Category: News

The Decemberists Cover R.E.M. on KCRW

The Decemberists stopped by KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic to do some songs yesterday, and one of those songs was “Cuyahoga” from R.E.M.’s Life’s Rich Pageant. The original is positively stunning, and one of my all-time favorite songs…so, naturally, I feel somewhat protective of it.  Happily, despite this cover’s looser, more casual feel, it definitely sounds at home with The Decemberists.

Here, have a listen and judge for yourself.  (Thanks to Stereogum!)

[audio:https://www.shh-listen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/The-Decemberists-Cuyahoga-REM-Cover.mp3|titles=The Decemberists – Cuyahoga (REM Cover)]  Download

First Listen: Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”

Thanks to Stereogum, we’ve got the title track from Fleet Foxes’ Helplessness Blues (out 5/3 via Sub Pop).  And I’ve got to tell you… it’s soaring, majestic, and wonderful.  At one point, singer Robin Pecknold asserts: “And I know you will keep me on the shelf…”

Not a chance.  Come have a listen, and grab your own copy!

Continue reading “First Listen: Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues””

First Listen: Telekinesis – “12 Desperate Straight Lines”

My birthday might be tomorrow, but NPR already gave me a sweet present… as of right now, you can hear all of Telekinesis‘ forthcoming album – 12 Desperate Straight Lines – over on their site.  I urge you to head on over, now!

(And hey, thanks, NPR!)

JBM Performs M.Ward’s “Carolina” for The Voice Project

We’ve talked about The Voice Project before, and today they continue their tradition of bringing us excellent, intimate cover performances with JBM (Jesse Marchant) doing a cover of M.Ward’s “Carolina.”  It’s a touching performance of a song that Jesse says is “…just a beautiful song,” as well as “one of the favorites of my mother, as well.”  Have a listen:

JBM » M. Ward from The Voice Project on Vimeo.

First Listen: The Mountain Goats – “Damn These Vampires”

The Mountain Goats’ new album – All Eternals Deck – is out 3/29 on Merge, but today we’ve got the first taste in “Damn These Vampires.”  Merge offers this about the album’s themes and style:

“The songs cluster around themes of hidden things and the dread that hidden things inspire,” says singer/songwriter John Darnielle, “but also the excitement, the attraction, the magnetic draw that scary unknown hidden things exert.” The title refers to an apocryphal tarot deck, though Darnielle explains that the album’s fascination with the occult originates in having run across the word “occult” in a textbook in his nursing-student days. “‘Occult’ just means ‘hidden’ or ‘not immediately obvious’ in medical terminology. There was a nursing directive to be aware of ‘occult blood.’ I thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever heard,” he says.

“Damn These Vampires” has an expansive, epic quality that bodes well for the album as a whole.  There’s a precision in that emotional punctuation that Darnielle uses so effectively elsewhere that leaves me with goosebumps…  So, grab your headphones, press play, and enjoy.

[audio:https://www.shh-listen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Mountain-Goats-Damn-These-Vampires.mp3|titles=The Mountain Goats – Damn These Vampires]  Download

After that, check out this Pitchfork interview with Darnielle about the making of the album, and then head over to Stereogum to grab the new, twitter-released, non-album track “Tyler Lambert’s Grave.”  Enjoy!