The Round Table

Junip, the  Sweden-based rock trio – fronted by acclaimed singer-songwriter José González – debuted Fields (Sept 14) on NPR’s ‘First Listen’
yesterday.

Junip was formed in the late ’90s by drummer Elias Araya, the afforementioned José González, and organ and moog player Tobias Winterkorn. Fields ends a five year drought since the band last released an album.

Between now and September 14th you can hear the album in its entirety on NPR’s website. I highly recommend checking out the full album or at the very least a few front-runner favorites in “Sweet and Bitter,” and “Without You.”

Junip will be bringing their intimate atmospherics back stateside in the Fall. The
complete tour schedule is after the cut.

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Katy Perry celebrated the release of her sophomore album, Teenage Dream, with a live concert event, which was broadcast online at CBS.com.

Ms. Perry clad in a trademark skimpy and glittery dress opened the show with “Hot n’ Cold,” one of her many hook-friendly singles off her debut album One of the Boys. After exchanging pleasantries with her fans, she launched into “Kissed a Girl,” which took the audience a moment to recognize it as a result of her re-arranging the intro with a sultry, jazz-infused sound. While I dug the new arrangement, thankfully, Ms. Perry segued into the original version for her die-hard fans sake – proving familiarity is a good thing sometimes.

Now, much is made (and has been made over the years) of “pop stars” who pre-record vocals and lip-sync, so I have to go ahead and give Ms. Perry props for singing live throughout the entire energetic set, though it’s sad that we’ve come to a point in music where mediocracy is an acceptable standard. Throughout the set, Ms. Perry’s pitch was completely off, which made it pretty much unbearable to listen through. Such was the case on the stripped down rendition of “Thinking of You,” which featured Ms. Perry on acoustic guitar with minimal band backing. If anything, she should’ve nailed the ballad vocally, but struggled through it. All things considered, her songs are confectionery greatness after post-production, but live — the girl is a mess.

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The adorable (see above) and seemingly recluse (see here) multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens dropped a surprise EP on everybody today, titled All Delighted People. It’s been a while since we’ve heard new stuff from him, so this is quite the Happy Friday Treat. You can purchase it for 5 bucks at bandcamp and/or stream it below. It’s pretty freakin’ sweet if you ask me.

Also, the Sufmeister’s going on tour this Fall. Get yr tix!

Ernie Halter is set to release his fourth studio album, Franklin & Vermont, on June 29th. The LA based singer-songwriter who spends an exorbitant amount of time on the road shares a small slice of home with us on his latest album, which is named for two cross streets in the quiet Los Feliz neighborhood where Halter lives.

True to form, Halter pairs his skillful song writing abilities with the laid back, raw acoustic stylings fans have come to expect from him to create a solid soulful collection of songs. Halter isn’t afraid to change paces throughout the album, which is apparent as the album opener, the uptempo, catchy “Hard to Let a Good Love Go” segues beautifully to the slow, bare-bones “Angel,” which celebrates love found. Meanwhile the singer gets in touch with his country side for “We Got Love,” which was penned in Nashville with Lady Antebellum guitarist Jason “Slim” Gambill.

For the album closer, Halter teams up with label-mate Tony Lucca on the piano based standout “This Beautiful Ache,” which also features vocals from singer-songwriter Amy Kuney. The song’s premise describes both the pain and pleasure a memory can bring — something we can all relate to in life. But it’s Halter’s raw vocals set against minimalist production that makes “This Beautiful Ache” that much more haunting.

Long time Ernie Halter fans will certainly enjoy Franklin & Vermont, while the album also serves as a perfect introduction for new fans.  Franklin & Vermont hits stores on June 29th, but in the meantime, you can give Halter’s “Hard to Let a Good Love Go” a listen thanks to our friends at Rock Ridge Music.

