Monthly Archives: January 2009

01.31.09
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The Strokes Working on New Record

The time has finally come.  Modern day garage heroes, and much missed may I add, The Strokes are finally working on album number 4! It seems so long since ‘First Impressions of Earth’ was released. In fact its been 3 years since we’ve heard from the band as a collective. I guess Albert, Fab and Niko are ready to pry themselves away from their side projects for now and bring it back to where it all started. One little band, that believe it or not, was really the beginning of the new garage revival (people didn’t start caring about The White Stripes until after)

Fab stated in the most recent issue of NME that Julian and Nick have already started to write songs for the new record, but nothing has been recorded just yet. The article also states that the band is gearing up to start recording sometime in February. That means a new Strokes record by the year’s end. One word: Excitement!

The Strokes Live on Fuse’s 7th Avenue Drop, January 2006.  Performing ‘Someday’

I was there. Front row. Chatting it up with The Strokes. Good times.

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01.29.09
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Andrew Bird has ‘Fitz and the Dizzyspells’ on Letterman

Just fresh from releasing ‘Noble Beast’ Andrew Bird appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman last night performing one of his new tracks, ‘Fitz and the Dizzyspells.’ 

 Bird and his band put on one hell of a performance (but it is  Andrew Bird so we expect no less). Equipped with large gramophones, a ukulele and a xylophone, Bird put on a show like no other. The new record gets better with every listen and the Letterman performance put it over the top. For those of you who missed it, here is the famed Andrew Bird performance.

Check out Andrew Bird on Myspace

01.26.09
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Hollerado Release “Record in a Bag”

In September, I had the honor of interviewing one of my favorite new bands, Hollerado. On a tour opening for fellow Canadians The Stills, Hollerado pretty much kicked their ass onstage. Yes, they are that good.

Hollerado just released their debut full length ‘Record in a Bag’ after their ‘Demo in a Bag’  series they have become famous for. The new record starts off with a hilarious little tune called ‘Hollerado Land’ which sounds like it was left out of the movie ‘Juno.’ Don’t let that fool you though, the album really takes off from there. We’re talking about 12 songs of guitar driven, ‘catchy as hell’ indie rock.  Seriously, just when we couldn’t think that it was possible for this band to get any better, this record  blows us out of the water more and more with every listen.

 Menno Versteeg’s voice is infectious on every track, and the added harmonies from the rest of the band weld perfectly within every song, especially on ‘Juliette’. Hollerado takes it down a notch for a bit with ‘Fake Drugs’ which is quickly becoming one of our favorite songs (of all time). The band included the brilliant Dave Foley-starring-music-video-song ‘Americanarama’  which is always a fun tune to have around.

‘Got to Lose’ starts off with what appears to be a Rhodes piano, and though it starts off slow with the most amazing harmonies we’ve heard since a late 90’s Sloan record, the song grows in pace and the vocals get even tighter. ‘Hard Love’ delivers us a touch of the blues while ‘Riverside’ brings us a bit of indie pop. There is nothing Hollerado can’t do.

The overall performance of this album is really astonishing. From Jake Boyd’s Dave Grohl-esque drumming, to Nick Boyd’s and Dean Baxter’s dead on playing and Menno’s smooth flawless voice,  Hollerado is destined to be huge.

You can download RECORD IN A BAG for FREE at their Website
Hollerado Official Website

Hollerado is also doing a month long Residency Tour the whole month of February from everywhere to New York City to Montreal! You can check out the dates on their website (above).

01.25.09
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Jon Brion Remixes Of Montreal

Oh, we just love the sound of that title. Jon Brion who is an incredible songwriter and has penned tracks for such movies as ‘I Heart Huckabees’ comes together with everyone’s favorite indie glam group, Of Montreal. This week, Of Montreal will release the ‘Jon Brion Remix’  EP.

The great thing about this upcoming EP is that Jon Brion doesn’t make all of the band’s songs sound absolutely weird. There is nothing more awkward than a remix that mashes up a song so much that it is barely recognizable. Jon Brion remixes every  Of Montreal song beautifully, and keeps what we love most about the band. Themselves.

Tracklisting

1 “First Time High” (Reconstructionist Remix of “An Eluardian Instance”)
2 “First Time High” (Of Chicago Acoustic Version)
3 “Gallery Piece” (Remix)
4 “Gallery Piece” (Long Version)
5 “Gallery Piece” (Instrumental)

Download Of Montreal’s First Time High (Reconstructionist Remix of An Eluardian Instance)

01.22.09
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The Decemberists “The Hazards of Love”

The wait is almost over for the new Decemberists album. Let the excitement begin! The band will release their fifth full length album, ‘The Hazards of Love’ on March 24th. The record tops off at 17 songs which most bands don’t even dare to try.  We’re sure this is going to be one of the biggest records of the year. Just read this snippet from the band’s press release:

“‘The Hazards Of Love’ tells the tale of a woman named Margaret who is ravaged by a shape-shifting animal; her lover, William; a forest queen; and a cold-blooded, lascivious rake, who recounts with spine-tingling ease how he came “to be living so easy and free” in the aforementioned “The Rake’s Song.” Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden deliver the lead vocals for the female characters, while My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James, Robyn Hitchcock and the Spinanes’ Rebecca Gates appear in supporting roles. ‘

Wow. And thats only the first single. The Hazards of Love  will perhaps be The Decemberists most brilliant album yet.

Tracklisting

The track listing for The Hazards Of Love is as follows:

1. Prelude
2. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won’t Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
3. A Bower Scene
4. Won’t Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
5. The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
6. The Queen’s Approach
7. Isn’t it a Lovely Night?
8. The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
9. An Interlude
10. The Rake’s Song
11. The Abduction of Margaret
12. The Queen’s Rebuke / The Crossing
13. Annan Water
14. Margaret in Captivity
15. The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
16. The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)
17. The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)

You can download The Rake’s Song directly at www.decemberists.com

01.20.09
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Wallpaper “Evrytm We Do It (RAC Maury Remix)”

You probably didn’t know this about us, but sometimes we like to dance (A lot!) Following the trend of indie dance music like Girl Talk, Ratatat and M83, Oakland’s own Wallpaper is our newest obsession at Modern Mystery.

Following their ‘T Rex’ Ep they released earlier last year, Wallpaper put out the record again in late December, but this time as a Remix album titled ‘T Rex RMXd’. We can’t stop listening to either version quite frankily, and the video for ‘Evrytm We Do It (RA Maury Remix)’ has certainly grabbed our attention. Dancing street worker=Hillarious. Eric Frederic in rainbow art=Awesome. Check out the video for this song. It will leave you wanting more.

Check out Wallpaper on Myspace

Watch the video for  ‘Evrytm We Do It (RA Maury Remix)’