FUCK YEAH FEST IV!

July Mix - 15. Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues

For the final song of the Album Opener Mix I had to go with what I know best. Dylan does album openers better than anyone - he always has great songs at track #1. "Blowin' in the Wind," "The Times They Are A-Changin'," "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" to name a few were all album openers. Hell, Rolling Stone magazine's #1 song of all-time "Like a Rolling Stone" was one of Dylan's A1's. I picked this one, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" because it's an all-time favorite of mine and also because it's a nice compact, upbeat number perfectly suited for the mix tape format. Check out the seminal video for this song from D.A. Pennebaker's doc "Don't Look Back":

This concludes our July Mix. Expect a download link as soon as I get moved into my new place and compile all the songs...

July Mix - 14. Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

There isn't a lot to say about this song because it's an obvious pick for the mix. When I heard this album before all of the hype, this was by far the stand out track to me. A classic beginning to what has become a classic album already. I'm not a big fan of their latest effort, but this record will go down as one of the best of the 00's. This will be a good lead in to our last song. Tune in tomorrow for the official final July tracklist. Here's the music video for it:

New Weakerthans Song!

I'm kind of surprised to see this band getting some music blog love. I've appreciated The Weakerthans since high school but their brand of poppy alt. country rock can teeter into whiny territory and thus attract the haters. This song, "Night Windows" is the first leak from their upcoming release Reunion Tour on Epitaph Records. It sounds like the good ol' Weakerthan sound and I'm glad for it. Pretty slow and shiny, the band waits until the end of the song to release the hook and the title lyric. Definitely worth a listen (or two.) Reunion Tour due out 9/25.

Joanna Newsome Playing LA With Orchestra

Joanna Newsom appears to be next in line for the latest fad in indie music - going orchestral. So far the harpist has 4 U.S. orchestral dates scheduled including one at L.A.'s Walt Disney Music Hall. According to Pitchfork she is touring with a 28 piece ensemble (I'm assuming she will not be using the L.A. Phil like Decemberists and Bright Eyes.) The show is slated for November 9th. Her sound lends itself to this sort of spectacle and you can bet I'll be in attendance. In the meantime check out this video of her solo performance of (my favorite of her songs) "Sadie." It's funny to hear such an uproarious reception to such a soft and pretty song. The last verse of this song is to die for...

July Mix - 13. Wolf Parade - You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son

This song comes off one of my favorite records of 2005 Apologies To The Queen Mary and sets off one of the best one-two punches to start an album I can think of. "You Are a Runner..." begins with a punchy kick/open hi-hat drum beat and sets the tone for the rest of the album. This is a perfect place in the mix for this song with it coming off the heels of Modest Mouse's track. Isaac Brock is responsible for signing this band and produced most of the album (and you can tell WP borrowed a lot from him, especially vocal stylings.)

Zach Galifianakis and Will Oldham - Can't Tell Me Nothin'

Via KanyeWest.com: In another brilliant move by Kanye West to garner indie blog attention, he has commissioned funnyman Zach Galifianakis and folkster Will Oldham to redo his music video for "Can't Tell Me Nothin'." The original video and single was catching a lot of flak, because, well they both kind of suck. This video parodies the seriousness of the song, and seeing Kanye's more lighthearted side makes me like the single more. Even though he doesn't appear in the video, I've read that the spoof was his idea. Check it out for yourself here at KanyeWest.com. It's worth the couple minutes especially for fans of Zach's. If you watch you can catch Will cracking up in the silhouette shots.

July Mix - 12. Modest Mouse - 3rd Planet

I originally wanted to include "Teeth Like God's Shoe Shine" off of The Lonesome Crowded West, but at six minutes plus, it breaks every rule for a mix tape. "3rd Planet" is a classic Modest Mouse track and has always been one of my personal favorites and The Moon and Antarctica is their second best album. This song is the perfect way to kick off the album and will make for a great addition to the mix.

Ben Kweller Will Play All 3 Albums in LA

In the wake of the Pitchfork Music Festival getting classic indie bands to play their magnum opuses (sp?) in their entirety (Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation or The GZA's Liquid Swords) Ben Kweller announced that he's going to do something similar in NY and LA. Over the course of a three night stint at The Echo, Ben will play Sha Sha the first night, I'm On My Way the second night, and the newer self-titled album on the third night. For 18 bucks you can see just one album, or for 50 bucks (yikes) you can buy a pass for all three. Click here if you're interested in buying said tickets. The NY shows are already sold out (besides the I'm On My Way show. Ha!) I'm definitely going to check out the Sha Sha show.

Fuck Yeah Fest in L.A. Times

Today's Times edition features a writeup of Echo Park's Summer music festival. Fuck Yeah Fest takes place this August and with bands like Deerhunter and The Explosion slated to play, the Los Angeles mass media is taking some notice. Read the article here. We're all still waiting to hear who the "special guest" will be, who is supposedly being announced the week of the shows. For the time being check out this Deerhunter music video for their song "Lake Somerset" off the newest LP Cryptograms. If you don't know anything about this band click here and read up, their controversy is actually more interesting than their music.