Diamond Rings

Helloooo,

I am about to begin finals but I figured I'd share a new song right before I fully engulf myself in calculus and existentialist philosophy for two days. Diamond Rings is the solo project of John O'Regan, a Canadian indie musician from a band called The D'Urbervilles, who I have yet to check out. I have been really feeling his solo stuff I have found on the internet, particularly the song, "It's Not My Party." Although this song is very synth-pop-esque, guitar work is very every in Diamond Ring's other indie hit, "All Yr Songs," which is my second favorite. Both "All Yr Songs" and "It's Not My Party" appear on Diamond Rings' debut album, Sepcial Affects, released back in October. O'Regan channeled his inner Ziggy Stardust for the album and has already been compared to the great Bowie himself. He's also fresh off touring with Robyn and playing at SXSW this week, so hopefully he'll gain even more exposure.

Stay golden,

Brian

Seapony

Hello again,

One song has been on stuck in my brain the last 48 hours since I first heard it. Seapony's "Dreaming" has already led to comparisons to Best Coast and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The Seattle band takes the fuzz-pop sound and make it their own and don't sound too similar to any one band. Pitchfork actually called this one back in November when they reviewed the single. Their fuzz sound never gets in the way of the catchy guitar riff and lead guitar work. I now can't wait to see them live as they visit Santa Cruz on May 28th and San Francisco on May 29th. You can find "Dreaming" and "Late Summer" on Itunes as free downloads when searching Seapony. Also, check out "So Low" as that is another one of my favorites. Seapony presents a sound that exudes a sense of mellowness and bliss and this sound is the reason I have fallen in love with them.

Stay golden,

Brian

Cotton Jones

Hey guys,

Sorry for such a delayed post but I've been drowning in midterms and papers and finally can take a breath. Anyways, I have loved Page France for almost 5 years now yet the past few years but haven't been rewarded with anything new. Then, I stumbled on Cotton Jones. I fell in love with Cotton Jones' new single, "Egg On The Sea," and then went to find out more about the band. Turns out they are a two-piece from Maryland made up of Whitney McGraw and Michael Nau, the latter being the brains and leader of Page France. They blend melodic acoustic guitar with simple yet catchy piano, whistling at times, and subtle organ/synths to create unique folk-pop sound.

They have also released two solid albums before the "Sit Beside Your Vegetables" EP. Go check out Cotton Jones as they are currently on your on the East Coast. Since their tracks have been recorded in northern states as well as Georgia, it gives Cotton Jones different perspectives, influences, and sounds. Much of their lyrics are also very optimistic and full of hope, both of which I am for the future of this duo who compliment each other perfectly.

Stay golden,

Brian

Cotton Jones Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thecottonjonesbasketride

Pretty Lights

Herro,

I could not handle the prosaic ode to mediocrity that was also known as the Black Eyed Peas halftime show and I decided instead to rummage through music blogs for some new music. I am elated to have found out that Pretty Lights uploaded unreleased remixes to his website of songs such as Kanye West's "All of the Lights" and Pink Floyd's "Time" last month and he has also decided to launch his own label, Pretty Lights Music.

Prior to today, I thought Pink Floyd to be untouchable but Pretty Lights has produced a remix to please both Pretty Lights fans as well as Pink Floyd fans. Pink Floyd happens to be one of my favorite bands of all time and "Time" happens to be one of my favorite songs of all time. I give Pretty Lights two thumbs up for the remix and for having the balls to touch a song with such stellar lyricism and one of the best guitar solos of all time. Touche Pretty Lights, Touche.

Download it here:

Stay golden,

Brian

Passion Pit

Hello,

A few weeks ago one of my friends asked me if I had heard the new Passion Pit song, to which I replied, "What the fuck are you talking about? 'Dreams'? Because that was a long long time ago on the re-release of Manners. No, "All These Trees."

