The thing I love about cold weather is an excuse to imbibe more warm, caffeinated drinks. My favorite coffee shop haunt in the meager town of Tustin, is The Lost Bean. Biodegradable cups made from corn, organic coffee, the best tasting lattes I have ever had, and community involvement, what is there NOT to love about this place?

Filling apps is a dreary process. Filling apps in a clean place, with nice clean tables (oh, a far cry from the dirty, wobbly tables at Cafe Roma at Berkeley) in a warm atmosphere (also a distant cry from the freezing nether regions of Strada at Berkeley) makes filling apps, well, less dreary.

So add free wi-fi to that list.

And as for the drinks, ain't nothing better than a banana latte. It's even better iced, which completely negates my previous excuse for buying coffee. Nevertheless, warm options like Mexican Spice Mocha or the Zebra Mocha (half traditional mocha, half white chocolate mocha) are awesome, though a tad sweet. Never get hot chocolate from here (it tastes nothing like hot chocolate), but do get the White Peach iced tea if iced tea is your thing. Lastly, I cannot emphasize how much BETTER the drinks taste here than at any other coffee joint I have visited. I don't know if it's the organic-ness of it, or the quality of the ingredients, or heck, even if there are drugs in it (i kid) but whatever it is, it is good and well worth the price.

So if you're in town, you know where to go.

The Lost Bean
13011 Newport Ave. #104
Tustin, CA 92780
Ph: 714-544-2586

check out the link to read more about their philosophies and values

Labels: drinks, ShoutsOfAdoration

Contributed by TheVillageIdiot

Wow.

They did it. The Giants really just won the Super Bowl.

If you could only be in the city right now. The energy outside is incredible. With the balmy high 40 temperatures outside, even Mother Nature seems to be smiling on New York City right now. Certainly nothing short of Godzilla climbing the Empire State Building could dampen the enthusiasm in the streets. Even then, there would be people outside celebrating. There are people on every corner, in various states of inebriation, just having a great time. Each honk, whether intentional or unintentional, is greeted by a giant roar and chants of "YEAHHHH!", "Go Big Blue!" or, the always popular, "Giants! Giants! Giants!" And why not? The Giants did the impossible. They took down Tom Brady and the Patriots.

This was a game for the ages. Who knew that Eli Manning had it in him? It's funny. If you read the articles up until now and listened to the sports pundits, Eli was a giant question mark (no pun intended). No one was sure if he had the killer instinct or the leadership skills to lead the Giants to victory. Whether or not he can continue is anybody's guess, but for tonight, the answer to that question has to be yes. That last drive was nothing short of amazing.

Tonight was fitting. Up yours Boston. Yeah, the Yankees suck and the Knicks suck worse, but for tonight and the next year, this is a giant middle finger to you. We won.

Labels: ShoutsOfAdoration, Sports

Have you ever wanted to buy something unique and special for your friend, girlfriend, mother and even boyfriend but was tired of the same staple items shown in DailyCandy, the Gap, etc.?

The answer to that question is Etsy. It's a site devoted to the buying and selling of unique hand-made, one-of-a-kind items such as jewelry, magnets, bags, paintings, etc. A friend of mine actually bought two incredibly cute-in-a-cool-way, figurines for her wedding cake. So understand, you really can buy most anything on this site.

Some of my favorites include cupcake magnets (absolutely useless, but totally cute), the mini turntables (which can be used as cupcake toppers), and the I write button. Ah such little joys.

The site features special sections like Showcase, featuring top selling items and also Under $15 items for everyday uses.

Another site that's a little similar and perhaps more unisexual is tanksandairpplanes but looks like they are still getting a little more organized. Keep this site on your radar, especially if you're looking for a new laptop case like me.

Happy shopping.

Labels: ArtsCrafts, ShoutsOfAdoration

The great Sufjan Song Xmas Exchange is over! The peeps over at Asthmatic Kitty have chosen Alec Duffy's Everyday is Christmas. Y'all should take a moment to check it out and the other noteworthy songs from the contest. We exclusively have one of the songs that was entered into the competition! Los Angeles-based, Vania ("vuh-NEE-ah") Yip has written and composed this song just for You! After long nights of countless takes, recording mishaps, and incurable malfunctions, Vania has finally self-released the single "Shout For Joy, Oh Let's Be Glad!" After receiving it this morning, we are proud to give you this BBQCHICKENROBOT web exclusive mp3.

