Good Stuff You May Not Be Listening To

Recently Claude and I have been discovering some great new artists (and some not-so new artists) who we haven't heard before, and we think it might be a good idea to share them with you. If you've already heard them, well then you get +20 scene points. Otherwise, I suggest a listen.

First up is somewhat of a side project of a couple members of an already fantastic band. The Bell Orchestre includes members Richard Parry and Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire fame. The two bands, however, have little else in common. Whereas The Arcade Fire has a very gloomy feel, and Funeral should be a dead-giveaway, no pun intended, The Bell Orchestre is an eclectic mix of chamber and jazz. According to their bio on New Music Canada, they forsee an African jazz club in the future. Not sure if that's true or not, but I digress. Richard and Sarah are not the only members considering this a side project. The band also includes members of Torngat, Ark of Infinity and [IKS]. Stereogum recommends it to people who like Rachel's, and has a few mp3s up for your listening pleasure.

Their website is here.

If The Postal Service is too mainstream for you to maintain your street cred, you might want to look into another Canadian band, The Most Serene Republic. Though publicized by Pop Matters as a group hailing from Toronto, Michael over at For the 'Records' reminds us that the sextet is from Milton, Ontario. Perhaps the most eerie aspect of this band is just how much singer Adrian Juwett sounds like Postal Service front man/crooner Ben Gibbard. While the comparisons to Gibbard and his electronic accompaniment are easy to make, don't let yourself take The Most Serene Republic for just another Postal Service. They take the music a step further. You might notice the addition of seemingly uncharacteristic accoustic guitar, and let's not forget the occasional beat box and hand clap. It's really hard to predict what the band will do next, and it's this kind of quirkiness that gives the band its charm. Their first album, Underwater Cinematography, does have its weaknesses, but I think its character makes up for them. This is a band I could see going places. They have a sound that they know how to mutate, the kind that could easily be played with to create several more albums of decent music. I have a feeling you'll be hearing about them more in the future.

Their website is here.

As you may have noticed, and I, for one, am guilty as charged of sustaining, Sufjan Stevens is certainly getting a lot of notice recently. True, he's a very innovative and creative man, but behind every strong musician is a strong band. You might know them currently as the Illinoisemakers, but when they're not backing up Stevens, they are a little band known as Half-Handed Cloud. Made up of former members of The Danielson Famile, in which Stevens and the band met, they are, as you might expect, yet another part of the new wave of avant-garde Christian musicians, though a bit more outspoken in almost a childlike way. According to Music Spectrum, the band would like to see an entire Sunday school curriculum based on their album Thy is a Word and Feet Need Lamps, which was released this year on Asthmatic Kitty. While their music has a great deal of lyrical simplicity, it has a lot of artistic and musical integrity. Singer and songwriter John Ringhofer has the ability to craft complex chamber pop in a very short timespan. On their first album, Learning About Your Scale, he knocks out 25 songs in 24 minutes, and none, or at least very few of them, are lacking. Ringhofer creates carefully each and every song, with everything from soothing folk rock to brilliantly formed harmonies. Even if you're not a Christian, Half-Handed Cloud is a band that should appeal to all fans of quirky indie pop.

Their website is here.

And now for some news action...

Billboard proclaims, "More horns. More Canadians." The new Broken Social Scene album is set to be released October 14 but without the original title, Windsurfing Nation. The band has instead opted to go the self-titled route.

Sorry Pete Doherty, but you lost your chance. The Babyshambles singer failed to show up at an Oasis concert in which his band was supposed to perform. Liam Gallagher has now said that he will never open for Oasis ever again because "this is the greatest group in the world and what we’re not going to do is let anyone, Pete Doherty, Liam Gallagher or Elvis, fuck it all up.” So saith Liam.

If Wind-Up Records isn't stupid, I don't know who is. The label turned down a $100,000 offer from Absolutely Kosher, the label that now houses The Wrens, for the rights to the band's back catalogue, Silver and Seacaucus.

At long last, The Postal Service has its own website. I could probably recreate it on Dreamweaver myself, but at least they have something.

Torr brings us an update of the current US charts. Alarming facts:
The Killers album Hot Fuss is still on the charts.
Sufjan Stevens' Illinois has only sold just over 25,000 copies.
Not so alarming, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah's self-titled is already off the chart after only a week.

Upcoming Columbus Shows

8.11 - Ben Folds w/ Ben Lee and Rufus Wainwright - Promowest Pavilion
8.12 - Velvet Revolver w/ Chevelle - Germain Ampitheater
8.13 - Switchfoot - The Ohio State Fair
8.20 - Pretty Girls Make Graves - Little Brothers
8.23 - Thunderbirds Are Now! w/ Kiss Me Quick - Little Brothers
8.30 - Xiu Xiu w/ Das Yellow Swans and Nedelle - Little Brothers
8.31 - Coldplay w/ Rilo Kiley - Germain Ampitheater
9.02 - Over the Rhine - Little Brothers
9.10 - The White Stripes w/ The Greenhornes - Ohio Theater
9.12 - Stellastarr* - The Basement
9.14 - Sufjan Stevens - Southgate House (Newport, KY)
9.24 - The Rolling Stones w/ Beck - Germain Ampitheater
10.08 - The Fiery Furnaces - The Wexner Center
10.14 - The Decemberists - Newport Music Hall

Daily Downloads
Brought to you by the Regnyouth Archives
(By the way, nice new banner.)

The Aquabats - Charge!!
Radiohead - OK Computer
Stars - Heart

Tragedy struck my apartment today, or should I say lightning did, and now my sound card isn't working. Is this normal? I don't know anything about computer hardware. I just know that life without music is sad.