This is the Passion Pit song everyone missed. I am a pretty avid follower of Passion Pit but I dropped the ball on this one. They recorded it for American Express' ZYNC holiday campaign back in December and it became available for download right after Christmas. Same old lovely electro-pop Passion Pit + jingling bells+ Christmas cheer= "All These Trees." I didn't fall in love with it on my first listen, but it has indeed grown on me and now I can't stop listening to it. Even though it is somewhat Christmas-themed, it is still great outside the holiday season as well. Go give it a listen and you can download it here:

http://www.facebook.com/zync?v=app_103525709721253

Also, I am posting my favorite remix of "Sleepyhead", done by Borgore. It is pure fucking unadulterated awesomeness.

Stay golden, Brian

GIVERS

Hello all,

I just attended the Ra Ra Riot concert at the Great American Music Hall on Saturday with absolutely no knowledge of the opener's name or music. I was a little bummed because I originally thought Pepper Rabbit (who you should also check out) was opening but they are only playing two shows with Ra Ra Riot in Oregon this week. So Givers, a band from Lafayette, LA, was set up open.

I soon learned that Givers had toured with the Dirty Projectors and also Ra Ra Riot and had played SXSW before as well. Fronted by Taylor Guarisco on guitar/vocals and Tif Lamson doing percussion/ukelele/vocals as well, Givers plays with an overwhelming energy that my friends and I instantly fell in love with. With guitar that sounds a little Vampire Weekend-esque, and an extremely talented drummer in Kirby Campbell, Givers puts on a show that has crowds with no previous knowledge of them instantly jumping and dancing.

Their recordings are solid but do not do justice to their frenzied and enchanting live performance. GO SEE THEM LIVE.

Stay golden,

Brian

Big City Sound Girl / Grown For A Minute

Hello everyone,

I am just checking in for a quick post of two incredibly unique hip hop songs. First, it is a group from Winnepeg called The Lytics that is set to play at SXSW this year. "Big City Sound Girl" has a refreshing hip-hop sound that is reminiscent of the 90's with samples in the background that almost sound like Gold Panda. Secondly, e-dubble just released "Grown For A Minute" on Friday as his 50th straight Friday Freestyle single release. e-dubble, from Philadelphia, is talented at rapping as well as producing, each song having high production quality. His use of Jonsi's "Boy Lilikoi" sample is also used to perfection for his song.

Stay golden,

Brian

Of Monsters and Men (and other good shizz)

Hello again,

It has been far too long and I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. After a few week hiatus that consisted of finals, superfluous amounts of wine and other alcoholic beverages, and also a week without internet, I now come to you from Sea-Tac Aiport outside Seattle, WA, as I have finally gotten a free moment to write before school starting tomorrow. 8 am tomorrow marks an awful morning taken up by business calculus which makes me want to punch babies and then a class for learning to teach the performing arts to children. I have no idea what the hell I will be doing being that I do not know shit about performing arts let alone teaching it.

Anywho, I have a few song recommendations that have been constantly playing on my Itunes. First, it is an Icelandic band named Of Monsters and Men. Their song, "Little Talks" has become one of my recent favorites. I guess I just have a thing for Icelanders since Sigur Ros/Jonsi and Jens Lekman are favorites of mine as well. Of Monsters and Men provide a fresh sound consisting of a great female/male duet with catchy acoustic guitar and chorus. Although they do not have an album to sell, their songs are easy to find to download over the internet. Below is a great live version of the song from a radio station session.

Secondly, I can always use more Edward Sharpe in my life. I have heard several remixes of "Home," but Whole-Z's remix has become my instant favorite. I first heard of Whole-Z a couple years ago for his mashup album, "Fire In The Whole", so I decided to give his remix a listen when I saw it on a music blog. In my book, it is definitely superior to the Party Supplies and Myndest remixes and it gives a new way to listen to one of the best songs of 2010.

