Here are the tracks we discussed this past week:
From the HearYa Live Session with The Everybodyfields:
Dinosaur Feathers – Vendela Vida
Dinosaur Feathers – Teenage Whore
Here are the tracks and a video from our live session with Hacienda:
Exclusive: Hacienda – Shake Ya
Exclusive: Hacienda – Little Girl
Exclusive: Hacienda – Hear Me Crying
Download: The Hacienda Live Session as a zip file.
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Every year that I’ve been to South by Southwest there’s been a fad that I didn’t see coming. 2007 was the year of the skinny jeans. 2008 was the year of the ironic mustache. 2009 was the year of the jorts. So what will it be this year? Trying to figure out what hipsters are going to be wearing at SXSW is like Frank the Tank trying to figure out what type of underpants the waitress is wearing in Old School:
I happen to look over at a certain point during the meal and see a waitress taking an order, and I found myself wondering what color her underpants might be. Her panties. Uh, odds are they’re probably basic white, cotton, underpants. But I sort of think, well maybe they’re silk panties, maybe it’s a thong. Maybe it’s something really cool that I don’t even know about.
And the hipsters will probably be wearing something really cool that I don’t even know about. So instead of showing up like a fool with my moustache and jorts, I’m going to take a leap of faith and try to guess what the cool thing is going to be this year and just wear it. My guess is unitards. It’s the only logical next step down the path of ridiculousness. Either that or Bugle Boy jeans with the elastic waistband and plethora of pockets.
What do you think hipsters will be wearing?
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Plants and Animals’ sophomore album, La La Land, will be released April 20th on Secret City Records. “The Mama Papa” is the first single released the video was just polished and released.
Video: Plants and Animals – The Mama Papa
The band’s SxSW appearances are below:
Wed. 3/17 – 6:20 PM @ Brush Square (Across from Hilton) – Canadian Blast BBQ
Thu. 3/18 – 1:50 PM @ Lovejoy (604 Neches at 7th St.) – Pop Montreal Party w/ Diamond Rings, Basia Bulat
Thu. 3/18 – 4:30 PM @ Emo’s Annex (603 Red River) – Soundcheck Magazine party w/ The Besnard Lakes
Fri. 3/19 – 9:00 PM @ Antone’s (213 West 5th Street) – Official Billions Showcase w/ Shearwater, Liars
Sat. 3/20 – 2:25 PM @ Emo’s Annex (603 Red River) – Under The Radar Party w/ Vivian Girls, The Veils and more
Sat. 3/20 – 3:45 PM @ Galaxy Room (506 E. 6th St.) – Brooklyn Vegan/M for Montreal Party w/ Local Natives, Andrew WK, Roky Erikson & Okkervil River and more
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San Antonio band and HearYa Live Session alumni, Hacienda, are set to release their sophomore album entitled Big Red and Barbacoa via Alive Records. The album was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and is scheduled for an April 6th release date. You can hear their first single “I Keep Waiting” here, now. If you like sunny harmonies (like The Beach Boys), this should suit you just fine.
Here are the tracks and a video from our live session with Hacienda:
Exclusive: Hacienda – Shake Ya
Exclusive: Hacienda – Little Girl
Exclusive: Hacienda – Hear Me Crying
Download: The Hacienda Live Session as a zip file.
Video: Hacienda – Little Girl
Hacienda – Little Girl – HearYa Live Session from HearYa.com on Vimeo.
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Over the years of Clem Snide’s existence, I’ve heard a tune here or there and always thought to myself, “Hey self, these guys are pretty good and you should think about picking up one of their albums.” And you know what I did about it? Fuck all.
So there I was last week with more eMusic credits than I knew what to do with. And there, staring in the face was the new Clem Snide release The Meat of Life. So acting with an impetuous nature that I’d lacked in our previous encounters, I pulled the trigger. Upon its entry into my iPod, we made the awkward niceties. Do I call you Clem? Mr Snide? We eventually settled on Clem Snide and went from there.
After46 minutes, I once again was left muttering, “Woody, you are a moron.” This is a very good album that makes me regret not jumping on the Clem Snide band wagon sooner. Songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Eef Barzeley (is hailed in some circles as brilliant) fronts Clem Snide, a band named after a character in several William S. Burroughs novels. While best known for their “hit” song “Moment In The Sun” that was featured as the theme song in the NBC show Ed, the band has continued putting out solid music. Meat of Life, their seventh album, is consistent with Snide’s past works featuring a simmering blend of alt-country and acoustic pop with some some pretty darn good lyrics.
I have since dipped into their back catalog to get lost in Your Favorite Music and found that to be damn engaging as well. That’s the funny thing about music. Sometimes a band can just slip by and barely register with you and then that odd encounter can lead to an appreciation for their entire body of work. While I am not about to appoint myself the new President of Clem Snide’s fanclub, I certainly have a much greater appreciation for their music.
