Wilco (The Album) now taking Pre-orders

The pre-orders are up for what should be the album of the year.

Friday Mix

• "What's Going Ahn" Big Star- Radio City
• "One More Hour" Sleater-Kinney- Dig Me Out
• "Ain't Talkin'" Bob Dylan- Modern Times
• "Fools" The Dodos- Visiter
• "Forever" The Beach Boys- Sunflower
• "Street Flashes" Animal Collective- Water Curses EP
• "Black Swan" Thom Yorke- Eraser
• "The Second Line" Clinic- Internal Wrangler
• "The Jolly Banker" Wilco- The Jolly Banker Single
• "Consquence" The Notwist- Neon Golden

Rhett Miller on 30 Rock Finale

Rhett Miller, front man for the Old 97's, will be featured in the season finale of 30 Rock. Pretty cool, one of my favorite musicians on my current favorite comedy show.

Steve Earle- Townes

Amazon is offering a great deal today. You can download Townes, the new album from Steve Earle for $2.99

ACL Artist, Volume 2: Bon Iver

Everybody know the Pearl Jam and The Beasties but every year the ACL Festival is made but the mid-level bands. So over the next few months, we will highlight several bands that we are looking forward to.

...

Bon Iver
Style: Folk, Singer-Songwriter
For Fans of: Iron & Wine
Playing: Saturday (10/03/09)

"Skinny Love" on Letterman

"Flume"

Previously:

- The Dodos

ACL Artist, Volume 1: The Dodos

Everybody know the Pearl Jam and The Beasties but every year the ACL Festival is made but the mid-level bands. So over the next few months, we will highlight several bands that we are looking forward to.

...

The Dodos
Style: Freak-Folk
For Fans of: Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens
Playing: Sunday (10/04/09)

"Winter"

"Fools"

Animal Collective on Letterman

"Summertime Clothes"

Yes, this song has already been named my official anthem for the Summer.

Wilco (The Album)

Greatness. I can wait to June 30th when this album to come out.

Friday Mix

• "Let Me Ride" Dr. Dre- The Chronic
• "Pilot" The Notwist- Neon Golden
• "Nothing Much Too Lose" My Bloody Valentine- Isn't Anything
• "Kangaroo" Big Star- Third/Sister Lovers
• "Feathers" Andrew Weatherall- The Bullet Catcher’s Apprentice
• "Saeglopur" Sigur Ros- Takk..
• "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" Wilson Pickett- The Very Best of...
• "Take A Load Off Your Feet" The Beach Boys- Surf's Up
• "Utilitarian" Spoon- A Series of Sneaks
• "Travelling Light" The Fireman- Electric Arguments

Wilco Announce Title for New Album

Wilco has announced that the title of the upcoming new album will be Wilco (The Album). So, they decieded not to get real creative with the title.

Here is the track list:
01 Wilco the Song
02 Deeper Down
03 One Wing
04 Bull Black Nova
05 You and I (with Feist)
06 You Never Know
07 Country Disappeared
08 Solitaire
09 I'll Fight
10 Sunny Feeling
11 Everlasting

Reactions to ACL Festival Line-up

As with ever line-up release for festivals there is some letdown and there are some highlights. This years ACL Festival is no different. Below is a list of bands that I've never seen and I'm thrilled about seeing.

Pearl Jam
- Eddie Vedder and company was my favorite band all through out high school. Ten, Vs., Vitology and No Code are all classics in my opinion. Seeing Eddie Vedder will be as important to me as seeing Bob Dylan was (is that blasphemy?).

The Beastie Boys
- I fully expect seeing “Sabotage” live will change my life. Maybe my bar is set to high but I’m pumped about seeing them.

The Avett Brothers
- I’ve posted many times about my love for these guys and nothing has changed.

The Walkmen
- They recorded the best album of 2008 and I’ll finally get to see if they can deliver live.

Grizzly Bear
- Yellow House is an amazing album that features layers of musical elements and beautiful and haunting harmonies. I curious if they will be able to reproduce their sound live but if they come anywhere close to, it should be one of the best shows of the weekend.

Kings of Leon
- I’m still in total shock about how big this band has gotten and to add to my confusion their popularity comes with the release their least impressive album Only By The Night. All that being said, “Trani” still gives me goosebumps.

Ghostland Observatory
- Their live shows are the stuff of legends. Missed them last year, I won’t make that mistake again this year.

The Scabs
- I’m a huge fan of Bob Schneider so see The Scabs for the first time will be treat.

Sonic Youth
- I’ve been a huge fan but there is no question that these guys are legends.

Austin City Limits Music Festival Line-Up

Spoon Fest

Spoon will take over Stubb's in Austin for three days this Summer for their very own festival. Here is the schedule and a their guest.

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Thursday, July 6th

Spoon

Black Joe Lewis

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

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Friday, July 7th

Spoon

Dale Watson

Low

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Saturday, July 8th

Spoon

Atlas Sound

The Strange Boys

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3 day pass and single day tickets are available HERE

Friday Mix

• "Long-Forgotten Fairly Tale" Magnetic Fields- 69 Love Songs
• "After The Gold Rush" Neil Young- Decade
• "You Never Should" My Bloody Valentine- Isn't Anything
• "El Caporal" My Morning Jacket- Dark Was The Night
• "Trashing Days" The Notwist- Neon Golden
• "Inni mer syngur vitleysingur" Sigur Ros- Med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust
• "The Blue" Jason Isabell & The 400 Unit- Jason Isabell & The 400 Unit
• "Outfit" Drive-By Truckers- Decoration Day
• "Tears Are In Your Eyes" Yo La Tengo- Prisoners of Love
• "Sing The Changes" The Fireman- Electric Arguments

This Weeks Concerts

This week is a huge week of concert for me. Three great shows in three days.

Tuesday, April 21st

My Bloody Valentine

Austin Music Hall

Tickets

Wednesday, April 22nd

Ryan Bingham

Country Line Restaurant

FREE

Thursday, April 23rd
Bob Schiender
Sam's Burger Joint Music Hall
Tickets

13th Annual Americana Jam Line-Up

Every year KNBT 92.1FM Radio New Braunfels puts on their Americana Jam at Legendary Gruene Hall. Proceeds for this years event benefit the Hope Hospice.

This years line up includes Cody Canada, Stoney LaRue, Jason Boland (acoustic), Ray Wylie Hubbard, Micky & the Motorcars, Seth James, Slaid Cleaves, Big House, Tom Gillam, Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros, Sean McConnell, Zack Walther & the Cronkites, Kevin Welch (w/ the band from Reckless Kelly), and more.

I'm most excited about Kevin Welch. I've been a fan for a long time but haven't ever seen him live. Should be cool especially since he will be back by Reckless Kelly.

The Jam is Sunday, May 17th. Tickets are $40. Buy them here.

Friday Mix

• "Cupid Come" My Bloody Valentine- Isn't Anything
• "Ana" Pixies- Bossanova
• "What I Mean to You" Justin Townes Earle- Midnight at the Movies
• "Plans" Grizzly Bear- Yellow House
• "Send My Fond Regards To Lonelyville" Elvis Perkins- Elvis Perkins In Dearland
• "Vid spilum endalaust" Sigur Ros- Med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust
• "The Wrestler" Bruce Springteen- Working On A Dream
• "The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning" Willie Nelson- Always On My Mind
• "Cellz" DOOM- Born Like This.
• "handshake drugs" Wilco- more like the moon EP

The Best 25 Albums 2000-2009: Number 19

With the end of a decade looming at the end of this year, I've decide to post my 25 favorite albums from 2000 to 2009.

#19
The Walkmen- You & Me
[Gigantic]
2008

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You & Me was album of the year for 2008 so their isn't much more I can say about this album. So here is Amazon.com review:

You & Me is a solid and complex collection of inspired songwriting. Romantic and celebratory, this is the sound of The Walkmen returning to classic form. The music that influenced the Walkmen to compose You & Me follows in a tradition of song writing that traces back to early rock'n'roll: the intimacy and energy of Elvis Presley's and Buddy Holly's early recordings, and the massive voice and orchestration of Roy Orbison. With some romance and drama, You & Me harnesses the immediacy of a live-band into meticulously constructed, unique-sounding rock songs. You & Me would definitely not be mistaken for old, but has an almost immediateability to evoke a wistful sense of nostalgia in any listener.