Stay golden,

Brian

GASHCAT

Herro my friends,

I must now present to you, GASHCAT, a folk/acoustic band that has created a sound nearly identical to Neutral Milk Hotel but completely original and magical in their own way. Yes, I am aware I just contradicted myself. Fronted by Derrick Zoolander's rival, Hansel (He's so hot right now), I mean Kyle Craft, GASHCAT has released two solid EP's, with the first being recorded in a garage, but it is that sound that makes their work stand out. Much of their songs are simply acoustic guitar over pounding drums, but their raw lo-fi sound create a very unique sound that is consistent over their two self-released EP's, "GASHCAT" and "Revival!", both of which leave one in a state of musical bliss.

Their first self-titled EP opens with "The Morning Sun", which evokes pure optimistic ecstasy with simple yet catchy chord progressions and banging cymbals and drums in the background. "Flowers"is upbeat and my ones of my favorites due to the ending instrumental sequence. And lastly, it is "Melanie" that holds a place in my heart. It is one of those songs that when you hear the first chord and guess the next, they hit it right on. "GASHCAT" has turned out to be one of my favorite EP's of recent memory and is availabe for free download here: http://gashcat.bandcamp.com/. Also, check out "Revival!", which was released earlier this fall, and reveals their musical maturity over since their earlier work.

Stay golden, Brian

Christoph Andersson

Hello friends,

It has been way too long since my last post but school work, Thanksgiving festivities, and now finals have been consuming my life. I have now been sitting in library procrastinating for a good two hours now and figured I'd make a new post instead of studying fun stuff like foreign direct investments and subsidiaries. Now, I must introduce to you a man by name of Christoph Andersson. After hearing his single, "Tuxedo," which has been floating around the web since June but was just released Nov. 30th, I have grown to believe he may be an incarnation of the Norse god of electro-dance music even though he is only an 18 year old located in New Orleans."Tuxedo" has given me something new to listen to as well as a sense of relief that there is more dance music out there other than "Barbara Streisand," which has been on repeat at every party for the last month. His remixes of Yeasayer's "O.N.E." is solid as well and I cannot wait for his album to be dropped in January.

Stay golden,

Brian

The War On Drugs

Hello once again,

Once I stumbled upon The War on Drugs and frontman Kurt Vile's solo work, I immediately became obsessed with their indie psychadelic rock sound that is always one of my favorites. Kurt Vile successfully brings the sound of "real rock" back and puts his own twist that creates a sound reminiscent of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen with a more dreamy and relaxed sound. Vile's solo work such as "Hey Now I'm Movin'" also incorporates some Bob Dylan-like harmonica as well. The Philadelphia-based band has already toured with Neil Young and Sonic Youth and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth has admitted to "listening to Kurt Vile's latest CD, 'Child Prodigy'...too much." Pitchfork has also given their first EP a 7.4 and it has garnered a decent amount of critical claim in the indie music scene.

My personal favorite is "Comin' Through" which was leaked a few months back and is now on their new album, "Future Weather", which came out on October 25th. "Brothers" and "Baby Missiles" also stand out from the rest of the stellar album that was released by Secretly Canadian, the record label that also released albums for Animal Collective, Yeasayer, and Jens Lekman. The neo-psychadelic, acoustic vibes of The War on Drugs produce a unique sound that givea me hope that true rock music is still alive and Kurt Vile is able to bring out the inner hippy in all of us.

Stay golden,

Brian

Brian Eno Interview

Hello everyone,

Being that Brian Eno is one of my favorite musicians/producers/people of all time, this is pretty damn amazing. New reviews to come soon, but for the mean time, watch this hilarious interview.

Stay golden,

Brian Farrell

SIDEWALKS

Hello all,

I have been counting down until the release of "Sidewalks" since I can't even remember now. After missing out on their listening party before their show in LA a month ago, I was blown away by their live performance and integration of their own versions of songs like "Better Off Alone" and "Just a Friend." The show even ended with Kim dancing on top of the crowd to Major Lazer's "Pon De Floor." Overall, it was a heartwarming performance by two people who love what they do and truly appreciate their fan base as well.

