Yo La Tengo has just released a retrospective CD (streets 3/22), Prisoner of Love, that’s pretty great. Among the tracks of outtakes and rarities (in the limited edition triple CD version only) is an awesome acoustic version of Tom Courtenay [4.7MiB MP3].

So good.

Wow, Bloc Party‘s new album, Silent Alarm has caught me by surprise. I haven’t been this excited about an album in a while. I’m loving it. A lot. Here’s their opener:

• 01 – Bloc Party – Like Eating Glass.mp3 [8.0MB MP3]

Looks like they’re going to be in town right after SXSW. (Hmm, Troub is sold out already)

• 21.03.2005 Pomona, CA Glasshouse
• 22.03.2005 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour

Not feeling so hot today, but it’s been a while, so I thought I’d kick off the new year with some new music.

First, for some leftovers from 2004:

• Seu Jorge – Starman [4.3 MiB MP3] – My favorite of the great Portuguese David Bowie covers from The Life Aquatic soundtrack. The album also features some of Mark Mothersbaughs (Devo) orchestrations. The Ping Island/Lightning Strike Rescue Op track is awesome (RIAA)
• Gravenhurst – Black Holes in the Sand [11 MiB MP3] – I happened on this pretty randomly, but was glad I did. Meticulous dark pysh-folk. The lead singer keeps a blogspot diary.
• Pinback – Fortress (Live) [5.4 MiB MP3] – Pinback (Pinbackfreak is a much more useful site) is quickly becoming one of my favorite bands. Unfortunately I missed them when they were in town in December. This is a live version of Fortress (Summer in Abaddon), from a tour EP, Too Many Shadows.
• Kings of Convenience – Sorry or Please [7.0 MiB MP3] – Erland Oye’s DJ Kicks amazing mix was one of my favorite albums this year, but his Kings of Convenience album is no slouch either. It takes a few tracks for it to really pick up, but well, listen for yourself and see if you don’t dig it. (RIAA)
• The Arcade Fire – No Cars Go (CBC Radio 3 Studio Session 2004-10-02) [9.4 MiB MP3] – I think they’ve been crowned the dubious “Hottest Band in Indie Rock” title, but deservedly so in this case. This is a live cut from their 2003 s/t, self-released EP. Worth picking up if you can find it. They’re playing two sold out shows in LA this month.

OK, now onto 2005.

• M83 – Don’t Save Us From the Flames [5.9 MiB MP3] – more of the warmest, most alive electronic music you’re likely to hear. Oh, check out the CLI website. Clever, but the English version is still mostly French and the prompt shows up underneath the statusbar in Firefox. Before the Dawn Heals Us, January 25. (RIAA)
• Crooked Fingers – Wrecking Ball [6.3 MiB MP3] – I saw Eric Bachmann a little over a year ago when he was at the Glass House (w/ Azure Ray). It was an amazing show and I’ve been a fan since. Dignity & Shame, February 22, from Merge.
• Lou Barlow – Home [6.3 MiB MP3] – former Sebadoh frontman Lou Barlow releases his first official solo album for Domino Records. Emoh, January 24.
• Hood – The Negatives… [5.9 MiB MP3] – who are these guys? I have no idea, but I like their new release a lot. January 17.
• New Amsterdams – Strangled By the Thought (Demo) [4.8 MiB MP3] – Will these guys ever get any respect? Probably not, but I have a soft spot for ’em. This track is from a leaked demo mix, working title Killed or Cured.

Some music:

• The Explosion – God Bless the SOS (site)
• The Farewell Bikeride – Duet (site, archive.org)
• Homage To Catalonia – Bad Jokes Deadly Told (Site)

Snow Patrol (AMG) was in town a few weeks ago and recorded a Morning Becomes Eclectic session that I caught the other day. Their new album, Final Straw is amazingly catchy, with addictively crunchy chords; an interesting cross of indie electronic/britpop with a strong (pleasantly nostalgic) indie/altrock sound.

Here’s a song that sounds sorta like a Notwist/Sebadoh cross:

• Snow Patrol – Gleaming Auction [3.8MiB MP3]