2.28.2007
Dosh
Dosh is Martin Luther King Chavez Dosh, named after Martin Luther King, Jr., who was named after Martin Luther King, who was named after Martin Luther. Going by "Dosh" now seems perfectly understandable. Dosh is a one-man-master-band. Handling the keyboards, the xylophone, the drums, and a quaint little Fender Rhodes, most of what you hear is coming straight from him. His heavy use of samplers and looping machines create the electronica/ambient sound that he's known for, but he's not always alone on the stage or in the studio. His 2006 release, The Lost Take, had cameos from Andrew Bird as a violinist/whistler, along with Mike Lewis of Happy Apple, the crazy jazz trio also from Minneapolis.
Dosh's songs are void of any vocals, but I'm sure they would ruin his feel anyway. Rhythmic and complex, Dosh has depth up the wazoo.
Dosh will be touring with Andrew Bird this spring, not as an opening act, but as a fellow bandmate. According to his official site, "Mr. Dosh will be backing up Mr. Bird, on drums, keys and samplers..." A couple of the shows are already sold out, so get tickets while you can. Visit the site for more details.
mp3 Um, Circles and Squares
mp3 MPLS Rock and Roll
[Dosh's Myspace][Dosh's official site]
Labels: SXSW '07
2.26.2007
[Peter Bjorn and John: Album Review & Contest]
"If I told you things I did before, told you how I used to be, would you go along with someone like me?"Would I, could I, should I get my alarm clock to wake me up with any tune, without a doubt, I would have it play Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John softly every morning. Peter Bjorn and John is, simply enough, a trio from IKEA-land (that's Sweden for all of you devoid of that blue and yellow wonder) composed of Peter Morén, Björn Yttling and what their site names as John...from Norrbotten - actually it's John Eriksson. And you thought Peter, Bjorn and John was a band name they just made up. As you can see from their band-naming process, these guys don't have to distract you with anything in an effort to impress you. Their music is simple, great, and just gets the job done. Young Folks in particular is a great song that carries only a few simple layers of some shuffling, drums, keys, vocals and that incredibly infectious whistling (learn the tune for whistle you shall). Part of their third album, Writer's Block, Young Folks, as well as the rest of the trio's discography, gained quite a bit of attention last year despite the album's very limited availability. In fact, we here in the States couldn't even get it until earlier this month. Well, it's here now, and it's quite an album. Carrying the usual bits that were released throughout the blogs last year with songs like Young Folks and Objects of My Affection, Writer's Block manages to keep our attention by giving most of us things we've yet to hear - new favorites of mine include Amsterdam and Let's Call It Off. Released under Almost Gold Recordings, Writer's Block is a two-disc set that never falls short of what you would expect from Peter Bjorn and John. The entire album carries that ethereal feel. I said earlier that I'd love to wake up to Young Folks, and that's because Peter Bjorn and John have this ability to wake you up and have you keep dreaming. Listening to them puts you into a self-projected state, and I know I'm not the only one that wishes I could get through a day on auto-pilot - Writer's Block grabs four daydreams out of five...
From Writer's Block (all songs are right click - save as):Young Folks ft. Victoria Bergsman
Let's Call It Off [Single Mix]
Amsterdam
You can pick up Writer's Block all over the place for around $10.
CONTEST OVER - CONGRATS RICHELLE REYES!
Peter Bjorn and John are currently on tour in Australia, but the trio have plans to continue dates over in Europe and North America including South By! - check it out at their site.
Be their friend!
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Otherwheres - Alina and I will be deleting things from the archives again, so grab what you missed up to the new year. We're also gonna cut down the amount of mixes we keep up from five to three...
Otherwheres - On the subject of Peter Bjorn and John, the trio recently popped by the Interface and the Spinner's got a preview...
Otherwheres - Matt over at YANP has some Lovely Feathers news...
Labels: SXSW '07
2.24.2007
Mezzanine Owls
This foursome from Los Angeles is currently label-less, but they could fit in neatly with all our favorites from Saddle Creek. It's no wonder, considering their debut album, Slingshot Echoes, was produced by Andy LeMaster, the studio mastermind and/or member of Now It's Overhead, Bright Eyes, and Azure Ray. The resulting sound has room for comparison. Jack Burnside's voice has its Conor Oberst moments, Jonathan Zeitlin's riffs are reminiscent of that of Death Cab's. But, of course, that's a good thing. Mezzanine Owls have a chick drummer, Pauline Mu, but none of the stereotypes apply. Unlike some other bands with seemingly talentless female rhythmists (*cough* White Stripes *cough*), Mu can hold down a beat that consists of more than your typical alternating bass drum, snare sequence. Yea, take that, Meg.
