Blitzen Trapper - Live In Portland Free Album!

This year, Blitzen Trapper gave perhaps the best early Christmas Gift Ever. It might be a tie with 1978, when my brother gave me Ace Frehley's solo album when I was really down. Anyway, Blitzen Trapper will give it to you if you want it too, a free 16-track live album. Get it here.



Some studio versions of a few popular tunes:

Furr


Black River Killer


American Goldwing


Maybe Baby


Ever Loved Once


Dragon's Song


Love the Way You Walk Away


Heaven and Earth


Shine On


Here's that recent cover of Ryan Adams'To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) from the great Bloodshot Records collection.

Free MP3: Blitzen Trapper Does Ryan Adams

Bloodshot Records is celebrating their 20-year anniversary by releasing WHILE NO ONE WAS LOOKING: TOASTING 20 YEARS OF BLOODSHOT RECORDS. Artists such as Blitzen Trapper, Superchunk, Ted Leo, Ben Kweller, Chuck Prophet, Split Single, Daniel Romano, The Minus 5, Frank Turner, Andrew Bird, and The Handsome Family cover tracks by current and former Bloodshot artists like Neko Case, Graham Parker, Alejandro Escovedo, Lydia Loveless, Old 97's, Robbie Fulks, Justin Townes Earle, Waco Brothers, and Cory Branan. Below you can hear Blitzen Trapper do Ryan Adams's To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High), which you can download today from KUTX.

Blitzen Trapper - To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High
Original Ryan Adams version


A few more from WHILE NO ONE WAS LOOKING:

Look The Other Way by Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants (Justin Townes Earle cover)


Deep Red Bells" by Into It. Over It. (Neko Case cover)


Some other cool stuff Bloodshot has put out? Here ya go.

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound - "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" (Wilco cover)


The Silos - Behind Me Now


Cory Branan


Evening Gown by Alejandro Escovedo feat. Jon Langford (Mick Jagger cover)


Old 97's - Victoria


There's Nothing on the Radio" by Graham Parker


Jon Langford


Lydia Loveless - Mile High / Blind 7" Single


The Bottle Rockets - Mendocino


Wayne Hancock - Ride

Bob Mould & Split Single- Hey Mr. Grey, Free Split Single mp3

Bob Mould returns with a new one, Hey Mr. Grey, from his forthcoming album Beauty & Ruin (due June 3 on Merge Records in North America, available for pre-order now). Wow, Mould sure is giving us what we want after a period of shying away from the noisy sweetness he is so good at conjuring.

Of course, Bob Mould is backed by regular bass player Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster. And you know that they are both on the new Split Single record, along with Spoon's Britt Daniel, right? Narducy is the songwriter/singer, and if you're quick (like today) you can download the tune Waiting For the Sun here.

Hey Mr. Grey


See a Little Light


Star Machine - Cuz how many videos for classy rock songs feature Jon Wurster puking on kids' pictures?


The Descent


Split Single - Waiting for the Sun


Split Single Live

They Might Be Giants - I Am Awake Free MP3, Video Contest

I've been reading the 33 1/3 book about the They Might Be Giants album Flood, and then I get a missive telling me that the band is releasing a new compilation album called Idlewild. The album will include a track entitled "Am I Awake" that the band would like more people to enjoy, so a video contest has been created that is open to all.

There will be 3 winners and $1000 cash prize for each winner. The deadline to enter is April 7th. All rules and judging info is HERE. "Am I Awake" is on Soundcloud, HERE.

 Anyhow, TMBG seem to have made a career out of doing whatever the heck they want. Nobody's crashed through as many genres as the two Johns. I have never been love with every one of their songs, but I have loved many of them. Here are a few from the topsy-turvy world of TMBG - remember, you live in it too.

 I Am Awake Free MP3


You're On Fire


Call You Mom


The Darlings of Lumberland


Nanobots


Lost My Mind


Drink!


Lost My Mind (Live)


Celebration


Istanbul (Not Constantinople)


Boss of Me


Courage the Cowardly Dog


Birdhouse in your Soul
)

Don't Let's Start
)

Ana Ng
)

The Mesopotamians
)

Purple Toupee
)

Careful What You Pack
)

We're the Replacements
)

Twisting


Can't Keep Johnny Down


(She Was a) Hotel Detective
)

Hot Dog!
) Robot Parade (Live)


Dirt Bike


Mr. Xcitement


Icky


Tubthumping


The Statue Got Me High (Live on Jonathan Ross)


Covers, anyone?

