Happy Birthday Simo!

The barstools built for dreamers
We'll fit fine and find
All the worlds dreams have died
But tonight they're only taking thirsty people
Who've been pullin' on their drinks
From a glass that lies a bar length wide...

Happy Birthday Buddy!

www.widespreadpanic.com

Smelly Dog

Big Black Delta

Big Black Delta is a solo project of Mellowdrone vocalist/bassist Jonathan Bates. He spent his younger years in Venzezuela and then moved to Miami, FL. He was attending Berklee College of Music in Boston when he jumped at an opportunity to head to California. He and a buddy formed the band Mellowdrone and toured for ten or so years before calling it quits. He states that the band was at their limit with the whole touring gig and just wanted to stop. He has been working on his solo project since 2009 and hopes to put out his debut album sometime this year. Big Black Delta has teamed up with other artists such as War Widow, Alessandro Cortini, and Morgan Kibby. This song strays away from the usual electronic influenced sound that is Big Black Delta, but shows his range as an artist. This is "Dreary Moon" off of BBDEP1.

http://bigblackdelta.com

Smelly Dog

M83

M83 is an electronic/dream pop act by French musician Anthony Gonzalez. It is named after a spiral galaxy, Messier 83. The band was founded in 2001 by Gonzalez and former member Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, France. The musical style of M83 owes something to the shoegazing genre in its extensive use of reverb effects and lyrics spoken softly over loud instrumentals, although M83's songs employ considerably less guitar than most shoegazing bands. Gonzalez and Fromageau parted ways shortly after touring for their second album Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, and now Gonzalez records mainly on his own. He employs the help of his brother Yann Gonzalez (composing), Morgan Kibby (vocals/keys), Pierre-Marie Maulini (guitar/bass), and Loïc Maurin (drums). This is "Midnight City" off of their upcoming release (October 2011) Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.

www.ilovem83.com

Smelly Dog

A Place To Bury Strangers

A Place to Bury Strangers are a New York–based noise rock band. The lineup is composed of Oliver Ackermann (guitar/vocals), Dion Lunadon (bass) and Jay Space (drums). In early Spring 2010 original member Jono MOFO decided to leave the band for personal reasons (after recently getting married) rather than tour with the band during their US tour. He was replaced by Dion. The band plays a heavy, atmospheric wall of sound-influenced blend of psychedelic rock, shoegaze and space rock. Throughout their formative years, the band's live shows got increasingly chaotic which garnered them the title of New York City's "loudest band" from various indie reviewers and bloggers. The sonically overdriven sound they've accomplished is no clumsy accident, but a carefully cultivated and well-maintained entity all its own, fostered by an unbridled passion that's clearly evident in every live show they play and each recording they make. A Place To Bury Strangers does not so much play songs as allow them to pour out. They are songs about longing, heartbreak and confusion played extremely well and at a passionately loud volume. They are currently in the studio working on their third album. This is "Keep Slipping Away" off of their 2009 release Exploding Head.

www.aplacetoburystrangers.com

Smelly Dog

Bon Iver

Bon Iver (pronounced bon e-vair) is an indie folk band founded by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon is joined live by Sean Carey (drums/vocals/piano), Michael Noyce (vocals/baritone guitar/ guitar) and Matthew McCaughan (bass/drums/vocals). I wanted to do another post on Bon Iver because he just released his second album. Joining him on the new album are several different musicians, such as Colin Stetson (bass saxophone) and Greg Leisz (pedal steel). The album is composed of 10 songs and takes a new musical direction than his first album. Vernon states “I brought in a lot of people to change my voice; not my singing voice, but my role as the author of this band, this project.” Prior to the album's release, Vernon said that each song on the new album represents a place. The album was recorded in a remodeled veterinarian clinic in Fall Creek, WI, which was bought by Vernon and his brother in 2008. It was converted into April Base Studios, built mainly over the defunct swimming pool attached to the clinic. Vernon's reason for recording in the location was that "[it's] been a wonderful freedom, working in a place we built. It's also only three miles from the house I grew up in, and just ten minutes from the bar where my parents met." I really love the utilization of so many instruments in this song, especially being performed live. This is "Holocene" off the new self titled album.

www.boniver.org

Smelly Dog