All in all, Mezzanine Owls are dark, pensive indie rock, deserving of your listening pleasure. Like all the other cool kids, they're playing South By in a couple weeks. So yea, tell all your friends.
Upcoming Shows
Feb. 27 El Cid Los Angeles, CA w/ In Waves
Mar. 1 The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA w/ The Shy's
Mar. 15 SXSW Austin, TX
Mar. 17 SXSW Austin, TX
m4a Dark Too Early
m4a Luxury Spirits
[Mezzanine Owls' Myspace][Mezzanine Owls' official site]
--
Soyea there are a shitload of Shins (not music, but behind the scenes) videos at Stare All You Want. Check them out -- some of them are pretty amusing.
Soyea Brad and I were talking about typography this morning and he sent me a couple videos that are cuh-razy cool. Here's one. Here's the other.
Labels: SXSW '07
2.20.2007
Snowden
Their latest EP, a group of remixes under the title Fuel of the Celebration, can be downloaded free of charge at kissatlanta. Lots of other mp3s can be lifted directly off their official site. Their music is readily available everywhere online, they're hitting up a ton of cities this year, and their albums can be purchased off their site as well as a ton of other music providers -- there's really no excuse for missing out.
Upcoming Shows
Feb. 20 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 21 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington, DC
Feb. 22 The Grog Shop Cleveland, OH
Feb. 23 Beat Kitchen Chicago, IL
Feb. 23 The Continental Chicago, IL
Feb. 24 Triple Rock Minneapolis, MN
Feb. 28 Neumo's Seattle, WA
Mar. 1 Dante's Portland, OR
Mar. 2 The Independent San Francisco, CA [SOLD OUT]
Mar. 3 The Echo Los Angeles, CA
Mar. 4 Chain Reaction Anaheim, CA
Mar. 5 The Casbah San Diego, CA
Mar. 6 Cinespace Los Angeles, CA
Mar. 6 Check Yo Ponytail Los Angeles, CA
Mar. 8 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
Mar. 9 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
Mar. 10 The Record Bar Kansas City, MO
Mar. 11 Mooch and Burn Tulsa, OK
Mar. 12 The Mink Houston, TX
Mar. 13 Deep Ellum Festival Dallas, TX
Mar. 14 SXSW Austin, TX (whoot)
Mar. 30 Crossroads Film Festival Jackson, MS
Apr. 7 Rob's House Atlanta, GA
mp3 Anti-Anti
mp3 Black Eyes (acoustic)
mp3 Victim Card
Video for "Anti-Anti"
[Snowden's Myspace][Snowden's official site]
--
Soyea the '07 Sasquatch Music Festival line-up has been announced. Artists include the likes of Bjork, Spoon, Interpol, The Thermals, Viva Voce, The Arcade Fire, and many, many more. Held at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, the Sasquatch Festival will take place on Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-27.
Soyea indiechristoph posted a great list of mixes today -- all of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around." It's good shit; check it out.
Soyea indiechristoph posted a great list of mixes today -- all of Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around." It's good shit; check it out.
Labels: SXSW '07
2.16.2007
The Blow
On their Myspace, The Blow describes their sound as "Tropical/R&B/Jam Band." Not quite. I view them as more of an electronica, twee duo, but hey, what's in a label anyway. The Blow consists of Khaela Maricich and Jona Bechtolt, another one of those guy/girl deals. If Matt & Kim are the evil, cynical Mates of State, The Blow are the adolescent Mates of State struggling with middle school crushes and heartbreaks. Khaela provides the vocals for the band, and though stylistically sharing a little sister vibe with Kori Gardner, she sounds a lot more like a female version of Forrest Kline of hellogoodbye. I don't want to say they sound immature, because they don't-- both Khaela and Jona have been established for a while with their bands The Microphones and Y.A.C.H.T., respectively. But however experienced and weathered they may be in reality, through their music, The Blow sounds endearingly innocent and sweet.
