Check Out the New “Video” for Arcade Fire’s “We Used to Wait”

Arcade Fire’s new video for “We Used To Wait” is out, and it’s interactive. In fact, its website bills the project as an “Interactive Film” rather than a “music video.”  Whatever it is, it combines some clever HTML5, Google Street Maps, and your childhood to produce something that’s innovative, nostalgic, and fun.

You can check out the project at The Wilderness Downtown, but it only works with Chrome and Safari.  Also, be prepared for it to assault you with many different windows…seriously, though, just go with it.  And after that, stop by to check out this “Making of…” site.

Mailbag: The Chapin Sisters

The Chapin Sisters are an L.A. band that you might have caught opening for She & Him (they’re also part of the backing band) this year.  They recorded their debut album – Lake Bottom LP – with their sister, Jessica Craven, but the band is now comprised of Abigail and Lily Chapin.  As others have said, their sound is reminiscent of both the country and motown – of long-forgotten harmonies in gaslit cabins, and of doe-eyed variety singers.  Yet, beyond this is a sophistication of craft, and an intricacy of sound, that is positively captivating. And really, I ought to let their sound speak for itself…

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Lissie on Black Cab Sessions

Lissie stopped by the Black Cab Sessions recently to give us an excellent cover of Lionel Richie’s “Hello.”  And yes, if you’re wondering, I do feel a little weird about putting “excellent” and “Lionel Richie” in the same sentence.  Still, check out the video after the jump:

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Other Stuff You Might Like: La Blogotheque

Many of the sites I’ve featured in the “Other Stuff You Might Like” series have a common thread: excellent, impromptu concerts by established and upcoming musicians.  We’ve looked at Luxury Wafers, Black Cab Sessions, They Shoot Music – Don’t They, and NPR Music.  (And I’m sure to get around to Daytrotter before too long…)  Now, from France, we’ve got the excellent blog La Blogotheque, and its excellent Take-Away Shows (or, if you prefer, Les Concerts à Emporter).  The site’s catalog of artists is truly amazing, as are the performances, and so I invite you to come have a look…

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Recommended: The Wailin’ Jennys

My friend Julie first introduced me to The Wailin’ Jennys, and I’m really grateful to her for that.  The Jennys are from Winnipeg, and have influences from Bluegrass, Country, and Traditional Scots-Irish tunes.  In a lot of ways, perhaps, it’s both apt and misleading to say that the Jennys are a sort of countrified Indigo Girls.  But I think that the emphasis on vocal harmonies, and attention to craft, make it a moderately-successful analogy.  In any case, their sound features big, goosebump-inducing harmonies, and their performances (as you can see below) are both commanding and gentle.  Not the usual combination, to be sure, and one that is well worth embracing…

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