Shout For Joy, Oh Let's Be Glad

Sing along! Here are the lyrics!


Verse 1
Time elapses
Shouts and laughs(es)
Of a joy to celebrate
Gifts and toys
Girls and boys
Broken angels in the snow
Underneath it all
The catch and fall
Of a tiny baby's breath
Do you feel it?
Do you hear it?
A baby crying in a cattle stall

Verse 2
What brings us joy
A baby boy
Who came to conquer all
Socks and gifts
Scarves and snow lifts
Celebrate the yuletide joy
Of work and worker
The star of wonder
That gladly lights the way
Do you hear it?
Do you feel it?
A baby born on that Christmas day

Chorus
Shout for joy!
Oh let’s be glad!
It’s Christmas time so don’t be sad
He gives us love
He gives us peace
Restful thoughts to go to sleep
Another day
Another hope
To do much more than just to cope
It's Christmas time
Let's celebrate
Bring the holly and don't be late!

Bridge
More than eggnog
More than Santa
Oh the chains he'll take away
More than Scrabble
More than the tinsel
Oh we'll glow much brighter still
Do you feel it?
Do you hear it?
A baby crying in a cattle stall
Do you hear it?
Do you feel it?
A baby born on that Christmas day!!

Repeat, drive together with sleigh bells…
Shout for joy
Oh let’s be glad
It’s Christmas time so don't be sad
Clap your hands
Oh use your voice!
Let’s get together and rejoice

Labels: christmas

Contributed by TheVillageIdiot

Welcome back, Bourdain. We've missed you.

Last week, Anthony Bourdain returned for the fifth season of his show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and let me tell you. It was about damn time. I thought I'd be in rerun hell for the duration of the writers' strike.

Bourdain's sometimes puzzling, never boring and always irreverent food/travel show is a welcome treat in today's nuclear wasteland of TV programming. As a subset of food TV (Not The Food Network), Bourdain's show is even more striking when compared to other so-called "food/travel shows." Let's face it, food TV has gone down the drain: "Giada’s Weekend Getaway?" – I can’t stop looking at her forehead; "Have Fork. Will Travel?" – give me a forking break.

Part of what makes No Reservations so fun is that for an hour a week, we can all be armchair tourists. It's not a substitute for actually traveling. There is no substitute for that, but if anything Bourdain makes me want to travel more than ever. Every week, it's a poignant reminder of why I put up with all this finance crap.

In light of the new year and all that resolutions setting, I think we can take a few lessons from Bourdain's examples.

1. Go Off the Beaten Path - In some remote village in Peru – high (buzzing mildly) on coca leaves for altitude sickness – I've seen Bourdain drink fermented corn liquor that gets its start in the fermentation process by being chewed and then spit out into a giant vat of other chewed up stuff. Even if the stuff sucks, it will still be a great story.

2. Eat Anything and Lots of It - In one night, Bourdain will visit at least four or five restaurants or food stands and eat anything they shove under his nose. Any cut of meat, any kind of entrail, it's all fair game and he loves it all. Sure, different strokes for different folks, but there is a reason why we eat the stuff we do and it usually has to do with how good it tastes. If you never try it, you'll never know.

3. Don't be Afraid of Cursing - Bourdain’s always bursting to use an expletive. "Take that you vegetarian f*ckwads!" Obscenities makes any language exciting.

P.S. Did I mention he hates vegetarians?

4. Drink Anything Alcoholic and Lots of it - He spends every episode being drunk or on his way to being drunk. After most nights of taping on the show, the last shot is usually of him noticeably staggering off to this hotel room. On more than a few occasions, the footage of him the next morning waking up hungover are hilarious as well. If he is wearing the sunglasses and his voice is ten octaves deeper and scratchier, you know he's feeling like crap, but for the sake of the viewers, he is going to fake feeling okay for work. Who hasn't spent the day in the office a little hungover/drunk?

5. Smoke - Everyone knows smoking makes you look cool and no one makes it looks better than Bourdain and the flagrant disregard for his health. He makes smoking two packs a day look cool. My excuse for not smoking two packs a day? I'm not cool.

6. The Party Don't Stop For Anyone - Bombs what? Show me the next party! That's exactly what Bourdain did in Beirut while the Israelis were bombing the city. His subsequent week long sequestering at a hotel due to the bombs and subsequent rescue by U.S. Marines were a small price to pay. After all, what is life other than a series of parties until you get to that big one in the sky?

