It's Saturday night, and I've got nothing particularly interesting going on as I sit here enjoying a Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat beer, digging through the inbox for some post material and idly watching the Florida-SC game. Being a music blogger who lives in rural Northern Wisconsin, I can't exactly catch a taxi and head down to the Bowery Ballroom to see what's going on tonight. I can't even imagine what it must be like to have this hobby but live in a town like Austin or New York. At least fellow Wisconsinian Ryan lives a few hours south in the happening town of Madison.
Regardless of the uneventfulness of my evening and my distant proximity to any cool music scene, there's quite a bit of good music to pass along tonight...
Hanging out on Myspace this evening? If so, drop by Mark Minelli's space and check out this folk/indie/acoustic talent from Chicago/Cincinatti. I was surprised by the "Marleyness" of this white boy from the Midwest. Slap it on during your pregame for the bar scene tonight and your friends will undoubtedly be asking you, "Who's this?"
Another artist you should probably check out is fellow Ohioans State Bird. Their newest release, Mostly Ghostly, will be out in February on The Record Machine. Below you can preview the first track available for download off that album, "I Saw The Light."
According to Meredith, who sent me the PR release, "They manage to mix xylophone, electric guitar, trumpets, Native American style chanting, marching drums, and vocals on minimalism into a beautifully balanced Pixies/Sufjan Stevens brew. The whole ablum has the pilgrim and indian theme running through it. Just in time for Thanksgiving, right? "I Saw The Light" is a good one to listen to as the leaves change and it gets dark at 4pm (boooo)."
Boo to darkness at 4pm indeed. Remember the summer days and see the light below:
State Bird - "I Saw The Light"
Catch State Bird on tour:
11/9 Grand Rapids, MI- House Show
11/10 Ann Arbour, MI- House Show
11/16 New York City,NY- Cakeshop
11/17 New York City,NY- Piano's
11/17 Akron,OH- Musica
11/26 Sheffield,AL- Old Town Tavern
11/27 Jackson, MS- Swell O Venue
11/29 Abliene,TX- Monk's'
11/30 Oklahoma City,OK- Blue 7
12/01 Kansas City, MO- River Market Brewery
Wakey! Wakey! cover Neutral Milk Hotel
Feeling like a cover tonight? Stream/download Wakey!Wakey! covering Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two Headed Boy Pt. 1" over at zShare.
Ok, one inbox purged...on to the next...