mp3 Hey Boy
mp3 Parantheses
mp3 True Affection
Upcoming Shows (they stretch out all the way to June, holy fuck)
Feb. 27 Toad's Place New Haven, CT
Feb. 28 Iron Horse Music Hall Northampton, MA
Mar. 1 Brandeis University (Chums) Waltham, MA
Mar. 2 Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY
Mar. 3 Fordham University Bronx, NY
Mar. 5 Williams College Williamstown, MA
Mar. 6 Alumnae Ballroom Wellseley, MD
Mar. 7 NYU-Shorin Auditorium New York, NY
Mar. 8 Haverford College- Lunt Haverford, PA
Mar. 9 First Unitarian Philadelphia, PA
Mar. 24 Gravity Festival Vienna
Mar. 25 KLUB007 Strahov Prague
Mar. 26 Fruhauf Leipzig
Mar. 29 Teatre Lloseta Mallorca
Mar. 30 Salagades Malaga
Mar. 31 [2] Barcelona
Apr. 7 LAB Copenhagen
Apr. 12 Debaser Malmo
Apr. 13 Pusterviksbaren Gothenburg
Apr. 14 Debaser Stockholm
Apr. 16 Festsaal Kreuzberg Berlin
Apr. 18 Point Ephemere Paris
Apr. 19 Conforte Moderne Poitiers
Apr. 20 Abordage Evreux
Apr. 23 Maria Berlin
Apr. 24 Fundbureau Hamburg
Apr. 24 Gebaude9 Cologne
Apr. 30 Lumnaire London
May 14 Bard College Annondale, NY
May 15 Irving Plaza New York, NY
May 16 The Paradise Lounge Boston, MA
May 17 La Salla Rossa Montreal, Quebec
May 18 Lee's Palace Toronto, Ontario
May 19 The Magic Stick Detroit, MI
May 27 Richard's On Richards Vancouver, BC
May 28 Doug Fir Portland, OR
Jun. 8 Andy Warhol Museum Pittsburgh, PA
--
Soyea Khaela is the arist-in-residence at the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. She is also a blogger who writes quite well. Visit her blog.
2.14.2007
[Musicupid]
On this day of chocolates, of roses, of hearts, there are a those among us that are rather...singular, myself included. Whether our status of "single" be fresh or stale, it can be accounted that Cupid missed a few, and with the blindness of that cherub in hand, it becomes a delightful thought to some of us that St. Valentine was beheaded for his "meddling." So here, on this Singles Awareness Day, we revel as swingles and Musicupid Mix (all songs are right click - save as & artist name leads to site):
The Lucksmiths - A Hiccup In Your Happiness
Regina Spektor - Ode to Divorce
Razorlight - Who Needs Love
Chris Garneau - Not Nice
Jenny Owens Young - Fuck Was I
Of Montreal - Sad Love
Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
Archie Bronson Outfit - Dart For My Sweetheart
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Otherwheres - That Scissor Sisters contest has a good week left in it...
Otherwheres - Lawrence over at Covert Curiousity has been Ramonin' around...
Otherwheres - MOKB Dodge will be partyin' quite a bit in March...
2.11.2007
Mansfield.TYA
(Aw, they're yawning...)Do not be deceived by this duo's rough exterior. Inside these black-clad, butch-cut, makeupless persons are buh-yoo-tee-ful voices, willing and able to sing in French and/or English, whichever may suit your fancy. Yes, yes, one of the girls looks like a boy. But her voice is the prettiest. She sounds so pleasantly feminine, you'll completely forget your earlier thoughts that Mansfield.TYA might be a husband/wife deal.
Like I said earlier, Mansfield.TYA sings in both French and English. However, their English is quite flawed. Case in point:"I love you goodbye/Sayin it for me on a cloudy day/It will be less stress less hard.../I really don't want to dig my pain/I just need a sleep." But I mean, we know what she meant... Personally, I like it a lot better when they sing in French, and not just because of the grammar. They just sound a lot prettier in their native tongue.
Apart from their voices, the standout element of Mansfield.TYA is the violin. Listen to "Pour Oublier Je Dors" -- the violin will floor you. Keeping a classical feel to their otherwise acoustic sound, Mansfield.TYA definitely showcases their violin skills in as many songs possible.
They toured a bit in 2006, but apparently have no shows lined up for 2007. I'll keep you guys posted though... I really, really want to see them live myself.
Like I said earlier, Mansfield.TYA sings in both French and English. However, their English is quite flawed. Case in point:"I love you goodbye/Sayin it for me on a cloudy day/It will be less stress less hard.../I really don't want to dig my pain/I just need a sleep." But I mean, we know what she meant... Personally, I like it a lot better when they sing in French, and not just because of the grammar. They just sound a lot prettier in their native tongue.
Apart from their voices, the standout element of Mansfield.TYA is the violin. Listen to "Pour Oublier Je Dors" -- the violin will floor you. Keeping a classical feel to their otherwise acoustic sound, Mansfield.TYA definitely showcases their violin skills in as many songs possible.
They toured a bit in 2006, but apparently have no shows lined up for 2007. I'll keep you guys posted though... I really, really want to see them live myself.
mp3 Pour Oublier Je Dors (if you only download one song, make sure it's this one)
mp3 Living On a Boat
mp3 Et demain déjà
(This video may seem pointless. It's the same scene... the whole time... However, the song, "Mon amoureuse," is very good. Enjoy the pretty yellow prairie and the pretty yellow song.)
2.10.2007
[BSOTM Contest: Scissor Sisters]
Ah disco, what an era you managed to stamp on our timeline. You gave us the heavy use of smoke machines, flare pants, disco balls, disco floors, disco...books - you gave us a lot of things, and it seems a bit of ink is left in you stamp because out of you comes the Scissor Sisters - your representatives for the 2000s. In all their glittery glory, the Scissor Sisters are a quintet that take their name from a lesbian sex position. Need the imagery? I don't think you do, but I'll just go ahead and say clashing peace signs. With high-pitched antics and funky beats, the Scissor Sisters managed to give the spotlight a new target to focus on with their self-titled debut in 2004. Last year saw the release of their latest album, Ta-Dah, and now the group have plans to tour in March. So why do I bring them forward? Well I thought I'd give thanks for shuffling us up into the Bloggies this year, and you know Alina and I like to host contests (because we love you). That's right - it's time for another contest here at Both Sides, and if you haven't guessed from the corny title, it's my turn to put something up for lottery. So what's up for grabs this time? Hows about a Scissor Sisters signed double gatefold vinyl of Ta-Dah and a rather sweet lookin' disco iPod case? Just what you've been wanting you say? Well, great! You know the drill, just email your name and mailing address with the subject "BSOTM Contest." The deadline for this contest is February 23 - good luck guys!CONTEST OVER - CONGRATULATIONS LAUREN GUNTER!
Scissor Sisters Tour
March 2 Philadelphia, PA
March 3 New York, NY
March 4 Washington, DC
March 8 Detroit, MI
March 9 Chicago, IL
March 11 Maplewood, MN
March 12 Saint Louis, MO
March 13 Kansas City, MO
March 15 Dallas, TX
March 16 Houston, TX
In Texas right around South By, hrmm...
From Ta-Dah (all songs are right click - save as):
I Don't Feel Like Dancin'
From Scissor Sisters:
Music Is The Victim
Laura
Check them out at the Scissor Sisters site.
Be their friend!
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Otherwheres - Noticed how Alina and I both run out of bandwidth a lot? We're thinking of having Both Sides turn in some revenue and getting ourselves a good host - how do you all feel about shirts? Apparently we can deal 'em to send out for around $10 with S&H. Yay or nay?
Otherwheres - Notice a new box on our sidebar? Anytime we run a contest, it'll be linked right in there - hazaa!
Otherwheres - IGIF's gone streamy with radio!
Otherwheres - Skatterbrain Matt posted on a band that's rather Sweeede.
Otherwheres - Other Matt at YANP recently saw The Apples in Stereo...
2.08.2007
Menomena
Me, no. Me, na. I, negative. Myself, not really. I have no clue where their name was derived from. Menomena. What the hell.
I get the same feeling when listening to their music. What the hell, where is this sound coming from? Turns out it's all thanks to their Digital Looping Recorder, or Deeler, for short. Programmed by the guitarist/keyboardist/glockenspiel-ist, the Deeler basically takes recorded sound from their various instruments, and loops it back for manipulation and embellishment. Whoa. Needless to say, the sound is very experimental. Most of their tracks have a great beat to it (in the Deeler process, they normally record the drums first, then build around that). "Nebali" is a great example. Real chill and jazz-like. A heavier beat can be found in the likes of "The Ladder" and "Cough Coughing."