7. Laugh at yourself and others, often - Bourdain will be the first one to laugh at Bourdain. A valuable lesson really. My feeling is, if I can't laugh at myself, then I shouldn't be allowed to laugh at anyone else. Now that would be a tragedy.

8. If its Unhealthy, Eat it and Ask for Seconds - Bourdain takes almost maniac glee in rubbing his fat-oozing, grease-dripping, oil-splattered street food in front of the camera, almost as if to say, "vegetarians and health freaks, you poor, sad, little fools." I’m not saying go out and lick the first chicken cart you see, but all this guilt over unhealthy eating is stupid. Stop dieting and start exercising.

Now you know why I watch this show and so should you.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Mondays, 10PM
The Travel Channel

The Man Himself: http://www.anthonybourdain.com/copy.asp?g=1&id=7

Bourdain's TV Blog: http://anthony-bourdain-blog.travelchannel.com/

Bourdain in Beirut: http://travel.discovery.com/tv/bourdain/journals/beirut/beirut.html

Labels: Food, ShoutsOfAdoration, Shows

You might notice these totally rad green infested stores called "Fresh & Easy" which I thought, at first glance, was some type of Bath & Body Works + Bed, Bath & Beyond ...or something like that...anyone else? Turns out it's a super neat grocery store that's heavily design + space conscious. They focus on fresher, healthier foods, smarter meal portions, comfortable-on-the-eyes packaging of their products, and an overall clean, relaxed shopping environment with low prices. My first impressions was that this place was going to be expensive in order to pay for the cutie-ness of the environment. I was wrongasaurus.

I guess UK based retailed Tesco is going to try to take the U.S. grocery chain market by storm...slow storm if Walmart has anything to say about it. While they are an underdog, I am rooting for them! They've propped their headquarters in El Segundo and they've got a huge distro in Inland Empire that boasts California's largest solar panel roofing system. The format was supposed to be small, but the store we went to today on La Palma and Valley View wasn't that small. It was rather spacious. I was really into all the packaging and display. It was just different and less cluttered. They have their own brand of tofu, soy milk, meats, you name it. I also dig what the company what the company does or is trying to do with opening and settting up shop near lower income areas. I am not sure if they have succeeded this goal quite yet but hopefully they will.

If you're into the "green" life...or just tired of cramped space at Trader Joe's, you oughta come down...it's a great alternative. And if you're going there anytime soon, take me. Here are the locations. Have Fun!

This is the one we went to today.
VALLEY VIEW & LA PALMA
7880 E. Valley View St.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 522-2672

Hours: Everyday 8am-10pm

Labels: Food, ShoutsOfAdoration, store

Friends Tereu Tereu and The Light Footwork recently popped up an awesome EP Split CD simply called 'Split'...I think. Both have a similar sound, it's poppy fun and tunely percussive with some different instrumentation. TT are from DC-esque while Light Footwork are straight west coastin'. 4 piece Tereu Tereu like to use trumpets and the neat brass stuffs. Light Footwork's got the girl boy duo vocals that I love. It's a great EP. Get it here!

The Light Footwork - Rebellion Time
Tereu Tereu - Don't Be Sore, Farmer John

Labels: indie, Pop

We got the info a while ago but we're laggin'! DJ Amplive has reworked, re this and re that the new Radiohead In Rainbows album. The result, RainyDayz Remixes, a special 8-song remixed extravaganza that displays Amp's respect to Radiohead with his textual-ear-brain coordination. To take another band's already awesome album, remix it for a double pile on, and then still give the credit and props right back to Radiohead shows deep appreciation. That's one aspect of what music is (or should be) all about. The album is a digital only download which is slated to drop on the 10th of January, fresh way to begin your new year. Best part: The Album is completely FREE!!!! That's right! If you bought the In Rainbows CD from Radiohead, you can use the confirmation e-mail, forward it to Amp and you'll get the high quality goods.

Weird Fishes (Amp Remix)
Nude (Amplive Remix ft. Too Short & Zion)
Nude Inst. (Amplive Remix)

You remember the Zion I crew...hope it rings a bell. Shout out to Bay Area (yet again!)

