Dr. Dog Cover Architecture in Helsinki

In a publicity stunt of sorts, Australian band Architecture in Helsinki have not only commissioned 2 remixes for their upcoming single, "Heart It Races," but they've also outsourced three covers of the song. One of my favorite bands of this year, Dr. Dog, participated in the project and I feel they've delivered the winning version. While the other two bands, Soft Tigers and Hey Willpower! mimicked the danceable beat, Dr. Dog splashed on their own style. Listen to it for yourself:

Coming Attractions: No Age

Another band on tonight's Echo bill has caught my attention today: L.A.'s very own No Age. Dubbed as one of the 'Gum's Bands to Watch, the two piece play a fast paced garage rock frenzy. I've read that it's called "Art-punk," so hey - whatever makes it sound cooler. This is their new video that just hit YouTube for their song "Boy Void." The song comes off their upcoming release Weirdo Rippers via Fat Cat Records. With all the buzz surrounding this release, it should be interesting.

Weekend Concert Roundup: Los Angeles

Friday, June 1st
Deerhoof, Autolux @ Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Matt and Kim, No Age, Japanther, Mika Miko @ The Echo
The Raveonettes - Special Electric Duo Show, Midnight Movies, The Meek @ Spaceland

Saturday, June 2nd
The High Strung, Brimstone Howl @ Spaceland
Pretty Girls Make Graves @ Glass House
Japanther, DD/MM/YYYY, The Pope @ The Smell

Coming Attractions: Japanther

Brooklyn two-piece, Japanther makes there way into L.A. tonight and they're bringing their noise with them. Don't let the stripped down drum and bass/synth combo fool you, because these guys pump it out. Utilizing tape loops and lo-fi recording techniques, Japanther have made a name for themselves with self promotion and a DIY attitude. They're taking over the opening duties for tonight's Matt and Kim show at the Echo and I can't wait for the high energy set. This homemade video is of the song "Divorce" and comes off the Operating Manual for Life Here on Earth EP. They will also be playing The Smell downtown tomorrow night.

June Mix - 1. Kanye West - Jesus Walks

Nothing says summer like Kanye's smash hit, "Jesus Walks." The first time I heard this song was my first day at work for the summer of 2004 just having moved home from school. Yes, I know this CD was out months before that, but I hesitated to jump on the Kanye bandwagon. This wasn't technically the first single off the record, but I feel this was the song that put Kanye on the map. Anywhere you turned that summer, you could hear this song on the radio, blasting out of cars, at the swimming pool, or anywhere else that pumped out the jam. The tempo and urgency of the song I feel will set a nice tone for the rest of the mix.

June 2007: Summer Anthems

In honor of it being June, the month that summer really kicks off for all you highschoolers and people still on quarters, this month's theme is going to be Summer Anthems. I'm going to try to keep it sort of broad - songs that may not have necessarily been released in the summer months, but got a lot of play during June, July, or August are all fair game. This is going to be a mix full of "that one song" that everytime you hear, it takes you back to those months when homework and long pants weren't an issue. Every song needs to be one you'd blast out your car stereo with the windows down.

May mixes can be downloaded at Rapidshare in .zip format, or you can request a hard copy via email.

Blowin' Up: Coltrane Motion

Everywhere I've turned on the internet this week, I've seen these two words: Coltrane Motion. I finally gave in this afternoon during my lunch break and looked up a couple mp3's to listen for myself and find out what everyone has been writing about. The Chicago band is basically made up of songwriter Michael Bond who plays "everything" with a couple others lending musician hands for live performances. He's been putting out records since 2000 and everything I've heard so far is pretty sweet. Their press statement describes them as, "heartbreak you can dance to, booty breaks dipped in indie guitar fuzz with a mess of synths, samplers, & laptops tearing it all to pieces." You can listen to it for yourself right here:

"How To Be"

"Twenty-Seven"

Both songs come off of Coltrane Motion's 2007 Datawaslost Release, Songs About Music. For more info check out their MySpace page.

Brand New Heartless Bastards Video and Tour

On the heels of announcing their Austin City Limits inclusion, Cincinnati's Heartless Bastards have released their plans for the rest of this summer as well as a brand new video for their song, "All This Time." This song is one of my favorites off the new record (out on Fat Possum) and the video is done pretty well too. During the choruses, the video borderlines Target advertising, but it's still well produced. This video leads me to believe that these guys are going to start blowing up Black Keys style, but I guess only time will tell. Their tour continues tonight in North Dakota and spans the Midwest and East Coast before ending in Chicago for Lollapalooza and Austin for the aforementioned ACL.

Blowin' Up: Sonny Jim

Every blog I've found this clip of Sonny Jim's "Can't Stop Moving" on is calling this the song of the summer - and it's not even June. With a great Jackson 5 sound-a-like sample (and video) you really can't go wrong. This reminds me of a less ADD version of Girl Talk, which can either be a good or bad thing. There isn't much to it, but what there is a great beat and catchy hooks (and that's really all you need, right?) Check out Sonny Jim's MySpace for the whole story, and check out the song "I'm So Heavy" - it's hilarious. The "Can't Stop Moving" single is out on Rough Trade Records.

Modern Cover Songs - Moscow Coup Attempt

This is a cover of the Joanna Newsome song, "The Sprout and the Bean." This is the song that introduced me to Joanna Newsome and it's still one of (if not my most) favorite of her tracks. This cover by Moscow Coup Attempt is pretty spot on. Vocals are sang by Vera Ostrova and she does a good Newsome impression. I almost wish that the vocals would have gone in a different direction than emulating the original (like Colin Meloy's version of Bridges and Balloons), but overall I'd say it works pretty well. The video is either really poignant or just artschool drivel, I haven't figured it out - but I always love hearing covers of modern songs.