Clem Snide – Wal Mart Parking Lot
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Much like the heralded debut from Girls, Dinosaur Feathers’ Fantasy Memorial has influences rooted in 50’s and 60’s pop music. What makes the music pop are the unique rhythms and percussion that propels the music forward with vigor. Lead singer Greg Sullo spent some time in Mali and those ethnic elements seep in throughout their debut. In fact, on the first song, you are greeted with the sounds of birds from Mali’s desert.
In my email correspondence with Greg, he mentioned that the songs on the album are about falling in and out of love, why it happens, and what it means for different people. The two tunes that left a mark with me are “Teenage Whore” and “History Lessons.” The latter begins like an Everly Brothers tune you’d hear on your mom and dad’s oldies station. Greg had this to say about the song: “Just because you’ve learned the lessons of history, does not mean you’ve learned your lesson.”
The recording is rough around the edges, but it only adds to the charm of the debut album from this Brooklyn band. Much like The Love Language’s lo-fi debut, which also had a few bumps in production, the talent of Dinosaur Feathers is undeniable. You can catch them around town at SXSW in Austin.
Dinosaur Feathers – Vendela Vida
Dinosaur Feathers – Teenage Whore
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Sam Quinn is set to release his first solo album, The Fake That Sank 1,000 Ships, on May 11th via Ramseur Records (a HearYa label fav). We are digesting a promo copy of the album as we speak and it’s a devastatingly beautiful batch of sad songs. Quinn Put it best: “Pop songs are chemically engineered to make you feel great. These ones take a slightly different approach.”
Woody and I exchanged IM’s about the album and it went something like this:
Woody: Did you listen to Sam Quinn yet?
Oz: Not yet. Is it sad?
Woody: It’s not happy, that’s for damn sure. The pedal steel sweeping through each tune is enough to bring you to tears.
Woody: I want to get lost in his beard.
Oz: No shit. That thing is amazing. He looks like the lion from The Wizard of Oz. He makes Dan Auerbach look like Pee Wee Herman.
Oz: I think there’s a family of sparrows nesting in there somewhere.
The beard talk continued from there, but we should be ready to discuss the music on the album very soon. Before The Everybodyfields broke up we got a taste of Sam’s solo work in “Mardi Gras” and “Gun” in our HearYa Live Session with The Everybodyfields. Sam and Ramseur Records were also gracious enough to offer “Suite Motown” from the album to y’all.
From the HearYa Live Session with The Everybodyfields:
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Here are the tracks we discussed this past week.
First from our live session with Dawn Landes:
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Intro Song
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Young Girl
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Bodyguard
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Money In The Bank
Download the Dawn Landes HearYa Live Session as a zip file.
And the rest:
Phosphorescent – It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)
Phosphorescent – Reasons To Quit
Phosphorescent – A Picture of Torn Up Praise
Freelance Whales – Generator Second Floor
April Smith and The Great Picture Show – Colors
April Smith and The Great Picture Show – Movie Loves A Screen
The Pack A.D. – Making Gestures
Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore – Something, Somewhere, Sometime
Daniel Martin Moore – Stray Age
Ben Sollee – A Change Gonna Come (Sam Cooke Cover)
Ben Sollee – A Few Honest Words
From the HearYa Live Session with Ben Sollee:
Exclusive: Ben Sollee – How To See The Sunrise
Exclusive: Ben Sollee – Mule With A Bullhorn
Exclusive: Ben Sollee – Prettiest Tree On The Mountain
Exclusive: Ben Sollee – Extraordinary Machine
Exclusive: Ben Sollee – Only A Song
Download the entire session as a zip file.
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Phosphorescent is set to follow up his Willie Nelson tribute album, To Willie, with a fresh batch of original tunes. Here’s To Taking It Easy will be released on May 10th via Dead Oceans.
Unlike his last haunting and introspective album of original work, Pride, his latest features a full band on tracks reminiscent of early 70’s Stones and Bob Dylan’s Street Legal. I can’t wait.
Phosphorescent – It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)
From To Willie:
Phosphorescent – Reasons To Quit
From Pride:
Phosphorescent – A Picture of Torn Up Praise
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Dawn Landes was requested by a HearYa reader named Tom when we posted a track that featured her with Justin Townes Earle. A few email exchanges later and the session was booked. Customer service. That’s what we’re all about at HearYa World Headquarters. Smiles come free.
Dawn was raised in the music stomping grounds of Branson, Missouri and Louisville, Kentucky and is now a resident of New York City. Her career began as an intern in a few studios working with the likes of Phillip Glass, Ryan Adams, Hem, Joseph Arthur, The Earlies and Josh Ritter (whom she later married). Her sound crosses between country, rock and roll, pop and blues with a sweet voice that offsets the occasional dark lyrical themes.
Dawn Landes has a fresh album called Sweetheart Rodeo out now. Pick it up if you dig the sesh.
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Intro Song
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Young Girl
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Bodyguard
Exclusive: Dawn Landes – Money In The Bank
Download the Dawn Landes HearYa Live Session as a zip file.
Video: Dawn Landes – Bodyguard
Video: Dawn Landes – Young Girl
Dawn Landes – “Young Girl” – HearYa Live Session 2/9/10 from HearYa.com on Vimeo.
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