelves January 29. The super-intelligent quartet who are currently mid-tour will celebrate the album's release with a two-night run at the Bowery Ballroom.

The video above, entitled "Mansard Roof," is the first single off the impending album. Check out a couple older tracks below, as well as their October Daytrotter Session.

Mp3: Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Mp3: Oxford Comma

Official Website  |  MySpace  |  Tour Dates  

Continue reading "Blair :: Androgynous (Mats Cover)"

John Davis, the former drummer of the now-disbanded Q And Not U, coaxed sweet-sounding singer/songwriter Laura Burhenn to join him in Georgie James in 2005 --a fantastic choice really. Their vocals are beyond complementary in their thoughtful pop pieces.  Recently signed to Conor Oberst's Saddle Creek Records, the duo's debut album, "Places," dropped in late September. They've already hit the road, canvasing the US through mid-November before taking off for the U.K. 

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Every one of my international trips has an unintentional soundtrack that, when heard years later, recounts a precise moment of the trip--the sound or smell of life in that particular place at that particular time.

In 1995, for a family Christmas cruise down the Nile River from Cairo all the way to Aswan, a few of-the-moment discs remained constant in my handheld cd player, including Better Than Ezra's debut album, "Deluxe." 

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