New Video: Tom Waits - "Satisfied"

Check out Tom Waits' new video for "Satisfied" directed by Bob Dylan's son Jesse Dylan; this track is off his most recent album, Bad as Me (Anti)

New Tom Waits

Tom Waits: Bad As Me October 25 on Anti

Happy Earth Day You Sons of Bitches

A little different than our usual April 22 fare, but you get the message. Found this weird video this AM. "What have you done for the Earth lately? Probably nothing. Who cares about music today? Go Earth!"

Future Islands: "Tin Man"

Future Islands - Tin Man from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

[mp3] Future Islands: "Tin Man"

We've been enjoying the excellent record In The Evening Air from the quickly rising Future Islands. With its Tom Waits-ian guttural growls and unorthodox song structures, there is a short "getting to know you" period associalted with this record. But after this initial stint, the elements that made the record so different in the beginning, become its most rewarding assets.

New Linfinity Record & Residency at Piano's

[mp3] Linfinity: "Molly Mar of Rome"

We accidentally caught Linfinity a few months ago opening for Lissy Trullie, and with no back-story they stopped us in our tracks. It was mostly the weird Nick Cave-esqe fashion and vocal style emanating from sweat-drenched lead singer Dylan Von Wagner. (He's even got a creepy name). Linfinity cultivate a Beirut-cum-Tom Waits cum-Cave style of balkan rock: strange and dark, yet melodic and captivating. It's all in the songs and the stage show here. They take care to dress for their roles and convey a powerful performance centering around Von Wagner and violinist Megan Leach. It has shtick potential, but the musicians and songs are strong enough to keep the group from looking, well, silly. Linfinity have just finished recording a full set of new songs, and will be performing them tomorrow night, the first night of a three-week residency at Pianos. Check out their Myspace for new tunes. See you there.

Tuesday's Recommended Releases with MP3s

David Byrne, Dirty Projectors "Knotty Pine" mp3

This week the stores (digital and physical) are jammed with quality releases. The indie-rock explosion that is the Dark Was the Night charity record is definitely up there for us this week. While it is at times uneven, there are definitely more than a few gems in here; not to mention the album is for charity so you can certainly shell out a few of your precious dollars for this. Alela Diane's record that we've been running our mouths about is out physically today, as well as Benjy Ferree's (anyone on shrooms? Bennnnjyy!) latest which is excellent. Click HERE for mp3s from both records. For all of our other recommendations and mp3s click after the jump...




We're pretty neutral on the M.Ward - it's ok, but his time in the sun may be over (for me at least). She and Him may have been that fateful jump over the shark.
M.Ward "Never Had No One Like You" mp3

While we haven't heard the N.A.S.A. record yet, I'm certainly intrigued by its massive list of contributors including: Tom Waits, David Byrne, M.I.A, Santi and pretty much everyone else in the world. NASA - "Spacious Thoughts (feat. Tom Waits & Kool Keith)" mp3

Also of stellar caliber this week is the new Vetiver - which Vince raved about earlier.
Vetiver "Everyday" mp3

We hate to do the general list - but there is only so much time in the day and so much music - sooooo we ALSO recommend: The amazing debut from Emmy the Great (digi only), William Eliot Whitmore's latest, the new Robyn Hitchcock, Faunts, Fol Chen, and DEFINITELY Iran. Thanks to Largehearted Boy you can try everything before you buy.

And my personal blast from the past recommendation for the week is, well, fuck it: Linda Ronstadt's Heart Like a Wheel. With the Eagles as her backing band, this record is a gem of early 70s country rock. Thanks Caitlin, sorry Dad.

New Bruce Springsteen-aween Video

How spooky! Here Springsteen invokes his inner Tom Waits in a Halloween-inspired, cliche blues tune. We kind of dig the evangelical, sermonizing, cross-wearing Boss. He just looks so damn demanding, that we want to convert to whatever he is preaching about. Reminds us of Paul Dano a.k.a Eli Sunday from "There Will Be Blood."

This video makes us never want to spend an evening with the Jersey Devil. Thanks for ruining that for us Bruce.