OK go - Letterbox


Don't Let's Start (8-Bit)

The New Mendicants - If You Only Knew Her Free Download

The New Mendicants have released a new single from their fine record, Into the Lime. If You Only Knew Her is a free download here.


If You Only Knew Her


A Very Sorry New Year


A Very Sorry Christmas


Here's a very light, peppy, breezy version of INXS's This Time.


Shouting Match


Sarasota


High On the Skyline


Here are some The New Mendicants doing a batch of Teenage Fanclub tunes acoustically.

I Don't Want Control of You


Baby Lee


Everything Flows


It's All In My Mind

Minor Alps - Waiting for You and Other Beautiful Songs

Minor Alps is the collaboration of Juliana Hatfield and Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, and their new video Waiting For You seems extra-suitable for viewing on Valentine's Day. Actually, I think all of their songs are beautiful. And hey, Buried Plans is a free download if you pop out the Soundcloud player.

Waiting For You


Far From the Roses


Lonely Low


Buried Plans


I Don't Know What to do With My Hands


I Want to Take You home


Mixed Feelings


Wish You Were Upstairs


Maxon


Minor Alps - If I Wanted Trouble

Minor Alps - If I Wanted Trouble Peter A.s Sausade Edit

De La Soul Giving Away Free Downloads of All of Their Albums - Today Only!

De La Soul is giving away a Valentine's Day gift to everyone, free downloads of their entire catalogue. Go to www.wearedelasoul.com, give up your email address, and say thanks.

Me, Myself & I


A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturday


De La Soul & Teenage Fanclub - Fallin'



Breakadawn

Justin Rutledge gets Tragically Hip, Covers Courage and 9 More

I have been thinking for quite a while about getting some artists to cover some particular Tragically Hip songs. Since Sarah Polley reeled off a haunting version of Courage so many years ago, I figured it would be a fun exercise. Well, wouldn't ya know it, someone beat me to it. On April 22, Justin Rutledge is releasing 10 Hip covers on an album entitled Daredevil, with people like Skydiggers' Andy Maize, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Brendan Canning, and Jenn Grant. Here's one song as a sample with Andy Maize chiming in on vocals.

Courage (for Hugh Maclennan)


Daredevil:

1. Looking For A Place to Happen
2. Springtime in Vienna
3. Thugs
4. Escape Is At Hand for the Travellin' Man
5. Grace, Too
6. Locked in the Trunk of a Car
7. Courage (for Hugh Maclennan)
8. Long Time Running
9. Put it Off
10. Fiddler's Green



Tragically Hip versions of songs Rutledge has recorded:

1. Looking For A Place to Happen


2. Springtime in Vienna

3. Thugs


4. Escape Is At Hand for the Travellin' Man


5. Grace, Too


6. Locked in the Trunk of a Car


7. Courage (for Hugh Maclennan)


8. Long Time Running


9. Put it Off


10. Fiddler's Green


Aaaaand some Hip covers for ya:

Sarah Polley - Courage


Blow at High Dough for Orchestra


c!c!c! - Ahead By a Century


Justin Rutledge has been unafraid to cover popular artists in the past, here's a cover of a Bob Dylan track you might know.

Tomorrow is a Long Time


Your reward for making it this far down the post is a couple of free mp3s, and the first is a cover of the Pogues' Dirty Old Town.

Kapuskasing Coffee.

Dum Dum Girls - Too True, Rimbaud Eyes and Sundry Free MP3s

The new record from Dum Dum Girls entitled Too True enters our world on Jan. 28. New single Rimbaud Eyes is an easy ear-worm chorus, familiar flat rat-a-tat 80's drum sounds, and reverb-drenched chiming gtr - what's not to like? Head DDG Dee Penny says she hears a number of influences in her new songs, Suede, Siouxsie, Cold-wave Patti, Madonna, and The Cure, among others. Some of her songs in the past have recalled Mazzy Star, early Cult, and Divinyls to my ears, so I think you can sense where her sensibilities lie. Even the album cover looks like 1989 to me.

