Released in late December of 2009, Bay Area producer Edison’s All the Information at Hand stands out as one of the more enjoyable releases of the year. Glitchy, percussive, ambient, but never too laid back to enjoy on a good set of headphones or have on the stereo as you do your day to day. (more…)
This entry was written by , posted on December 30, 2009 at 7:49 pm, filed under New Music and tagged All the Information at Hand, Edison. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr
This entry was written by , posted on at 3:46 am, filed under Live and tagged Off Broadway, Old Lights. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Hearing Tom Waits live will never reveal the man behind the myth. In each of three live albums that span his forty-year career, Waits has always sounded near death, if not undead. Since his first live album, 1975′s Nighthawks at the Diner, Waits has drifted like a drunken ghost out of beatnik clubs to wander across the nocturnal Earth, growling out taller tales with each album. With his third, Glitter and Doom, Waits’ monstrous bellow has only grown as grotesque as the characters that haunt the vaudevillian graveyard in which he has always toiled.
This entry was written by , posted on December 29, 2009 at 1:53 am, filed under New Music and tagged Glitter and Doom, Tom Waits. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
St. Louis hip-hop staple, Nite Owl, is giving us a little bit of holiday cheer with a free album release, Gift Rap. Continuing to produce fresh rhymes and solid beats, be sure to download the record – but, to get a taste, bump the track posted below.
Nite Owl – Never Be the Same
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This entry was written by , posted on December 25, 2009 at 8:18 pm, filed under New Music and tagged Gift Rap, Never Be the Same, Nite Owl. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Photo by Andrew Dowd. More on Flickr
Dubbed the Gezelligheid Concerts, Andrew Bird intended his series of sold-out hometown Chicago shows to embrace the Dutch conception of an ideal social atmosphere – one imbued with warmth and a sense of inclusion. The splendor of Fourth Presbyterian’s cavernous gothic architecture might not seem to be the best place to achieve such an intimacy, but rarely before have indie pop musicians been as attentive to the space in which they are performing as Bird was this chilly winter night. (more…)
This entry was written by , posted on December 22, 2009 at 1:00 pm, filed under Live and tagged Andrew Bird, Fourth Presbyterian Church. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
The Swimmers is a four piece band from Philadelphia, whose first album Fighting Trees, released in 2008, caught a lot of positive attention. Running hot on their debut, The Swimmers return with a catchy, quick and very 60’s British album titled People are Soft.
The Swimmers – What This World is Coming To
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This entry was written by , posted on December 21, 2009 at 3:21 pm, filed under New Music and tagged People Are Soft, The Swimmers. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Garage rock sounds best rough around the edges, and The Octagon deliver a short, crunchy gem with “Cross Tops” from their forthcoming album, Warm Love and Cool Dreams Forever. Be sure to catch the band at Antarctica Lounge in January!
The Octagon – Cross Tops
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PS: You can download the whole album here.
This entry was written by , posted on December 18, 2009 at 9:00 am, filed under New Music and tagged Cross Tops, The Octagon, Warm Love and Cool Dreams Forever. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Saturday, Dec. 19
Where: Off Broadway
When: 9 PM
Eleven Magazine proudly sponsors the annual Cans & Coats Christmas show at Off Broadway. Although Gentleman Auction House had to drop from the bill due to their singer falling ill, the lineup for the night still remains strong. Be sure to bring canned goods or a coat to receive reduced admission and a free alcoholic beverage from New Belgium.
PS. As a consolation, Steve and Eric from Gentleman Auction House wanted you all to hear this previously unreleased track:
Gentleman Auction House – Nuttin’ for Christmas
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This entry was written by , posted on December 17, 2009 at 5:46 pm, filed under Upcoming and tagged Dear Vincent, Gentleman Auction House, John Hardy and the Public, Jumbling Towers, Off Broadway, Redheaded Strangers, the Bearded Babies, the Deluxe. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Photo by Ryan Dornfeld. More on Flickr
This entry was written by , posted on at 1:59 pm, filed under Live and tagged Off Broadway, Traubador Dali. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
The fine funky fellows (and ladies) of Daptone Records are back with this 23 track compilation featuring some of their best-known tracks of the last 6 years alongside rare tracks scavenged from various 7″ singles and smaller releases.
Lee Fields and Sugarman & Co. – Stand Up
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This entry was written by , posted on December 16, 2009 at 3:40 pm, filed under New Music and tagged Antibalas, Daptone Gold, Daptone Records, Sharon Jones, the Dapkings. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.