Helloooo Silicon Valley! Apparently the little town halfway between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, home to myself and my friend Google, is finally putting together a decent night of music tomorrow…or at least Red Rock Coffee is. Hopefully this is a trend.

If you live on the peninsula, come on out and check out San Jose’s The Mumlers and San Francisco’s Birds and Batteries.  Let’s get caffeinated and weird.  Hear some tracks below to see what’s in store. I’ve posted some tracks by Birds and Batteries in the past, but haven’t heard of The Mumlers until now. It’s safe to say that “Red River Hustle” is right in my wheelhouse with it’s lazy countrified vocals and sleepy horns. It feels more like whiskey shot music than espresso sipping music, but I guess that’s why god invented flasks.

The Mumlers - Red River Hustle

Birds and Batteries - Turnstyles

Birds and Batteries - Jungles (Oceans)

I was watching the Democratic National Convention last night, and over a reporter’s shoulder I saw Michael McDonald banging it out on the piano. Barack Obama strikes me as a pretty cool guy, but Michael McFreakingDonald? Doesn’t everyone think he’s terrible? That may be Barack’s first mistake of this campaign. I’m honestly surprised 75,000 people still showed up despite the McDonald appearance.

Anyway, I think McDonald is hilarious. The voice, the hair, the beard, the taking himself seriously. I mean, he’s like the perfect storm of douche. It’s like a hurricane of douche flying into my face whenever I see him.
Here are a couple hilarious Michael McDonald parodies I found on YouTube.

“Re-Michaeling”

“Ride Like the Wind”

I reviewed Sam Chamption’s Heavenly Bender back in June. Since then, it’s done nothing but get better and better. In anticipation of the September release, they have been putting out these short videos on YouTube. I have watched the first two of the four part series and have been left scratching my head. These guys are clowns (I mean that as the highest compliment) and I’m pretty sure I want to be pals with them.

Heavenly Bender is available on Amie Street for $3.00 for a limited time.  You’re crazy not to take that offer.

Sam Champion - Be Mine Everyone

Here’s the weird video series:

Part I

Part II

I was flipping through my electronic jukebox at work tonight and low and behold, I see a Kings of Leon track.  Looking at it, I realize its from their new album and definitely not the already leaked “Crawl.” Quickly selecting it to play loudly at the bar for the drunk masses, it comes on and it’s awesome, just like expected.  Loud screeching guitars, bouncy baseline, and driving drums; this all, of course, is backed by Caleb’s ever increasingly amazing vocals.  Seriously, does this band just spend hours every day getting better and better? It certainly seems like it.

Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire (found over at Radio Exile)

Kings of Leon - “Sex On Fire” Video

Left Lane Cruiser - Wash It

For the past week and a half, my days have started off the same way. Wake up early, eat a high fiber breakfast, go to the office, pour a big cup of coffee, and then hit play on Mason Proper’s sophomore album Olly Oxen Free. I won’t tell you what happens around 10am.

I admit that I completely overlooked their 2007 debut album, There Is a Moth In Your Chest. As I listen to Olly Oxen Free, it’s as if this band from Michigan is working hard to make me regret it. And I am. The album opens with the best trifecta of songs I’ve heard on any album in 2008. “Fog” is a song that lingers in the shadows as it opens with the lines “My horoscope said pack your bags” then you hear what sounds like a gunshot, followed by the lines “Made a hole in my head and forgot why I did.”

Not exactly what I was expecting from a pop album.

After that, “Point A To Point B” lightens the mood with some jangly guitars before “Lock and Key” closes out the hat trick and will have you singing “caught every lightning bug out in the yard” in your sleep. You’ll understand when you hear the verse. I’m just thankful the band and the label decided to allow us to offer up “Lock and Key” as a free download so we can all be infected together.

To be honest, I’ve kind of been stuck at the front end of the album and am still digging through the second half, but I know “Downpour” will be another highlight. Olly Oxen Free will be released on Dovecote Records on September 23rd.

Website | MySpace

Mason Proper - Lock and Key

You can also hear “Only For A Moment” and “Safe for the Time Being” at Daytrotter.

If you were paying attention during out last live session with Leatherbag, you would have noticed a fella playing an acoustic guitar and singing backup vocals on a track called “White Doves.” That was a singer-songwriter from Austin, TX that goes by the name Danny Malone.

Danny was nice enough to come back the day following the Leatherbag session with his musical traveling companion, Heidi Johnson, to perform four tracks in our Chicago studio. He’s part pop singer, part folk troubadour and seems to be comfortable dwelling just below the surface. His music is somewhat hard to find other than an album that’s on iTunes for a limited time.

Like many of you, I’m just now learning about Danny Malone, but each song below has something different to offer. “Basement” is a bizarre tale about a character avoiding loneliness by keeping dead relatives down in the basement to provide company. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a serious tune, and my favorite of the session, called “In the Darkness.” It’s an extremely well-written, eerie song that can captivate you. Heidi’s keys have a spooky ring-around-the-rosie vibe and her backing vocals are the perfect accompaniment to the song’s poetic sentiment.

Danny’s heading back to Chicago on September 6 to play at Tom Schraeder’s CD release party at The Hideout. If you’re in Chicago and haven’t passed by Schraeder on the scene yet, you should do yourself a favor and check both of these gentlemen out that night. This show has been cancelled.

Exclusive: Danny Malone - Close Enough

Exclusive: Danny Malone - Basement

Exclusive: Danny Malone - Silence

Exclusive: Danny Malone - In The Darkness

Stay tuned for upcoming live sessions featuring Jukebox The Ghost, Your 33 Black Angels, Backyard Tire Fire, Ane Brun, Tobias Froberg and many more.

Danny Malone - In the Darkness, live in-studio, Chicago

You can see the video for “Basement” here.

Radiohead breaks ground once again by “filming” the entire video without cameras. Instead they use a series of real time 3D mapping lasers, gauging the distance from objects and thus creating a visual representation of the world.  They take it a step further by pouring water or placing mirrors in front of the lasers to distort and change the dimensions.

So if you’ve not seen it, check it out.  Also, here is the Making Of video where they actually explain it in technical terms.  Something that I could never do.  They say technical stuff, I say it looks pretty.

House Of Cards

The Making of House Of Cards

Maybe I’m a little late to the party on this news, but I just heard about it tonight and it made my ears moist. As reported here and here, the three are currently recording an album together. Release date is unknown, but we’ll keep you posted.

While I’m not a huge Conor Oberst fan, I’m a big Jimmy James and M. Ward fan and can’t think of two guys I’d rather see put something out together (unfortunately I missed their “Monsters of Folk” tour of 2004, but here’s a full set from our friends at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends. Does anyone think these three read my post about fantasy supergroup, The Cockslingers, and decided to strike while the iron is hot?

Also worth noting, Jim James is going to be releasing a solo album as an Asian Country Star alter-ego named Sec Walkin. Sounds incredible. Also of note, I was in a band in high school called The Chinese Cowboys. I was ahead of my time.

Here’s a live version of Wonderful (The Way I Feel) rumored to be on the new James/Ward/Oberst album (Oz posted this song from Aquarium Drunkard a little a week or two ago, but it’s worth hearing again).

Jim James and M. Ward - Wonderful (The Way I Feel)

And here are some pretty cool videos:

Jim James & M. Ward – Rollercoaster & Chinese Translation (SXSW 2008)

M. Ward & Conor Oberst – O’Brien’s Nocturne

Congrats to Carie for winning the Shearwater ticket giveaway.

Shearwater - Leviathan, Bound

Shearwater - Rooks

Shearwater - Red Sea, Black Sea

Dead Confederate - The Rat

Port O’Brien - Close the Lid

Port O’Brien - I Woke Up Today

Blitzen Trapper – Furr

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines

From the inbox…

TK Webb and The Visions - Teen Is Still Shaking

Brimstone Howl - A Million Years

The Ettes - Marathon

Joseph Arthur - A Lovely Cost

Joseph Arthur - Pretty Good Company

Lackthereof - Choir Practice