Rimbaud Eyes

Lost Boys and Girls Club

Too True Tracklist:
1. Cult Of Love
2. Evil Blooms
3. Rimbaud Eyes
4. Are You Okay
5. Too True To Be Good
6. In The Wake Of You
7. Lost Boys And Girls Club
8. Little Minx
9. Under These Hands
10. Trouble Is My Name

 Pre-order Too True on LP or CD from Sub Pop here.

 Here are some older tunes for ya, and the first few are free to download and pass on (click on the artist's name and open it in Soundcloud to DL).
Bed Room Eyes
Coming Down
He Gets Me High
Lord Knows
DAL
Jail La La
Wrong Feels Right

Rhett Miller and Sydney Wayser - Christmas is Coming Free MP3

Have a merry free download of this Christmas tune by Rhett Miller (Old 97s) and Sydney Wayser.



When I saw the title I wondered if it would be a cover of the fine Payolas tune.

The Bonaduces - New Tune Armadillo Has a Hard Shell, But is Candy Inside

The Bonaduces have released new music for the first time in 15 years, one song to pique your interest in a new album coming...sometime in the next year. You can purchase Armadillo by naming your price at the band's Bandcamp page. Crunchy guitars, punchy drums, munchy bass, and sweet harmonies - sounds like The Bonaduces to me. Here's a new article with some info on The Bonaduces, and the always-stellar Music Ruined My Life can give you some great background on the band.



Older stuff:

Sara's Black Pyjamas


Really Powerful Telescope


Megan is a Fruitloop

Tommy Keene - I Get Excitement At His Feet, How About You?

I first discovered Tommy Keene when an older and wiser music fan walked up with one of his records. He was so excited to have picked up what he termed a hard to find classic, and I was the ignoramus who had to ask, Who is Tommy Keene? My friend looked down at me (he was a much taller fellow) and intoned, "If you can ever find Songs From the Film, pick it up". I did, and I've been a fan ever since. Keene seems to have remained a cult hero, despite making cool moves like putting out an album with Robert Pollard as The Keene Brothers (after Touring with Guided By Voices), getting folks like Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett on some of his songs, . If you would like to give a few of his songs a spin for free, he will give you some mp3s if you go here.

Keene's new album, Excitement At Your Feet (you Who fans know where the title comes from) consists of 11 covers. It might be the first cover album I have heard where every version is a gem.

1. Have You Seen My Baby? - The Flamin' Groovies
2. The Puppet - Echo & The Bunnymen
3. Much Too Much - The Who
4. I Laugh In Your Face - The Bee Gees
5. Let Me Dream If I Want To - Mink DeVille
6. Catch The Wind - Donovan
7. Guiding Light - Television
8. Ride On Baby - The Rolling Stones
9. Choking Tara - Guided By Voices
10. Nighttime - Big Star
11. Out Of The Blue - Roxy Music

Have You Seen My Baby



Puppet



Choking Tara



Out of the Blue




Nighttime

Much Too Fun

Laugh In Your Face

Let Me Dream If I Want To

Ride On Baby

Catch the Wind


One of his own tunes from a previous album for ya.

I Can't See You Anymore


Deep Six Saturday

Tommy Keene : Deep Six Saturday from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Places That Are Gone


Buy Excitement At Your Feet and other great records here.

Haunter - Rivers & Rust and Haunter Origins, Coupla Free mp3s

Haunter is a band from Winnipeg. Haunter is not frightened about launching a tune into the stratosphere by marrying a deep emotional wellspring with sublime shoegazer pop a la Swervedriver (Blood and Thunder). Haunter is unafraid of starting a song with unadulterated guitar fuzz (see Transcanada, Bring Us Home). Haunter is never terrified with the idea of allowing a heavyweight like Nathan's Keri Latimer sing on one of their tunes (Where I'm Calling From). Haunter has no fear about letting an intensely distorted guitar wail away through most of a song like Dinosaur Jr. (01 July, 2005). Haunter is not scared to begin a tune with sharp edged bass and a cymbal-riding climax (see Delilah Dreams of...). Haunter is fearless about giving listeners free mp3s of their tunes (demos? Early versions? - see Haunter Origin, Tiny Ghosts and Where Ièm Calling From)).


Blood and Thunder




Transcanada, Bring Us Home


Delilah Dreams of...