The lovable, albeit a bit sensitive, and wholly enchanting chanteuse is back on the scene! On February 23, Joanna Newsom will release her third studio LP, Have One On Me, a triple (!) CD/LP package no doubt filled with her unique childlike vocals and penchant for music that sounds like it was recorded a really long time ago.

Go to Drag City to listen to the seven minute “Good Intentions Paving Company” (in the upper right corner) –which is undoubtedly one of the best, most accessible Newsom tracks I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. In short, I love it and I love her. Between this and previously leaked “81″, I’m super excited for HOoM.

Pre-order Have One On Me here

“Sprout and the Bean” video, from her debut album Milk-Eyed Mender after the cut.
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We’re streaming The Knife‘s studio version of their Darwin-inspired opera ‘Tomorrow, In A Year’ (player below). Here’s some more background on the project while you listen, c/o Rabid Records:
…The Knife decided to make this a collaborative process, working with artists Mt. Sims and Planningtorock for the first time, to capture the huge width of the Darwin and evolution theme. They extensively researched Darwin related literature and articles, with Olof attending a field recording workshop in the Amazon to find inspiration and to record sounds.

As Ralf Christensen puts it in his biography of the album, “Closed headphones and open mind are strongly recommended.”

Stream, complete track listing and (weird, yet informative) roundtable discussion with Karin, Olof, Planningtorock, & Mt. Sims after the cut.
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Corinne Bailey Rae had it all. A hit debut single in “Put Your Records On,” that allowed her to enter the U.S. music charts and gain notoriety on a larger scale. Before she knew it, she was touring with chart-topper John Legend and performing at the Grammys. Until, one cruel day, her personal life was shattered by the accidental death of her musician husband, Jason Rae.

Two years after mourning her husband’s death, Corinne Bailey Rae is back with her follow-up album, The Sea. While The Sea does pay tribute to her late husband, it’s not a complete downer as one might assume. It’s a solid follow-up to the soulful singer-songwriter’s debut album, which showcases Corinne’s writing skills. Standouts include “Closer,” “Paris Night, New York Mornings,” and “Are You Here.”

Thanks to the kind folks at NPR, you can stream The Sea in its entirety from now until it’s release on January 26th. Album opener, “Are You Here,” is embedded after the jump.

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It’s almost 2010 and, even though the thought of “A Country Boy Can Survive (Y2K Edition)” still makes me cringe, I have to admit it’s been a decade mostly solid music. One of the major areas of musical evolution has to be electronica, at least in my awareness and, I hope, I’m not too presumptuous in extending that statement beyond myself.

In honor of the decade, Tim Noakes – Music Editor for the UK style and culture magazine, Dazed & Confused – has created a 2.5 hour mix of electronica from that timespan. In those 150-odd minutes, he covers everything from Har Mar Superstar to Hot Chip to Ratatat.

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Relient K kicks off their Winter Wonder Slam tour on November 19th in University Park, Pennsylvania in support of their latest release, Forget and Not Slow Down. The group hits the NYC area with a stop at Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, November 20th. Grab your tickets to the show by visiting the tour’s official website.

Joining Relient K on the road are: Toby Mac, Stephanie Smith, and B. Reith. Sounds like a pretty sweet lineup to us. To get you in the Relient K spirit, enjoy their newest single “Therapy,” which is streaming now.”Therapy” was penned by Relient K’s vocalist, Matt Thiessen on his path to self-discovery through isolation.

Full tour dates for Relient K’s Winter Wonder Slam after the cut.

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You may recognize the vocals on this track, as Taken by Trees‘s sole member is Victoria Bergsman, the female vocalist on the Peter Bjorn and John hit “Young Folks” and former lead singer of The Concretes. Being a one-woman group with a psuedonym, a la St. Vincent, Taken by Trees opens Bergsman up to a casual- and earthy-feeling (hence the name) world music approach and this Animal Collective cover is no exception; “My Boys” is a quasi-island-inspired take on the AC Peter Pan complex –this time with understandable vocals.

Watch the vid and comment, after the cut.
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