Keyboard headdress. That’s about all the words I can muster around this mind-bending video from Ra Ra Riot. Their album, Beta Love, is out now.

I’ve only touched the tip of the Explosions in the Sky iceberg, but I’m fairly certain the music in this video is from a completely different planet entirely. The song is called “Send Off” and it’s from Explosions in the Sky’s original motion picture soundtrack for the movie “Prince Avalanche.” With this song and video, I both want to see the movie and listen to the soundtrack.

By now, you’re undoubtedly one of the 5.2+ million people who’ve already watched this Mumford & Sons video. Maybe even more than once (ahem). So let’s just say we’re putting it here for posterity.

I’m decidedly in the not-a-fan category when it comes to Mumford, but this video went a long way in getting me close to falling over that fence. “Hopeless Wanderer” is from the band’s most recent album, Babel.

If Chvrches’ forthcoming debut album The Bones of What You Believe (due out Sept. 23) is simply the sum of their previous EP Recover and this new song, “The Mother We Share,” I think I’d still be overjoyed.

This album is gonna blow your socks off.

Here’s another one from Shad. He’s really got it all firing in unison.

Barsuk 15th Anniversary Series

This morning on KEXP, Barsuk Records announced the lineup for their 15th Anniversary concert series to happen in early November. It’s going to be an awesome array of bands you’ve loved for 10+ years, getting together to play albums and songs they’ve all grown well beyond since their release.

Check out this lineup:

Thursday, November 7, at Showbox at the Market:
Nada Surf (performing 2002’s Let Go in its entirety)
Mates of State
More TBA

Friday, November 8, at the Neptune:
The Long Winters (performing 2003’s When I Pretend To Fall in its entirety)
David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion)
Chris Walla (of Death Cab for Cutie)
Minor Alps More TBA

Saturday, November 9, at Neumos:
Menomena
Maps & Atlases
Yellow Ostrich
Cymbals Eat Guitars
With Very Special End of Night Guests

Sunday, November 10, at the Tractor:
Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter (performing their 2002 debut Reckless Burning in its entirety, with the original Sweet Hereafter lineup)
Rocky Votolato
Laura Gibson
More TBA

You do not want to miss these concerts. Each individual show is $15, and you can buy a four-day pass for $60. This is a rare opportunity to see some big bands in smaller venues (and there will surely be plenty of surprises that they haven’t announced yet). Tickets go on sale at noon today, August 7, right here: http://barsuk.com/xv. You can also find any additional info about the series of shows right there.

The whole time I’m listening to this song by Volcano Choir I’m thinking to myself “They really found a guy that sounds like Justin Vernon — Bon Iver — for their lead singer.”

Turns out…

Their album Repave comes out September 3.

(An aside: the idea behind the video is pretty great, but it gets a bit tired by the end of the song. A great idea, executed poorly.)

Fiona continues to release videos from her #1 2012 album The Idler Wheel…. This time, in a video directed by her former beau (and one of my all time favorite directors), Paul Thomas Anderson.

This video has a very 60s vibe to it, but it accurately captures pretty much everything that happens in this subdued song. I’m assuming that’s Fiona’s sister there, singing with her in the video, as it is her sister that sings with her on the album on this song.

I’m not familiar with Shad, but I do know Lenny Kravitz, and while I don’t reach for Let Love Rule any longer, I can still appreciate what Lenny was able to accomplish. Clearly Shad agrees.

I really don’t understand why I like Noah And The Whale. It’s treacly, formulaic english pop. There’s barely anything redeemable about it. But yet, here we are, with this song stuck in our head, and a cute but silly little video to go along with it.

Their latest album, Heart of Nowhere, came out earlier this year.

This is basically a lyric video, which I’m quickly coming to feel is a lazy and unimaginative way to release a song / music video. But since it features a song by Elvis Costello and The Roots from their upcoming collaboration, Wise Up Ghost, I’ll show it here anyway.

Costello continues to give me a reason to come back into the fold after falling out of it. The fact that he’s working with the Roots this time around is the best yet. The album comes out September 17.

This is BRAIDS, a trio (and apparently former four-piece) from Calgary. I missed their 2011 debut album Native Speaker, which was shortlisted for Canada’s Polaris Music Prize. Their next album, Flourish // Perish, comes out August 20. If the album sounds like this song — my god, the drumming alone! — I’ll be listening to the album non-stop for the rest of the year.

Also note they’re coming through town in October, playing the lovely, tiny Sunset Tavern on the 23rd. See you there?

Holy crap, Franz Ferdinand are still together, and making music that simultaneously sounds like them, but in a modernized way. “Right Action” is from their forthcoming album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, due out August 26.

If you’re not yet familiar with The Weeknd, that rock you’re under must be nice and cozy. The song shown in the attached video is “Belong to the World,” which appears on his forthcoming album, Kiss Land.

In the video, The Weeknd (whose real name is Abel Tesfaye) appears to be attempting a mid- to late-career Michael Jackson-like performance. Watch the video, and try not to think about Moonwalker or the video for “Black or White.”

OK, I’m scared.

I’ve spoken of my love for Matthew Houck and his band Phosphorescent many times in the past. Solid, twangy, bluesy rock n’ roll. Nobody today is doing it better. And unless quite a few amazing albums come out in the next few months, Phosphorescent’s recent album Muchacho will end up near the top of this year’s Bacon Calendar.

They’re coming to Seattle in September, after having just been through town back in April of this year. I saw them then, and I just bought tickets to see them again. This is officially a must-see event. Don’t miss it.

The nicest man in indie rock, John Vanderslice, has a new album out (Dagger Beach) and now has a new video from said new album. “How The West Was Won” is classic Vanderslice: split vocals, solid chord progressions, somewhat bleak-sounding lyrics directed at a nameless “you.” If you’ve liked John in the past, you’ll like this, too. And if you’re not familiar with John, this is the perfect jumping off point.

I love Stephin Merritt, in all his incarnations.

This particular song/video is for his band Future Bible Heroes, from their new album Partygoing, which came out in June. A lovely little ditty called “Living, Loving, Partgoing.”

I would very much like a life-size Stephin Merritt statue at my next camping expedition. Makes for a good bear repellent.

amberlynnez:

You Alone Know, the Soil & the Sun, What Wonder is this Universe! 

“I don’t need to understand 
Every word you speak to me 
I don’t need to recognize 
Every truth, every time 
I don’t need a bigger noise 

All I need is to hear your voice” 

Game over the Soil & the Sun, my heart is bursting.

//

The Soil & the Sun. A crazy blend of Typhoon, Sufjan, Of Monsters and Men, and many many other things. MUST HEAR MORE. (and you can, right here.)

Quite interested in Majical Cloudz (I’m sorry, but really?! “Majical Cloudz”? Ugh.), whose second album Impersonator came out back in May. I haven’t listened to anything else of theirs, but based on this song they sound very much in the same realm as James Blake. I’ll now go listen to the album and report back.