If you are a fan of She & Him, Forest City Lovers, or Regina Spektor, be sure to check out Seattle based singer/songwriter Shenandoah Davis. Although her minimalist lo-fi sound isn’t for everyone, I am a big fan of her piano compositions and, for the most part, really enjoy her classical vocals. Her voice will definitely draw some comparisons to Joanna Newsom, but in my opinion, Davis’ vocals are much more pleasant.

The title track “We; Camera,” along with “These Rocks,” “Hobos and Bulls,” “Take Ourselves Out,” and “Up&Over” are my favorite tracks on her 2008 debut album. These songs carry a vintage sound, as if they came straight out of the early 1900s. This, aligned with Davis’ confident voice, makes for a really unique treat (not to mention that she incorporates the vibraphone & accordion). We; Camera is also a concise album, with most tracks coming in under three minutes long.

As her biography states, Shenandoah Davis started teaching herself piano at the age of three and continued her classical studies up until college, where she decided to audition as a classical voice major despite having no prior vocal training. Studying classical voice, piano, jazz guitar and harp during college, she became frustrated with the ‘tunnel vision’ and politics of academia and, swearing off classical music after completing her degree, she began composing on her own. In the winter of 2006, a series of “travels and tribulations” led her to Seattle, where she currently resides. In January of last year, Davis released a 7 track EP, entitled Milagros, and her full-length debut released last July. She also plays accordion, piano and vibraphone with Grand Hallway, accordion and wurli with Jack Wilson and the Wife Stealers, and a as-of-now-only-recording project with secret other people called hello, broken arrow. She’s playing some shows in Seattle, so if you live there, check her Myspace for dates.

We; Camera (2008):

(mp3) Shenandoah Davis – We; Camera

(mp3) Shenandoah Davis – These Rocks

(mp3) Shenandoah Davis- Up & Over (I really like this composition)

myspace | itunes | cdbaby

Here is a really creative and quirky music video for “We; Camera.” Directed by Clyde Peterson. I like this a lot.

So, it’s true that I had my doubts after last year’s ‘Roo, but that won’t stop me from proverbially “blowing my load” over the announced lineup that came out last week. Just so you know, tickets are almost sold out. Already.

In between major players like Oakenfold, The Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg, The Mars Volta and (of course…) Phish, this years Bonnaroo shows some interesting attention to indie acts. While we have seen the likes of Radiohead, The Flaming Lips and the usual 4-hour My Morning Jacket set in the past, no year has been so comprehensive.

Wilco, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Decemberists, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Jenny Lewis, Band of Horses, MGMT, TV on the Radio, of Montreal, Animal Collective, Neko Case, Grizzly Bear, Okkervil River, Elvis Perkins, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Chairlift… okay… just saying all those names out loud makes me feel like I’m just reading a list of crucial indie acts from the past few years. Every year I ask myself, “Would I check out these guys if they came through Boston?” You know the answer. In addition, amazing world acts such as KING SUNNY ADE, Femi Kuti and Toubab Krewe as well as guaranteed dance parties from Galactic and Santogold mean that while I have no idea what it’s going to be like, the music is still some of the best around and there’s something for everyone too.

More to come about Bonnaroo as news is announced, but just understand… if you love MUSIC, it will surely be in Manchester, TN from June 11th to the 14th.

www.bonnaroo.com

Tags: 2009, Bonnaroo

The past few weeks, I’ve been listening to a band called Fan Modine. A friend introduced me to their 2004 LP Homeland, and I could tell 30 seconds in that this was an album that I was going to like. Give them a listen if you enjoy the Magnetic Fields, Belle & Sebastian, Arcade Fire, or Stars.

The band has an upbeat indie-pop sound that features some really solid instrumentals. After lead singer Gordon Zacharias helped the orchestral pop duo Hercules with vocals, they returned the favor by producing string arrangements on four songs (including two of the best tracks on the album, “Newstand of the Sun” and “Pageantry.”) There is also clarinet and electric harmonium, among other cool instruments.

A few years ago, main man behind Fan Modine, Gordon Zacharias, assembled a 5-piece band in Carrboro, NC, featuring Ash Bowie (Polvo, Libraness), Jeremy Chatelain (Jets to Brazil, Cub Country), Chuck Johnson (Shark Quest, Idyll Swords) and Lee Waters (Work Clothes, Lud). The band hasn’t released an album since Homeland, which means it’s been 5 years since they’ve released new material, but their Myspace says that a third album is in process “slowly.” Homeland is Zacharias’ sophomore album (debut is Slow Road to Tiny Empire), and he purportedly started work on the album while working as a “professional dog walker” in downtown Manhattan. The album was recorded in 5 different places across the US, including New York, LA, New Orleans, Western Massachusetts, and North Carolina.

Homeland (2004):

(mp3) Fan Modine – Newstand of the Sun

(mp3) Fan Modine – Pageantry

(mp3) Fan Modine – Waiting in the Wings

site | itunes | myspace

On Tuesday, I saw Swedish band Loney Dear open for Andrew Bird, and must say, I almost enjoyed their set more than Mr. Bird’s. . . which is saying a lot, given Bird is one of my very favorite musicians. I’ve been listening to their music for a few years now, but Tuesday night’s live performance gave me a whole new appreciation.

The best part of the set was when lead singer Emil Svanängen asked the crowd to sing along on “I Am John.” It was really beautiful. You can listen to the set on NPR (“I am John” is 20 minutes in), but the recording quality doesn’t really pay justice to the performance. Svanängen is a really personable guy too, and strikes a perfect balance between being confident (talking a lot to the crowd), and bashful, which can be verified by anyone who saw him putting on a band-aid after his minor guitar string accident. He also called the Black Cat (venue) the “very black cat,” and the 9:30 club balcony “shelves,” which I thought was pretty funny.