Labels: hiphop, remixes

Today for lunch, we decided to try a place that was passed on to us by some young high schooler filling parking lots full of cars with flyers for a new place in town! We were lucky enough to find one on our windshield! The Sandwich Bar isn't an entirely new idea, but a fresh outlook of several others. Combine thoughts of slow-roasted, marinated herbed, homemade dressings, steamed and sauteed veggies, organic fresh baked breads and hickory smoked with a hip upscale decor using glass, metals, green & brown tones all done up by the owner, Jay, himself! That gets you pretty close but The Sandwich Bar also features Tully's Espressos, Teas, & Coffee (customizeable with sugar-free syrups and optional soy or organic milk) and Frappes & Smoothies. The delicious Strawberry Banana and Green Tea Mango were neck and neck which we tried when we walked in (free samples rule!).

I ordered a customized sandwich that was packed with overnight roasted BBQ Tri Tip, fresh Romaines, tomatoes, shredded Swiss, Shallot Aioli and honey mustard all on whole wheat. And of course it comes with their popular homemade potato chips, they taste like something inbetween a potato chip and a potato wedge which is a rad compliment to any sandwich. You could probably compare the meal to something at Panera Bread however there's something extra satisfying when you watch the workers pile on delicious meats, and all the ingredients anyway you want right then & there. Also I'd prefer these chips to bagged ones, hands down to that!

Other Offerings: Sides like Italian broccoli pasta salad, vegetarian chili, and garden salads. Also they open at 6am with the usual breakfast items like Oatmeals with cranberries, walnuts, almonds and brown sugar, and Yogurt parfaits with mixed granola and fresh berries. If you are a like me, you need a something more...they've got Steak & Egg which is a combo of tri-tip, swiss cheese and pepper, or Sausage Southwest containing pepperjack, onions, bell peppers, sausage and a Chipotle pepper Aioli...all on the menu for under $4! All the sandwiches are under $7 and sides are around $3. Decently & competitively priced ($2 for a chunky PB&J with carrots and celery..some places for some reason they are $4), great decor (thought out designed ambiance), friendly and hardworking staff, and of course food that hits the spot (I'm tellin' ya that BBQ tritip rules!).

They just had their grand opening today (1/15/08) so head on down to The Sandwich Bar. Also you hopefully can visit them online soon at http://www.thesandwichbar.com/. Say Hello to Jay, the Korean guy with glasses, and be sure to give him some props, he's doing it all! They also have a location in NY, which opened up first and I'm sure it's just as fun.

The Sandwich Bar
6242 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA map
P: (714) 523-8200

Hours: M-F, 6a-10p, Saturday 6am-10p, closed on Sundays.

Labels: restaurants, sandwiches, ShoutsOfAdoration

New York's Benzos are bringing us their awesome Coup d'état! EP totally free! The first track is their first independently released track and 'We Have Names' and 'Blue & White' are B-sides from their sophomore album Branches. Get the info here, get the songs below, and hear more stuff here.

Coup d'état
We Have Names
Blue & White

Happy Thursday!

Labels: indie

Labels: americana, indie

The Windy City has a lot to offer these days including Microfilm at the top of the list. Microfilm are Matt Keppel and Matthew Mercer (matt&matt lol)who have been making music since 2006. They already have received lots of acclaim for their debut 'After Dark' and continue to do so with their newest EP, 'Twilights' which features 4 remixes of the After Dark track! If you haven't already heard their stuff take a quick preview on their myspace. They fall under an electro-house sorta genre but they definitely don't stay there. They pack their EP's and albums with electro synth driven, sometimes techno-ey, sometimes ambient, and an overall minimalist dance groove, then somehow manage to reimagine it and remix it! You can taste the soul, definitely the house, and there's just hints of lounge.

After Dark (Warmdesk's Edit Remix)
Also check out Mercer's solo stuffs from his 2 EPs...we got some for you here.
Bee's Knees
No No No

Happy Tuesday!

Labels: Electronic, house, synthetic

I was a bit hesitant to open up to a band that sounded like a popular comic book character (do you all remember Juggernaut from the X-Men?). I first discovered Midnight Juggernauts when I saw them open up for Justice back in October, and their show was impressive. Their stage presence was commanding, their electronic beats powerful - it is no wonder why Justice has chosen them as their favorite new band. Unfortunately their CD Dystopia hasn't been released in the U.S., but until then, you can find their Road to Recovery EP on "that popular music site" for about two dollars.

Although their North American tour has come to an end, people living in their homeland of Australia still have an opportunity to check them out on their summer tour this December/January.

Until their great North American return, listen to some songs here:
Road to Recovery
Tombstone
Into the Galaxy

Labels: Electronic

We got some more indie pop for you! For those who can't get enough, here's an awesome Brit pop, manchester rock london band. Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong is currently touring all over that U.K. land for 8 days straight nights with CSS and Kaiser Chiefs which show no signs of stopping; Beginning in mid January they'll be headlining towards the end of February which will include the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour. They're currently signed on with Vertigo Records who kindly boasts the likes of The Killers, Razorlight, The Rapture, etc. and it's definitely something to take note of. This band formed just last year as band former, Joe, decided to take his pop jams to the top! We're told their shows are nothing short of an intense hip shaking, limb flailing ordeal!

We've got two of their songs for you, and check out more here. Currently no full length yet, but it's coming!
Lucio States Fires
Tough Terrible

Labels: dream pop, indie, UK

If you're into that rad fast glam-punky dancy stuff, Louis XIV's 2nd full length album has you covered. This San Diego crew's got special arrangements by Canada's David Campbell, Beck's daddy, who's done stuff with everyone on planet earth (including you!?). Their catchy piano melodies, charged up move-out-of-my-way attitude, and these indie styled Christmas songs on their myspace are very fun. Just from their single, Guilty By Association, you can hear their broad influences, Synths, poppy drumming, the band singing all together on echos and choruses, all over this good indie chaos! Their new album Slick Dogs & Ponies is droppin' at the end of January off Atlantic...we got one of the songs for you! You're gonna dig it. Also they are touring for the next few months so check that tour page now!

Labels: indie

This 5 piece is a direct continuity of Sweden's awesome music scene, but these guys have actually been around for a while. Read all about it here. The Bombhappies have recently released Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok off of the Garden Recordings label and it's nothing short of a rad album! These guys are definitely indie but don't let that fool you; they keep the rock comin' heavy! It's a more mature sound then your typical pop. They display a well balanced mix of the rock I liked in the 90s and the faster indie I dig now. You'll know exactly what I mean. You can get that album here.

Goodbye To A Friend
Don't You Try
And At Belle Bed Inn, I Told You

Also check out this rad cover art of the new album.
Happy Friday x2!!

Labels: indie, Rock, swedish

Michael and Tyrel come from opposite sides of the map but somehow have come together to give you sweet pop tunes. Complete with toys and kazoos, The Terrodactyls mix their synths to create quirky sing-along songs with an uninterruptable acoustic element. I have short flashbacks of childhood through high school, mainly thinking of good times when I'm track to trackin'. Try it! These guys have a self-titled album out from Pankof Records. You can get that album here. And as always, we got some tunes for you. You can listen more here.

Landscapes & Heartaches
Decoration Daniel
Fall

Check out the vids!

Labels: indie, Pop

Tigercity will make you move. It's something that can't be explained. They have a very groovable sound that uses a combination of poppy disco-esque guitar shards, and 80's dance beats that you can't resist. They've been influenced by artists like Prince, The Cars and Hall & Oates. Buy their EP, "Pretend Not To Love", on itunes if you haven't already & catch them this Thursday, December 13th, 8pm at the ECHOplex for free! RSVP ASAP space is limited. They will be playing with The Moving Units.

From the EP Pretend Not To Love
Are You Sensation?
Dark Water
Other Girls

Practice your dance moves now.

Labels: disco, Pop, Rock

Last month I headed up to San Francisco and I stayed at the Amsterdam Hostel. The soundtrack of my time there consisted of a heavy dose of Peter, Bjorn & John. At least Amsterdam. I'd come back to the hostel and start whistling. Amsterdam was literally stuck in my mind. I love PB&J. Writers Block is awesome. If you haven't heard it yet, you need to. They play pop music that is easy to get into. They are simple tunes that you will have you find yourself tapping your toes to and singing back at random times of the day. Not so recently Peter and Bjorn came into the KCRW studios and recorded a live set. I got it all thanks to greenrussian. It too is also equally awesome. Check it here on bbq!

Amsterdam
Let's Call It Off
Objects Of My Affection
Paris 2004

Labels: kcrw live, Pop

Oregon native Jona Bechtolt is one seriously productive guy. He's making music, videos, running Urban Honking/ The Ultimate blogger, remixing, and seems to be involved with so many different projects. Let's quickly catch up with one of those projects. This is the 1st release in over two years from Yacht which contains lots of people he has been involved with over the years. Our Friends In Hell is out on States Rights Records and it contains remixes from people like the Blow, Mirah and Architecture in Helsinki. Jona has taken these songs and transformed them into heavy electro-synthy compositions. A chunk of the album is a track to track dance floor hit with, of course, some slower tunes with crazy electronics. Check out these songs now!

Blow - Hock It (We To Remix)
Mirah - Make It Hot (Over Remix)

Yacht - See A Penny (Pick It Up) from the latest, I believe In You. Your Magic Is Real.

Labels: Electronic, indie, remixes, synthetic

These are the other posters, they are tooo dope! Be sure to get your copy of the new album which just came out last week! Get the 2CD; it has tons more bonus materials, Live video, photos....basically way worth it! But it you're a Daft Punk fan, you already know all that. The Alive 2007 album is a perfect pop-it-in-party album with continuous reworked live awesomeness of those Daft Punk songs you love/crave. That One More Time/ Aerodynamic track is seriously the destroyer for me; just that bell at the beginning, you know it's gonna be amazing. Play it once, you'll knowhat we're talkin' about! We will pick a winner on Friday, December 14th, 2007, and then we'll email you! Thanks for entering and good luck!

Labels: Daft Punk, Dance

(Art Piece Above By Paul Klee)

One of the most soul-stirring and exciting things I stumbled upon when I was up in San Francisco about a week ago with some amigos, was an exhibit The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) put on. It is called Abstract Rhythms: Paul Klee and Devendra Banhart. Paul Klee was a Swiss Expressionist Painter (1879-1940) who wove images consisting of beautiful simplicity and sometimes overwhelping (yes, I said overwhelping) array of colors and random shapes that just make you truly pause and ponder. He was an accomplished violinist who had performed in concerts and his art was very much influenced by music. Coming from a family of musicians probably helped add to this inspiration. He then went on to branch out into drawing, printmaking, and paintings. After all, does not art and music not go hand in hand and "correspond like puzzle pieces" (As Ben Gibbard points out)?
Alongside Paul Klee's display of pieces are abstract folk singer Devendra Banhart's 13 pieces, all on paper and mainly composed of varied ink colors. The warm tones and strange abstractions, yet comforting pieces of Devendra's are as eye-catching as Paul Klee's and go oh-so-very-well together. Some of the artwork displayed is from Devendra's most recent September release, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL Recordings), many of the other pieces seeming to go very well along with the album's theme. This album is a cluster and work recorded in a house in Topanga Canyon area of LA with some comrades of Devendra's including Gael Garcia Bernal, Pete Newsome, Vetiver's Andy Cabic, and Vashti Bunyan, among many many others.
If you can make it up to San Francisco anytime soon (or live there), you can get a double-treat if you go on January 17th. There is a live, mostly acoustic, performance by Devendra Banhart at 8pm at the Phyllis Watts Theater.

This exhibition is on display from now - February 24, 2008. Go!

Cristobal-Devendra Banhart (and Gael Garcia Bernal)
The Other Woman- Devendra Banhart (and Friends)

"I should be as simple as a little folk song: artlessly sensual, open-eyed"
-Paul Klee

Labels: Arts, Exhibit, Music, Performances

I've had this album sittin', but finally got around to it, glad I did. Belgians Ben and Chris are the acoustic folk act The Tellers. Okay they aren't completely acoustic but they got that sound going. This is some great indie pop full of pianos, harmonicas and tambourines! The Tellers have released their debut full length album, Hands Full Of Ink, off of 62tv Records. 16 tracks of sing-a-long goodness. These youths have only been around for a few short years but their underdog story has helped them land tons of great shows and more to come. You can agree there are some great Bob Dylan-esque story telling roadtrip songs. Check out these tracks then go pick up their album.

Labels: acoustic, belgium, indie

Have you ever been to a show where you are definitely watching the band and focusing but you start to think of other things? This probably is strange but I know you're out there. Lots of times I catch myself thinking about all kinds of other things in life; past, present or future. The instrumentals of the band does something to my brain that causes all this stimulus. Like playing classical music or soothing ocean noises for new born babies, it is doing something. I noticed this first at a Appleseed Cast show many years ago, then the same at a Mercury Program show, then an Album Leaf show. Not just scenary or background, but you are in it. Running, or laughing, it's crazy.

