Grammy nominations are slightly less terrible this year!

Music in Australian GetUp!’s “It’s Time.” commercial

How can you not love this video (if you haven’t seen it yet)? It took me all of five seconds to go searching for the stunning background song. Oliver Tank – “Last Night I Heard Everything in Slow Motion” [MP3] Get the entirety of Oliver Tank’s Dreams EP for free on Bandcamp. [...]

Jamie

Does the Siren Festival’s facelift really hurt anybody?

Yes. Yes it does. But I say that with a hint of over-dramatics. The Siren Music Festival has gathered thousands of music fans to Coney Island every year for the last ten years, boasting free admission to see great veteran acts (New York Dolls, Broken Social Scene, Built To Spill, Ted Leo, etc.) and young [...] [...]

Jamie

Welcome Back Sailors

Most of the chilled-out space jams we hear in the scene today are from the good ol’ USA (a lot of European and Latin/South American music seems too dancey party or something). But straight out of Italy is Welcome Back Sailors. The duo released their debut EP, I’ll Be There to modest blog reaction earlier [...] [...]

Jamie

James Blake’s debut is brilliant art but inaccessible music

James Blake is one of those musicians that fits into that category called “art.” The British musician’s style can best be described by however you decide to describe it. Personally, I think of Blake as an experimental electronic crooner/composer. If you disagree, you’re probably just as right as I am. Blake released three EPs last [...] [...]

Tom

Iron & Wine venture into unexpected territory on Kiss Each Other Clean

Honestly, I hadn’t listened to Iron & Wine much in the past five years. 2004′s Our Endless Numbered Days–and even moreso non-album tracks “No Moon” and “Sinning Hands”–was my “fall asleep” music in my first year of grad school. But I hadn’t paid much attention to Sam Beam’s latest work, so I expected more gentle whispers over [...] [...]

Jesse

The Decemberists escape to the country on The King Is Dead

When I fired up this new Decemberists album for the first time I was blown away by how much it sounded like Tom Petty. That’s right, Tom Petty. Specifically, Tom Petty’s hit “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” During the course of those first strange 15 seconds of “Don’t Carry It All,” the opening track [...] [...]

Abby

[Abby's Road] The Grass is Always Greener

Grüß Gott everyone. I’m as moved to Germany as one can be while waiting for every piece of furniture they own to arrive on a ship from America. Thought I’d take some of the spare time I have to spin you a little yarn – you know how I do. Munich has inspired me. That [...] [...]

Tom

Interview with Nicole Atkins

Three years ago, I caught a particularly memorable episode of The Late Show with Conan O’Brien. Yes, Coco told some jokes and interviewed Hulk Hogan, but it was pop noir artist Nicole Atkins who caught my attention with her performance of “Maybe Tonight,” the lead track from 2007′s critically acclaimed major label debut, Neptune City. [...] [...]

Jamie

[Hype Hype Hooray] Indie Musicians Honor the Sanctity of Christmas

Every [two weeks?] Jamie Hale takes a long, hard look at the music industry and the blog scene that feeds it. Here, he releases those findings and makes snarky, sarcastic remarks. Admittedly, both Jamie and Knox Road are a part of this scene. So sue us. Every December, there is a war waged within the [...] [...]

Jamie