The band has a new album that came out January 27th called Dear John. I prefer the lighter tone of their 2007 debut album, Loney, Noir, but Dear John still has some solid songs on it.

Loney Dear is from Jonkoping, Sweden, and its primary member, Emil Svanängen, first began making homemade recordings of delicate, folkish indie pop in the early 2000s. As Loney, Dear (the band has since deleted the comma from its name), Svanängen self-released three homemade CD-Rs through his website: River Fontana Redux, Citadel Band, and Sologne. As buzz developed through MP3 blogs and other new media manifestations, Sub Pop offered Svanängen a contract in 2006. The first proper Loney Dear album, Loney, Noir, was released in early 2007.

Dear John (2009):

Loney Dear – Airport Surroundings

Loney, Noir (2007):

Loney Dear – I Am John

Loney Dear – I Will Call You Lover Again

Sologne (2006):

Loney Dear – I Fought The Battle Of Trinidad & Tobago

site | amazon | itunes | myspace

Tour dates & “Airport Surroundings” video after the break.

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Photo courtesy of dcmandrill

We can officially score one for the females, as The National Zoo announced today that the zoo’s 3 week old baby gorilla is a girl! Apparently, it can take a while for humans to know the sex of a gorilla, which is why we are only finding out today. In terms of family lineage, the zoo was hoping it would be a girl, so it’s a good day for gorillas and zookeepers everywhere.

It’s also good to see that the zoo prefers mother-rearing over hand-rearing, meaning the baby girl will be able to stay with her mother, Mandara. Be sure to check out the video below of them together!

Video of Mandara and baby courtesy of RoxandaBear.

Song Mandara and boyfriend probably listened to on dates:

Animal Collective – Grass

Song by Gorillaz for humans:

Gorillaz – Last Living Souls

Hey, hope everyone is doing well! We have more music features on the way soon, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share this New York Times article that shows how a Martin guitar is made. The C.F. Martin Company has been producing guitars since 1833 and is considered one of the best guitar manufacturers in the world. It’s a pretty cool process that I think you would appreciate, especially if you play the guitar. I’m a Breedlove man myself–and am still saving up for that $6,000 Jeff Tweedy Breedlove Guitar.

Song played on a guitar that I like:

Bowerbirds – Dark Horse

Another cool music video featuring some awesome animation. You get to watch the band age backwards (though not like Benjamin Button). The director of this video, Sean Pecknold has done some other cool videos, also involving the music of Fleet Foxes. Check out the rest of the director’s work here.

Fleet Foxes (2008)

(mp3) Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal

I’ve been listening extensively to Beirut’s two upcoming EPs, March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland (2/17). Zach Condon, Beirut’s frontman, has shifted his sound once again from previous albums–Zapotec features a new Mexican folk music style, while Realpeople Holland is Condon’s electronica side-project. In fact, it’s such an odd mix, that originally the electronic EP was just called Holland, and Condon was going to release it under the name Realpeople. He decided to release both under the Beirut name after a friend advised him, “You should trust your music enough that people should be able to enjoy them both in their own way.'”

Zapotec was partially recorded in a small town outside Oaxaca, Mexico, where Condon traveled last year after canceling his European summer tour. In his two weeks down there, he played with a funeral band, in which he says in a Pitchfork interview, “The entire town plays in the band. It was pretty interesting. It ended up being 17 people.”

I think both EPs are fantastic, but slightly favor Realpeople Holland. My favorite tracks on the two EPs include, “La Llorona” (Zapotec), “My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille ” and “The Concubine” (Holland).

For those who are new to Beirut, they are based in Brooklyn, New York, fronted by 22 year old Zach Condon, and have two LPs to their name–Gulag Orkestar (2006) & The Flying Club Cup (2007). Both albums are amazing, with Gulag Orkestar having a lo-fi Eastern European sound, while Flying Club Cup is more on the French Pop side. When Metromix asked Condon in an interview what part of the world he wants to explore next, he responded “Probably nowhere. I feel like everything’s jumbling together in my head. I feel like I’ve explored all the palettes and now it’s time to look inward for inspiration.”

Beirut should be announcing more tour dates soon, so I’ll keep you up to date (they just announced they are playing at this year’s Coachella festival). Below is a video of Beirut debuting “The Concubine” at a last minute secret show in Greenpoint. The band contacted the venue, Coco66 at 4pm to request the space and took to the stage at 10pm.

March of the Zapotec / Realpeople Holland EPs (2009):

Beirut – La Llorana

Beirut – My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille

The Flying Club Cup (2007)

Beirut – The Penalty

Gulag Orkestar (2006):

Beirut – Postcards From Italy

Beirut – Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)

Lon Gisland EP (2006) :

Beirut – Elephant Gun

Site | Myspace

Looks like a pretty good lineup with big acts like Paul McCartney, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, Leonard Cohen, Amy Winehouse, and the Killers and some up and coming indies like Fleet Foxes, Vivian Girls, Peter Bjorn and John, Band of Horses, Blitzen Trapper and No Age. Anybody planning on going after seeing the list?

(mp3) Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains
(mp3) No Age – Eraser
(mp3) My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow
(mp3) Band of Horses – Ode to Irc

Check out the new video for Animal Collective’s “My Girls”. This band always seems to be on the cutting edge of awesome sounds and images. The video just consists of the band performing their song, but with crazy effects going on throughout the entire video. I’d say it accurately portrays how the music makes me feel sometimes.

Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009):

(mp3) Animal Collective – My Girls