Since the early 2000s, Explosions In The Sky have been messing with my mind. They say they are not post-rock at all, in which I agree, however I think it's cause they define it on their own. If you wanted me to give you an example of good post-rock, I would mention these guys and the aformentioned. Rock isn't just what it was anymore. Broadening the somewhat traditional with more rhythms, more harmonies and that sweet chord progression. I wanted to quickly highlight the remix 2nd bonus disc of All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone. You've got bands like Jesu, Four Tet and Eluvium mixing with deep distortions, drum-a-sum, electronics through out and piano melodies. If you didn't get your chance, here it is!

The Birth And Death Of The Day (Jesu Mix)
Catastrophe And The Cure (Four Tet Mix)
So Long, Lonesome (Eluvium Mix)

Gotta love'em Texans.

Labels: indie, Instrumental, postrock

Something about autumn fading and winter slipping slowly into our atmosphere makes one feel somewhat needy of something cozy, warm, and maybe just a tad different. Personally, I've lately been wallowing in the beautiful sounds of the recently released Beirut album, The Flying Club Cup as well as the Elephant Gun EP.

I've also been rather enjoying the out-of-OC feel of one of the influences to this new release, Jacques Brel's Quand On N'a Que L'Amour, originally released in 1957. Enjoy this little taste of art mimicking art, as well as something different and out of your day-to-day environs.

Forks and Knives (La Fete) (Beirut)
La Bourree du Celibataire (Jacques Brel)
Le Moribonde (Beirut cover of a Jacques Brel song)

Labels: giveaways

Sea Wolf finally released their album Leaves In The River in September to be sold on the market. Gritty yet tuneful, Wolf's songs are similar to bluegrass but also experiment with the chello and keyboard. They signed with record label Dangerbird Records who's nominated for Record Label of the Year. Sea Wolf's on tour now and will be playing with Spoon, Pinback and Datarock at The Avalon on December 5th. Check out more tour dates on myspace. You can buy their album on iTunes, Amazon or Dangerbird.

enjoy!

Sea Wolf - Middle Distance Runner

Labels: indie, Sea Wolf

If you are a sucker, like me, for romantic comedies, you're bound to be a sucker (in a good way) for the soundtrack to Peter Hedges' Dan In Real Life. Starring some well-known faces such as Steve Carell (The Office, Evan Almighty, 40 Year Old Virgin), Dane Cook (yes, yes, we know his crazy comedic ass) and gorgeous French beauty, Juliette Binoche (Chocolat).The array of feelings this sountrack evokes ranges from "cozy by the fireplace" to melancholy to "driving with the windows down" feel to "love sucks" to "aww, adorable!" and I can even see some males agreeing to that one, so don't brush that off so quickly.

The sountrack is mainly comprised of Norwegian Sondre Lerche's songs, he is also joined by Regina Spektor and The Faces Down Quartet on a couple of the tracks, The movie is slowly scooting out of the major movie theatres so hurry and catch this hilarious, quite realistically sentimental and at times cutely idealistic little film.

To Be Surprised-Sondre Lerche
Hell No-Sondre Lerche & Regina Spektor
Human Hands-Sondre Lerche & The Faces Down Quartet

Labels: soundtrack

Happy Monday! Sorry for the lack of updates, the BBQ headquarters have relocated and now we're back online! Today we bring you to the world of Shinichi Osawa! As you can tell from the picture above, he's a DJ bringin' you the heavy dance and electro you love/crave. I love the sampling of vocals (i.e. Au Revoir Simone) on several of these synth driven tracks. If you're currently into the indie dance craze, Shinichi is the Japanese love child of Daft Punk, Digitalism, and Soulwax. Mondo Grosso (Italian for "Big World") is his solo name as he does producing and mixing for lots of artists. Mondo's got your house, techno, underground club covered as we are told he has the largest sellout DJ sets in Japan.

I have been raving about this game on PSP called Lumines, because of the music and visual coordination, turns out Shinichi produced the music! Shinichi's The One (Avex Trax) dropped a cuppa months ago and you can get it here. I saved the craziest part for last...Shinichi Osawa is 40 years old! Whut!! When you can finally get over that, definitely check out his live sets and shows!

Star Guitar
State Of Permission
Maximum Joy

Digitalism - Pogo (Shinichi Dub)
Soulwax - Miserable Girl (Osawa Extra Hard Edit)
Plaid - White's Dream (Osawa Remix)
Xtopher & Raphael Just - Popper (Osawa Distortion)

Labels: Club, Dance, Electronic, synthetic