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Previously:
#25 Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes / Sun Giant EP (2008)
#24 White Stripes- Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
#23 Arcade Fire- Neon Bible (2007)
#22 Bright Eyes- Lifted or The Story Is... (2002)
#21 Destroyer- Destroyer's Rubies (2006)
#20 TV On The Radio- Return To Cookie Mountain (2006)

13th Annual Americana Jam

The 13th Annual KNBT Americana Jam will be May 17th this year and will, as always, be held at legendary Gruene Hall. The artist list will be announce this Friday on KNBT. I'll post them next week.

My Bloody Valentine

We are officially less than a week away from seeing My Bloody Valentine here in the Lone Star State. They are actually playing 2 of their 5 US concerts here in Texas. April 21st in Austin and then April 22nd in Dallas. I've been getting pumped up for what I've read is a completely intense live show.

Here is a excerpt from a concert review from Brooklyn Vegan:

My Bloody Valentine's thoroughly enjoyable live show closely resembles their output: dreamy vocals by both Kevin & Belinda lay low in the mix with melody tucked under layers upon dense hunks of fuzz. Visuals matched their sonic aesthetic in both the serene (projectons behind them) and confrontational (the blinding, pulsing light show). The band mostly stuck to their rhythm parts and played along with sampled leads, which was evident throughout the whole set but came unglued for a ever-so-brief moment when drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig fell slightly behind a pre-recorded hi-hat (I would have chalked it up to random echo if I didn't see his cringe-y reaction).

Call me a sadist, but I dared to pull my ear plugs out a few times... just to get a sense of what they were really doing. It didn't last long, and to be perfectly frank, it was hard to even make out anything without some sort of protection. That said, if you are heading to see them Monday or Tuesday, I will reiterate.... make sure you have some earplugs! You'll enjoy the show more and you're gonna fucking need 'em to endure their noisy 20-odd minute climax.

Upcoming Releases

21 April
Slaid Cleaves- Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away

28 April
Bob Dylan- Together Through Life

5 May
Conor Oberst- Outer South
Ryan Bingham- Roadhouse
St. Vincent- Actor

12 May
Steve Earle- Townes

19 May
Iron & Wine- Around The Well
Iggy Pop- Preliminaires
Emenim- Relapse

26 May
Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest

2 June
Elvis Costello- Secret, Profane & Sugarcane

9 June
The Dead Winter (Jack White)- Horehound
Rhett Miller- Rhett Miller
Sonic Youth- The Eternal
Lil' Wayne- Rebirth

23 June
Deer Tick- Born On Flag Day
Bruce Robison- Beautiful Day

7 July
Son Volt- American Central Dust

The Best 25 Albums 2000-2009: Number 20

With the end of a decade looming at the end of this year, I've decide to post my 25 favorite albums from 2000 to 2009.

#20
TV On The Radio- Return To Cookie Mountain
[Interscope]
2006

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This album was my introduction to TV on the Radio and from the first moment that I heard "I Was A Lover", I was a fan. Through out the 11 songs on this album, they perfectly blend rock, soul, shoegazing, electronica, jazz, a cappella, and indie pop. TVOTR is one of the most innovative bands going and you don't need to look any further than "Wolf Like Me" to see that this band is a force.

