If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that “Americana” music is constantly evolving, and who better to school us than Kurt Vile? The Philadelphia native took his place in the canon with 2009′s Childish Prodigy, a yawning, steely set of ballads and ambient buzz, tinged with shimmering, shameless exercises in guitar acrobatics. Today, Smoke Ring for My Halodrops on Matador, delving even deeper into contemporary, urban folktales. There’s even a harp! If you’re in New York, you can catch Kurt Vile at one of no fewer than three in-store performances: Academy Records in Brooklyn (5pm, with Bill Nace and Thurston Moore), and in Manhattan at Generation Records (7pm) or Other Music (9pm).
Without further ado, we give you Kurt Vile’s Americana video playlist, accompanied by his take on each of the songs he selected. True story: after whipping up this mix for us, he confessed he’ll be making a tape of it for the road. We just might do the same.
This week, our mixtape is overflowing with great new stuff. A track from the upcoming Mogwai record? Check! Great remixes courtesy of Max Tundra and Twin Shadow? Roger. Not to mention some nice little sonic nuggets from Real Estate side project Ducktails and hip-hop contender Wiz Khalifa. Sample, swirl, and right click + save as to download these fellas, or scroll on down tot he bottom of the page for a zip file of the entire tape.
In addition to the bigwigs (Blonde Redhead/Band of Horses) and mainstays (Woods/The Antlers), this week’s mix also features bands that have been under the radar because they’re either from across the Atlantic (Mystery Jets/Pony Pony Run Run) or just completely new to us. Get familiar with the next ten, and be sure to Right click + Save As the songs you like after the jump.
It’s hard to believe Record Store Day is only in its third year, having quickly become an institution around the US and overseas, drawing thousands of audiophiles into record shops to snag exclusive special-edition releases and watch intimate in-store performances by everyone from Ani DiFranco to the Black Lips to Bill Callahan. It all began when Chris Brown, employee of the local Maine/New Hampshire record store chain Bull Moose, decided to give brick and mortar record shops a day in the sun. Having visited the flagship store in Portland, Maine, we can confidently state that Brown and his co-workers definitely know what they’re doing.
By now, you’ve probably heard about some of the kajillion 7-inch and fancy vinyl releases just waiting to be snatched up this Saturday, so we’re going to give you a quick rundown of the most stellar in-store performances and events happening all over the country, plus a chance to win some sweet Smashing Pumpkins merch.
Best of the Year lists aren’t just about closure. After all, these lists make for a great way to catch up everything you missed while you were spinning that new Phoenix album endlessly. Making this time of discovery easier yet, InSound has rounded up their 50 most downloaded albums of 2009, and is offering everyone 10 free MP3s for download.
Looking at their list, we’ve eliminated albums that weren’t from 2009, and skipped over the obvious choices — the Grizzly Bears, the Phoenixes, and the Passion Pits. Those are for everyone else’s lists.
Even though we’re moving into the dog days of summer, when things get slow release-wise, there are still plenty of exciting tunes to laze beside the pool with thanks to what’s turning out to be an absolutely stellar year for music. So give your fingers a little warm-up stretch and get ready to “Right Click, Save Link As…,” because after the jump we present 10 essential late-summer jams from our latest Viva Radio show that you should consider required listening at your next barbecue. Read More »
