Wake From Your Slumber

Despite my hopes for better weather in this not-so-small town, the rain continues to fall and we continue to solider on, holding on to music for dear life. But as hard as I try, rain makes me lazy and sleepy, as it does many of my comrades. Who knows, maybe this Okkervil River song (or just the song title) will actually inspire me to combat the rainy day blues.



Or maybe I'll just lie in bed and listen to this song :) Either way, this is "Wake and Be Fine" by Okkervil River, off their sixth studio album I Am Very Far. There are still a somewhat small band (less than 50,000 fans on Facebook) but they've been around since 1998 and are seasoned professionals. Let the indie magic roll.

-Whitni

You Are Here - New Music Monday

Ever feel like a tourist in your head, or in your own life? I know I get that feeling sometimes, and I know I'm not the only one. If it makes you feel any better, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie knows how you feel as well. DCFC's new single, "You Are A Tourist" came out today and it perfectly exemplifies that feeling of their being ..." a burning in your heart."



This song is off their new album Codes and Keys, which is going to be released May 31st. To say I'm excited for this album would be an understatment; I have come to expect great things of Death Cab and they have always delivered. We can only wait and see what greatness these boys will show us.

-Whitni

Games For Kids - New Music Monday

Monday kids, welcome to a new week! Today's lovely new tune may sound familiar, not because you've heard the song, but because you've probably heard the artist, especially if you've taken a peek through our archives. We're going back (back back back) all the way to June 2010, when we reviewed Bright Eyes We Are Nowhere And It's Now. We gave the album a fairly good review and I am proud to say Conor Oberst (lead singer) is my homeboy.

So, with that being said, the SMP is happy to introduce you to some excellent new listening this incredible band has just put out.



The song is called "Shell Games" by Bright Eyes and their new album, The People's Key, is being released on Febuaray 15th, Conor's birthday. But until then not only can you hear the song here, but you can download it for free! This isn't a scam or anything, I promise, it's legit. Click here kids (and grown-ups)!

-Whitni

PS- Want to read that review about Bright Eyes? You can click here! Or would you prefer to hear more of their music? Check out our "Listen While You Read" box on the right!

New Music Monday... Sunday... Monday...

What's up Mondayers? Well, Sundayers I guess. I bet you (whoever you is!) are wonder exactly why I'm posting New Music Monday on a Sunday. Well, right now, computer time is a little hard to come by and I wanted to make sure that you guys had something to read come Monday morning/afternoon/evening.

This song isn't really new, and neither is the band. The Black Keys have been around since 2001 and their latest album, Brothers, is the one that really got them off the ground. This single, "Tighten Up", was released in May 2010, but is just starting to get mainstream radio play.



The video is great ("But he smells like ranch dressing!") and I love Patrick and Dan's look and sound (the whole hobo and geek making indie music thing really works for them). We here at the SMP rated them as the best new artist of 2010, and I see them only getting bigger in '11!

-Whitni

New To Me, New For You

Let me start off by saying this song isn't exactly new. It came out in 2006 (gasp, I know, so long ago this was!) on the album "Inside In/Inside Out". But since I just recently stumbled across it and cannot get enough of it I decided not to be selfish and share it with all my music loving friends.

The Kooks are a lovely little English indie pop band from Brighton, East Sussex. Headed by Luke Pritchard, the band has released two albums and are working on a third as of April 2009. This certain song, "She Moves In Her Own Way" is a soft, guitar picker song with an undeniable upbeat flavor that makes you want to smile and go hug someone. It hit big in the UK, but we here in America let it pass us by. Tsk tsk tsk. I have to say, I can't get enough of this one. Don't be stupid, look it up.

-Whitni

Figure That?

Moving right along in our blogging world, I'd like to introduce a new artist. His first name is Elliot, his last name is Smith, and his album is called Figure 8.

Now, before I get into this album, I would just like to say, rest in peace Mr. Smith. If you didn't know, Elliot Smith died in 2003, after (allegedly) stabbing himself in the chest twice. I'm sad we never got the chance to see this young man grow as an musician, and a man. I also want to say that, after looking over this guy's life story, I'm happy he was able to break into the music world. He suffered through abuse, drug addiction, and alcohol issues, but still had the guts to show his stuff. And for that, I truly respect him and any artist that overcomes life's crazy obstacles to do what they love.

Now, to the album. This is the fifth studio album of Smith's, and I have to say, it reminded me of Owl City's Of June. While Of June is a great album, it's also a newbie album. Figure 8 has one or two good hits, but it's mostly the same old same old. I tried hard to get into this music, which could be best classified as a pop/indie mix, better, but could not. Some songs, like my personal favorites, "Junk Bond Trader" and "Son Of Sam" show some real promise. This guy showed some real promise, but he left us too quickly.

The first half is more entertaining than the bottom half. Tracks six through sixteen, in my opinion, are background music. And while it's definitely cool to have some slower songs, this album was full of it. Some songs were even kind of melancholy. Sometimes he just sounded like he was trying to mimic someone else.

The thing is, I felt like, when I was listening, he showed so much promise, so much potential for the future. Smith has a beautiful voice, and you can tell he's enjoying the music he's making. Don't always believe what you read, though. When it was released in 2000, this album got mostly positive reviews. Just because we didn't like it doesn't mean that you won't. The music wasn't for us, but, hey! It could be the perfect fit for you.

Go figure,
Rai

P.S- His album cover is definitely in the running for coolest! The wall where he took the picture is now iconic, and it is also a fan-based memorial. A little like Strawberry Fields.