I immediately fell in love with "Cameras" when it was released back in August but it was hard for me to accept the fact that Matt and Kim's sound had progressed and matured and become a little more commercial. Sidewalks carries the more "universal" sound that Matt Johnson spoke about a while back in Spin Magazine and the fact that they chose Gnarls Barkley producer Ben Allen. This album has a much more mature and polished sound which may sound atypical compared to their past albums. The new album will propel Matt and Kim to even more stardom but they've lost the raw sound and their music has become almost over-produced.

Other than "Cameras," songs like "Block After Block" and "Good for Great" will look to be the most popular, complete with catchy drum beats and synth hooks. The album also includes a refined recording of "Silver Tiles," one of my past favorites from their recorded live set at Lollapalooza in 2007. But once again, Matt and Kim have released another album with possibly side effects that may include euphoria, uncontrollable smiling, and constant foot tapping and air drumming.

Stay golden, Brian Farrell

Je Suis Une GoGo Girl

Hello again my friends,

After a long week of work, I have returned with a new group that are prepared to shake and rattle the balls of the indie music scene.

The Limiñanas' new single, "Je Suis Une GoGo Girl," has me at a loss at words when it comes to describing it. The French duo bring garage pop and neo-psychadelic vibes together as one and creates a sound with influences that cannot be pinned to just one genre or decade. It is a shame that their Myspace only has 319 plays for the song. "I'm Dead" is a close second favorite of mine and has also drawn more critical acclaim, but still nowhere near as much as the duo should be getting.

The Limiñanas sound like a calmer, French, version of the Dandy Warhols in a way but give me hope that the neo-psychadelic rock scene is not dead.

Stay golden,

Brian Farrell

Truth

After months of being played on Sirius XM, Alex Ebert's solo single, "Truth," has now been unleashed over the internet for listening and downloading. Under the name "Alexander," Alex Ebert leaves the Edward Sharpe alter ego behind for the time being and produces a very similar sound to "Up from Below." Mr. Edward Sharpe has now departed for another stage of higher understanding and enlightenment.

The first sound to catch your ear is the whistling which is reminiscent of "Home" but with a slower and more somber melody. Ebert's hip-hop influences from his teenage years are evident as well in the lyrical delivery. Backed by solid guitar and vocals, Alex Ebert has produced another gem that can satisfy my Edward Sharpe craving until their next release.

Alex Ebert, like fine wine, has gotten better with age since starting in Ima Robot. He has really seems to hit his stride with his solo release and has proved that he can stand on his own two feet without the Magnetic Zeros.

Until next time, stay golden.

Brian Farrell



To download the song, you can use dirpy.com, since I have not been able to set up a music player for the site yet.

Shut your mouth. Sh-sh-shut your mouth.

Welcome to the fucking Catalina Wine Mixtape,

I'm here to fuck shit up and share music that transcends the voices of Fergie and Jesus. Right now, I am very sweaty, and it is not from watching Cops. It is due to my new obsession with a band called Cloud Nothings, a Cleveland-based band fronted by a 19 year-old named Dylan Baldi. Their sound is reminiscent of 90's lo-fi rock with a pinch of power-pop and indie thrown in there as well. Together, these influences create a rare raw sound that can at times sound like everything has been recorded from Mr. Baldi's bedroom.

My two favorites are "Hey Cool Kid" and "Didn't You," the first being off of their debut album and the latter being a single released this past June. "Hey Cool Kid" carries an addicting sound with a catchy guitar riff and lyrics about being an outsider that anyone can relate to. "Didn't You" gives me the feeling that Cloud Nothings have a lot of growing room as well. Its synth hooks are reminiscent of a more upbeat Wolf Parade and I cannot wait to see Dylan Baldi's work down the line, since he is already lightyears ahead of his 19 year-old peers. I will now have this record on repeat until they return to play in San Francisco.

For the time being, I will leave you with a few Cloud Nothings songs to listen too. And to leave you pondering, here's a shot out of a cannon: Oprah, Barbara Walters, your wife. You gotta fuck one, marry one, kill one, go! Thank you for reading.

P.S.- Music Player with Mp3's coming soon!