After last year’s tantalizing releases, I’ve been looking forward to getting to hear all of Belong – the new album from The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. And now, thanks to their website, we’ve all got the chance to do just that. So, follow me, and get to hear the whole shimmering, 90s-inflected thing before its release on 3/29!
Continue reading “First Listen: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart – Belong”
While they may not be touring in support of Collapse Into Now, R.E.M. sure have been keeping it interesting with a flurry of “short-film” releases for each track. You can read the announcement on REMHQ, and find out more from Michael Stipe’s chat with NME. In a nutshell, Michael has curated a collection of videos by noted filmmakers and artists, and each has put their own interpretive spin on the album’s tracks. Almost half of the album’s tracks have videos associated with them, now, and the rest are on the way. It’s an interesting project for a band that has shied away from videos in the past few years, and well worth having a look. So, follow me, and get caught up on all the short films and in-studio clips!
Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) announced today, via twitter (@FleetFoxes), that he was giving away a new, three-song EP: “So, I recorded three acoustic songs a couple weeks ago in LA with my friend Noah. One is a duet with my friend Ed Droste from the amazing band Grizzly Bear, one is just a new solo jam, and one is a cover. Here’s a link to download them: [Link]” It’s definitely an exciting set of recordings, and the duet – “I’m Losing Myself” – is poignant and gripping. Hear it below, and then go grab your own:
I’m going to jump right to it with this one: Balto’s October’s Road is gorgeous. Goosebump-inducing gorgeous. The album, which is available on Bandcamp, is the work of Daniel Sheron and five of his friends (including Philippe Bronchtein of Hip Hatchet), and comes attached to a truly excellent origin story:
Balto came into being when Daniel Sheron abandoned his life in Moscow, Russia and went alone into Siberia. Against an ever shifting backdrop of railways and desolate wastes, he wrote a cycle of songs to tell the story of what had happened in that strange country, why he had exiled himself, and why he thought it mattered. In train cars and crumbling cities he encountered PEOPLE, and they inhabited the songs he was writing and the notes he was taking. In the fall, Daniel brought Balto back to America and called his friends to record an album in one day. On December 15, 2010, six people entered a basement in Brooklyn, New York and emerged that night with an album that no one had expected. October’s Road.
Mountain Man – Molly, Alex, and Amelia – brought their gorgeous harmonies and stirring, soulful performances over to NPR recently. You can hear the session – which is part introduction, part interview, and part performance – right now by following this link. Also, follow me to hear more: