Free Download on Friday

Insound, an awesome online indie rock music store which stocks the expected CDs as well as vinyl, posters, t-shirts and more, offers up a free MP3 for your listening pleasure each week. You can sign up to receive an e-mail update, or you can check here, as I'm going to start posting them.

Take a listen and tell me what you think.

Download "Splintered Bridges" by the Splinters

Introducing: Chad VanGaalen

What's a notorious homebody, illustrator and animator to do with his spare time? Form a one-man band of course! "Self-recording, and playing almost every instrument - including many hand-crafted ones", VanGaalen uses his basement recording studio in Calgary to create music as unique as his varying artistic pursuits.



Listen to Graveyard by Chad VanGaalen

He self-released his debut, Infiniheart, but was quickly approached by mid-level indie label SubPop to re-release the gem. His later releases, Skelliconnection and Soft Airplane gained him critical acclaim and numerous award nominations, including Juno and Polaris Prize nominations.



Download Willow Tree and City of Electric Light free, (just click on song title)...

I was immediately impressed with the poignant, almost yearning style of his vocals, though I'll readily admit that he might come across as a but too yearning and poignant for some listeners. Dare I say some might find him "whiny"? I'd like to know what you think. Shoot me a note via comment and let's discuss.

New Release: Frightened Rabbit's Nothing Like You

According to their label, FatCat Records, "Nothing Like You marks the beginning of a major new step for Frightened Rabbit.

Album Cover Courtesy FatCat Records

The new album "is already being touted as the collection of music that will push the band into vast new territories. Although live shows are frequently sold out - crammed full of an audience who sing along to every word of Hutchison’s soaring, evocative lyrics - critical and public adoration suggests an upward ascension of an even larger scale to come."

The album will be released in the UK on February 22nd, but will be available in the US on the 23rd.

Listen to the title track "Nothing Like You"

And here's the video for the first single, "Swim Until You Can't See Land".

Monday Makeover - Here Comes Your Man

Photo Courtesy last.fm

Written by Black Francis, the lead singer of the Pixies, as a teenager, "Here Comes Your Man" was recorded for the band's 1987 demo tape, but was not included on either Come On Pilgrim or Surfer Rosa. Though critics saw "Here Comes Your Man" as the Pixies' breakthrough song, an accessible song, it was not released until 1989 as the fifth track on Doolittle.



Listen to Here Comes Your Man, as performed by SamIAm



Even though the song was released as a single and the video received regular play on MTV, the Pixies rarely played it at concerts or at promotional events, until recently, when it's gotten prominent play on late night TV featuring the Pixies as the musical guest and in teen dramas.

New Video: For the Love Of Others by Piney Gir

This is the second video from Piney's recent album, The Yearling! Created by Geoff Howell in support of the recent single released by Damaged Goods Records.

Makeover Monday - A Medley of Covers

Normally I showcase several covers of one popular song. This week I decided to provide you with a medley of some of the covers performed by indie music artists in 2009.

First, Vampire Weekend put together this fantastic Fleetwood Mac cover...



LISTEN TO: The Feelies covering "Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones

And here's James Bond's classic "Diamonds Are Forever", revamped by Arctic Monkeys...



LISTEN TO: Asobi Seksu covering "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen

Lastly, here's Luke Lalonde from Born Ruffians, covering Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire"...

Flashback Friday - Local Favorites From Athens, GA

Flashback Fridays are always fun. But, because I was out sick last week and had the day off on New Years, this is the first Flashback Friday of the new year! I thought there was no better way to make it special than to showcase some old favorites from some of Georgia's greatest bands, all part of the Athens, GA scene.

R.E.M. which formed in 1981, has long been one of the most successful music acts to move out of Athens and gain a national and world-wide following. They're still cranking out great music, even after all these years. Here's an oldie, but goodie, for your pleasure:

Photo Courtesy: Last.fm

Neutral Milk Hotel, who centered around chief lyricist and songwriter, Jeff Mangum, have been on long-term hiatus since 1998. But the songs they left for us before that date are still as good as ever, including this one:



Formed in 1989 Magnapop's permanent roster includes Linda Hopper on vocals and Ruthie Morris on guitar. Best known for Lay It Down and Slowly, Slowly, the band released several albums. Here's a lesser known, but still great offering:

Web Wednesday: What's Going On - 01/13/2010

According to Pitchfork.com...

"Sub Pop will release I Will Be, the debut album from fuzzed-out L.A. garage rockers Dum Dum Girls on March 30. A 7" of its first single "Jail La La" (pictured above), backed by non-album track "Play With Fire", hits February 16."

and...

"Yes! It's true! The new Joanna Newsom album is indeed called Have One on Me and it's out February 23! Newsom's Australian label, Spunk, just broke the news."

The following bands have been "hyped" on Last.fm:

I Hear Sirens: Listen to: Pale Moon, Guide Us Ashore

The Crowns - Courtesy of Last.fm

The Crowns: Listen to Yeeeaahhh

Like a certain band? Last.fm also has a "similar artist" feature which is really great. For example, I really like Metric. Last.fm turned me on to some other artists that other users think sound like Metric.

So, you can listen to Monster Hospital by Metric, while finding out you might also like Shame & Fortune by Yeah Yeah Yeahs!

Want to find out about movie news and gossip and maybe see the latest trailers? Check out ComingSoon.net. FOr example, we found out the following:

• Sam Raimi confirms he IS on board to direct Ghostbusters 3
• You can check out new posters and a trailer for The Crazies
• And Leonardo DiCaprio will be narrating the new iMax 3D feature, Hubble 3D
  

Monday Makeover - The Train From Kansas City

I received a pretty great book for Christmas, which I'm in the middle of re-reading after a voracious first run-through. Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small details the 20 year history of Merge Records, one of my favorite labels. It's put out the recordings of Portastatic, Lou Barlow, Polvo, Butterglory and their main attraction (at least to this girl)...Superchunk.

I have to admit, I first heard "Train From Kansas City" on Tossing Seeds: Singles 89-91, a compilation of Superchunk 7" singles put out on Merge Records in 1991. Here's a video of Superchunk playing the song during their first show ever in Raleigh, in 1989.



Only after reading the book did I find out that the song was a B-side, and an album cut from the Shangri-las debut album "Leader of the Pack." Listen to the original version, CLICK HERE.

Promotional picture of The Shangri-Las, circa 1965/66
Source: Red Bird Records

The song has been covered by a number of prominent and lesser known indie artists.

Here's a video of Neko Case covering the track:



And here's a lesser known video version, performed in 1986 by the Shop Assistants. CLICK HERE.

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of Makeover Monday. Let me know if there's a certain song that you'd like me to focus on. Have a great week.

Makeover Monday - Blowin' In The Wind

This year the goal is to continue the Scene 13 blog tradition of daily "topical" blogs. So Mondays will continue to be dedicated to covers, otherwise known as "Makeover Monday". This weekend, watching the boyfriend swap out tunes on his iPod, the title "Blowin' in the Wind" flashed past my eyes. I decided that would be the first track blogged about in 2010.

Written by Bob Dylan, and released on his 1963 album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, the song has been covered by a variety of individuals and bands over nearly 50 years. I enjoy searching out some of the lesser-known covers and sharing them with Scene 13 blog readers, so figured it was a great track to continue with the tradition.

Ketevan "Katie" Melua, a British-Georgian singer currently signed to the small Dramatico record label, made her musical debut in 2003. Here's her version:



If you like your covers with a little punk rock insouciance and panache, you might like this version: Blowin' In the Wind by Me First & The Gimme Gimmes

Like your covers delivered by a well-known pop superstar? You might prefer this version:



The Seekers, a group of Australian folk-influenced popular musicians formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, keep to the folk sound, with their own personal twist: Blowin' In the Wind by the Seekers

Countless musicians have covered his classics, so I had to showcase the great Johnny Cash putting his stamp on the first makeover song of the year: