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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked.  "Keep On Keeping On" - Via Audio

Via Audio is a fan's band. The music is accessible, the members are approachable, and their stage presence is infectious. Despite long and undoubtedly exhausting hours spent traveling from sea to shining sea, the group has a passion for music that is catching, a feat that cannot be claimed by many on-the-road-and-living-in-a-van groups. 

I had the unique opportunity to interview the band in the back of their graffitied-up tour van back in March 2010 when they opened for Pattern Is Movement at The Bishop in Bloomington, IN. Chatting up the band was as exciting as meeting new friends and as comfortable as reminiscing with old ones. We discussed their inspiration, musical style, the touring life, and hipsters all in the minutes leading up to their set. On stage, their silly quips and uninhibited dancing had everyone cutting loose, even the back row head-bobbers. 

"Keep On Keeping On", a track off their upcoming album, Natural Language, was recorded with a little help from their friends, and expresses both the struggles and the rewards of being a touring music. It's a powerful anthem with a simple mantra, and it is this simplicity and introspectiveness that sets Via Audio apart in a world of DIY musicians. They've got a lot of heart, and they aren't afraid to share it.  

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Just A Quickie "Get Free" - Major Lazer ft. Amber of Dirty Projectors

In the wise words of Ronald McDonald, I'm lovin' it. Download it here.

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Coming To A City Near Me "Black Water" - Timber Timbre

Canadian-bred threesome Timber Timbre are the masters of the surreal. Not only is their music stripped down to such an extent that it's almost hauntingly intimate, but the band's wide array of music videos boast a dreamlike disjointedness that would make even Buñuel envious. The reverberating vocals of frontman Taylor Kirk seem to hover and collide in a cloud above the listener's head, so much so that the exact pitch that he is aiming for is almost as elusive as the words themselves. But whether or not the imaginative lyrics are grasped, there is something artfully poetic about the way that this group constructs such a complex-yet-palatable  soundscape. Creep On Creepin' On, the band's latest album from a year ago, may not be one that prompts you to subconsciously tap you toes, but it will find its way into your psyche one way or another. Just close your eyes and give it time. The band opens for Feist on April 30 at the Egyptian Room in Indianapolis. Get your tickets now. 

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked. "Hondo" - Beta Frontiers (ft. Becky Ninkovic)

3 thumbs up. Anyone else getting 70s cop show from this intro?   

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Music U Should B Listening 2 "St. Croix"- Family Of The Year

Every year we run into a few choice "indie anthems" that are deemed digestible enough to make their way onto the mainstream plate. With playful melodies, bouncing rhythms and universal sentiment that anyone with a pulse can relate to or at least appreciate, these anthems are hard to hate, especially when our tapping feet have a tendency to betray any repressed feelings which we believe to be in opposition to our better judgement. Following in the footsteps of such hits as Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' "Home" and Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks,"Family Of The Year's "St. Croix" has the potential to be the next target for radio and advertising abuse. With rhyme-time lyrics like "You bring the ocean - I bring the motion - together we'll make a love potion," you can't deny that this band knows how to piece together the building blocks that make an aesthetically simple yet irresistable piece of music. Spring may not yet be upon us, but these California natives have us dreaming of the surf, the sand, and our next summer fling. As of today, the St. Croix EP is officially out on the market and ready for some mass consumption. 

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked.  "Winter" - Maps & Atlases

If Maps & Atlases is guilty of anything, it's releasing an upbeat single in the middle of what is arguably the most dreary of the four seasons: winter. While most of us are still wallowing in Justin Vernon's "jagged vacance thick with ice," the Chicago-based quartet lures us out of hibernation with a toe-tapping anthem fit for the summer months. These bandmates have undoubtedly had their fair share of unconventional winters, which qualifies them to deliver a message of "salt covered shoes" that leaves fellow Midwesterners nodding in agreement. 

Departing from the more stripped-down and experimental folk quality of their debut Perch Patchwork, the band delivers a second full-length album which promises to be a bit more "bundled up" and pop-driven.  Beware and Be Grateful will be released via Barsuk on April 17, but you can catch the whole crew at The Bishop in Bloomington this Thursday the 8th. Download the single here. 

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked. "The Reflection Of You" - Bear In Heaven

Releasing a full-length album for streaming four months before its official release date is a risky move. Either listeners are going to love it enough to put money down for what they've already had the opportunity to commit to memory, or they'll add it to their "been there, heard that" list and keep the change. Of course, when the stream is nothing but an incomprehensible drone that spans over a two-thousand seven hundred and nine hour period (because writing it out makes it seem even more unfathomable), its hard to expect that even the most thrifty of listeners will be satisfied.

Surf on over to the Bear In Heaven website and you are hit with the wall of sound that is the band's upcoming April 3 release, I Love You, It's Cool slowed down four-hundred thousand percent (again, letters trump digits). According to the website, the band's goal was to "invite listeners to interpret and consider each sound" and to "sit back and breathe." And for those who love a little white noise, this seemingly endless stream -- complimented only by a rippling backdrop of paint splatters and a subliminally inserted album title and release date -- emits a pseudo-psychadelic appeal that leaves anyone with a pair of ears in a trance that doesn't promise to wear off anytime soon. 

Whether or not you choose to keep your ears glued to your computer speakers for the next 30 plus days is up to you, but when Bear In Heaven visits a venue near you (say, The Bishop in Bloomington, IN on March 29), wouldn't it be cool to say that you've already listened to the entire album?

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Coming Soon To A City Near Me Carolina Chocolate Drops

Not many bands can boast such a colorful array of instruments as do the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Complete with jugs, bones, harmonicas, and every type of banjo imaginable, CCD creates music so truly and, dare I say it, authentically Southern that it almost makes one feel guilty for living north of the Mason Dixon line. The songs paint a picture of the Dust Bowl era, where everything went to hell except for the music, and front porches that girdled an entire house were filled to capacity with friends, family, and fried chicken. The music is as nostalgic as an old-timey photograph and as rowdy as a Texas square dance. And while the lyrics may not say anything new that hasn't already been said before, for some reason or other CCD manages to make even the most dated and uniquely southern sentiments seem fresh and suprisingly relatable.

CCD has saddled up and are making the rounds promoting their upcoming album, Sweet Defiance, set to be released by Nonesuch Records on February 28. They'll be stopping in Bloomington, IN at Buskirk-Chumley Theatre this Saturday to play some old favorites as well as some new sure-to-be hits, so check out the first single "Country Girl" here.

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked. "Know Me" - Frankie Rose

This girl gets around. Frankie Rose has had her fingers in a lot of pies (Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls, just to name a few), and is now embarking on part deux of her semi-solo adventure. Recently nixing "& the Outs" from the band's name, Frankie proves that she is ready and willing to take center stage without a drum set to hide behind. But that doesn't mean that the songstress is ditching her garage pop roots. On the contrary, Frankie draws inspiration from past projects and sprinkles in just a pinch of her own wispy vocals to create a sound that may not be uniquely hers, but is unique nonetheless. Putting the "dreamy" in dream pop, Frankie's music has a sort of buoyancy to it that allows it to float from earbud to earbud. A healthy dose of synthesizer and fuzzed-up guitar interjections gives the album a bit of an '80s feel with shoegaze appeal. Interstellar will be released on February 21, but you can stream the full album here if you're just itching with anticipation (although that might be something you want to get checked out). A perfect soundtrack for a snowy stroll, Interstellar may be an even more essential companion than your mittens this winter.

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked.

"Hallways" - Islands

Nick "Diamonds" Thorburn is a performer. Then again, you would have to be  to live up to such a sparkly moniker. The Islands main man knows how to put on a show, and that's not just when he's rocking some serious face paint. When it comes to giving audiences the biggest bang for their concert buck, this band delivers.

Back in '08, I saw Islands perform at Rhino's in Bloomington, and I have recently come to the conclusion that any band that can make music work in a warehouse-esque setting filled with high school students who refuse to believe that moshing died about a decade ago is a band worth following. That, and letting your bass clarinet dangle precariously from the rafters overhead is a pretty ballsy move in itself. 

Four years have passed since Nick & Co. were out promoting their sophomore album, and now the band is on the verge of releasing their fourth, A Sleep & A Forgetting. "Hallways" is potentially the stand-out track off the upcoming release, and it might just be owing to the fact that it encapsulates the rollicking good fun that Islands is known for. With a piano melody that is reminiscent of "Heart and Soul" (yes, the one you played when you were five), "Hallways" gives new meaning to the phrase "tickling the ivories." The vocal harmonies are so genuine and delicious that you feel compelled to step up to the mic and add your own layer to the metaphorical "chord cake" (note to self: write recipe for chord cake - make millions).

A Sleep & A Forgetting is available for you to love and cherish on Valentine's Day, but you could always prove that you're a true romantic and pre-order here.  Besides, nothing says "I love you(r music)" like planning ahead. 

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[<<] "In Our Talons" - Bowerbirds

Rewind.

Every once and awhile a good band/song/album/musical movement will pass me by without so much as a "Hello" or "How Are You?". Of course, I take all the blame for these "missed connections," as I was most likely so blindly infatuated with another that I simply could not redirect my ears for even a second (I have a tendency to be a monogamous listener).