01 July, 2005


Where I'm Calling From


Anthen For a Broken City
Coyote


Assiniboine River Song


Rust


All Winter Long


Our War


HAUNTER ORIGINS: Where I'm Calling From feat. Keri Latimer


HAUNTER ORIGINS: Tiny Ghosts






Buy at iTunes
Buy at Bandcamp

Pixies New Song Bagboy Now Has Two Videos! Free mp3!

Pixies have released a second video for Bagboy, a new song that supposedly is part of a new collection of Pixies tunes - a full album maybe?





Get a free download here.






Recently found this Pixies documentary from 2002, it is flatout amazing - if you like the band and haven't seen it, do it now. Bowie, Bono, Thom Yorke, all explaining why they think the band was special, band members talking about the early days, I can't believe I haven't seen this yet.

Royal Canoe - Bathtubs, Today We're Believers mp3, and the kitchen sink

Royal Canoe's album Today We're Believers has been pushed back to September 3, but the title track and Bathtubs have been released for your listening pleasure. Me, I am still trying to digest the band's sound these days. Matt Peters always seems to be stretching for something different, from the powerpop strains of Pets, the mainstream radio rock of The Waking eyes, back to the jaunty pop of Kasparov with Royal Canoe from years ago. Royal Canoe seems to have moved on to incorporating influences from blaxploitation soundtracks, Afro-pop, David Byrne/Talking Heads, latter-day Radiohead, and of course the kitchen sink.

Bathtubs

The new Bathtubs remix by Alek.Fin

Bathtubs video


Today We're Believers - pop out the Soundcloud player to download the mp3


Show Me Your Eyes


Extended Play

You may have heard that Royal Canoe performed their interpretation of Beck's Song Reader as part of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's New Music Festival. Here are some tastes.

Selections from Beck's Song Reader.



TOUR Dates

Aug 22 - Winnipeg, MB - The Park Theatre, with guests
Aug 23 - Winnipeg, MB - Union Sound Hall, with Alanadale & DJ Rob Vilar
Aug 27 - Hollywood, CA - Palladium w/ Alt-J
Aug 28 - Hollywood, CA - Palladium w/ Alt-J
Aug 29 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater w/ Alt-J
Aug 30 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater w/ Alt-J
Sep 01 - Vancouver, BC – The Orpheum Theater w/ Alt-J
Sept 05 - Portland, OR - Music Fest NW w/!!!
Oct 01 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer w/ Tricky
Oct 02 - New York, NY - Webster Hall w/ Tricky
Oct 03 - Boston, MA – Royale w/ Tricky
Oct 05 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall w/ Tricky
Oct 08 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue w/ Tricky
Oct 09 - Chicago, IL - Metro w/ Tricky
Oct 12 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues w/ Tricky
Oct 13 - Houston, TX - House of Blues w/ Tricky
Oct 14 - Austin, TX - Emo's w/ Tricky
Oct 22 - Ottawa, ON - National Arts Center
Oct 30 – Nov 03 - Reykjavik - Iceland Airwaves Festival

Listen to the new Imaginary Cities at Our Nation's Station, Our Nation's Music Mag, or Elsewhere, Snag a Free MP3 Too

Imaginary Cities are celebrating the release of the band's second album, Fall of Romance, on this very day. The band, featuring the core duo of Rusty Matyas and Marti Sarbit, has expanded their sound to add orchestral pop and baroque stylings, and jazzy touches to their soulful indie pop. You can stream the whole thing at CBC, Exclaim!, or Paste.


Album Trailer 1


Album Trailer 2


Album Trailer 3





Bells of Cologne


Bells of Cologne


You can get a free mp3 of Chasing the Sunset by handing over your ever-so-precious email address below.

Chasing the Sunset (Live at the Ballroom in Winnipeg)

Canadians can buy here.

U.S. people can buy here.

Tour Dates:

May 28 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake (Canadian CD release party)
May 29 – New York City, NY @ SubCulture (US CD release party)
June 11 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark
June 12 – Waterloo, ON @Starlight
June 13 – Montreal, QC @ Club Lambi
June 14 – Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
June 15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands, Northside Festival
June 18 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat Backstage
June 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milk Boy
June 22 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
June 25 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
June 26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
July 13 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
July 31 – Toronto, ON @ Edgefest

Thomas D'Arcy - I Wake Up Everyday, Tribute to The Monks' Bad Habits, and Other Songs to Learn and Sing. And mp3s to download.

