No Age: New Live Songs

So here are some brand new live songs from No Age. They were recorded by Ashtapes, a Portuguese concert recording blog. Totally check it out, there is some really cool stuff there. Apparently the songs don't even have names yet, and according to Sub Pop, they will be releasing a new album very soon. Anyway, here is a link to where you can listen to the songs. And you can also download them all here. Enjoy!

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2 Semi-New Wolf Parade Songs!

I say semi-new because I'm basically just a little late on this one, but here you go anyway! 2 new song from Wolf Parade's new album "Expo 86". It comes out on Sub Pop, June 29th, 2010.

Wolf Parade - Ghost Pressure

Wolf Parade - What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to be this Way)

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Avi Buffalo - What's In It For?

Avi Buffalo is the new band from 18 year old singer/songwriter Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg. The album is self titled and just came out on Sub Pop on April 27th. This is the new video for "What's in it for?" It's pretty catchy stuff. If you're into The Shins or Loney, Dear or anything similar, this is probably your wet dream.

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ryanslist: Top 10 "Indie" Labels

It's time once again for another completely objective (not) list from yours truly. The subject? I suppose the title gave that one away, so we'll move on to defining how I've defined the list:

• How do we define which labels are "indie" labels and which ones aren't? This is a bit more hazy than I expected it to be. There are those labels that are obviously not considered independent because they are prominent members of the RIAA and own almost the entire known world: EMI, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG, and Universal Music Group. Each of those run a number of smaller labels (i.e. Warner Bros., Atlantic, Arista, Interscope, Columbia, RCA, etc.). So we can throw all of those out. Beyond that, there is a bit of a "gray" area. For one, many independent labels are at least partially owned by these major conglomerates (Sub Pop is 49% owned by Warner Music Group), and many more are actually listed as members of the RIAA. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll be up front about the fact that this list is a pretty liberal one: Many of the labels listed on the RIAA's site are there because of marketing and/or distribution deals. So if a label fell into that category or if a major label didn't own a controlling interest, I considered that label fair game. When I wasn't sure I checked with RIAA Radar. Take issue with that if you will.

• How do we actually define which "indie" labels were chosen for the list? This basically came down to a question within a question: Artists or albums? Ultimately I decided to go with albums for one reason: Artists can move from label to label, and at the independent level it seems as though they can just about do that whenever they want (not so amongst the majors). The albums those bands produce, on the other hand, remain with the labels for the entirety of that labels existence (for the most part). So, for me, labels truly will always be defined by the music that they release, not the bands that they are currently home to. I suppose you could base a list off of what bands a label discovered, but that's getting too muddy and time consuming for me.

Speaking of consuming time, I've done too much of that already. I'll list a couple of albums as a short argument for each label, but for the sake of brevity there won't be any all-inclusive lists, and I only listed one album from any particular artist on that label, max. I'm sure many will have problems with the parameters I've set or the arguments I've presented, but so be it; Off we go:

10. Tigerstyle

Know By Heart American Analog Set

A Data Learn The Language Mercury Program

Two Conversations The Appleseed Cast

9. DeSoto

Mission: Control! Burning Airlines

Emergency & I The Dismemberment Plan

This Is The Way It Goes And Goes Juno

8. Touch & Go

Anahata June of 44

Spiderland Slint

Summer in Abaddon Pinback

7. Matador

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain Pavenment

Twin Cinema The New Pornographers

Turn on the Bright Lights Interpol

6. XL

Ratatat Ratatat

The Loon Tapes n' Tapes

Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend

5. Jade Tree

Nothing Feels Good The Promise Ring

Hashin' It Out Euphone

Orange Rhyming Dictionary Jets To Brazil

4. Polyvinyl

American Football American Football

Frame & Canvas Braid

The Californian Sunday's Best

3. Merge

Kill the Moonlight Spoon

Funeral Arcade Fire

Madonna And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead

2. Sub Pop

Diary Sunny Day Real Estate

Bleach Nirvana

Our Endless Numbered Days Iron & Wine

Give Up Postal Service

Everything All The Time Band of Horses

1. Dischord

Out of Step Minor Threat

The View From This Tower Faraquet

End Hits Fugazi

Novelty Jawbox

Different Damage Q And Not U

Remember, this is just one know-nothing's opinion. Let's hear your take!

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Help Me Jack Pepsi!

I just found out about these guys within the last 6 months or so and I’m so disappointed that I haven’t been listening to them for the last 22 years. TAD is the best band you may have never heard of. They were one of the first bands to come out of the Seattle “grunge” scene and one of the first to sign to Sub Pop. They toured with Nirvana as their opener, got sued a couple times, went through their fair share of band members, and probably a lot more unknown drama. The band had more problems than most and it’s really a shame because they could have been HUGE. Musically TAD is just plain mean and intense, but occasionally there are those brilliant songs, like “Plague Years”, that seem to perfectly define the generation. There’s a great documentary about them called “Tad: Busted Circuits and Ringing Ears” that is fairly in depth and really interesting. There is a link to the trailer is below. But we all need to help raise awareness of TAD, if for no other reason than to hopefully get their vinyl albums repressed.
TAD – Plague Years

TAD – Jack Pepsi

TAD - Dementia

TAD – Ictus

Tad: Busted Circuits and Ringing Ears Trailer

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Retribution Gospel Choir

Retribution Gospel Choir is a 3-piece headed by Alan Sparhawk of Low. This is their second album entitled “2” and it will rock your face off. The music is very different from that of Low. Low seems to be very subtle and subdued whereas Retribution Gospel Choir is more about big riffs, huge drums and even a little classic rock in the mix. Their self-titled debut album was released through Mark Kozelek’s label Caldo Verde Records. This is their first album on Sub Pop and I can’t imagine it’ll be their last. My advice is to go out and buy this today and PLAY IT AS LOUD AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE!

Retribution Gospel Choir – Hide It Away

Retribution Gospel Choir - Your Bird

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Track of the Week: Iron & Wine's "The Trapeze Swinger"

"The Trapeze Swinger" is a song that was written and recorded by Iron & Wine for the movie In Good Company. It's also one of over 20 tracks that have been collected for the band's double-disc odds and ends compilation "Around the Well", which is due out May 19:

You can also download the track for free from Sub Pop here (right click the link and "save" or "save as").

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