Happy Halloween Fuckers. Go carve a pumpkin.

Tom Waits, M.I.A, Karen O, Kanye, Byrne, Santogold & More, To Guest on New N.A.S.A Record - Spirit of Apollo

Yeah - you read that right. Pretty insane. Due to time constraints (a.k.a our real job) we're just going to crib from the press release below. Certainly something to keep your eye out for in '09. Actually - it will probably be pretty hard for you to miss this one. Tracklist after the jump.

N.A.S.A. (North America/South America), and their worldwide debut The Spirit of Apollo is set to be released on Anti- on February 17. 2009. N.A.S.A is an ongoing creative collaboration between two lifelong music aficionados, Squeak E. Clean ad DJ Zegon, and their friends, friends of friends and musical heroes.

While N.A.S.A. stands for North America/South America and contains a number of superstar artists from both coasts of the US, it is about as far from a tension-building geographical showdown as a record can get. Rather, The Spirit of Apollo was born with the righteous goal of bringing people together through music and art, and that is exactly what masterminds Squeak E, Clean and DJ Zegon have done.

Unexpected collaborations abound on the eighteen track release. Tom Waits growls over Kool Keith, Karen O taunts while Ol' Dirty Bastard gives shout-outs to Wu Tang and N.A.S.A from the grave, and David Byrne, Chuck D and others expound on the evils of "Money." In spite of the range of performers, the pairings seem organic, inspired and make perfect sense on the first listen, never coming off as ironic or impulsive.

N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo tracklist:

1. "Intro"
2. "The People Tree" (feat. David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift of Gab,& Z-Trip)
3. "Money" (feat. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge, & Z-Trip)
4. "NASA Music" (feat. Method Man, E-40, & DJ Swamp)
5. "Way Down" (feat. RZA, Barbie Hatch, & John Frusciante)
6. "Hip Hop" (feat. KRS-One, Fatlip, & Slim Kid Tre)
7. "Four Rooms, Earth View"
8. "Strange Enough" (feat. Karen O, Ol' Dirty Bastard, & Fatlip)
9. "Spacious Thoughts" (feat. Tom Waits & Kool Keith)
10. "Gifted" (feat. Kanye West and others TBD)
11. "A Volta" (feat. Sizzla, Amanda Blank, & Lovefoxxx)
12. "There's a Party" (feat. George Clinton & Chali 2na)
13. "Whachadoin?" (feat. Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santogold & Nick Zinner)
14. "O Pato" (feat. Kool Kojak & DJ Bãboa)
15. "Samba Soul" (feat. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien & DJ Qbert)
16. "The Mayor" (feat. The Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, DJ AM & Scarface)
17. "N.A.S.A. Anthem"

Opposites Attract? Johansson and Waits

The computer keyboard seems foreign to me today, whereas I haven't posted in a fortnight or so. Since my last piece on the fizzled Hold Steady show, I have been to Florence and am now taking up residence in Nashville for the summer.

To the business at hand: Scarlett Johansson’s renditions of classic Tom Waits tunes on Anywhere I Lay My Head. I felt obligated to at least mention this unique release from Johansson because everyone else in the industry is doing so. Jon Pareles placed the album on his Times playlist, Stereogum covered it, and Paste Magazine put her on the cover.

Anywhere builds on contradictions. On one hand, you have the beautiful, young actress who starred in The Horse Whisper, then you have Waits -- does he really need explanation? Somehow, Johansson finds a middle ground on the record, making it not prophetically good, but not bad. Pareles praised producer David Steik (TV On The Radio) for the major success of the album.

Johansson finds a comfort zone on songs such as "Falling Down," but her vocal abilities ultimately lack the range needed to fulfill all the raspy, yet tonally-sound nuances of Waits. Give credit where credit is due; Johansson takes risks on this album, as would any artist attempting a Waits compilation. However, the low points on the record are over shadowed by the more fulfilling and developed tunes. It's hard to get Waits right, but any attempt is bold and should be commended.

Listen HERE

INDIANA JONES COUNTDOWN: 4 Days