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Previously:
#25 Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes / Sun Giant EP (2008)
#24 White Stripes- Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
#23 Arcade Fire- Neon Bible (2007)
#22 Bright Eyes- Lifted or The Story Is... (2002)
#21 Destroyer- Destroyer's Rubies (2006)

Album of the Month: Justin Townes Earle- Midnight at the Movies

Our album of the month for March is Justin Townes Earle's second release, Midnight at the Movies. Son of the legendary Steve Earle and named after the legendary Townes Van Zandt, Justin has some big boots to fill and he fills them well on Midnight at the Movies. This is Americana at its best. Justin takes more from Hank Williams than he does from his daddy. Standout tracks are "Mama's Eyes", "What I Mean To You" and a great cover of The Replacement's "Can't Hardly Wait"

Friday Mix

• "Alligator (Choir Version)" Grizzly Bear- Friend EP
• "Ignorant Shit" Jay-Z- American Gangster
• "Center of Gravity" Yo La Tengo- I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
• "Slushy" The Vaselines- The Way of The Vaselines
• "Blown A Wish" My Bloody Valentine- Loveless
• "That's That" DOOM- Born Like This.
• "In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song)" Pixies- At The BBC
• "Shampoo" Elvis Perkins- Elvis Perkins In Dearland
• "Mama's Eyes" Justin Townes Earle- Midnight at the Movies
• "Because the Night" Bruce Springsteen- Live 1975-85

Springsteen Week: "The Wrestler"

This will be the last Springsteen post for a while. Since Sunday's concert in Austin, I've been listen to "The Wrestler" off of Working On A Dream non-stop. Here is the video for this song that was originally used in the movie "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke.

Sigur Rós @ MoMA

This is a little old now but I just watched this on TV yesterday and was blown away.

Track Listing:
Glósoli
Sé Lest
Við spilum endalaust
Sæglópur
Icelandic National Anthem
Inní mér syngur vitleysingur
Hoppípolla
Gobbledigook

Springsteen Week: Live at Erwin Center 04/05/09

“Is there anybody alive out there?"

What can I say about last nights Springsteen show. I would be hard pressed to tell you of a show that I enjoyed more. Bruce is truly one of the best live performers ever. The 3-hour set included most of my favorite Springsteen material, somehow no “Atlantic City” but I can’t complain. I had not heard anything of his new album until last night and I enjoyed them all with the exception of “Outlaw Pete” which I could do without. The highlights of the night were of course the amazing “Jungleland” (My favorite Springsteen tune) "Sherry Darling", "Because The Night" and “Born To Run”. “Born To Run” is a song that has been overplayed for me but hearing it live the power of this amazing song returned. Anybody that has never seen Springsteen and the E Street Band in concert, you are missing out.

Set List:
Badlands (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
Outlaw Pete (Working On A Dream)
My Lucky Day (Working On A Dream)
Prove It All Night (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
Out In The Street (The River)
Working On A Dream (Working On A Dream)
Seeds (Live 1975 – 85)
Johnny 99 (Nebraska)
Youngstown (The Ghost of Tom Joad)
Working On The Highway (Born In the USA)
Sherry Darling (The River)
She's The One (Born To Run)
Because The Night (Live 1975 – 85)
Waiting On A Sunny Day (The Rising)
The Promised Land (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
The Wrestler (Working On A Dream)
Kingdom Of Days (Working On A Dream)
Radio Nowhere (Magic)
Lonesome Day (The Rising)
The Rising (The Rising)
Born To Run (Born To Run)

Encore:
Hard Times (Cover)
Jungleland (Born To Run)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (Born To Run)
I'm A Rocker (The River)
Land Of Hope And Dreams (Live in New York City)
American Land (The Seeger Sessions)
Glory Days (Born In the USA)

The Best 25 Albums 2000-2009: Number 21

With the end of a decade looming at the end of this year, I've decide to post my 25 favorite albums from 2000 to 2009.



#21
Destroyer- Destroyer's Rubies
[Merge]
2006

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Dan Bejar is know by most in the music world as a member of the indie-supergroup, The New Pornographers. This is a shame because the The New Pornographers, whom I love, have never released an album anywhere near as good as Rubies. Bejar's music is divisive, it seem you either love him or hate him. He has an odd voice and a very unique phrasing, these can be off putting to some people but if you give him a chance, you will grow to love his music. Rubies has been one of my most played albums of the last 3 years because everytime I listen to it, I find something new.