Bowerbirds is one such group that could potentially have found itself as just another name on my list of "the one(s) that got away" but, as the fates would have it, a couple of days ago I turned the radio on just in time to catch the last few seconds of "In Our Talons" (from the debut album Hymns For A Dark Horse). Needless to say, a few seconds was all it took.

It takes a lot of nerve to destroy this wondrous earth.

The melancholy lyrics stuck long enough for me to execute a full-fledged Google search, and alas! a connection was made. If the juxtaposition of pining for an Eden-esque planet and the rollicking good fun of some well-placed deet deets isn't enough to get you hooked, perhaps the music video will. A dancing crab and a couple of praying mantises engaging in some serious post-apocalypic PDA leave you wondering if you should be laughing or boycotting big oil. Either way, the band gets the message across without beating you over the head with their accordian (a classy addition to any song, I might add).

With a jangly nostalgia that rivals Edward Sharpe's "Home", this song should be able to get me through the next couple of months until the release of the band's third album (The Clearing) on March 6 via Dead Oceans. But, if you've already had your fill of stop motion woodland creatures slowly succumbing to extinction, check out the single "Tuck The Darkness In" here.  

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Music U Should B Listening 2 "Parkers Chapel" - Marc Byrd (of Hammock) and Brooke Waggoner 

Two words come to mind when listening to Brooke Waggoner: elegant simplicity. Her voice alone sets her apart as one of the must-listen-to female artists of 2012 (a.k.a. theyearoftheimpendingapocalypse), but what positions Brooke's music on a tier above that of her singer/songwriter peers is its orchestration - to call it anything else would diminish the undisputable beauty that can pervades every inch of the songstress' repetoire. 

The track opens with what resembles the cacaphonous tuning of stringed instruments that preceeds a live orchestral performance (arguably one of the most anticipated and appreciated bits of "chaos" known to mankind). The entrance of both piano and, later, Brooke herself brings about a refreshingly metronomic pattern that could lull even the most restless of listeners into a state of undisturbed relaxation (not suggested for late night drives).

What is perhaps most refreshing about Brooke's music is that her voice, while proving to be the paragon of vocal purity, does not monopolize the listener's attention. Rather, the vocal line weaves in and out of the musical texture as seamlessly as does any other instrument. The music may not get your toe tapping, but it is likely to weasel its way into your rainy day soundtrack.

Check out Brooke's 2009 release (Go Easy Little Doves) to get a taste for what's to come later this year. Also, be sure to lend an ear to some of post-rock duo Hammock's latest tunes. 

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked. "Unless You Speak From Your Heart" - Porcelain Raft

I will be the first to admit that it is sad, perhaps even a bit pathetic, that what immediately comes to mind when listening to this song is a considerable amount of doubt regarding the functionality of a porcelain raft. (I mean... it would just sink, right?) However, after this troublesome riddle of a band name manages to make a successful escape from my mind's interrogation attempts, I can sit back and enjoy the music for what it is and not who or where it comes from (hot dogs, anyone?). If Beach House's Teen Dream was as big of a hit for you as it was for me, and if a tambourine always seems to make everything better (more cowbell? uh, no thank you...), then this single (soon to be released on 7" via Secretly Canadian) will be right up your alley. Lo-fi buzz with a playful pop sensibility, Porcelain Raft throws their name in with such bands groups as Unknown Mortal Orchestra, FM Belfast, and Mates of State who are attempting to bank on a sound that has been so well received in the past years. Whether they can step outside the box and broadcast a sound that is uniquely theirs is still t.b.d., but I have a feeling that the band's vexing moniker will continue to keep me occupied for the time being.

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked. "Serpents" - Sharon Van Etten

You know those bands that you let slip by because the name doesn't sound like it could possibly yield anything worthy of your acute sense of music? Well, Sharon Van Etten has, for the past few years, been my slippery artist. Perhaps being from a predominantly Dutch community where "Van-somethingorother" took up half the phonebook and therefore never promised to result in anything that extraordinary can explain my wariness to give her a fair shot. But, after listening to the single off of her upcoming album, I'm willing to set aside my skepticism and give this particular "Van-somethingorother" a chance. (You're next, Chad VanGaalen.)  The repeated musical strand is both haunting and familiar, and Van Etten's vocals only augment the song's overall ambience. While this particular track doesn't boast any musical progressivity or eclecticness that would set it apart as a potential Top Album of the Year (even January isn't too early to start nominating), I look forward to what the full album will bring.Tramp will be released on February 7 via Jagjaguwar. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears perked, people.

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Eyes Peeled. Ears Perked. "The Lion's Roar" - First Aid Kit 

Back in the summer of 2010 I was interning at a music promotions company out of New York City and got the chance to check out a little band known as First Aid Kit. The band's first full-length album, The Big Black and Blue, was one that I had devoted a couple of listens to, but never really earned a place on my "OMGIfuckinglovethis" list. But, a free show is a free show, so I hopped aboard the subway to Brooklyn to catch this Swedish sister duo in the act, and I'm so glad that I did. First Aid Kit is one of those rare groups that sounds even better live than through the speakers, and the amount of heart that they put into their performance solidified their place on my "Top Albums" list as the Most Underrated Album of 2010. At the show, they previewed "The Lion's Roar" for a verey enthusiastic audience. It's hard to say whether the exclamation of a lone Brooklynite ("You should record this!") ensured that it would wind up being the title track of the sophomore album, but I like to think that it had something to do with it. Either way, this band is one to watch, and they do not disappoint. 

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Top Albums of 2011

I must admit that I have been putting this post off as long as possible in order to avoid having to make any final decisions about this list. Unfortunately, I have not been able to keep up with all the great music released this past year, so I must confess that my ranking this year might not be so much subjective as it is the result of a limited prospective. Nonetheless, I shall continue with my mission to preach the gospel of kickass music to the good citizens of the internet. So, here it goes:

1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver

I have been raving about this album ever since it was released this summer. I had the privilege of interning at Jagjaguwar, the record label through which this album was released. While I am still waiting on the check in the mail compesating me for the many hours spent packaging LPs, CDs, and band tees, I am not about to shun what has proven to be a fantastic album. Frontman Justin Vernon has managed to weave together one of the most beautiful and seamless pieces of music ever known to hipsterkind, and even those who have professed to being diehard fans of the more "primitive" and "naked" sound of the first album are hard-pressed to define this new style as a digression in the band's musical career. Recent popularity aside, Bon Iver has established itself as a real contender in the world of music, and leaves us waiting with great anticipation for what changes are yet to come.

2. tUnE-yArDs, W H O K I L L

 When I heard this album for the first time back in April, I wasn't the biggest fan. It all seemed a bit too eccentric for my liking, and while the merits of "Bizness" and "Gangsta" were apparent to me, none of the other tracks showed any promise of capturing my attention. However, when the band made their way over to good ol' Bloomington, IN for a show this summer, I convinced myself that I should probably go. The performance by Merrill Garbus and the rest of her crew far surpassed my expectations. The group truly shines in a live setting, which is one of the greatest things you could ask for out of any musician.  In short, W H O K I L L was one of those albums that just needed to grow on me, and grow on me it did, far past being simply tolerable, but remarkable. 

3. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming

All of the Victoria's Secret ads have almost killed "Midnight City" for me, as the images of half-naked supermodels strutting about were not the first that had come to mind when I originally heard this song in its entirety. But whether or not this band has "sold out" is not the point. M83 remained true to their style, mixing highly accessible synth-pop beats with the more eclectic and often unexpected interludes of unsung narration. But, all in all, it just works. The instrumentation is so perfectly constructed that what results is something that you don't need to (or even want to, for that matter) spend too much time deconstructing. Rather, it is simply enought to sit back, relax, and let the music live up to its name and take you somewhere you can only daydream about.

RUNNERS-UP:

Active Child, You Are All I See Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues Panda Bear, Tomboy The Decemberists, The King is Dead Cut Copy, Zonoscope Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes Gardens & Villa, Gardens & Villa 

MOST UNDERRATED ALBUM:

Baby Monster, Baby Monster

MOST OVERRATED ALBUM:

Adele, 21

Until next year, when I review the Best Albums of The Apocalypse!

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Eyespeeled.Earsperked: "Hanging On" - Active Child

I'm a multi-tasker. So, while I was sitting in my apartment watching Netflix, I was simultaneously perusing the web looking for awesome and Ann-worthy new music. When I clicked this little gem, I can honestly say that I wasn't quite sure if the music had started or that the music supervisor behind LOST just had fantastic taste in tune-age (both viable options). It turns out that Active Child has concocted the perfect sound to meet the needs and expectations of a generation drowning in primetime reruns, which I'm sure was their goal. "Hanging On" is a masterfully crafted experimental/ambient/whatevertheheckelseyouwanttocallit piece that deserves a first (and second) listen -- perhaps even without the assistance of the black smoke monster or island-dwelling polar bear. The new album, You Are All I See, will be released on August 23 via Vagrant Records, five days before my birthday. Now that you know that little bit of info, you have no excuse for not getting me a present.