GREAT NEW MUSIC: Yeasayer "All Hour Cymbals"

So I'm sure by now most of you have heard (or should), the muy-caliente "2080" by Yeasayer, which has been floating around for awhile now. Upon finally listening to the full album (on which "2080" appears), I'm at a loss for words. There is so much there for one to digest, between the vastly varied musical styles (70's rock, 60's folk, African rhythms, Pink Floyd-style harmonies), and the politically tinged lyrics about the end of the world, I'll be chewing on this one for a bit. Some say they hear Crosby, Stills and Nash & Genesis, but I can't honestly say this sounds like anything I've ever heard before. And in this age of comparisons, that is very refreshing. I wish I could do more to help you visualize, but I think the best thing I can do is provide a couple of tracks & recommend you buy this as soon as it drops next Tuesday (10/23). This is going to rank pretty high on my year-end "Best Of" list...believe it!

[MP3] Yeasayer - Wait For the Summer from "All Hour Cymbals" (via Box.net)
[MP3] Yeasayer - Forgiveness from "All Hour Cymbals" (via Box.net)

WE ARE FREE - label website | Yeasayer Myspace

SHOW TONIGHT: Jesu @ The Earl (10/16)

So I'm off to see Jesu tonight at The Earl (10/16), this is the make-up show for the one they missed opening for ISIS awhile ago. I'm very excited. If you haven't already, I suggest you pick up his new EP, "Lifeline", it's just one more reason to love this band. You can check out an MP3 from said EP below.

[MP3] Jesu - You Wear Their Masks from "Lifeline EP" (via Box.net)

Dates:
10-16 Atlanta, GA - The Earl ^
10-17 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle ^
10-18 Washington, DC - Black Cat $%
10-19 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church $%
10-20 New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre (CMJ) $%
10-21 Poughkeepsie, NY - The Polish Club $%
10-22 New Britain, CT - Trinity on Main $%
10-23 Cambridge, MA - The Middle East Downstairs $%
10-24 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa $!
10-25 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace $!
10-26 Buffalo, NY - Showplace Theatre $%
10-27 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle $%
10-28 Iowa City, IA - The Picador $%
10-29 Sauget, IL - Pop's $%#
10-30 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck $#
10-31 Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre #
11-02 Seattle, WA - Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room ~
11-03 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre ~
11-05 Sacramento, CA - Harlow's *
11-06 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall *&
11-09 Los Angeles, CA - Ex Plex *&

^ with Wolves in the Throne Room
$ with Torche
% with Fog
! with Tim Hecker
# with Yakuza
* with These Arms Are Snakes
& with Oxbow
~ with Sunn O))), Eluvium

Jesu - website | Myspace

CONTEST: Nada Surf @ The 40 Watt 10/29 - ticket giveaway

So I have a pair of tickets to give away to see Nada Surf @ The 40 Watt in Athens, GA on 10/29 with Sea Wolf as the opening act. I will pick a winner at random by Thursday (10/18), so leave me your full name & email address in the comments and good luck!!

Nada Surf will be road testing new songs from their upcoming album Lucky which will be dropping February 8th via Barsuk Records. Guest appearances on the record include: Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard, Ed Harcourt, John Roderick of the Long Winters, and guitarist Phil Wandscher of Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter. Check out the first available track from Lucky, "See These Bones", below.

[MP3] Nada Surf - See These Bones from "Lucky" (via Box.net)

Nada Surf - 2007/2008 Tour Dates
10/12 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
10/13 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
10/15 Columbus, OH - Basement
10/16 Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century
10/17 Louisville, KY - Jim Porters
10/18 Indianapolis, IN Birdy’s
10/19 Chicago, IL - Schubas
10/20 Chicago, IL - Schubas
10/22 St. Louis, MO - Gargoyle Club
10/23 Nashville, TN - Exit Inn
10/24 Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree
10/26 Tampa, FL - State Theatre
10/27 St. Augustine, FL - Café Eleven
10/29 Athens, GA - The 40 Watt Club
10/30 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
10/31 Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
11/01 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom – UVA
11/02 Baltimore, MD - 8x10
1/30 (2008) Seattle, WA The Triple Door (acoustic)
1/31 (2008) Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge (acoustic)
2/02 (2008) San Francisco, CA Swedish American Hall (acoustic)
2/07 (2008) Brooklyn, NY The Music Hall of Williamsburg
2/08 (2008) New York, NY Bowery Ballroom

GREAT NEW MUSIC: Maritime "Heresy and the Hotel Choir"

It's been about a year and a half since I picked up Maritime's fantastic second full length, "We, The Vehicles" (#3 on my Top 25 of 2006), and I've been itching to hear their new disc "Heresy and the Hotel Choir" for a bit. I was a little worried that the last album might have been a fluke, and that any future output from Davey and Co. wouldn't live up to the pop-perfection of "We, The Vehicles". I am worried no more. HATHC abounds with more of the dizzyingly jubilant pop and swaggering up-tempo rockers that made me fall in love with "We, The Vehicles". Davey's voice seems to be getting even better, and is still sending chills up my arms. I cannot recommended this album enough, and if you haven't already, you should also add "We, The Vehicles" to your collection as well.

"Heresy and the Hotel Choir" is available tomorrow (10/16) at all fine independent music stores.

[MP3] Maritime - Pearl from "Heresy and the Hotel Choir" (via Box.net)
[MP3] Maritime - For Science Fiction from "Heresy and the Hotel Choir" (via Box.net)

Maritime - website | Myspace
| Flameshovel Records - label website