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Give It Away: Starsailor feat. Brandon Flowers

Julia — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:00:05 +0000

Here’s one that goes down like a Las Vegas Cocktail. England’s Starsailor return with All the Plans in March after a break considered lengthy in the digital/expanded edition era – four years since their last effort On the Outside. Not to worry though, they’ve caught up with the times now, by re-recording the lead single “Tell Me It’s Not Over” with none other than The Killers‘ Brandon Flowers on vocals, and circulating the song before the album’s release. That’s the expanded edition taken care of!

Flowers is not the only cameo on the song; the album version features Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood on guitar!

Give It Away: Neko Case

Julia — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:17:03 +0000

Fox Confessor artist Neko Case is taking a cue from fellow musicians/animal lovers Chrissie Hynde and Sarah McLachlan by using her music to help animals in need. Case is offering her new song “People Gotta Lotta Nerve” as a free download, and along with the amazing folks at her label Anti, sheÂ will make a donation to the Best Friends Animal Society every time a blogger or iLike user reposts the song on their respective site through February 3. “People Gotta Lotta Nerve” comes out March 3 on Middle Cyclone.Â Enjoy the song and spread theÂ word!

Anti will be keeping an eye on blog postings, but you can email them at newmedia@epitaph.com to ensure they’ve got yours. You can grab an embed code here.

Give It Away: Lisa Hannigan

Julia — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:38:48 +0000

Lisa Hannigan’s US fans got some good news yesterday with the announcement that her debut album Sea Sew will be released stateside on ATO January 20th after earning rave reviews in Ireland. She’s earned a name for herself as the fragile vocal sidekick to Damien Rice, but this song “Lille” proves, not surprisingly, that her lovely voice is a gift unto itself.

For now, you can stream the entire album on Hannigan’s website.

Give It Away: Conor Oberst

Julia — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:37:09 +0000

While the LA Times is compiling a list for John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham containing 5 Ways to Avert a Disaster if they really do reunite Led Zeppelin with a singer who is not Plant, I’m content with getting my list of Top 10 albums of 2008 together, and Conor Oberst’s solo debut will most assuredly be near the top.

Recorded with his Mystic Valley Band in Tepoztlan, Mexico, Conor Oberst showcases Oberst’s skillful songwriting in a more stripped down country rock setting than we’ve become accustomed to with his Bright Eyes projects. The band stopped by Conan recently and their inclusion of several new songs not on the album, including the gorgeous “Ten Women,” has me pretty much prepared for the eventuality of them making the 2009 list as well.

You can get Conor Oberst straight from the source at Merge Records.

Give It Away: Ben Sollee

Julia — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:16:52 +0000

Many of the musicians we’ve worked with over 2008 have been inspired to voice their political beliefs in creative ways in the long march towards this historic day, but possibly none moved us as much as Ben Sollee’s poignant interpretation of “A Change Is Gonna” come. The Louisville cellist rewrote the 1964 Sam Cooke song to reflect his own personal stance in modern times without losing the sentiment injected by Cooke as he wrote it during the Civil Rights movement. This juxtaposition of new and old reflects, perhaps, how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go.

The song is included on Sollee’s impressive debut. If you haven’t listened yet, we strongly recommend it.

Now go and vote!

Give It Away: Nick Harrison & Bruce Springsteen

Julia — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:20:56 +0000

Trick or treat? You decide! We have two songs for you to sandwich in between gory Robyn Hitchcock songs on your Halloween playlist today. First is a cheeky mashup of “Something Special” by 23-year-old British artist Nick Harrison with The Specials “Ghost Town,” next check out this bluesy new Bruce Springsteen track that he says is about “the Jersey Devil” he grew up with. Check out the video on his website.

Although “Ghost Town” has become associated with Halloween for its spooky riff and title, it was actually written in response to increasing unemployment in the UK in 1981 under the rule of Margaret Thatcher. The song spent three weeks atop of the UK charts at the same time labor riots broke out there.

Give It Away: Radiohead

Julia — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:00:54 +0000

Just for fun today, it’s a cheesy cover! Radiohead’s tongue-in-cheek version of the Glen Campbell hit “Rhinestone Cowboy” recorded before the release of their debut album always puts a smile on my face. Maybe it’s the thought of Thom Yorke with a lasso. . . By the way, if you’ve been wondering about Radiohead’s pay-what-you-want scheme for their last album In Rainbows, the official figures were released last week, and it turns out they sold over 3 million copies, beating sales of their 2003 album Hail to the Thief.

If you’re looking for fun cover songs, here’s a great list.

Give It Away: Peter Broderick

Julia — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:00:38 +0000

It almost seems redundant at this point to bother telling you that a musician from the seemingly bottomless talent pool of Portland has delivered a noteworthy album, but that’s what we’re doing with Peter Broderick. To be fair, he’s now based in Copenhagen, but minus that exception most of the usual adjectives apply: gifted, brilliant, and unfeasibly youthful in comparison to his accomplishments. The 21-year-old moved to Denmark last year upon invitation by the ensemble Efterklang to join their live band, and now brings us the album Home which plays with that very concept with magnificent subtelty.

Though you might not be familiar with him by name, you’ve no doubt heard his violin, mandolin, banjo or musical saw on recordings by artists such as M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel and Dolorean.

Purchase Home.

Give It Away: Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

Julia — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Ryan Adams fans delight! The new album Cardinology, his fifth with The Cardinals, hits stores today, and to celebrate we thought we’d treat you to this standout track (with an appropriately “Halloween-esque” title) “Cobwebs”. On the band’s blog, the Adams says the song is about his friendship with comic book artist Leah Hayes.

Cardinology will be the first album released by the notoriously prolific Adams in 2008 (he released 5 albums between 2005 and 2007) but if you’re afraid he’s losing his touch, never fear, he’s just branching out; Adams has announced plans to release a book of poems and short fiction titled Infinity Blues on April 1st, 2009.

Purchase Cardinology.

Give It Away: Alexis Taylor

Julia — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:24:47 +0000

London band Hot Chip originally starting out composing acoustic songs before changing direction and releasing three albums of what has become their trademark electropop/dance. Lead singer Alexis Taylor recently revisited their simpler roots with this version of Paul McCartney’s “Coming Up” on his solo debut Rubbed Out.

“Coming Up” is the only song officially credited to Paul McCartney as a solo artist to reach #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (in June 1980), even though that version was a live B-side recorded with The Wings in Glasgow in December 1979. The A-side featured his wife Linda, and appeared as the opening track on McCartney II.

Purchase Rubbed Out.