Thomas D'Arcy seems to be some sort of pop genius that for no good reason I have not picked up on until now. I suck, I guess. I mean, I liked a few Small Sins songs, but I just didn't pick up on how great he was until now. But he seems to be producing at an almost Robert Pollard-like pace, so there's no excuse to miss out on his work anymore. He just released the I Wake Up Everyday EP, also unveiling a video for I Wake Up Everyday, and his full-length album What We Want hasn't even been out for three months yet. Check it all out below, including some awesome covers and a few mp3s you can download from Soundcloud; you can get another free mp3 if you go to his website.

I Wake Up Everyday EP


This video is BRAND SPANKIN' NEW!
I Wake Up Everyday


Mr. Business


D'arcy has also re-recorded the Monks'Bad Habits, with guests such as original Monk John Ford, Ian Blurton (c'mon etc.), Chris Murphy (Sloan), John Kastner (Doughboys), and Dave Gilby (TPOH), among others. The only hitch is, you can stream it, but you can't get it otherwise. I wanna own it!

Tribute to The Monks


Devo's Girl U Want


Credit!


Never Again (as covered by Lindy)


Johnny and Mary (Small Sins cover Robert Palmer)


In the End


Talk Talk


No Complaints


I Don't Need You


Keep Your Head High


'Til I Go Home


The Good Life


North Train (Small Sins Remix)


Something's Going Down


I Took Her Love For Granted

The Strokes - Free One Way Trigger MP3: Chanelling the Inner A-Ha?

The Strokes wanna give away a new mp3 for an email address. But beware, the tune may sound like a sped-up old A-Ha chestnut at the beginning, at least to me.

The Tragically Hip - New Video The Lookaround, Get At Transformation MP3 for Free

The Tragically Hip have released their new video The Lookaround, which is actually being touted as a short film. The song doesn't actually start until about 2 minutes and 26 seconds in, so it's more than just a tune with visuals, but it is kinds funny too, so it's not so much artsy-fartsy as artsy-fun (Robby Baker just looks hilarious, admit it). Releasing a mariachi dress-up promo clip just before Halloween just confirms that the band member still have a sense of humour. And having Sarah Harmer along for the ride is always a good idea.





2013 Canadian Tour

January 19 - Cranbrook, BC - Western Financial Place
January 20 - Kamloops, BC - Interior Savings Centre
January 22- Red Deer, AB - Enmax Centrium
January 23 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
January 25 - Regina, SK - Brandt Centre
January 26 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
January 28 - Brandon, MB - Keystone Centre
January 29 - Thunder Bay, ON - Fort William Gardens
February 1 - Moncton, NB - Casino New Brunswick
February 2 - Halifax, NS - Metro Centre
February 4 - Kingston, ON - K-Rock Centre
February 5 - Kitchener, ON - Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex
February 8 - Guelph, ON - The Sleeman Centre
February 9 - Oshawa, ON - General Motors Centre
February 11 - Sudbury, ON - Sudbury Arena February
12 - Sault Ste Marie, ON - Essar Centre February
14 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre

Comments welcome below.

Keri Latimer - Crowsfeet and Greyskull, Free Mud and Slobber Mp3

Keri Latimer's Crowfeet and Greyskull album is out now, and right now Mud and Slobber is the free download of the week at Manitoba Music's website. I posted the demo version of the song a while back, but the one on the album is a duet with NQ Arbuckle. Other guests on the album include Barry Mirochnick (drums, Neko Case), Christine Fellows (piano), Shaun Brodie (trumpets, Hidden Cameras, Dan Mangan), LucasGoetz (pedal steel, Deep Dark Woods), Damon Mitchell (guitar, Nathan, New Meanies), Devin Latimer(bass, Nathan), and Michael P. Falk (guitar, Les Jupes).

As you might expect, it's a folk-pop tour-de-force, nuanced, atmospheric, and sonically beautiful. Latimer's voice is arresting on its own,  especially when she has proven to be such a strong songwriter, but with the amazing instrumentation on here the record's in a league of its own. The album is available at Music Trader and various online places such as CDBaby and Amazon. Here's that demo again, go to the Manitoba Music site to hear and download the new version.



Here's some more tunes.