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What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:30:52 -0700

Happy Tuesday - also known as my favorite day of the week for new DVD releases as well as music releases. On this crisp Fall day, the new tunes I'm recommending are of the indie, alt-rock variety. Check out the albums and tracks I've picked out as being worthy of a download.

Rock the family tree: Tegan and Sara's Sainthood is harder rocking than their previous albums (this is their sixth), but the relationship-heavy lyrics haven't changed. It's a more updated sound for the twin-sister indie outfit; lyrically and vocally, they seem more mature and evolved. The fast pace of songs like "Hell" is an example of a new-ish sound, while "The Cure" is a little more traditional Tegan and Sara. Don't miss the impassioned "It Was Midnight."

Scruffy sounds sweet: Devendra Banhart's latest, What Will We Be, is a lo-fi collection of subtly sexy folk-rock tracks; I could listen to the funky "Baby" all day long (in fact, I kind of have). Banhart's music often sounds like it's from another era, particularly the '70s, and this album really solidifies that - cue the sweet, twangy "Angelika," which switches it up in the last minute with a '50s Latin flavor. As a San Franciscan, I was predisposed to love the song "16th and Valencia Roxy Music," and its upbeat tempo and chorus are perfect for getting ready for a night out.

Listen in on one more new release when you read more.

Howling at the radio: Cosmic Egg is the follow-up from Australian band Wolfmother. Their debut album made a huge splash in the rock world in 2005, garnering the band a Grammy, but it wasn't all good times; two of its original members left the band in Summer 2008. Despite the new lineup, the hard rock sound hasn't changed a bit; the title track and "White Feather" (my favorite) dive in with heavy guitar riffs and Andrew Stockdale's signature screeching vocals. It also has to be said: "New Moon Rising" has a very timely title (hey, it could have been on the soundtrack!).

Love It or Leave It: Devendra Banhart Video With Natalie Portman

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:36:57 -0700

Before being known to most as Natalie Portman's boyfriend, Devendra Banhart was famous in certain circles for turning out interesting neo-folk music and has been a mainstay in the independent music scene for a little while now.

His new video for his Spanish language song "Carmensita," has people talking partly because Ms. Portman's in it but also because some people aren't sure how awesome this cheeky swipe at Bollywood-style productions is. Do you find this video a fun rush to the senses, or totally forgettable?

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Folk Artists Pay Tribute to Madonna

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:34:03 -0800

The idea of combining the mass appeal of Madonna with niche neo-folk musicians like Devendra Banhart and Lavender Diamond is intriguing, to say the least - and it's exactly the point of Through the Wilderness. The tribute album puts 17 of Madonna's biggest hits in the hands of musicians from around the folk/experimental/electronic music spectrum, and from what I've heard so far, the results are pretty impressive.

Four songs from the compilation, which will be released Nov. 27, are currently streaming on MySpace. Sadly, Lavender Diamond's remarkably faithful take on "Like a Prayer" mostly bored me, but I'm really digging the Tyde's cover of "Hung Up." Ariel Pink's "Everybody" has a ton of synth-y energy, and Giant Drag's version of "Oh Father" gets downright chilling when the chorus kicks in.

This would be cool enough if it were just about the music, but the fact that 25 percent of proceeds go to Madonna's charity Raising Malawi sweetens the deal. To check out a full list of all the songs and artists included on the album, just read more

Jonathan Wilson - "La Isla Bonita"
Golden Animals - "Beautiful Stranger (Blues)"
Winter Flowers - "Live To Tell"
Mountain Party feat. Devendra Banhart - "Material Girl"
Jeremy Jay - "Into The Groove"
Ariel Pink - "Everybody"
Giant Drag - "Oh Father"
The Tyde - "Hung Up"
Alexandra Hope - "Lucky Star"
The Chapin Sisters - "Borderline"
Apollo Heights - "Dress You Up"
The Bubonic Plague - "Who's That Girl?"
The Prayers - "Cherish"
Lion of Panjshir - "Crazy for You"
Lavender Diamond - "Like A Prayer"
Siddhartha - "Holiday" (iTunes only)
Pangaeans - "Impressive Instant" (iTunes only)

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Mainstream Goes Indie with Guilt By Association

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 05:30:00 -0700

If that This is Next compilation I told you about a while back is trying to catapult indie music into the mainstream, then Guilt by Association is taking mainstream songs way, way more indie. The compilation, which will be released in early September, finds artists such as Devendra Banhart, Luna and Will Oldham reinterpreting their favorite guilty-pleasure pop songs, covering artists ranging from Oasis to the High School Musical cast.

Four songs are up on the album's MySpace page, including Petra Hayden's fun, layered take on karaoke-and-"Sopranos" favorite "Don't Stop Believin'." As for the rest of the track list, Swedish band The Concretes appeals to my '90s-radio-loving self with a cover of Take That's "Back for Good," and I can't wait to hear Superchunk taking on the Destiny's Child hit "Say My Name."

The artists also held an amateur video contest for the songs, and to see the winning video for Devendra Banhart's cover of the Oasis hit "Don't Look Back in Anger," just read more

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