More New Band of Horses

Confessions of a Dangerous Pig has posted more songs from the new Band of Horses' record. Thanks to Fetal Pig

I'm Kinda Diggin' This Cannonball Jane Chick

Nice pop beats and a sweet sounding voice reminiscent of Leslie Feist. Take it to Fantastic from Cannonball Jane is pretty much all over the music blogs right now. The song will officially be released on October 9 as part of a new 7 song EP, "Knees Up." The EP will also feature two remixes, one by the Beastie's Adrock. Pre-order it now directly on her website.


Strangely enough, her debut record, "Street Vernacular," officially drops two weeks prior on September 25. However, it is currently available from or directly on her website.

Labor Day

For most, today is nothing more than a holiday, but like most holidays, we rarely actually consider the origins or meanings. Its unfortunate, but most people take the labor movement and the sacrifices made for granted. Labor day in most of the world is celebrated on May 1, or May Day, as it is commonly known. The actual origin of the celebration is based on the eight hour work movement. Various other countries have their own origins, but all honor the economic and social progresses made by labor movements worldwide. Today, at least in the U.S., what the members and organizers or labor parties have achieve go widely overlooked and unions have been villianized by corporatists and others more concerned with the market or the bottom line than the lives and well being of workers.

The economic hardships of the Great Depression fed into a growing form of protest folk music. Artists like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Lee Hays began traveling around the country and performing. Woody was very nomadic, living the life of the songs he wrote. He often played at pro-union rallies and events. The themes of Woody's music changed with his life experiences and I urge everyone to read his autobiography, "Bound for Glory." PBS aired a documentary on the life of Woody last year that was pretty thorough and definitely work watching if you come across it sometime. Blood, sweat, & lives have been shed in the history of labor unions and it is sad to see the power and organization of labor unions in the U.S. continue to diminish.

Support of unions and the common workers were prevalent themes of these musicians. Many of today's musicians were heavily influenced by the active participation and themes of their predecessors, including the extremely outspoken, Billy Bragg. Even the work of commercial artists like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen are rooted in folk music, as actualized in last years, "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions."

I could write pages upon pages on this subject, but that would be counterproductive on a blog so I'll finish by saying, while the songs below may have been recorded as much as 70 years apart, the common themes of social and economic progress as well as solidarity of workers. I realize that this post probably won't be very popular, but these songs are important and a piece of this nation's history. Every single worker in this country who answers to another owes a serious debt of gratitude to the people who came before us and made countless sacrifices during labor negotiations and strikes. We also owe a debt to the early artists that would entertain and embolden the workers with their songs.

Woody Guthrie - Going Down That Road Feeling Bad
Woody Guthrie - This Land is Your Land
Pete Seeger - Talking Union
Pete Seeger - Joe Hill
Bob Dylan - Maggie's Farm
Phil Ochs - Bound for Glory
Phil Ochs - Links on the Chain
Uncle Tupelo - Coalminers
Billy Bragg - Which Side are You On
Billy Bragg - There is Power in a Union
Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad
Bruce Springsteen - John Henry

Kanye West Graduates September 11

That's the date people. September 11 is the day that Kanye West drops his latest masterpiece "Graduation." In a musical genre that, for me, has become incredibly stale, Kayne has continued to push the limits of creativity. Just two tracks into the new record and you are rewarded with fresh rhymes set to imaginative and fresher beats. The first track, Champion samples Steely Dan's Kid Charlemagne. Steely freakin' Dan! Then he follows with a song that has been to far reaches of the blogoshpere and back and is still a great listen, Stronger, sampling Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. Still later in the album, Kanye teams up with Coldplay's Chris Martin on the song, Homecoming. He may be arrogant, and he may be brash, but I'll be damned if he's not one of the most talented hip-hop artists, and open to the use of unorthodox beats and samples.

Plus I'll always love and respect him for this moment.

And here are a few tracks to sample

Kanye West from "Graduation
Champion
Stronger
Homecoming

Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne
Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Killer B's to Invade the United States

In all actuality, Billboard reports that The Killers are gearing up to release an album of B-sides not easily found except on over-priced import singles in the States. The track list is being speculated all over the place, but there's a good chance that the following songs, listed with their original release, make the cut. The band has also not ruled out including some new recorded material.

Speculation aside, the tracks below include two Stuart Price aka Jacques Lu Cont aka Les Rythmes Digitales aka The Thin White Duke (this could go on forever) remixes and covers from Morrisey, Dire Straits, and Joy Division.

Under the Gun (Mr. Brightside Single)
Mr. Brightside (Thin White Duke Mix) (12" Remixes Single)
Smile Like You Mean It (Acoustic) (Believe Me Natalie Single)
Romeo & Juliet (For Reasons Unknown Single)
Shadowplay (Control Soundtrack - Ian Curtis/Joy Division biopic)
Glamorous Indie Rock 'n Roll (Change Your Mind Single)
The Ballad Of Michael Valentine (Somebody Told Me Single)
Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself (All These Things That I’ve Done Single)
Replaceable (Unreleased)
When We Were Young (Jacques Lu Cont Remix) (12” Remixes Single)

There are Good Days and then There are Yesterdays

Here are a few tunes in honor of my Saturday.

These Days - Nico
Dilaudid - The Mountain Goats
The Diamond Sea - Sonic Youth
My Curse - The Afghan Whigs
Grind - The Church
Dramamine - Modest Mouse
Lua - Bright Eyes
The Trapeze Swinger - Iron & Wine
She Fell Away - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
That's Just How That Bird Sings - The Twilight Singers
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
How to Disappear Completely - Radiohead
Misunderstood - Wilco
Long Goodnight - Scott Miller

Good night

Take The Flaming Lips Road Show Home With You

The Flaming Lips have just released their first ever live concert DVD, "U.F.O.s at the Zoo," and this wasn't just any concert. First a little background for those who only know the group from their 1993 inexplicable surprise hit, She Don't Use Jelly. They are the modern day rock equivalent of Parliament Funkadelic, just possibly a little stranger.

The concert was filmed at the Zoo Amphitheater in the Lips hometown of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on September 15, 2006. According to the liner notes, the band had been working on the concept of a U.F.O. light show for some time and hoped to debut it earlier in the summer at the famed Hollywood Bowl, but they had yet to work out the kinks. It became more of a coincidence that this spectacular took place in their hometown. As Wayne Coyne says, "So you see, "U.F.O.s at the Zoo" was not really a creation as much as it was a happening." This was also the Lips first show in Oklahoma City in three years. The theatrics of the band spilled over into the audience as they embraced the absurdity and joined it.

The DVD itself is awesome, but the band was gracious enough to offer free downloads of all the live songs with registration of the disc as well as the opportunity to create your own ringtones (though you are charged a fee from URTone), and remix The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song. You also get buddy icons, wallpapers, and the included liner notes booklet in PDF for free.

Sample the tracks below and run to your nearest outlet or your computer and buy the DVD.

Race for the Prize
My Cosmic Rebellion
Love Yer Brain

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