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Previously:
#25 Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes / Sun Giant EP (2008)
#24 White Stripes- Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
#23 Arcade Fire- Neon Bible (2007)
#22 Bright Eyes- Lifted or The Story Is... (2002)

Springsteen Week: Friday Mix

• "Atlantic City" Nebraska
• "Racing In The Street" Darkness on the Edge of Town
• "Radio Nowhere" Magic
• "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" Born to Run
• "Youngtown" Live In New York City
• "State Trooper" Nebraska
• "The River" The River
• "Darlington County" Born in the USA
• "Jungleland" Born to Run
• "Streets Of Fire" Darkness on the Edge of Town

Hall of Fame Series: Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska

As part of Springsteen Week, Nebraska gets our Hall of Fame treatment today.

Nebraska might be The Boss' crowing achievement. Sure Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born To Run and The River are all masterpieces but on Nebraska its Bruce at his rawest. His songwriting is front and center and he brought his A game. "Mansion on the Hill", "Highway Patrolman", "Atlantic City" and "Nebraska" hold up to anything that Dylan or Townes ever produced. Nebraska sounds like a demo and that only adds to the intensity of these songs.

01. Nebraska
02. Atlantic City
03. Mansion On The Hill
04. Johnny 99
05. Highway Patrolman
06. State Trooper
07. Used Cars
08. Open All Night
09. My Father's House
10. Reason To Believe

....
Previous Hall of Fame Albums:
Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Guided By Voices- Bee Thousand
The Beatles- Abbey Road
Willie Nelson- Red Headed Stranger
Pavement- Slanted & Enchanted
The Byrds- Sweetheart of the Rodeo
Pixies- Doolittle
David Bowie- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Neutral Milk Hotel- In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
The Kinks- Village Green Preservation Society
Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisted
The Rolling Stones- Exile on Main Street
The Band- The Band
Robert Earl Keen- A Bigger Piece of Sky
Pixies- Surfer Rosa
Led Zeppelin- III
Wilco- Summerteeth
Wilco- A Ghost Is Born
Bruce Springsteen- Darkness on the Edge of Town
The Beatles- Revolver
The Beastie Boys- Check Your Head
Bob Dylan- Blonde on Blonde
Sigur Rós- Ágætis Byrjun
Miles Davis- Kind Of Blue
The Clash- London Calling
David Bowie- Low
Radiohead- Kid A
Arcade Fire- Funeral
Faces- A Nod Is As Good As A Wink...
The Band- Music From Big Pink
My Bloody Valentine- Loveless

Wilco Austin City Limits 2007

Download the whole set Wilco played on a 2007 taping of Austin City Limits via Aquarium Drunkard. Check out "Too Far Apart" one of my current live favorites.

Aquarium Drunkard: Wilco- Austin City Limits 2007

Bob Schneider visits The Laundromatinee

The King of Austin Bob Schneider played a few songs for The Laundromatinee. Below is a video for "Sugar King" and MP3's of the rest of the songs he played.

"Sugar King"

MP3: Bob Schneider - Sugar King
MP3: Bob Schneider - Love Is Everywhere
MP3: Bob Schneider - Blue Mountain
MP3: Bob Schneider - Changing Your Mind

Springsteen Week: "Jungleland"

I'm seeing the legendary Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band this Sunday at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. So as a way to gear up for this show, it will be Springsteen Week here at A Salty Salute.

One of my favorite Springsteen songs is "Jungleland" from 1975's Born To Run. Below is Springsteen and The E Street Band preforming this classic song from a 1999 show at Madison Square Garden.

"Jungleland"

Stephen Malkmus Daytrotter

Stephen Malkmus Daytrotter Sessions

The Best 25 Albums 2000-2009: Number 22

With the end of a decade looming at the end of this year, I've decide to post my 25 favorite albums from 2000 to 2009.


#22

Bright Eyes- Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

[Saddle Creek]

2002

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The album starts and ends with weaker tracks but everything in between is phenomenal and show why Conor Oberst is concerned one of the best songwriters going. True, Lifted... is a little messy and sometimes chaotic but there is absolutely no doubt its one of the most powerful album released this decade.

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Previously:

#25 Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes / Sun Giant EP (2008)

#24 White Stripes- Get Behind Me Satan (2005)

#23 Arcade Fire- Neon Bible (2007)