Their newest album just dropped, entitled Friend and Foe. It's received its share of blows, but I assure you, it's good music. The sound has rounded out a little, including more whistling and bari sax and such. Nothing crazy like Andrew Bird, but they definitely showcase their whistling abilities (check out "Boyscout'n"-- I really like the lyrics for that song as well... but yea it's not here).
mp3 Nebali
mp3 The Ladder
Upcoming Shows
Mar. 9 Cafe DuNourd San Francisco, CA
Mar. 10 The Echo Los Angeles, CA
Mar. 11 The Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ
Menomena's Official site
(Just warning you, their site is crazy annoying... Go visit, you'll understand.)
Menomena's Myspace
Labels: SXSW '07
2.04.2007
The Panda Band
Upon hearing the name "The Panda Band," I immediately thought of a juvenile female Japanese trio yelping out verses in fragmented English while playing G, A, and D... only. Turns out The Panda Band is nothing like that. For one, they're not Japanese, they're Australian, which can be argued to be as far from Japanese as possible. Secondly, the band's composed of five, fully mature men who appropriately create fully mature music. Their sound's different. Not really experimental or avant-garde, but their music just contains a ton of crazy levels. Builds are conducted in unexpected places, time changes are made out of nowhere (listen to "Mohawk"), and sometimes the feel of the song can be different depending on whether you're at the beginning or the end. Needless to say, The Panda Band is a fun, exciting listen and oh so worthy of your ear time.
Upcoming Shows
Feb. 9 Nsoniax Bar Albany, W. AUS
Feb. 10 Albies Bar Busselton, W. AUS
Feb. 17 Freemasons Hotel Geraldton, W. AUS
Feb. 23 Forrest Chase Perth, W. AUS
Mar. 14- 18 SWSW Austin, TX
Mar. 30 HQ Complex Adelaide, S. AUS w/ Gomez
Apr. 3 The Palace Melbourne, Victoria w/ Gomez
Apr. 4 ANU Bar Canberra, ACT w/ Gomez
Apr. 11 The Tivoli Brisbane, Queensland w/ Gomez
Apr. 13 Newcastle Panthers New Castle, New South Wales w/ Gomez
mp3 Eyelashes
mp3 Mohawk
mp3 Spanish Bride
The Panda Band's Official site
The Panda Band's Myspace
--
Soyea my bandwidth is almost nonexistent again. Hold tight, please!
Labels: SXSW '07
2.02.2007
[Of Montreal On Tour]
When it comes to Of Montreal, the first thing I always come to remember is the fact that I made fun of one of the band members last March during an instore in a cramp, yet lofty Urban Outfitters. Being March and in Texas, no one in their right mind would wear a hefty, fur cap, so as the person donning said headgear brushed past me, I boldly exclaimed, "What kind of idiot would wear a hat like that?" Looking back at it now, I think I made fun of guitarist Matt Dawson, and Mr. Dawson, let it be known that I am truly sorry for poking fun at your dead beaver. Of Montreal is a quintet that actually shot out of Athens, Georgia, and if wearing beaver hats in hot weather doesn't convince you of their weirdness, I point you to YouTube to watch their video for Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse. Without a doubt, Of Montreal is one of the more "unique" groups out there, and powered by lead Kevin Barnes, the group's pushed out an album practically every year since their debut release in '97. Clearly, Barnes lacks nothing to say, and amazingly, what Barnes has to say lacks nothing in content despite their steady flow of releases, the latest of which is the group's eighth album, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? Hissing Fauna, unlike previous albums, is much more autobiographical, paralleling the life of Barnes, and as per usual, Of Montreal candycoat dark, depressing tales in an upbeat, happy musical demeanor. The group is currently on tour, and they have many, many dates so be sure to check them out for a night of welcomed confusion...From Hissing Fauna, Are you The Destroyer? (all songs are right click - save as):
Suffer For Fashion
We Were Born The Mutants Again With Leafling
Various songs from Of Montreal:
Forecast Fascist Future
Crazy (Live Cover)
Check out their tour dates at the Of Montreal site.
Be their friend!
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Otherwheres - Well, I knew it was going to happen. I've run out of bandwidth, so a few of my older posts will have inactive links until the 6th...
Otherwheres - Matt over at Skatterbrain cares to remind us that Free Loan Investments is more than just the title of junk mail...
Both Sides of the Mouth is a dual-authored mp3 blog based in Austin, Texas. All audio posted on this site is meant for sampling purposes only. If you really like what you hear, show it and support the artist - buy an album, buy some merch. If you represent or own any media on this site and would like something taken down please email us, and we will take the neccessary action of removing the file(s).
Notable Mixes - Brad